NIGHTWICK ABBEY: The Purple Eater of People Session 23 & 24

A Nightwick double-header mainly so that I can catch up. Previously in Nightwick...

The party awakens once again in Nightwick Village

Cherwe (Cleric 1)
Brother Breagdoir (Cleric 1)
Grodsworth van Snorly (Frogling 1)
Ianthi (Changling 1)
Luminal Space (Changling 1)
Mayfly (Magic-User 2.5)
Sotar (Cleric 2)

Hirelings: Assmus, Bartel, Elger, Fidgety, Grolmes, Heyno, Ticze, Mach, Ticze

AT THE MEDUSA'S HEAD..

Two brave souls have joined the party, hearing of adventure and clearly seeing the treasure that has been hauled back. The frogling van Snorly and Changling Luminal Space are particularly eager to quickly make a name for themselves and suggest the party take on the fabled Butcher.

Initially, the party is resistant but after taking stock of their number, now 16 strong, then its agreed-- the Butcher it is!

...THEN DOWN TO THE ABBEY...

EAST TOWER > LIBARY > PILLARS of the LADY > DINNING HALL: The benefit of careful mapping and frequent delves is the party is able to quickly arrive near the Butcher. The telltale WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! giving away the fiend's presence. And the party hatches a plan.

There is a "T" junction in front of where the butcher appears. Luminal and van Snorly figure that a rope across the doorway might trip the brute. Then the party can get a jump on the Butch from all angles of the T-junction. Mayfly begins the motions for Light. The trap is set. And van Snorly steps up as the bait...

"Hello! Mr. Butcher? Umm... we've come to talk?"

The murderous metronome stops. All hearts beat. Once. Twice. Then, with a splintering groan, the wooden door is torn from its hinges! The hulking ogre-sized mass of the Butcher appears! With a too shrill cry, Mayfly's cracking voice lets loose Light! Twin stars now sit in place of the Butcher's eyes. The putrid hulk's next steps are to stumble into the trap laid by Luminal and van Snorly. And it falls to the floor with the weight of a dying bull.

The party's missiles do little to puncture the Butcher's warty bulk. The head-cleaver of Nightwick gets to its feet and with a frustrated roar sprays a horrible miasma about. But the swings of the mightly weapon fail to find purchase as the party scrambles out of the way.

However, it was not the outlandish antics of the outlanders that stilled the maligned heart of this beast, no, it was the humble hearts of the Dark Country's own woodsmen. The hirelings Heyno, Ticze, and Mach landed blow after blow with their heavy felling axes (PC NOTE: Seriously they all hit and rolled 6 dmg, 5 dmg, and 6 dmg. Damn!).

Cleaver taken, horns taken, and Mayfly Floating Disc's two large salt barrels out (XXX SP). Once again some *%&^ing deermen tried to stop us, but Ianthi's Sleep spell did the trick.

(PC NOTE: End of session 23 and Mayfly made it back to level 3!)

...STOP OVER IN NIGHTWICK...

Exhilarated by the victory, the party turns toward other ventures- especially one that deals with a certain frogling bandit (session 19)

Cherwe (Cleric 1)
Brother Breagdoir (Cleric 1)
Grodswoth van Snorly (Frogling 1)
Grumund (Dwarf 1)
Ianthi (Changling 1)
Luminal Space (Changling 1)
Mayfly (Magic-User 2.5)
Sotar (Cleric 2)

Hirelings: Assmus, Bartel, Elger, Fidgety, Grolmes, Heyno, Ticze, Mach, Ticze

ON THE ROAD: The Party heads out of town toward the hamlet of Vollage to capture/kill Hoppin' in the Hood. How that will be done the party figures will be worked out before they get to the hamlet.

WEREWOLF SKINS(?): The party once again comes across 13 werewolf skins on the road. This time the risk-averse percentage of the party cannot convince the risk-seeking percentage of the party to leave those skins alone. A couple are taken.

As travel continues the party feels as if it is being watched...

ARRIVE IN VOLLAGE: Back to the other well-known inn, The Wonton Wench, Mayfly purchases expensive wine in an attempt to overcome his less than steller personality (PC NOTE: CHA 08) to learn of rumors in the surrounding area. The barkeep lets it be known that:

• Hoppin in the Hood might be in league with the forces of the Pit
• A rival gang led by Big John and Handsome Clauce might also be involved in deviltry and consort with a witch
• The werewolves are known to be in service of the Horned One

After polishing off the wine, the party beds down in the common room.

RUDE AWAKENING: Luminal jolts awake with a man on top, demanding his skin back. Ah, the werewolves finally arrive. Luminal is very resistant to this idea and a fight breaks out resulting in the stranger being subdued. A variety of threats are made in order to get information out of the stranger, but nothing works owing to them being immune to mundane injury. So the Luminal hypnotizes the stranger to reveal the location of the werewolf camp on the party's map. And after a few pokes with a silver dagger, a deal is struck.

The werewolves will capture Hoppin' in the Hood for the save return on the skin. And the pack will not attack the party until the next full moon. Now, given the Dark Country's somewhat bizarre astronomical features, the moon is full at random intervals (PC NOTE: Specifically the full moon occurs on a 1:6 any given night).

LAST CROAK: And sure enough, a few days later the frog bandit arrives captured. His last wish is for the party to let him see who bested him with his remaining eye. Nope. That has to be a trick it is decided and they promptly slit his throat. Done. Anything valuable is removed including a potential magic ring and the party is off the Lychgate to hand the body over to the VanToad Trading House.

...BACK ON THE ROAD