Hardcore Heroes: Episode 18

__NOTOC__
== Synopsis ==
Malakai and Van-Healsing begin their adventure in Halfpint, seeking information about a missing adventuring party that had ventured up the Crystal Run river into Hidden Valley. They learn from Gunderflunk that only Darf, the fighter, returned, injured and drunk. Darf recounts their perilous journey involving various creatures and a werewolf ambush that left him blind and alone. After being healed and equipped by Van, the party heads upriver, avoiding conflicts until they reach the ambush site. Discovering clues and fighting werewolves, they learn about a tribe with the stolen spellbook. Opting for stealth, Darf steals the book, leading to an invisible chase and various encounters before they finally return to Shirebrook, surviving multiple attacks along the way.
==Recap==
=== 1509-06-24 ===
Game starts with Malakai and Van-Healsing hanging out in Halfpint. Malakai asks around about the adventuring party that headed up the Crystal run river into Hidden Valley and is informed by Gunderflunk that out of the 4 people only the fighter, Darf, has come back. They find Darf in the inn on opposite side of the street, drunk and badly injured. He informs the party of their journey up the river, how they encountered alligators, bullywugs, mephits until finally they saw a woman tied to a tree being approached by an alligator which then turned out to be a werewolf ambush, he lost his eyesight and was put into a boat by undetermined entity and made it back to Shirebrook. He also informs the party that he barrow-stole a spellbook from his guardian, Joris the sorcerer, and gave it to one of his party members who died at the ambush.
Van is informed that Frederick took over the church duties of his old temple. The next day Van restores Darf's one remaining eye, they also buy him a new short sword and shield since he's lost all of his belongings, meanwhile Malakai rents a longboat for the ride upriver and a fisherwoman, Rwanda to pilot it.
They pass by some goblins and Lizardfolk without fighting and then bullywugs in the night, again without fighting them, then the following day they reach the ambush spot. There they find some rope scraps, a sword and tracks which they follow into the forest. After a bit of walking they find a tent with some of the belongings from Darf's party and a body, then meet one of the werewolves coming out of the forest. After a brief battle they get the information out of him that there's a tribe of 11 werewolves near the mountain and that they now have the spellbook they're after, then they kill him. Darf disrobes and spoons with the dead werewolf with the plan of sneaking into werewolf village while invisible. 
While Van is napping they encounter another werewolf, the dead werewolves mate, but fight her off, then proceed to fight among themselves for a bit as is proper. Then after a few hours they are surrounded by the werewolf pack, a brief and tense negotiation later party is given an ultimatum of bringing 2 women in exchange for the spellbook. Instead the party decides to cast invisibility on Darf and let him steal the spellbook. After some ambling about in the jungle the werewolf cave is located and spellbook gets stolen from under the noses of the werewolves then an invisible chase ensues,  meanwhile Van almost drowns in the river as he fights off lizardfolk. A reunion later they make their way back via the river, get attacked by bullywugs in the night, get attacked by goblins the next day until finally late in the same day they make it back into Shirebrook. 
3 out of 30 spells in Joris's spellbook are unrecoverable. 
==Experiance==
*Darf gains 2nd level. 
*Malakai gains 3009XP 
*Van gains 4500XP
Category:Hardcore Heroes Episodes