The Inner Sanctum then onto Diafthora

March 28, 2015

PCs present:
Osirian Silvertongue
Zaya Fluffy
"Boy"

W10 - The Inner Sanctum
2,100 XP

Maldrick Scarmaker     R.I.P.

After successfully surviving the Proving Grounds, the door to the Inner Sanctum is opened.  Inside the group finally catches up with the leader of the Blackfang gnolls, Maldrick Scarmaker.  The group interrupts the gnoll  trying to complete a sacrificial ritual with the final 2 remaining slaves the group is trying to recover.  Unfortunately, stopping the ritual and rescuing the slaves will have to wait until they get past the 3 carnage demons, a barlgura and a bonecrusher skeleton.

Without a dedicated fighter, the group has a tough slog of this battle, with everyone getting more than a little bloodied.  "Boy" is almost hit so hard that he would be beyond any healing, but Osirian intervened and teleported the boy out of harms reach just in time.  Fluffy, who is used to having his spirit companion, Princess, take the brunt of the damage for him finds himself dying on the floor after being hit by the barlgura demon.

Zaya is hurt enough to require several healings as she cannot seem to move away from the burning cauldrons, from which emerge slimy tentacles which lash out and injure much of the party throughout the encounter. Once, upon being bloodied, Zaya, who was unknowingly cursed during on the nights within the labyrinth, screamed a minotaur battle-cry and attacked "Boy".  She quickly recovered from her violent fugue to discover that he had seriously injured her companion.

Maldrick is able to sacrifice one of the humans and moves onto the second human before the party can stop him.  Finally after a combined effort the gnoll is killed and the rest of the demons quickly follow suit.

Treasure Found:
+2 elven cloack
a silver key which pulls back towards the Seven Pillared Hall

The group tends to the injuries of the now rescued slave and return him, along with the body of the slain slave, to his townsfolk who have been waiting for them in the Seven Pillared Hall.  There is much rejoicing and much grieving upon the 2 missing slaves return.

Zaya, worrying about being still cursed, calls to the local mage, Orontor, for assistance.  He readily assists her and removes the curse, only to find his awkward advances rebuked.

After a short debate and inspecting the silver key, the group decides to let the community within the mountain of Thunderspire deal with its own issues from here on (for the time being at least).  The group is ready to hit a big city.

1,000 XP for the rescuing of the slaves from Riverdown.
(They haven't returned to Winterfell where they can collect their 500 gp reward)

The Hill Giants Of Diafthora
900 XP

The map they have recovered from the dragon's hoard leads them towards the city of Diafthora.  It will be a 3 day travel through the woods nearing a range of mountains.

Very scenic....until Hill Giants try to make a meal out of you.

During their 3 day journey they encounter a landslide that temporarily impedes their way and encounter a group of witches sacrificing a rabbit (which they carefully avoid).  Finally, on their last day of travel towards the city they come across a farmer and his boy being attacked by a couple of hill giants.  With little difficulty they are able to defeat the giants but no before the giants are able to throw the farmer's horse at them, killing it in the process.  The young boy in his grief attacks the offending giant, much to the disappointment of Osirian who reluctantly saves the boy from being eaten by the giants who are arguing over who gets the first bite.

In return, the farmer. Rickster, offers his home for recuperation and a meal (and ale to drink which immediately convinces Fluffy).  Once there the farmer sends his boy, Gedlong, off to fetch the local cleric, The boy returns with the cleric who introduces himself as Zanneiros and proceeds to tell the adventurers of the difficulties in the locals going to the city to sell their wares.

It seems rumors of people going missing in the night has made it so few of the villagers are willing to stay long enough in the city to make enough money off of their fields.  Zanneiros proposes that the group accompany the villagers to the city and act as their protectors overnight.  In return the group will be paid 100 gp and room and board will be paid for them for the night in the city.

During their brief stay in the village, Zaya is made uncomfortable by all the attention from the villagers over the fact that she is an elf.  It seems elves have not been seen in this area for generations, though it is not said why.  After much attention in the village, on the road and finally in the city she decides to stay hooded.

Before entering the city they are met by the local militia, The Order Of The Thundershields.  They obviously try to swindle the group (as well as many common folk) out of as much gold they think they can obtain from travelers entering the city.  After tense negotiations, the soldiers try to obtain the PCs weapons but are put off by Zaya's elfishness and Osirian's sharp tongue.  They enter the city fully armed.

Once their the villagers setup their wares in the marketplace while the group sets off to explore the city.  They first travel down the market street to try and trade, sell and buy.

Dire Rat Traps!  Be the envy of your friends with a dire rat trap!

They come across various things such as

• The Bag Of Holding, a store full of magical potions and various other items.  There they buy Potions of Healing and Hide From The Undead.
• Clearwater Jewlers, a goblin run jewelry store where they try to buy specific gems
• The Golden Thread, a clothing and tailoring store where Zaya is requesting a cloak made from her dragon scales, teeth, claws and horns

They pass many oddball things in the stalls in the streets such as:

• direrat traps
• miracle cloths for cleaning swords
• mechanical wings which are claimed to really work (though his brother hasn't come back to attest to this yet)
• guaranteed dragon bones, to which Zaya holds up her own dragon bones and declares the stall to be selling cows bones.
• oranges and lemons.....or lemonages as the dm cannot speak sometimes.
• kittens being sold by hungry orphans....to which Osirian tosses carefully thought-out coins
• Pointy arrows, which Zaya discovers have actual elven crafted arrow heads among crappy arrowheads
• Nettle Ale being sold by a clearly ale-addled junky.  Fluffy of course is intrigued and Zaya feels she has to intervene to save Fluffy from himself.  (Osirian later robs the junky of the ale and threatens the old man to straighten out his life and apologize to his mother.....then gives the nettle ale to Fluffy)

 Not too much XP this sitting but a lot of laughs!

Thanks for the fun.