Session 72 - Like Shooting Fish in a Barrel
26th May 2023
In-game timeline: Start of session: 1490DR Ches 14. End of session: 1490DR Ches 14
Our "Heroes" set off from Shining Creek in the Lurkwood after a short, but respectful, burial of Silvermoon. They are heading towards the mine that they know is in the centre of the forest, and with Iwee's returning memories of the area, coupled with her ability to talk to the creatures of the forest, they do manage to find their way there, albeit a little slowly due to the presence of a large salamander walking with them through the close-knit trees. Their horse, Thumb, who has survived a remarkable length of time in their company, they decide to leave with the folk of Shining Creek for now, as a mine is no place for a horse.
After almost a full day's travelling in the woods they spot a clearing ahead, with a large hill in the centre. Acting cautiously, Derrick sends a somewhat reluctant Pacino to scan the area and the owl returns rather quickly complaining that he was shot at by an arrow.
Iwee attempts to climb up a tall tree nearby to get a good look of the area, and almost makes it, but it has been so long since she last used her "climbing wooden structures" skill that she misses a handhold and falls to the ground from some distance up the tree. She does manage to slow her fall on the way down by catching some branches, but as she thumps to the hard forest floor, taking some damage, Derrick stands a few paces away with his arms out, completely failing to catch her.
As everyone moans at Derrick's inability to catch Iwee (ignoring the fact that Derrick was the only one who actually tried to catch Iwee) he turns to his "friend", Pacino, and sends him up into the treetop and looks through his familiar's eyes to see what is up ahead in the clearing.
This reveals what is obviously a mine entrance, but is guarded by a rather bored looking gnoll. Our "Heroes" hatch a plan.
Their master plan is to try to lure the gnoll away from the mine entrance without him alerting what they assume to be his friends within the mine. The method for this enticement is not entirely clear to anyone, but at different points in the conversation involved making noises, making an illusion, tempting him with a spiritual salamander in the woods, creating a smell, going invisible, putting a scarf on a deer…
Pretty much all of these plans involve getting closer to the clearing, so this part they put into motion first, sending Sully round to approach from one direction whilst they approach together from another. Unfortunately everyone, including Sully, prove to be completely unable to move quietly in the woods, plus they all smell terribly from such a long time travelling (and not once have they said they take a bath), so the gnoll is very much alerted to all of them. Unsurprisingly, he quickly ducks into the mine entrance, whilst howling the alarm.
Cover blown, our "heroes" come up with a new plan and "quickly" (this term is used very liberally) set themselves up to attack whatever comes out of the mine entrance, from a distance away. Jaxii, Derrick and Karoshi draw their weapons and stand fast, ready to face whatever emerges. Iwee reads a poem. For this she is soundly ridiculed, though as the fight progresses and each of the fighters make good use of the Bardic Inspiration this recitation provides, their ridicule reduces somewhat.
And so, as the first gnoll emerges from the entrance, riding a giant, armoured hyena, Jaxii triggers a fireball from her ancestral charm that ignites in the entrance way, engulfing that pair in flames. The gnoll and its giant hyena mount survive, but are badly charred as they move away from the mine opening, and Jaxii realises the great effect of her fireball as two more mounted gnolls emerge, also smouldering from the fire. Karoshi fires a crossbow bolt at the second, and Derrick launches a javelin at the third, both hitting and knocking their respective gnolls from their mounts, dead, though they could well have already been killed by the fireball previously. Jaxii claims all the kills.
Iwee casts Slow in the general area and manages to get most of the creatures. Derrick impales his javelin on the lead hyena, which still has a gnoll riding it, but it survives. Derrick leaps closer to the creatures to better engage them next time. Jaxii throws her javelin at the only gnoll they can see and manages to strike him, knocking him from his mount and killing him. She then clambers down after Derrick.
Our "Heroes" are benefitting from the Slow spell, which is not only limiting the attacks that the enemies can make, but also stopping them from reaching the party. Karoshi hits a giant hyena with a crossbow bolt, but it doesn't yet go down, despite its fur being somewhat charred. Iwee follows this up with a crossbow bolt of her own, using her Bardic Inspiration, and takes the giant hyena down!
Derrick is faced with a giant hyena that ran up to him. The fighter smacks him down, but it is still alive. Derrick moves away, hoping the hyena will come after him, triggering his booming blade. Unfortunately for this plan, Jaxii steps into the fray first, and attack the hyena before it can move. Wanting more kills, the barbarian makes the killing blow by ramming her greatsword through the creature's eye.
With only a single, slow, giant hyena remaining outside of the mine entrance, Sully and Karoshi both politely miss the creature with their attacks, allowing Iwee to hit it with another crossbow bolt, taking her second giant hyena down in two shots!
Jaxii continues to claim all kills.
With no other enemies in sight, but a cacophony of sound coming from within the mine, the party cautiously approach the entrance and throw a couple of torches in.
The light reveals three dark creatures running towards the group. These are not gnolls, nor hyenas, but are strange creatures with curved beaks and their forearms ending in large, chitinous hooks that a few of the group recognise as young Hook Horrors.
Karoshi fires in a lightning bolt towards the running creatures. They are struck, but continue onwards, running in seemingly blind panic towards the waiting "Heroes". One attacks Jaxii, tearing into her shoulder with its hooked claw. Iwee casts Slow again at the two horrors about to emerge from the mine. One slows, but the other rushes out and attempts, and fails, to strike at Derrick.
Jaxii, smarting from the wound just inflicted upon her, Rages, and smashes the creature in front of her, hitting but not quite finishing it off. Karoshi steps in and finishes that one off. Jaxii claims the kill. Iwee outlines the creatures in light, making them easier to hit, and the creatures manage to hit both Sully and Derrick.
Jaxii steps around the creature attacking Sully and stabs it slowly but surely through the heart, apparently taking no pleasure in it (though she does it with a smile on her face) as the young creature cries out in pain and dies. Derrick, not to be outdone by the barbarian, gently shushes the creature before running it through with a sword to the face and dropping it to the ground.
As the barbarian is working out if there is any way she is able to claim the last kill, she is leapt upon by a hyena, that sinks its teeth into the bare arm of Jaxii. As Karoshi looks on, he sees 3 more hyenas (normal sized, this time) running towards them. Quick as a flash, he throws his bag of ball bearings on the floor in front of them, causing one of them to fall to the floor. Another one jumps on Jaxii and Iwee casts a hypnotic pattern of lights to appear in front of all of the four hyenas, causing them all to become incapacitated.
With these four hyenas effectively stunned, and no further creatures appearing, it is an easy thing for our "Heroes" to pick them off, killing the poor, innocent creatures before they get a chance to shake off the effects of the lights.
And so we leave our "Heroes" only slightly bloodied and listening to the cacophony of sound coming from inside the mine entrance and wondering what else may appear…