Session 62: MRORegon Trail, Part 2


 * Meanwhile... Cornerio's team argues about whether to go down or leave.
 * The 2 ettins knock each other out in the other room. Hemminks says we can try getting in to the water for 5 mins and to give up and leave. Miravella points out that the water is dangerous because it's so cold. Lambert casts Burning Hands to try to melt the ice, but it doesn't work.
 * Hemminks suggests we look for a trap door. Cornerio finds a small case underneath a bed, with 3 vials full of a dark blue liquid. Lambert determines that it's a potion of waterbreathing… or poison. Miravella points out there are only three, and Hemminks says he doesn't trust her and dismisses her back to the cart
 * Lambert drinks the potion and dives in tied to a rope; after a long time we feel tugging. Corn and Hem yank him up and he has a bolt sticking out of his shoulder. After Hemminks haeals him and he warms up, he says it goes very deep, there were something like merpeople there with spears, and he got hit by a bolt from them. He saw a weird pile of bones and something in a cocoon. Hemminks thinks it's related to a hag's obsession.
 * We decide it's not worth fighting an army of merpeople. As we return to the cart, Yorick has pulled out a huge, fancy crossbow -- Cornerio notices it is gnome craftsmanship. Hemminks marks the location of the tower on his map and we continue on.
 * We end up camping in freezing rain.
 * Cornerio notices that his magical powers feel attenuated--he can no longer access Augury. He has notg been traveling with his idol.
 * The next couple days pass without concern. We make our way out of the Ashen Spires and reach the plains.
 * Closer to the next town, we see a farmer on the road approaching us, with two young kids, carrying baskets. We stop the cart; he says his name is Johan and his sons are named James, and, uh, James. He says we're passing his farm and offers the vegetables, and to think of his sons. Cornerio notices him giving a secret signal by his hand and speaks in a script. Hemminks interrupts them to tell them to hurry up and this seems to throw them off a bit. Cornerio asks for a squash, and the kid claps with joy and his sibling shuffles away. Cornerio gives him 2 copper and the farmer hsakes his hand.
 * He then says, "A word of caution, if you're heading east, there have been a lot of 'weird goblin things' going on." He says to think about what have gave them when we're attacked by goblins and spits on the ground.
 * That night, Cornerio is on watch first.
 * Around midnight, he rolls a 1 on his spot check, and completely misses a shooting star overhead that maybe landed nearby.
 * We make it to the town of Teryk. We discuss next steps and Cornerio wants to go north past Lake Dark. Miravella says it's zombie-infested and tells the legend that ??? Were buried there. Cornerio and Hemm call her prejudiced in unison when she says she doesn't like zombies.
 * The guard at the gate is suspicious of Lambert. Hemminks says he hired him, then she looks over some wanted posters. She tells us to be cautious and seems to think he's being scammed, and tells him to talk to the captain in the morning. We go and she points us toward the single inn, The Old Bear.
 * We stop in at the general store, run by two brothers. Hemminks asks one (Erasmus) about the goblins, and he says it's mainly toward the northeast; he says every 13-1 years they go crazy, it's like a seasonal thing.
 * Cornerio and the team head to The Old Bear. There are lots of rugs made out of animals and mostly human/half-elf customers. There's 1 dwarven waitress and customer, and a d lizardfolk wearing a red cape and luchador mask; the bartender is an orc. Lambert goes up to a customer and starts.
 * The bartender introduces himself as Ven Tamry and gives Cornerio a handshake, which earns him a drink. Hemminks tells him his name and he says 'thank you for your service', then says he 'served in his own way' when Hemminks asked if he served.
 * We tell him how the road's been and Cornerio mentions the tower. He says, "You mean THE Ashen spire?" The guy at the end of the bar is 'local historian' Percy, who has been eyeing us; he's very muscular but has a high voice. He pipes up that the mountains weren't always there and goes off on a tangent about cicadas. Ven is excited to ask us about going through the tower and offers us free dinner if we talk. Lambert embellishes the story as Cornerio tells him what we saw.
 * After we tell him, he asks us to take part in a local tradition, and everyone in the bar perks up. He asks Cornerio to fight in their ring in the back. Everyone cheers and eh asks the rules: no blood, no grudges, no magic. He says if Corn beats everyone he can have anything in the bar, including a gaudy belt up on the wall. Cornerio asks Hemminks if it will be an issue and he says he doesn't care; Lambert has been taking bets since the second it was mentioned.
 * Cornerio heads out to the back.
 * Drinks are handed out, and Percy 'the Magnificent' is first up against Cornerio. Percy charges him and hits him on the chin. Cornerio whacks him in the chest and he wheezes, then gets punched in the stomach and falls. The arena is silent then there is raucous applause. Ven raises Cornerio's arm and lifts him off the ground.
 * Salamanca the lizardfolk is next. He gets booed and kids toss things at him as he enters and he clambers up the wall. When the fight starts, Salamanca grabs him and smacks his head into the ground. Cornerio punches him in the head but not enough to throw him off balance; Salamanca responds by flailing at him with his claws and he accidentally lets go. Cornerio pummels him and he staggers to the side of the ring, to the delight of the crowd. Cornerio goes to step on his back but gets slashed with the claws on his ankle. Cornerio knocks him down and steps on his head. The crowd goes wild and Salamanca slinks off, whispering something to Ven on the way out.
 * Lars, the troll, comes out of the kitchen for the next fight. Cornerio runs at him and punches him in the gut, hard. Lars misses two swings at Cornerio, who circles around him, wailing on him. He roars and grabs Cornerio, who gets a small hit in and notices the troll healing, but he tosses Cornerio across the arena. Cornerio lands well and runs back at him, hitting him very hard. As Lars pauses to catch his breath, and Cornerio knocks him out one-two-KO. The crowd erupts in screaming cheers.
 * There's suddenly a very loud thump and the inn shakes. Ven tells everyone Chuckles is coming and to scramble to the top of the risers. The wall of the tavern explodes, and an ogre with massive fangs emerges. Ven says he didn't think 'things would get to this point, good luck!' and runs away. Cornerio can tell that Chuckles knows to attack whatever is in the arena 'first'. Chuckles slams his fists on the ground, and Lambert casts Grease on the arena floor. Both Cornerio and Chuckles manage to keep their footing, and then the fight begins.
 * Cornerio gets a solid hit on Chuckles, but then it grabs him with both hands and tries to rend him, doing a ton of damage. Lambert succeeds with Hold Person on it, and Hemminks panics and casts Flame Strike. Cornerio lands some hits on it and then slips on the grease. The ogre grabs him and prepares to rip him in half, then slips. Hemminks summons a spiritual weapon (bleeding mace) that smacks it on the head. Cornerio gets up and smacks it, and it misses the first hit but starts to crush his leg, and he has 6 HP left… and his magic gloves activate, zapping it to unconsciousness with exactly enough damage. He cockily brushes himself off and Hemminks calls him a fool and drags him out of the arena to heal him.
 * The crowd is shocked, then slow clapping ramps up to wild cheers. Ven calls him the most talented person to ever pass though, and that he's the hero, "Iron of Teryk". He has free food and drink for life.
 * We rest up for an extra day. Ven brings over some of the town elders to thank him for getting rid of Chuckles, as they've had that problem for a while (apparently it was his fault). The town elders apparently change their names to numbers in public service. One of them hands over a box with 'something valuable' that was given to the town by a wizard a long time ago. Cornerio opens it and sees a large gold scarab broach with obsidian eyes, and a small button on it. There are glyphs all over it.
 * One of the council members, "Number 3" (who stutters) says it's a Scarab of Stabilization. If he starts losing blood, it will produce a spirit and automatically stabilize and heal him. He asks where we're going, and he says 'it makes sense, you're clearly a dwarf of the Holds" and Hemminks says actually he was born in this country. He asks for a lock of Gregaro's hair, and he gives it over.
 * We head to the northeast.
 * About 4 days later, we spot smoke in the distance. Cornerio is wary of going too far off track, but we head halfway to it. We see a number of marks and trails, and quite a bit of litter. The hafllings ask to give the animals a break; Hemminks points out that they mentioned goblins throwing trash so it's likely not safe.
 * Hemminks, Lambert and Cornerio agree to accompany Ilya and Ruslan to scout ahead. We see ancient stones and a crowd of goblins chanting. There's a very fluffy dog tied up in the center, looking well-groomed--not like a stray. Hemminks and Cornerio try to leave, and they say 'no, we can't let them kill the dog!' 'It must be valuable!' Cornerio says, "You don't know what that dog did."
 * Lambert says he can try to distract them or scare them off. A goblin approaches them to invite them to take part in the ritual sacrifice in honor of the Devourer.
 * Hemminks asks directly where they got the dog and the shaman says he definitely didn't get it from the village. We hear whirring overhead and the shaman runs back over. They go to start the sacrifice and Hemminks elbows Lambert into greasing the ground; the shaman falls before he can stab the dog in the heart, some of the  goblins wail and fall over, and then the dog transforms into a gigantic gold dragon.