S17: A Baker’s Dozen - Tabaxi Addition

Your Tabaxi companion Breeze lays in an unconscious heap at your feet, dark blood soaking her light green tunic. Hatch sadly mumbles his singular phrase as he holds her head, running his hand over the sweat-damp fur of her brow. Breeze’s last words before giving in to sleep, “Save my children.” 

In front of you, a deep pit of rock and dirt -- scaffolding climbing up from its depth. Guards stand watch over the mine and its surrounding area. Muscular orcs make their way in and out of a nearby cave and from somewhere under the scaffolding carrying and stacking large crates. A small encampment, three tents, can be seen to the east. You quickly move Breeze and Hatch to a more well-hidden area further back in the forest.

The crew decisively makes a plan. Wait until night and then… split the party. The northern group will perform reconnaissance on the area while the western group will take out the closest guard while remaining in the shadows. Glug, Fey, and Nom stealthily make their way to the northern hills, surveying the area for details. As they do so, Fey hears voices, or at least, something that resembles voices to the north. They decide to investigate. As they move northward Glug and Alora successfully lure a careless guard away from his post with sounds of guttural distress and well-placed stones. Alora, unexpecting of the direction Mokon threw the stone (a.k.a. directly in Alora's direction) let’s loose an ill-placed arrow at the all too close guard alerting him of their presence. As he turns to run back toward his camp no words come forth, only grunts and muffled noises. Mokon does not let his lack of vocabulary go unnoticed with a quick slash to the back of his leg followed by a deep wound to his front. Alora finishes the fight with an arrow to the temple - never taking the time to find out the true background of the guard. Maybe he was a widowed dad whose three small girls (June 3 years old, Miranda 5, and Winnie 7) were told to stay inside and to not answer the door for anyone as dad went to a job that he did not like, but Grimshackle gives few opportunities for a single dad to protect and provide for his family. Little did he know that work would take his ability for speech, but it was worth it because his children, who had nobody else in the entire world would be fed. He kisses them each gently on the forehead. “We love you, daddy,” says little Miranda and she limps back to the breakfast table (the limp is due to a simple break that could have easily been mended, but, at the time, they had not the means to get the medicine needed. At least she kept her leg.) He hates leaving his children alone, but food must be put on the table and a roof over their heads. A single tear falls from his eye as he leaves them for the day. His only solace is that he knows he will see them again in only a few short hours. Or he is a real prick who kicks puppies and who once took a shit on his neighbor's front steps because they had a nicer horse than he did. Could go either way. But I digress. With the guard out of the way and the others, none the wiser, Breeze and Hatch would be safe, for a time. Mokon takes a second to assess Breeze realizing it may be more than a simple flesh wound. Black ichor oozes from Breeze’s side as Mokon lays on hands to remove disease -- this does seem to help.

As the northern team climbs over the hill they see two guards positioned behind large ballistas laughing, mumbling, and gesturing toward each other. Fey takes the opportunity to avert their gaze and lets an arrow fly across the nearby river into the woods beyond. The guards take note and turn their attention toward the woodland which gives Nom, Fey, and Glug the perfect opportunity for… dum dum dum… murder. During this process, Glug and Alora take full advantage of their emotionally charged necklaces sending signals, some as intended, some slightly mixed to keep both teams in sync. Nom and Fey quickly dispatch the unexpecting foes with a quietly slit throat/head removal and double-bladed heart attack. The guards slump to the ground as Glug oversees and invisibly takes pride in his coworkers' skill.

As the northern crew takes stock in their surroundings they notice a cave and barred waterway. Assuming this is the rear entrance Glug contacts the others with a feeling of accomplishment and curiosity. The crew is together once more as they make their way into the mouth of the cave. Once inside, their eyes adjust to the darkness as the smell of rotting fish assault their olfactory senses. A large cavernous murky pond sits before them, a small stone building sits on the opposite side -- a makeshift plank on boulder bridge stretches before them. The thought of monstrosities below the depths enters their thoughts. A large splash sounds as Mokon kicks a large barrel into the water releasing various decomposing bits of fish and blood -- the water now tainted red, stirs ever so slightly. Gravely footsteps can be heard in the distance. Fey, Glug, and Nom rush forward to meet whatever comes. As they do, Glug, who is still very translucent takes a wide stance on the thin bridge -- all but daring someone to push his invisible ass into the drink. Unknowingly, Nom accepts the challenge, launching Glug into the brine and blood with a splash. The footsteps now have a source, a large Gnoll climbs um a nearby ledge to man an already armed ballista. Fey closes the gap, while Nom takes a two and a half yard sharpened pole to the midsection -- knocking her into the unsanitary depths with Glug. Mokon seeing this slams his shield into the ground -- defense for himself and Alora. Tentacles find their way around various party members and a fight ensues. Fey easily dispatches the Gnoll taking possession of his ballista causing significant damage to the underwater menace, Alora uses her newly adopted daylight spell to shed some light through the depths as well as some well placed (and luckily water enhanced) cones of thunder, Mokon spends some time grappled by suction-cupped arms in the large puddle next to Glug who is in a similar circumstance attacking the blurry foe with magical beams of pain, bursts of staff force, and steel. Nom slowly makes her way to Fey for assistance in removing the small sapling from her midsection with success. This battle goes on for some time with the four tendrils taking turns wreaking havoc on the group (for all except Fey who sits atop her plain of pain, and Nom who is just trying to get away -- at least 30 feet away from her friends). The group trade blow after blow with their underwater attacker eventually and literally disarming their enemy.

As the battle rages on, Mokon decides to enter the small building in hopes of an answer. Inside, two levers, assorted crates, and a trapdoor. Mokon pulls the lever to the left which opens a large gate to an enclosed chamber. At this time Nom is finding that her only option to not hurt the ones she loves (or at least tolerates) is to go up into a cavernous tunnel to the west where she finds a bucket of chum. Mokon yells out “chum the water” somehow knowing of Nom’s find even through five feet of rock and a stone wall. Amazing! When the bucket hits the water below the beast eagerly heads toward the feast. Glug slams the gate shut, as Mokon continues to drag a very dead hyenaesque foe toward the shoreline. The lonely last tentacle grabs the corpse and begins to eagerly and unsuccessfully pull it through the thick bars. Nom takes this unique opportunity to heal up, not hurt her party, and slowly drain the underwater menace of life. Inside the building, Glug opens a crate to reveal hundreds of pounds of gold. Calling to his team each take turns filling their pockets with fortune and while Alora has Chester (her 40-pound mimic) do the same.

Knowing that kittens are notoriously hearty, the group takes a little me time trying to open a sturdy locked trap door to no avail. Recommitting to the quest and opting out of a long rest the crew ventures forth.