Stonehell Session 5

Aethelread the donkey gave his life:(

Gringle the brigand joined the party

Accidentally rich!

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13th of Shadows, flurries

Hell Raisers Casamir, Yslen, and Ethex, as well as Aethelread the donkey and Unready the cart, set forth through the frozen swamp and up into the foothills to reach Stonehell. They wanted to set up a stash for themselves, as well as deal with the slime, and potentially explore some more side rooms.

Passing through the gatehouse tunnel unmolested, they went straight to the slime's chamber. Nothing was left of the goblins except their loincloths. Looking up, they discovered the massive slime taking up the entire ceiling of the room, filled with the mostly decomposed bones of the goblins. The 2lbs of chalk they purchased would not be enough to dissolve the now massive slime. They piled up some trash in front of the doorway to deter prey, wrote some warnings in chalk, and left.

Hearing wolf howls from the east, they ventured west down the valley. They investigated a waterfall, spraying steaming water room a cave 70ft up the cliffs, and landing in a 30' pool. The water, strangely warm, allowed native greenery to grow even in the dead of winter. Even frogs and bugs that should be sleeping beneath mud were active in this pool. Spotted at the bottom, a silvered glass sphere lay embedded in limestone. Ethex thought it weird that the pool did not lead anywhere else. They were not equipped for swimming, so the party decided to return later. They ventured further west, wary of wolves.

Fearing a fight on two fronts, they set up camp with their backs to the limestone cliffs and waited. No sign of wolves, but around 2am footsteps came from the dark woods towards their camp, and waited. Casamir greeted them, and a brigand walked out, weapons drawn, demanding the donkey and cart, or death. Cas walked Aethelread to the brigand, and realizing that they would be slaughtered anyway, bashed the brigand's head in.

Arrows rained on the party gathered around their large fire. Ethex rushed into the woods with two burning brands, illuminating two of the bandits, and Cas ran face first into the remaining brigand hiding in the darkness. Aethelread the brave brought his hooves down on the leader, who turned about and hacked the donkey to death. Yslen blasted him in the back point blank with a crossbow bolt, ending his life.

Trading blows, Cas and Ethex received their first scars, some ringing blows to their heads, but managed to dispatch their foes. The final brigand failed his morale save. Being surrounded, he threw down his weapons and surrendered.

Gringle the brigand, to make up for the brave donkey's death, gave the Raisers info about the brigand hideout, and various caves the Raisers have been eyeing. In return for his life, Gringle agreed to take Aethelread's place.

They made their way up a steep trail in the morning, and explored some crab caves using Gringle as bait. They found 25 lbs of clear crystal, harvested a giant crab, and found some gold hidden in leaves. They fled when they heard the sound of dripping that reminded them of slimes.

Camping in some ruins near the Stonehell Main Hall, they harvested some rations from the donkey and the crab. They set up a stash for some tools, and in digging, Gringle found a long ago stashed chest holding 1000 gold. He kept this to himself. Ethex took over digging to store the valuable rations, and she was able to find the chest.

They rushed back to Stonehome, pockets full for the first time. The Hell Raisers dream of investing in property and starting a bank. Gringle is happy to be alive.