(This is a log of my players run through the Out of the Abyss campaign (After a brief dabble with Harried at Hillsfar first. Spoilers abound, though it’s likely the team won’t play the module in the way you, the writers or sanity intended).
Our fearless party met up in the outskirts of Hillsfar after many people had been evicted into the surrounding countryside. While only together for a brief period of time the party had already made it’s mark.
After wandering into a local farm looking for directions they’d soon got themselves involved in the local troubles of the area.
First, Aiyu interrogated a pair of children about the whereabouts of a local farm boy who’d gone missing;
Aiyu looming over the two children while they stared at their feet, unable to make eye-contact: “Any idea where Vernon is?”
Children: “No, we have no idea where he could be. <Titter> We’ve not seen him in ages! In fact, we don’t even know who he is. Especially after the way he treated us earlier!” <Giggle>, <wink>
<Aiyu, rolling a Sense Motive check>
Aiyu: “Thanks for the help, girls.”
<Turning to the party>
“They have absolutely no idea where he is.”
Targen: “Really?”
Meanwhile Anastacia demonstrated his combat prowess by slaughtering chickens with throwing knives and Zook and Whitie helped a heavily pregnant goat in a nearby barn. Between the two of them they successfully delivered the kids though they were all unnaturally large, demonic and (in one case) two-headed.
<Nature roll>
“That can’t be normal.”
Targen: “They’ve been corrupted by outside influences so we should immediately look for a demon-worshipper nearby. Normally they’d be someone we least expect….”
He glared suspiciously at the farm children.
Anastacia: “How do you know all this?”
Targen: “Well, you know. Cleric stuff.”
He wiggled his finders suggestively.
Eventually the party set out to find the missing boy. The Ranger proved his ability to be at one with nature by crashing through the forest and getting savaged by a small group of dogs.
Stepping over the pitiful corpses of the dead dogs, Targen healed Whitie and tried not to to snigger.
Whitie: “It wasn’t my fault! I’m an archer, wasted in melee but very dangerous over long distances!”
Aiyu, sympathising: “Just stay at the back. I’ll protect you.”
Zook: “I really pity the creature you take as a companion.”
Later the wizard proceeded to show him how it was done by using his ability to talk with animals to scandalise a squirrel while attempting to ask for directions.
Anastacia, watching the squirrel run into the bushes: “I’ve never seen a squirrel look outraged before. What did you say to him?”
Zook: “Hello, I think.”
Having arrived back the farm the party was confronted by a scene of panic. The demonic goats had grown overnight and led by an enormous 2-headed monstrosity they were barrelling down towards the group.
Whitie loosed his bow and positioned himself carefully behing Aiyu only to watch in horror as he dived to one side and hid behind the gate. He had enough time to whimper “But…. why?” as he was trampled into the ground in a flurry of hooves and horns.
The rest of the demonic creatures were watching Anastacia tip-toeing across an open, well-lit field to a tree while whispering “Shssshhhh!” to herself.
“How did you see me!” Anastacia called in disbelief as the “not that stupid after all” demon goats chased her around the tree. After being bitten savagely she shinnied up the branches of the tree and started throwing apples down on her assailants.
The rest of the party fought hard to defeat the demonic caprines. After a long battle Aiyu emerged from behind the gate to deliver the death-blow to the mortally wounded mega-goat.
“Don’t crowd me, you can thank me later.”
Aiyu paused, looking around.
“What happened to Whitie?”
DM Note: WhiteEagle really did get knocked out at the drop of a hat. There was a quite comical amount of bad-luck but also some interesting choices in positioning in combat. For the role-playing in my head I like to imagine this traumatised him enough to make him homicidally overcompensate later.
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