(G217 17/10/2014 via Roll20 - AP(GM), Mira, Guru)

(G217 17/10/2014 via Roll20 - AP(GM), Mira, Guru)

DAY 227 (24th Marpenoth) cont ...

They made an attempt to run for it, but everyone seemed to want to get one last hit in, so without
really meaning to, they got back into a brawl with the monster.

Cale struck at it with his scythe and took most of the beasts blows as Fhu healed him. Elmo shot it
a couple more times and Mathmoss jumped on its back to stab it one more time. Finally, bloody and
beaten, Cale struck it one last time with his scythe and knocked it down. The bullette a final
growl and died.


.....



[And here we must leave them for now! Lets now catch up with what I was doing over in Cormyr.
Mathmoss and Cale had wasted a lot of time getting to the Moat House in Homlett, but then, it was
a difficult time to be traveling about and if adventuring was easy, then everyone would be doing it.
Just to prove that I'm really no better, lets get back to my story then ...]

DAY 225  (22 Marpenoth)(October)

I too had been procrastinating and for days had been feeling I was 'nearly ready' to enter that
dreadful portal but always seemed to come up with 'one last thing to do.'

Today I flew over to the lizardman camp again for one last word with K. As I flew over I saw a
mounted and armoured human talking to him. He was not aggressive though and once I'd landed and
turned back into a human I introduced myself. He said his name was Gurudor and that he was infact
looking for me! It turned out he was a paladin of Mystra and had been sent by Tunaster Dranik to help us.
Once that was sorted out he asked for direction to the Lost Refuge and away he went.

I then went had a pow-wow with K and after talking for a while we both agreed that it would be a good
idea for him and his tribe to occupy the Lost Refuge. This would help guard our back and help keep safe
the folks we were leaving behind.

Including the ones that had already joined us ..

(Nakal, warrior, Nanti, warrior, Jatol, maid, Cupcay, boy)

.. the lizardman tribe numbered 89 souls. How they were going to arrange themselves inside the
Lost Refuge was up to them, but I left it to K. He said they would be along in a day or two
once they had broken camp here.

After that was all decided I flapped back over the refuge and arrived back at the guardhouse.
Even before I could tell them about this new paladin I had Sylvia over and talking to me about poor
Mira who was sulking in the corner. It turned out that something down below the refuge had nibbled her
and in all likelihood she now had lycanthropy!

Well, Sylvia knew she could deal with it on the next full moon with a carefully cast 'Remove Curse'
spell, but Mira did seem worried and rather ill-informed although Sylvia had tried to make things
clear to her, or so she had said anyway.

We were still in the middle of that when Gurudor Silverfeather turned up. I explained the situation to
him and then showed him the interior of the Refuge, where we held Gathan and Kithkin and where the portal
to horribleness was.

For a moment I thought he was going to go a bit 'Destryl' on me when I showed him the prisoners but it
turned out we were misunderstanding each other. If I have to get rough with a prisoner I usually threaten
to 'Set the Badger on them' and if that doesn't work then I have nothing else. It seems Gurudor is prepared
to slap them about a bit but would never go as far as Destryl did.

Having agreed that we examined the portal. As I was explaining the dangers and considerations of the portal
to Gurudor he stuck his hand in it. I yelped in concern, but he seemed none the worse once it was removed.

I tried to council caution but it appeared our new companion was a man of action and he bravely stepped
though. Not wanting to be seen as a coward I also stepped in. After that we summoned together the people that
had expressed an interest in exploring this area and in we all went.

Myself, Sylvia, Mira, Gurudor and Gathan all went in. Lavinia, Jiggles and Shump all preferred to stay behind
and guard our exit.

We found ourselves in a dark and ruined version of the building we had just left. Mira explored outside and
we followed. As we approached a jetty beside a river (or lake, it was too dark to see) we were attacked by
a group of shadow lizard folk. We were 'loaded for bear' though and between Guru's melee attacks, my crocodiles
and Sylvia's Searing Light spell we killed off our attackers pretty quickly.

We had over-reacted, yes, but I can admit I was full of fear of this strange and dark place and although
she would never admit it I could see Sylvia was nervous. Mira seemed a little lost, but was being brave.
Gurudor was impossible to read, since he had a full visored helmet on, but I should imagine he was enjoying
himself. Paladins are like that.