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Message: <blockquote data-quote="mikeawmids1" data-source="post: 9426691" data-attributes="member: 7030604">Day 23 (cont)Delving deeper into the tunnels beneath Redcap Pass, the Runewardens enter a large cavern dominated by a tall, imposing obelisk carved with a complex pattern of claws, fangs and wings. The surface of the stone ripples unnervingly, changing and reconfiguring itself every few moments. The walls of the cavern depict scenes of seven terrible monsters being defeated and trapped inside the shifting stone by the magic of the Aosidhe. The Daughters of the Chimera emerge from the shadow of the obelisk to defend their lair. Merta is a hunchbacked crone with curly black horns protruding from her skull, draped in filthy animal furs and leaning heavily on a crooked staff. Moira appears young and graceful as an elven maiden, the only outward sign of corruption being the razor sharp claws at the ends of her fingers. Maude is tall and broad as an ogress, dragging an oversized club along the ground behind her. Also present is the bandit chieftain Ianto the Red, so called for the angry, exposed tissue stretched across his skull, where the scalp has been savagely cut away. The hags are in no mood to negotiate with trespassers (especially not with two elves in the party), leaving the Runewardens no choice but to fight!Merta polymorphs Bruno into a goat. Moira summons a swarm of shadowy bats. Maude strikes her greatclub against the ground, triggering a devastating blast of thunder. Verdan is smashed against the cavern wall with enough force to pulverise every bone in his body. The elven ranger fails his death saves and dies (RIP). The Shifting Stone intermittently emitts baneful effects upon the party; turning Merlin's hands into claws and causing a pair of draconic wings to erupt from the wizard's back. Apogee takes careful aim and slings a magic stone into Maude's eye, downing the ogress. Bruno (returned to human form) beheads Merta the crone. Cursing the Runewardens for the murder of her two sisters, Moira surrenders.Seeing the tide has turned against the hags, Ianto retreats to the back of the cave, where the coven kept their prisoners in iron gibbets hanging from the ceiling. One cage contains a cackling redcap wearing a bloody human scalp like a grotesque wig. The second holds a terrified halfling boy, and the final cage is occupied by Adam's back-up character, Ackron the Dragon Monk. As Ianto attempts to coax the uncooperative redcap from its cell, Ackron grips the bars of his own cage, channelling his inner-fire into the cold, unyielding metal. With a sudden flash, Ackron shatters the super-heated bars and attacks Ianto with his flaming fists of furfuraceous ferocity!Ianto is defeated, the Runewardens stepping in to stop Ackron killing their bounty. They soon establish the nature of his bargain with the hags; as long as the redcap wears Ianto's scalp, the bandit chieftain continuously recovers any lost hit points. The party kill the redcap, and Merlin attaches Ianto's bloody scalp to the severed head he's been carting around since day 8 of the campaign. Ackron joins the party! The Runewardens release the halfling boy. His name is Hort and he is on a quest to find the Golden Bodach. In exchange for her freedom, Moira gives up some information about the Hag of Hours; the Pookah recognised Korthsuva would wield great power - great enough to unseat Griselda as Hag Queen - but could not divine whether she would use her magic for good or ill. The Pookah King Seventails took Korthsuva when she was in swaddling, hiding her away where none but his children would ever find her.Day 24The Runewardens return to Caerfell and hand Ianto over to Captain Olvane One-Eye, to be imprisoned in the dungeons beneath Caerfell Keep. They are granted an audience with the young Lord Fairwind, and each granted an Amulet of Heroism for their bold deeds. Guest rooms are prepared, where the party can freshen up before attending a grand banquet in their honor.Finally, Firkin the legendary baker reappears in a burst of breadcrumbs, transforms Toasty back into a real boy, and drags him off to work in his magical sweatshop.TBCXP2,100xp for defeating the Daughters of the Chimera500xp for capturing Ianto the Red100xp for breaking the redcap bargain100xp for rescuing Hort100xp for gaining an audience,with Lord Caerfell300xp for putting up with Toasty for three weeks3,200 / 7 = 457 + 1,486 = 1,943 (next lvl at 2,700)</blockquote>

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