Into the West
Sylinnea rose from her meditations, alone on the grassy plain. Ever since her departure from her home in the forests to the east, she had felt at ease on the limitless flat ground. Uncharacteristic as that may be for an elf, perhaps it was because she felt needed here. The human settlements nearby had little means to defend themselves from the depredations of the local orc tribes, and thus it was a self-imposed sense of duty to the lands and peoples that kept her here. She checked her gear, making ready for her morning patrol across the plains. To the south, it would be, today.
While Aurora remained at Taloos to help heal the victims of the kobold's assault, Oskar and Mira decided to make some headway on their intended journey into the western reaches. They knew that the villages would be smaller and poorer the further they travelled, and thus wisely decided to stock up on supplies on their way through the much larger city of Welca. Villages were dispersed along the roadway every few days, but still the distance in between settlements would prove dangerous to the travellers. While moving through a small wooded area, Oskar and Mira were set upon by an Ettercap, and later were harried by a pair of worgs. Thankfully both encounters were dealt with without lasting damage, and the pair were finally on the last stretch of roadway towards the fishing village of Kelish.
In Taloos, Aurora was gifted with the horse and mule belonging to the farm family that the adventurers rescued from the kobolds, and thus she was able to travel quickly and catch up with Oskar and Mira in the nick of time, as suddenly the ground at Oskar's feet erupted! A large insectoid monster crawled forth, and attacked with its powerful acid-covered jaws. The creature's bites did a good deal of damage before Mira and Oskar were able to put it down, and just then Aurora arrived and was able to assist with her healing gifts.
Unfortunately, this was not the last the group would see of such creatures, as not much later a pair of the monsters emerged on opposite sides of the road, attacking the group from both sides. Most of the group's spell resources had been depleted during and after the last attack, and thus the adventurers were caught in a very tight spot. Suddenly, a volley of arrows flew past the beasts, giving the adventurers the distraction they needed to turn the tide of battle. The new archer introduced herself to the group as Sylinnea Nailo, elven ranger, and offered to take the adventurers back to her mentor's cabin for shelter and a chance to tend to their wounds. The group eagerly agreed.
It was here that the group met Keith, Sylinnea's mentor and an experienced ranger with a dislike of strangers and their conversation. They also met Ted, a bear of gigantic proportions, who apparently took it upon itself to guard Keith's cabin while he was out. They learned of the insectoid creatures that had attacked them earlier - they were called Ankhegs. While normally docile and somewhat beneficial to the land, their populations bloom every several years, and one of the tasks of the local rangers is to ensure that they do not get out of control. Thus, the group was offered a small bounty on ankheg antennae, and they decided to go out hunting.
The beasts were not difficult to find, as they would attack hungrily from the ground as the adventurers approached. With rest and Sylinnea's help, the creatures were much easier to deal with, until the group approached their nesting grounds at Grainger's Ravine. The party was unprepared for the anhkeg's tactics around their lairs, as Mira was attacked and pulled into the ground by one of the beasts! Oskar bravely leapt into the collapsing hole after her, while Aurora entered from the other cliff-side entrance, anchored by a rope held by Sylinnea. The ankheg was fortunately slain, and Mira's unconsious form recovered, before the tunnel could fully collapse. The group wisely decided to retreat to the cabin for rest at that point.
The next day, the adventurers returned to the ravine, this time intending to explore its northern reaches. They came upon a disturbing sight, however. At the northern end of the ravine, a box wagon attended by two cloaked humanoid figures lay. The figures opened up the wagon, and released an ankheg that was markedly different from the ones the adventurers had faced to this point. It was half again as large, its colors were a mottled red and black instead of yellow and brown, and a frightening black glow ran along its mandibles where acid would normally be found. This creature charged into the ravine, towards its lesser fellows, while the cloaked figures observed. The terrible anhkeg systematically slaughtered all the others that it could catch. The cloaked figures boarded their wagon and departed to the north before the adventurers realized it, as they were stunned by the carnage in the ravine.
It was agreed that this monstrosity should be destroyed, as it was obvious to both Aurora and Mira that it was not of this world. The group descented to the ravine floor, and engaged the beast. The battle was fierce, and Aurora felt the unholy beast's jaws most keenly. The adventurers prevailed, and the terrible beast fell to the ground and quickly dissolved into ashes as it died. The group quickly left the ravine before other ankhegs could arrive, and returned to the cabin, obviously distressed by what they saw that day.
While Aurora remained at Taloos to help heal the victims of the kobold's assault, Oskar and Mira decided to make some headway on their intended journey into the western reaches. They knew that the villages would be smaller and poorer the further they travelled, and thus wisely decided to stock up on supplies on their way through the much larger city of Welca. Villages were dispersed along the roadway every few days, but still the distance in between settlements would prove dangerous to the travellers. While moving through a small wooded area, Oskar and Mira were set upon by an Ettercap, and later were harried by a pair of worgs. Thankfully both encounters were dealt with without lasting damage, and the pair were finally on the last stretch of roadway towards the fishing village of Kelish.
In Taloos, Aurora was gifted with the horse and mule belonging to the farm family that the adventurers rescued from the kobolds, and thus she was able to travel quickly and catch up with Oskar and Mira in the nick of time, as suddenly the ground at Oskar's feet erupted! A large insectoid monster crawled forth, and attacked with its powerful acid-covered jaws. The creature's bites did a good deal of damage before Mira and Oskar were able to put it down, and just then Aurora arrived and was able to assist with her healing gifts.
Unfortunately, this was not the last the group would see of such creatures, as not much later a pair of the monsters emerged on opposite sides of the road, attacking the group from both sides. Most of the group's spell resources had been depleted during and after the last attack, and thus the adventurers were caught in a very tight spot. Suddenly, a volley of arrows flew past the beasts, giving the adventurers the distraction they needed to turn the tide of battle. The new archer introduced herself to the group as Sylinnea Nailo, elven ranger, and offered to take the adventurers back to her mentor's cabin for shelter and a chance to tend to their wounds. The group eagerly agreed.
It was here that the group met Keith, Sylinnea's mentor and an experienced ranger with a dislike of strangers and their conversation. They also met Ted, a bear of gigantic proportions, who apparently took it upon itself to guard Keith's cabin while he was out. They learned of the insectoid creatures that had attacked them earlier - they were called Ankhegs. While normally docile and somewhat beneficial to the land, their populations bloom every several years, and one of the tasks of the local rangers is to ensure that they do not get out of control. Thus, the group was offered a small bounty on ankheg antennae, and they decided to go out hunting.
The beasts were not difficult to find, as they would attack hungrily from the ground as the adventurers approached. With rest and Sylinnea's help, the creatures were much easier to deal with, until the group approached their nesting grounds at Grainger's Ravine. The party was unprepared for the anhkeg's tactics around their lairs, as Mira was attacked and pulled into the ground by one of the beasts! Oskar bravely leapt into the collapsing hole after her, while Aurora entered from the other cliff-side entrance, anchored by a rope held by Sylinnea. The ankheg was fortunately slain, and Mira's unconsious form recovered, before the tunnel could fully collapse. The group wisely decided to retreat to the cabin for rest at that point.
The next day, the adventurers returned to the ravine, this time intending to explore its northern reaches. They came upon a disturbing sight, however. At the northern end of the ravine, a box wagon attended by two cloaked humanoid figures lay. The figures opened up the wagon, and released an ankheg that was markedly different from the ones the adventurers had faced to this point. It was half again as large, its colors were a mottled red and black instead of yellow and brown, and a frightening black glow ran along its mandibles where acid would normally be found. This creature charged into the ravine, towards its lesser fellows, while the cloaked figures observed. The terrible anhkeg systematically slaughtered all the others that it could catch. The cloaked figures boarded their wagon and departed to the north before the adventurers realized it, as they were stunned by the carnage in the ravine.
It was agreed that this monstrosity should be destroyed, as it was obvious to both Aurora and Mira that it was not of this world. The group descented to the ravine floor, and engaged the beast. The battle was fierce, and Aurora felt the unholy beast's jaws most keenly. The adventurers prevailed, and the terrible beast fell to the ground and quickly dissolved into ashes as it died. The group quickly left the ravine before other ankhegs could arrive, and returned to the cabin, obviously distressed by what they saw that day.
posted by Kazanj at 5:50 PM
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