Bring him back Alive

Camp off the normal path while resting and recovering. Snorri tries to conceal our tracks. No sign of pursuit when morning dawns. Debate what to do. Going back to Fallover probably a bad idea. Decide to go to Spring Falls. Travel with Pell in one of the wagons. Look for stuff to cover him with. At nightfall, cold camp off the road. During the 3rd watch, Brak hears horses and alerts us. I spot a group of horseman riding down the road. Armed fighters with a runner. Tracker? Human sized. Hope Snorri did a good job. They are wearing non-descript armor and clothing. Almost to where we left the road. Looks like about 12 riders and the tracker. They pass by without spotting us. Debate what to do now. Cross country or continue down the road. Wait an hour then travel the road. Snorri and I scout ahead. Mid afternoon and we are in scrub territory. Arrive at a hill overlooking Spring Falls. What to do now? Snorri and Brak will carry priest around the town. Wagons will go thru town and scout things out. Elwin, Gracie, Aerrion and Jian go into town. Snorri, Brak and I carry Pell around. The townsfolk don’t like Gracie much. Horses in the stable. Gracie and Aerrion enter a tavern. Elwin and Jian stay with wagons. A cloaked figure approaches Jian and asks if traveling with ‘Blackie’ is safe. She responds with “Easy pay for guarding empty wagons.” Figure mentions Pell Rygor by name, complementing him. Walks away after looking over the wagons. Gracie and her escort have a few drinks, then leave. We met up with the wagons on the other side of Spring Falls. Head toward Red Gorge for the remaining 3 hours of light. Raining. Dark camp again. Quiet, wet night. Morning. Now in high-plains scrub. Still raining and wet, otherwise uneventful. Quiet but cold camp. Travel. Now entering rocky hills. Arrive at Red Gorge mid morning. Gracie, Aerrion and I scout out the town. Walk in and visit a tavern. Aerrion sits with a group of road traveled armed men and gambles with them. After a few minutes a dwarf enters and challenges Gracie in undercommon. I catch parts of it. A weird comment abut Lloth and marbles. Lost marbles. Aerrion keeps gambling. Unknown to the three of us, Jian and Elwin also come to town and meet the dwarf. Jian knows him as Dubious. Dubious is working with the Cuthbertians. He has a way to sneak back to Cualdron. I sing and dance a bit in the tavern. Jian and Elwin sell off the wagons and three of the pack animals. A group of riders are searching things as Snorri travels thru with the priest but they don’t spot the hidden priest. We stay split up much of the day. Those in the tavern enjoy the afternoon. Toward evening, Gracie comes by and rounds us up. I grab a couple of snacks for the road. We head out of town, north past the church. Meet up with Snorri and Brak. Elwin guides us to the place where they have Pell tied to a mule. Travel until dark, then cold camp again. During the 2nd watch, Gracie and Dubious hear horses clopping up the road. They don’t stop. Otherwise quiet. After breakfast, travel a couple of hours to a trail Dubious knows about. Mountain trail. Another six hours of hiking to a set of doors. Going underground. Just like a Dwarf.

It is dark as the doors close behind us. Light torches and lanterns. Single file. Dubious leads. Pass through a keep that is mostly intact. Mostly uphill and often slick. Think we are heading toward Cauldon. Three times we pause at road forks while Dubious checks Dwarven runes on markers. Several hours in, reach a wide spot with signs of past campsites. Camp there and rest. Quiet. Wake and travel on. Dubious warns of bridges ahead and possible encounters. He thinks we can reach Cauldron by day’s end. First bridge by what we think is mid-morning. Dim phosphorescent light from several places. A flashing light from the bridge ahead. Snorri in front now. He runs forward towards the light. We all follow. Bad idea? The light changes. A rooted form with tentacles. Snorri keeps moving towards it. Why? He just walks up to it and stops. Its tentacles are waving about. Two of them drop down and wrap about Snorri. Now he starts fighting to escape. Dubious closes and starts moving like Snorri was. Like he likes it. Aerrion charges past it to the far side of the bridge. As I move to attack, a strange compulsion comes over me and I just walk up to it. Jian magic missiles it for effect. Brak tries walking backward towards it. Gracie starts to attack but also gets entranced by it. Snorri rips free of the tentacles but is seriously wounded in the attempt. Dubious tries but fails. Aerrion tosses a flask of alchemist fire and hits. I will myself to snap out of the charm and escape away. Elwin blindfolds himself. Must be a halfling thing. Gracie also frees herself and moves away. Snorri makes a mighty swing but misses and his axe flies into space and falls. He gets another from Dubious and swings again. This time, cleaving the horror in half. As it dies, it falls over the edge, dragging Dubious over. Brak grabs the Dwarf just in time and pull him free. Snorri mourns his lost axe.

Move on after tending our injuries. Two more bridges but no more action. Arrive at our soon to be underground stronghold under Cauldron. Cuthbertians are guarding it for us. They send a runner to fetch Jenya to come and take charge of Pell Rygor. She soon arrives. She takes Pell and pays us for completing the mission. Mentions a possible job for us, but will tell us more later.

During the next few weeks, we rest, train and arrange for things to be made. The rainy season is early this year and the city leaders are concerned.

Oosana


XP - 300 kills, 100 RP, 500 story.
Everyone gets action point and reputation point
Pay equals 344 gold each.