Desperate Measures: Episode 08

1st April, 1512 (continued)
The Latrineian Scavengers are traveling down smugglers pass on the edge of the Thistle Forest towards the city of Highcastle though a rocky ridge. Despite their best efforts, they end up encountering around 2 dozen of of Mama Beatrix's Kobold forces. The party defend themselves from the Rock-Throwing Kobolds. The party end up surounded and the Kobolds scratch at the party. The party inflict heavy damage and kill kobolds as the party is peppered by minor cuts and brusiers. After the party kill all the Kobolds with spears, the the party take the opening to try to leave the area, and fight their way north. The rest of the Kobolds flee.

The party hear the howls of Kobolds ahead of them as well as behind. The push onwards northward as the howls surround them.

Kobolds fight bows at the party, one arrow hitting Vaughn. Joka almost falls into a Kobold Pit Trap, but dodges it. The party start killing the Kobold archers as they move forward. Jebediah sniping Kobolds as he moves. More kobold arrows hit the party, htting Ebnur and Jeb.

4 Kobolds with spears in a line taught the party. Ebnur blinds a Kobold with a light spell. The blinded Kobolds walks off a cliff and dies. Joka avoids the Kobold spear group to attack another Kobold Archer, also dodging a net trap along the way. The group keep moving North, killing Kobolds in their way. Eventually the party get out of range from the Kobold Archers.

Entering the Bramblewood
The party escape the hills and get to the edge of the bramblewood, a thick old forest. Ebnur heals up the party then casts Nap on himself to get new spells back. Vaughn and Jeb guiard Ebnur. Joka goes off to forrage on his own and finds 2 days worth of food in muchrooms.

While waiting, Jeb & Vaughn are attacked by a |Hangman Tree's vines, but Vaughn avoids the noose. Jeb starts to be lifted up. Vaught and Jeb attack the tree, while calling out for help, but Joka doesn't hear. Vaughn starts a fire on the tree before a noose grabs him as well.

Jeb is lifted above the centre of the trunk of the Hangman's Tree, where there is a pit filled with spikes and acid at the bottom, the Hangman Tree's stomach. Jeb drops his dagger and grabs hold of the vine to avoid to be dropped in. Jeb swings to safty then shoots Vaughn free from his vine. Everyone gets a safe distance from the tree and fire on it from a safe distance. Jeb attacks the tree with arrows until it dies.

Joka returns to the party with the food after the battle is over, having not heard any of the shouts for help. Ebnur wakes up, casts more healing spells, then the party keep walking north.

As the party walk, a single grey wolf spies on the party. The party notice the wolf is fearless and hasn't ran from the party, and seems to be protecting it's territory. The party leaves the wolf be and give it a good distance. The party run into a creek running off the edge of the cliff down the great canal below. A wolf is following the party from behind. The party keep moving north towards Highcastle.

By sundown the wolf has stopped following the party, then they make camp deeper in the dark bramblewood. Jeb spots a old stone hand covered with moss on the ground, broken off a statue or a petrified person.

The Overgrown Temple
The party come across a old stone building with 4 pillars at the front, steepled roof, 20 feet wide, 45 feet long. Ebnur sees the symbols of Nadinis on the pillars and external wall. The party push aside the vines and enter the temple, before careful not to disturb the plants and be respectful.


 * You push your way in the curtain of vines and stand inside a temple. There is soft moss covering the entirety of the ground, you can't even see if there is stone down there. There is a few holes in the ceiling where it looks like stones and bricks have fallen in, allowing shafts of light to pour in. One of these shafts of light spotlights directly on the altar, standing at the back end of the temple. The sides of the room have columns that are built flush against the walls. The roof is pointed at the top so there is clearly no attic space. There are no other doors exiting here. The back of the wall has some embossed designs or patterns that have been covered by moss or lichen. There are leaves on the ground below the holes in the ceiling. The Altar is a six foot wide & 3 foot high table with a large cut stone, a quarter inch thick, that covered it. On the surface are some engravings on the altar covered with moss and lichen. Under the front of the alter, as you scrape off the lichen, have these engraved twisting knots/vines in a celtic knot style that go around the border. In the middle is a series of concentric circles with a leaf in the middle, that runs 2 feet long and a foot wide, showing it to be more Nadinus imagery.

The party lift the top of altar off carefully and find that resting inside the altar is a long recurve bow made of bogwood.

Ebnur casts Divination Reading to find out if Nadinis would be okay if the party took the bow, and gets an ambiguous answer, a sketch of a concentric circles with a shape of a bow inside.

Jeb gives a prayer to Nadinis, promising to use it with respect. Jeb takes the bow, and the stone container fills with water. Jeb looks at the bow and finds it does not have a string. Jeb will use a regular string. The party drink from the water from the alter and find themselves refreshed.

Siege at the Temple
The party leave the building and there are 38 Kobolds outside and a Pack Leader Kobold wearing some armor. The Kobolds attack with ranged weapons at the party. The party step though the vines to shoot out, and move back to cover. Melee Kobolds charge in. Some Kobolds enter the temple from holes in the back.

The party defend the temple as more kobolds approach to the front door of the temple. The Kobold Pack Leader casts Silence on where Ebnur was standing. The party keep defending in silence as Ebnur switches to using his spear.

The Kobolds continue to attack the party, with the party killing kobold after kobold. Joka kills the Kobold Pack Leader. Ebnur is overbeared by a lot of Kobolds and dragged to the ground. Ebnur breaks himself free. Vaughn is stabbed unconcious. The party cut a path to Vaughn and Ebnur heals him up.

The Kobolds not not flee, even as they are all killed. Joka is knocked out, and wakes up after some time. The party try drinking from the altar and find it doesn't heal them anymore.

The party search the Kobolds and find the armor from the Kobold Pack Leader was actually crafted for them, as well as their amulet of martha. The party take Vaughn and flee to the north.

5th April, 1512
The party travel more and more north and arrive at Tam River. Across the river they can see Highcastle in the distance to the west.

Experience
2062 exp each
 * Ebnur levels to level 4
 * Max HP from 21 to 25



Battle Stats
Ebnur   - 16 Damage sustained - 21 Damage inflicted - 4 hit - 3 miss - 0 crit - 0 crit miss - 15 combat healing

Jebediah - 13 Damage sustained - 95 Damage inflicted - 17 hit - 3 miss - 6 crit - 0 crit miss

Vaughn  - 9 Damage sustained - 152* Damage inflicted - 13 hit - 5 miss - 5 crit - 0 crit miss

Joka    - 8 Damage sustained - 66 Damage inflicted - 8 hit - 4 miss - 1 crit - 0 crit miss


 * * Killing Blow damage against 1 Kobold were not rolled

(3hr 37 min 34 sec into Vod)