Ancient Sagas of Everlance: Rats and Mud

This update covers sessions played on 8/17, 8/24, 9/7. Since I’m so far behind, I’m going to wrap multiple weeks together. It helps that for much of the time (the better part of these 3 sessions) we spent exploring some muddy tunnels.

The cast of characters are:

Kelmar - ½ Elf Ranger
Beska - Human Mage
Myshkin - Human Paladin
Gifilte - Human Monk of Love
Arkane - Human Paladin (starting 8/24 or 9/7)

Arriving in Fairweather Commune, now emptied of communists, and mostly destroyed by raiders, the companions did a quick check of the still smoldering ruins. The only item of note was a giant hole in the back of the mostly intact barn, leading down into darkness. A quick exploration found the tunnel opened into a largish chamber full of giant and dire rats. While the pests were put down, the damage inflicted was severe, and the party retreated back to the surface to rest and heal.

Unfortunately in the middle of the night a swarm of the giant pests boiled up from the hole, interrupting the adventurers’ sleep. A running battle down the length of the barn was only successful when the barn was set on fire, scattering the rodents.

The next morning a wandering paladin named Arkane arrived at the commune, and seeing the destruction, offered to assist. Together everyone returned to the tunnels. Wandering around in the dark, tight, muddy confines the party faced more rats, discovered a badly wounded badger surrounded by dead rats, and an alternate exit to the tunnels. Kelmar soothed the beast, which allowed Gifilte to bestow some healing on it.

Deeper into the muddy tunnels the party encounters a watery pit. Creeping along the edge, even going slowly, the armored warriors slide down, and discover the water includes a nasty slime. It was killed without too much issue, but getting everyone around/out of the pit was still a task.

Continuing in the tunnels the party makes it’s way to a chamber from which a seemingly unending supply of normal rats is flowing. In addition to the normal rats there are several crates, a bunch of giant and dire rats, and a ratman. The fight is brutal, but the party finally seems to have developed some strategy beyond charging into the middle of the room. The rats are whittled down one by one, until finally the ratman charges in. I’m happy to say that Kelmar critted that ratman’s skull, and ended the fight.

Within the hole from which the tide of rats flowed was a magic bag of never ending rats, a magic staff, and a treeman alive, but smothered by the rats. Closing the bag, we pulled him out. He introduced himself as Groot Thistle, said the ratman and the raiders (two different groups) were looking for the Infinity Stone Eye of Night. Since he could no longer be sure of protecting it, could we take it to Nova Prime someone who can?

We’ve got 2 paladins and a cleric, of course we can!