Conquering the Barbarian Altanis: Session 104
Adventurers
| Character | Class | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Hector | Fighter level 3 | Balding warrior in the dwarf corpse retrieval business. |
| Ignaeus | Elf level 2 | A slightly weathered looking elf with dull blonde hair and chiselled features. Seeks wealth and knowledge. |
| Theros | Cleric level 1 | EYoung idealist committed to proving himself to Sashu, God of Justice and Blind Beggars. |
| Thorn the Dwarf | Dwarf level 1 | Ashen hair, beard, and eyes. Left his own clan due to financial trouble. |
| Mayonnaise | Elf level 1 | Albino elf with long white eyelashes, flowing white hair, magnificent white cape, and long two-handed sword. |
Longrass 14th, Fireday
“We shall recover Bob.”
Hector accepted another mission to retrieve a dwarven corpse; something he was especially gifted at. He recently arrived to Hara, along with his fellow adventurers Ignaeus, Theros, Thorn, and Mayonnaise.
He collected information from Leticia, a retainer of the named deceased. Apparently he was a member of noteworthy Company that resides in Hara, and they wished his corpse to be retrieved.
Reasons did not matter to Hector, only future prospects. So he took his party to the described cave. Thorn remained outside, by the cave entrance.
Exploring the cave system by the entrance led the party to discover evidence of fight by the slow moving stream. There they also found a dead lizard—whose tail they promptly removed for the promised bounty of twenty five gold coins.
Axe heads, fragments of shield, and other iron shavings were lodged into the stream's bed. A naked and beheaded human was thrown on the south side of the stream. The man was dead.
Poorly concealed secret doors led into a small chamber that housed a simple desk, straw-bed and demonic idol of fat humanoid with ram head. Mayonnaise cracked open small chest by the bed. Three hundred gold coins, an emerald, and vial with dark red-brown liquid.
Opting not to follow the stream, adventurers moved north, exploring various smaller caves and labyrinthine tunnels. In one of the smaller caves they found two naked corpses of pig faced humanoids and a sack of rotten grains.
Following a long tunnel, which at one moment slopped downwards, led them into another sizeable cave with five exists. Blood trail indicated something had been dragged into south west tunnel.
Tightening their formation, the party proceeded forward.
“Stop...”
Both elves heard sounds of something munching on a bone.
The party stopped to discuss what should they do next.
Alas, their ingenious planning was interrupted by a giant lizard charging them out of darkness.
Adventurers withdrew back into the chamber, where all four could strike at the reptile. The lizard stood little chance against such coordinated violence.
Mayonnaise took the spear passed to him, and the promptly jammed it into the beast's skull. Next he flung the lifeless corpse to the cave wall like it was nothing but a little toy.
“Wow, are you THAT strong?” other adventurers marvelled.
Either way, another giant lizard tail to remove and drop nearby. After all, they did not want to be encumbered before cleaning out the cave system.
Going down the south east tunnel, adventurers reached a cave so expansive their torchlight couldn't even reach the ceiling. Even the softest of footsteps echoed. Sound of running water could be heard as if it was coming from all directions.
The part soon came upon a curious sight. A slain lizard, next to a dead orc. This orc was dressed and had claw and bite marks. Some twenty feet away from them were four orc corpses, all naked. They lied with broken necks and collarbones, as if they fell from above. But all also had deep wounds caused by slashing and piercing weapons.
A rope ladder hung from darkness, leading up the cave wall.
“I am going up!” Mayonnaise announced, lit up his torch, and climbed. It didn't take him long to reach the top. He stood on the edge, overlooking large cave and his colleagues beneath him. To the south was a shallow, slow stream, lazily flowing south east.
“Come down!”
The elf ignored the calls to return, and bravely went south, into the darkness, to explore the chamber and adjoining tunnels all by himself.
Hector, Ignaeus, and Theros waited for half an hour. Then they decided to follow the blood trail leading east. They encountered two more naked corpses. The trail continued south, down the narrow tunnel. Sound of frothing water could be heard up ahead.
The trio pushed on.
The stream was falling down a series of rocks, causing noise. It wasn't too high, but with all the rocks and slipper limestone, traversing it would be difficult. After the waterfall the stream was effectively an underground river, rapidly gaining depth.
Standing at the shore, adventurers scanned the chamber.
A giant lizard came charging from their left.
Another giant lizard lunged out of water from the south.
The trio tightened their ranks in time and successfully defended themselves from the initial onslaught.
Theros landed a mighty blow. Hector followed by splitting the reptile's head with his hand axe. Ignaeus missed.
Mayonnaise appeared at the top of the waterfall. There he stood, with a torch in his hand, and no missile weapons.
Illustration by kickmaniac.
Unwilling to be useless, he hopped down the slipper stones with amazing agility, and joined the fray swinging his two-handed sword.
Theros, possibly distracted by such stupendous display of magnificence, was overpowered by surviving lizard. The beast stood on its hind legs and dropped its weight on the cleric. Then it bit sideways into his unprotected neck, decapitating him with one bite.
Hector avenged his fellow adventurer by severing the giant lizard's tail and letting it die in writhing agony.
Moments later Thorn the Dwarf joined them. He was yearning for some action.
To the south of the stream were two joined caves. A nest of large eggs indicated this was the giant lizard's lair. Close to the waterfall was dwarf corpse missing left leg, left arm, face, and scalp.
“This must be Bob. What the hell is he doing here?”
Some mysteries can never be solved.
The party picked up Bob's corpse, three eggs, five giant lizard tails, and returned to Hara to collect their bounty.
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