Hardcore Heroes: Episode 20

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== Synopsis ==
Malakai, struggling to find Darf, decides to return to Anvil, leaving Van-Healsing to follow tracks leading to the Ashlands. After a failed attempt at locating Darf and witnessing soldiers interrogate a barn owner, they continue their journey westward, using a "Create Water" spell to stay hydrated. Discovering a village called Harken, they meet the mayor and find Darf, who expresses his reluctance to continue adventuring, preferring to reconcile with Joris. Malakai resists the urge to steal and instead peacefully travels to Rainwood, identifying a magical Cloak of Spider-climbing. They head to Thornwood, encountering and defeating ogres and giant spiders, though Malakai is poisoned. Seeking a cure, they bypass a dubious alchemist and travel to Stromheim, where Malakai is healed at a cathedral, avoiding the cleric's attempts to take their health potion as a tithe.
==Recap==
=== Friday, 1509-07-08 ===
Day starts off with Malakai attempting to search for Darf, but being unproficient he fails miserably so instead they both move some ways into the forest and then Malakai goes back to Anvil to try and find Darf, and find out whether he sold them out. He first goes to the same village they slept at finding some soldiers questioning the owner of the barn about the people who stayed there, meanwhile Van-Healsing finds tracks from their previous campfire leading off into the Ashlands.They follow the tracks into Ashlands and then successfully locate them again after sitting down for diner, as the night sets in they bed down without having seen Darf and are left wondering how he is making do considering he didn't pack much supply wise. 
=== Saturday, 1509-07-09 ===
They continue walking westward, using "Create Water" spell to keep themselves and their dogs hydrated. At one point they find a discarded sword and studded leather armor. 
=== Sunday, 1509-07-10 ===
They begin early in the morning and sometime later spot a village on the horizon, which ends up where Darf had gone. Local villager leads the party to mayors house where they are met with suspicion due to their heavily armed appearance, but after Van performs a public healing the mayor Sam quickly changes face. They are informed that the village is called Harken and they're in Rainwood barony. Darf is woken up a moment later and lets the party know that he is simply not okay with stealing magical items from some lord, they both try to reason with him, explain their perspective, but while not hostile Darf tells them he just wants to head home and make up with Joris instead of continuing to adventure with them. 
=== Monday, 1509-07-11 ===
Before all of them head out to Rainwood, Malakai almost steals some pearls from Mayor Sam's wife, but his consciousness wins out in the end and instead they make their way peacefully to the town. Rainwood turns out to be void of any wizard stores, but they manage to find some pearls for Identify spell. Party finds a tavern and Malakai proceeds to cast Identify, first one on the scimitar which fails, then on the cloak which reveals that it is a Cloak of Spider-climbing. 
=== Tuesday, 1509-07-12 ===
The next day the trio of people and two dogs then head to Thornwood via a rough trail. They stumble on a gang of 7 ogres across the river which are promptly fireballed and as a measure Van walks into his own entangle spell to frighten them away which works perfectly. Not long after they get jumped by 7 giant spiders which turns out to be a more frightening battle since Malakai gets poisoned twice and Van once, taking 15 damage when the poison takes effect, however Malakai has to make do with a Hold poison spell until they find someone who can neutralize it.  
=== Wednesday, 1509-07-13 ===
They spend a night in the forest and then later in the day arrive in Thornwood. Malakai seeks out an alchemist-doctor Boris while Van-Healsing goes to the local church which do not have a cleric of a high enough level to neutralize poison, however Boris offers a remedy in trade for the health potion the party plundered from Kerak's Keep. Instead however, they decide to go to Stromheim which is told to have powerful clerics not liking the chances with a dodgy looking alchemist. Van books a carriage and they go to sleep in a local inn. 
=== Thursday, 1509-07-14 ===
Party wakes up early and head out towards Stromheim encountering nothing along the way.
=== Sunday, 1509-07-17 ===
At the capital they seek out the cathedral which is the main temple and meet up with the local clergy, 100 gold and a forced prayer later Malakai is perfectly healthy once more so soon after they both leave, fighting off the cleric of Nadinis attempts guile the health potion as a tithe from Van-Healsing.
== Experience ==
* Malakai hits level 6. 
* Van-Healsing has 39429 XP
* Malakai has 42194 XP 
Category:Hardcore Heroes Episodes