Adventure 2 - The Village Part 1

Picking up from where we left off - our intrepid travelers continue their journey to safely escort the agricultural engineer, Ted, and his family back to their farmstead. This will be a two day trek - Vashrah, not trusting the lay of the land, positions herself as a lookout. In the distance she spies a group heading their way - it is determined that more marauding orcs, a wolf and a large Troll are on a trajectory to intercept our fearless group. The party has Ted and company stay back, Misty, Vashrah and Bree take to the woods for an ambush and The Hand of Heironeous and Shenrek the Wild prepare to be the vanguard and meet these evil creatures head on.

The battle ensues - the ambush works to the party's advantage! All the members hit the massive Troll but in the end, Shenrek delivers an attack that Misty will sing about for years to come. Party members gather items from the fell creatures, some gold and silver, a couple of gems and also some wolf/Troll hide and even some Troll teeth (and possibly some large genitalia that we will speak no more of)! Misty, ever the ladies' man (gnome), fashions one of the teeth into a necklace for the farmer's daughter - who doesn't know if she should be pleased or repulsed from the gift.

During the trip the party learns of Ted's troubles with the nearby village - they discern the following:

• A gang of bandits is terrorizing the village.
• The gang is led by Galyn, who resides in the former Elder's house.
• Most of the gang members are rag tag bandits, but there are a few dangerous characters in the gang.
• Some villagers have disappeared or fled. Most live in fear.
• The inn once had a friendly and popular guard, who was killed by the bandit Vilnin, who hangs out in the stables.
• Only the church seems to have escaped the bandits' wrath.
• On occasion the bandits ride out of town to waylay travelers but return within a few days.

The party arrive at the farmstead the next day without any further altercations. Ted invites them in for a hearty meal and some well-deserved rest but alas - all is not well. As they enter the farmer's small house to find it has been looted - a beat up farm hand speaks:

They came the other day Ted - the cutthroats from the village... they took everything. They took my daughter, they took... Mary. The green robed thief, Pilanor - he led the raid. He breaks down crying.

Ted asks: "My friends, I know I am already in your debt, and I hate to ask but... we are in desperate need of your skills. Will you help us?"

The party agrees - they ask for some further information regarding Mary and prepare to go and check out this troubled town - Ted tells them to return here for safety if they need to rest.

They leave the farmstead and walk for about half hour - heading over a small hill they see the lonely village - the village with no name. It is a small settlement really, no more than a collection of a handful of buildings.

Misty puts forth the suggestion that all information can be found at any town's tavern - plus they also have bear and mead! The party heartily agrees - except for Vashrah who opts to remain outside to look over this strange town. The group also decides to "go-against-the-grain" - instead of employing what seems to be their standard prime directive: smash and bash, they opt to blend in and try to infiltrate into the bandits... hmmm, true growth?

Misty prepares for a grand entrance singing a rousing song - Bree, losing track of the little fellow, inadvertently closes the door in poor Misty's face... not what he was going for! Nonplussed, he ventures forward again - his amazing voice is well met by Fo the barkeep who welcomes the party in whole heartedly! The group sidles up to the bar and engages in some chinwag with the portly barman. Fo is a strong man, willing to speak out about the evil bandits - even while four of them play cards in the corner.

Misty sets the plan in action - he buys the room a beer and slyly works himself into the bandit's poker game. They poke fun at his height but Misty keeps to his plan - and loses a number of hands to loosen them up. Once he is able to secure a parlay with Gayln, their leader, he turns on the Misty skill and wins back all his losses. They bid farewell to the perturbed bandits and plan to meet them at the Elder's house in an hour.

While the tavern escapades unfold Vashrah spies a slightly inebriated fighter type weave down the road - she follows at a distance to the stable. She meets Vilnin who is unfriendly and direct - he will not let her pass without payment. Vashrah, looking for information not battle turns on the elfin charm and reduces his request by half - gold well spent. She learns some more of the local struggles and secures a room at the inn on Vilnin's name.

The party re-unites and stops into General Store and make Williams's acquaintance - a friendly man with hopes of seeing the poor town be brought back to its happier ways. His shop is very empty - the bandits have helped themselves with very little payment to William - his only items of consequence are a dagger and longsword. These items were originally belonged to the Inn's bodyguard, who was murdered by Vilnin and were forcibly traded to William. The party asks if William could gather any of the townsfolk to fight if needed - he believes he could muster about five bodies. The party tells him they are here to help and also offer selling a large arsenal of assorted weaponry they have amassed in their travels - William thanks you!

The group heads off to the Elder's house on the edge of town - upon arrival there seems to be no-one to greet them. After a couple of knocks the party enters the house to find a dog and wolf welcome them with loud barking. Vashrah and Shenrek are able to calm them down, Misty, concerned about the stairs to the upper level see two guards burst out of a side room ready to attack the group. A melee ensues where Shenrek displays his animal sympathy and pleases Obad-Hai by subduing the wolf while Vashrah slows the dog. Bree is hit from behind and Misty engages with the other guard and too is injured. Shenrek easily dispatches one of the guards while Bree and the Hand grapple the other and pummel him into submission. The guard is tied up and questioned.

Shenrek, Bree and the Hand search the upstairs area while Vashrah, again, breaks out on her own and searches the rest of the lower level - leaving Misty with the captive.

Our second level friends find little of interest save a locked door - Shenrek damages his foot trying to kick it open. Maybe he loosened it as Bree manages to shoulder bash it open. Inside they find a body, unclothed, a stab wound in his back but certainly dead. Upon further inspection they see that a ring was recently taken from his finger - the Hand of Heironeous declares that it was an ancient artifact of his true deity and it must be recovered! Bree notices the only other exist, a window is open. In an adjacent room the Hand locates a hidden drawer in a large wardrobe and calls to Misty to figure it out.

Meanwhile Vashrah locates stairs to the cellar upon which she recognizes a familiar smell - Troll!

Misty locates a trap in the secret drawer and successfully disarms it to the amazement of the others. Inside the hiding place the party finds: a small sack containing 125 gold pieces and a diamond worth 250 gold - they also locate four books: Mordicai's Tome of Odes, An Introduction to Magic, a spell book containing spells: erase, mending, message and fool's gold and a journal detailing Galyn's travels.

Poor Misty, upon searching the other rooms, gazes upon his reflection in the bathroom mirror! He is reduced to a cowering mass on the floor and only by the aid of the Hand is he able to continue... hmmmm, what is that about?

The party carries Galyn's body down to the astonished guard and demand answers - the guard provides little information and the party grows frustrated. They agree his fate will be decided by a one-on-one duel between him and the Hand.

An epic battle ensues with the Hand taking the upper... errrrr hand? Misty, always one to lend a... hand, sings a rousting song encouraging our fearless one onwards. In the end the Hand dispatches of the bandit but is rather perturbed by Misty's aid - Misty nonplussed evokes a stunning light cloud behind the Hand - the party sees a large hand form within the cloud - a fitting tribute to the gallant fighter... right up till it makes an obscene gesture.

Vashrah informs the group of the Troll smell emanating from the cellar - they decide to search onwards, Bree tightens her grip on her sword... she will draw Troll blood! In the cellar they locate household staples and preserves as well as several casks of spirits and a half cask of fine brandy - oh, they also locate a secret door.

They quietly enter into a newly hewn cavern; on the other end of the area they see the giant Troll and two bandits. As the others start to form a plan Shenrek charges in, throws the dead body of Galyn to the floor and addressed the Troll: "Your master is dead - submit or die!" Strong words, but not strong enough - the Troll is enraged and another battle ensues. The party receives some damage but in the end they all work as a team and defeat the massive creature!

What will they do next?

They seem to be on a Troll hunt - maybe they will fight some more of them, Bree would be pleased. But wait, what of this questionable cleric Feldryk? And why was Galyn murdered? Was it by the green cloaked Pilanor? And where is Mary??

So many questions - tune in next time my friends to find out more of the tale!