Freelancer Rescue: Grblins

Dryali, Fine Branch, Kaikoa, Manu, Tai, Ana, and Broo'an were at the long table, chatting over their finished breakfast.  Dryali was sampling a glass of port, which reminded him of Stormview, and thought about the current Pembroke conjunction, and whether or not he could acquire more ice wine.

Arnari came in, nodding to Tomtom in the corner at a table with Wolf.  She did not look most pleased, and her glance about the tavern appeared to assess everyone as if they had just joined.  She obviously made a decision, and stepped up to the long table.

"You'll do," she informed them, as if revealing only the final decision of an internal narrative.  "Laki, Aleki, and Evvie are missing," she announced, "I will pay you 200gp each to retrieve them.  They were last sent to recheck the grblin cave north of Marshfork."  She glanced at the open hallway leading to the front of the tavern.  "Come up to my office to get the details."  She went back to her office.  After a moment, they all followed.

In Arnari's office, the Freelancers were all full of questions.

Ana:  what's their capabilities?
Arnari:  Evvie is still fighting with clubs; Laki started learning artificer things, while Aleki took after Tahu.
Kaikoa: what do we know about this <gestures>
Dryali:  it's where you learned to throw!
Kaikoa:  ooOOoh, I shot put a grblin!
Ana:  you shot put at a grblin, or a grblin?
Kaikoa:  a grblin!
Ana:  this is important to know!
Arnari:  Freelancers will cover –
Fine Branch: what should we know about their mission background?
Arnari:  it came from the Mayor of Marshfork, I checked it out, did not expect it to go south.
Tai: were they supposed to meet with the Mayor?
Arnari:  yes; they did, but did not check back; the Mayor called me.
Kaikoa:  how do we know they didn't go on a bender?
Manu:  then we're paid 200gp to rescue drunk people!
Arnari:  even if they did, it's still too long for them to be gone.
Dryali:  why were they sent?
Arnari:  mostly routine, but Marshfork had seen signs of grblins.
Kaikoa:  can Freelancers provide night-vision goggles?
Dryali:  that's a problem?

Arnari had been assembling things as they talked.  She came around her desk and handed Fine Branch three small pouches.  "Each one of these has dust of reincarnation," she told him.  "If it has been too long for revivify, then use this.  If you do not use it, bring it back!"  She also handed him two diamonds sufficient for revivify.

They all filed out.  Dryali had not expected to go out on a mission quite so soon; he went to the barracks and gathered his tinkers' tools and jewelers' tools.  He went down to the quartermaster, and sold them, since he had the magical all-purpose tool.  He also bought a pair of alchemist's fire, to replace what had been used last mission, and a case of 20 crossbow bolts.  He grabbed his climber's kit, thinking of the gorge, and met the others in the front.  Kaikoa was mounted on Mordant.

"Go straight there, or to town?" Dryali asked.  "Town first," Kaikoa replied.  Tai added, a little sadly, "They may go back to town."  Fine Branch landed next to them, on Nighthawk; everyone was ready.  They took off westward to Marshfork, Kaikoa and Fine Branch soaring overhead.

It was a grim eight days' travel to Marshfork, as the Freelancers were concerned about rescuing their compatriots and possible encounters with grblins.  They set up a watch schedule with Dryali first, then Ana, then Fine Branch…

Nothing attacked them, and good thing too, because Ana was so preoccupied with how much she despised camping along the road, she wouldn't have seen anything anyhow.

The closer they got to Marshfork, the more alert they were.  Kaikoa cautioned the others, "If we see grblins, check for a skull & scimitar tattoo."

Wolf prints were in evidence along the road; they appeared more organized than an ordinary pack, and were also too heavy for their size.  Broo'an noticed, the wolf prints were only occurring in pairs; Tai started checking where they led.  "None of these tracks are older than about 7 days," Broo'an said.

The Freelancers arrived in Marshfork in the late afternoon, and went to The Cantankerous Goose inn.  They walked into the taproom, looking for the innkeeper, and Fine Branch called out, "HONK!"  Everyone raised a glass.

Once settled in with rooms, they headed over to the house of Casimir Lightforger, Mayor of Marshfork.  Seeing seven Freelancers at his door, the Mayor quickly admitted them, saying, "Very happy you showed up!"  His wife started setting out refreshments, and he continued, "They still have not returned.  I'm concerned they [the grblins] will come after the town."

Manu asked, "How long has it been?"  Casimir told him, "A prime and a half."

Fine Branch pulled out the dust of reincarnation and sighed, sparking a side conversation that surely left the Mayor wondering.

Kaikoa: we can always sell the dust
Manu: get Arnari pissed!
Kaikoa: we tried to revive them
Ana: don't you know a dead-too-long body when you see it?
Kaikoa: apparently not!
Dryali <to the Mayor>: it takes some days to get there [the grblin cave]
Casimir: they were just to do quick-scouting!
Kaikoa: little bastards
Ana: is that size-ist?!
<everyone laughs>
Casimir: we've seen pairs of wolf riders in the distance, but not close.
Broo'an: also found pairs of wolf tracks near the road
Casimir:  we'll throw in extra money if you kill grblins.
Kaikoa: anything else in the area we should know about?
Casimir & Broo'an:  nasty fauna in the mountains
Broo'an: gryphons, overly-large wolves
Casimir:  also giant rodents
Broo'an <returning to grblin-killing>: scalps or heads?
<Casimir cringes.>
Dryali:  ears!
Broo'an:  need twice as many!
Fine Branch:  not necessarily
Casimir:  I just want word it's cleared out!  Will pay if grbln infestation is cleared out!
<Everyone looks at this outburst.>
Casimir:  ahem.  Of course, I'm hoping your compatriots are alive.
Dryali:  and quick-scouting – where?  That cave?
Casimir: yes
Manu:  had they started taking caravans?
Casimir: no, not yet.

At this, the Freelancers decided they had enough information:  they knew where to look and were sure they could get more money from the Mayor if grblins were dispatched.  They took their leave, and headed back to the inn.  After all, there was no point in looking in the dark, when a taproom beckoned and they would find tracks faster in the day.

The next day, the Freelancers departed early, heading north.  Dryali suggested they check the old site of the forward camp first, but the others dismissed that suggestion.  "If they are captured, they are probably at the cave," Ana said, "We should hustle there."  Since these woods were Broo'an's old stomping grounds, he said he could get everyone to the cave at the gorge in a day.

"Look for grblins in the trees," Kaikoa warned.

Late in the afternoon, they got to the gorge.  Broo'an started checking the nearby tracks, as Kaikoa flew around on Mordant, looking for grblins in the trees.  Broo'an found tracks for 3 full-sized humanoids, going into the tree entrance to the cave; overlaid by tracks for a bunch of grblins and several wolves.

He told the others, "Humans go in, grblins go in, grblins come out, head north.  Maybe 11 days ago."  He checked the tracks again and nodded.  "I can track this," he said confidently.

Kaikoa:  maybe check the cave.  ...don't eat found meat!
Fine Branch:  I see the tracks… I can't read them
Manu <pointing>: dead tracks of humanoids!
Broo'an:  unconscious; not dead.
Dryali:  is the cave empty?
Broo'an:  yes
Dryali:  let's check for clues
Kaikoa & Fine Branch:  will circle overhead to watch for any approaching

The others entered the cave and started to descend.  Broo'an lit a torch so he could check the floor.  They got to the big cave that was a wolf stable; nothing there.  They descended to the second chamber; it was empty, and looked like it had been abandoned for a while.  The rickety bridge across the gorge was still there; they contemplated it distrustfully.

Above, Kaikoa and Fine Branch were doing survey patterns.  Fine Branch noticed something flying to the north, but could not tell the distance or size.  The westering Daystar was kind of in his eyes.

In the cave, Dryali pulled out the wand he'd infused as wand of secrets, and used it to check for traps.  No traps.  Broo'an wanted to try crossing the rickety, and it held.  They crossed one at a time:  Dryali, Ana, Manu, Tai.  In the room on the other side, they saw signs of a struggle.

Everyone cast about to put the pieces together.  Tai was stumped, but between Ana and Broo'an, they figured it out:  Laki, Evvie, and Aleki had obviously made camp, and got in a fight.  At least one had been stabbed.  No wolves were involved, and it might have been 3 antagonists.  It appeared they were taken by surprise.

Everyone speculated how that came to be.  Were they asleep?  Did they fail to set a watch?  Did the person watching fail to perceive an enemy?

Did they go in any other chambers?  It appeared, downstairs for sure; but not sure about the upper chambers.  The Freelancers checked downstairs; nothing there.

Outside and above, it was getting later and darker.  Fine Branch saw the flying thing swoop into the trees, and was gone.

In the cave, Dryali wanted to check the upper chamber, so he did.  Nothing there, not even in the secret door.  It did appear the grblins had checked it too while they were here.  He climbed back down and proposed, "They had a fire, and drew attention.  Let's not do the same."  Ana agreed, and the Freelancers started heading back the way they came.

Once outside, it was twilight.  Dryali and Ana both said, "We should find a place defensible from grblins."

Manu suggested, "Sleep in the trees!"  Ana became cross and said, "No.  I draw the line, at trees.  Not sleeping in trees."  Tai said merely, "Agree."

They headed eastward, downhill from the tree and the gorge.  After about half an hour, the darkness deepened, and Tai pointed and said, "This looks like a good place!"  For an ambush!  Broo'an and Kaikoa both overruled him, and they found a different camp.

They set double-watches:  Dryali & Kaikoa, Manu, Ana & Tai, Fine Branch & Broo'an.  Everyone on watch just heard night-time noises, except Ana who just sat there resentful at being outside in the wild at night at all.  Broo'an, however, at the start of his watch, heard grblins and wolves… not nearby, but back at the cave at the gorge.

Broo'an rousted everyone, and Fine Branch cast pass without trace, so they could get back to the cave without being seen.  They waited outside the entrance, listening; no-one was there.  Faint howls echoed from the north, and the sound of padding feet far away.

They went back to their camp.  Since he was fully rested, Dryali took the rest of the watch. 

Once the Daystar had arisen, and the Freelancers with it, they packed up and went back to the cave.  Tai and Broo'an found it easy to track the wolves northward.  There were four wolves; two were big, "Dire wolf sized," said Broo'an.

Ana asked, somewhat nervously, "Anyone know how to train a dire wolf?"  Tai glanced down at her.  "Me?" he ventured.

"Wolves are unreliable," Broo'an declared, "Y'all want a hound dog."  The discussion devolved from there, and they decided Ana really needed a dire corgi.

The Daystar was westering again, when the Freelancers tracked the prints to a sizeable cave entrance in the side of one of the foothills, perhaps 8' tall.  Peering in, Dryali could see many stalagmites.  He said, quietly, "Kaikoa could make lots of noise, then I could shatter the ceiling."

Manu replied, "Or, I could cast invisibility on myself and Dryali, and we could see what is in the cave!"  Ana added, "I also can cast invisibility."

Thus was the first plan made.  Manu cast invisibility on himself and Dryali, Ana cast  invisibility on Fine Branch, and Fine Branch cast pass without trace.  Dryali created a protector eldritch cannon, just in case, and the three of them went into the cave.  The protector pulsed out its bolster to them.

Inside, the cave had a large fork.  Firelight reflected on the walls.  Dryali looked closely at the stalagmites, and found wolf fur, and snake scales on the right hand side.  Fine Branch smelled batshit to the left.  They went right, since pass without trace also concealed their scent.

A fire was around a bend to the left in the passage.  Between the three of them and the fire was a larger space, with wolves therein.  Two were dire wolves, and three normal wolves; someone around the corner was tossing them food.  They decided to go back and try the left hand passage.

Fine Branch hadn't been mistaken:  the passage floor was slick and disgusting with bat guano.  They looked up; two giant bat mounts were hanging from the ceiling.  Beyond the end, in the firelight, they saw Aleki and Evvie tied up against a wall, alive and whole, but clearly severely beaten up.  In the foreground were 5 grblins, and perhaps more were around the corner.

Another passage led left from where Aleki was tied up.  Was it the snake?  Fine Branch, Manu, and Dryali withdrew, and came back out to the others to report in hushed tones.  They did not drop the invisibility.

Ana observed, "Guano is explosive."  Dryali was delighted at how Ana thought.  "I have alchemical fire," he said happily.

"Giant bats?" Kaikoa said, "Mordant and Nighthawk could handle, perhaps."  Fine Branch was less sanguine about that.

They speculated on different ideas, but agreed that no plan survives the unseen, and they'd only seen two of their compatriots.  Fine Branch went back in the cave, and confirmed Laki was also there, and there were bedrolls etc, so this cave was definitely it.  He came back out.

Manu said, "I have message!"  and they fell into more planning.  But, planning wasn't really any of their strong points.  The Daystar had almost set by the time they decided:

• Dryali will shatter @ wolves
• Fine Branch will stand in front of the prisoners with spirit guardians
• Manu will sleep the wolves
• Others will be ready for bats
• Mordant and Nighthawk guard the entrance to the cave

Beyond that they were too impatient, so it was time.

The Freelancers crept into the cave, three of them still invisible and many under pass without trace.  Manu and Dryali went right; the others went left and got into position.  Fine Branch even got all the way to Evvie.

Everyone was ready.  So, Dryali, trying not to think too hard about doing so in a cave, cast shatter on the space where the wolves were.  It didn't pull the roof down, but it did damage it; the 3 normal wolves died, and the dire wolves were injured.

• Manu followed up with sleep, and one of the dire wolves was knocked out.
• Broo'an shot and killed a grblin with his crossbow, setting hunter's mark.
• Tai and Kaikoa stepped up to the narrowest part of the passage near the bats
• Fine Branch summoned his spirit guardians, appearing like the very image of The Cat between the bound Freelancers and the grblins, grinning cats fading in and out around him in the firelight.

And then, Ana set the bat guano on fire.  From the sound, the boom could have been a fireball, although it was not nearly as spectacular, beyond the smell.  Kaikoa held his breath.

The bats, on fire from burning guano, of course bit Tai and Kaikoa.  Kaikoa tried to interfere with the bat attacking Tai but to no avail.

• Manu cast mind sliver at the dire wolf that was still awake.
• Seven grblins were left, and five of them were right next to Fine Branch.  Two of those died right there, succumbing to holy radiance from the spirit guardian cats.  Two attacked Fine Branch and missed.  The last one, untouched by cats, hesitated, looking down the unseen hallway.
• The other two grblins ran to the dire wolves.  One mounted the injured wolf, and the other kicked the sleeping wolf awake.
• Broo'an moved the hunter's mark to one of the bats, shot it with his crossbow, then shot the other bat with his crossbow again.
• The injured dire wolf bit Manu, who responded with hellish rebuke, burning it badly.  However the wolf knocked Manu down.
• Tai raged, and shadowy tendrils erupted around him.  Cloak billowing, he swung his greataxe at the giant bat in front of him, killing it.
• Fine Branch spoke a word of radiance, injuring one of the grblins attacking him.  He cast spiritual weapon in the form of a very smooth wooden club, but missed when he tried to whack the same grblin with it.
• Kaikoa pulled out his longsword and crit the giant bat that bit him, killing it.  Lacking any antagonists, he moved towards Dryali and the wolves beyond.
• Dryali sent a firebolt at the dire wolf menacing Manu, but missed.  The protector cannon pulsed, bolstering Kaikoa.
• Ana sent magic missile at the same dire wolf, which was starting to look a bit battered.

Manu stood up, then used prestidigitation on the grblin who'd kicked the sleeping wolf awake, causing him to smell like the back of a butcher shop.  Manu's plan failed though: the wolves were not tempted.

• The mounted grblin in front of Manu took control of the dire wolf, and slashed Manu twice with his scimitar.  The wolf then bit Manu, knocking him prone again.
• The grblin who kicked the dire wolf awake moved slightly back towards Fine Branch, around the corner from Manu.
• The two grblins right next to Fine Branch succumbed to the spirit guardian cats.
• The last grblin ran down the unexplored hallway, poked something, then jumped back, which was a mistake...
• Broo'an moved his hunter's mark to this grblin, then shot him dead with his crossbow.
• The other dire wolf bit Manu, who was left unconscious from his injuries.
• Aleki shook his head to clear it. "Holy fuck!"  
  • Evvie asked Fine Branch, "Are you here to rescue us?"
  • Fine Branch replied, "yes.  Do you know what's down that hallway?"
  • Laki guessed, "Some trash?"
  • Fine Branch cut Laki free with a daggar, then handed him the daggar.
  • Laki cut the others free, and they armed themselves.  They looked like shit.
• Kaikoa moved between Manu and the unmounted dire wolf, and slashed it with his longsword.  He surged and attacked again, but was rebuffed by the thick, shaggy fur.  He put unwavering mark on the dire wolf.
• Dryali stepped forward, and cast cure wounds on Manu.  The protector cannon pulsed, bolstering Manu.
• Ana stepped up and cast burning hands toward the dire wolf and its grblin rider.  A cone of fire sprang forth, burning them both and killing the grblin.

Manu cast mind whip on the unmounted dire wolf, the lash more sensed than seen; it died with a confused whimper.

• Down the hallway from Fine Branch, Laki, Evvie, and Aleki, the "some trash" Laki had mentioned shivered, stretched, and moved towards them, right into the spirit guardian cats, which swirled around it, burning it with holy radiance and adding to the incredible smell of burning guano.
• The remaining grblin decided Fine Branch and that … trash monster was a greater threat than Manu, and ran up to Manu, slicing at him and Tai with his scimitar.  He missed Tai, but slashed Manu.  <Poor Manu>
• Broo'an moved his hunter's mark to the moving mound of horribleness and sank a crossbow bolt into it.
• The remaining dire wolf bit Tai.
• Tai raged, and magic washed out in a protective wave, increasing the Freelancers' defenses.  Then he decapitated the dire wolf with his greataxe.  <Don't bite Tai>
• Fine Branch had the spiritual weapon bonk the trash monster with force.  He cast toll the dead on the trash monster, the bong echoing throughout the cave, although the necrosis didn't appreciably alter its appearance.  He tried to get Laki, Evvie, and Aleki moving towards Manu.
• Kaikoa, thinking they needed more info on grblin movements, reversed his longsword and tried to subdue the grblin who'd sliced Manu.  While he landed a solid blow, the grblin was not knocked out.  He moved his unwavering mark to the grblin.
• Dryali dashed up to Aleki, Evvie, and Laki.  The protector cannon pulsed, bolstering them.
• Ana dashed after Dryali.

Manu also dashed after Dryali [and burned a spell slot to create sorcery points but I do not know how to describe this].

• The pile of trash, again burning from holy radiance from the spirit guardian cats, shivered and stretched and clobbered Fine Branch with a pseudopod of disgusting grblin trash.  <Ow>
• The grblin did not like getting bonked by Kaikoa, and he disengaged and bolted for the entrance.
• Broo'an shot at the trash pile, missed, shot again, sinking another crossbow bolt into it
• Tai dashed to Evvie, Aleki, and Laki.
• Fine Branch again had the spiritual weapon bonk the trash monster with force.  Then he cast an uplevel'd guiding bolt on it, burning it with more holy radiance.
• Kaikoa dashed up to the trash pile – a strange fast hobble, given his bad knees.
• Dryali crit the trash monster with a firebolt.  Amazingly hot searing bolt of fire sank into the pile of trash… and did about as much harm as a glancing blow.  He checked his arcane firearm carefully as the protector cannon again pulsed, bolstering everyone around him.
• Ana sent a 5" pulsing orb of energy at the burned trash monster.  It settled on lightning before it struck, healing some of the burns.  <So offended>

Manu created another spell slot out of sorcery points and struck the pile of trash with mind whip.  Again the last was more sensed than seen.

• The trash monster moved again to attack Fine Branch, but was overcome by the spirit guardian cats, which ate it entirely away.  <Guess these were scavenger cats>
• The fleeing grblin skidded to a halt at the doorway, surprised by coming face-to-face with two hippogryphs.  He disengaged from them and tried to pass under Mordant.
  • Mordant bit him with her beak.
  • He kept going.

Broo'an chased the grblin, but in the fading light the grblin easily found a place to hide.  Broo'an shot after the little fellow, but he got away.

Manu escorted Laki, Aleki, and Evvie out of the cave system.  "No loot is worth this smell!!!" he exclaimed.  The others followed suit, and Kaikoa stopped holding his breath once outside.

Dryali cast detect magic (a normal cast, 10 minutes in a cave of burning batshit seemed like a bit much to ask) and started looking around.  He found the looted gear from the imprisoned Freelancers by the badge signatures, and other items; Aleki's daggar, Evie's warhammer, and Laki's scale mail, which had the enhanced defense artificer infusion on it.  At that, Dryali warmed to Laki somewhat, but he gathered up all the gear.  The non-magical gear was pretty broken.  He took it outside to where the three of them sat, utterly exhausted, and went back into the cave.

He checked the grblins.  None of their gear was magical.  He went down the hall where the trash monster had been and found their sleeping quarters.  He found coin worth 177 gp, a silver ring, and a tiger eye silver pendant; also 2 scrolls, and two magical bags.  One was rust-coloured.  He brought that out too.

Dryali stood there, thinking about the conversation with Casimir, and how their rescuees will be shorted any mission rewards.  He went back into the cave and gathered the grblin scimitars.  "Let's bring these back too.  It will help prove to the Mayor what we did, and we can sell them," he suggested.  "If you three can carry them back, that will help, and we'll split the sales price."  Everyone agreed.

They camped a half hour away from the cave, not wanting to deal with a counter attack.  As they set up camp, Evvie told them they'd kept a watch in the cave at the gorge, but still got surprised.

It took two full days to get back to Marshfork, as the group of ten Freelancers got off to a late start and moved slightly more slowly because the three who'd been rescued were so exhausted.  The late start was for Dryali to identify the scrolls and bags:  a scroll of identify, a scroll of arms of hadar, a bag of holding, and a bag of tricks (rust).  Dryali found out Laki was learning armorer artificery, and they talked shop the entire second day.

Once back in Marshfork, they reported the experience to the Mayor.  Casimir was dismayed to hear the grblins had air support, but extremely happy the Freelancers had dispatched it.  They convinced him that their effort was worth 150gp each (for all ten of them).

While in Marshfork, they sold the scimitars for 87gp 5sp, and split it ten ways; the pendant and ring they also sold, but that plus the found coin the rescuers kept, because they were not that generous with their compatriots who'd managed to be captured by grblins.

They headed back to Cliffshadow, unsure what to do with the scrolls and bags.  Even back at the tavern, they still had not decided, and Arnari (who was also unhappy to hear the grblins had acquired flying mounts) stashed them in the strong room with the returned diamonds and dust of reincarnation, before doling out the rescue fee of 200gp each.

Arnari held Evvie, Laki, and Aleki back as the others filed out.  "I have a simpler mission for you," she was saying, "to report what happened to Mayor Kaiea…"