Knoll...

The quick recap – the party is in a smallish cavern with a low ceiling, rough stone walls and stone debris on the floor. The only exit appears to be the tunnel from which they entered (after killing the young Cryohydra) and echoing from that direction is the mournful cries of something in pain, or anguish, accompanied by the sounds of ice being crushed and flung like monkey poop. The noise is creating small stone and debris avalanches in the cave.

A quick discussion ensues as to what to do. Determining the noise is most likely larger versions of Cryohydra, they check their equipment, leaving the searching of the cave to the Dwarves, Benji and Jahlo.

Benji scratches at an area and the serving ladies note that the rock wall he is investigating doesn’t line up. “This looks like a doorway!”

Initial examination shows a slightly offset rectangular shape about twice as tall as wide. Ooma saunters over attempting to pull, then push the shape, seeing if it will give. Wik checks for secret handles or locks, and finds nothing, so he lends his strength to Ooma, the two pushing at the wall of rock until it gives, opening about a foot exposing a sliver of a pastoral scene.

Green grass spreads in all directions a tall trees grow abundantly. The sounds of birds chirping and water flowing in the distance floats through the opening. Also heard, faintly, is someone, a female, calling worriedly.

Wik pushes the stone-door back giving full access to a woodland knoll. He walks out and looking upward he almost embraces the sky as he wanders farther, pulling his bow and nocking it in preparation.

Ooma follows quickly, enjoying the feeling of the warm sun and the gentle breezes. Turning back she enquires of the serving ladies, “Where are we?”

Shaking their heads, they seem extremely perplexed. “This tunnel used to be a through tunnel. I’ve,” she turns to her sisters, “We’ve, never seen this area before.”

Jahlo senses a small bit of magic that seems to be dissipating from around the doorway as he steps through muttering about condiments... “Let’s find those voices and see if we can obtain a meal.” Tessalia seems weak, and leans on Jahlo as they exit the cave.

They discuss blocking the door open with the remaining pitons before they move forward into grotto. Morgan peers about, seeming relieved he hasn’t spied any red feathers, he turns to the serving ladies as he steps through the door, “Looks like you’re sh*t outta luck.”

The serving ladies shrug and scurry to follow, preferring this over the alternative, as the Cryohydra shrieks and wails.

The party hears the voice calling, much closer this time. The words are muffled but it sounds like, “Merrrrccccyyyy; Merrrrrccccyyyy!” 

As it comes closers still, “LLLLuuuuucccccyyyyy; LLLLuuuuucccccyyyyy!”

Some of the group moves toward the voice, while Morgan hammers the pitons in.

As Wik and Amaril move forward, they hear a small child crying and alter their course towards the sound, to their right. At the edge of a stream a small yard-ape sits holding her ankle. Wik calls to her, learning she has hurt herself, and cautiously makes his way down the embankment to where the child sits.

Benji comes bounding up, quickly assesses the situation, nuzzling the teary-eyed girl eliciting a giggle. “What a pretty doggie,” she chortles.

Ooma moves toward the woman heralding, and leads the woman towards Wik, and the child.

Jahlo touches the child’s ankle to heal her wounds. The lady watches curiously, reaching down picking up her daughter. She smiles at Jahlo. “Are you an alchemist?” Learning that he is a Druid, she brightens. “If you like, I have a shop over yonder. I have some interesting wares you may be interested in? You all may be interested in.”

Ooma asks where they are. The lady replies, “In the Knoll.” Ooma speaks of Triton. “Tri-ton? Nooo, I’ve not heard of Triton. I’ve lived here all my life.”

Puzzled, the group glances at each other. “I’m Ooma, this is Wik, Morgan, Tessalia, Jahlo, Amaril, Ichabod, Adrie, Fequr, Racelette, and that big beast is Benji,” she introduces the group.

“Pleased to meet you.” The lady offers no name.

Jahlo bears down upon her, “What we’re in real need of is a decent hot meal, jah?

She smiles as he takes her youngster, tossing her upon his shoulder, while Tessalia leans heavily upon his arm. “I’m sure I have plenty to share. Simple food, but good and hot. Come with me.”

As they continue walking with the lady, Wik hangs back and hisses at Ichabod, “What did you get from the Cryohydra?”

She smiles, “A few shingles of scale and about ten yards of hide.”

They come to a long house with a door about mid-way along the wooden structure, with windows, evenly spaced on either side. The lady invites them in and sends one of her older children to get some wine from a cellar store house.

She sets a large cauldron filled with steamy meat-and-vegetable stew on the long, hardwood table, while her older daughter sets plates and spoons alongside baskets of still warm biscuits and water goblets. She puts a wine glass in front of each plate as well.

The young child is set in a rocker by the low fire to rest her ankle.

Morgan takes a bottle of the wine, popping the cork and guzzling from the neck, a happy smile brightening his face. The others pour glassfuls from the other bottles for themselves and the young boy returns to the cellar to retrieve more bottles.

While they eat, the lady brings forward a large branch of Holly and shows it to Jahlo, whose eyes brighten as he examines this near perfect specimen. Jahlo teases the woman, “Druid-nip!”

Morgan asks about eye-of-newt and mandrake plants when she mentions she has a shop through the opening. While she goes to search for the requested material, Morgan eyes the eldest boy, “You there! Boy! Go and bring me another bottle of this wine!” he waves the half finished bottle about, sloshing it, as he gives his orders, before tucking it inside his jacket when a new bottle is set before him.

The children continue to stare like only kids will, listening to the wild story that Ooma embellishes as the kids eyes grow huge. The party enjoys hamming it up for the youngsters, winning their trust and approval.

Ooma reaches into her pouch and withdraws a tiny gem for each of the kids, whose eyes grow even bigger as they clutch their own shiny stone in their hands. Oooo and ahhhing, showing the gems to each other.

Morgan, in his drunken stupor, hands the older three children each a rusty dagger from his ample supply. He spews some malarkey about needing to learn to defend their valuables, before turning his attention back to his glass of wine.

The children, in their excitement, completely forget Jahlo’s rule of not running with sharp things in their hands, and run off to show their mum. Jahlo bets that one of the children is going to put an eye out before they leave. Wik takes that bet.

Ooma asks about a washroom and is told there is an outhouse out back. She reemphasises what she is actually looking for is a wash basin, and is led to a small room with an ewer and a porcelain bowl on a dresser with a framed mirror hanging above it. Morgan rifles through his pockets and hands Ooma a sharp dagger, which she uses to shave and make herself presentable.

Wik and Amaril browse the shop.

The lady comes up to Wik and shows him a finely made longbow. “Only two thousand gold coins. I’ll throw in twenty arrows as well.” A little dickering, spending his gems, and Wik has a finely crafted longbow, made by elves for elves. He can feel the power just by holding it.

She turns to Amaril, “Would you like a bow as well, or a suit of leather armour? Or both? Only two thousand gold coins. I can exchange gems, if you have them.”

Amaril barters his gold necklaces and gems, and borrows the final two hundred from Wik, obtaining a sturdy leather, intricately tooled and tanned, suit of armour.

For Tessalia, who upon entering the fresh air and bright-light, fell ill again. The trek across the forest proving too much for her. Jahlo assists her, at the insistence of Edith, on top of a feather bed in a small alcove at the back of the hearth. Edith presents Jahlo with a wand, explaining, "This wand will allow your sorceress to cast Magic Missiles for thirty uses. I’m sure she will be thrilled to have it, only a thousand gold."

For Jahlo, she lifts up a bronze censer, "This is a special construct," she says, "It's called a Censer of Jeffrey's Aid. Place it on a flat surface, recite the words, “Fire and Water, Sand and Air, Steel Our Hearts, Hear Our Prayer,” and all within ten-feet of the censer receive a boost to their combat morale and their fear saves!" She looks at Jahlo. "The best part is it offers a temporary cover, allowing each member who stays within the ten-foot radius while the spell is burns, a bonus to their HP of 1d8+3! Only twenty-five hundred gold coins.”

Jhalo tries to bluff his way around the expense, which the savvy shop keep is wise to, but, knowing her profit is safe, she does lower the cost, and tries to offer him more Holly, for a price.

For Ooma, (happy now that she's been able to scrape the ungainly hairs from her chin), is doubly-pleased to trade in her dulled battle axe for a sharp shiny new Dwarven Battle axe, with an etched pattern on the face of the blade, that seems to be built for her alone! Offering a plus two to attacks has her eager to find something to test it on. Ooma barters a deal, trading her old axe, the cost drops by two thousand gold coins.

Morgan squints at the lady, leaning in, whispering, “I need something that will protect me from magic.” He pointedly stares at Ichabod.

She thinks, “I don’t know if this will protect you from magic, but will this help?” She offers a finely woven shirt of very strong, lightweight chain. "Mithiral, should help stop those scars when you get into battle." He hands her a bunch of gems and she picks through taking the required amount.

Ooma asks if she sells clothing or cloth and is told sadly, no. She receives the same answer when she requests the whereabouts of an Inn.

The shop keep tells them there’s the sealed entrance to a Tavern over by Green Lake when they press for details of an Inn or Tavern. “Weird things used to come out of that doorway,” the little boy mentions.

Morgan, suddenly interested, asks their names. “Lucy, the youngest, Lance, is the eldest, Matthew, is next and then Brenda.” She pats her stomach, “And one on the way.” The lady smiles and says, “I go by Mama, but if you insist, you can call me Edith.”

Jahlo offers Edith five Goodberries, to celebrate her expecting condition, explaining the berries value.

She reciprocates. “For your troubles let me tell you the Tavern door is not sealed tight. We just tell the kids that so they won’t go playing down there. Ever since the weird things started coming through the door, we closed it tight. Remarkable Meade or not!”

She goes on to tell them that the city of Montgomery, in the East, is the direction of the Tavern door. “I heard tell there’s an Obsidian Forest up that way, my husband may know, but he won't be returning for a month or longer.” Only Wik, with his local knowledge skills fleetingly wonders why the children are allowed to roam to the Tavern so far from their home? The thought is ephemeral as they continue chatting.

The party spends the remainder of the afternoon, playing with the children, teaching the children all sorts of fun/naughty tricks. While all the party is outside, Morgan shows Edith the broach.

“Oh my gawds! I’ve seen this before. Look here, have you noticed this? The Venetian Man symbol. Do you see this?” He voice trembles as it rises. “This is a replica of the Wheel of Time! Where did you find this? The value is nearly immeasurable!”

Morgan queries if the broach will protect him from magic. “Where did I see this before?” she keeps trying to remember. “Yes, yes, this will protect the whole world if used correctly. Where did I see this?”

Morgan grows impatient, uninterested in anything but the value of the trinket. “Who would know the value?”

“The lady, she would know.” Edith looks at him, “This is worth a king’s Ransom. At least fifty, possibly a hundred thousand gold coins. Used improperly it could spell the end of the existence. It could release the night creatures.”

Morgan, only hearing the woman with half an ear, is disappointed when trying to resupply his rucksack, especially with climbing gear. He does receive three Tinder Twigs, which Edith clearly explains to him how to use. Almost finished, Morgan asks her if she has a pouch filled with an emulsion of itching powder, which, after a few moments of pondering and discussion, is produced. Morgan promptly drops the broach into the powder and puts the package in his rucksack.

Watching that, Edith laughs, “What a clever plan! Lance, go get me another bottle from the basement.” With which she toasts his ingenuity.

Edith volunteers to return the Dwarven ladies to their families when Ooma explains their plight. She seems quite happy to offer this service, and the others seem exuberantly excited at this news.

Ooma points to Wik and asks Edith, “Do you have anything that will turn him back to normal?”

She smiles and shakes her head, “I’ll need to analyse the original ingredients. It will take me a few days, if you’d like to wait or return later, I can see what I can do.”

“No, that’s okay. I won’t take any more of your time.”

Edith offer the group bottles of wine to fill their packs before they set out on their way.

As a final thought for the evening she responds to Morgan’s question regarding the weird things coming from the Tavern door. “Weird flying rats; no, not bats, I know what bat’s are,” she say indignantly. “These were rats with wings.” She shudders, “Unnatural.”

Deciding to remain for the night, they locate suitable spots to bed down for the night. The group finds its restful evening slumber, Amaril, staring at his ring, swears the lady is moving inside the top stone; or are his eyes playing tricks? He drifts off to sleep...

ZzzzZzzzZzz...

o0o

As you have been gifted with an abundance of powerful weapons, spells and the such, there was to be no XP awarded this week... rest, relax, enjoy your storybook peace...

o0o

she was so nice... 

Fledgling Dungeon Mistress,

khrys...

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