Chapter 2

The Horde Arrives

Ogdin's Horde makes it's biannual stop in Grey Hawk, tensions flare as Aired Helelar recognizes some of the new recruits as the orcs that burned down his village and Alduin suspects the horde of harboring the shapeshifting fugitive with the Astral Orb. Cock's weapon leads to several assassination attempts, the party looks into the curse on Iwana Sais, and they discover the mermaid is actually a Sea Hag in disguise. With the help of Grund Razorclaw, the party finds a portal to the Beastlands, the outer plane paradise for animal and druidic spirits, which Clarence has been using to return to the Material Plane. The party got closer to finding the shapeshifter when they realized that Gerthwin Bartelby had been its first victim and was now likely hidden amongst the horde. They joined the trials to join the horde and delved into tunnels leading to the Underdark to clear out a hive of Kruthik. In the process they met a friendly pseudodragon named Pointy, discovered the entrance to a secret magical lab, learned about harvesting monster parts, killed several Kruthik, and discovered Sigbjorn Hagisson to be the shapeshifter when he used psionic powers to knock Aired unconscious and escape. Also it seems the Sea Hag's influence is growing, she turned Nira's neighbor into a Sea Spawn and has clearly cursed the well water.

Session 6

Greenwake 43

• Cock woke up in Nira's barn loft and as he grabbed his gun and journal he was shot by a halfling rogue who wanted to take him out to steal his weapon
• Feannag MacDamhan, Nira, and the rest of the party were nearby and were able to help dispatch Xanla Dustfeet and her mercenaries
• Upon killing Xanla, Cock's weapon Pi'za absorbed the essence of her weapon, becoming stronger in the process. It also mentioned that he must learn to detect other "Black Saints" who would be after him
• Nira, not wanting three bodies in her barn, tried to dump the bodies in the river, but was caught by Foke Barnswaggle in the process. His head was heavily bandaged and he seemed disoriented, but when he saw the bodies he ran to tell Alduin Silversmite he suspected Nira of being the shapeshifter. They ended up leaving the bodies in the barn
• Went to Geshtai's Chapel to check on Simon Sais and Iwana Sais, where they met Brother Collamir and Sister Tasarda, who said that her pregnancy had been hijacked somehow by a powerful being. Nira recognized this as something an evil fey might do, and Wrenn inquired if Iwana had made any sort of deal, then remembered how her mother's ghost had been apologetic and assumed that it was her mother who may have made the bargain
• As the party left the temple a huge herd of barbarians, mostly men, dwarves, and orcs, marched into town. This was Ogdin's Horde and they were in town for their equinox ritual
• The party went back into The High Forest and read the runes on the tree they saw Clarence walk into, Cock was able to decipher that they said "Door to Paradise" and there was some kind of incantation in druidic as well
• On the way back they also found some mushrooms that might be useful to brew tea
• Back in town, Aired Helelar reunited with some drinking buddies who are members of the horde, including Thorgeir Thrumpek, Gudbrand the Elder and Ogdin The Anvil himself, who were making a huge mess of the The Bursting Barrel and drinking heavily
• The group gambled with the horde, playing a game called Dragzin's Gambit
• They asked if anyone in the horde knew druidic, and Gudbrand sent them to Grund Razorclaw, a new recruit and a druid, who was dismissive of the runes calling them fairy tales, but when Wrenn Lingenhall offered to upgrade his battleaxe he agreed to help them recite the incantation
• As they shook on it Aired noticed a brand on Grund's hand: the mark of a group of orc raiders who burned down his village years ago, a skull with three claw marks through it

Session 7

Greenwake 43-44

• Aired Helelar played Grund Razorclaw in Dragzin's Gambit to try to get some information out of him
• The party went down to the docks of the fishing village and stole a rowboat (no one from the town saw them but a few guards on a barge watched them)
• After two hours of searching in the dark Saoirse appeared and asked them how clearing out the Grung went. She thanked them with an Amulet of Clarity, which can detect transmutation magic such as a shapeshifter
• Feannag MacDamhan asked her very pointedly about who she was and the party caught her in a few lies about the Grung and Goop, then Rip cast detect magic and saw that she had an illusion on her, at which point the party attacked
• Saoirse dropped her disguise and revealed herself as a Sea Hag, then tried to sink the boat and drown the party for revealing her ruse
• They fled, Nira patching up holes in the boat, Feannag rowing, and the rest of the group attacking the hag to drive her off
• Wrenn Lingenhall repaired the rowboat and cast Identify on the amulet to determine that it was actually a Hag Eye, which allows a hag to see and hear through it
• They buried the amulet near Nira's outhouse
• Long Rest
• Grund appeared at Wrenn's door at dawn, and they helped upgrade his axe
• The party gathered and went into The High Forest to investigate the druidic runes
• Grund transformed into a Dire Wolf and read the incantation, which opened a glowing green portal within the tree
• Aired went through, and the rope they tied around him went slack, and he returned to beckon the party through
• They were transported to The Beastlands an outer plane and the place souls of those who were at one with nature go to rest when they die. The sky is a brilliant blue with huge towering white clouds, the sun is directly overhead beating down on the savannah they stepped out into, and there is a dense forest surrounding the plain. Animals are everywhere, antelope, zebras, meerkats, and eagles to name a few
• They spoke to a talking meerkat who explained the Beastlands to them and how Clarence is a petitioner, a soul who is bound the the body of a horse in the Beastlands, but he returns to the Material Plane often through the portal in the tree. The conversation was cut short when Grund in wolf form attacked and killed the meerkat, feeling a primal hunger and need to hunt inherent to the Beastlands
• Wrenn revived the meerkat and it fled, but then they were charged by a magical Rhinoceros that was able to cast spells, which dropped Rip to 0HP before it was taken down by the party
• Some were compelled to eat what they had killed, but then they opened the portal and went back to The High Forest

Session 8

Greenwake 44-45

• Returning from their excursion to The Beastlands, the party spoke to Grund Razorclaw who seemed keen on returning to the hunter's paradise with the rest of his orc clan. The group decided to warn Clarence
• They went to The Bursting Barrel but Clarence wasn't around, Nora Gremble hadn't seen him in the last day, but she and Dutch 'The Boozer King' Ottenbrau were concerned because they hadn't seen Gerthwin Bartelby since last night, and they were worried something happened to her
• The party lockpicked their way into Gerthwin's room and gathered evidence: large bootprints that seemed to stagger on the way in and walk steadily on the way out, evidence of a struggle, Gerthwin's apron with blood on it, and a chest in the closet with all of the valuables in place except a large spherical indent in the papers
• They brought Dutch in, noticed his shoes didn't match the bootprints, and assumed that it must be one of Ogdin's Horde
• Aired Helelar told the party about his mistrust of Grund Razorclaw and the other orc in the Horde based on his dark past
• On the way through town they noticed two posters by the bridge indicating a reward for two children that had gone missing last night: 500GP for Bitts Goldcrest and 10GP for Zuri Xibloes
• Went to Ogdin's camp, where they met Sigbjorn Hagisson and convinced him to take them to meet Ogdin The Anvil
• Ogdin, while concerned for his friend Gerthwin, was offended that they would pin the blame on his group of reformed convicts. He mentioned that he brought most of his group back before midnight and Gerthwin saw him off, leaving only the new recruits (Grund Razorclaw, Grath, Grall, Gruk, Grum, Griz and Sigbjorn) to keep drinking at the tavern
• They went to question the orcs, but they were largely unhelpful, and Grund almost seemed to recognize Aired before bumping into him. All of their boots seemed to match the profile of the prints on Gerthwin's floor
• As they left the camp they were arrested by Orbital Strike, who had been tipped off to the bodies in Nira's barn by Foke Barnswaggle. They noticed Foke had the Hag Eye necklace on when they saw him. Feannag MacDamhan used his stealth to avoid capture and snuck away
• Back in the guard's headquarters Alduin Silversmite revealed that they believe Foke to be the shapeshifter, and Void has been tailing him, seeing him acting shady and being near where the children went missing
• The party told Alduin what they found in Gerthwin's room, and Gabriella Starsyx went to confirm their evidence, returning to say she believes the Astral Orb was in Gerthwin's possession, and the fugitive is likely in Ogdin's camp
• Alduin, enraged that the shifter may be trying to escape or take on a form that is more adept in combat, warned that he plans to call in backup from his order of paladins and make war on Ogdin's Horde if need be to eliminate the fugitive
• The party convinced him to wait one day so they could try to get close to the horde and smoke out the shifter
• Under the cover of night they snuck out to Ogdin's camp and spoke to Gudbrand the Elder, who doesn't trust the new orcs and was willing to get them into the initiation trials to get close to the newcomers, since he doesn't want to see the horde infiltrated
• Rip used detect magic to search the camp and didn't find the orb, but picked up a bunch of magical armaments and a magical ring in Grund's tent
• Long Rest
• The next morning they entered the trials to join the Horde, and up on Ogdin's Overlook Ogdin rolled aside a great boulder, revealing an entrance to a cave system that lead to the Underdark
• The recruits were split into two teams (orcs and party+Sigbjorn) and told to go exterminate a hive of Kruthik, alien reptile-insect hybrids that burrow through the ground in the Underdark and perpetually need to be driven back or else they would erupt onto the surface. Each person was given two flasks of Alchemist's Fire to fight the monsters and told to bring back as many spines as possible to show the successful eradication of the hive
• After an hour of searching the dark, dank tunnels the party was ambushed by Kruthik and barely managed to drive them off, killing 3 and taking their spines in the process

Session 9

Greenwake 44-45

• While the rest of the party was arrested and entering into the trials, Feannag MacDamhan tailed Foke Barnswaggle and saw that he was speaking to the amulet and missing an eye
• He convinced Foke to hand over the Amulet of Clarity (wrapped up so the hag couldn't spy) and to go to Geshtai's Chapel to seek healing from Brother Collamir
• Feannag then snuck past the guards and joined the party in the tunnels clearing out the Kruthik
• While exploring the side tunnels, Cock saw a glimmer that turned out to be the reflection of his torchlight on a solid polished steel wall
• The party followed tunnels along the wall and came across four young kruthik devouring a corpse. After dispatching them and harvesting their spines the party saw that the body belonged to a deep gnome named L'Arsene, who had been on an expedition to find some sort of lab filled with dangerous experiments
• Looting L'Arsene's backpack revealed a set of tools used to dissect monsters and harvest their components for crafting, along with her Guide to Monster Hunting, a Bag of Colding, and a set of goggles that can identify crafting components on corpses
• Wrenn Lingenhall and Rip also found a small black pseudodragon hiding in the pack, and after patiently enticing the animal they were able to convince it to join their party for now, Rip named the dragon Pointy for its stinging sharp tail
• Following along the curving steel wall in the tunnel the party came to an alcove with a huge steel door with warnings written in every language, they decided not to try to explore the lab at this time
• Next they found themselves in a humungous cavern filled with bioluminescent fungi, their first true taste of the immensity of the Underdark. From here they could see the curving steel dome of the lab exposed and seeming very out of place in this natural cavern. They also saw a herd of Rothè grazing in the area and a continuation of the Kruthik tunnels leading deeper into the nest
• They doubled back, trying to get away from the steel wall that was hindering the transmutation detection of the Amulet Feannag had obtained. When away from the wall it was still active, its eye aimed squarely at Sigbjorn Hagisson
• Realizing they were in great danger, the party stalled for time and used the Sending Stones to contact Alduin, asking him to send in Void to help
• Short Rest
• After two hours of stalling they realized Void wasn't coming, Nira left the tunnels and spoke to the barbarian guard who said they had caught someone trying to sneak in, when she heard a crash behind her
• Back in the tunnels the party was being hunted by six adult Kruthik that caused a cave-in to separate the party into groups to be easier prey. Rip and Feannag nearly died, but they, Nira, Wrenn, and Cock were able to drive off the monsters
• Sigbjorn and Aired didn't fare so well, and they were nearing death when Sigbjorn's demeanor changed, he threw down his axes and his eyes glowed an eerie blue as he released a powerful burst of psionic energy, crushing the two Kruthik and knocking Aired unconscious
• The last Wrenn saw through a gap in the rocks was that burst of energy before the rest of the tunnel collapsed, completely locking Aired away with the shapeshifter

Session 10

Greenwake 45

• After the cave-in the party called out to Aired Helelar but there was no response
• Ogdin The Anvil and Gudbrand the Elder arrived, hearing the cave-in from outside. Ogdin was upset that they had been separated from the rest of their team and that Feannag MacDamhan had snuck into the trial
• The party persuaded Ogdin to let them continue the trial and they began their search for Aired, Feannag was brought back up for healing and questioning
• They discovered that the blood of the Kruthik has a pheromone that repels them, so Wrenn Lingenhall kept the vial open to ward off ambushes
• Two Adult Kruthik blocked their path, and after a failed stealth check by Rip a fight broke out. Cock went down and was being dragged away by a Kruthik, nearly dying in the process before Wrenn was able to use the immovable rod to keep him in place and drive the Kruthik off
• The party took a short rest and harvested a large spine from the Kruthik they were able to dispatch, then continued down the tunnels
• In the cavernous Underdark Nira's keen eyes were able to spot the tracks of Grund Razorclaw's group going deeper into the hive then returning with fewer tracks, the party decided to follow them back up the tunnel to the site of the cave-in
• At the caved-in area they found two dead Kruthik with their spines removed, but no sign of Aired, Sigbjorn Hagisson, or the Orcs. There was a trickle of water flowing through the collapsed rubble
• Backtracking again, the party explored new tunnels, one of which had a steady stream of water running down it as they climbed upwards, the rushing water intensifying as they neared the end at a large boulder
• Nira shaped water and ice and Cock pushed to dislodge the boulder, revealing an opening to the outside at the foot of Ogdin's Overlook. A downpour was causing flooding that drained into the tunnels, with thunder rumbling regularly
• Backtracking yet again, the party returned to the tunnels, but shortly heard the sound of gurgling breathing and splashing behind them
• Turning they saw what remained of Foke Barnswaggle, now covered in slimy fish scales, barnacles, and poisonous spines since he had been turned into a Sea Spawn, presumably by the hag he unknowingly served
• Rip was forced to kill Foke as he attacked and tried to take the Hag Eye Amulet, delivering his final mail as his body floated off down the rushing water in the tunnel
• Delving deeper into the flooding tunnels, the party stopped to plan, realizing that they were running out of time between Alduin Silversmite's threat to attack Ogdin's Horde, Aired's disappearance along with Sigbjorn who they presumed to be the shapeshifter, and their dwindling resources as they were repeatedly attacked by Kruthik in the tunnels. Finally, they decided to return to the surface to tell Ogdin that they were done with the trial
• Stepping out into the howling wind and driving rain the party saw no guard at the top of Ogdin's Overlook, instead flashes of lightning illuminated a chaotic scene on the field before them. With regularity, every minute a brilliant bolt of lightning would strike the ground, leaving behind a kneeling paladin in glowing plate mail to join the growing ranks of Alduin's force. Across the field Ogdin's horde clamored and chanted in defiance of the new threat

Session 11

Greenwake 45-Seedtime 1

• Feannag MacDamhan woke up in the infirmary of Ogdin's Horde's camp, snuck out to join the rest of the party as they came down from Ogdin's Overlook
• The party briefly spoke to Gudbrand the Elder, who congratulated them on completing the trial and told them to return tomorrow to continue the rites
• Seeing Ogdin The Anvil and Alduin Silversmite readying for a fight, they convinced Ogdin to parlay to avoid a costly battle. Together they crossed the sodden field in the rain to meet with Alduin and Gabriella Starsyx
• Alduin wanted access to the horde to interrogate the barbarians and the safe release of Void, who had been captured trying to sneak in
• Ogdin wanted to avoid the intrusion of external justice into his group, but agreed that if the shapeshifter remained dangerous and wouldn't return the Orb, he should be brought to some justice
• They agreed on Alduin setting a bounty of 5,000GP for the return of the fugitive and the Orb, which Ogdin's horde would take up. However, Ogdin insisted that if the fugitive showed remorse and offered to take the oaths of the horde it would be offered mercy, but the Orb would still be turned over. As a show of good faith he ordered the release of Void
• On the way back to Nira's ranch, the party was hailed by a cloaked figure. Suspicious, they didn't approach him, but he tried to rob them at gunpoint
• He attacked not only with a weapon similar to Cock's, but also with a series of small bombs, one of which created a fog cloud that flummoxed the party before they dispatched him in combat
• They were able to recover some of these bombs, along with Pi'za absorbing the essence of the man's weapon
• Back at Nira's farm, she found that Sheep #38 was missing
• Long Rest
• Level Up! (2->3)