| Session Date | August 11, 2023 |
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| Base XP Gained | Carry Over |
| Player Notes | ZZ's Notes |
After their skirmishes in the fields south of Manston, the party flew invisibly to the top of the hill just northwest of the Dwarf Road. From there they could see fresh forces pouring from the city towards the scene of the recent fighting. One group stood out as it consisted of a few Giants with Trolls and Bugbears. In the ruined fort on the slope below them they noted more Hobgoblins and Bugbears amidst what were clearly improved defensive works. Oddly, they’d seen no humans whatsoever.
As they watched, the three wizards all sensed they were being scried from afar. The party soon ascertained that it was ZZ who was the target of the scrying, just as the sensation suddenly vanished. There was a small party of Hobgoblins headed their way, but they did not seem related to the scrying. The party now decided to clear the area with the Dwarves. First, Sirius flew down towards the nearby ruins and dropped a cloudkill spell in it, killing dozens of defenders and scattering the rest in every direction. Then the larger party flew up into the nearby woods to the north, eventually collecting their six Dwarves and Floi. The larger group made their way north ahead of the fanning out patrols. Upon reaching the Blueflood, the flying carpet was used to ferry the Dwarves across. There was no noted activity on the north shore of the river.
Now afoot except for some aerial reconnaissance, the party and Dwarves began an overland trek to the northeast, avoiding populated areas on their way towards Far Andor. They passed one set of Hobgoblin and Bugbear scouts entrenched near the roadway, watching to the north, but did not attack them lest the party’s direction be revealed. Further on, the Forsaken Inn was found to be occupied by some seedy looking “customers” – this seemed improbable given the ongoing war! Further, they were clearly watching the road for traffic, though there was none whatsoever. The one even seemed to sniff the air. The party decided to take out this group, so they moved closer to the Inn. Finally, a worker came out to dup slops and Hans became visible and addressed him, much to the peasant’s shock. He said that there were four outsiders there, clearly wererats, who dwelt in the common room and kept the innsfolk under their thumb. He did admit that the ratmen were fairly complaisant here – he could even leave the side door open and they would not notice or care. The worker begged they be left alone – if the ratmen were killed more would come and the innsfolk would be slaughtered. Hans tried a bribe of silver, but the peasant made it clear it would be worthless to a dead man. Hans told him to run along and things would be fine. He did so reluctantly, and the party surreptitiously followed, finding the four wererats as he’d said inside drinking. The party attacked by surprise, with Hans and Burt each slaying one with magic missiles, Floi and Helga tag-teaming one to his death, and the last slain by an amazing backstab by Deaglan (triple damage crit on a 5x bonus!!).
The innsfolk were both gratified and horrified. They clearly hated the wererats but also stood by the assessment that they were doomed here. So, the party offered to escort them all to Far Andor, which they were all too happy to accept. (I said 6-7 folks but it is actually 11; innkeeper is Arachus, a surly man and very prickly, but who has no intention of getting killed “for a building” – there were another score folk living in or around the inn but they’ve all fled or been taken away to Manston). They did inform the party that the wererats have been there for a month or so and have made it clear that any traffic or persons not local must be reported to them. Their confederates have passed through from time to time, going both directions. They innsfolk assumed that they were p[reparation for attacking Far Andor, though they’d not actually heard anything about that.
The party decided to get more information and employed a speak with dead spell on one of the dead ratmen. It admitted that there were spies “all the way to Far Andor” which was being watched, though not much seemed to be happening right now as far as it knew. When asked for the motivation to serve the Giant King, it was simple – money! Information was routinely passed back to Manston via the messengers that came through quite often, though in case of something important one of these four would’ve went personally to report in. The last spy sent to Far Andor itself was a seedy guy (described in detail) named Ockspa who passed through four or five days previously. Hans then used this information to scry him, finding him in a low hill near Far Andor. This accomplished, the six Dwarves were retrieved and the larger group spent a much more comfortable night than usual at the inn.
The much larger party headed out early the next morning, all of the party invisible but Hans (and all the rest visible). Later in the day, Sirius on the flying carpet (I think?) spotted a flight of four Wyverns approaching the party. The party immediately sprung to attack, first with spells and ranged weapons and then into melee. The Wyverns were tough, though, and hard to bring down. They managed to kill two of the civilians during the battle before the party was at last able to kill all four (the last as it tried to fly off).
The group now made the last leg of the journey, arriving at Far Andor late in the afternoon. Hans did a quick check of the spy once again, noting that he was observing the arrival of the large group. Regardless, the locals were quick to welcome the newcomers and offer them succor (and to take them off the party’s hands). For their part, the party made their way to their usual stop, the Fortunate Son…