GURPS DF Session 43 - Hunt for Sir Sacnoth, part 5
In the previous session, the group had just fought a seven-headed hydra. The adventure resumed with some party members wanting to rest, while others wanted to get some sort of reward out of the dead hydra's corpse...
Session Date: Thursday 18 July 2019
Party roster:
Miao Miao, cat-folk swashbuckler, 342 points (PC)
- "Jenkins", human servant, 146 points (NPC Ally)
- Brother Warian, human monk (initiate), 171 points (NPC Ally)
Davin Emberwood, human wizard, 304 points (PC)
Llandor the Gray, wood-elf scout, 247 points (PC)
Sir Yvor Gryffyn, human knight, 309 points (PC*)
- Torr, human boy, ?? points (NPC "volunteer")
Sister Miriam Suntemple, human cleric, 260 points (PC)
Harrison "Happy" Badapple, halfling thief, 249 points (PC)
*Yvor's player was absent, and Happy's player ran him in the meantime.
Location: Caves beneath One Tree Island, Marrowmarsh
Exhausted after the fight with the hydra, most of the party rested in the cave. Happy stood watch while the others rested. Llandor and Davin, eager to loot the hydra corpse of any valuable materials, had a long discussion on the subject. They knew the blood of the hydra to be toxic (indeed that is why they want it) and Davin recalled that it had some use as an ingredient for regeneration potions. Yet they were both very weary. In any case, I advised that the corpse was in a terrible state, having taken so many wounds as to be barely recognisable (in human terms there would not have been enough of a body left to resurrect). Thus the dead hydra was leaking blood like a sieve. They gave up on the blood, and instead Llandor pried-out a couple of the teeth as trophies, which the wizard then rinsed clean with a series of spells in a convoluted sequence.*
While that was going on, Happy heard another commotion up ahead, and he sneaked off to investigate. His Stealth is so high that he can practically disappear in plain sight and people barely notice when he's not there. At the junction a few yards away was the illusion of the sleeping hydra. Happy slipped up to the junction and looked around the corner. He saw half-dozen or so lizardfolk in what seemed like an animated discussion. Happy was back before the party realised that he was gone, and he advised the group of the commotion ahead.
Miao, Llandor, and Yvor decided to go and try once again to talk to the lizardfolk. The cat-girl was at pains to stress to the bloodthirsty wood-elf that no shoot-shoot unless Miao first stab-stab, or words to that effect. Jenkins came along behind, just to carry the lantern. Davin came too, but he tried to stay out of direct line of sight of the lizardfolk.
Most of the lizard warriors didn't speak more than a handful of words of Common speech, but there was one individual amongst them that could speak enough of what he called the Food Tongue. The PCs soon discovered that the lizard people were offended by the illusion of the hydra. Davin refused to cancel his spell, so Miao reached out and dispelled it. The lizard warriors clearly wanted the party out of their caves as soon as possible. The party tried to negotiate for Sir Sacnoth but they were informed that they would have to speak to the Frog Mother. Soon enough, the Frog Mother arrived, an immensely fat lizard woman accompanied by a pair a humongous frogs, and a human male in mail armour. Frog Mother informed the party that Grandfather Hydra would return to devour them.
Negotiation began in earnest. Sir Sacnoth was clearly guest of the Frog Mother for some reason; as these lizard folk were known to eat people, human guests were unusual. The party had invaded their home and killed a number of their warriors and pet frogs, not to mention Grandfather Hydra. No doubt the lizardfolk would rather be eating the intruders, or worse, but the Frog Mother was prepared to talk rather than fight. She agreed to give up Sir Sacnoth into the PCs' custody, provided that the group gave up the four henchmen in return, and left immediately. Miao agreed, having received assurance that the henchmen would be "released" by the Frog Mother.
Davin spoke up, asking about the dryad and the curse upon the great oak tree. This caused a stir amongst the lizards. Frog Mother tried to renegotiate; the four henchmen in exchange for Davin. Fortunately for the wizard, the party did not go for that deal.
Returning to the cave for their gear and waiting companions, Miao also informed the four prisoners of the arrangement. She gave them their weapons back, and told them this would give them a fighting chance. The henchmen weren't happy with their chances, but what was their alternative. They asked about the way the party had come in, and stumbled off in that direction.
The PCs were escorted out of the caves in a hurry. Upon sighting the halfling for the first time, the lizardfolk again tried to renegotiate the deal for such a tasty morsel. The group left without further delay, being sure to shield Happy and Torr from any attempts to grab them. There may have been sounds of a commotion behind them, but the party hurried on regardless.
Back in daylight, the PCs recovered the three boats they had hidden and set off as quick as they could. Encountering nothing more serious than a swarm of mosquitoes on the journey across the swamp, Sister Miriam and Brother Warian cured the two companions that had caught some form of Sewer Rot disease from their bites.
The party was soon back at the Wyvern's Nest inn. The traumatised boy Torr was given a tip by Miao and Davin, and ushered on his way. Miao insisted that the party wait at the inn for two hours, for any sign that the prisoners might have escaped and made it back to the village alive. Everyone rested at the inn, while Davin ordered a bath. The inn was largely quiet of other patrons; perhaps not surprising considering that they had a knight in custody.
Two hours passed, and there was no sign of the henchmen. The party agreed not to wait any longer, and to get their charge back to the town of Marsh Hall.
To be continued next session...
---
*Actually the Purify Water spell would have failed, but it didn't affect the outcome (I was feeling generous and nobody got poisoned) and I didn't want to spend all evening on Hydra Harvesting, so I let them safely get their trophy and we moved on. In future I will expect PCs that want to perform such actions to bring not just equipment to do the job, but also appropriate container(s). Otherwise you might be returning to town with an unusable mess that nobody wants.
Session Date: Thursday 18 July 2019
Party roster:
Miao Miao, cat-folk swashbuckler, 342 points (PC)
- "Jenkins", human servant, 146 points (NPC Ally)
- Brother Warian, human monk (initiate), 171 points (NPC Ally)
Davin Emberwood, human wizard, 304 points (PC)
Llandor the Gray, wood-elf scout, 247 points (PC)
Sir Yvor Gryffyn, human knight, 309 points (PC*)
- Torr, human boy, ?? points (NPC "volunteer")
Sister Miriam Suntemple, human cleric, 260 points (PC)
Harrison "Happy" Badapple, halfling thief, 249 points (PC)
*Yvor's player was absent, and Happy's player ran him in the meantime.
Location: Caves beneath One Tree Island, Marrowmarsh
Exhausted after the fight with the hydra, most of the party rested in the cave. Happy stood watch while the others rested. Llandor and Davin, eager to loot the hydra corpse of any valuable materials, had a long discussion on the subject. They knew the blood of the hydra to be toxic (indeed that is why they want it) and Davin recalled that it had some use as an ingredient for regeneration potions. Yet they were both very weary. In any case, I advised that the corpse was in a terrible state, having taken so many wounds as to be barely recognisable (in human terms there would not have been enough of a body left to resurrect). Thus the dead hydra was leaking blood like a sieve. They gave up on the blood, and instead Llandor pried-out a couple of the teeth as trophies, which the wizard then rinsed clean with a series of spells in a convoluted sequence.*
While that was going on, Happy heard another commotion up ahead, and he sneaked off to investigate. His Stealth is so high that he can practically disappear in plain sight and people barely notice when he's not there. At the junction a few yards away was the illusion of the sleeping hydra. Happy slipped up to the junction and looked around the corner. He saw half-dozen or so lizardfolk in what seemed like an animated discussion. Happy was back before the party realised that he was gone, and he advised the group of the commotion ahead.
Miao, Llandor, and Yvor decided to go and try once again to talk to the lizardfolk. The cat-girl was at pains to stress to the bloodthirsty wood-elf that no shoot-shoot unless Miao first stab-stab, or words to that effect. Jenkins came along behind, just to carry the lantern. Davin came too, but he tried to stay out of direct line of sight of the lizardfolk.
Most of the lizard warriors didn't speak more than a handful of words of Common speech, but there was one individual amongst them that could speak enough of what he called the Food Tongue. The PCs soon discovered that the lizard people were offended by the illusion of the hydra. Davin refused to cancel his spell, so Miao reached out and dispelled it. The lizard warriors clearly wanted the party out of their caves as soon as possible. The party tried to negotiate for Sir Sacnoth but they were informed that they would have to speak to the Frog Mother. Soon enough, the Frog Mother arrived, an immensely fat lizard woman accompanied by a pair a humongous frogs, and a human male in mail armour. Frog Mother informed the party that Grandfather Hydra would return to devour them.
Negotiation began in earnest. Sir Sacnoth was clearly guest of the Frog Mother for some reason; as these lizard folk were known to eat people, human guests were unusual. The party had invaded their home and killed a number of their warriors and pet frogs, not to mention Grandfather Hydra. No doubt the lizardfolk would rather be eating the intruders, or worse, but the Frog Mother was prepared to talk rather than fight. She agreed to give up Sir Sacnoth into the PCs' custody, provided that the group gave up the four henchmen in return, and left immediately. Miao agreed, having received assurance that the henchmen would be "released" by the Frog Mother.
Davin spoke up, asking about the dryad and the curse upon the great oak tree. This caused a stir amongst the lizards. Frog Mother tried to renegotiate; the four henchmen in exchange for Davin. Fortunately for the wizard, the party did not go for that deal.
Returning to the cave for their gear and waiting companions, Miao also informed the four prisoners of the arrangement. She gave them their weapons back, and told them this would give them a fighting chance. The henchmen weren't happy with their chances, but what was their alternative. They asked about the way the party had come in, and stumbled off in that direction.
The PCs were escorted out of the caves in a hurry. Upon sighting the halfling for the first time, the lizardfolk again tried to renegotiate the deal for such a tasty morsel. The group left without further delay, being sure to shield Happy and Torr from any attempts to grab them. There may have been sounds of a commotion behind them, but the party hurried on regardless.
Back in daylight, the PCs recovered the three boats they had hidden and set off as quick as they could. Encountering nothing more serious than a swarm of mosquitoes on the journey across the swamp, Sister Miriam and Brother Warian cured the two companions that had caught some form of Sewer Rot disease from their bites.
The party was soon back at the Wyvern's Nest inn. The traumatised boy Torr was given a tip by Miao and Davin, and ushered on his way. Miao insisted that the party wait at the inn for two hours, for any sign that the prisoners might have escaped and made it back to the village alive. Everyone rested at the inn, while Davin ordered a bath. The inn was largely quiet of other patrons; perhaps not surprising considering that they had a knight in custody.
Two hours passed, and there was no sign of the henchmen. The party agreed not to wait any longer, and to get their charge back to the town of Marsh Hall.
To be continued next session...
---
*Actually the Purify Water spell would have failed, but it didn't affect the outcome (I was feeling generous and nobody got poisoned) and I didn't want to spend all evening on Hydra Harvesting, so I let them safely get their trophy and we moved on. In future I will expect PCs that want to perform such actions to bring not just equipment to do the job, but also appropriate container(s). Otherwise you might be returning to town with an unusable mess that nobody wants.
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