The Accidental Formation of a Party
(Sherick's Account, +75xp)
It was a typical day at the Wyrmspine Tavern. Unwin Inkwell welcomed all of the guests while his granddaughter Wylla took orders around the room. The bald and rather scarred Trimble was tending the bar.
There is a message board above the bar with 2 notes:
• Bartender Challenge: Make Me Laugh! I dare you!
• Exterminator Help Wanted – Please see Bartender or Wylla Inkwell
A small half dwarf/half elf patron named Triactis notices the messages and tells Trimble a joke, the first one landed flat but he tried again and got a belly laugh this time. Triactis downs the drink and finds himself feeling fleet of foot.
About the same time Wylla yells out "Who here wants to help exterminate a few wee beasties!" A few patrons gather around and Wylla continues, “We’re having a bit of a rat infestation in the storerooms. Not sure how many are in there, but if you kill them, I’ll be more than happy to pay you 100 gold for your trouble. Or, if you’re not needing coin, I’ve got a goodly supply of healing potions I’ve made and will give you one for each rat head you bring me. You won’t find a better deal than that.”
A motley crew forms to tackle the infestation:
• Arianwen the Moon Elf Druid with faithful sidekick Pili Pala, a sprite who rides upon a corgi named Herio
• Ashildr of the Sacred Cave, the half orc paladin
• Ossian Firebrand the Red Dragonborn Fighter
• Sherick the Aasimar Light Cleric
• Yulia Morrow the Tiefling Wild Magic Outlander Sorcerer
• Gildyjig Brasspocket the Rock Gnome Charlatan Rogue
• and Triactis the Half-elf/Half-dwarf Gladiator Bard
As the group gathers, Wylla points the way, “"They're over in the storerooms to the west...but I suggest you don't venture east. At least not yet. In there. That's where the beasties are. Remember to bring me their heads."
Triactis leads the way, opening the door to the store room. He immediately spots three giant rats and attacks the first he spots with his trusty rapier, slicing its head clean off.
The remaining rats attack poor Triactis, landing 2 bites for 9 damage. Triactis is noticeably quite injured.
Ossian charges in a swings his mighty battle axe, swish, and hits the floor rather than a rat. Sherick rushes in fire blasts from her hands but again hits the floor rather than a rat.
Ashildr joins the chaos, also swinging a mighty battle axe. But finally manages to hit a rat. Maiming it, but not killing it.
Arianwen joins the fray, bludgeoning a rat to death with her handy quarterstaff. Finally, Yulia cats fire bolt at the remaining rat, flambéing it to death. Gildyjig gathers the heads.
Triactis heals himself with Cure Wounds and is looking much better.
The group approach Wylla to collect their reward only to find out there is more to do. Wylla takes a peek at the carnage. "Oh, good job, then. "There's more, you know. There are more storerooms up above." Gildyjig triers to haggle but the rets of the party just take off after the rats. Wylla yells after them "Still the same deal -- a healing potion for each head."
Ossian opens the door to the next store room and finds another 3 giant rats hanging out. He decides his axe is useless and tries a crossbow instead. This time he hits and nearly kills the rat.
Ashildr decides battle axe is the weapon to use as she had such good luck last time. She takes a swing and misses the rat. Yulia is not impressed, and makes a snide remark about orc halfblood.
Gildyjig joins the fray, piercing the heart of the unsuspecting rat with her mighty dagger, finishing off what Ossian had started.
Arianwen tries with a smaller axe and cuts another rat in half.
Yulia and Gildyjig decide it is a good time to chat about festivals since the rats are all dead. Sherick collects heads.
They have all forgotten about the third rat who now looks angry. Yulia notices and singes its tail with another fire bolt. Triactis finishes it off with a shot from his long bow.
Gildyjig collects more heads. Sherick notices a door to the east. Arian warns that they were told not to go east. Ashilder checks with Wylla who says they can enter that room but to not go further.
More rats. Arainwen cats acid splash but misses. Gildyjig swings her short sword and also misses. Sherick tries sacred flame again and barely hits the rat. The rat is just too quick. Yulia attempts with the cross bow and hits the tile floor instead.
The giant rats bite and take a chunk out of Yulia who screams in pain.
Gildyjig decides to get angry start brandishing rat heads.
Ashildr tries again with her mighty axe and cuts the rat in half.
Ossian notices the second rat, decides that if Ashilder can hit with an axe he can too. The axe guts the rat.
Sherick goes to collect 8 healing potions from Wylla while Ashildr makes friends with Yulia by healing her wounds.
Sherick gives each of the crew a healing potion and holds onto the extra for a possible sale in case they need funds later.
Sherick goes to the bar and tries to tell a joke. Her jokes are terrible. Arianwen heals Gildyjig who had taken a small bite.
They all decide to pay Trimble for a room for the night. Meanwhile Yulia tries her hand at getting Trimble to laugh. Unlike Sherick who can’t tell a joke, Yulia gets a laugh. Yulia hears strange voices in her head “You feel a feeling of great peace. Whenever you make an attack roll or a saving throw, you can roll an additional 1D4 and add the number to the attack roll or saving throw.”
Sherick is annoyed at her poor joke telling and starts practicing, certain she can get it right next time.
While at the bar, everyone notices more messages on parchment. One says something about Helping Bark. A particularly old looking scrap says “Wyrmspine Pot” across the top with a lot of scribbled out numbers below. The last written number says 75.
Sherick is a bit tipsy and yells “Bark!” and then asks Trimble about the Wyrmspine pot. Trimble points over to a dark corner with a monk. “Amon over there doesn’t talk. Ever. We've been betting on getting him to say a word, but with no luck. If you can get him to talk, the pot's yours."
The party starts contemplating stabbing the poor monk. Sherick and Gildyjig decide to flirt with the monk instead.
Just then Unwin rushes out of the kitchen. “I greatly regret that there will be no supper tonight unless anyone here would like to sort out a wee giant spider problem for us. It seems one has taken up residence in the pantry.”
Gildyjig insists on getting a better deal, negotiates room and board for the night. Unwin leads them to the pantry and the spider. It is no ordinary spider, it is a giant spider indeed.
Gildyjig goes first and misses with the shortbow. Bolt sticks in the wall instead. Arainwen decides to try a spell and conjures Entangle. The spider is tangled not in a web but in vines.
Everyone is getting rather annoyed by Sherick’s jokes. She finally stops long enough to cast burning hands. Hitting the spider with serious flames. The spider tries to get loose of the vines but fails.
Sherick continues the spider jokes as if nothing is happening.
Yulia sees how well fire works on the spider casts another firebolt and torches the spider. The spider is really hurt.
Ashildr ignores Sherick’s foolish jokes and throws a javelin, hitting the spider between the eyes. The spider dies.
Unwin congratulates the gang on a job well done and hands them a potion. "It's a potion of heroism. Since you were all so heroic. And, yes, as the Tiefling said, dinner is on us."
Looking about the room Sherick notices 10gp and calligrapher’s supplies in the web. Gildyjig takes the kit to try to earn some cash to the crew later.
Sherick returns to the monk and tries to make him smile with no luck. She and Gildyjig decide to try to get him to talk. "So you can either tell me what Bark is, or let me win the pot."
Amon starts at the mention of Bark. "Bark? He's a he, not a what." Disgusted, he gets up and pushes past.
Gildyjig, in excitement, yells to the bar "I claim the pot for my friends and me!"
Trimble pulls out a coin purse and tosses it to Jig. Then she pulls down the parchment and crosses out the 75.
Just then a stranger says “He’s my friend. I’m Bark.” Arianwen buys Bark a drink. Gildyjig, the ever sensible one says it is getting late and they should chat in the morning.
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