The End of the Gnoll Problem

General Summary

As the Party followed the worn path, they were surprised by a group of gnolls and crocottas who appeared from thin air. Hobart raced forward to draw attention and set the stage, and the enemies advanced. One crocotta raced past Hobart and Axelrod, taking down a horse and threatening the new troops. Bartimus felled that beast, the recruits found their marks with many crossbow bolts, and Emmalyn kept her allies in the fight with magical healing. The battle was difficult, but our heroes prevailed with the loss of but one horse.
Before moving on, the Party decided to set up the greenhorns, mules, and horses nearby in a makeshift camp. They also took some time to rest and prepare for what's next. They returned to the recent battlefield, and Bartimus charged down the path into the hidden unknown. An abandoned village appeared ahead of him, and behind he saw his allies and their fallen enemies. Soon, the rest of the Party moved down the path, finding the same thing. It looked as though a dome of invisibility was around the village, though the reason was unclear.
Hobart and Clarence scouted ahead, and they perceived movement from within the camp. The others trudged across the field with no real concern for stealth or subtlety, and gnoll archers appeared on their flanks to lob arrows at the intruders. Axelrod and Hobart broke through the perimeter, taking down a warrior and facing off against the gnoll clanmother. Bartimus defeated the remaining archers with a fireball, but he immediately regretted his choice as old huts went up in flames. Axelrod's spear was nearly destroyed in the fire, but he quickly summoned it to his side, and Hobart doused the flames with water he created. After defeating the clanmother, they were rather confident that the gnoll threat was eliminated.
After the battle, Emmalyn noticed a small crater in the village. Inside, she found a small piece of dark metal with a green crystal inlay. She wasn't sure what it was, so she showed it to Bartimus for his input. As soon as he saw it, he fell unconscious. Emmalyn watched as the strange object dissolved into the air and slowly float toward Barty's arcane rod. The Codswallop Family Rod seemed to absorb the object, after which it contained thin streaks of green crystal. When Barty regained consciousness, he told the others about a vision he had of the village, as well as its possible relation to another vision he had in the past. Once the Party collected melted metals and magic potions, they left the village, looking back to see that the village was no longer hidden.
The Party collected the greenhorns and the animals and returned to Rybury, where they collected a reward of precious gems. As they settled in for the night, Axelrod got a message from Dazmeat about a problem at the keep. What new obstacles lie ahead for our heroes? Find out next time...

Report Date

03 Jul 2021

Primary Location

Abandoned Gnoll Village

Secondary Location

Rybury