Session 365 - Tiger Hunting
General Summary
The Story So Far
Ash - An expert in the occult and a skilled monster hunter. Ash uses his talents and budding alchemical expertise to battle what people fear most for a price.
Ryobi - A monk of the embattled Order of the Warriors of Mameka. Ryobi is given an important mission; retrieve the holy blades containing the souls of his brother knights, which were lost in the recent Rethemi civil war.
They are joined by Vinzent, a bard with a morbid demeanor and a haunted past.
This is the continuation of Session 363 - The Moldy Farmhouse.
Location - The City of Golotha in the Kingdom of Rethem.
15th Azura (Autumn) 727TR
Part 1 - The Judge of the Faithful.
Sir Klydes has organized a grand tour of holy sites and castles of the leading Rethemi noble families, and the tour will end in one of his personal manors. The embassy head, Sir Ingaard, said he looks forward to seeing the order's captured Tiger, Pavahnis. Pravanis is named after one of Agrik's sons, also called the Judge of the Faithful. Unfortunately, Pavahnis has judged his keepers and found them wanting. He has killed them, broken free, and escaped south, possibly across the border with the hated Kingdom of Kanday. Not having the Pravanis to display would cause considerable embarrassment to the Apalankh. Sir Klyrdes needs the Tiger found and recaptured unharmed as soon as possible. He is actively delaying the embassy but will soon run out of significant places to visit. He will reward Ryobi considerably if he can discreetly achieve this task.
The Tiger was last spotted in the Dureve hills, possibly heading towards the Peris Moor, near Castle Selvos, one of the most well-guarded baronies in Kanday. The heroes are given a knockout poison for their weapons and some sedatives. Also, they have Shamus the Teamster on hand and his wagon available to pick up the unconscious beast.
Location - The Barony of Selvos in the Kingdom of Kanday.
Part 2 – Muddy Sinkhole
The party goes to the Dureve hills and starts searching. After a couple of days, they find a muddy sinkhole with a half-eaten human corpse. The buzz of insects disrupts the heroes as huge, blood-sucking vermin attempt to feast on the trio, but they are soon disposed of. Examining the corpse, it does not look like a feline killed it. The monstrous killer is lurking in the mud nearby and attacks. A bloated oval body with stubby legs and a pair of long rubbery spiked tentacles emerges from the muck and is eventually hacked into smelly pieces.
Part 3 – Runaway Hog
The next day, the party's travel through the Peris Moor is interrupted by a squealing pig. Two Kandian peasants are chasing a runaway livestock. The men are suspicious of the heroes as they immediately identify them as being from Rethem. The cautious commoners tell the heroes that Pinky the pig was scared by a noise and ran away from their farm. Ryobi asks to stay at the farm to protect it and hunt the source of the noise, but the scared men politely refuse. They would likely be hung from harboring the enemy. Due to decades of oppression, the villages around Selvos passionately hate the Rethemi. Also, if the Earl of Selvos learned the heroes were in the area, he would assume they were spies or bandits and send his elite Green Owls knights to kill them.
The heroes consider killing the peasants to keep their silence, but they will be missed, and search parties could be sent out to find them. Instead, they decide to help capture the very evasive pig and attempt to convince the pair that they mean no harm. Ryobi natural charm ensures they part on good terms (DM's note: the player rolled a natural 20 on the Diplomacy check).
Part 4 – Cave of the Dank Stalker
Ash spots claw marks and some blood the next day. Something has been dragged into a nearby cave. Ash and Ryobi coat their weapons with sleeping poison and sneak into the cave. Sadly, they are wrong. The cave has a smelly, stagnant pool, and suddenly, two ugly, deformed green dogs with an enormous overbite emerge from the water—Troll Hounds. These Ivashu are quickly dispatched as they dart in, but the sleep poison is wasted.
The next cavern continues and opens out into a large cave. Inside is a Troll munching on some bones; it roars and rushes the party, attacking with rage. The first swipe of its huge clawed hand nearly eviscerates Ryobi; however, Ash scores several skilled hacks on the creature's back, sprinkling brimstone into its wounds, causing immense pain to the brute. He is rewarded with a vicious bite, nearly severing his head, and is forced to back off. Then the panicked Vinzent comes to the rescue, playing his brass flute, creating a bolt of fire that hits the troll squarely on its huge nose, setting its face on fire. The Ash and Ryobi cut it to pieces as the Troll runs about in pain and confusion.
Unfortunately, there is no sign of the missing Tiger.
Part 5 - The Judge of the Faithful
The heroes continue the hunt, crossing an overflowing stream on logs and being mobbed by oversized vicious frogs.
Vinzent gingerly steps forward and uses the magical healing bestowed on him by his patron, Thalia, one of the handmaidens of the goddess Halea. This revives Ryobi, who groggily rises from the ground behind the great tiger. Ash withstands the full fury of the dangerous beast, bleeding from many deep cuts and barely standing. Just as the Pavahnis prepares to finish Ash off, Ryobi smashes a series of well-timed strikes from behind, knocking Pavahnis unconscious.
A few days later, Sir Bisidril presents Pavahnis to the Pontiff's emissary, and Ryobi travels to his Order's stronghold of Bedenes, where the famed weaponcrafter the Mamekan adds to the enchantment of this holy sword.
To be continued.
NPC Interactions
Sir Klyrdes Bisidril, Apalankh of Hârn.
Related Reports
The Company of the Green Owls.
Player Characters
Ryobi - Human - L3 Monk
Background - Temple Guard.
Archetypes - Barbarian.
Ash - Human - L3 Thaumaturge
Background - Weaponcrafter.
Archetypes - Alchemist.
NPC Companion
Vinzent - Human - L3 Bard
Background - Cursed.
Archetypes - Blessed.
Next Session
NPC Companion
Vinzent
He is a skilled minstrel who is infamous for his depressing performances.
Order of the Warriors of Mameka
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