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Session 29, Shanty Town & Castle Slave Rescue
Coins End
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Session 29 – 2024-07-20
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Summary
Detail
When the party started off this session, it was evening so they set up watches and rested. There were sounds of howling and movement in the distance. Nothing came close to them. No one got a good sleep. Big Tony took the watch with Kipp and though Kipp watched the woods nearby for movement, Big Tuna seemed more interested in watching Kipp. Kipp felt an urge to touch the coin but resisted it. Audra and Brandy took the other watch. The next morning, Pyreece cast a couple of heals and created 6 more Goodberry's two of which Oglesby took right then. All and all, they party was in good shape. The others were divided out, two to Oglesby to help get people back up. Kipp apparently didn't sleep, though no one knew this. His eyes were still white and he didn't look well. He was weakened because of it and his Constitution was down a point. They set out East toward the castle.
They travelled a good part of the day before they found the castle. It was a mostly square fortress with an inner building. To the east of the fortress was a camp of enemy soldiers numbering in the hundreds. From their vantage point, they could see about 20 or so soldiers around the fortress. They were unable to see the other side so they were forced to assume there were that many more over there. There were only twelve in their party. There was no good way to get into the castle. They also spotted a shanty town to the Southeast. There was little activity there but there was smoke rising from a few fires. There was somebody there.
Oglesby mentioned that there was usually a tunnel for leaders to flee in the event the castle was about to fall. He suggested that the tunnel could well exit in the shanty town somewhere. He suggested they search there. They moved closer to the town. Oglesby snuck in the town while Kipp usually stayed just outside of town keeping an eye out for any trouble. Oglesby found mostly infirmed Gnolls or women and children. There were a few walking around keeping watch but they could easily be avoided. They weren't very observant as they probably felt that there was little chance of an issue, since they held the castle and the surrounding land.
In the first building he searched, he found a male Gnoll resting with his eyes opened. He saw Oglesby enter the building but made no noise or effort to confront him. As Oglesby rounded a corner in the building, he found a female Gnoll looking at him, she began shouting at him. He didn't understand what she was saying but he retreated and she didn't give chase or warn anyone else of the intrusion. He backed out of town and when it seemed that there was no pursuit, he went back in and searched more. One of the buildings was full of spiders, big spiders. They wanted to search it so they moved in and killed about seven of them. Kipp, Sneaks, and Scoots all searched that building but found no tunnel.
Oglesby searched every building as much as he could. Finding no tunnel, they moved away from the shanty town, thinking they would have to search the woods around the castle. They decided to start with the South and Western sides. As they began to move out, they heard movement, and the sounds of Gnoll speech. They crouched and waited. The voices seemed to be coming their way. At the last minute, they stopped, just within sight of them. There were four of them. They searched around the base of a tree and one of them produced a bunch of blue bottles. It appeared they came out here to get drunk. The party waited quietly as the Gnolls got drunk.
When it seemed they were sufficiently drunk, the party snuck closer, then charged and attacked. They killed all but one in very short order. They were unable to put up much of a fight. When they were down to one, Audra jumped him while Pyreece assisted and they knocked him down and tied him up. Kipp and Hrog questioned him but were having a hard time getting anywhere with him so Brandy knocked him hard in the ear with the butt of her dagger. He seemed a little more helpful after that. He finally revealed where the secret entrance was. Once they had the information, they forced him to drink the remaining two bottles of liquor and leave the area. He didn't make it very far before he face planted into the ground. They moved the other bodies away, piled them up and put him on top. They bloodied his weapons with their blood. If he were found, they'd likely assume he killed them for the drinks.
They moved off to find the opening. Knowing where it was made it much easier. The found it and snuck inside, into a tunnel. At the end of the tunnel was a door. Oglesby checked it for traps and when he felt it was safe, he opened it. It opened into a laboratory of sorts. There were magical elixirs and scrolls and items organized on tables. They took some of the items, anything they thought night be useful. Finally, they listened at the other door and hearing nothing, opened the door and moved out into the hallway. There were a set of closed double doors to the East and couple of closed single doors along the walls leading to it. There were also a couple of closed single doors in the walls going South as the hallway continued that direction.
They moved South. Oglesby checked the first door and found it unlocked. When he opened the door, he found it was a latrine. They moved to the door at the end of the hall. He listened and heard some discussion; the language was in common. They were discussing shackling someone and getting them ready. The party decided to knock on the door and charge it when it opened. Kipp and Audra lined up ready for the charge and Kipp knocked. The voices within got quiet. No one answered. Kipp opened the door with Audra charging straight in. They were confronted with two Orog's, Dill and Gherkin. They fought and killed them!
As they were fighting them, Audra was hit from behind by a nasty backstab. Phineas had been the one to stab her. As they finished off the second Orog, she turned to face him. Behind him was a goblin named Giggles, appropriately named for his giggling. He threw poisoned darts. They killed Phineas and when they moved to Giggles, he dropped his darts and cried, “Friend”, appearing to give up. Big Tuna had already moved up to attack him and held his attack. As they bean talking to him, he wrapped his arms around Tuna's legs. He appeared scared. Suddenly, Big Tuna collapsed. Giggle's turned to the others with a wicked grin on his face as he giggled. He didn't last much longer after that.
They could see into several cells and saw humans chained up. They began unchaining them. Audra felt her sword, Sairalinde', pulling at her mind, willing her to the door at end of the hallway. They sword was very persistent and obviously angry. In her mind, he spoke to her demanding she go into that room immediately. When she tried to resist, she felt a shock of pain run through her body that caused injury to her. She finally told everyone else that the sword was forcing her into the room as she reached for the door handle. They were surprised to say the least but they moved into the room behind her. The room was an empty shower room. At first Audra was confused but she looked around and then asked the sword why she was their. She sensed anger and urgency from the sword.
It was about this time that a body was thrust from a nearby wall and thrown out onto the floor. It was the pig man they'd expected to find as they'd heard his voice through the door before entering this area. Audra attacked immediately and hit the pig man. What followed shocked her and everyone else. The body of the pigman literally disintegrated before their eyes. With one hit, he turned into a pile of green powder. She heard the sound of something metal hitting the ground. Brushing away the remnants of the Pig Man, she found an amulet. She reached down to pick it up and the sword told her to get away from it. It zapped her again so she backed away from the item and left the room. Elenor saw the item and carefully collected it and placed it in the bag of holding.
Brandy moved to the only unopened door in that area and opened it. It was another shower room with a single chair in it. There was blood staining the room. It appeared to be a place of torcher. They unlocked all of the slaves and Banderas and his crew left with them to take them back to the other slaves and protect them. He said he would return with some of his people and wait near the secret entrance in case they were needed.
This is where they stopped.
Start the recorder!
Exp: 427 + 43 = 470
