Aporeu chronicles Issue 60: Deal with a sheep II: revenge of the apprentice
Stories from the adventurers
This week
A sheep, a tower and an apprentice.Deal with a sheep II: revenge of the apprentice by Kalesh
Last week, Kalesh helped rescue a sheep for an aspiring adventurer child named Dustin. The sheep turned out to be a wizard who was polymorphed by his apprentice. Dustin was hurt pretty bad during the rescue, so we had to return him home and take the sheep wizard back to Arnheim, Bob would take care of him. When Kalesh got word that a new group was going out to try and turn the sheep wizard back, he had to sign up. No one deserves to be forced to live like an animal for the rest of their lives. Kalesh was joined by Brynjar, Cahir, Rhodax and Rurik. Kalesh hadn’t met Brynjar before. An armored dwarf who seemed to like his shield a bit too much, as he was nibbling on it all the time. Cahir was there when we found the sheep, Kalesh thinks he also wanted to help it. Rhodax the dragonborn cleric is someone that Kalesh met a couple of weeks ago during another quest. He seems to have grown more accustomed to the adventuring life. Last but not least, Rurik. He has helped Kalesh learn how to work leather over the last few weeks. While he is a kobold, he seems to identify as a dwarf. Once we’re all acquainted, we make our way to Bob’s farm to get the sheep wizard. Along the way Kalesh asked the group whether any of them could talk to animals. No one was able to, which was problematic as the sheep wizard was the only one who knew the way to his tower. Luckily, the sheep wizard had retained his intellect when he was changed, so yes and no questions worked. When we retrieved the sheep wizard from Bob, the sheep led us to El’daar where Dustin had requested that we deal with the sheep wizard a week ago. Kalesh didn’t want Dustin to get hurt again so he kept his eyes out so that we could avoid him. I talked to Cahir about Dustin, and some children overheard us. They told us Dustin was in a coma! Bob might’ve done more damage than we first thought... Cahir asked the sheep wizard whether he could help Dustin when we change him back, and he nodded. The sheep led us out of town, into the forest. It was getting dark, so Kalesh lit a torch. After a short while, we got to a huge tower. This was the sheep wizard’s tower, and the apprentice had taken over. We ran into some monkeys with swords and a bear who walked on his hindlegs. We attacked them before they noticed us. The apprentice heard the commotion outside and shot a few spells at us during the fight, but got back into the tower before we could get to him. When we entered the tower, we found a lot of paper cluttered about the main room. On it were strange pictures of different kinds of animals. Rurik retrieved the sheep wizard from outside, and the sheep started searching the rooms for something. It eventually stopped near a closed door and waited for Cahir to open it. When Cahir got close, he got hit by lightning. The apprentice was hiding behind this door and had conjured up some protections. After a discussion between us and the apprentice about whether we should believe the sheep, Rurik tried to break down the door. The door turned into a dragon head and it breathed splinters at us. Kalesh could see the apprentice behind the head, but before he could do anything the rest of the apprentice’s room turned into the rest of a wooden dragon. Its head was made out of the door and its wings were made out of the bed. It flew through the roof of the building. Kalesh went outside but couldn’t see the bed dragon. It was dark and he can’t see well in the dark. The sound of the wings was noticeable though so he followed that. Brynjar joined Kalesh outside, he could see it so Kalesh followed him. Kalesh suddenly heard a loud crashing noise a little further. The bed dragon died and crashed to the ground. The apprentice had also died in the crash. Kalesh figured Cahir might want this one's head, so he dragged it back together with Brynjar. When Kalesh got back inside he could see Cahir and Rurik inspecting a wand. Apparently, this was used to turn the wizard into a sheep. Rurik was able to use it to turn the sheep wizard back into the wizard. The not so sheepish wizard reluctantly gave us some items out of his collection as a reward. Cahir wanted to take the apprentices head but stopped when the wizard felt sorry for his former apprentice. Since it was pretty late, we were allowed to stay there for the night if we helped clean-up. In the morning we helped bury the apprentice and made our way back to Arnheim. Kalesh had completely forgotten about Dustin at the time, he hopes the wizard can help with his coma.Deal with a sheep II: revenge of the apprentice by Rurik
So, this mission was posted to take care of a sheep that apparently used to be a wizard. Yeah, I have no idea either. But, it sounds like some magical [expletive]ery, which I'm fairly skilled at sussing out, so I signed up. Joining me are Cahir, Kalesh, Brynjar, and Rhodax. What can I say about these fellows? Cahir has seemed to stop tying people up and then executing them, in favor of collecting shrunken heads. Not entirely sure if that's an improvement. Kalesh is a Centaur with a mind for learning. Taught him how to work leather, at his request. Brynjar might be slightly addled, as he was gnawing on the rim of his shield for most of the time I had eyes on him. And Rhodax is a big, Black Dragonborn.. That's a lot nicer than you'd expect from a Black one. I thought Blacks were supposed to be cruel or something. Guess that shows once more that you can't judge a book by its cover! Cahir and Kalesh handled the previous mission dealing with the sheep, but it appears they had someone that could understand the beast during that mission. No such luck today, so it was a lot of bleating and pointless yammerin' from both sides, sadly. They did learn that the sheep used to be an Elven wizard named Fenthir. And he got back stabbed by his apprentice, Ahmed, some 2 years prior. We go pick up the sheep at Bob's place. Apparently, Bob is an Adventurer with a proclivity for friendly fire. I am most certainly glad I've never been on a mission with him. It's bad enough havin' to deal with the enemies tryin' ta make ya dead. The sheep bleats a bunch, we can't understand a thing he's tryin' ta say.. It's a [expletive] mess. Brynjar tries to rope the beast, but it ain't havin' any of that. It still guides us to El'daar village. Been to this place before. It's still as dreary a place as it was then.
Kalesh and Cahir get to talkin' a bit. Apparently, Bob hit the mayor's kid, Dustin, during their last outing. They say it was the kid's fault for taggin' along.
Phaedra healed 'im up that time, but apparently it wasn't enough. Poor sap's apparently in a coma after that little trip.
As the sheep leads us to some woods, it's startin' ta get dark, and Kalesh lights up a torch so he can see where he's puttin' his hooves.
It seems that only Brynjar an' mahself are blessed with the Dwarven sight o' the dark outta this bunch. This oughta be interestin'..
We manage to reach the tower the sheep used ta live in unaccosted by beasties. Once we get to the edge o' the woods, the sheep stops.
Somehow, the sheep manages to 'tell' us that his apprentice ain't workin' alone. Guess that's on us fer not askin' sooner.
As we get goin', we try to sneak up, which involves dousin' the torches. Except someone fergot that there's only 2 folks that can see in the dark.
And somehow, those 2 wound up at the BACK of the pack. Yeah, I dun think I need to tell ya how well that went.
After the rest [expletive] around for a couple feet, they get the luminous idea to let Brynjar an' myself to lead the way, and it goes MUCH smoother.
Moradin's beard, I thought this Cahir fellow was supposed to be a scholar of some sort. And I really thought Kalesh was brighter than that, too.
Anyway. As we get closer, we spot some big apes tossin' around a ball. Because why not. Wizard's tower, should've expected ta see weird stuff.
Cahir and Kalesh open fire one 1 of them, and there's a shriek. The apes run off to get some weapons, somethin' huge takes off from the roof of the tower..
And then another ape, and a giant fricken BEAR on 2 legs comes barrelin' outta the woods after me 'n Brynjar rush in to keep the squishies outta harm's way.
The bigass bird goes after Brynjar but doesn't do much. The bear has better luck, and Brynjar goes down. Not what I was expectin' from a Dwarf, but.. Can't all be Ironscales.
Rhodax comes up and heals Brynjar so he can get back in the fight, while I'm fightin' off the things that're swarmin' us.
Cahir and myself take care of the things, and I even get to test out my new shield. Misjudged the area o' effect and knocked Brynjar out again. That was my bad. Sorry Brynjar!
Durin' this fight, some mage dude shows up on the stairs of the tower, screams somethin' I can't make out cuz of the clangin' o' battle, but he [expletive] off after Rhodax flings some shadowy stuff at him.
Oh well, as long as we don't have ta deal with a mage on top of this animal farm stuff, I don't care what the heck they're doin'.
After we clean up the rest of the beasts, we stack 'em up for Kalesh to skin after we're done. As we get to some kinda garden on the way into the tower, I have a look around to see if there's any healin' plants in there.
There's not. I know, overgrown gardens usually don't have a lotta usable stuff in 'em, but it never hurts ta check while you're there!
Cahir fiddles some with the lock on the tower door, but can't get through. I knock, thoroughly, and unlock the thing from the inside so the rest can come in, too.
Inside, we find a buncha alchemy related notes and stuff, as well as a heap o' failed animal hybrid things.
Then we hear some panicked bleatin' from outside. Sheep's getting chased by some wolves, and I scare 'em off with a bit of fire.
At least they were smart enough to [expletive] off without a fight. Sheep comes inside the tower as well. As safe a place as any, I guess.
We explore the tower a bit more, until Cahir stumbles across a trapped door that zaps him some. And from beyond the other door, we hear the apprentice.
He's apparently holed himself up in the bedroom. He says that Fenthir was an asshole and deserved gettin' turned into a sheep.
The talks kinda go off the tracks and after a bit there's a hole in the door, some wooden construct's pokin' its head out, and breathes splinters at us.
Guess negotiations are done. Cahir hits the thing, I set it on fire, and realizin' they're not in a great spot, they take off through the roof.
Ahmed was smart enough to put the flames out. Shoulda known a wizard's apprentice might've had the brains to do somethin' like that.
We go back and forth with tradin' blows for a while, and Ahmed realizes it's a losin' fight. So he tosses a stick at Rhodax, tellin' us to "Fix the sheep ourselves", before he tries to escape.
I send some of the debris from the bed through the wooden dragon-thing's heart, and it loses the will to live. And Ahmed wasn't expectin' that, and doesn't survive the plummet to the ground.
Brynjar was headed outside to try and do something, and he drags the kid's body back to the tower.
At least the fightin's over now. Rhodax gives me the stick, cuz I'm a smart cookie and I know my magic stuff. Ahmed chucked a cracked and unstable Wand of Polymorph at it.
I manage to turn the sheep back into a nekkid Elf without the thing explodin' on me. But I don't think that Wand's gonna be casting anymore spells without explodin' in anybody's face.
Fenthir goes and puts on a robe (Pretty sure that was a fluffy bathrobe, not anything actually wizardly) at our bringing attention to his lack of clothing.
Then he starts goin' about his business, until Cahir kindly reminds him that there was a payment promised for helpin' him out of that pickle he was in.
He putzes about for a bit, but finally presents us with a couple of magic items worth the trouble we went through. Then he starts askin' us to help clean his tower.
And when asked about stayin' the night because it's gettin' late, he starts asking for WAY too much money. So I go out and pitch my tent.
Rhodax asks if he can join me outside, and I let 'im. Cuz I'm not some cheapskate that asks 50 gp for a night in a messed up tower. Ahmed was right, Fenthir IS an asshole.
Still debatin' whether or not it was worth turnin' him back.
The next mornin', we have some breakfast after Kalesh skinned the beasts we slayed the night before, and we head back to Arnheim with our spoils. Seems like a mission without a payday.
I thought this Adventurin' business was supposed to be profitable. If this keeps up, I'm better off workin' to make some money until I got enough to do my research in Apethorn.
Signed. Rurik Ironscale, Scion of Clan Ironhammer.
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