The Band of Four (The Village of Oester)

[Hairy Minotaur]

The party heads down the Eastern exit, and come to a door about fifteen feet down the corridor. Alriand listens at the door and hears at least three kobolds having a conversation, while there are sounds of bones hitting the floor during the conversation.

"sounds like we're past the daycare area" Alriand tells the party.

"Maybe we're reaching the end?" Tharhack inquires.

"More like we've reached the bathroom" Rebrey moves up to the door to get a listen himself. "they don't sound too close to the door, the longer we can keep them off guard, the better."

Tharhack sets Bimbar on the ground about ten feet from the door. "back away, it's time for my foot to shine" as Tharhack kicks another door in.

The four kobolds in the room freeze at the sound of the door breaking. One kobold who was juggling some bones lets them fall. Just before they hit the ground Tharhack clears the threshold of the doorway, and enters the room. He's followed by Rebrey who's followed by a dagger whizzing through the air to bury itself in the chest of the kobold who had been juggling. Getting a good look at the room Rebrey sees three kobolds left, and another exit on the East wall opposite the door the part just kicked in. Rebrey moves up to the kobold nearest him. Swinging his flail low, Rebrey breaks the hip of the kobold, as it's feet leave the ground, and it's body spins away in the air. Landing on it's head and crumpled in a heap. Alriand flings another dagger at the kobold furthest from Tharhack. This one opens a permanent hole in the kobold's gut. It drops to it's knees bleeding down it's waist. The last kobold turned and ran down the exit behind it, before Tharhack could get to it. Tharhack starts after it, but stops after he hears a door slam and a kobold yelling, followed by a lot more kobolds yelling back. Upset that the party may have lost their last hope, surprise, Tharhack kicks the kobold on it's knees down into the dirt floor.

"This is what separates the strong from the kobolds" Tharhack says as he sits in the middle of the room and begins to pray.

Alriand and Rebrey just shrug at each other. Alriand moves down the short corridor that the kobold ran down. The corridor is barely fifteen feet long but is takes a hard right curve once Alriand enters the corridor. Sure enough it ends in another door. Alriand can hear mustering kobolds behind the door, Alriand guesses the number at a least a dozen. She also hears a faint crying sound, that doesn't sound like any thing the kobold's have made. In fact it sounds like an infant. Laying down on the floor Alriand presses her face against the dirty, dusty, insect crawling floor, and tries to get a better look inside. She sees at least eight kobolds, forming a semicircle infront of two other kobolds. Focusing on these two kobolds Alriand can see one has leather armor and carries a short sword, the other has a feathered headband and a necklace of small animal skulls. There is also a small makeshift crib next to this kobold, with a baby sitting up and crying, and it's not a kobold's child. The armored kobold is barking out orders to the rest of the kobolds, obviously hoping the party rushes right into their waiting shortspears. Alriand pushes herself off the ground and sprints around the corner to the rest of the party.

"looks like a well armed leader and another kobold with poor taste in accessories, are waiting for us in the next room." Alriand states.

"what do you mean by that?" Rebrey asks her

"Anyone who would where skulls for a necklace, obviously isn't right in the head." Alriand replies.

"sounds like a shaman, great" Rebrey looks down the corridor.

"I am ready," Tharhack says, startling the rest of the party. Tharhack seems to give off a faint bluish glow around his arms, and legs, as he reaches back behind his right shoulder and unsheathes a greatsword. "I have prayed to Kord for his help, I will end this shaman's reign of terror" Tharhack then begins walking toward the passage of the shaman.

"wait!" Alriand shouts. "I have a better idea"

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

Tharhack halts his march, and waits for Alriand to explain. She asks Rebrey to go back into the kitchen and get the smallest kobold and bring them back in to this room. Rebrey stands there with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"whaaat?" Rebrey looks at Tharhack, and waits for him to respond.

"trust me, it's a good plan" Alriand pleads.

"No, it's your plan. Which means it stinks, and I'll be in pain for weeks" Rebrey counters.

"Nope, this time I'll be the one risking their neck." Alriand advises.

"Well, that got my attention" Tharhack chimes in. "Go ahead and get the little beastie, and lets see what are waif friend here has up her sleeve."

Rebrey throws his arms up in exasperation, and walks back to the kitchen. Tharhack watches Alriand shift nervously, as some very quiet seconds pass between them.

"You better be right about this" Tharhack tells her.

"Well, at least Bimbar's calm about this plan" Rebrey states as he enters the room carrying a small kobold.

"Arrghh!" Tharhack cries as he walks back to get Bimbar.

"Here's your guinea pig, where do you want it?" Rebrey asks Alriand.

Tharhack returns with Bimbar's body, lays him out on the dirt floor, and drizzles some water onto his mouth. Alriand tells Rebrey to bring the kobold to the edge of the corridor, then tells Tharhack and Rebrey to keep the kobold there until Alriand is ready. With the kobold in place, Alriand pulls out the scroll that Rebrey found, and begins to read. With quizzical looks on their faces, Tharhack and Rebrey watch as Alriand reads the scroll in a language they've never heard. Alriand finishes reading and slowly she begins to disappear, until she's completely invisible.

"way to go elf" Tharhack says, understanding her plan now.

"now, release the kobold. Once you hear the door open, give me sixty seconds and then come in swinging." Alriand explains.

They release the kobold and it sprints off down the corridor, followed silently by Alriand. It rushes to the door and pushes it open. Screaming and arm flailing it runs to the shaman, unknowingly followed by a silent invisible killer.

 

[pogre]

They release the kobold and it sprints off down the corridor, followed silently by Alriand. It rushes to the door and pushes it open. Screaming and arm flailing it runs to the shaman, unknowingly followed by a silent invisible killer.

Clever idea and kudos to you for allowing it to work!

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

The small kobold makes it to the shaman, pointing at the open door breathlessly trying to scream out descriptions. A kobold in the front row points at the door while turning it's head to the kobold in leather. The leather clad kobold shakes it's head no, and barks out an order. The rest of the kobolds all turn and watch the corridor beyond the door intently.

Counting silently in her head, Alriand hurries as quietly as possible to get behind the kobolds. Getting to 50 she arrives behind the shaman and kobold leader. 53 she decides her victim. 55 she slinks up behind the kobold. 58 holding the blade of the dagger inches from the exposed neck of the kobold, she waits for Tharhack's cry.

"AARRGGHH!" Tharhack's shout resonates down the corridor and into the room, joined shortly after by Rebrey's cry.

Tharhack's massive body comes barreling around the curve towards the kobold line. The kobold leader barks an order that seemed to end abruptly. A couple of kobolds close to the leader turn back to the leader in time to watch it's slumping body slide off a glistening blade at it's neck. The blade seems to hang in midair for a split second before the body holding the blade comes into view.

Chaos ensues for the kobold ranks as the four closest to Alriand turn to face her reappearing body, in shock at the death of their leader, and in wonder as the elf appears out of thin air. With only two enemies facing him now instead a possible four, Tharhack charges headlong into the first kobold he sees the eyes of. Bull rushing the kobold, Tharhack is able to twist his body enough to avoid the spearthrust of the waiting kobold, and slam his body into the short creature. The kobold goes flying through the air, sliding unconscious past the shaman.

Rebrey charges in and aims for the back of the first kobold he sees pointing it's spear at Alriand. Not paying any attention to what's going on behind it the kobold never sees the flail come down and crack the back of it's skull. The kobold drops immediately. Rebrey's attack does what he intends as the kobold next to the one he just downed turns to attack Rebrey and just barely catches Rebrey's thigh for a small scratch.

Tharhack takes a shortspear to his waist and another to his left arm from the two kobolds left on his side of the room. Alriand manages to dodge both of her attackers feeble attempts to hit her. The shaman points a clawed finger at Rebrey and utters a single bark. Rebrey hears the shaman bark at him at feels a dark cold weight grip his heart as the doom spell takes effect.

Alriand jabs at the face of the kobold to her right, and forces her blade through the kobolds eye socket. The kobold drops it's spear and shouts in pain as it bleeds out soaking the dirt floor under it's feet. Tharhack bleeding bad from his gut, ignores the two kobolds attacking him, moving up to come face to face with the shaman. Only then seeing the makeshift crib and the infant sitting in it. Only one of the kobolds Tharhack passes manages to draw blood, clipping the back of Tharhack's left knee, bringing the big man to one knee infront of the shaman. Rebrey thwacks the next kobold into the afterlife. Leaving one kobold attacking Alriand, two attacking Tharhack and the shaman with the small kobold. The kobold facing Alriand jabs at her, but only cuts the air to her right. Both of the kobolds behind Tharhack pierce his back opening two fresh wounds to bleed and drip onto the dirt floor. The shaman looking straight into Tharhack's eyes holds up it's index finger in the face of Tharhack. Barking out two syllables it's finger glows a bright red, it pivots it's wrist and presses the finger into Tharhack's forehead burning him. With the inflict minor wounds serving it's purpose, the shaman cackles with glee.

Alriand slashes the last kobold by her across the abdomen, causing it's entrails to spill out onto it's feet, followed quickly by the rest of it's body. Tharhack breathing heavy, bleeding profusely, and feeling his life drain away. He grips the hilt of his greatsword tightly and draws it up on his right side. Swinging with all his might the blade comes around towards the shaman, however the pain of his wounds is too great and Tharhack can't keep the blade above the ground long enough and it skids to a halt on the floor next to the shaman's feet. Thinking that was his final chance to serve his god, a single tear flows down Tharhack's cheek. Rebrey turns and moves up to defend Tharhack's back swatting away one spear with his flail and dodging the other spearpoint, Rebrey whacks the nearest kobold in the chest causing the kobold to collapse in a heap gasping for air. Soon there is no more gasping as the kobold breathes it's last breath.

The remaining kobold breaks morale and takes off back down the corridor the party just came from. Alriand throws her dagger just as the kobold reaches the threshold of the door, and it finds purchase in the middle of it's back, causing the kobold to trip and fall and try to crawl down the corridor. The shaman gives Tharhack a crooked toothy smile, before bending down and lifting the infant out of the crib and turning towards the South wall. Tharhack tries again to hit the fleeing shaman, and again his swing falls short. Forcing himself onto his feet, Tharhack takes off after the shaman unsure of where it's headed. Rebrey drops his flail and pulls his loaded crossbow off his back. Rebrey aims and send the bolt into the left ankle of the shaman, causing it to drop and skid on it's knees.

Alriand moves up to the shaman, and using her knowledge of pick pockets actually swipes the baby from the enveloping blanket the shaman had wrapped it in. Tharhack limps behind the shaman and takes a slow aim at the middle of it's back, he lifts the tip of his greatsword and using it as a spear, pins the shaman to the ground. Then falls to his hands and knees before raising his arms and shouting Kord's name in glorious victory.

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

The small kobold stands there stunned at seeing it's entire world collapsed around it, and begins to cry. Rebrey goes over to Alriand, who's checking on the halfling infant. Tharhack rips off the skull necklace of the kobold shaman, and puts it in his belt pouch for later. Alriand hands the infant over to Rebrey, and reaches into her backpack and pulls out the doll she found earlier. Handing the doll to Rebrey, Alriand walks over towards the shaman.

"Where did you find this?" Rebrey asks her.

"Somewhere back there." Alriand answers waving her hand back towards the way the came. "It was lying on the floor or something"

Rebrey nods knowingly, and checks the infant for any obvious injuries. Alriand begins to go through the shaman's tattered clothes, and belt pouches. Finding some gold and other coins, she places these in her backpack and gets up to check the South wall. Tharhack rises to his feet and goes to check on Bimbar, who's still uncomfortably unconscious.

"Make sure you double check that wall Alriand" Tharhack shouts back at her, "That shaman wasn't running to that wall to get a facial."

"Hey, you called me by my name. I feel all warm and fuzzy." Alriand responds to Tharhack. "don't worry if there's a secret door here I'll find it."

"Hey Tharhack, could take a look at the baby after you're done with Bimbar?" Rebrey asks.

"Of course" Tharhack answers Rebrey. "Alriand that was sheer brilliance, I didn't know you had it in you. You continue to come up with lifesaving plans like that, and I'll teach you about the strength of Kord." Tharhack finishes with Alriand while flexing.

"wow, an elf with bulging neck veins and a constipation problem." Alriand answers under her breath, and continuing her search for a secret exit.

Tharhack leaves Bimbar and goes to check on the halfling infant, concluding she has no external injuries, and no obvious broken bones. After checking the child over Tharhack turns to his own injuries, verifying that none of them are going to kill him, he patches himself up as best he can before heading over to make sure Alriand doesn't need any injuries looked over. Getting halfway to her, Alriand pushes on a section of wall, and it pivots 90 degrees.

"found it" Alriand proclaims. "the air smells better in there as well, I think we found another way out."

"Well, lets muster up, we need to get back to the Hamlet as soon as possible." Tharhack states.

"I couldn't agree more." Rebrey agrees.

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

Alriand heads into the secret passage to check it out. Rebrey, carrying the infant, makes his way to the entrance of the secret passage. Tharhack meanwhile, binds the sobbing kobold child and tethers it to his waist. He then picks up Bimbar and makes his way to the entrance to the secret passage as well.

"Oh, why did you have to bring that" Rebrey asks Tharhack while pointing at the kobold.

"Kord is going to be mightily pleased at my offerings, it is by his will alone, that I was able to defeat my adversaries." Tharhack replies.

"Yep, had nothing to do with the fact he was sitting on the ground with it's back to you, pulling out a crossbow bolt from his foot, that made him such an easy target for you." Rebrey answers.

"His weakness made him an easy target, and tonight I will weaken his god." Tharhack states as he pumps his fist into the ceiling.

"HELP! somebody." Alriand yells from inside the passage.

Rebrey followed by Tharhack and a dragging kobold, race into the passage. They find Alriand apparently stuck in place in the middle of the tunnel.

"I'm stuck" Alriand says while pulling at her feet. "It's some kind of glue, it's all over the floor here."

Tharhack sets Bimbar down and yanks Alriand out of the glue. The soles of her boots sticky, Alriand removes them.

"There's also something at the end of this tunnel, sounds like bats." Alriand continues."

"dinner." Tharhack replies.

The party continues on down the passageway, avoiding the glue trap, they can see light filtering around some rocks and boulders at the end of the tunnel. Seeing daylight, the party quickens it's pace. Up ahead of the party, noises start to rise, Alriand almost ignores the small dark flying things coming from the end of the passage. Thinking they are bats, Alriand presses on until one of the "bats" impales itself into her right thigh.

Screaming, Alriand yells out that these things aren't bats at all, while trying to remove the thing from her leg. Tharhack still bleeding from some minor wounds, is like a beacon for the "bats" and most of them target Tharhack. Unable to immediately defend himself, Tharhack becomes a pin cushion as five of the "bats" jam their long mouths into his flesh. Rebrey seeing the rest of the party's reaction, was a little more prepared for the "bats" when one came around Tharhack and headed towards Rebrey. With no weapon in hand, Rebrey swats at the "bat" slapping it against the wall, but not stopping the thing as it regroups and flies in Rebrey direction a second time.

Alriand stabs the one on her thigh with her dagger, but that does nothing to slow the thing from draining blood through it's proboscis. Tharhack sets Bimbar down, and immediately three of these "bats" land on Bimbar. Tharhack then mashes one into his forearm, squishing it like a mosquito. Rebrey not wanting to set down the infant, keeps fighting with his backhand. This time swatting the same one he'd hit earlier, dropping it to the floor. Alriand takes another stab at the "bat", hitting it again, it falls off and lands on the floor. The puncture wound still leaking elf blood. Tharhack mashes another "bat" this one on his left thigh, leaving one left on Tharhack, while the remaining four swarm Bimbar.

Alriand runs to the end of the passage and starts pushing rocks and debris away from the exit. Rebrey moves up to behind Tharhack and takes a swat at a "bat" sucking on Bimbar's motionless body.

"Elf, get back here and help us clear off Bimbar before he dies!" Tharhack shouts at Alriand.

Alriand reluctantly returns to battle. Tharhack squashes another one, this one shooting bright red blood all over the current section of passage. Rebrey swats another one, but he's unable to stop it from sucking on Bimbar. Alriand strikes at a "bat" but misses slicing only the air. Tharhack rips one off of Bimbar's body, and squeezes it into extinction. Rebrey swats the "bat" again, but still can't dislodge it from Bimbar's skin. Alriand tries again, this time hitting the "bat", however it is still lodged in Bimbar's chest sucking blood. Tharhack grabs another one and squeezes it's last meal out onto the dirt floor. Rebrey swats again, but this one hits Bimbar instead. Alriand gets another shot at the "bat" , and makes it count, ripping the body in half, and old thick blood from previous victims, comes spurting out all over her.

Tharhack begins work on Bimbar at once, trying to save him from bleeding out. Getting out his last two healer's kits, he checks for Bimbar's heartbeat, and finds that it's getting weaker. Telling Alriand and Rebrey to apply pressure to the biggest bleeding wounds, Tharhack says a pray to Kord as he tries to save Bimbar.

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

Tharhack labors furiously over Bimbar, but alas it is all for naught. Soon Bimbar stops fighting, and the gnome's heart stops beating. A long moment of silence blankets the passageway. Alriand gets up and goes back to pushing away the rocks at the exit. Tharhack slumps against the dead gnome, thoughts like: why he wasn't a better healer, why he didn't save just one more healing spell, why a tribe of weak kobolds and their pet bats could even take one of them down. Tharhack becomes despondent and calls out to Kord asking why he wasn't strong enough to save Bimbar. Rebrey puts a hand on Tharhack's shoulder and walks down to help Alriand clear away the exit.

The sun has begun to set and has settled below the tree line in the West, the reddish glow casts the exit to the passage in a ruddy light. Tharhack hoists Bimbar's body over his shoulder and with the kobold in tow, makes his way to the exit. Adrian and Rebrey finish clearing out the exit as Tharhack arrives. The trio stare at each other as the last remaining light from the sun vanishes.

"we need to camp." Rebrey finally speaks up. "and we can't do it here, I don't want to be hassled all night by short order chefs."

Alriand nods in agreement. "I'll go look for a good spot." Alriand then silently slinks out the exit and into the crisp fall air.

Rebrey and Tharhack stand there staring out into the night. Both searching for solace, but neither asking the right question. They knew that Bimbar was the ringleader who kept the circus running. Tharhack wondered who was going to be the one to encourage him to follow his calling, and to live like Kord is always watching. Rebrey wondered who was going to keep the elf in line, and who was going to be his sparing partner.

Alriand saw them standing there as she was walking back to the cave. She thought they almost looked like she did, the day she was forced to leave her home in the Forest of Startrees. She too had looked back at her place of birth, trying to find the words to say goodbye, but finding only hollow words. As she watched them she wondered if they knew what true loss was, and if she had just found it. Shaking off those thoughts as human, Alriand makes her way to Rebrey and Tharhack.

"There's a small overhang in the side of a cliff, about 250 yards west of here. It's the best place I could find, and it didn't show any signs of recent large animal activity, you know bears, tigers, dragons." Alriand tells the men.

A couple of moments go by and Rebrey steps out into the air, and heads off to the West. Tharhack waits for minuets before finally heading out following Rebrey's tracks, spurred on Alriand incessant whines to hurry up, that she doesn't want to be out in the middle of nowhere at night. They both reach the overhang and Rebrey has already started to collect firewood, holding the infant in one arm and a bundle of twigs in the other. Rebrey asks Alriand to start the fire up for them, which she does, then she proceeds to scout out the surrounding area. Tharhack lays Bimbar's body out on the ground, then starts to collect big rocks, and small boulders for Bimbar's funeral. Rebrey watches Tharhack's scripted show, as he gives the infant some water. Tharhack finishes burying Bimbar, sprinkles holy water over the grave, and says the last rites for Bimbar.

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

Clouds begin to fill the night sky, and a cold breeze blows up, whipping the flames of the campfire. Rebrey and Alriand huddle close to the fire, but it does not seem to do any good. Sharing one blanket so that the halfling infant can stay warm, Rebrey realizes that no one is going to get any rest tonight. He stares at Tharhack who has remained near Bimbar's grave all night, despite repeated attempts to get him to come in by the fire. Rebrey wonders why Tharhack seemed to take this death so hard. Sure Bimbar was a nice guy, but death is all around you once you chose the life of an adventurer. Alriand wonders why Rebrey gets to hold the baby, she's freezing and he's benefiting from the extra warmth the infant is providing.

Tharhack finishes his daily devotions to Kord, he than places his greatsword onto the ground. Retrieving the shaman's necklace from his pouch, he lays it out on the blade of the greatsword. Tharhack asks out loud that Kord accept this offering of the shaman's necklace as proof that Kord is mightier than the kobold's weak god. Tharhack then clasps both of his hands together above his head, and brings them crashing down onto the necklace. Bits of skulls and beads go flying, as the necklace is obliterated. The ringing echo of Tharhack's spiked gauntlets slamming into the steel sword reverberate along the cliff. Tharhack reveled in the sound, until the first drop hit his face. A cold rain began to fall, carried by the strong winds, the rain chilled the bones.

The overhang which would be useful for shade in the summer, is completely useless in this weather. The fire which already had a tenuous hold on the wood, begins to wane in the blustery rain. Rebrey tries his best to keep the infant dry, by turning his back to the wind. Alriand tries to throw more wood onto the fire, but only manages to put it out. Now with no heat source and no light, the rain felt that much colder. Emotionally weathered, Tharhack sits in the rain still wishing he had done more to save Bimbar. Tharhack heard the cry, like a far off voice carried by the wind to his ears, he dismissed it as probably a bear. He sighed, and closed his eyes in contemplation, unaware of the mass of wood headed his way. The small tree connected with Tharhack's chest, sending him head-over-feet skidding back towards the smoldering campfire.

Rebrey heard the sickening sound of Tharhack's chest, and his body skidding to a stop, and unmoving. Looking back towards where Tharhack was standing, Rebrey sees a tall gangly monster, wielding a small tree like a club. Putting the infant next to the cliff wall in the driest spot he could see in dark, and grabs his heavy flail. He rises and heads out to get between Tharhack and the beast. Alriand stands next tot the cliff shouting "What the heck is it?" repeatedly at Rebrey.

"I don't know, it's big whatever it is." Rebrey answers as the tree whiffs through the air over his head. "Get out here and help me!"

Alriand hesitates before joining the fight. The shape of the monstrosity is very familiar, yesterday familiar. Alriand decides to try and circle around the beast, and heads out behind Rebrey. Rebrey keeps trying to get in close to the monster, however it's long arms are able to keep him at a distance. Unable to close with the beast, Rebrey hopes that whatever Alriand is doing fixes that problem. A couple more near hits from the creature has Rebrey wondering how much longer his muscles can hold out in this weather. Alriand finally makes her way to behind the beast. Slashing out with her dagger, Alriand cuts a deep gash along it's right ribs. The beast cries in pain, and turns to face Alriand. Seeing this as his chance, Rebrey rushes up to the monster, and swings at it's head connecting with a hard thud. The beast seems to be unfazed by the party attempts to injure it. It swings the tree trunk at Alriand, and it manages to pound her face into the wet dirt. Coughing and in pain, Alriand spits out two teeth. Rebrey tries to draw out the away from the overhang, and Alriand, but it just takes another step toward Rebrey, who is powerless to halt it. Alriand tries to compose herself, as she pushes herself to a sitting position.

Rebrey finally meets the tree trunk, although he would've preferred it to be under better conditions. Rebrey falls backwards and loses his grip on his flail, as the beast raises his arms to the night. Rebrey sees his life pass before his eyes, as the beast brings the tree trunk to bear on Rebrey.

 

[Ed Cha]

I'm sad Bimbar died.

By the way, what level did the characters start at and what levels are they now?

What is this beast? Is it from the book? I guess this party gets no rest, but that's adventuring for you-- expect the unexpected!

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

I'm sad Bimbar died.

By the way, what level did the characters start at and what levels are they now?

What is this beast? Is it from the book? I guess this party gets no rest, but that's adventuring for you-- expect the unexpected!

They started at 2nd level, 2 of them are almost to 3rd.

The beast is the ogre (podgy), the party didn't know what it was. Rebrey couldn't tell in the near complete darkness, Alriand knows what it is from fighting it before which is why she hesitated going out to fight it, and of course Tharhack is in la-la land. However the ogre didn't get here by accident.

Yes Bimbar's death was sad, his player is good at coming up with offbeat character concepts. I think his next one (which will meet/join the party soon) is his best to date.