Session XXII: The Shire Awaits Report

General Summary

The Shire

The Return

After having rested well at the edge of the jungle, the adventurers venture onward. They come across the The Troll Gorge: Rhunaar, paying their respects to their deceased Warg Rufus. They continue their path through the jungle, all its predators wearily avoiding confrontation with the adventurers. Slightly after dusk, the adventurers reach the Shire of Sloniz where a more grim sphere took the place of the merry drug-ruled one. The adventurers are summoned into the grand tent, now Zulk's tent, and Zulk the Wise once more thanks them on enabling him to liberate the Shire. A bit of an awkward discussion erupts between the adventurers and Zulk on kobold liberty and their revolution of Ban Grond. The adventurers take a gauge at Zulk's intentions on his vote in the Council of Ban Grond, who asks them to retrieve a tome detailing Gildin's royal bloodline during their venture into the doomed city. Reluctantly, the adventurers accept and ask Zulk on his knowledge of Gildin. He shares the following:    

The city of Gildin, ancient capital to the humans once inhabiting the island of Rhunaar, has fallen to ruin with a mighty necromancer defiling the city already for ages. From what I could gather from my historic analysis on the subject, Gildin is home to three great monuments: A cathedral honoring the Sisters of Trinity; Its Grand Archives renowned for its detailed records; A tower of Black where the mages of Rhunaar were once schooled. The city is now inhabited by the dead and all but the most desperate stay far rid off it. Apart from all ominous reports on the city, the beaches surrounding Gildin are renowned for its soft sands and warm breeze.

The conversation continues and Zulk welcomes the new found comrade of the Resourceful Ones, John Doe, handing him a bottle of Wine. The adventurers continue scouting the Shire for clues on what exactly transpired here.

Scouting, Shopping and Stealing

The adventurers go to the Shire's general store and inn to learn its former owner, Quartermaster Jens, has been brutally murdered and even crucified during Zulk's march on the Shire. While browsing Rolof's wares, John Doe buys a Vial of Extraordinary Wine and a bottle of Brandy, Nalan buys another portable ram and Balin Thornbow buys 5 reefers for 25 gp. Outside, the adventurers decide to further scout the village for notable survivors. Balin & Nalan join goblins around a campfire to check their stories while Oswald Fleetfeet & John will sneakily venture to the dungeon below the inn.
Oswald & John become nearly undetectable through the combined casting of Minor Invisibility and Pass without a Trace. They bring their search to the caverns below, for Oswald to walk into a fire blazing trap hidden in the dungeon while John manages to safely pass the hidden trap. They continue their search to find a snoring Rolof sleeping in Jens's bed. They end up filling their flask with wine and stealing weed worth around 12 reefers (4 stolen by the small hands of Oswald, 8 by John). Evading the traps, they emerge safely from the dungeon to rejoin their fellow adventurers.
Meanwhile, Balin & Nalan attempt to make the local goblins spill the beans on the true story of Zulk's invasion. Through mixed signals however, Nalan taking an Intimidating presence while Balin taking a more persuasive role, the goblins judge the adventurers work for Zulk and do not share their thoughts with the frightening Nalan. Oswald & John then arrive at the campfire to be joined by Jarek, a local drug addict once belonging to Rognaz's crew. Jarek is offered a reefer, for which he reveals Rognaz is leading a guerilla rebellion against Zulk from the jungle. While biting his fingers, he asks the adventurers if they have any red dust to give him, offering to give up Rognaz's hiding spot for the stuff. Balin shows a shard of Lyrium and promises to grant it to Jarek if he successfully brings them to Rognaz. Jarek jumps for the shard but is hit to the ground by Balin, followed by Nalan who puts his foot on his chest. Through successful intimidation, Jarek is persuaded to guide them to Rognaz, awaiting his award.
During the harassment of Jarek, John being the perceptive lad he is, becomes aware of a goblin running toward Zulk's tent. Although his first instinct was to shoot the goblin, he decides to run toward the goblin pinning him to the ground. The goblin Henk reveals he was going to inform Zulk on the presence of Lyrium in the Shire, but is persuaded by John to join the adventurers into the jungle instead. With a full party, the adventurers decide to pay Rognaz a visit in his jungle encampment, with Balin having a bone to pick with him (see Session VI: Welcome to the Jungle Report & Session VII: The End of the Shire Report for the quarrel).

Quelling a Rebellion

Tracking the Bastard

Sneaking through the weed fields, the adventurers make a run for the jungle when they are spotted by a goblin riding on a wolf. He recognizes the adventurers as the Resourceful Ones and is persuaded by a reefer to look the other way for their "nightly walk". Continuing in the jungle, John notices the moonlight reflecting on a small object in the distance. When the adventurers stop moving, John hears footsteps going away from them. Jarek starts calling to them "We are here" upon which he is gagged by Balin. Henk and the others keep a low profile while Geest Uil (also known as "Sjaal") and John sneak forward to check on the glowing object. They discover a goblin hid here from the markings, who ran away at their sight. They venture onward to the goblins, to hear fleeing footsteps a few more times. Finally they are met by Rognaz and his band.

Retribution

Rognaz calles out to them, revealing the goblins' readied arrows pointing toward them. In total, 4 goblins, 4 bugbears, Rognaz and a Hobgoblin Devastator await the adventurers. Rognaz calles out their nerve to come here after bringing mayhem upon the Shire of Sloniz. After a bit of quarreling, one goblin accidentally looses his arrow and battle erupts, while John commands Henk to return to camp to inform Zulk the Wise.
Oswald uses his new found arcane knowledge to cast Fireball at the goblinoids, heavily burning 2 bugbears and scratching the Devastator & Rognaz. John snipes the head off one of the goblin archers hiding in the trees, Nalan nearly falls into a hidden pit but just before stepping on the leavedeck, his Perception warns him of the danger. Rognaz throws a bottle of alcohol at Balin and torches him using his lucifer catapult. Although Balin attempts to run away from John & Oswald, his effort is too late and the Devastator unleashes a Fireball upon them, after which the Devastator vanishes. Oswald continues by casting Slow on the crowd, while John moves away from Oswald to charge Rognaz. Nalan smashes the hollow lantern he got from John against a bugbears shield who catches fire. Rognaz uses his last remaining health to tackle John and throw himself and John down into another pit. While he succeeds and throwing John in the pit, Rognaz is impaled himself with John taking only minor damage. The devastator makes his appearance once more to cast another Fireball, this time targeting John, Nalan and Balin. All attention now goes to the revealed Devastator who is killed by a mighty lightning infused bolt by Balin.
After the battle, Balin jumps into the pit to take Rognaz's head. He escapes the pit with 1 hitpoint, taking heavy suffocation damage from venturing into the smoke erupting from the pit since the Fireball. They scavenge 20 gp from the Devastator and through pressing by Nalan, Balin's promise is kept to Jarek and 1 g of Lyrium shards is handed to him. Jarek crushes the shard to powder, uses all at once and succumbs to an overdose. Returning to the Shire, the adventurers encounter a leg belonging to Henk who was caught by a group of Giant Mantises from the looks of the cut.

Overview of the battle

Claiming a Reward

Upon returning to the Shire, Balin puts Rognaz's head on a spike and leaves it outside Zulk's tent. The adventures get a few hours of rest before being summoned by Zulk to his tent. They explain they quelled Rognaz's rebellion, hoping to persuade his vote in the council to their favor. Zulk accepts, but still offers 100 gp for the tome on the royal bloodline he mentioned earlier. The adventurers celebrate, discussing where they will go to after a Long Rest and give themselves a new (temporary) name: The Butcher's of Beliar (BoB in short).

Rewards Granted

• Vial of Extraordinary Wine bought by John Doe, in addition to a bottle of brandy worth 10 gp
• 5 reefers bought by Balin Thornbow
 
• Another portable ram bought by Nalan
 
• 20 gp scavenged from the Hobgoblin Devastator aiding Rognaz's rebellion
 
• Stolen weed from Rolof worth 12 reefers (2 were already passed on to persuade goblins)

Campaign

The Island of Runaar

Protagonists

Nalan

Oswald Fleetfeet

TN halfling(gnome) (cloistered scholar)
wizard 5

26 / 26 HP

STR
8

DEX
15

CON
13

INT
19

WIS
16

CHA
10

John Doe

Lawful Neutral Wood Elf (Inheritor)
Ranger 6

63 / 63 HP

STR
9

DEX
18

CON
14

INT
18

WIS
16

CHA
13

Report Date

07 Apr 2021

Primary Location

Shire of Sloniz