Party Members: Xenon, Naal, Zoren, Uzza
Leader: Naal
Scout: Naal (I wasn’t confident enough to scout due to my inexperience in road building. It turns out I was right.)
Trailblazer: Xenon
Day 1:
After much delay, we set off from Ruined Oak to the northwest in order to finish a road commissioned by a fellow adventurer. There were several dozen workers that helped clear away foliage and make a basic path. It was my first road building mission, so I was rather nervous, and the delay didn’t help. We stayed in a cage made by Uzza. I graciously ate a goodberry from him.
Naal woke us up in the middle of the night due to a suspicious rock. Naal tried casting chill touch on it, but nothing happened. Xenon and Naal found some large excrement on the ground, which Naal postulated was troll feces. I thanked him for sharing.
Day 2:
I resumed helping build the road. Suddenly, the ground beneath me began to tremble slowly, and we were attacked by mechanical automatons and a runed golem that towered over the other enemies.
- Xenon summoned a spike growth and supported the workers.
- Naal smashed away with his Warhammer.
- Uzza fired scorching rays.
- I fired sacred flames and cast my spiritual weapon.
I do not say this lightly. The runed golem is by far the strongest enemy I have ever fought in my long life. It could fire arcane spells that I’ve seen wizards use such as scorching ray, slow, and even lightning bolt! Uzza polymorphed Xenon into a huge dinosaur with a long tail and sharp teeth. The beast’s attack did not hurt the machines but did damage the golem, so that’s what its target was. The runed golem was so intent on destroying the dinosaur that it was even willing to destroy the mechanical soldiers in its fireball attack on our party.
I was knocked unconscious twice and only managed to survive thanks to the warlock Uzza’s familiar Ral, which could turn invisible. I was later told that Ral poured potions of healing into my mouth to revive me. Twice! I’ve slightly changed my opinion on devils. They aren’t all that bad~.
During the combat, it was slightly frustrating to see Naal initially retreat, but it turned out that he was providing safety to a horse. Xenon also tried to protect the workers more than the party at times, including myself, which was also angering initially. Why didn’t he shoot at the enemies when I knew that he could? Later, though, as I contemplated more, I realized that it was one of the inherent risks of building a road on the island of Katashaka, and at the end of the day, our job was to protect the workers and horses to ensure the road could be built…
I suggested turning back after completing this hex’s road building, but the others wanted to press on. After a short rest, I reluctantly followed them as we continued work. The workers were also demoralized by the death of many of their fellow coworkers.
Day 3:
Uzza summoned an earth elemental to help move a heavy tree-trunk. It has been a while since I’ve seen an elemental at all. It was refreshing until there was an enormous explosion that seared the elemental (As Naal has clarified, he was not caught up in that blast because up on a side hill. It seems the trap was a trap involving the magic item known as a fireball bead). We were at once beset by highwaymen that damaged the carts and shot at us from the trees. They pulled out odd contraptions that fired incredibly fast projectiles, faster than crossbows. They had bad been lying in wait for us to ambush us in the trees.
Naal also climbed a tree to grapple and wrestle a bandit directly, which I recall was bold. Unfortunately, I was shot with several arrows, mortally wounding me. Fear and hesitation took hold of me, and I was unable to use a warding flare in time for an attack from a big bandit. I was about to pass about when I felt a spell from Uzza take hold of me, and I became… a dinosaur. I recall fighting the elemental that went out of control and also trying to fight the bloody bandits. I felt powerful and ready to take on anything… until the earth elemental pommeled with its stony fists. Then I remember trying to go for the bandits on the trees that Naal was fighting, but one was defeated by Naal, while the other ran away in fear. I was released from my Polymorph in a few seconds and saw Naal taking the earth elemental with his Warhammer. I briefly recall Xenon fighting his longbow this time and defeating bandits from close quarters and repeating a series of dropping to the ground to avoid getting shot and getting up again to retreat using zephyr strike, but I was too tired to recall any more than that. Uzza cast darkness at one point in panic.
Again, I suggested turning back, but once again I was outvoted, for the even the workers were willing to finish working on the hex, and I could not find it in me mentally or emotionally to dissuade them all. We saw a lot of giant eagles flying overhead. Uzza studied them but failed and cried for about an hour. I felt bad, but fatigue prevented me from doing anything…
Day 4:
After losing 23 workers, we finally finished building 2 hexes of the road! Weary, we returned back to the Ruined Oak. In the future, I will think twice before going on another road building mission… For now, I need a few drinks.