Gnomes, Tomes & Catacombs: Episode 05

__NOTOC__
== Synopsis ==
The party, scouting ambush sites, selects a cliff to ambush Major Tavington's guarded wagon. Using illusions and spells, they kill the magic-wielding Lieutenant Torvak and most guards, though one escapes. They secure a ledger, later discovered to be a coded document about ancient catacombs of the Hill People. They head to Wikkthronrarenta for research, learning about the Hill Folk and their dragon history. Midori has visions of Voraci, gaining cleric powers, while Gerald acquires and uses a spell to decode the tome, revealing catacomb locations. After encounters with gnolls and a river troll, they continue their quest, facing challenges and internal conflicts along the way.
==Recap==
Party Level up Level 3:
Locke: +7 HP (28 HP Total)
Midori: +9 HP (21 HP Total)
Gerald Knott: +3 HP (16 HP Total)
Brad Barbo: +12 HP (25 HP Total)
===Days 43 to 45===
The party are scouting 3 different ambush spots along the road between Fen Den & Gumpbrun. The 3 spots along the road they could ambush at are though the woods, over a bridge, or near some cliffs. They choose the cliffs location for the ambush of Major Tavington's wagon shipment.
===Day 46 (1510-09-25)===
Major Tavington's wagon shipment heads towards the ambush spot. The wagon is going to be guarded by 6 soldiers, including a Lieutenant, Torvak. Lieutenant Torvak is a magic user. The party conjures an illusion of dead solders around them and pretend to be wounded solders. The officer orders 4 of his men to remove a felled tree on the road. Gerald Knott casts web on the 4 troops but not on Lieutenant Torvak. The rest of the party murder Lieutenant Torvak. 2 soldiers remain free.
Brad Barbo knocks out one of the guards. Two guards break out of the web and charge at the party. Midori murders an unconscious guard on the ground, earning 1 Voraci Point.
Another guard breaks free from the web and joins the attack on the party. Midori earns a 2nd Voraci Point by murdering another unconscious guard. Locke knocks out 2 guards. Brad knocks out a guard in the web. The last guard begs for his life and surrenders; Locke knocks him unconscious.
The battle is over and 1 guard has escaped. Gerald takes Lieutenant Torvak's Spellbook. Brad grabs the ledger that was the party's objective. Locke confronts Midori over the murders, but she says she was just being a mercy killer.
That night the party return to Dusty's Tavern in Fen Den and show Wyatt the ledger. The document is in a code, written in an old language. Gerald reads the document and discovers that it is not a ledger as expected, but a document about Catacombs. It is written in a language of the Hill People from the Vodan Plains. The party decide to head to the capital city tomorrow to do research into this language and these people.
The party retire to their rooms. Midori in her sleep has visions of Voraci. She is granted the power of a cleric again. 
===Day 47 (1510-09-26)===
Midori replaces her mace with a Scythe.
Brad buys some Studded Leather armor and then donates 100 gold to a stranger who looks down on their luck.
The party then leave Fen Den and travel to Wikkthronrarenta. 
===Day 48 (1510-09-27)===
In the library, Gerald Knott researches the tribes and finds out they lived in the Vodan area before they were hunted down by a dragon 500 years ago. Those people spoke the language referred to as "Hill Folk." However, the current dragon in the area, Azoron, only arrived around 200 years ago, so it had to be a different dragon.
Gerald Knott goes to the magic shop and tries to buy some spells, but they are 100 gold each. He needs one of the spells to read the language of the tome. He borrows money off the party to buy the spell.
During the day, Midori prays to Voraci for physical strength in order to be able to serve her better. Voraci agrees to help Midori if she proves herself more.
===Day 49 (1510-09-28)===
Gerald Knott, now with comprehend languages, can read the tome and understands the locations of all the catacombs listed in the book. There are 20 marks in the tome, each marking a catacomb. The main catacomb seems to be at the southern end of the Draken Ridge and is marked in the tome with a star. Gerald theorises that there should be a tomb at the star. The party plan to head there.
===Day 50 (1510-09-29)===
The party return to Wyatt in Fen Den and tell him their plans.
They then continue north into the Vodan plains. During the trip, Gerald manages to read Lieutenant Torvak's Spellbook and sees what spells are inside.
:===Level 1:=== Comprehend Languages, Detect Magic, Jump, Mage Armor, Magic Missile, Shield, Tenser's Floating Disk
:===Level 2:=== Blur, Cloud of Daggers, Darkvision, Knock, Misty Step
:===Level 3:=== Fireball, Tongues, Water Breathing
Brad and Locke talk to Midori about her executions, and she says that it is her duty as Cleric of Voraci to perform them. Brad gives Midori a letter that Chad Barbo had sent him.
:Dear Great Uncle Barbo
:It's been a long time since we had a chat. I would like you to know that I am currently in Fen Den and I have found a party. A party that I not only fit in with, but a party I am leader of. We are Chad and the Barbos. And we are here to do good.
:I am expanding the Barbo name, not only from the seas that you carry, but all across the realm is my goal.
:One particular member I am glad to have met is Midori. She is beautiful, she is adorned in white and she is honestly the light of my life so far.
:I also have a Donkey. Dominic the Donkey. He is the favourite thing I have in this world.
:That is it, I will see you soon, uncle.
:Chad Out
===Day 51 (1510-09-30)===
The party come across 6 Gnolls. Brad sneaks and assassinates 3 of them and attacks the 4th. Gerald casts sleep on a Gnoll. Brad assassinates another 2 Gnolls. However the fighting causes a brush fire to spread. Brad puts out the fire.
===Day 52 (1510-10-01)===
The party reach the end of the Draken Ridge on the south side of the Silver River. The tomb is supposed to be on the north side of the river, so the party head to Bridge Gate to cross the river.
Inside Bridge Gate there is a party going on as well as a parade. Gerald asks what has happened and he is told Halfhill was just burnt to the ground. (1510-09-27). They head north out of town and cross the bridge over the River Vodan.
===Day 52 (1510-10-02)===
The party arrive at the head of the Silver River in the evening. The tomb they are after is from a great warrior who destroyed everyone and everything he loved by having too much strength. Gerald casts detect magic and sees an alteration magical aura in the river 20 feet down. Gerald does a ritual and turns his familiar into an octopus and sends it down into the river.
The familiar grabs whatever the magical item is and starts to rise up when someone comes after it in the water and kills it.
The party decide to rest until the morning. Gerald casts "Alarm" around the party as a ritual.
During Locke's watch in the night a River Troll comes out of the river. Locke wakes the party and they wake and fight the troll. Midori casts Chill Touch and the Troll stops regenerating; then the troll grabs Brad and jumps into the river with him. Brad breaks free and surfaces.
Midori throws Brad a rope and Locke stabs down into the water with his halberd at the troll. Gerald Knott makes an illusion of a pig falling in the water. The troll ignores the pig and bites Locke. Brad kills the troll. After the troll regenerates, the troll retreats.
Brad goes after the shiny thing in the water and gets attacked by the troll. Brad retreats. 
The party head inland and make camp and rest up.
===Day 53 (1510-10-03)===
Locke gives a speech about destroying the troll and taking the treasure so they can go into the tomb. 
Category:Gnomes, Tomes & Catacombs Episodes