Lord Fredric and the Thessalhydra

I had a dream last night, it was so realistic. I dreamt that my dad was alive, we were playing in the courtyard near our house with the other kids in town. We all had sticks and were fighting some imaginary beast, except this beast looked oddly familiar to me. It was covered in blood, emotionless, and deadly. The other kids were laughing and swinging their sticks around it. No one seemed to mind him. He kept starring at me and I felt myself freeze. I could hear my father calling my name but I couldn't look towards him. I could feel my heart rate start to pick up, sweat forming at my brow, children's laughter filling my ears. My world started spinning. Then my father's face was in front of me. He was kneeling, l0oking at me. I could feel his hand touch my brow. A glance over his shoulder the creature was still glaring at me. It took all my might to look at my father and not the creature covered in blood. He began scolding me. My eyes snapped alert as I listen to my father, it was familiar like we had this conversation before. Telling me that I cannot take something that does not belong to me. That my actions have consequences. My surroundings shifted, I was now outside the general store where I grew up. I knew that I had just stolen some sweets. We never could afford to buy sweets and I really wanted it, so I just took it when neither my father nor the shopkeeper was looking. I looked down in my hand and saw the sweet. I could feel the tears pouring out of my eyes. My father swept them away and told me, "Even if it is hard, you still need to do the right thing. It's easy to do the right thing when no one is watching, but what you do when no one is watching is who you truly are." My world started to shift again, I was in the cemetery. I was there to visit my father's grave, I am standing right in front of it. It reads "Beloved husband and father, a light to all in need." I am here to tell my father that I am graduating, I have studied for a long time and have found a special nack with divination. I found a guild that is looking for a wizard with my skills and am to report next week for my first job. I feel the passion that I once felt strong again. I feel much lighter as the sun heats my face, birds chirping. I wake silently, the sun shining in through my window, birds awake and flying in and out of their nests.
 
Maybe I will give today another go?
 
--
 
I walked down the stairs of the tavern and saw Gibson and Flokiii sitting at the bar. I sit next to Gibson and order my breakfast. My other co-workers slowly start to come down the stairs one after the other. We eat mostly in silence until Flokiii speaks up, asking where Nadia was. Gibson heads upstairs to wake them up, saying for us to stay and eat, that he didn't need to eat food. Gibson comes back down the stairs and tells us that Nadia had been murdered! I turn around in shock, Flokiii is demanding to know what happened, we all head up the stairs, not believing the truth. Nadia was stabbed many times, covered in blood, their hearth gate open. Flokiii turns around to us, slamming his fist into his open hand, saying that it was the cannibal that we fought in the cabin in the woods, that it must have been him. We all head down the stairs, dumbfounded. Flokiii is shouting at us, why we weren't acting as we cared. I kept thinking back to my dream and about the bloodied creature. Goosebumps start to form and I feel my eyes starting to tear up. Sir William comes through the door asking if we were ready to go. We just look at him and Flokiii tells him that Nadia was murdered. He and Gibson start to fill in the missing blanks for Sir William, who promises to send his people to the cabin in the woods for more information.
 
We load back up in the repaired carriage and make our way to the Castle of Aurora, where we are to meet with Lord Fredrick. Upon arriving at the castle, Sir William jumps down and strides in quickly, leaving us to dismount and follow quickly to keep up. Sir William walks into the main hall, workbenches and banquet tables lining either side of the main hall, he grabs a tankard full of beer and drinks it while walking up towards the throne. We follow Sir Williams lead and walk towards the throne and Lord Fredrick sitting there. They greet each other warmly.
 
Lord Fredrick tells us of a ThessalHydra that has been terrorising the city. He needs us to defeat the foe and return with two of its heads as proof that it will no longer terrorise the kingdom. He tells us that his knights are busy protecting the border and cannot be spared to fight this creature. The King is able to tell us some details about the ThessalHydra:
1. It has destroyed many houses and crops at night
2. It keeps disappearing and reappearing, almost magically
3. Attacks at random
4. It ate five of Lord Fredrick's best guards at the Northern Gate
5. It killed some people in the market
 
Lord Fredrick also tells us that there are witnesses to the ThessalHydra if we wish to speak to them:
1. Father Randle Wildman, a Priest of Kord, who he tells us is an excellent tracker
2. Petter Cuttertail, a logger
3. Farmer Bapple, a farmer
4. Mrs. Goodwin, a shoppe owner in the market square
 
Pulling from my knowledge that I remember reading about these types of creatures, I can assume ( Sigfriend's Arcana Check ):
1. It is a four-legged beast with many serpent heads
2. It is a huge Menstoristy
3. It has no Magical Abilities
4. Its saliva is Acidic
5. It is immune to acid and has no known weaknesses
6. It cannot be blinded, deafened, or charmed
 
Lord Fredric gives each of us a 25o credit coupon to be used at the Fantasy Costco, he gives Nana, Gibson, and myself a bag of holding to carry the ThessalHyra's heads, and a sword called Winter's Dark Bite (+1 to attack all monsters, +3 to attack ThesslaHydra, and glows a faint blue when near the ThessalHydra) to Flokiii that deals extra damage to ThessalHydras.
 
We regrouped outside of the castle, pouring over our notes and clues that were provided. We decided that the best plan of action is to go and interview the witnesses first. Gather whatever intel we can and then go to the Fantasy Costco to get any supplies that we may need to battle the ThessalHydra. We head off to Mrs. Goodwin's Shopp to speak to Mrs. Goodwin herself. When we arrive the selves are bare and many things are out of stock. This elderly woman who must be in her 80's, who you should not call elderly at all as Nana soon found out, banished Nana from her shoppe and may have been banned for life? Mrs. Goodwin, in an exquisite, long dress and pink fur-lined shaw, seemed very out of place as she pets her nearly dead, fluffy white cat that looks like its next breath might be his last. She tells us that she is the head of the Merchant's Guild and that she lost her lover, Fernando, because of the ThessalHydra attacked him and the supply carriage for the shoppe by the Northern Gate. She tells us that the next shipment should be arriving next week at some point.
 
As Flokiii talks with her, she starts hitting on him, hard. I could see that Flokiii was starting to get uncomfortable by her advances, but for some reason rather than feeling bad for him, I felt more at ease around him. He is so often heat of the moment, ready for combat, that it was nice to see this side of him.
 
Somehow the conversation drifts towards the "Horrid Fantasy Costco" and how she cannot stand Garfield who runs it. She tells us that all of Garfield's paperwork was in order and there is nothing she can do to force him to leave as the Head of the Merchant's Guild but does not trust him. She tells us that the Fantasy Costco was created in just one day. After hearing about this Fantasy Costco and this mysterious Garfield, we decided to stop in since it is right next door. You cannot miss it. It is a massive building in comparison to the other shoppe buildings and tents.
 
We head up to the huge building, a neon sign blinking "Fantasy Costco" and as we walk up to the double doors, they glide open. As we step through, we hear music playing. "Fantasy Costco, where all your dreams come true, got a deal for you!" We couldn't see any bards playing music but it was quite catchy. Once inside we see a hooded figure in front of us a golden tabaxi that goes by the name, Garfield. Garfield is a very weird individual, he calls himself the deals warlock, as says that he is willing to make any deal.
 
We ask him about Mrs. Goodwin and he tells us that she is his best friend... he seemed to honestly believe it too. He told us that the Fantasy Costco was indeed built in one day and that he is the only one that runs the store. He also told us that this is one of many Fantasy Costcos.
 
He has amazing wares, almost everything is out of our price range though. Nana bought a jar of bees, she had to give up one of her chin hairs for it. She seemed disappointed that she couldn't afford the Mathias Grimoire. Hjuldrak gave away his prized toe bone, he had been saving it for a long time. With it he got the Astral Shell that allowed for them to speak to the recently dead. Flokiii almost killed a worker at the Fantasy Sam's Club but thought better of it and instead gave three scales for exchange of [Need Name]. Gibson said that he was a personal chef and could make anything that Garfield wanted, he then brought us back to the kitchens and had Gibson make "tacos". Garfield seemed overjoyed by it and offered him a job once he wanted to retire. He gave Gibson [Need Names]. I got two things from Garfield, I got the Unlimited Pasta Pass from participating Fantasy Olive Gardens and the Ring of Recall, but I did have to give him some of my blood and a kiss. Mum would not be pleased, I might not tell her that bit. As we were getting ready to leave, a very boisterous gnome comes into the Fantasy Costco, announced by the music playing. She called herself, well I don't remember all the names she called herself, but she told us to call her Elliwick. Sir William had sent her to pay off her debt by assisting in the slaying of the Thessalhydra. She was not trusting of Garfield at all and refused to give him one of her hairs. She hummed and hawed for a bit but eventually left with us without purchasing anything. She kept going on about how it's not safe to give away parts of our bodies that he could do strange things with them.
 
As we head to the crash site just outside the northern gate, we fill in Elliwick about what we've learned so far. When we get to the northern gate we are met by two guards. Once we tell them why we're investigating and under Lord Fredrick's direct order, they seem to open up to us. They tell us that the ThessalHydrate ate five of the best guards that were stationed at the northern gate and they were luckily off that night. They tell us about the crash site but and that the body of Fernando has been taken away already but they didn't know what we would find useful.
 
Once at the crash site, Flokki sees lots of tracks other than the ThessalHydra's, he points out about ten troglodytes and two owlbears seem to have been at the crash site as well. They lead into the forest.
 
Nana was able to watch the birds and apparently able to see through their eyes. She tells us where the tracks lead to, it's a massive cave entrance on the side of a mountain. I keep finding myself surprised by what Nana can do!
 
We head to the Peter Cuttertail's to speak to him about the events. He is a gentle soul, a lumberjack and a pinecone farmer. He tells us that he saw bears following the Thessalhydra, not owlbears. He also was able to tell us that they were rampaging through the forest at a high moon and a full moon was out when he says this. The ThessalHydra didn't take anything except destroy his trees.
 
We thank him for his time, Nana repairs the damaged trees and then buys two pinecones from him.
 
We then head to the Church of Kord to speak to Father Randle Wildman about the ThessalHydra. He is a massive man wearing black robes and a white cleric collar. He has wild hair that is slicked back, a large beard that he likes to stroke and huge glasses. He tells us he used to be an adventurer and confirms that he is a master tracker. He tells us that the ThessalHydra is most active at night and he would recommend attacking it at night to face it head-on. When Flokiii asks him to come along he says that he no longer is an adventure but he gives a blessing from Kord (+1 to all saves and attacks). "I am the cream of the crop and the crop will rise! OH YEAH!!"
 
We then head to the last stop on our list to question about the Thessalhydra, Farmer Bapple. Farmer Bapple, a shirtless old man, long beard, and a big hat. He is a very emotional farmer, moaning the loss of his "bapples".
 
He has already picked all the good bapples, in baskets near the barn in baskets. A lot of the trees were crushed - a path of destruction, crushed trees leading to the forest. He said that only troglodytes and owlbears caused this destruction. The footprints go to one tree at a time eating the good apples. We buy some "bapples" from him and throw them into the bag of holding.
 
With the directions that Nana had given us, we are able to find the ThessalHydra cave entrance easily. I cast "Locate Object" on Farmer Bapple's Bapples, and we head into the cave system leading towards the bapples. Apple. Apples. I saw Elliwick picking up a lot of stones, crystals, mushrooms, whatever she can seem to find - her pockets bulging. Much to my horror Gibson and Elliwick spot a sleeping owlbear and kill it outright. I've never seen an owlbear in person before, they are quite beautiful, I suppose deadly too but it felt really wrong. We walked farther into the cave and came across a giant frog. It seemed to get very aggressive to anyone who came close to the entrance of the cave. Nana quickly stepped forward before anyone could begin attacking and spoke to the Giant Frog. He seemed to become quiet and complacent. She asked us to pick some of the mushrooms to give to her later. I picked three large ones and gave them to her once she joined us. As we continued down the pathway we saw an altar that was set up around a statue. There were chests, dried fish, a basket of apples. It seemed far too neat to be done by troglodytes and owlbears. Eliwick was quick to open the chest and grabbing items of interest. I was worried that might offend a god or a patron.
 
There was a stone entrance that looked different from the rest of the cave. It is eloquently carved, very old according to Hjuldrak. There was a faint mist coming from the hallway and we cautiously walk down the hallway, Flokiii taking the lead and using his glowing sword almost as a guiding light as we walked down the pathway.
 
As we walked through the pathway and the wall shuts close behind us. Flokiii and Gibson try to open the hallway back up but to no avail. After walking a short bit, Elliwick spots a chest and flicks it open. Inside she grabs gold, bones clinging to the chest. Hjuldrak pulls out the Astral Shell that he just purchased. With it Hjuldrak is able to communicate with the lost adventurer, Marco wishes to see Elizabetto Polo but couldn't get back because of the wall. He couldn't find the exit. He saw the offering to the knight at the beginning of the cave but had no idea who that was. He tells us that the Balish King was the ruler, third of his line when he entered the cave. Marco tells him about his lover, Elizabetto, the daughter of an aristocrat, who works at the Auran Libranran Archives.
 
We continue down the pathway, cautiously. There was a large pit that we had to jump over, everyone made it except Flokiii, he almost fell into the pit! He could have really gotten hurt! We come across three troglodytes that get scared of Flokiii and end up running away and they fell into the pit that Flokiii had earlier. Flokiii told me to leave them. That we couldn't save everyone. I have to admit I was disappointed in him and the group at that moment.
 
We saw a knight at the end of the hallway. Elliwick cautioned that she thought it was a trap - and right she was it jumped to life, yelled a riddle at us and ran away. Nanna was the first to figure it out, we chased after her. Flokiii chased after the knight going the wrong way from the riddle, Nanna opened her jar of bees and started talking to one of them. The bee flew off and brought Flokiii back to us. The knight congratulates us on figuring out the riddle. He has one more riddle for us to solve before he lets us out. Elliwick figured it out immediately, but I second-guessed her. I thought it was based off a child nursey rhyme. This was a good reminder to be more of a team player. I should mind my manners, as my mum would say.
 
Once Elliwick places the bag of clothing statue next to the women statue, the knight congratulates us. He opens the portal to the "Upside Down", he warns us that we can not regain HP while here unless through magical ways so we are not to linger here. He tells us that we can find flowers here and that we just need to pour a bit of Demogorgon blood onto the flowers to escape back to our realm.
 
When we stepped through it looked very much like the Kingdom of Aurora, but rather grim and deescalate, like it was abandoned centuries ago. A flaming bolt of light came rushing towards us and we all narrowly dodged out of the way. In front of us was a giant, shiny, glowing lady. She wasn't hostile but she definitely wasn't friendly. She has been in the upside-down for so long, battling the creatures here, she warns us not to linger here that it changes you if you're here for too long. She never gave her name when asked, but she was the epitome of a hero, not just an adventurer.
 
We head through the town square where the Fantasy Costco would be, it is long abandoned and destroyed. We see the castle off in the distance and make our way towards it. Flokiii draws the blade that Lord Fredrick had given him, it is shining bright, he warns us that there will be a fight on the other side of the door. He opens the double doors quietly. Nanna, Flokiii, and I split off to the left side to draw the Demogorgon's attention away from Elliwick and Gibson. We are able to stealthily catch it off guard, allowing Elliwick and Gibson to flank it on either side. The battle went rather quickly, the creature looked terrifying but as a team, we fought really well together. I quickly started to butcher the Demogorgon's body with the aid of Flokiii and put the limbs and parts into a bag of holding. I thought this would be useful to barter later with Garfield. Some of the blood from the Demogorgon had landed on the flowers that the knight had spoken of, opening a portal to our realm. We step through and notice that we are in front of the Thessalhydra's cave, but at a different entrance. We decided to head into the forest, near the cave and sleep for the night so that we can catch the ThessalHydra by surprise in the morning.