SESSION 333: What Ho, Dry Gulch-oh!
Time for the final leg of the journey.
Day 849 Continued (12.24 0407/ 11.24 0407): Still cloudy. Carla finished up the field services and the gang got the caravan rolling once more. Pressed on the remainder of the day with no interactions.
Day 850 (11.24 0407 à 9.25 0407): Mild rain all day. Early afternoon tracks were noted in the mud. A sizable group of apes, or big monkey-man-like-things had moved down the road for a half mile before crossing over and heading Northish into the bush. The gang rode on for a few more hours before camping.
Day 851 (9.25 0407 à 7.26 0705): Rains persisted from the previous day. Now the road was getting mucky. Notably slowing down travel. The distraction of constantly keeping the wagon from getting stuck was a very useful way to lay the ground work for an ambush. Late afternoon in a particularly muddy low spot a sizable orc war party awaited our arrival hiding in the bushes flanking both sides of the road. The hobos were perforated with two large volleys of arrows from the orc horde that exceeded fifty. Even when well armored shear volume gets the job done. We were bleeding before we had drawn a blade. Carla saw an opportunity to unleash an insect plague upon half the beastman host. They were demoralized and easily nuked by a fireball from Chung-Li. The other half had engaged with our fighters, trying to overrun with superior numbers. BoB used her elevation atop the wagon to systematically snipe orc after orc, each shot a kill. The orcs were not long for this world but give them credit, they got their hits in and a couple of the bosses escaped to seek vengeance another day. The pay was marginal – thanks Orcs! The remainder of the day was simply fighting the muddy road.
Day 852 (7.26 0705 à 6.27 0706): Cloudy. The road was a soupy mess even though the rains had stopped. Travel was greatly reduced but at least the day was uneventful. However, the evening brought a surprise. A roving manticore caught site of our camp and decided to assess the probability of an easy meal.
From the darkness it launched volley after volley of tail spikes making a mess of things. We never saw it though, tricky bugger it was. As quickly as it had attacked it was gone, not to be lured into direct combat. Perhaps on another day.
Day 853 (6.27 à Dry Gulch): Cloudy as we transitioned out of the Basilisk Hills into the plains of Zelaia. In the distance lay Dry Gulch.
Dry Gulch is nestled in a crescent of grassy hill country. The flat land at the base of the hills in this hex is all cultivated farmland, and more people live and cultivate crops outside of the town proper than live within. There are no rivers and only a few smaller creeks that gradually wend their way south, but the hex is blessed with a number of springs, and warm, moist air blowing up from the Silver Sea to the south ensures that this location sees plenty of rain.
A single road — the remnants of the Royal Road that once ran east to Liwil and west to Irmar (the capital city of the Skeldrenes, now in ruins) — runs through Dry Gulch. The western branch runs south of the ruins of Irmar (in Hex 54.46) and on to Layge. Trade between Dry Gulch and Layge is frequent, with caravans making the journey weekly, giving the ruins of Irmar a wide berth; trade between Dry Gulch and Liwil (see Basilisk Hills Hexcrawl) is less frequent, with caravans traveling between the two roughly every other month. These eastward caravans will no doubt grow more frequent with the discovery of large gold deposits near Liwil, and the gradual re-opening of trade routes further east.
The CR-Team: Carla, Dolec Da, Charles in Charge, Chung-Li, Lady Versamage, Boris, Katre, Biff & BoB
ROLECALL
Carla the Green High Priestess of TMB (C10) 384033 xp +10% <400001> CRT 1d12/III
Scars: permanent loss left index finger and scarring on arm
Boris the Dwarven Lord (D9) 382525 xp +10% <400001> CRT 1d20/IV
Serious wound: permanent loss of CHA -3, carved up face
Wound: Bad leg (-5’ MV)
Multiple Injuries: lost 25 teeth (7 remaining), drools a lot CHA -1
Serious Injury: Brain Drain -2 INT
Serious wound: permanent loss of an eye (-1 to missile fire)
The Henchmen
Biff Bartley the Half-Orc Blackguard (HO8) 127113 <MAX> +5% CRT 1d14/II
‘BoB’ the Deadly Shade (N7) 89220 <90000> +5% CRT 1d16/II
Charles in Charge the Champion (F7) 91388 <120000> +10% CRT 1d20/IV
Franz the Grave Return (Lawful; XXXX) Sword
Critical Wound: Punctured lung (-2 CON)
Mostly DEAD. (-1 CON)
Dolec Da the Hero (F7) 85075 xp +10% <120000> CRT 1d20/IV
Missing five teeth
Chung-Li the Elven Champion Sorcerer (E7) 140215 xp <250000> +10% CRT 1d8/II
Lady Versamage Knight Errant (K6) 66802 xp <85000> +5% CRT 1d16/IV
Katre Elf-Girl and Swordsman Conjuror (E4) 16959 xp <32000> +0% CRT 1d8/II
RESERVES
Ramrod the Cloned Magsman - Recovering from death (yet again)
Elapsed Campaign Time (start of session)
841 – Bimbles-Team (16.23 The Doom of Cthedrak)
849 – Carla-Team (12.24/0407 Road to Dry Gulch)
Domain Days
Gormandia: 11 (Start 838)
Bunnland:?doing something or the other?
Join us for session Three-Hundred-and-Thirty-Four when we ask the questions:
What’s going on with Team Bimbles?
Or maybe, what opportunity does the Gulch hold for our empire builders?
Or howabouts, what murder lurks in the dark corners of Dry Gulch?
Or could it be, what mysteries do the lands west of the Basilisk Hills hold?
Or just possibly, where the heck is the Land of a Thousand Towers?
Tale of the Tape
Not much to say on this front.
KILLS
Orcs (51)
LOOT
Gems small assorted (30) 10 gp = 300 gp
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