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FR - 5E - Prisoner of the Swamp

Page history last edited by Jon Goranson 4 years, 10 months ago

Prisoner of the Swamp

June 19, 2019

The group breaks camp after the fight. They wish the Steel Eagles luck as they head back to their fort. The group tries to convince the Steel Eagles to stay longer but it doesn't work. The Steel Eagles head back to their own fortress. The group discusses which way to go, from continuing west along the river to south along a tributary. They spot some ruins on the map and decide to head toward them, which is south. The travel is not fun but Michele keeps the insects at bay. That night, as people keep watch, insects just avoid the two protective rituals that are cast and the group is happy.

The next day, heading south, just past noon, the clouds finally let loose with their rain. Within a half hour, it's obvious they can't continue. They have already gotten stuck several times, backtracked, and backtracked again. They give up trying to make progress and instead find a place to make camp. Again, the rituals cast keep the bugs out and the rain out from the tiny hut. The horses aren't happy but a slight adjustment allows for a lean-to area so they have a drier place. Prestidigitation takes care of everyone being wet. The rain got worse that afternoon and into the evening. It doesn't break until early morning the next day. That's when she arrives.

The animals, insects, and grass itself announces to Michele that someone is coming. At first, suspicious, he realizes she must have a connection to the land to be able to signal that way. They announce her as Mystena and a short, human woman comes into the camp. She introduces herself as Mystena and says her coven of sisters needs their help. She explains that the dragons are hurting the environment with the acid fog they create. It's starting to eat at the roots and will be devastating in the long run. She says they would like to help and have hidden some magic that they can probably use. They agree and she covers them with magic and helps them cross the creek by creating a bridge from downed trees. She takes them to an underground area very similar to the previous area. Like the previous area, it takes a gem to activate the bridge. This places magic is stronger as Mystena says that her sisters and her weren't able to cross. Even with the bridge, Mystena crosses on all fours, not wanting to look down at the undead crocodiles.

Once again, they find doors with riddles on them but easily answer them and get to the main area. They hear someone crying out for help and to be released. They cautiously come to the room and see four giant skeletons standing in a room and a man sitting in a throne. He cries out to be released. The group attacks the skeletons after twenty heartbeats, takes them out. Turning to the man, they know he is a vampire. He tells them he was captured and put in here as a prison. He stole the ruler's daughter and turned her and when caught, he doesn't know what happened to her, but he was put here. The throne keeps him alive and the skeletons don't talk. Ever. As it has been for hundreds of years! They don't want to take him with and when they turn to leave, he asks for death rather than centuries more boredom! They agree. Under the throne, the find books with spells or exercises. Mystena takes them back to their camp.

They ask about her relationship with the elves, who have tried to patrol the area. She straightens up and reveals that she is a hag, having greenish mottled skin, and long, thin hair. The group isn't too surprised, as they caught glimpses of it, but are willing to listen as she has done nothing to them. She says that centuries ago, her ancestors worshiped Malar and did hunt and were hunted by the elves. In the past fifty years, though, her and her sisters wanted to worship Silvanus, not Malar, and have tried to avoid the elves. Again, not behaving badly toward them, the group accepts this and agrees to help with the dragons. Mystena tells them much of the dragons and what her and her sisters have learned and the group is grateful for that. Mystena leaves and they continue to the south.

Travel is tough as the ground is muddy and again, horses can sink suddenly into a soft patch that they don't see. They keep following the river and they know they are being watched. A few times, Maldar and Jinn saw faces disappear or shapes. Always on the other side of the river and what were presumably dragonborn. At one point, Maldar uses his shadow jump ability and tries to see them better but walks around a tree into one! He, presumably a he, berates Maldar and tells him to stay on that side of the river. When pressed for why, he says to Maldar to stay at his own risk, then turns and leaves. Maldar heads back via the shadows, of which there are plenty in the overcast sky.

Late afternoon, they see the ruins and movement within it. They stay back several hundred yards and watch. And then hear a gong! They scramble for a small copse of trees to hide themselves and the horses. Michele scouts and sees some dragonborn hitting a huge gong, obviously trying to get the loudest noise. After a few minutes he reports back. They are thinking about what to do when a group of dragon born comes running from the east and across the river to see what happened. Michele again heads over and realizes they were young and playing and the newly arrived adults chastise them. He heads back and the kids get fishing equipment and start fishing on the banks.

The group talks about attacking but aren't quiet and are spotted. One of the adult dragonborn comes out and assumes they are from one of the fortresses. They play along and say they are. The dragonborn say they have something for the Baroness Cromm and would the group take it back? They agree. The dragon born gets a metal chest, casts a spell to create a magical disk, and pushes it across the river to the group. They grab the chest and head toward Cromm's Hold. On the way, they discuss what to do.

4500 xp

GM Notes