Hardcore Heroes Otherside: Episode 2

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== Synopsis ==
Van, Kain, and a group of 21 townsfolk navigate a desolate river with an ominous atmosphere, encountering deadly creatures along the way. Tensions rise as Van proposes exploring potential new buildings in their world, while Kain remains wary of dangerous areas and suggests extended communication with Chis. Their journey is marred by an attack from a gelatinous ooze, which results in the death of one of the peasants and further casualties from bat-like creatures. Struggling with hunger and deteriorating morale, they discover an abandoned dwarven village and a deranged dwarf, ultimately deciding to return to Shirebrook. Faced with internal conflicts and the presence of mist creatures possessing some members of their party, Van and Kain debate their next steps. They ultimately plan a journey to the Great Pyramid of Heatstroke, seeking a divine intervention to aid their return, while also dealing with the unsettling experience of being possessed and the challenges of their ongoing quest.
==Recap==
=== The Crystal Run Run ===
Dispersed between 3 boats Van, Kain and 21 towns folk slowly paddle their way up the river. Eerie atmosphere envelops the expedition, not a chirp of a sparrow, twinge of a grasshopper or a splash of a fish surfacing for air to be heard for the whole duration. Van and Kain take the lead with a medium-sized boat plus the crossbow men in tow while other two trail behind. 
Van speaks up on his thoughts that they should check out if any new building are still mirrored in this world, but disagrees that they should go to Stromheim. Kain still doesn't like the idea of coming near the cave of the dangerous shadow dragon to which Van seems ready to volunteer for himself. Kain suggests trying to contact Chis for a whole day not just hours. Then he contemplates how he doesn't seem to feel any hunger still, despite the length of the journey so far having had to take at least a day and Van admitting that he is hungry. He does still feel tired though.  
In midst of chatting with Van Kain notices a section of water splash up against the side of their boat, stick and then slither onto one of the unarmed peasants who then gets dragged into the water to Kain's horror. Alarm is raised and people panic while Van is trying to grab the poor lad currently being drowned by some type of water creature. Kain calls for the caravan to come ashore while keeping an eye out for more of these creatures, Van meanwhile successfully wrestles the man partly out of the water which reveals a transparent gelatin like substance attached to him. Kain tries to remove the creatures, but only forces it to move around revealing that it seems to be digesting the poor man while its attached. Realizing that he is already dead party takes up arms and they start chopping at the ooze.  
Once the ooze is run off they realize that their boat is on wrong side of river and they correct it before making landing. Van checks up on the corpse while the rest whisper between themselves and then raises up, doing his best to appear unfazed to inspire others. Kain pipes up that they should burn the body and without anyone objecting they loot the man and  make a fire. 
=== The Forest ===
With no sun to tell what time it is the group trudge onward in the twilight quagmire, Van does his best to keep some spirits up by talking about his plans once they get back. Kain manages to find some edible roots on their way. 
Eventually people begin complaining about hunger and being tired so they settle down and try boiling a root soup. The taste of the soup is rather terrible, a lot more bitter and like charcoal compared to its counterpart back home, but they make do. 
During rest the group makes sure to always have at least 5 people in a watch with Van praying in 1st watch and then guarding in 2nd one and Kain together with Jeeves guarding in 1st. In middle of the watch Kain notices sound of wing beats and wakes everyone up. They form up in a semi circle looking outwards and wait. Moments pass as the wing beats get stronger until through the trees come some strange flying creatures. 
Chompers: You can see these bizarrely shaped creatures. They are black oval shaped (like a football) with large leathery bat wings on either side. Where there ought to be a face is an open maw with sharp pointy teeth, no eyes, very little to a body anywhere.
People gasp, but stay their weapons and battle commences with crossbows firing first. Most of the peasants miss, a few of the vombats die, but they then retaliate killing some humans, the slaughter continues until suddenly there's no more vombats trying to eat them. They count their dead and with the one guy lost during boat ride by now they've lost in total 8 people, on positive side they now have only 1 person not equipped with a proper weapon.  
On the other positive side they now have 10 weird, bat-like things they could try eating. Kain grimaces while dissecting one of them, lack of color and foreign anatomy makes it hard to tell whether this is properly edible or not, but hoping for the best he decides to try cooking some of it over a fire anyway. They rekindle their campfire and Van does his best to cook one of these creatures. In comparison, the burning human corpses nearby are a smell uncomfortably good though.  
Distrustful of the creature meat instead of eating Kain goes off to find some poisonous roots, or any roots really. Finally the meat is done and Van has a mouthful of the ash/dirt tasting shadow poultry, he eats it without a grimace and then tricks Kain into trying some as well who sort of shrugs the taste off. The group slinks into quiet munching time, complains of hunger transforming into complains of bad tasting food. Van takes the opportunity to make a speech to the remaining peasants, offering leniency to anyone who might want to go back, though it implies going back to Shirebrook on their own which no one seems willing to try. Kain brings up that it might still be better to find an incredibly holy place instead of searching out the beast, given they're already a third down on people, but Van is adamant that they are short on time and that journey to Stromheim might be for naught. Van argues that charisma might be enough to win this fight, also even if they contact Chis he doesn't actually posses any spells that may let him travel home. They continue arguing with neither really conceding, Van seeing no reason to go anywhere north for a just a faint sliver of hope of meeting someone or finding something useful.  
Only accompanied by murmurs of the people and silence they continue on until one of the leading spear-men stops them. Ahead of the group appears to be a fog, not unlike the one that initially took them, Van steps into the lead, his hand on pommel of harvest moon and observes the small patch of fog. Kain orders people to get a fire ready, but before that's done the fog begins floating in their direction, now obvious that it's a singular patch of it.  
Scimitar in hand Van challenges the slowly approach 8 by 4 feet fog entity, but there is no answer. Kain pipes up that it might be something alike a will o wisp, but before they get to ponder further the mist is close enough that they have to attack.  
Kain's axe swings through the mist and the fog bleeds, but it envelops Van anyway damaging him despite his armor. Both of them remain calm however and with precise attacks they dissipate the little cloud into a puddle. After it's gone out of curiosity Van smells the liquid the entity rained and realizes it was likely blood. 
=== The Dwarven Village ===
Danger taken care of they march onward. After some unknown amount of time they enter a more hilly patch of land and soon thereafter find themselves in the abandoned dwarven village they explored months ago. Unlike the real world one this rendition of it appears to be overgrown and damaged to parties curiosity. Unlike Kain's village there seems to be signs of a struggle as well as signs of people living there, although judging by the layer of dust it must have been a while. Van notes that a lot of wooden furniture, beds are gone while Kain goes over footprints, there's many of them, but they're old and appear to be humanoid. Van proposes that perhaps Kain's village was taken by something different than what attacked this dwarven one.  
Kain again advises going back and counseling with Mother Ellyse and the knights. But Van shakes his head, the food he is eating not actually seeming to do anything about hunger except making him feel sick. Kain nervously reveals that ever since he got invaded by that mist creature he hasn't felt any hunger. Only logical conclusion is that the creature might be sustaining him somehow, but why or to what end escapes him.  
Kain continues trying to appeal to Van to go back to Shirebrook and perhaps pray longer or use that crown as a sacrifice as he wanted, but Van opposes him. At an impasse Kain suggests that maybe it's not such a bad idea to let one of the mist things possess his body, but Van counters that maybe the lack of hunger is just a lie and that his body is still starving, aim of the creature being to simply make him content until it's too late. This makes Kain pause, but he decides that not feeling the hunger pains is still better than to feel them even if its a lie. He also argues that it might be a way of giving them some extra time which is something they're short on. Kain suggests simply exorcising the possession when they're done with the benefits, but Van deadpan asks him how given their lack of divine patrons. When Kain tries to suggest how to get Vans magic back again he becomes irate and tells him not to question his devotion.  
Their argument is interrupted by one of the villagers calling them over, it appears that the entrance to the mine has been blocked by all the missing chairs and tables so immediately Van takes to removing them and hailing anyone who might be in the cave. Taking a moment to listen for a response he notices faint murmuring coming from the other side which prompts him to clear the entrance faster. Kain tries speaking in dwarven, but gets no answer either. Finally they remove enough of the barricade and see a lone dwarf inside rocking himself as he murmurs in dwarven how the voice is gone and where did it go. The dwarf looks emaciated and without ears or hair, latter possibly self inflicted judging by the gauge marks.  
Van tries speaking to the dwarf, even slapping him, but there is no response whatsoever. While Van is doing that Kain notices that the dwarf seems to be staring at a pile of humanoid bones on other side of the small cavern. They try bringing the old dwarven journal to the lone dwarf, but nothing seems to work. Finally Van tells Kain to lead the other people away, intending to give the dwarf a mercy at end of his scimitar, Kain looks over the cavern, at the dwarf and tells him they should wait, that perhaps they can get something out of the dwarf. Van doesn't argue and so Kain picks the starved dwarf up and takes him outside. 
Van tries cutting the dwarves foot which for a change gets some reaction, the dwarf takes the injured foot in his hands, squeezes it while grimacing and then begins lapping at it, ignoring their questions still. Van then gets a little bit of the rations they have stored in chester and comes back to the dwarf now gnawing on his foot. Two of them begin arguing whether to give the dwarf some rations while he starts gnawing on his hand instead. Finally when Van is ready to just put an end to the miserable creature Kain bitterly does it himself. He is adamant they could’ve gotten something out of him if they tried more, while Van is sure the dwarf was too far gone to be of any help to them.  
They burn the body in silence. 
Afterwards Kain uses to chance to argue that the dwarf starved into madness to Van who still refuses to consider voluntarily eating a mist demon. Van does however agree to go back to Shirebrook for a day and then if nothing comes of it then he will come back south again, but with no intentions of stopping this time.  
Before they head out 4 more of the mist creatures crawl down the face of the hill under which the cave is. Van takes the front immediately and clashes with one of the creatures which attempts to immediately go for the possession move on him. Jeeves manages to resist one of the demonic creatures trying to possess him while a random spear man cannot. Two of the creatures manage to merge with people and other 2 are slain before they manage to. Van tries to get them to organize but falls onto his knees in pain so they take some time. Kain makes sure Jeeves is alright. 
Now with a feeling of something gnawing on his insides Van recovers his bearings and then checks Kain's pulse, slightly afraid they might have been made into undead by the mist demons, but it seems like bodily functions remain. Now with 11 people in their band they start their journey back. 
=== Road Home ===
Forest is as quiet as ever on their way back, nothing seems to come attack them this time. Kain doesn't find any poisonous plants despite multiple attempts, possibly because of the low biodiversity that seems to plague this world. They circle around the river until a suitable place where to cross without boats is found. 
Van notes how he seems to almost feel normal now and hunger really did disappear, however he can't help but feel like there's something else inside of him now. 
Short while later they get to the keep with a crowd of hopeful people waiting beyond it, but Van has to disappoint them with his lack of findings. They leave the crestfallen towns people behind and call for a meeting with Ellyse and the knights. They retell of their encounters and findings while Ellyse mentions sending people into town to search for supplies, but none were found and not everyone returned. Party also comes clean about both of them now being possessed which doesn't seem to get a reaction from the other 3. Prompted for anything else they bring up the dwarven village and the mad dwarf they found there. Kain inquires whether there has been any change observed with the other possessed people, but it seems like there has been none, Ellyse mentions actually letting them out since they didn't seem like a threat anyway. Kain also asks whether she knows of any holy places in Arcadia and Ellyse mentions the Great pyramid of Heatstroke which is the holiest site in Eridon. Kain then explains their different opinions to Ellyse, how Van wants to seek the gate in shadow dragons lair while Kain wants to re-empower their clerics.
They explain their different thoughts on the matter and then ask Ellyse of her opinion on the matter. She truthfully tells them she expects to die here, however she also encourages them to seek an exit, but by her own words she couldn't tell them what to do. Lastly Van invites her to come pray in the temple in town while ignoring Kain's suggestion to perhaps seek something to sacrifice for a better chance to find Chis. 
=== The Temple ===
After making sure their old temple is safe they slowly get ready for praying. Kain brings some flute tunes and Van goes into meditative state, but before praying he tries to commune with the creature inside of him. Initial probing greeting seems to produce what might be an acknowledgement so Van goes on to ask a more complex question of where they are. This doesn't seem to get a reply as does asking who the creature is nor why it came inside of Van. A little miffed Van then goes simpler and asks what does it want which produces a swelling feeling inside his stomach which then fades. Dissatisfied Van decides to try again another time and goes on to lead a quiet internal prayer while Mother Ellyse leads a more verbal one.  
After many hours of fruitless prayer Mother Ellyse stops and then comes to talk with Van who similarly didn't get a reply. She appears concerned that they might’ve done something wrong and the gods abandoned them, but Van reassures her that they are probably just lost to the gods. But when asked where it might be that the gods cannot find them even Van doesn't know answer to, however, retelling some of her sins in life such as lying to friends or being unfaithful Van simply calls them sins of life and is steadfast in his belief that they simply are somewhere far away. Ellyse then speculates that maybe they need a beacon to catch the eye of their deity to which Van suggests instructing townsfolk to pray to Astair specifically not all the gods, maybe even gather the whole group for this for a better chance.  
They stretch and head back to the keep to gather their flock. Unfortunately as they're walking through the empty streets Van notices an odd shimmering in an alleyway. He makes sure people are aware of the danger and then goes to check it out while everyone but Kain and a few curious ones hurry along. Not able to tell what he is looking at Van slowly approaches it and eventually ends up poking it with a stick which seems to produce an acidic smell and then a pseudo-pod which Van manages to dodge. Instead of fighting the Gelatinous Cube though Van runs away and they quickly make their way to the keep.  
In the keep they explain their plan to the populace and then promptly go to the main church. Van informs the knights of the jelly in the street who briefly get a little prissy with him sort of acting as the authority figure here, but he manages to smooth it over. Everyone fits into the church rather snugly with the knights and guards keeping watch from outside.  
=== Hope ===
At first Van continues to see only the spiritual darkness, but as the prayers go on a candle is lit deep into the void, a presence somewhere out of reach. Van urges people to raise their voices which results in a larger flame, but it's still beyond proper communion so he continues leading the mass prayer hoping for Mother Ellyse to make something of it. Half an hour into it she calls a stop to it and hurries over to Van having experienced the same sensation. His mind having changed on the subject Van asks her where might they go which would amplify their voices and the Great pyramid of Heatstroke is brought up again. 
They start thinking of how long the journey there might be. Possibly equipping a ship with what sailors they have among them to sail to the city of Heatstroke. They brainstorm the subject with sailors and it seems like they’d have enough people for a large rowing ship such as a galley. Journey itself might take about 5 days which is definitely better than walking the hole way there through the plains. Hopes are lit and they start thinking how or who they might contact and perhaps that they could petition the gods to bring them back. Kain tries to suggest some approach to that, but Ellyse tells him off. All of them agree though that they shouldn't waste any more time in town. 
== Experience and changes ==
Kain changes his Leather working/Dagger proficiency to Survival
Each party member earns 3750XP
Category:Hardcore Heroes Episodes