Job: Magical Fact Finding

Birthday Shots for Mo!
 
In the days following our arrival, the weather has been bad: Rainy and humid. But a clearing comes, and several of us take up Cornelius on a
 
Cornelius Glavadon has a magical fortress that he expands and lives in. We go to his place and he tells us he has scried a source of magic near the foothills of the mountains. We get some supplies and head out.
 
On the way, we learn about each other's characters:

Keath is a dwarf cleric of the flower goddess Xanthe

Thornden is a mountain dwarf who likes the rain.

Bernithe is an old lady who got tired of the commune and left to seek adventure. She goes by BB.

Sparkles has the mark of a scribe noble gnome who wanted to explore. She worships Yami.

The streams in this region all have green ribbon-like algae clinging to the rocks. By the end of the day, we need to cross a river. Tolgar fords across with a rope, which the others use to cross. Keath lets go of the rope and starts to drift downstream. Luckily, Thornden moves to save her. But he misses, so Tolgar has to go in after both of them while Sparkles and Bernithe hold the rope. Tolgar rescues them, but we are on the same side we started. Toglar gives Keath a biggy back and they cross again, followed by the rest of the party. We get to the other side and set up camp
 
Tolgar plays a dirge on his pipes before wandering off to pee. When he gets back everyone has gone to bed. The next morning, Bernithe catches a rabbit, which we eat for breakfast. We set out and reach the next river, where we find some clear crystal rocks. This river is shallower and wider. Tolgar makes it across with no problem.
 
Toward the end of the second day, we approach a third and final stream in the river delta. This one has ancient willow trees on the opposite bank. Toglar crosses and throat sing to the willows. They love it, but the birds fly off in a tizzy. Everyone is very impressed with Tolgar's throat singing skills.
 
We make camp on the far bank and find some giant snail shells that had been eaten by some wild beast. Tolgar throat sings for Keath while she prays, then takes the first watch. While he watches, he hums a tune and practices his rhymes. BUT THEN, he is attacked by stirges! they are unable to latch onto him, so he sounds the alarm and makes a light on his head so the party can see what is attacking them. Then Keath blasts an aura of bright lights that obliterates many of the stirges. Another stirge tries to attack Tolgar, but he captures it in his big hands. Bernithe comes over and stabs the stirge, and Tolgar denies having anything to do with it. Tolgar then runs over and heals Thornden and inspires him to defeat the stirge on his face. We get a nap.
 
The next morning, BB's traps once again produce some breakfast. We set out and trek into the foothills. We come across a string of cliffs with a big crack opening, possibly a cave entrance. When we enter, Tolgar casts light on BB's head, and she runs in headlong. Sparkles follows, then Tolgar and Keath, with Thornden bringing up the rear. When we get in, BB hears voices. Once inside the cave, Thornen notices a gray blob thing. he goes to investigate, leaving the rest of us cowering in the main chamber. BB runs off, and combat ensues. Tolgar whips out his bagpipes to drown out the sound of the whispers. While he plays, he walks around the cavern looking for magical stuff. Tolgar continues to play and look, but becomes increasingly concerned that his new friends have bitten off more than they can chew. But his piping was so inspiring that eventually the party piles onto this nasty gibbering mouther and kills it.
 
We explore the cave. Tolgar looks at the skeleton; it is really old and has bite marks on the bones. Sparkles finds a big obelisk thingy in the cave, and Thornden says it looks like a talon of the monument of the heavens from the Old World.
 
We head home and it's all uneventful. Cornelius pays us for our services and Tolgar starts performing for the morale of the group.