S0E22 - To Grandmother's House We Go (continued) Report

General Summary

After defeating their twiggy doubles, the party continues to explore the main floor of the manse, exiting the dinning room to the south they find a courtyard that is dominated by a huge...tree (?)...growing out of the well. Info has a bad feeling about this so the group decides to finish exploring the northern portion of the main floor first.   Returning inside, they find their way to the entrance hallway which contains a set of stairs to the second floor. Kolja offers to scout upstairs and begins to ascend them. About halfway up one of the treads turns out to be fully rotten and disintegrates under Kolja's weight. Thanks to his feline reflexes, Kolja manages to avoid falling through. When he looks down the hole, he sees a pit lined with rusty swords beneath - apparently this was a trap! Considering Verity's weight (his armour, not his dad bod) it is decided that Kolja will finish his scouting before the rest of the party joins him on the upper floor.   Upstairs, Kolja maneuvers around the hole in the floor that looks down into the kitchen. He heads west, careful not to reveal himself through the windows that look out onto the courtyard below. As he passes them, he carefully peaks through one to see that such windows line all four walls of the upper courtyard; and that through the one directly opposite him he can see a group of orcs! Moving forward, being careful not to be sited by the orcs, Kolja turns the corner of the upstairs hallway. As he does so, he hears a vaguely familiar sound - of buzzing/flapping wings...stirges!!!   Twenty of the pests detach from the rafters above and begin to attack poor Kolja. He fends a number off but more and more are managing to attach themselves to him. By the end of a single round of combat he is nearly drained of blood, but has successfully retreated to the top of the stairs. He launches himself downstairs (carefully avoiding the broken one) and appears to the surprise of his companions.   The battle for Kolja's life was furious, but thanks to the healing arts of Verity and Info, and the precise spellcasting of Sarwynn, he is saved.

Missions/Quests Completed

The party progresses the Woodland Manse quest.