Wardens of Heroes Gate

Joloobo Hunts a Fire Troll

] The past tenday has gone by pretty much as the first day did. Yisi and Valea, you have spent your days in training with Guide Dawndra. Joloobo, you have spent your time in the Valea of Soxolone searching for sign of a fire troll. A new month started yesterday and you anticipate continueing with the next 4-5 tendays just as this last one has past.

] Joloobo, you awake before first light. You are nestled comfortably on a high branch of a sturdy tree in the monastery’s “backyard”. As you stir, you hear soft voices below but cannot make out what is being said. As you look down, you see 3 very small people, possibly gnomes based on their stature and gait. You watch as the three of them open the door to a small shed that is built up against the base of the cliff wall on the western side of the yard. Several minutes go by and they never exit.

Joloobo] “Curious” I say to myself. Then I climb down to investigate further. I open the shed and look inside.

] You see various gardening tools and buckets of seed and fertilizer and other such things as you might expect in a shed. There is no sign of the 3 gnomes.

Joloobo] I am certain they did not come out… I look more closely

1d20 Investigation 17 +6 = 23 [Success]

] You spot a group of barrels which appear to be lashed together. The dirt beneath them shows indication that they have recently been moved out and back in against the corner of the wall.

Joloobo] I try to move the barrels out.

] The whole group of lashed-together barrels slides easily out, as if on a hinge. Behind them you see a dark leading down and into the face of the cliff wall.

Joloobo] “More curious… but perhaps none of my business. Certainly… none of my business.” I put the barrels back and go find Yisi and Valea for Waking meal.

] Yisi and Valea – the two of you are sitting at table with Rasi, the white Dragonborn student you saw on your first day. You have since often spent time with her and learned that her full name is Arrodonn Olilrasi. Elder Arrodonn found her as a nearly dead infant 16 years ago and saved her, bringing her back to Treyvigg Monastery as a ward and eventually… a student. She has no way of knowing her clan name, so she has taken Arrodonn as her clan name. You also learned that her bright pink eyes are sightless – though it was not apparent for several days that she is blind. Joloobo – you enter and see the others.

Jolobo] I am careful to observe silence, but I wave at Yisi, Valea and Rasi and join them for breakfast.

] After finishing, the four of you find a comfortable space on the grass of the backyard – behind the refectory and the Temple building.

] Rasi “I never get tired of porridge and tea. Others complain that it is always the same… but it so delicious I still look forward to it… Speaking of compaints… How are your legs Yisi? The first tenday of stance training with Guide Dawndra is sure to make anyone complain.”

Yisi] “Can any mortal mixture of clay and rock breathe such enchanting and divine strength as that born of disciplined pain.”

] Rasi “What?”

Valea] “Goldie waxes with enthusiastic words Rasi. I think he meant his legs hurt but it is good for him. That about right my knife-ear?”

Yisi] “Indeed. I find the quiet of stance training to help open my thoughts. I’ve written more lines this tenday than the month prior. Perhaps it also because no one has tasked us with chores as yet.”

] Rasi “Oh, visitors don’t have chores… but if you want some, mine are always available to you. Maybe you can teach me some fancy words that will help me like them better.”

Valea] I turn to Joloobo “Tell us Jobo, what news of this fire troll you have been hunting.”

Joloobo] “No clear sign, but I think I may be getting close. I have seen a lot of beasts. It is almost like the Vale of Soxolone was stocked with them to be a hunting ground. ”

Yisi] “I am the last one to be telling you how to hunt trolls… but do be careful friend. Perhaps you will find its haunt and allow another day before confronting it so we can help.”

] Rasi “A fire troll! It does sound downright terrifying… I can’t wait!”

Joloobo] “I don’t even know if Rayni can work with the blood of a fire troll… but I just know she will be excited to get some…”

Valea] “What kind of potion bottle will hold fire troll blood, I wonder…”

Joloobo] “Well that is a good thought… a thought I should have already had myself and didn’t…Perhaps I can ask an alchemist. Rasi – is there alchemist here at the monastery? Seems like a good place for one.”

] Rasi “If there is, I don’t know it. Ask Elder Ysthorn. If anyone can know, it is Elder Ysthorn.”

Joloobo] “I was going there next. I suppose… I am going there now… enjoy your lessons – I’m off to find a burning troll.” I go to the temple for a blessing and to find out how to procure potion vials which can withstand magma.

] Elder Ysthorn greets you and invites you to sit and breathe. He performs his blessing (2d8 tmp and 1d8 Con bonus – you recv 12 temporary hit points and +8 to your Con while the temporary hit points are available). He does not have a quick answer to your question about potion vials, but says he will investigate on your behalf.

[add more dialog here]

] Elder Ysthorn, after providing a physical blessing, he touches the crown of your head and offers a benediction: “Go in strength, friend of the forest.” He stands and goes over to attend others in the temple.

Joloobo] I return to the Vale of Soxolone and begin searching for sign of the fire troll [Survival]

1d20 Survival 13 +6 = 19 [Success]

] You search for several hours and eventually find some odd tracks. You recognize the clawed feet as similar to a troll and so you follow them. They lead you to a section of the far end of the vale to a small crevasse in the cliff wall. You notice there are two sets of tracks, the one leading out of the crevasse, which you have been following, and another set, likely from the same creature leading back into the crevasse. It is only about 2ft wide and leads straight into the mountain. Examining the sides of the crevasse, you observe that something large pushed its way though here recently.

Joloobo] Using my very best “quiet foot” technique, I explore further into the crevasse. [Stealth]

1d20 Stealth 17 +6 = 23 [Success]

] The crack in the cliff wall eventually opens up into a larger tunnel. You see debris in the corridor, some broken mining tools and a small pushcart with a missing wheel. The corridor goes to the left (N) and to the right (S). On the south side the corridor opens up into a larger area. On the north side, the tunnel turns deeper into the mountain. [MAP Crevasse into bottom left]

Jolobo] I explore to the south side, into the larger area.

] You see a high ceiling and wide round walls, all cut with pick and hammer. It looks as if mining efforts were extentisive here. There is more debris along with several corpses. They are just bones and hair.

Joloobo] I take a closer look at the corpses, curious who they were and maybe how they died. [Medical]

1d20 Medical 20 +4 [Success]

] From their sizes you guess these were once dwarves but cannot tell for certain. You notice some of the bones are broken and even crushed, but cannot know for certain if the damage happened before or after they died. If it happened before, it likely killed them. You find among the bodies the following:

110 gp (in various coins), an Iron Ring (25 gp), a Leather Belt with pure Silver Buckle (50 gp), an Iron Idol (of an Unknown God) (25 gp), Rabbit Fur Sash (?? gp),  Jasper (50 gp), 2x Onyx (50 gp), 2 x Star rose quartz (50 gp), Potion of Healing (common)

Joloobo] I gather the items I think might have value, especially the coins and gems and the silver buckle. I try the rabbit fur sash on to see if it fits me.

] The sash is in surprisingly good condition given the decay of the bodies and their clothes. It is perhaps a little big, hanging past your hip, but it fits you.

Joloobo] I dig around the rest of the debris in this room to see what I see.

1d20 Investigation 14 +6 = 20 [Success]

] There is more than was initially apparent. The ground of the room is cut away from all of the edges of the room, giving it a cicular feel, like being inside a ball. There are more bodies in the trench as well. You find 120 gp of coin, Pair of engraved bone dice (20gp),  Gold locket with a painted portrait inside(10gp), Small mirror set in a wooden frame (5gp), Black velvet mask stiched with silver thread (??), a wooden Staff (of the Python) (2k+gp)

] The wooden Staff looks to be a wizards staff. It is over 7 ft tall and appears to have scales carved into it.

Joloobo] I laugh out loud and say to myself… “Can you picture yourself carrying that thing around?”

[()]

] The moment the echo of your laugh stops bouncing around the room, you can hear them. Light scurrying feet can be heard from the corridor. And then the swarm is upon you. Spiders, black and shiny, shaped like reverse arrowheads, with a bright line of red up their backs ending in the point of their bodies.

[Initiative]

Joloobo] “Trollgum! I should have went the other direction!” I attack the swarm (1) with psychic blades

1d20 Attack 3 +6 = 9 [Miss]

1d20 Attack (Left) 9 +6 = 15 [Hit] Dmg 4 +4 = 8

] Your soul knives fly into the swarm of spiders and disapper. There is no indication of any damage. The swarm surrounds you. [()] you feel them crawling over your legs but you do not feel any pain yet.

Joloobo] I try my blowgun to see if it will do more damage

1d20 Attack 12 +6 = 18 [Hit] 7 dmg

] The swarm does not seem affected. It continues to surround you. [()] You remain unharmed but covered in odd arrow shaped spiders.

Joloobo] I try my pyschic knives again

1d20 Attack 13 +6 = 19 [hit] 4 +4 = 8

1d20 Attack 19 +6 = 25 [hit] 3 +4 = 7

] You finally appear to be having an impact on the numbers. [()] You still have not  been biten for some reason.

Joloobo] I strike again at the swarm (2)

1d20 Attack 19 +6 = 25 [hit] dmg 4+4 = 8

1d20 Attack 2 +6 [miss]

] [()] You remain in full health and strength, the spiders cannot seem to find a way at you.

Joloobo] I continue

1d20 Attack 20 [Crit] 6 +2 +6 = 14

1d20 Attack 09 +6 = 15 [Hit] 3 +6 = 9

] You slash at the remaining crawlers until none remain moving in the room.

Joloobo] I say, very very quietly to myself… “teach me to make noise won’t it…” I decide to explore further the other direction down the corridor.

] As you try to exit through the doorway, you run smack into an invisible force wall. The entire exit way appears warded.

Joloobo] “Ogrefart! Now what!” I exclaim… very very quietly. I look around the room for any other possible exists, a crack in the wall… something.

] There is no exit from the room.

Joloobo] I thinks to myself… “the room is a trap… the pile of bodies should have clued me in. If these were all caught in here like myself… I’m in trouble. I wonder if Yisi or Valea could track me? I suppose they will try, won’t they?”

] Hours pass

Joloobo] Out of boredom, I start looking through the debris again to see what else there is to find.

] You find a few empty potion bottles, 2 silver bracelets  (10gp), some useless weapons, and a journal written in gnomish, sort of. You recognize only some of the characters. Among those, you see the word for ball or sphere. You also find some passages about the spiders, or rather “the spider”. There are dates written in the journal as well. The author died here over 50 years ago.

] More hours pass