Session XVII - Deadly Mistakes (2001-10-02)

Before following Venya, Ziggy drank a healing potion or two. Then off they went, the wolves and the scout following Venya's bloody trail. Venya did not like the fact being followed, and soon set up an ambush. His first volley of arrows downed one wolf, and soon the other wolf was barely staggering on its feet. Radagast urged Zig Zag to attack while Radagast tried to see if he could help the wolves. It was eventually the scout who stopped the beeling of the first wolf. Venya disappeared again.

Now the obvious bloody trail had disappeared, meaning Venya had either used magical means of healing or bandaged his wounds really well. It was no good, however, since the remaining wolf was able to follow his scent easily. Zig Zag carried the other wolf.

The tracking continued for a while, until Galen and Radagast spotted an ambush laid out by Venya: he was hiding behind a fallen tree in a narrow ravine. Galen shot an arrow at Venya, missing, but Radagast's Magic Missile hit home. Radagast cast another magical projectile at Venya before Zig Zag prepared a charge at Venya; he stopped his charge short of target, however, as the earth gave away under him. He just barely avoided a trap obviously prepared well in advance. Once more Radagast cast Magic Missile at Venya while the rest of the party was trying to decide what to do, while trying to dodge Venya's arrows. Finally Zig Zag gathered his courage and jumped: unfortunately the hole turned out to be huge, some 30 feet accross, and he landed in the middle of the 20 foot trap full of spikes and skeletons!

Finally Cassandra had some way to channel her frustration not being able to charge Venya, and she blasted eight of the skeletons into smithereens with her holy powers. Zig Zag succumbed to the skeleton onslaught, falling unconscious. The scout threw alchemist fire at Venya, but missed a little.

Galen and Radagast decided to try and climb the walls and surpise Venya from above, but the walls proved too treacherous for them - Radagast fell back to where he started from, but Galen ended up in the hole with the skeletons.

Radagast decided to teach Venya a lesson in marksmanship, and hit him with two arrows. Venya fell behind the fallen tree, but one of his arrows also found mark and Radagast found an arrow sticking from his shoulder.

Cassandra and Galen had taken care of the skeletons, and Cassandra had also brought Ziggy back to consciousness. While they were trying to figure out how to get up from the hole and check if Venya was really down, Radagast kept guard with his crowssbow, trained at the spot where Venya fell. Much to his amazement Venya stood up! Radagast was ready and fired a bolt, but missed. Venya however, did not miss as the too arrows hit Radagast, and he fell. The scout immediately came to rescue, but he paid a high price as Venya's deadly arrows found their mark in him.

In the hole, Cassandra and Galen lifted Zig Zag up, right in front of Venya. Just as Cassandra got Galen up, Zig Zag was again facing the darkness after getting a couple of whacks at Venya. Galen, however, was furious and his attack brutal: Venya's head flew in an arc into the hole.

Galen healed Zig Zag again, who quickly climbed the wall to the scout, but he was not too good at first aid and the scout died in his hands.

Galen lowered a rope to Cassandra and got her up. They searched Venya's possessions and location, finding eight used potions and 3 usable magical potions. Venya's bow was of really good make. The party gathered all usable items, money, and weapons to carry home. They also took Venya's head, as Alayn had put a price on it. They also brought Radagast back to consciousness and Cassandra held a ceremony for the fallen scout.

The party slept nearby, listening to the howling of wolves both near and far.

In the morning the party faced an important decision: how to find back to the city. It was decided that they would try to backtrack, using the wolves to guide the way. That worked well, and the party got to the city without an incident.

They went right away to see Alayn. he was in a meeting with Bardia and the new magistrate Adrian, who the guards described as "hang-happy". They had to wait for the meeting to end, after which Adrian departed. Radagast gave the "gift" to Alayn, who was extremely happy to finally see Venya dead. The price on his head had risen to 1,000 gold, for which he wrote a note so that the party could fetch it from the treasury. He also mentioned that Mathilda had offered a reward for Venya's head as well. Alayn asked if it was ok to put Venya's head on display and everyone agreed.

Before going to meet Mathilda, Radagast went to Eomric's tower and found his old apprentice spellbook still usable on the table in the first room. Zig Zag said he was tired of carrying stuff, and bought a donkey, regardess of the remarks of him needing a zoo for his pets.

The party met Tempus first, who was preparing for a tournament. Tempus explained that Lord Bjoric was going to challenge Alayn's right to rule, and Alayn was seeking a champion. The champion would be chosen at the tournament, and Tempus was intend on winning the honor. He asked for Cassandra for a friendly joust, which she agreed to. On their first ride by both were unhorsed. Tempus quickly showed his superiority with the whalebone sword after that, knocking Cassandra down. Zig Zag also wanted to try, and faced utter defeat as well. Since Mathilda was not around, Tempus paid them the reward for Venya, which was 50 gold.

Next the party headed for downtown, looking for any clues of magical items or spellbooks. They learned that Tempus' house sometimes had magical weapons to sell, and that House Wechseler might have a spellbook on sale. The most promising lead they chose to follow, though, was that an old woman had a spellbook for sale in the shantytown outside Dhunraven. Everyone but Zig Zag went to see the woman.

The old crone was running a small magic shoppe in a poor, filthy district. After some discussion they learned that Venya had been her regular customer, buying a lot of potions. His favorite had been Haste, only 750 gold the woman said. The woman also recognized Radagast, saying that there was a 5,000 gold reward issued on his head! That made Radagast realize why Venya was willing to spend so much on magical potions. Cassandra grew disgusted of the woman and marched out of the shoppe. Galen bought a healing potion for 60 gold, while Radagast was eagerly eyeing a spellbook wrapped in rags on the counter. He cast Read Magic and took just a glimpse of the book when *WHOOSH!* flames erupted from the book and burned him! The brief glimpse told him it was his own spellbook but somebody had placed a magical trap on it. The old crone did not wait for response, but stood to her full height, reveiling her true monstrous identity and slashed Radagast with her claws. Radagast fleed, quikcly explaining to Cassandra what had happened.

Galen had bravely stayed and fought the creature, but it was too much to him and he fell unconscious. Cassandra and Radagast prepared for fight, Cassandra charging the creature. Radagast dragged Galen out of the reach of the claws, and poured the contents of the new healing potion down Galen's throught. To Radagast's horror Galen twiched violently and stopped breathing - the vial was full of poison! There was no time to worry for his friend or curse his stupidity, as the creature forced Cassandra to retreat. Radagast decided to risk everything for his book, and tumbled under the huge claws, grabbing the book and only getting a scratch on his way out to the street. Cassandra had already climbed on her horse, and half dragged, half carried Radagast while she galloped for safety, the monster sending curses after them on the street.

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