| Session Summaries: |
Feng, Quarian, Lorgus, and Molock lick their wounds after their battle with the lizardfolk and their ratman employer. As they continue their trek through the Gascar Peaks, the days drag on and supplies run low. Feng works to keep the group in rations through hunting, bringing down a large enough creature to feed the group for some time.
On the third day after their battle, they detect a loud, constant rumble from the south. Taking up ambush positions, Molock is surprised to see an object trailing a cloud in the sky. Staring quietly, the four companions watch as the object -- resembling a smaller version of the "sky chariots" they witnessed land outside Hollowfaust and turn away the Githyanki siege -- sails past and continues north.
That evening, while searching for a suitable location to camp, the group stumbles across a deep ravine filled with a thick, unnatural fog. Investigating, Molock tosses a rock into the ravine. It strikes bottom with a sharp crack. Lorgus and Feng, curious if this is the location of the rebels they seek, begin to climb down, even as Molock utters the passphrase he received in Hollowfaust. With no effect, Lorgus climbs down the steep ravine side. Feng follows closely, but is unable to maintain his grip. He slips and falls past, caught by Lorgus before hitting the bottom. Molock suffers a similar fate, but strikes the bottom as did the stone he tossed earlier. Quarian simply shapeshifts into a small songbird and glides down into the gully.
Immediately on entering the mist, the group begins to feel weak. Knowing something is wrong, they all immediately attempt to climb out. Quarian is the first, shapeshifting again and taking the end of a rope to the top of the gully. Once the rope is tied off, Lorgus hastily scales the side, easily making it out of the gully. Molock, however, has trouble getting a foothold and makes several attempts to climb the rope, each time getting weaker. Feng finally knocks the armored human aside, only to suffer similar difficulties. Molock attempts again and finally succeeds in climbing out the gully, Feng following a moment later.
Still very weak, the group makes camp some distance from the ravine and rests through night and into the next day, unaware they are being observed from the forests. Even as they set their first watch, a rainstorm boils over the peaks and a steady rain begins to fall. Feeling better by the next afternoon, Feng rests against a tree, brooding and sulking, when he feels a tug on his belt. Not even bothering to look, Feng backhands whatever tugged at his belt, shouting an alarm, standing and quickly drawing his sword.
What he sees is an ugly, scruffy, knappy looking creature resembling a grey-skinned child. It growls at him and Molock, now standing ready in the middle of the camp, spots three others in the forest. Waiting to see how the creatures react, Feng and Lorgus are both struck hard with stones. As battle is joined, several other stones rain in on the camp, one at Molock and three more at Feng. The creatures fall quickly and it's over in a matter of seconds. As they return to their encampment, Molock and Quarian both note something seems to be missing from Feng's belt. Checking his equipment, Feng realizes his recently acquired (and magical) short sword is missing. Searching where the first creature fell, there is no weapon to be found.
The group does a quick mental count and realizes one creature escaped. Molock transforms into the form of a large bear and gets the creature's scent. Gathering their gear, the group follows Molock as he hunts the creature. Late in the afternoon, Molock indicates the trail leads into a cave in the side of the hill. Drawing weapons and following behind Molock's bear form, the group approaches the cave entrance. On entering the cave, Molock is immediately confronted with a large, bear-like creature. It immediately charges, leaving only Molock in range of combat. As Molock attempts to push the creature back, a hell hound appears in the cave.
With the creature pushed back, Feng moves into the cave and engages the hell hound. Near the back of the cave, Feng spots the remaining child-like humanoid watching the battle closely and cackling. Quarian summons a dire wolf which makes a quick snack of the humanoid. The battle continues with creatures being summoned by both sides. The bear-like creature wielding claw and tusk eventually goes down, allowing the group to engage the spellcaster deeper in the cavern.
The battle only gets fiercer and Lorgus is struck down. He rises again with Molock's help, now unable to engage the spellcaster. Lorgus strikes the sorcerer again, only to be struck down once again. Feng and Quarian's summoned creatures continue to cut at the sorcerer -- a cavern hag -- eventually killing the crone. A search of the cavern returns Feng's short sword and turns up several other items of interest.
Still wounded and recovering from the previous day's ordeal in the gully, the group decides to set up camp in the cavern. In the morning, Lorgus decides he must re-think the choices he's made and departs into the wilderness...
Written By: Thoth
17 October 2004
