This weekend we jumped on Discord to play a virtual session of Dungeons & Dragons. Welcome to our “episode of the month” style game world.
Your primary cast of characters in “The Lethal Ladies” from the Guild of Montesso are:
- Artemis – a ranger who loves the world and is curious about everything in it, but is just as afraid of pretty much everything and errs heavily on the side of caution. She would probably call it “being the voice of reason.”
- Kuori – a fighter with a bit of a savior complex. She is taller than everyone around her, but does not mind leaning over to get in your face about something.
- Aryn – a druid with all the curiosity of Artemis and none of the caution. Unless there are blaring signs of danger – and maybe not even then – or friends to stop her, she will walk right into any situation.
To round out their group, they invite one or two temp workers along on missions to help out. This mission they picked up the indecisive Valgrim. A barbarian-fighter wielding two handaxes and a whole load of bravado.
Paths and Satyr Parties
The Lethal Ladies were sent by the guild to help a town normally relatively free of crime suddenly beset by thieves stealing valuables in the night. The town council directs them to some fresh tracks, but the tracks fade into the forest cover only a short way beyond the town’s perimeter. Artemis and Valgrim discern between three and ten thieves, and with them are the tracks of what they believe to be a giant rat.
Artemis argues for returning to town each night as they narrow down the path taken by the thieves, but Kuori, Valgrim, and Aryn will hear nothing of wasting valuable time on something like “safety” in an area only “slightly” overrun with monsters. There are much more dangerous areas and regions in the world. A group well armed and alert can certainly protect themselves for a few days of searching in these woods and camping out at night.
After being surprised awake by a swarm of stirges the first night, followed by Kuori nearly strangled to death and carried off to be eaten by a vine monster on day two of the search, the party finds a group of three satyrs partying in a forest clearing making merry with ale and a roasting boar. Despite Artemis’s reminder satyrs are notoriously mischievous, they decide to introduce themselves and ask to join them for the night as well as warning the fun creatures about the thieves. Artemis tagging along and shaking her head in dismay.
They are welcomed over to the fire, and the satyrs tell them to take care because a wererat runs the group of thieves in question, and such creatures are not to be trifled with. With their warning given, the groups drink and trade stories late into the night. The Lethal Ladies tell them of taking down the vine monsters and frightening off a pack of vicious boar. Kuori is not the best story-teller, but the satyrs paste smiles on their faces through even her rendition and carry on with the fun. As the night wears on, they take out their pipes and play a haunting melody, pushing the party into sleep…all but one.
“Huh.” One says, looking at Aryn. “You can hold your ale.”
“I drink like the fish-person I am. I guess I have first watch then.” She responds, glancing at her friends asleep all around the camp.
The satyr scratches his horn. “This is embarrassing. We did not expect any of you to still be awake. See…We are completely out of food after this boar, and we were going to take all of yours and leave you here. We respect someone who can stand up against our ale and song though. What if we give you these two health potions in exchange for ten rations?”
Aryn can do all the math in this situation and gladly makes the exchange, letting them leave in peace. Rather than blissfully sleeping until noon as the spell would have otherwise made them, she wakes Valgrim for his watch and with each following, they are on the trail of the thieves again early the next morning, despite a few headaches. They briefly consider turning back to have the town smith silver their weapons, but it does not seem worth it without knowing for certain their weapons would be ineffective. They have a few spells and one magic weapon. What could go wrong?
Find out next week as we conclude our adventure.
Tiffany Shearn 