Episode 2.6

Brad, Tony, Greg, Ernie, Kathy

The party healed and then debated whether to go back to Stonekeep and rest or to press on. The dwarf wanted to press on so the continued. When they arrived where the dwarf was going to set of the avalanche, the wolf signaled trouble and the group got ready for an attack. Expecting another humanoid ambush, Brad ran up to where Tony was leading the group so the ranger would not be caught alone. They spotted something moving in the grass and Tony shot it with his bow and Kathy hit it with her sonic orb wand.

It wasn’t a group of humanoids. They were attacked by a single gargantuan dire snake, similar to the one the killed at the “sun hole” (see episode 2.4). Tony and the wolf moved out of the way. The snake moved forward and attacked Brad, biting him first and then wrapping his coils around him. Greg got closer and threw his blade. Tony dropped his bow and moved in with his swords. Kathy fired a lightning bolt (which Brad evaded) and Ernie used his healing rod to heal Brad. The snake continued to crush Brad but decided to bite Tony instead. Two bites later, Tony was down and looking very dead. Greg jumped in and unloaded his big attack. Kathy continued firing spells. Brad, despite being grappled, used his unarmed attack. They eventually killed the beast, but not before it bit and poisoned Greg. Upon death, the snake fell over and released Brad from its coils.

While Ernie brought the mostly dead Tony back from the brink, Ceodoc went and set off his landslide and the rest of the group searched the cave, finding several choice goodies. They rested for a few days, healing everyone. Afterward, they set out for home, making a short detour so that Ceodoc could see the spirit of the mountain. The disembodied voice was home and it seemed happy to see a dwarf. It asked if he was going to leave like the rest of the dwarves left. It also warned them that there were several “dead things” walking around and that they seemed to be coming from somewhere in the north. On the way out, they encountered a group of Grimlocks who had an invitation from their chief for them to come visit. The took the invitation stone and headed back to Stonekeep.

They dropped off the dwarf, rested and then went to see the grimlock chief. The grimlock’s lair had a series of twisting tunnels. They met the chief in a large square room. He had several guards that seemed to be disinterested. Also in the room were two unusual objects. A very well made statue of the troglodyte king stood at the side of the room and a large fur covered box, perhaps 10 feet on a side, was in the corner. Tony noticed that the crown on the statue of the trogolodyte king contained one of the small square dwarven icons (see episode 2.3). There was another icon in the chief’s ceremonial ruling staff.

The chief ordered his guards out of the room, much to everyone’s surprise, and tried to bargain with the party. He offered them a large pile of gold (which he had hidden behind a secret door) if they brought him the head of creature they called “the destroyer”. The party agreed to do it if he also gave them the two dwarven icons. The chief agreed and had one of his warriors take the party to where the destroyer was last seen. The wolf picked up the scent of the destroyer and also the scent of more wights.