May Mielikki Guide Me

We rested for the evening. I noticed several ominous glances at the pot of stew. I’m pretty sure it’s not their friend Tassar in there, I recognize the aroma of an animal of some type, but I can’t quite place my finger on which one. Shadow reminded me it was time to eat in his usual way by sniffing my backpack. After feeding him and sleeping for a bit the adventures decided it was time to explore the lower levels of this cave. Right away I’m leery. Two ettins and a “mimic,” I think I heard someone say, obviously as guards. I’m expecting someone very powerful down here.

We followed a stairwell down a few feet then came to a room. It was either left or right. After some talk about which way Tassar would go we went left. Suddenly the procession stopped and we went back out to the first room. Voices were heard and after mentioning it I wild shaped into a bat again. I was able to explore most of the area without even being noticed. It seems most people in caves just ignores bats. Go figure. I reported back my findings, three medium-sized creatures in one room, I think there were eighteen slightly smaller creatures in the other, and off to the right, one empty room, a closed door and a very large creature. Bats see with their ears and that makes it difficult to tell exactly what they were so we decided to go to the right and sneak past the large creature. We failed miserably, but luckily enough Areon and Rosorc were able to surround it and kill it unusually quickly. We were then attacked by dire rats and goblins. I watched Areon climb over the fallen beast and attack the advancing horde. Rosorc went the other way realizing that more creatures wound be coming from that direction. Theona followed Areon while Deitricha followed Rosorc. After a moment of personal debate I decided I would fair better with Areon and Theona. The little beasts were slain before I got into the room. Now that makes two things that don’t seem right. The three of us followed a side passage over to the room that had the most creatures in it when I scouted. I saw a magic user there and figured he would be the one in charge, but as quickly as he fell I realized that wasn’t so. Theona looted the bodies of our fallen foes as Rosorc dropped the last one.

I knew something wasn’t right, and as we opened the door the blocked my way earlier I realized why. There were two bugbears everyone attacked on sight, then an illithid showed up stunning everyone except Shadow and me. Looking back I realized I should have stepped away and cast a couple of “summon nature’s allies” till the illithid’s spell let me friends loose, but I was a little rash at the moment and charged in only to fall to its stunning spell. I’m surprised I’m alive, and only hope I live to rectify my mistake. May Mielikki guide me.

Hang Together or Hang the Fighters

Two days have past since the battle with the orcs. We spent our time resting and Deitricha used what magic her goddess blessed her with. I found food for us to survive on while we rested, and we decided that we would be able to leave the next morning.

While we were searching for food (Theona had accompanied me to “help,” fortunately she can move just as quietly as I can), we came upon the sound of several creatures bickering in a guttural tongue. I recognized the tongue as giant, and Theona and I slipped quietly away. When we returned to camp, I told everyone that we had best be quiet around camp and slip away in the morning. Tassar demanded to know why, and I mistakenly told him what Theona and I had heard. He decided that it would be best to spend the night spying on them. I sent Nianque with him so that she could return to us quickly and let us know if something had happened to Tassar.

After Tassar and Nianque had been gone for about an hour, I decided that I had better go to check to make sure that they had not been captured or killed. Theona opted to come with me again (I am beginning to think she is looking for any reason to slip away from our acquaintances), and we set out to where we had heard the voices before. We found Tassar’s armor, laying on the ground and the naked halfling watching the camp intently.

Now I understand that he can move about more quietly without his armor slowing him down, but I cannot understand why that stupid halfling would be so willing to give up ALL his protection, especially when he is spying on creatures that would probably kill him if they saw him. I did creep up far enough to see what the creatures were: ogres.

I had had enough foolishness by then, so I brought Nianque back to camp with me. When I returned, I found Rosorc and Deitricha in a heated debate about whether or not Rosorc should be going out to help Tassar.

In all my life I have not dealt with anything this foolhardy. Even the Barbarians are intelligent enough not to go picking fights with everything that lives near them. If Rosorc had gone out to where Tassar was, we would have had to fight the ogres, because unless Rosorc is completely still, his armor makes enough noise to wake the dead.

Fortunately after Theona and I returned to camp Rosorc gave up trying to go out and see what Tassar was doing. We rested the rest of the night uneventfully; Tassar came back into camp (wearing his armor) just before dawn.

We were in good enough shape to travel, so we set out along the road, towards the Moonwood. The day’s travel was uneventful, other than some footprints of a passing giant. I opted not to find the giant that made them and continued on. I found a well-concealed camp for us to spend the night in. I went out to search for food and had a much easier time. I only spent a few hours out, and I managed to get enough for all of us to eat. When I returned Rosorc decided that it would be a good idea if he started attacking a tree with his axe.

I feel like Theona and I are the only two in this party who have any idea whatsoever how to stay “safe” while adventuring. Everyone else seems to assume that Deitricha is a walking bandage. So Tassar and Rosorc will walk blindly into any situation, because surely the cleric can make it “all better.”

I feel bad for Theona. I know she can tell how upset I am, and I think it is affecting her. But the only way I see this getting better anytime soon is if the fighters manage to stumble into something that kills them and not the rest of us, or if we make it back to civilization, and decide to go our separate ways.