Homeward Bound Episode 06

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==Recap==
===Back on Land===
The party continues to sail down south the coastline of the Demon Continent. Inside the boat are Kel William Marshal, Grimes, Zarrah & her 6 Gnoll Pups, Nimrod, Mogwog, and the 8 Sled Dogs.
The starsign of Matrigal, the Goddess of Hope, is now due north. The party land their boat and start to travel inland. The party turns Zarrah's Velthara Dagger into a Spear.
The party travels for a time that can't be measured in this plane. They see a volcano to the north, maybe 2 miles in height, much taller than the other volcano they had climbed.
As they travel, Grimes hears something being dragged across stone ahead of the party. Grimes gets the party to stop and goes to scout ahead. He finds a small pool of green ichor. He can also hear breathing from a medium or large creature ahead trying to keep quiet. The creature then leaps at Grimes from the dark.
:Lurker Demon: 5 equal limbs extend from the central core of this invertebrate. At the end of each limb is a bone spike that can be used as a foot to stand on, a claw to climb with, or a weapon to stab with. The limbs and body are covered in small iridescent black scales. At it's core is a 3-pronged beak. A ring of eyes circles the beak and it's back, allowing the Lurker to see in all directions.
The Lurker Demon grapples Grimes in its 5 limbs. William helps Grimes fight off the Lurker and ultimately slay it. William cuts out one of the Lurker's Eye, then lets the demon dissolve into gnatess. William tries to put the eye into a pocket, but it dissolves when it is no longer touching William. Zarrah comes over an heals Grimes with holy magic.
===Into the Lavafields Canyon===
The party continues north in the direction of Matrigal, into a steep and wide canyon, about a mile wide. After travelling for some time, the canyon narrows and the party spots the glow of lava and a gigantic worm. 
:Fire Wyrm: 80 feet long, 5 or 6 feet thic. Covered with massive plate-like scales with the texture of rough hewn limestone. The scales on the worm are dark, but under the scales the creature glows with an internal heat.
The party pause and watch the Fire Wyrm from a distance, seeing it in the middle of a lavafield. They see the creature enter a cave. The party want no part in fighting the monster, and hang back to watch and see. The party hide under a pile of Scrag Cloaks. Grimes rests to recover his wounds as Kel William keeps a watch.
3 HP later for Grimes, Kel William spots a group of demons lead by a Task Master, containing Warriors, Thungs, Hydras, marching down the Lavafield. The Lava Wyrm bursts out of the side of the canyon and attacks the demons, breathing fire breath, melting down Hydras and Thungs. The Warriors and the Taskmaster survive and retreat. The Lava Wyrm chases and eat some, then returns into the wall. The party keep waiting and resting.
6 HP later for Grimes, the Lava Wyrm leaves the cave and curls up around a lava pit.
26 HP later for Grimes, the Lava Wyrm uncircles the crater it is around, and slides back into a cave. Grimes is at full health, but the party wonder how to get past the Lava Wyrm without incident. Grimes checks in with the dogs and notices that one of the dogs, Dasher, is missing. Grimes asks Nimrod about the missing dog, but for a moment Nimrod uncharacteristically stands up to Grimes. Soon the mood leaves Nimrod, and he hides, timid again.
Grimes looks around for Dasher and can't find any sign of the missing dog. Grimes inspects the other dogs and finds 3 of them have blood on their snouts. Grimes inspects one of the dogs, and finds it appears to have more intellect than usual and keeping eye contact with Grimes. Grimes pulls out the Gem of true seeing. The 3 dogs appear to have tendrils coming down from their chins. 
Grimes reports to William. William tests out the Dog's loyalty by commanding them to follow him. The dogs follow William's commands, but there is an emotion disconnect and they do not play at all. William leaves the dogs be, thinking they could be useful.
Grimes, worried about infection, puts a scrag cloak across his face. He then sets out to scout out ahead of the party to find a path across. Grimes gets to the other side of the lava field without incident. Grimes looks in the cave and sees the Lava Wyrm looks like it has cooled in temperature.
Kel William assumes it is safe to proceed, sends Zarrah and the Gnoll Pups on ahead. Nimrod and Mogwog don't want to go off ahead alone. They slowly move forward. Kel William is unable to bend his ankles with his stone feet, so drags himself across the ground.
Grimes heads back towards the party to report in, and catches up back with William. The group then move to catch back up with the gnolls. The Lava Wyrm doesn't wake up.
===The Lava River===
The party group all back up together and keep travelling north down the canyon. The Lava Fields continue and continue. The mountain peaks in the distances get closer and closer. The lava fields get more and more dense and brighter.
Zarrah says they are still going the right way. As they walk, Kel William admits to Grimes that he can't remember his children's faces anymore.
The party find a solid river of lava ahead of them with island of land that can be jumped between. Zarrah borrows William & Grimes's packbacks and puts 4 of the gnoll pups inside, and gives the smallest gnoll pup for Grimes to carry across. Zarrah then goes ethereal and gets to the other side. Grimes jumps across with the gnoll pup. Grimes comes back to help William across. 
Nimrod, Mogwog, and the 7 dogs are back on the other side. Grimes head back over and carries the Kobolds across, one at a time. The dogs start to cross on their own. One of the dogs slips and falls into the lava. 4 dogs get across safely.
The two dogs left behind fight one another, and one dog kills the other, with Grimes unable to stop the fight. The dog that wins eats the other dog, which takes a long time. Everyone else waits on the far bank and rests.
Once the dog has finished eating the other, it grows a 2nd head, it's fur is black, it's eyes a red. The dog then crosses over to the others. The dog still obeys Kel William's orders. Kel William tries to establish dominance with the dog, but ends up pissing it off, and it bites William. William defends himself with non-lethal damage, and knocks out the dog.
William, Grimes and Zarrah talk about what to do with the 2-headed dog. William thinks he can keep the dog loyal, so Zarrah heals up the dog to 1 HP. The dog is submissive to William. The 5 normal dogs follow the 2-headed Dog, and there is no more fighting between them.
The party continue to travel. They leave the lava wastes behind them and the ambient temperature around them cools.
===Full Circle===
The path curves west and the canyon narrows dramatically and is a long twisting passage. The tall mountains are now to their east. Grimes realises the party is near the Volcano they saw Matrigal for the first time, they have gone in a large circle. 
The party enter another narrow ravine beside a lava flow, and head north. After travelling for some time the party spot a bridge above them where 2 factions of demons are fighting one-another over the bridge. The party plan go to sneak under the bridge, hopefully the demons are too distracted to see them. They need to get onto the east bank of the lava first to get under the bridge.
Kel William knocks over a stone pillar to create a bridge over the lava. William however ends up stepping onto a Lurker Demon, and William kills it, with the dogs eating the demon gnats.
The party cross the makeshift bridge to the east bank. Grimes scouts ahead of the group northward. He sees a floating Lensman Demon keeping watch over the canyon and the battle on the bridge. Knowing the lenseman would spot the party, Grimes tries to snipe the demon, but just causes damage and the demon survives. Grimes takes a second shot and some Hydra on the cliffs above turn their attenion in his direction. Grimes takes cover against the canyon wall.
A Hydra hits Grimes with a poisonous spine. Grimes keep shooting at the Lensman, moving to new cover under the large bridge the demons are fighting. Kel William and the dog catch up to where Grimes used to be and throws a harpoon at the Lensman, but it's armor deflects the blow. Hydras on the clifts above keep throwing spines at the party. Zarrah leads the kobolds and the Gnoll Pups past the party to get past the combat zone, but ends up being ambushed by a Lurker that almost kills her. William rushes up to save Zarrah and kills the Lurker.
Another Lensman Demon spots Grimes, and more Hydras shoot stingers at Grimes. Grimes kills the first lensman with a crossbow shot, and then moves out of range. The Hydras, with Grimes out of range, return to their battle with the other demon army. The western Demon Army unleashes a Gate Breaker, which slams demons off the bridge to the canyon below.
The party get to the north side under the bridge. The Hydras on the canyon wall fire poisonous spines at the party. William carefully leads the party north, looking out for more Lurkers. The party except Grimes manage to escape the battlezone and reach a cliff going down. Grimes keep firing at the Hydras on the cliffs above with his crossbow. Kel William sets up a rope to climb down the cliff as Grimes kills a Lensman with a blind shot.
Most of the party go down the rope down to safety. Grimes is the last to go down when he is attacked by a Lurker. Grimes defends himself as William hits the Lurker with his harpoon, rooting the Lurker. Zarrah throws the makeshift phase spear, hitting the Lurker, holding the Lurker in place. Grimes finishes off the Lurker. Grimes picks up the spear and harpoon, and rejoins the party down the cliff.
The party continue down the raving, and leave the battlefield entirely.
===New Direction===
The party continue north down the canyon and hear water in the distance getting closer and closer. In the sky, the star-sign of Matrigal moves 60 degrees eastward in the sky, it is now East-Northeast.
The party arrive at a coastline that heads in a East-Northeast direction. The party keep moving.
==Experience==
11,630 exp each (Exp total 420703)
Category:Homeward Bound Episodes