Session 25 - The Road to Riverspire, the Arrival

General Summary

The party awoke to a miserable raining morning next to a snoring Halfling.

Getting up, Lorena, after seeing her counterparts successfully commune with their deities, decided to try and contact hers.

Gathering her sword and sitting cross legged on the floor, she tried to focus and make contact. As a rolling thunder in the distance echos, she loses concentration getting frustrated, this is all new to her and hates the others found this so easy. Giving up for the day, she heads back to the camp for breakfast.

Meanwhile, Hiraani and Graa went on breakfast duty to do a session of sport fishing. Hiraani with his twin rapiers and Graa with his hands found a stream and began seeing who could catch the most fish.

After an intense session, Hiraani, catching 3 more than Graa, won.

As they brought the catches back to the camp fire, Arrin offered to cook the fish up in his cooking set and pulled out a bunch of herbs and spices to flavour up the fish.

As he was cooking he turned to Graa and asked him to see what the moustache looks like on him. Graa humbly obliged and everyone initially taking the stance that he would look silly was taken aback by how amazing and well defined he looked. As they all complimented him, unfortunately the moustache fell off to an awkward silence.

As they ate, Arrin confirmed he would deliver the letter to Phandelvin and promised he would not speak of them on the road.

The group packed up and mounted on their horses and made they way onward at a steady canter through the heavy rain.

Graa and Hiraani began to feel a sense of something watching them from the bushes along the road.

After a discussion, Graa decided to make a sound of to the side of the road. As it sounded, figures in the bushes ran away from them and the feeling of being watched disappeared as they take a sigh of relief. Sending Doge up front in case anything else comes their way.

The rest of the day went without issue and finding a place to settle down for the night, they pulled off into the bushes a little to take cover from prying eyes.

Just before bed, Hiraani cast detect good or evil to sense anything around them. Nothing could be felt within a mile of where they are. Being a bit paranoid, they decided to stay up and guard in case whatever was watching them returned.

On Graa's watch there were no issues or any sounds at that point. As Hiraani took over, the first half goes without issue, however as the early morning comes in, he gets that feeling again.

Moving over to Graa, he wakes him gently and asks him to cast the spell again to make a noise while Hiraani notches an arrow, finds a place in a nearby tree to hide and place Caltrops on the floor as a trap.

As the sound is cast, 4 Hell Hounds come charging out of the trees. As the Caltrops trap 3 of them and the other goes for Graa, the group make quick work of them, even with the lack of effect from fire and being splashed with flame from the fire spewing from their mouths.

After the battle, Graa decides to commune with The Keeper.

• Are those fell beasts what we heard in the bushes earlier? -Yes
• Are they what are causing the disturbance at the village? - Indifferent
• Are these 4 hounds controlled by something greater? - Yes Trying to get another question in, The Keeper leaves them before he can finish.

As they settle down for the rest of the nights sleep, they awake to being absolutely drenched, everything is wet.

Making their way on the final half day journey, they follow now along the side of the lake as the trees, half dieing, half alive before coming to the town of Riverspire in front of them.

A pebble dashed town with many houses and small fishing boats tied against the lake, the approach the main square where a market is setup in the middle.

As they walk into the town, the feeling is of depression, dullness and anxiety. Walking further, the group see more and more people just zombie like walking around. Deciding to try and approach someone to ask for a town master or Mayor, they see the residents begin to slowly circle in around them. All human, they become more compact as one person walks up to Graa and spits at the ground in front of him saying "Demon Scum".

At that point, breaking through the circle, 2 figures push people out of the way to stand in front of the group.

The first a small snivelly runt of a man with an angry face, a dagger in his hand and a small shield. The second, a massive 6 foot 4 hulking individual with short pants, leather straps across his chest and knee high boots with a sword in his hand.

The first ratty guy comes up and starts shouting at the group asking them who the fuck they are and what are they doing here.

Questioning them they find out the ratty one is Barry the Bastard and the taller one is Chad Thundercock.

After some threatening talk backwards and forwards about how they should not be here and to leave, the town mayor approaches and tells them to fuck off.

Dressed smartly, with a mayors necklace and symbol around his neck, a single simple ring on his left hand, shoulder length brown hair, soaked through, he leads the group to his manor house and tells everyone else to disperse.

Once in his house, they all took their wet items off and warmed themselves by the fire as he brought through some whiskys to help warm their throats and bellies.

He went on to explain about the stupid locals and how he is only here to prove he can manage a town before heading back to the city. He explained about some presence in the area that is killing people and they have lost all their hunters to what they think is a Werewolf of some kind.

They approached the old Elf Druid who is the herbalist in the town about it but she denied anything and the next day dissapeared and hasn't been seen since. Every time they try to look for her at her cabin in the south they end up getting turned around somehow. Some sort of Elf magic. The fact she can turn into other beasts and talk to them makes her the number one suspect.

He asks if they would try and find her and finish this as they cant take any more losses and no help has come. It has been going on for 6 months and they are running out of time.

The group agree to try and hunt her down and fix the problem so the village can return to normal. He offers them accomodation for the night. They rest up for the evening, hoping to get their clothes dry and finally sleep in a proper bed after nearly a week on the road.

Disclaimer: Barry the Bastard and Chad Thundercock are completely fictional characters and bear no relation to anyone. Especially Barry Chadwick.

Report Date

20 Jul 2021