No matter where you go, there you are.
I am happy to say that I am writing this journal from the comfort of my own front porch. In other words, we made it back alive!
We didn’t run into much trouble getting everyone out of the crevasse, and Gildean was still there when we got back to him. After we gathered everyone together, we managed to drag the weakened people back to town on Valon’s tent. (It was probably a pretty funny sight, but it got the job done!)
After arriving in town, we immediately went to the Rat’s Egg and arranged food and lodging for the group we had rescued. A local boy was sent to fetch the druids who live on the outskirts of town, so that they could attempt to heal Gildean’s group. (Drusilia and Ghelt had both used up all of their healing abilities for the day.)
When everything was taken care of, we sat down for some food and relaxation, but it wasn’t meant to be. Drusilia came over and told us that she had been asked to remove some evil spirits that were haunting widow McGillis’s house, and that she was going to go check it out. Since I was ready to head home anyway, I volunteered to go along. Next thing you know, we were all going (including Trap, who had a room at the Inn — a room which he now has to pay for since he lost his job!!!)
Well, we arrived at Mrs. McGillis house to find that the ‘evil spirits’ were actually stirges. As we engaged them in melee combat, we asked Trap to take Mrs. McGillis outside and close the door behind him. He apparently misunderstood...
Instead of waiting outside, Trap decided to start shooting arrows into the melee!!! It was a 20’ x 20’ room, not an archery range! This had no effect on the stirges, but I am sorry to say that one of his arrows did hit me in the backside! Its a good thing I was out of spells, or he would have found himself in a MOST unpleasant situation.
As it was, the stirges decided that Trap looked like a tempting target (probably because he was waving only his bow around, instead of his sword!), and several of them latched on to him. Ironically, this let us kill them easier, and they were soon dispatched.
After cleaning up the house, we patched the hole the stirges had entered through, and Lady McGillis happily returned home. The rest of us then turned in for the night.
The next day, we divvied up the treasure we had found. We all got a goodly amount of gold, and also some items. I took possession of both a wand and two scrolls which we had found. I was making some progress identifying the wand, when Trap showed up, and offered to help. He assured me he was very good with magic devices, so I decided to let him have a try. (At the least, I figured it would be good for a laugh).
It turned out even better than I expected. Trap did indeed ‘activate’ the wand (of color spray, it turns out)... but not how he had hoped. Instead of spraying a wave of color in front of him, he sprayed himself, and is now a ‘multi-colored’ halfing! :) I hope it doesn’t wear off too soon!
~=Fafnir Flamebrewer=~
Planting 13, 592 CY
The remainder of our time in town has been quite ordinary. I did buy myself a crossbow and some bolts, and have also managed to get some time in the lab. I made some ‘powdered water,’ and brewed a number of potions to help us in our travels. (or at the very least to be sold/traded some time in the future).
We have now been in town about 10 days, and I (along with the rest of the party, I suspect) am getting restless to move on. After all, we still need to find a way to destroy the evil wand we found, and also there is that map leading to the ‘Heart of Nerull.”
It looks like we may be gone for a while.... I will need to remember to pay the Jenkins boy feed to the chickens and tend to the garden while I am gone. As for now, I am going to get a good night’s rest, in my own bed.... we’ll be back on the road (and sleeping on the ground) soon enough.
~=Fafnir Flamebrewer=~
Planting 19, 592 CY
...We managed to get out of the ravine pretty easiliy, though the getting the weakest out was a little trouble. We found the person that Ghelt was so insistant on returning to. I understand why, as he was in the same shape as the rest of his company. We used my tent to make a sort of sled to return them to town with.
The return to town (a place called Smallville, and small it is) was uneventful, but once in town Drusilia was called upon to help an old widow who was terrified of “Evil Spirits” in her home.
I am completely convinced that Trap had taken some kind of STUPID pills before we collected ourselves to help the widow.
The Widows house was infested by stirges, not evil spirits. Drusilia instructed Trap to accompany the widow outside and keep her safe. Trap decided to go take the widow outside and come back inside to “help” (spelled H-I-N-D-E-R) the party. As we fought the stirges Trap managed to only shoot (yes SHOOT, with a bow, INDOORS) Fafnir in the rear and stab himself, though the stirges seemed to have quite a taste for him.
After cleaning up the 20’x20’ house, We returned to our homes (and inn) for rest.