Not a bad first session of gaming for our adventurers! Things went well enough that the players decided to return for another go.
Lest you forget, dear readers, here’s the party recap:
- DM: Brent
- Draeya: Half-Elf Ranger CG (Heather)
- Brenna Badger: Forest Gnome Druid NG (Maddy)
- Dallian Lorgo aka “Dealio”: Rock Gnome Rogue CN (Kurt)
- Eldewyn: High Elf Fighter CN (Anderson)
- Kit Kat: Half-Elf Bard NG (Jenny)
These courageous questers have just slayed their first beast, a manticore, and now Dallian wishes to speak with their rescuee, one Adabra Gwynn. Essentially, the rock gnome asks the good questions: how did the manticore get here? Why did it attack you? Unfortunately, the conversation ends up being rather circular: Abracadabra mentioned the ages-old manticore v. white dragon rivalry again. She also suggested the manticore was drawn to the herbs she keeps and mixes in her tower. She doesn’t know why the creature attacked her, etc. etc.
That manticores are possible drug addicts is a tidbit worth tucking into everyone’s mental archives for later retrieval.
Anyway, further inquiries by Dallian provide some insight into Ms. Apraxia Gwynn. She’s been living here on Umbrage Hill for near 10 years, alone, but another 10 years previous with her husband before he died. She has connections and friends in town who provide foodstuffs and other provisions, and as such, sees no need for coming into Phandalin for something as ridiculous as her safety. And, she passes a note along to Kit Kat, which basically states that she (Abacus) is doing well, and refuses to accompany the group back into town under her own free will. This note is to be passed on to Harbin Wallbanger when the party returns back to Phandalin.
At last, the party leaves Adabra and continues on to Gnomegarden. It’s possible that a shadow is growing on many of the party members’ minds that many bad things could happen to Adabra before the party gets back to Phandalin to deliver the note.
And speaking of shadows, the rock gnome rolls a nifty d20 and just catches the following: a shadow flying over Umbrage Hill, back behind them now as they’ve left the windmill behind. The owner of the shadow, now wheeling away, appears to be white, and Dallian assumes it is the dragon everyone has been talking about.
He shares this information with the entire party, and it seems to be agreed-upon that perhaps the group ought to stop by at Adabra’s before they come back in to Phandalin.
The questers trudge on, until some time later, the surrounding grassy hills give way to rocky cliffs. The travelers soon come to a waterway; the river winds to the south, where there is a bridge, just in front of a waterfall. There are also two small islands amid the river, which appear to be the home of some brightly colored mushrooms.
Brenna, the forest gnome, is very excited…and of course, she is! And she is not going to let something like water stop her from investigating them.
Of interest to the rest of the party is the DM’s announcement that a wood elf sits near by the water’s edge. However, the DM’s initial flub-up of “wooden” elf prompts giggles and questions like “Is it a statue?” and responses like, “No, it wants to be a real boy!”
After the initial suggestion of “attacking” the elf, the party bids the elf good morning. The wood(en) elf, who has been reading during all this, returns the greeting and introduces himself as Chsaud (pronounced Chuh-saad). The elf says he is a paladin from the distant land of Chsaudi Arabia, where he was a librarian in a small town. One day a thief entered his domain and, with his magical holding bag, stole many of the library’s valuable tomes. Chsaud is here now, searching for a dragon’s lair in the area that is rumored to contain a scroll that will provide clues about the thief’s current whereabouts.
A great question to ask the wood elf might have been how long it has been since he’d interacted with people, because after telling his tale, he casts Zone of Truth on the party. Frankly, who does that? Cast a spell on people you just met? Perhaps he has not cast it very often because he makes the rookie mistake of announcing it to the entire party, who now are ready to make fabulous Charisma rolls to dodge it.
And they all do…except the ranger and the druid. And Brenna, in that chipper way she does, answers Chsaud’s question earnestly: We’re going to get money and some magic stuff and bring it back to the dude. Draeya confirms this and the scribe’s notes do not indicate how the other party members react to this broadcast.
Chsaud is invited to accompany the questers, as it seems a certainty that a dragon will be part the adventurers’ future at some point as well.
Surveying the new environs, Dallian is quite sure the area is gnome-crafted as he scopes out the area for hidden entrances. Brenna is quite sure she can manage the swim to Mushroom Island #1, once she moves further south towards the islands. Kit Kat is quite sure it is time for her to play the lyre.
After a brief expression of concern by one of the characters whose name starts with the letter ‘D’, Brenna Badger is off and swimming towards Mushroom Fantasy Island. She makes it safely, and her druid/nature/gnome skills tell her that the red mushrooms are best processed into oil, such as for lanterns. The green ones, however, are edible. She picks a few of each.
Back on land, there is a debate about plans for entering Gnomegarden. It seems strange that there are no sentries, no guards, and nobody to meet them as they stand. Caution is the order of the day, and a campout near the most accessible entrance is the course of action.
Brenna is considering her options on how to swim to the second island, as it is a little farther away than the first. There are many suggestions thrown out by the party, including, but not limited to: gnome fishing, bail out all the water so the gnome can simply walk over to the island, and leaping from the bridge tied to a rope so that the others may “reel” her in.
Chad aka Chaka Khan aka Chsaud offers to swim out and collect some of the other mushrooms, more green ones, and some purple ones as well. Chalally manages the swim easily and brings the mushrooms to Brenna, who is not quite able to tell what these unusual purple ones can do. The rock gnome, though, informs the group that the purple ones make a very good wine.
OOG: As a non-lover of mushrooms, this whole fungi scenario must be a nightmare for Jenny. 🙂
As the night winds down, Eldewyn is charged with the first watch, followed by Chsaud. Nothing eventful happens during this time.
As they awaken at daylight, Dallian expresses his concerns again about the lack of people. Is something amiss? This topic is soon eclipsed by a more pressing one: how will the gnomes of Gnomegarden receive Brenna, the forest gnome? Should she stay behind? Should she go? Taking matters into her own hands, the druid casts Wild Shape on herself and becomes a badger, and will be one for the next whole bunch of minutes.
The party takes the path less traveled and enters the realm of Gnomengarden. Dallian leads the party, the taller people (Draeya, Eldewyn, Chsaud, Kit Kat) bring up the rear, and the others make up the middle. Stone tunnels are well-lit and about seven feet high, which make passing comfortable for even the tall elven folk. Several yards ahead, the tunnel splits and the group opts to go straight on.
The lack of noise or traffic or anything is most disconcerting and several of the party members ready their weapons just in case. Kit Kat, preparing for danger in her own way, begins to sing an inspiring tune…albeit softly.
At the next intersection, the adventurers turn right and come into a small room which contains what the DM describes as a “merry go round with little crossbows”. Crossbows which are pointing at the members of the party, by the way! Atop the carousel of death sits a gnome in a chair, looking ever-so-casual. As Dallian steps into the room to greet the gnome, an arrow from the danger circle fires upon them. Luckily, it misses the gnome and crashes into the stone wall.
- Dallian: What in the world are you doing? I come in peace!
- AssassinGnome: Why do you travel with this riffraff? Show yourselves.
It’s obvious the murdergnome looks upon the rest of the party with disdain, and it is very much to the rock gnome’s credit that he does not abandon his colleagues in this moment. He explains to Facktorae (the gnome’s name) that the party is here to find help in fighting the dragon. Upon the entire party coming within Factotum’s view, he inquires about the badger. The scribe’s notes mention here that the animal may have been passed off as the paladin’s service animal. No further questions are asked.
Also, Chsaud takes this opportunity to flash his paladin holy symbol, but it is unclear how the action is received by the merry-go-gnome.
Upon further questioning, Farook (if everyone’s going to get Chsaud’s name wrong, then he’s going to return the favor) explains that many gnomes have recently gone missing and that he is here “protecting his area”. Eventually, he gives the group “permission” to continue on their journey, although there is no solid promise that they won’t be questions, harassed, or fired upon again.
So, the party moves on to the south until they reach another fork in the road. Taking the path that goes east, the group comes into a cavernous room that contains 12 huge barrels…of MUSHROOM WINE! Draeya immediately pulls out the empty jug from her brewer’s supplies and runs to a spigoted barrel at the southern end of the room. It has been many moons since she’s enjoyed this particular beverage, and is looking quite forward to it. Chsaud rummages through his things and produces a vial that he too fills with the fungi liquor.
Eldewyn takes this lull in the action to present a course of action: Take the wine as leverage in further gnome negotiations. In general, this seems like an unwise thing to do, and would lead to no good outcome. Eldewyn defends his idea, saying, “it’s what pirates do.”
Kit Kat moves to the northern end of the room to investigate the other barrels there, when all of a sudden, the barrel nearest to her sticks a tongue out…it appears to be an attack.
MIMIC!
Initiative rolls all around here, although it’s certain the ranger and the paladin will be at the back of the line, since they are still loading up on ‘shroom booze.
The barrel’s tongue reaches out and latches onto the bard, but misses on the following bite attack. In an utter whirlwind of action, the following sequence occurs:
- Brenna Badger charges the barrel, but takes no action.
- Dallian exercises special Rogue skills; he runs, draws weapons, swings, and does 7 pts of damage.
- Kit Kat fails a Grapple check and remains encircled by the tongue.
- Eldewyn moves and casts Fire Bolt for 9 pts of damage.
It should be noted here that the barrel and the players are in a tricky position. There is not enough room for all the players to be crowded in and fighting the Mimic…at least, not without increasing risks of hurting each other as well. This is best illustrated as Prince Chsaudi Arabia fires an arrow into the fray on his turn…
- Fortunately, Chsaud hits the Mimic for 5 pts of damage, but the DM gently reminds the players that could have gone very badly had the wooden paladin rolled poorly.
- Draeya readies her bow and waits for a good shot.
- Mimic tries to bite the bard again and misses.
- Brenna does what the Mimic cannot do and gets a successful bite attack – for 1 pt of damage…which sounds insignificant, until the Mimic decides not to disinfect the scratch…and ends up dying of septic shock. Then, who’s laughing now, you stupid Mimic? THE BADGER!
- Ahem. Scribe composes herself.
- Dallian attempts to cut the bard free, but the tongue does some impressive tongue acrobatics and dodges.
- Kit Kat rolls a good Acrobatics check herself and wiggles free from the Mimic’s slimy tongue clutches.
- Eldewyn moves in and cuts the barrel for 11 pts of damage with his scimitar.
- Near the back of the room, the ranger and the paladin plug the Mimic for a combined total of 15 pts of piercing damage.
- In typical, wounded-dog-in-the-corner fashion, the Mimic, sensing defeat is near, bites out desperately at the rock gnome for 7 pts.
- Brenna leaps onto the barrel and scores another 1 pt of bite damage. And when’s the last time you had your tetanus and/or rabies shot, you stupid Mimic?
- FINALLY! The kill of the day goes to the only quester to take damage on this encounter, Dallian. He hits for 11 pts of damage and the tongue-flopping stops.
- Somebody finds 6 gold pieces behind the barrel, which means everyone gets 1 gold piece.
What an exciting morning for our brave cadre of adventurers, no? But, the question remains: How did the Mimic get into the room? And, how did those gold pieces get there? And, will everyone’s name be pronounced correctly in the next session?
Stay tuned.