Finder of Paths Unseen
| Finder of Paths Unseen | |
|---|---|
| Date | June 9th, 2023 |
| Storyteller | Indi |
| Tier | Expert |
| Player Characters | Cyrus, Fen, Hiromi, Raijin |
| Rewards | 5pp, 19gp, 1105sp, and 1963cp each, 550xp (for both sessions) |
| Result | Success |
| Author | Fen (Foster) |
We begin to clear a path to Horsk Meste.
Log
Cyrus, Hiromi, Raijin, and I pass through the anchor ooze and return to Tilfel. The weather is just as nice as I remember. We begin traveling Northwest trying to find the caverns we were informed of by Norzti.
Hiromi discovers three thing pillars made from metal rods staked near a small river. The pillar nearest the water has a spirit attached to it. This is a grave marker. Hiromi offers a prayer and we move on.
Soon after, Cyrus stumbles across another of the pesky unclaimed dead that we've fought before. Fortunately, it was unable to strike any of us but myself before we could lay it to rest.
A few hours later, we find the cave entrance. We rest for the night before venturing in. Exploring the cave takes quite a bit of time. We eventually come across a bridge sized to fit giants. We navigate further. We find a tunnel that seems to be blocked by a massive arm.
The arm belongs to a cyclops named Bo, who was stuck. With some liberal application of oil, the arm is freed. We befriend Bo and he leads us to his home. Bo does not like the lizard men, which we soon learn means kobold.
There is a miasma covering the floor of Bo's home, not enough to bother the cyclops, but enough that we will be within it if we enter the room. Bo has a wonderful idea and runs off, returning with a small boat that he uses to carry us above the miasma. He's happy to help out, though he does ask to pet Hiromi in exchange for his help. We are shown around the cavern and the former chieftain's map, along with his treasure, is shared with us.
We part ways with Bo. If you pass through the cavern, carry a symbol of Grandmother. Bo has been told that those who carry her imagery will be friends. Please be nice to Bo. He's been nothing but kind so far. Unfortunately, we were unable to stay for dinner (though I did promise him we would try to do so later once the mess was cleaned up. We return to the main cave and begin to push our way forward, following the directions given on the cyclops map.
We cross a bridge and are met by the massive remains of a dragon. We camp inside the creature's skull for the night.
| Finder of Paths Unseen, continued | |
|---|---|
| Date | June 16th, 2023 |
| Storyteller | Indi |
| Tier | Expert |
| Player Characters | Cyrus, Fen, Hiromi, Raijin |
| Rewards | dragonscale breastplate, 2 sneaky keys |
| Result | Success |
| Author | Fen (Foster) |
Path to Horsk Meste has been successfully been cleared and mapped.
Log
The skull is quite roomy and we begin to pass the night in the security of the space. During my watch, a kobold attempts to sneak into the camp. We quickly catch him and after trying several lies he admits that he was planning to steal from us. There are other kobolds in the area, likely to the southwest of the skull. After some questions, we release him as promised. The next few hours pass quietly. No signs of kobolds.
Sounds of a distant battle begin echoing through the cave before the night ends. We decide to investigate. We follow the same direction that the kobold ran off to and spot what seems to be a village of kobolds down beneath a large geode. The fighting isn't happening here, which seems to be a good sign for these kobolds, at least. As we begin discussing leaving, a ballista bolt emerges from the darkness beyond the village and hits poor Raijin. How rude. We leave a bit faster.
We move to the southeast and are finally able to identify the direction of the sounds of battle. Further east. The bridge leading that direction is slick with blood and covered in the bodies of kobolds, along with a single large form held immobile by symbol of Desna. The kobold bodies are rather brutalized. I was glad that none of the little ones were here to see it.
A priest of Sarenrae is impaled by two kobold spears to the wall a short ways down, animated in tragic undeath. We lay him to rest, though the magic that animates him is quite powerful. After, we climb down to retrieve his holy symbol so that something of his faith can return to Sarenrae's light. There are signs of a few surviving kobolds. We move in the same direction. Their trail crosses a small stream that is a bit chilly, but we eventually find an injured kobold at the end of the trail. His name is Arro. He refuses healing, but does share some information about the undead before dying.
They target followers of the gods. They turn them while they are on pilgrimage. The giants below lure them in, seeking to exterminate the kobolds and push them out of their homes. The giants are followers of the Felmouth, which is below. I was a bit confused here, as we were told before that the Felmouth was far to the south. This is quite worrying, not only for us, but also possibly for our allies here in Tilfel. We should let them know as soon as possible.
When Arro passes, a cosmos oracle and Woman in Winter named Whisper comes to lay him to rest. We are welcomed into her home. She shares some information about the residents of the caves. The Tribe of the Lake (kobolds) is at war with the Tomb Giants (actual tomb giants). The Tribe of the Pit (also kobolds) claim the remains. We are warned more than once about the Tomb Giants. There are two of them below that are known and they have incredibly strong ties to death. They seem to be quite troublesome for many in Tilfel.
Whisper gives us directions to the exit. We follow them and spot the tomb giants with their undead followers below. They have several captives. It is unsettling. We'll return to help the captives.