Adventure 8

Party Members:
Hammar – 3rd Level Cleric
Cloverdung – 3rd Level Ranger
Othello – 3rd Level Thief
Gubikla – 3rd Level Magic User

Bone did not sleep well at all, waking up around 1am, 3am, and 4am. So, he was too tired to make this trip. Kavis was caught with a cask in his room at the Inn and he is still trying to talk his way out of paying a fine for bypassing the bar downstairs.

The other party members were awake and eating breakfast sharply at 11am, feeding for a new day. While sitting around the breakfast table discussing their options, it was decided (by the roll of a die) to head northwest towards the farm that had some strange occurrances, occurring. Cows had been disapearing but there were no visible tracks of anykind.

The group heads out of town, toward the farm in question. Upon reaching Farmer Pick’s place, the party is greeted with servings of apple ale. Farmer Pick is trying to get a permit so he can brew more, so Cloverdung offers to take care of the permit for Farmer Pick. As long as the drinking is free upon our future visits.

Shortly after downing the last mug of cider, Farmer Pick tells us how his cows, with lonig flowing ginger hair, disapear around dusk every couple of days. He tells us there are no tracks to sepak of, so we invetigate the scene. He now has six cows, all standing out in the field eating grass. There is a small apple orchard to the side of the pole barn and some piles of hay. Besides the actual farm house, there are not other structures around.

In looking around the field, some members find large feathers lying around. The group assumes there are flying creatures stealing the cows and decides to set up an ambush for later that night. Provided the farmer is willing to let us use his cows as bait. Farmer Pick decides to let us use two cows for bait, while he pens the others in the pole barn. He doesn’t want to lose any more cows because this would impact his butter production.

The cows are tied to the apple trees, with enough slcak to let them stand in the field. This way, if anything tries to swoop down and grb them, the rope should cause enough tension to cause the creature to release them or fall on the ground. Cloverdung sits atop the apple tree in the middle of the orchard, with his bow ready. Gubikla is in another tree, waiting to cast web in an effort to snag whatever is flying off with the cows. Hammar is in one of the piles of hay, waiting. Othello is lying on the roof of the pole barn, waiting with his crossbow.

The sun slowly sets and the adventures wait. Finally, a couple of creatures can be seen circling over the farm, eyeing the cows tied to the trees. It is two Griffons. And they are hungry. Suddenly, the lead Griffon swoops down and grabs a cow. He is pelted with a couple of arrwos from Othello and Cloverdung. The Griffon tries to make off with its prey, but Gubikla cast web and snags the cow. Hammar leaves the hay pile to chase the Griffon. The Griffon decides to forget the food and attack the party. The Griffon sees Hammar coming from the hay pile and bites and claws at him. Hammar takes some serious damage as the Griffon lands some good blows.

By this time the other Griffon comes flying in. It knocks Othello off of the barn and circles back to attack him. Hammar and Cloverdung kill off the first Griffon while Othello and Gubikla take on the second one. As Othello takes some damage, he and Gubikla kill the last Griffon. Cloverdung sends an arrow into the head of the last Griffon, just after it is killed. Hammar proceeds to touch the cow and restore it back to health. Such a good touchy-feely cleric as he is.

The group spends the next couple of hours collecting valuable Griffon parts for sell (claws, gizards, feathers, hide, etc.). There is a silver amulet, like that found on some other creatures of late, around the kneck of one of the Griffons. Cloverdung takes the amulet.

Farmer Pick is super excited that we not only killed what was taking his cows, but that we also did not allow anymore to die in the process. We spend the night recovering from our wounds. The next morning, we head out towards town with our Griffon body parts in a cart.

Once arriving in town, we proceed to talk with the local boatsman’s association (Captain Smullet) about renting a crew and boat to go down river to investigate the recent serpeant attakcs. For enough money, we hire a crew of four and a barge. Othello purchases a balista (with six bolts) and mounts it to the deck of the barge, in case we need a little more omph in our attack. Gubikla decides to get four buckets of pig’s blood to use as chum in an effort to help stir the serpeant to surface.

So, we head downstream on the barge. In the recent weeks, there have been four different attacks by the serpeant that has killed all but a couple of sailors and sunk all four boats. We hope to not be the fifth.

Later in the day, as the barge approaches the location where the first two boats were sunk, Gubikla decides to start pouring into the river some of the chum. After a while, something strikes the barge from beneath. Hammar and Gubikla fall to the deck. A little more time passes when suddenly, a serpeant appears out of the water, swallows one of the hired sailors, and disappears under the water again. In shock, the party relaizes they should have brought a bigger boat. A cry for help is heard as a second sailor is being attacked by the serpeant. He is able to fend it off with his oar while Cloverung hits it with a couple of arrows. What drives the beast back underwater, however, is when Othello hits the serpeant with a bolt from his balista. The creature is hurting and pissed off. The barge is truck again, this time knocking a sailor into the water while another is eating byt he serpeant. Now, the barge has begun to float out of control, heading towards an eddy in the river. As the barge is circling in the current, the last sailor is taken under by the serpeant. The party tries to control the barge but without luck.

Finally, Hammar throws a line and grappling hoof towardfs the shore, Colverdung stears the barge with a hard turn, and Othello falls into the river while attempting to throw the anchor onto the shore. Luckily, the serpeant has retreated in an effort to recover from its wounds. Othello swims ashore safely, and the barge is finally secured next to the bank of the river.

After collecting themselves, the group notice a large, black tower, wth a wall around it, right on the side of the river. The have been asked by Borris to retrieve a staff from the black tower so he can perform some more research into the silver amulets. Deciding that the serpeant will probably not return for a while, the adventirers decide to head to the tower.

Upon approaching the wall, it is discovered that it is made of iron. The party splits up, one headed clockwise and the other counter, searching the wall for a way in. No luck. Othello launches a grappling hook, and rope, to the tope of the fifty foot high wall in an effort to latch onto something. Sucess!

Cloverdung climbs up and secures another rope so he can climb down into the courtyard. As Cloverdung searches the tower, which is also made of iron, he does not find any doors or windows. The rest of the group climbs in to assist. No one can find a way into the tower. In frustration, Cloverdung carves into the tower with a spike “Cloverdung was not here.” (written in Draconic).

The group decides to camp in the courtyard of the tower and the wall to rest up and plan their next move.