Trade you 4 kids and a cow for boats

General Summary

Going through the swamps with 18 kids is not pleasant (The orcs are back in town ). As we walked through that day, four were bit by snakes. Thankfully Cap was able to cure the poison, but it was a bit touch and go there for awhile. After marching all day we find a hill out of the water, and start to set up camp. I set the kids to looking for kindling, and Marcus left with Athea to go look for more food and firewood. Only they got lost

What happened while they were lost

"Addie! Addie!" Cap called to me urgently, though quietly, "There be a large thing walking 'bout here. We need to keep the kids quiet." I looked up and there was a giant troll, twice the size they normally are mumbling about finding the gods.
I turned to the kids and got their attention quietly telling them a story as the creature wandered by. The night passed and I started to wonder where Marcus and Athea were. Slowly the children fell asleep one by one, and I sat waiting for our missing comrade. "I found you,' Marcus panted as he ran up. "Where's Athea?" Cap asked. "We got separated. Troll wandering through here searching for something," Marcus answered. He peered out into the darkness. "We found a cabin with boats but were separated as we came back." "I have an idea, but no guarantees if it will work," I said. I focused and called forth a fae ally to search for Athea. A small sprite popped into being and immediately flew to Marcus and bowed in mid-air. I'm not quite sure how you bow in mid-air. "What do you want my Lord," a high voice said. I sighed in exasperation, this is always going to happen with him here isn't it. I waved my hand at him, "You tell him what to do then." "I need you to find my friend Athea," Marcus told him. "I will find the miscreant and slay him!" he said. "No, she. You're looking for a her, and she's my friend." "So, no slaying?" "No, I need you to guide her here."  "I guess I can do that, can I kill her once she's here?" I tried not to laugh. I lie, I did not try very hard, but I could see the frustration in Marcus as he tried not to smile. "I will bring her to you here with my dieing breath." "No one needs to die," Marcus said desperately waving his hands. "Oh, I suppose I can do that." She flew off.

What happened to Athea

The faery found Athea. It didn't take as long as you would expect, but she found her. This is where things went wrong.
Athea, didn't know the faery was a friend, and challenged her to a duel. Yep, little bitty 3 inch faery and full grown adult dueled. Only the fae turned Athea into a little bitty 3 inch tall human, and it was super weird.
The fight was brief but fierce and Athea was left standing and the fae was gone back to wherever she'd come from.
And the next morning she was back with a story of fighting a strange fae that found her.

Continuing forward

Athea and Marcus led us to the cabin in the woods, a group of mostly men were preparing to leave, and understandably were nervous about talking to us. "Wait now!" one said, "I think they're the ones our new friend told us about!" Then he pulls out Papa Legba. "Hey mon, why did you leave me behind with the monsters?" Papa Legba said. "Why aren't you in my bag? I asked. "I don't know mon, do you have a drink?" I pull out a small keg, "What's going on?" "Welcome to the Land of Restless Loa," he said. "Care to explain what that means?" Restless coughing came out of him, "I think my throat is too dry to answer you." I rolled my eyes and poured a small glass. "What can you tell us? Give us some information and that cough will be gone." "The Morrigan be causing problems. She's waking up the trolls' old master, and he calls them to finish waking them up." His head spins to look more squarely at us, "You be lookin' out for those trolls. They be up to no good." "The Morrigan?" I prompted. "Yes her, she be up to no good. She's using the Dark One's Scythe to waken the dead things. The Lady kept hidden away is in danger. The Morrigan wishes to kill her." "I thought she was protecting her!" I said (Follow the bloody footprints ). "It looks like she be done with protection and ready to move on to world conquering. Cough Cough. Me throaght be getting dry again." I pour out more rum. "This to finish the story and give us advice." Papa Legba's eyes narrowed and I could see him thinking, "Give me a cigar and you got a deal!" I rumbled about in the bag and pulled out a cigar. How does he smoke those things? "The Dark One's heir is crying out with rebirth and no one is there to counter him." "We be trying to get there," Cap muttered. "You aren't there yet," Papa Legba glared at Cap. His head spun to point at Marcus, "The loa are pickin' sides, and they aren't picking yours young prince. Get busy or there won't be a Lady waiting for you to wake. Cough cough., throat getting dry again." I held the rum barrel over my bag. "Remember what happens once I put it in the bag. I can't get it out for a full day. You said you would give us advice. Where is the old troll master?" His eyes narrowed and I lowered the cask slightly. "Follow the river or look to where the trolls are going." "Now you've earned it, I pass over the glass and cigar." He happily puffed away and gulped down the drink.
"What can we bargain with you to get a couple of your boats?" Cap said turning to the mountain men. "We need it, we need to leave here because of the trolls. They're overrunning the area. It's no longer safe," the biggest man answered. "What if we took care of the troll problem? Would you give us a few boats and take care of the young ones with us? We don't want to take them into battle with us." "Why should we take them in?" I'll spare you the details of the argument, but long and short they agreed to take in the children if we could supply a knife for each of them, because every person should have a knife and the cow. Yes, they took the cow.

Finding the trolls' old master

Papa Legba guided us through the swamps, showing exactly where we should go. "Do you hear that?" Marcus asked. "What?" I said. "There's a voice out there. It wants to go hunt." "I wouldn't go listenin' to no voice you hear out here mon," Papa Legba said. "That may be, but something's not right. I can hear it up ahead," Marcus said.
And that's how we ended up fighting several trolls, mutant trolls, and some crazy animal loas.

Report Date

20 Oct 2022