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Session 15, Pest Control At Casa Elmer

Paldegora 

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Session 15 – 2023-03-18

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==== Summary ====

The party started off by checking to see where the force they had just encountered had come from. Elmer suggested that they might have been an advance force to scout the away for a larger one. He was in a hurry to get underway. As Cal-El looked further down the road on the east side of the road, Xor and Eryn were on the west side, backing him up some ways back when they were jumped by two dire wolves. They came out of the woods to the west of them. The fight didn’t last long before the Company Clandestine finished them off.  They did determine that this force was coming down the road and they continued on their way. That evening, they rested off the road a ways with a small fire. Nothing happened that night, and the next morning, they took off for the farm. Elmer suggested that they’d make it around midday. 

As they neared, the tracks  they had been following began grouped together more. As they were examining this, Xor smelled smoke from fires. Elmer pointed out that his farm was over the rise and down in the next valley. Xor and Cal-El ran to the top of that hill and from there, could see the farm. There was movement down there, more than a single person. Cal-El had Xor go back and get the others while he tore out for the farm. Xor told the others what they had seen, Elmer parked the wagon and they all took off. Running down the hill. Eryn noted that there appeared to be no other forces around. She asked Elmer his and his wife’s plan should this happen. She was to hide in a secret room in the back of the cellar, also accessible from the upstairs through a secret door. 

Cal-El reached the farm first and with his first two shots, dropped one goblin each. He kept his location hidden as the goblins became alert to someone’s presence. The main party finally arrived and began firing into the goblins, dropping them. A hobgoblin moved into the main area barking orders. There were also two gnolls with spears, two bugbears came out of nowhere and attacked the back of the group. While fighting, an orog came out of the north woods with a dire wolf and two white wolves. Symon did fall but Angelique was able to revive him and heal him. One of the dire wolves escaped to the north. One of the goblins ran around the farmhouse heading east. One of the bugbears dropped suddenly even though no one had hit him at the time. Everyone else fell, one by one. Eryn and Xor went after the goblin that ran off while Cal-El went after the dire wolf. Cal-El couldn’t catch up to the dire wolf but followed his tracks for a bit, it was heading north and out-pacing him. He returned to the farmhouse. Eryn and Xor found the goblin with one more dire wolf, behind the farmhouse, and finished them off.

Cal-El checked the outside of the farm for any other enemies, Xor looted for gold, items, and skinned the two white wolves. Eryn entered the cellar and tried to get to Elmer’s wife that way, but was unable to find a way into the secret room. Elmer, Symon, and Angelique did finally clear the way upstairs for Emma to come out. She and Elmer thanked the Company. They will leave and go to Elmer’s brother’s house, south. Emma made everyone a drink which restored 1 hit point. She applied salves to Elmer’s wounds and then made them a breakfast feast. Eryn and Xor retrieved the wagon and horse and put them away for the night. 

During a lengthy discussion, it was learned that the bugbear, killed mysteriously, was poisoned as he was found stiff and foaming at the mouth. Xor went back to the bugbear at Elmer’s suggestion and searched for a dart. He found a very nice silver needle which he recovered using a glove. After they examined it, he laid the needle in the fire to burn the poison off of it and then burned the glove. They discussed the reason for his death, why would the assassin’s have killed him? It appeared they were protecting Angelique. No one could figure out why. In their speculations, Angelique revealed her true identity to Elmer, by whispering it to him. They had a cryptic discussion about who her grandfather was without naming him. They also discussed getting a letter to him, and whether that would even be possible with the assassin’s watching her. Symon still seemed suspicious of Angelique. Eryn, seeing that the assassin’s were seemingly protecting Angelique announced that she was Angelique’s best friend. Maybe they’ll protect her too? They again had a lot of questions, more clues, but still no answers.

==== Detail ====

Well we’ve had two very informative sessions. I hope someone is taking notes. This one is still informative but there is a lot more action. Let’s get to it.

We start off after the party had just finished killing off two dire wolves, two elite goblins, their wargs, and a winter wolf. That was a tough battle but they protected Elmer and his goods. Elmer also got in a few magic missile shots from a wand. The wand was expended after that. They had skinned the winter wolf and collected it’s slightly singed pelt. Elmer grew concerned that this was an advance party, making sure the way was clear for a larger contingent. Every creature bore the patch of the wyvern. Xor and Cal-El did a quick check and saw that the unit had come down the road. While they were examining tracks, two more dire wolves charged out of the woods from the west and attacked Xor and Eryn. The party dispatched them pretty quickly. They also had the patches on them. The party gathered themselves and began down the road again. Elmer said that at the speed they were going, they’d make it to his farm by about noon the following day. They continued on and later that evening, after some discussion, decided that it wouldn’t be a good idea to travel at night. They made a small camp, well off the road, lighting a small and thanks to Angelique, a smokeless fire. After a small meal, they turned in. Xor took the first watch and Cal-El, the second watch. The night passed without incident. The next morning, the group set out early. 

A few hours into traveling, Cal-El noticed the tracks they had seen were grouped more tightly here. He stopped the group and pointed out what he saw to Xor who passed the information on to the rest of the party. Elmer told the party that his farm was over the rise and down a hill, to the right, in a valley. Xor paused and indicated that he smelled smoke. The wind was not favorable as it was blowing away form the group but there was still the faint smell of a fire burning. The tracks that Cal-El had seen earlier came from that direction. Cal-El took off very quickly in the direction of the farm. Xor followed him. As they crested the hill, they could see the farm house and barn and little whiffs of smoke rising down there. Cal-El spotted movement and signaled Xor to get the others, as he took off for the farm. Xor ran back and shouted, “trouble ahead near Elmer’s place!”, then he turned and charged off over the rise. Elmer parked the wagon and they all took off up and over the hill. Eryn stuck with Elmer to protect him, she also drank a single portion of her Extra Healing potion. They were a good distance behind Cal-El who had now reached the outskirts of the farm. There we’re goblins all around the main house and grounds. As Eryn and Elmer were running toward the farmhouse, Eryn asked what plan he and his wife worked out in case of something like this, where would she be? He told her that there was a secret room in the back of the cellar, very hard to find. There was a second entrance in the house near the fireplace, it is well stocked. She was supposed to barricade herself inside that room and wait. Eryn also did a quickly glance at the areas outside the farmhouse areas, looking for an enemy camp where maybe a larger force might be. She didn’t see anything.  

Cal-El carefully moved himself to as good vantage point and fired on one of the goblins standing next to a cellar door near the barn. His shot was true and pierced the goblin in his temple. He had been looking down the cellar and fell forward and into it. Another goblin, very close by, saw him fall and went to look into the cellar to see what was going on. Meanwhile, Cal-El took another shot. This time he stuck his arrow into the neck of the other goblin. He also collapsed! Cal-El quickly moved deeper into the brush before they could spot him This time, another goblin that was close by, heard the arrow fly in and strike the second goblin, raised the alarm, shouting to alert the others. There was more shouting and many creatures began moving toward the area where they believed the arrow came from. The rest of the party continued racing down the hill and were getting very near the area. Angelique paused when she got within range and fired. Her first shot missed. Xor actually made it into the main area where he could see more elite goblins. From further back, a hobgoblin came into view barking orders. There were also a couple of gnolls messing around near the barn. The gnolls dropped their tools, grabbed spears and began making their way toward Xor. They saw the rest of the party charging in. Eryn paused and shot at one of the goblins and hit. Cal-El moved to a position to fire on the same goblin but missed. Symon moved forward to get a better view. Elmer ran into the area but didn’t reach anyone. Eryn took out the same goblin she’d fired on before. Cal-El fired on and killed another goblin. 

Xor charged a gnoll and yelled, in gnoll, “Prepare to die!”. The hobgoblin pulled a sword and shield and charged at Xor. He missed. Two bugbears charged in from the south, one moved to Elmer and the other to Angelique. They wore the same wyvern symbol. Both were missed. Just in front of Cal-El, in the mist and the trees moved a big ugly orc guy orc like creature in plate-mail with three wolves. He yelled and the wolves howled and they charged into the group. This was an Orog. Pretty much everyone targeted Xor. The gnolls threw their spears at Xor and missed. One of the Elite Goblins took off around the back of the house. Eryn turned to fire on the bugbear on Angelique and hit it. Symon sent magic missiles into the hobgoblin. Xor smacked the hobgoblin and killed it. Angelique dropped her bow and pulled out her mace and smacked the bugbear. Cal-El missed his first shot on the orog but hit it with his second shot. Eryn hit a second time on the bugbear on Angelique. 

Xor was attacked by both gnolls, only one of them hit. The winter wolf on him attacked him and hit. Angelique’s bugbear prepared to attack and before he could complete the swing, he grasped his throat, choked a little, and fell dead. The winter wolf on Symon unleashed his breath weapon and hit Symon, Elmer, and the bugbear on Elmer. Symon fell. Eryn dropped her bow, drew her sword and shield, and ran up to to attack the winter wolf. Xor attacked the winter wolf on him and hit him. Angelique moved to Symon and used her healing proficiency and attempted to assist him. She failed this round. Cal-El dropped his bow and moved to attack the orog killing him. Angelique attempted to stabilize Symon again and failed again. Eryn hit the winter wolf on her. Cal-El picked up his sword again and fired on XOR’s winter wolf, hitting it. Elmer is missed again by his bugbear. Eryn was attacked by a goblin and missed. Elmer was attacked and hit. He was looking a little worse for the wear. 

Angelique finally succeeded in stabilizing Symon and whispered for him to remain still. One of the dire wolves turned and ran. Eryn hit her winter wolf again. Xor was hit by one of the gnolls. Eryn was hit by her winter wolf. Her goblin missed, Elmer’s bugbear and goblin both missed. Xor took out the winter wolf on him. Cal-El fired on Eryn’s winter wolf and hit it, killing it. Elmer swung at the bugbear and missed. Xor swung at one of the gnolls and killed it. Cal-El fired on the goblin on Eryn and killed it. Elmer was missed by both of his opponents. The gnoll attacked Xor and missed. Eryn circled around the two facing Elmer to attack the bugbear on him and hit him. Angelique healed Symon and he was able to stand again. Xor attacked the gnoll and missed. Cal-El fired at the goblin on Elmer and missed both shots. Elmer missed the bugbear, Angelique moved to Elmer and healed him. Symon used his slingshot and missed the goblin on Elmer. Xor killed the gnoll on him. Cal-El fired at the goblin on Elmer and killed it. He bugbear hit Elmer. Cal-El fired on the bugbear and missed it, barely escaping the broken bow string. Cal-El took off in the direction the wolf ran earlier but wasn’t able to catch him, but did find his tracks moving off northward. Eryn hit the bugbear and finished it off. Cal-El saw that the wolf was outpacing him and still running north. He didn’t see anything to the north. Eryn and Xor went to the right of the house and around the back chasing the Goblin that ran off back that way. They found him behind the house with a dire wolf. Eryn and Xor were charged at and attacked. Xor and Eryn quickly took care of them.

Elmer, Symon, and Angelique made their way into the house. Cal-El finally determined that the wolf was uncatchable and began making his way back at a more leisurely pace, sensing that the battle was over and there was no reason to rush back. As Elmer moved to the fire place and started calling out “Emma…Emma?”. He received a muffled response. He turned to Angelique and Symon for help moving the furniture and stuff that the goblins had tossed around during their searching. They worked to clear away the furniture. Meanwhile, Eryn and Xor moved around back and found the cellar entrance. Eryn went down into the cellar to look for the secret room. Her initial searches found nothing. It was well hidden. Xor started moving from body to body, searching them. He found, 5 coppers each on the goblins. The hobgoblin had 10 gold pieces, a morning star and a shield that looked pretty nice. The orog had 20 gold pieces, the gnolls had about 10 silver pieces each, and the bugbears had 5 gold pieces each. He also noticed that one of the bugbears was stiff with foam coming out of his mouth, like the others that had been assassinated with the fish poison. Xor searched him again for anything he might have been carrying but found nothing more. He also began the stripping and cleaning of the white wolf pelts. After that, he returned to the house. Cal-El walked the perimeter of the property looking for any stragglers. 

They finally cleared the door to the secret room and Elmer was finally able to reach Emma. She saw that Elmer was cut up but Elmer told her not to worry, he was glad she was safe. He thanked the party for being here and helping him. He praised Emma for following the plan. It saved her. He had someone go get Eryn and Cal and they all eventually came in and rested. She began preparing a meal for all of them. Xor told them what he found outside, the valuables, and told him that if any of it was his, he would return it. Elmer told him that all of his valuables were stored in the safe room. They got nothing of value from them. Elmer told Emma, “We’re leaving. There is too much going on up north. We’re going to my brother’s.”. Eryn and Xor took off to get the horse and wagon and bring them back here. They were able to do that and from that vantage point, they saw nothing else in this valley to be concerned about. Emma got drinks for everyone which helped them by healing each of them a little. She also put a salve Elmer’s wounds. Symon complimented Elmer saying, “For somebody who has been through what she has just gone through, just to run in there and start making us something to eat is profound. I would be a quivering mess in the floor I think!”. Elmer said, “Though she wasn’t an adventurer like me, she has held her own here on the frontier over all these years. She is pretty tough! I can tell you this, if they had gotten in to the secret room, they might have got her but they would’ve had a fight on their hands.”. 

Eryn and Xor returned put the horse away in the barn and returned to the house. They got their healing drink and sat with the rest discussing what had happened. Eryn asked Angelique, “What happened to that bugbear in front of you. You did nothing and it suddenly lurched and died.”. Angelique answered, “I don’t know what happened. It went to hit me and it just fell over.”. Eryn suggested that they go check him out when Xor broke in, “I went to get the gold and stuff off of them and he was stiff like the others we’d seen were, foaming at the mouth.”. Symon asked, “What?”, looking at Angelique he said, “How’d you do that?’. Angelique answered, “I didn’t do that, it happened in front of me. As it went to hit me, it grasped it’s throat, gasped, and fell dead.”. Eryn said, “That means there is an invisible assassin around here somewhere.”. Elmer said, “That’s not good!”. Symon started shuttering windows and Elmer got up to help with that. Symon then said, “That begs the question, why would they kill the bugbear, unless they just missed, which doesn’t seem likely?”. They keep protecting Angelique, I mean, Francesca!”. Eryn said, ”Francesca keeps miraculously surviving people who attempt to harm her in some fashion.”. Symon looked at Angelique a little suspiciously saying. “And you have no idea who these people are!”. She responded, “No, none at all!”. Eryn said out loud, “I’m glad your my best friend Angelique, I mean Francesca!”, grimacing as she misspoke. Symon said, “They always seem to be looking out for your best interest, all the time!”. 

Eryn spoke out loud to the room, “Is there anyone in here that we‘re not able to see, that is willing to talk to us!”. After a brief pause and no response, she said, “Obviously someone is sneaking around out here and we wanted to thank you for helping us!”. There was no response. (Chris asked where the White Isle is and the White Preists! Kevin told him to the west off of Philanaan, and pointed it out on the map! Past them you get into the Diamond Sea. Chris was more curious as to its relative distance to Nox. Kevin said that it was probably close to the opposite side of the world from Nox. David asked, if the map is the full map, if you sail off the western end of the map, does it wrap around to the eastern edge? Kevin said yes!) Elmer told everyone to make themselves at home. They eat eggs, bacon, potatoes, vegetables, coffee, homemade blueberry and apple pie. It was basically a feast. Angelique told us she had one healing spell left. Xor was the worse for wear and being our front man, needed the most healing so she healed him. Kevin/Symon said, ”Didn’t someone say something about reinforcements being sent to Frosthaven? Is that what we just ran into? Bloodfist said in his note, (Skullcracker, Grish-ta-nak says stay, hide, watch, and count. Will send others, make base. When the order comes, kill the man leader first, and then all others. Take stone house first. Make them dig tunnels faster.)”. Eryn asked if there were any notes on any of these guys that may indicate that the hobgoblin was Bloodfist? Xor had searched and found no notes. Thinking back on the complement of creatures they fought here, Elmer said, “That makes complete since from what I’ve heard!”. Symon then asked, “If the assassins aren’t working with the wyvern army, why would they have killed Sir Charles in advance to these guys doing it?”. “Back to these guys, this suggests that they haven’t given the order yet, unless these guys were bringing that order to them.”. Eryn agreed, “They must have been on their way to back them up but this is not the main army, and this wasn’t Bloodfist!”. 

It does seem that the Assassins are on a different assignment than those goblins and such, sent to kill Sir Charles. They don’t seem to be working together. Eryn said, “We’ve learned two things about the Assassins, they are protecting Francesca…”. There was a long pause and then she said, “Could someone have hired them to protect you? Perhaps in your family?”, as she looked to Angelique. The discussion became awkward as they realized that Elmer still didn’t know who Francesca really was, even though they had messed up and used her real name multiple times.  They finally asked Elmer if he knew Francesca’s real name. He indicated that he thought there was something going on but that’s what he had been told. He had his reasons for hiding his real identity so he was okay with her hiding hers. He said that in front of Emma and then apologized to her that he had something to confess. He figured they had their reasons for hiding her real identity. Angelique said, “The original contract with the adventurers guild has my real name on it. We decided to hide it later because of things that started happening toward me. My surname was a name that everyone knows. I was afraid at the time I was being watched, that someone was after me. That was my fear. So we decided to change my name. I feel I can trust you. I’m not going to say it out loud, but will whisper it to you.”. She leaned in and whispered, “My name is Angelique Blazecaller”. Elmer replied, “You’re related to the?”. Angelique replied, “Yes!”. Elmer said, “Ah, I know who you are now! Yeah, that would be your grandfather right?”. Angelique replied, “Yes!”. Elmer said, “:Yeah, he’s pretty well known, especially in my circles back in the day. He was known as somebody not to mess with. I don’t want to say anything more about it but I have met him and he is a very upright, trustworthy, and powerful person. I don’t know how much you have told them,”, he said, indicating the east of the party, “so I’ll stop there, but I do know who he is, and I always counted him and the things he did as being on the side of good and right, and a friend!”. 

Symon looked at Elmer and said, “Is it feasible that these assassins are people he’s hired to protect her, is this the sort of operation that could have been originally from him?”. Elmer said, “Not the man I knew! No, he would never stoop to that sort of thing. That’s just not in his nature. He is a more up in your face kind of taken care of stuff. He would never hire anybody or have anything to do with anybody who would use poisons. There is just no way. He is not that kind of person.”. Angelique asked, “Do you know where my grandfather would be if I wanted to write him. I could ask my mom but I have not been home.”. He answered, “I do! I know what his station is in the world, do you know?”. She answered, “Not really!”. Elmer asked, “He didn’t tell you?”. She answered, “I have learned that he has kept things from me. I think he was protecting me. I’m not real sure but…”. Elmer said, “Well I do know but I don’t know if I should say! If he felt it wise to keep it from you, he must have had a good reason! But if you want me to tell you, I will. I owe that to all ya’ll!”. She said, “She was thinking that she should write him to let him know what has been going on, but then again, I’m afraid to write because it could get into the wrong hands.”. Elmer said, “If you’re being watched, I’d say that’s pretty likely.”. Eryn said, “Now the question is, who is watching you!”. She told Elmer that she has had the feeling of someone watching her but whenever she looked to see who it was, she saw nobody. He asked, “When did that first start?”. She told him right after the party signed the contract back at Three Points Inn. ”We had just walked out of the tavern and I had this strange feeling. That was the first time.”. Elmer asked, “Did anything strange happen at that time?”. She replied, “No!”. Eryn said, “We had just met, we didn’t really know each other then.”. Angelique added, “I didn’t say anything to anybody at that point, I did say something later.”. Symon said, “There was a second incident!”. Angelique said, “Yes, there was a second time in Munville.”. Elmer said, “I don’t know, it seems odd.”. 

Then Angelique told him about Jade and her death and that Jade had taken her stuff. Elmer said, “That’s strange too! It’s like she was killed, because she took your stuff.”. Angelique added that they’d found a note that said something like, “This is your last chance, if you fail, it’s the top floor for you!”. Angelique said, “I don’t know if she was training to become something and she messed up and they killed her for it! Her throat had been cut, she hadn’t been poisoned. There were two men we found later that had been poisoned with the same poison that the bugbear was poisoned with.”. Elmer said, “It’s obvious to me that whoever is doing the poisoning is doing it form a distance. He suggested that we check the bugbear for a dart.”. Symon added, “And they didn’t poison Charles but they did poison Rogard”. Xor went back to the bugbear to check it for a dart. He did find something right behind it’s ear, where a needle dart went in. He used a piece of cloth to pull it out and bring it back to show the others. It was a very thin, small, metallic dart. Elmer said, ”That’s not a normal needle dart either, it’s silver. Whoever is using that is serious about what they are doing! That wouldn’t work in just any blowdart, it was specially built for it.”. He added, “You guys are in something deep here, you know?”. Symon asked, “It is coming from a blowgun or something, right?”. Elmer answered, “Oh yeah, highly specialized. Not every Tom, Dick, and Cutthroat would have something like that.”. Xor laid the needle in the fire to burn the poison off of it. Symon suggested burning the glove he used to handle it as well, which Xor did. 

Let’s wrap it up here! This was a long session with a lot of fighting and some fascinating information. They faced a pretty well armed force at Elmer’s farm. They got lucky and applied some good judgement and tactics to defeat them. They were definitely getting better at reading what the others were going to do. They were learning to fight together. They determined that it was probably an advance force, the one mentioned in the note found in the tunnels under Frosthaven. The assassin’s were still perplexing. They didn’t seem to fit with the wyvern army but they were unable to determine their exact motive for the things they were doing, with regard to Angelique. 

Start the recording!