April 6, 2013

And Now You Have Spider Goats

Back in Gelfini after helping Leento defeat the Kopru doomsday device, the Motley Crew deals with some administrative issues that have piled up during their absence, the more serious being the spider silk-producing goats and a group of merchants kidnapped by kobolds.

Farmer Emut caught an ettercap in the barn with his goats one night. Another came and chased the first away. The next day, Emut found a pile of berries near his front door. No goats were lost, but shortly after that, the goats started producing silk instead of milk.

Intrigued by this possible uses of such a strong material (think how much lighter 50 ft of spider silk would be compared to 50 ft of rope!), Flerm purchases the goats from Emut and promises to speak with the ettercaps about the incident. Emut is not exactly satisfied, unhappy having ettercaps for neighbors, but is mollified to have the mutated goats off his hands.

While Flerm and Snow deal with the ettercaps, the rest of the group heads out to rescue the merchants.

Upon questioning the ettercaps, Flerm and Snow discover that one of them, wanting to make a meal of the goats, had bitten the goats to paralyze them. The second ettercap prevented his companion from achieving his goal, knowing it would earn the wrath of the Crew. As an apology, this second ettercap left the berries.

How Hard Can Killing a Few Kobolds Be?

With the help of a Gelfini hunter, the Crew finds the scene of the attack. Thydor is able to track the kobolds through the woods from here.

Unfortunately, they learn too late that the kobolds are expecting them. A hail of arrows fly through the trees, injuring many of the party members. Luckily, they are able to fight off the kobolds, capturing three for questioning.

Two kobolds sprout wings and fly over dropping rocks, killing one of the captured kobolds.

Lieralyn rides after them on She-Tan. Before she gets very far, She-Tan stumbles beneath her, the two of them fall into a covered trench.

While Adarra and Josy tend to Lieralyn and She-Tan, Thrain questions the remaining kobold captives.

Thrain: So, what's the plan?

Kobold1: The plan is to kill you, dwarf dog.

Thrain: (stabs in leg)

Kobold2: You are as barbaric as our forefathers told.

Thrain: Whoever talks gets to live.

Kobold2: Never talk.

Kobold1: The pain...too great. I will tell. Plan to lure with merchants and kill because they knew Motley Crew sent to cleanse land.

Thrain: There's been a misunderstanding. My drow mentor wants this to be a land for all.

Kobolds 1&2: You work for drow?

Thrain: I know! Crazy, right?

Kobold2: (in Drow) If you work for drow, plan is changed. Let us go back and tell masters.

They allow one of the kobolds to leave, presumably to speak with his masters. Thydor trails behind unseen, which proves fortuitous. He sees the released kobold consult with twenty winged kobolds who begin gearing up for an attack as one flies off. Thydor quickly returns to the party with this intel.

Oh Good. The Kobolds Brought Friends.

Alana, Adarra, and Brecaryn situate themselves in the trees. Lieralyn rides into the woods to provide advanced warning of the coming attack. The rest wait in the trench.

Just before the enemy swarm arrives, Brecaryn creates an illusion in the clearing of the party sitting around a camp fire.

A kobold captain in gold armor rushes through the trees followed by umberhulks and flying kobolds (urds). They immediately attack the illusion. The Crew is thus able to launch their offensive unnoticed.

Thrain bursts out of the ditch, attacking any kobolds within reach. Josy summons a Blade Barrier in the center of the largest group of attackers. Despite the blades cutting into the kobolds and umberhulks, no sounds can be heard.

From the southwest, Thydor spots a group of four kobold captains surrounding a kobold witch doctor. Thydor tosses a rock at the magick user to disrupt him. Just as the umberhulks explode from the spinning blades, sound returns to the battlefield.

With the illusion and Blade Barrier taking care of the main body of enemies, the Motley Crew is able to concentrate on the captains and magick user.

With the death of the witch doctor and three of the four captains, the remaining kobolds flee.

Malouf: Do you speak common?

Kobold Captain: Yes, speak a little of above tongue.

Malouf: Was this the entire clan?

Kobold Captain: No. Many more.

Malouf: You see how formidable we are, how indestructible.

Kobold Captain: Will you show mercy to tribe?

Malouf: Yes.

Kobold Captain: This attack distraction. Your town being attacked. You can get your people unobstructed.

Brecaryn: Why are you attacking the town?

Kobold Captain: Not us. Bosses tell.

Brecaryn: Who's your boss?

Kobold Captain: Bosses is drow. Urzzt.

The kobold captain agrees to work with the Crew. With Gelfini in peril, the group needs to head back to town immediately. Thydor offers to recover the captives while the rest make haste to Gelfini, carried in the Mirror of Thought by Lieralyn and She-Tan.

Fish Takos

Arriving in Gelfini on an exhausted She-Tan, the group takes in the chaos. At least one building is on fire. Flerm and a group of town guards are battling giant squids (takos) emerging from the sea, wielding weapons in each arm. On the other side of town, Snow is holding off a group of giants with the remaining guardsmen.

Glad to see reinforcements, Snow quickly updates them on what has happened so far.

Snow: Beware! This is not the first attack. We have already repelled harpies and giant wasps.

During the fight, Flerm is severely injured by the takos. Despite injuries that would surely kill any other, Flerm resists death.

Flerm: (raises arm, shaking sword) I know how to get out of death! You can't kill me!

The party splits up to help their comrades. Lieralyn and Brecaryn finish off the takos while Alana pincushions a giant. Snow finishes off the remaining giant, the blow from her fist liquefying its brain.

As a lull in the fighting occurs, the kobold captain sees Flerm and becomes very agitated.

Kobold Captain: We didn't know! We told to attack. Is this part of plan? Master told us to attack.

What has the Motley Crew gotten into? Clearing a land of monsters is one thing. Dealing with organized drow is quite another.

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I wonder how Thydor made out?