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PREVIOUSLY - CAMPAIGN DIARIES 41- Jester's Pride
Having defeated Gabulla, shaman of the goblin invaders of Julkoun, and sending their forces running, the Owlbear League takes stock of their situation.
"Let's retreat" Nowhere says. Meanwhile Orryn searches the body of the shaman, and finds a staff with a gnarled goat carved into the head of the staff. He gives it to K'ronk who casts Identify on the staff and finds it is a magical staff that strikes with necrotic damage. Orryn gives it to K'ronk, who is down a quarterstaff, destroyed in the fight.
Immeral says "I think we should head out the way we came.
Nowhere uses Icerazor to cleave off the head of the darkenbeast and drops it in a sack she picks up. "Let's go," she says, slinging the bloody sack over her shoulder.
Seraphina finds a chest near the bedding of the Hobgoblin leader that contained two potions of healing and 60 gold pieces, a pouch with thirteen semiprecious stones (worth about 10 gp each), and assorted silverware (5 pounds, 100 gp total). The chest also contains a potion of climbing.
The League hurries back down the passage to the covered bridge, passing the murdered priest, and using their magic rope of climbing, head back up the cliffside and gathering Lady D, heads into the woods and down the path to Oyfanen's grove, about 10 miles into the night.
The next morning, a bit short on sleep, the Owlbear League awakes in Oyfanen's grove, they gather their things and they take their leave of their green friend. Atlas gives Oyfanen a small gift, a tiny mechanical crab that only moves when you don't look at it.
"It's so metally!" Oyfanen says. "You could stay here forever! I could tie you to a tree and keep you!"
"No thank you" Atlas replies, "but I will miss you."
They hug their goodbyes, including Lady D.
There was a three-day brisk march back through the cold fall air to Daggerford, Immeral pointing out the road he took, just past a large estate, when under the thrall of the succubus known to them as Pencheska. He rides the horse borrowed from Sir Isteval's stables.
They don't talk much, but they do realize during the trek that they perhaps missed an opportunity to find out where the people of Julkoun were taken and why. Also to perhaps find the connection to the succubus. They left with one answer, but not all of them, but at least their mission for Lady Morwyn was complete.
The Owlbear League makes their way into town, past the gates which still holds refugees at bay, and although they are stopped and questioned, they are let though by using Isteval's name. They make their way to Sir Isteval's manor, and Orryn takes Lady D to the stables around back. As they turn the corner, there seems to be a ruckus in the street outside. A crowd has formed outside the townhome, apparently watching a fight, and The League pushes past the crowd to lend aid.
"Finish him!" someone cries, and they break into the open to see Sir Isteval in full armor, kneeling in submission, his great sword laying on the ground beside him. His opponent, Nat of the three urchins, one of their young wards - looks at Isteval questioningly, and he signals to his left armpit. She nods and adopting a furious face, lets loose a cry, and slips the "killing" blow to the space under his armpit. Isteval mocks being dispatched. The crowd cheers.
Then Isteval smiles and says "well done!" as he regains his feet with some effort against his wounded left leg.
Jenks and Squiddley notice The League and run over for hugs, and the crowd begins to disburse.
"Ah" Sir Isteval says "my guests have returned. So good to see you all, let us catch up. Smithfield!"
"Yes, sir?" Smithfield says, coming down the townhouse stairs. "You wish to change out of your armor and have some drinks in the parlor before supper?"
"You are a mind-reader Smithfield. I would tire of all the talking you save me."
"Indeed sir!" Smithfield replies as he leads them up the stairs into the manor.
Jenks says to K'ronk. "Mr. K'ronk, the egg that you left here, it's been moving!" K'ronk turns to Immeral with excited amazement on his face. "Show me!" K'ronk says, and the urchins lead him to the prismatic egg he knows to be of a pseudodragon that he had found in the upper floors of Trollskull manor.
They see in the study some unfamiliar faces, and receive friendly nods from the men. The maid Serai offers the party drinks and warm damp towels to wipe away some of the miles they have traveled from Julkoun. The chairs in the parlor are incredibly inviting and Dain is snoring in short order.
In no time, Istaval returns, looking in amusement at sleeping Dain. Taking a seat in a great chair by the fireplace with what looks like a great bone cane leaning against it, Isteval says "First, to my guests, apologies that I was unable to be here when you arrived. I understand much has transpired, but in any event, welcome to Daggerford."
The Owlbear League nods and shares thanks. "I'd like to introduce some friends of mine. First, Darfin Floshin is a long-time resident of the Daggerford area. His honorable family has been in the Dessarin Valley for centuries."
The sun elf nods, and quick introductions are made around the room.
"Second is Darfin's nephew Kelson Darktreader, a renowned ranger that knows the lands of Daggerford and the Delimbiyr Vale better than any man alive. A better shot with a bow you will not find. Duke Maldwyn has Kelson lead all his hunts, and they are never unsuccessful."
Kelson nods at the League, and although cordial, seems to a be a man of few words. His bearing is a bit less sunny than his uncle, so he must be a half-elf.
Isteval continues "You've unfortunately arrived at a strange time for Daggerford, this issue with Duke Maldwyn and his missing Bloke is much greater than need be. I'm greatly concerned that Duke Maldwyn troubled Jekk and searched my home for his little statue. It's a breach of trust and protocol that would infuriate a lesser man than I. Maldwyn is a petty man who is more concerned with the image of his station rather then the duty of it, so this tantrum does not surprise me."
The Owlbear League is a little taken aback at the strength of Isteval's dressing-down.
He goes on. "It is a very curious thing that this little idol has created so much distraction from issues of import. I don't know what to make of it yet. I didn't have a chance to question this artist, Alven Gissen fellow before his disappearance, which would lead one to believe he was involved, unless that is something we are meant to assume. I hope that Jekk returns from Firehammer Hold with some new information."
Darfin adds "I had not met this man Gissen, but I have seen The Bloke, it is dwarven, but I never understood what interested Duke Maldwyn about it. Perhaps he is so insulated in his castle that trinkets, often found by those like us who wander far and wide, seem of great value."
Kelson says "The Duke assigned me the ridiculous task of searching the countryside for those who may have stolen the bloke. It is a complete waste of time, but we will follow the Duke's command. I understand this fellow Alven Gissen cannot be found, although with a birthmark on his cheek like a star, he should be easy to track, he has seemingly disappeared."
Nowhere adds "We've never seen this Bloke, but we have information that clarifies who is involved. Let me recap what we've learned."
Isteval and his two friends nod in rapt attention of the tiefling.
"When we arrived, there was a crisis at the gates which Maldwyn has closed to refugees because of the Bloke. We witnessed the guardsman named Grengel shoot a civilian at the gates. By the next day the captain of the guard, Sherlyn Miller, told us that Grengel had committed suicide. We believe he was under magical influence."
Isteval adds "Captain Miller is very competent and shrewd, it would be odd for her to approve of the fellow and have something of this nature happen. I think your intuition is right, there is something strange going on here."
Nowhere continues "Investigating the disappearance of the Bloke, we went to talk to Alven Gissen, who had apparently been seen with a concubine, Natyssa. We learned that Natyssa had been seen with both Grengel and Gissen. She has dark hair, pale white skin and different colored eyes. When we approached Natyssa, she disappeared, and a chase revealed she was a succubus in disguise, and she kidnapped our wizard Immeral."
Istval glances at Darfin and Kelson whose eyes open a bit wider in interest at the news of a succubus operating in the area.
"When Immeral went missing, we shared news of these suspicious activities with lady Morwyn, and sought assistance trying to find our friend who had disappeared with the succubus into the Etheral Plane. Morwyn sent us to the wizard Delfen, but asked something in return - to check on Julkoun so as not to add anything else to raise The Duke's ire. Delfen was working on a way to find Immeral, but luckily he escaped, and caught up with us in Julkoun."
Kelsen asks Immeral "So you escaped the clutches of this devil, and raced to support your companions under a different threat?"
"I did." Immeral responded "I thought she might be a threat to them, she asked everything about us, and while under her control, I told her everything about our backgrounds and abilities. She revealed little, but she did share how she hated Maldwyn, and that as her prisoner I might see Gissen and The Bloke - so she is obviously involved. We were also about to enter the ruins of a castle in the forest about a two day's hike from here, northeast of Daggerford."
Kelsen nods supportively. "It's called Harpshield Castle, it's in ruins, but maybe no longer abandoned."
Darfin adds "If whomever is there is venturing within the Ardeep forest, my house would know, and send word to me."
Nowhere continues. "The rest of us went to Julkoun and found the town ready for a siege, having being taken over by hobgoblins and goblins under the goblin shaman Gabulla. They had killed some of the people of Julkoun, but not all of them. The rest were taken north, but the goblins we questioned did not know where."
"How did you question the goblins if they were prepared for siege?" Kelson asks.
Nowhere answers "We snuck in at night, killed all of them in the southern section of town, snuck into the tunnels under the northern section of town, killed a bunch more and barricaded the tunnels. We didn't get to question the shaman though, she tried fireballing us and things got a little "out of hand". We had to kill the shaman before questioning. Plus what I think is a darkenbeast. I have the head here..." Nowhere brings forward her sack, now showing a stain of blood, and drops it on Dain's lap.
"Uhhh!" Dain wakes. "Oh hello" he says to Isteval and his companions. "Did I miss drinks?"
Smithfield appears from seemingly out of nowhere with a drink on a tray. "Mr. Dain."
"I love you Smithfield." he says, imbibing a large glass of wine while resting his arms on the sack with the darkenbeast head. He waves for a refill.
Nowhere continues "One of the goblins did reveal that taking over Julkoun was easy - that a witch lady arranged it, one with dark hair, pale white skin and different colored eyes. We should let Lady Morwyn know, it's bad news for Julkoun. We did leave a few hobgoblins alive, but they ran off when they thought their shaman was killing them. They likely will be cleared out by now."
Kelsen says "I can see if we can track the survivors. If they took the river it will be a challenge, but that many people leaving the river should not be hard to find traces of."
Darfin adds "I have an audience with Lady Morwyn this evening and can give her the unfortunate news of Julkoun."
Isteval adds "You've collected some important information. I'm impressed. Our trip along the Trade Way was not as fruitful as yours. We did come up with a theory though - examining the attacks against several of the homesteads between here and Waterdeep points back to the Ardeep forest. At first I thought Nandar Lodge, but that is little more than a ruined foundation. There is Phylund Lodge a bit to the north of there, so that would have been our next foray, but now you have us rethinking that plan.
Isteval thinks for a moment and says "So here is what we know:
Disarray in every direction - gnolls along the Trade Way, murder at the gates, goblins in Julkoun.
Julkoun was overrun by associated forces, clearly working with the succubus, but to what end?
The succubus was here in Daggerford seeding more trouble.
The townspeople were taken, but where, and why?
All of it feels like distraction, but distraction from what?"
He continues, "the succubus was heading to the ruins of Harpshield. Whatever is going on there, we need more info, a frontal assault may not be the wisest move without more information." The others nod. "It is clear, I need to confer with the Lord's Alliance. There is more going on here than the Duke of Daggerford can handle. I may be able to bring some forces to bear. Sir Darfin, if you were to stay here and apprise Lady Morwyn of these findings, we could head out in the morning."
"It would be my pleasure." Darfin replies.
"Kelson, even though we suspect we know where The Bloke is, if you follow the Duke's command to look for the artifact, your travels might lead you to Julkoun and follow the trail of the missing townsfolk."
"It will be so." Kelson laughs, craftily.
"As for The League, if you were interested, you could follow me to Waterdeep, and break off to Phylund Lodge to see if that is the source of any of our trouble. Perhaps more info about our adversary can be gleaned from whomever is there."
Immeral says "The succubus knows a lot about us."
Isteval adds "I believe she knows a lot about all of us. It's time to learn what we can about her. My service to Lathander compels me to root out and destroy this seducer of the innocent. Would you join me on this quest?"
The others nod and voice "yes", but a starting knock comes at the door, and Smithfield attends to it. It is Delfan.
"Sir Isteval! Good to see you."
"Lathandar's light upon you, good wizard." Isteval replies. "What brings you to my humble home?"
"I came as soon as I heard that your friends..." waving a hand at the Owlbear League "were back. He turns to K'ronk. I have way to get us all to the border etheral to find your friend."
Immeral raises a hand, "Luckily, that is not necessary, I was able to escape."
Delfen looks a big put off, but Isteval intervenes. "Events have been happening quickly Delfen."
"Well, my research has pointed me to a succubus as possibly the being who took your companion." Delfen adds.
Immeral nods and says "She came just short of stating it, but I agree that is what the creature is. She grew wings out of eyesight of the rest of my companions."
Darfin looks dejected, his research wasted, but goes on. "I can at least tell you a bit about these creatures."
Isteval says "Please educate us old friend."
"Succubi and their masculine twin incubi inhabit all of the Outer Planes of Evil. Acheron, the Nine Hells, Gehenna, Hades, Tarterus, the Abyss, and Pandemonium.
These overtly sexual dark-winged fiends can be found in service to devils, demons, night hags, rakshasas, and yugoloth. Asmodeus, ruler of the Nine Hells, uses these fiends to tempt mortals to perform evil acts. The demon lord Graz’zt keeps succubi and incubi as advisers and consorts."
Immeral adds with alarm - "so we are potentially dealing with a devil, demon, demon lord, night hag, rakshasa, yugoloth - whatever the hell that is, or maybe even Asmodeus himself?"
Delfan continues "Those are likely candidates, but there could be other possibilities."
The group nods, eyes open wide in alarm, Immeral looking particularly terrified.
"Though legend speaks of them separately, any succubus can become a male of its type - an incubus, and vice versa. Most of these fiends seem to have a preference for one form or the other. Mortals only rarely see a succubus or incubus in its true form, however, for the fiend typically begins its corruption in veiled, insidious ways.
A succubus or incubus often appears in ethereal form, passing through walls like a ghost to lurk next to a mortal’s bedside and whisper forbidden pleasures. Sleeping victims are tempted to give in to their darkest desires, indulge in taboos, and feed forbidden appetites. As the fiend fills the victim’s dreams with debauched images, the victim becomes more susceptible to temptation in everyday life.
Inevitably, these fiends enters the mortal realm in tempting form to directly tempt a creature. Appearing in the guise of a humanoid who has previously appeared only in the victim’s dreams, the Succubus or Incubus seduces or befriends its victim, indulging all its desires so that it performs evil acts of its own free will.
A mortal bequeaths its soul to The Fiend not by formal pledge or contract, but by being corrupted. How this is measured is unclear. After successfully corrupting a victim, the Succubus or incubus kills it, and the tainted soul descends into the Lower Planes. The Succubus or incubus resorts to charming a victim magically only when necessary, usually as a form of self-defense. A charmed creature isn’t responsible for its Actions, so forcing it to behave against its will won’t bring The Fiend closer to the ultimate prize: the victim’s soul. Apparently succubi have a telepathic bond with the victims of their charm. They can also shape change into any desired form of human-kind or smaller size, but this does not include belongings, so they tend to travel light.
The kiss of a succubus or incubus is an echo of the fiend’s longing to corrupt their soul. The kiss is nothing short of an attack, usually delivered as a final killing blow. In its natural form, it has powerful claws that it may also attack with." and Delfen ends with "That is what I know of these creatures."
"Well at least she is not the only one who knows her enemy now." Immeral states.
Isteval adds "Well said, wizard Immeral, an enemy well-known is half-defeated."
Nowhere adds "I love a good walk in the woods, I should be able to track and move us faster than any enemy."
Kelsen, obviously at home in the woods, raises a white-haired eyebrow.
K'ronk expresses to Immeral his wish for magical armor he could wear and cast spells and Immeral nods.
Dain says "Eww, this sack is dripping."
Nowhere pulls the darkenbeast skull out of the sack, examining it.
"That is quite a trophy", Isteval says, "do you often take the skulls of your quarry, Nowhere?"
"Not always, but we are building a tavern in Waterdeep, the former Trollskull tavern, and and I think this might become part of the decor. Do you know where I might find someone to prepare the head?"
Smithfield says "I will see about a taxidermist" raising the sack back around the skull and taking it off to somewhere for preparation.
Isteval says "I am very impressed, I have a few trophies of my own. At some point I will have to show you my giant head that I had stuffed and mounted."
Nowhere turns a deeper shade of red.
"I'm hungry." Dain says, and a pair of servants start placing food in the nearby dining room.
Delfen says "Good morrow" to them all and heads out.
After a fine meal, and hours more personal conversation, including Nowhere subtly flirting, Isteval takes his leave. "I am one to retire early and rise similarly. Get some rest, we will head out after dawn." Darfin and Kelsen leave, and The League spends some time with the three urchins before settling to sleep.
At the crack of dawn, The League and Isteval prepare for their trek northward, packing up Isteval's horse. Orryn gathers Lady D from the stables and Isteval complements him on his unique steed. The urchins are sad they are leaving again, but they seem to have enough pursuits in this new town. Atlas asks whether Isteval wants kids, and states "that's a story for another day. My years of fathering offspring are past."
Kelson Darktreader arrives at Isteval's stable on horseback and wishes you all a fruitful journey, and heads off with his retinue. Darfin Floshin, the sun elf arrives shortly after and lets Isteval know he will be in Daggerford a few more days on business. Nowhere asks if he will check in on the children, and he remarks that it would "be my pleasure. Although I am sure they are fine in Smithfield's capable hands."
Isteval asks again if The League wants horses, but they decline, and he begins their march at a slow trot, north up the Trade Way. The day is cold but uneventful, and with a fast march for The League on foot (except for Orryn and sometimes Seraphina), they arrive at a camp site south of the Ardeep river.
Near sundown, as the traveling companions make camp within a short distance of a caravan in a sheltered glade surrounded by pine trees, Nowhere leaves and quickly returns with several rabbits for dinner as Dain builds a fire. Nowhere gives a few rabbits to their camping neighbors who give cautious thanks, but look at her, her group, and their owlbear with some suspicion. Immeral looks at the dead rabbits with minor disapproval.
A second day goes by uneventfully, with a cold rain keeping them a bit miserable and quiet.
At their second camp, Isteval tells them, "tomorrow morning we will cross the Ardeep river. I will stay on the road to Waterdeep, and you can follow the river northeast. Skirt the forest to the north and you will find Phylund lodge. Approach cautiously and see if our enemy is indeed launching attacks from there. By Lathandar's light I hope you also find some answers to who is behind these attacks."
The others nod, accepting the plan.
After rising, packing, and traveling a few hours north, they cross the bridge fjording the Ardeep and Isteval stops. "The road to Phylund lodge is up river about a day's travel. Be safe, I will meet you back in Daggerford in four days time."
Nowhere goes over to Isteval and says to him "You stay safe too Elirah, the children would be upset if anything happened to you."
He smiles and says "The children under your care are charming. I will try not to disappoint them," with maybe some recognition that it is not just the children who would be disappointed.
Nowhere places a casual hand on his leg, then realizes herself and pulls back suddenly. Isteval blushes, but pauses, and starts his horse to the northeast.
The Owlbear League follows the river northeast. The path is overgrown, but seems to have been tamped down a bit. They make good time, but don't reach the Ardeep until nearly nightfall. They camp just inside the woods and decide on no fire that evening even though the night is cold, just above freezing, but they huddle together in their best gear and take turns keeping watch in the dark night, which passes uneventfully.
Cautiously following the forest edge, the Owlbear League approaches the Lodge and finally spies it from a distance. They ford the river at an old stone bridge, but then leave the road to keep to the forest edge.
Nowhere notices that beside the road are tracks, and she believes they are gnoll tracks, mixed with a horse or two. Doing their best best to proceed without detection, they skirt the woods and finally gain sight of the lodge from about a mile away.
The League approaches the lodge as stealthily as they can, but a patrol of six hyena-like gnolls from a hidden camp in the woods surprises them and launches a volley of arrows from the trees about a hundred and fifty feet away. Two arrows miss Seraphina, one misses Orryn, and one misses Atlas - but one also hits, piercing her shoulder.
Dain, Immeral, Atlas, Nowhere, Seraphina and Orryn (riding Lady D) start to run towards their enemies, closing about half the distance. K'ronk hurries closer and uses his staff of frost to cast fog cloud to create a 20' radius sphere of fog on the enemies to block their vision.
Three arrows come flying out of the mist, but they are off target and ineffective. Gnoll howls can be heard from within the fog. The Owlbear League charges towards the edge of the mist, with Dain and Atlas coming to a stop right at the edge. Orryn fires an early arrow into the cloud and hears a howl from within and he laughs from atop Lady D.
As Nowhere approaches the obscured area, another volley of arrows flies from the mist, but hits far from where The Owlbear League now stands. K'ronk - far to the back, drops the magical mist, revealing the gnolls who mostly stand besides the trees they used for cover, and now The League rushes in.
Dain screams in rage, rushing up to one and swinging his great axe. The gnoll dodges out of the way and Dain swings again wildly, but misses again.
K'ronk casts fire bolt from a distance, but the bolts are blocked by a tree, and miss their target.
Immeral casts ray of frost and the magical blue-white beam lances into a gnoll.
Atlas runs towards a gnoll with an arrow protruding from its side, using her Ki energy to launch a devastating series of flurry of blows, sending him staggering back against the tree, beating him bloody, but it still stands.
Orryn slides off Lady D. as she charges up to the gnoll which was partially frozen by Immeral and the owlbear eviscerates the gnoll, spilling his guts onto the grassy ground.
Orryn charges another gnoll, sneaking around Dain and trying a surprise attack with his rapier, but misses.
Nowhere runs at Atlas and her gnoll, slashing with Icerazor, and cuts it down. She rushes by and charges another gnoll, but the gnoll parries her blow.
Seraphina casts sacred flame at another, but it tumbles out of the way of the spell, taking no damage.
The gnolls fight back. The first one goes after Nowhere with a spear, but her armor blocks the blow. A second hyena-man throws a spear at Seraphina, who is some fifty feet away, but misses her. A third gnoll stabs at Orryn with a spear, hitting him barely. A forth gnoll stabs at Dain, but misses.
Dain swings back at the attacking gnoll with a rage-powered swing of his great axe, delivering brutal damage, cutting his armor half off, but the creature still lives.
K'ronk closes in and casts fire bolt again, this time hitting a gnoll, riddling it with a mote of fire that singes its skin and burns fur. It howls in pain but still stands.
Immeral, also from a distance casts chill touch at the one K'ronk engaged, striking it with necrotic damage and knocking it out.
Atlas turns to another gnoll and releases another punching attack, pummeling the gnoll, hitting over and over, but it is stumbling backwards.
Lady D. turns to a remaining gnoll biting down with her massive beak, tearing off the gnoll's arm with spear still grasped in its hand. The gnoll screams and Lady D rakes its face off. The entire face off the gnoll goes flying into the tree and it sticks to the tree for a moment, glued by blood, then falls to the ground.
One of the gnolls starts running, and Orryn swings at him, but misses.
Nowhere swings her icy sword at the same gnoll and cuts it down. She turns to get the last one, but it is too far away.
Seraphina stares down the final gnoll and casts sacred flame again, but the backpeddling gnoll dives out of the way.
It turns to run, but Dain catches it with his great axe, sending the blade into its spine and through it, dropping the gnoll dead to the ground.
Dusting themselves off, the Owlbear League turns to look at Phylund Lodge, about a half-mile away and sees that no one is coming out to answer their attack, so they take the time to pull the gnoll bodies into the edge of the woods, removing evidence of the gnolls they have killed. Meanwhile, Lady D. chews on one skull, picking out the tasty brains. Strangely, some of The League find this charming.
Immeral sends Syldan - his hawk familiar to recon the area, and he flies over the somewhat dilapidated hunting lodge, and through Syldan's eyes sees that several hyenas are roaming behind remains of the wooden palisade surrounding the lodge.
Orryn calls over Lady D and climbs up onto the special saddle he had purchased for his companion.
Nowhere heads into the sparse woods and stealthily approaches the keep. Once she is in the woods, Orryn urges Lady D to charge the hyena position and lays prone on the owlbear looking like little more than a sack in his unusal bear costume.
In short order, the five hyenas see the charging owlbear with gnome rider and they charge into the field, snarling and chirping.
They clash in the fields, and Lady D strikes first, clawing a lunging hyena across the ribs and drawing it right into her mouth where she crunches off its head in a bloody crunch.
Dain rushes in, but is yards away.
K'ronk casts fire bolt and misses the hyenas.
Immeral uses a chill touch spell, sending blazing black and purple necrotic energy at one biting at Lady D's heels, killing the animal.
Atlas runs forward and throws a combat dart, striking another hyena, causing it to howl and writhe in pain, and it passes out.
Seraphina runs from her cover to try to get in range and launches sacred flame on one, knocking it unconscious with radiant damage.
The last hyena starts to turn tail, with Lady D snapping at at it, and catching it in her beak, chomping off its leg and killing it.
The League makes sure all of the hyenas are dead and crouch down in hiding, waiting to see if others attack.
Meanwhile, Nowhere sneaks through the woods and approaches the southernmost building of The Lodge. She looks for tracks into and out of the woods, and sees some going in both directions at least several days old.
It is 40x30 feet with stone walls. The windows are boarded up, and she can peak in through cracks, but the interior looks abandoned. She listens carefully and hears nothing, then tries the door, but it is locked.
Nowhere returns to the rest of The League and tells them she found nothing.
Immeral reminds the group that Syldan spied four hyenas on the eastern side of the building, so The League skirts the lodge from a distance.
Once again, Orryn rides Lady D. towards the hyena pack. This time the hyenas gain the initiative and take several snarling attacks at the Owlbear, one biting her in the leg, but she shakes it off like a scratch. Another bites her front paw, drawing blood. The owlbear claws at it, wounding it badly, tearing off the flesh of its ribs and the hyena falls to the ground.
Orryn leaps off Lady D's back and thrusts at one with his rapier, but the animal dodges out of reach.
Seraphina runs to within range and casts sacred flame again, scalding one with radiant energy, and it scurries around in pain, but still remains fighting.
Nowhere, some sixty feet away runs in a bit closer.
Atlas throws a dart as she closes in, but misses any of the hyenas.
Immeral casts ray of frost and kills the one Seraphina wounded.
K'ronk tries a fire bolt, but misses one of the two remaining hyenas.
Dain runs and quickly throws a javelin at the hyenas and then another before the first can even land. They are far away, but he hits one with a flesh wound, and then hits the same with the second javelin, impaling it in place stuck standing as it writhes and dies.
The last hyena bites at Lady D, but barely scratches the hearty owlbear.
Lady D doesn't appreciate the bite, and claws the face off the hyena, killing it instantly.
The League gathers together, triumphant over the hyena guardians of Phylund Lodge, when the doors burst open from the building nearby, and a squad of gnolls start firing arrows at The League. Six of them taking positions at the stairs.
NEXT - Campaign Journal 43 - Intruders at Phylund Lodge.
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