DM; GeoKhan
Leading a party of both new-comers and adventurers far more experienced that myself. I, Xell, lead Taishina, Theris, Kavor, Sixer and Sender to find out where the Gnolls had set up their camp site.
Having read of adventurers having gone out to do the same, but returning due to lack of preperation. I decided to attempt a shortcut through the mountains, something that would of taken far less time, if I had been leading a hunting party of Kor yet…I was joined by not only a sorcerous Goblin, but an assortment of other beings including an odd metal-clad Kobold? Alas, most agreed to take this path, and almost immediately things went south. And by south, I mean down upon us.
We at first encountered a goblin up on a ridge above us, having dropped rocks nearby, perhaps a failed trap? Well, one part of it failed, as the goblin turned out to be an illusion cast by a sigil pre-set to distract us to the approach of two Blood sludges which quickly came at us.
Struggling through the two sludges, we made camp directly after cleaning them up. Perhaps we should of taken the hint, and turned away, but the call for adventure and danger lured us all further north come morning.
Avoiding the colder climate of going higher, as we had not prepared for that, we took the paths inbetween the mountains, coming to a snowy ravine. Midway, a sheet of strange energy seemed to block the way…Sender approached and poked it, as goblins do.
Once poked, another sludge of blood appeared alongside what…I can only explain as a giant of bone and bloody flesh wielding a just as massive spear made of much the same.
As my troop became over run by the sludge and pushed on by the giant, we held our ground and focus fired the blood sludge into a puddle, yet this only gave the giant more room to move.
The dredge of flesh came upon us like an unholy fiend dead-set on destroying our very being. As a gigantic spike of pure blood surged out of the ground underneath Sender, Sixer and I, sending two of us immediately to the ground. Sixer survived solely by the toughness of his armour, summoning forth a totem and frantically begining to cast healing, as Theris and Taishina took to the front, taking the blunt of the monster’s attacks while Sixer brought Sender and I back to life. Kavor sent a barrage of arrows flying in the mean-time, and I joined him upon returning to my feat.
Blood and gore surrounded us, as its abhorrent magic and spear befell us cruelly. Sixer solely keeping us all alive, as we fell, stood back up, clutched our weapons and fought on. We brought down balls of flame, we brought down lightning, we sent volley after volley of arrows and strike after strike of our weapons and holy smiting.
But viciously the monster fought on, lingering like a reaper of death over us all.
And we met it with equal ferocity, taking each of its strikes and hitting back.
Until…finally…Sixer’s magic overcame it. A finall call of lightning from the skies struck through the monstrosity’s flesh and deep into its bony figure. And it fell, limp to the ground it fell, leaving us at a loss for breath and thought. Horns then played out deeper into the mountains, and a cloud of darkness rose, begining to approach our location. Snapping to our senses, we quickly searched through the blood, then retreated.
We rushed away, finding only some solace and rest when we noticed nothing chasing after us. Coming to a stop, we awaited as the mighty Sixer observed some monkeys, resting our souls in the mean time before setting off to return to the Jub Jub.
Through the rush of combat, I did not realise, but now as I write this with my herbal ink I do very much so. The bard was right, Tsaran’s cultists are working hand-in-hand with the Gnolls. Dangerous times are surely coming for all.
