Session 19: Dammit Cornerio!


 * It’s the next morning. We need to go to the Tusk by nightfall– recall the Abbot’s overheard comments.
 * Cornerio asks the guard lieutenant about the Tusk. The orcs used to be heard chanting there from far away. He takes some rope.
 * We set off to the north. We are definitely leaving tracks but take a winding path. It’s raining.
 * We see the tusk up on a hill from a clearing. The clearing has signs of people camping there and moving around. We approach the Tusk. It looks like ivory.
 * Rio says “Don’t freak out” and shapeshifts into an orc. Tork seems to think he’s going to turn into an orc by walking toward it. Cornerio and Vikrit think Rio is really an orc who was disguised.
 * The Magic Geiger Counter detects Abjuration magic. There are some symbols etched into the tusk - similar to the tablet we found. Cornerio takes it out and it starts to feel warm. (Sarienne gets dizzy.) He tries pressing it against the tusk - gets warmer.
 * Cornerio climbs up the tusk, but can’t get much of a grip, so starts hammering a piton in. We convince him to come down.
 * Vikrit finds tracks from 3-4 days ago. 1 human, one large animal like a bear. Probably Ruven - they go to the side and then into the woods (not the exact direction we came).
 * Vikrit, Tork, and Mogen follow the tracks, and the rest of them hang back. He loses the tracks in the mud in the woods, but can smell a humanoid (the witch?)
 * We find a hut with a fir hanging over it. There are wolverine droppings around outside.
 * The Geiger counter picks up magic from the hut. We approach - an old woman opens the door, suspicious of us. She has a wolverine by her side. She says her name is Tada.
 * Mogen compliments her on her craftsmanship on her door hinges. She says she’s nervous because of the animal mutilations. Mogen makes friends, and she gives us some healing salve. Vikrit plays with the wolverine.
 * She suggests we could talk to Old Ketter - a shaman who lives deeper in the woods. She leans in quietly. “He doesn’t act quite human.” Tada gives us directions.
 * She doesn’t know who Ruven is; she says she hasn’t seen the orcs nearby. When Vikrit asks about “the Watcher”, she looks off into the distance oddly then says she doesn’t know who that is - she’s hiding something.
 * Meanwhile, back in the marsh: Sarienne, Cornerio and Vesun hang out. Rio’s leg gets stuck in something.
 * A huge crocodile comes swimming at them. They manage to shove a rock in its mouth. Sarienne tries shooting it but doesn’t do a lot of damage. Rio tries to grapple the croc to keeps it mouth shut but it rolls. It bites them hard in the leg. Sarienne shoots an arrow with a rope attached for Rio to grab. Vesun tries to whack it with his hammer and hits, but then the croc knocks his hammer away. Cornerio just watches (very helpful). Rio gets on the rope.
 * Back to the other group: There’s a big cairn with sticks and rocks. There’s some trampled sticks in front of the entrance.
 * A man comes out of the cave with a long beard and long hair. He’s wearing a barbarian fur-style. He says he’s Hosk. He looks relatively youthful.
 * When Mogen mentions the shaman, he says we’re thinking of the hermit who lives near the lake. We head that way.
 * There’s no real sign of human activity. On the way back, we get jumped by a bear.
 * It swipes at Vikrit, he casts Speak with Animals and tells it not to attack. It ponders this, then swipes at Vikrit - with poison-tipped claws. Mogen stabs it with a kukri and Tork magic missiles it.
 * The bear slumps and dies. Tork suggests the blinking could’ve been a spell or a potion. Vikrit examines it and it seems like it’s a normal bear. Nothing shows up on the Geiger counter.
 * The cairn has been looted - by hands? There is an unlocked chest - silver candelabra, a BIG ruby (non-magic), a couple gold pieces - the “orc killing reward”. Very strange.
 * We head back. Night is falling.
 * We prepare to intercept the Abbot. Mogen starts hearing ambient noise over the earpiece. Most of us get into trees; we all hide. We hear the sound of a cart being drawn by a donkey.
 * The abbot is leading the cart. Coming the opposite way, there is someone human wearing barbarian-esque clothes… it’s Hosk.
 * They meet at the Tusk and clearly recognize each other. Mogen can hear:
 * Hosk: “I’m here. You told me to come and I did.” Abbot: “I’m glad you’re here, Ruven. You know that your service isn’t complete yet.” Hosk/Ruven: “You weren’t supposed to take him. Aram didn’t do anything wrong, he was the only one who stood up for us.” Abbot: “You made that stupid deal with Mavadtorop, not me. YOU are going to listen to me.” Ruven lunges at Abbot but forced to stop. “Nuh uh uh, you don’t want to upset him.” Says go to orc camp and go talk to Mavadtorop (presumably going back the way we came the day before), “he’ll want to speak with you”.
 * Sarienne follows them, Vik and Cornerio follows. V &amp; S agree to incapacitate the Abbot, but while following, tumble in the mud. The abbot and Ruven turn around.
 * Vikrit shoots the Abbot with a sleep arrow and hits. Vikrit barely misses Ruven with the next arrow. Cornerio smacks Ruven in the knee, S tries to tackle him and misses. Vikrit shoots him with a sleep arrow but he pulls it out.
 * Ruven gets up and flees. Vik tries to shoot him. Sarienne tries to tackle him as he runs but misses.
 * The rest of the party catches up. The Abbot has necklace with tablet shape on it (symbol of Mavadtorop?), his eyes are open (he is not asleep). Mogen tries to take it off - he grabs her arm. Sarienne tries to get it off but fails.
 * Cornerio runs after Ruven and smashes him into the mud. Rio pulls the amulet off the abbot - has to make a will save. Ruven is drowning in the mud, but Vesun heals him and we tie him up.
 * The abbot says we’re messing with things we don’t understand. He says he’ll kill us if we don’t let them go. We tell him we know about Mavadtorop. He starts casting something. Vesun casts Silence so he has to stop.
 * We start heading back, taking items off the 2 prisoners. The abbot only has a dinky sickle. Ruven had a cloak, magic ring and bracer.
 * While Vik &amp; Ves discuss the mystery and what we know, Cornerio brings up the tablet to the amulet… then it keeps doing that outside of his control. Then there’s a blue flash. The necklace starts glowing bright blue, then a blast of light comes out of the amulet… and 6 different giant crocodiles (CHOCODILES?) start surrounding us.