No Blood, Just Mud

**"No Blood, Just Mud"** is the sixth episode of the *Once Upon a Dice Roll* campaign Derlussy.

## Episode

### Recap

Previously on OUADR, we find our party in Cathleen and Jane’s home where Alurand carried in a very drunk Jane. The party assisted Alurand in waking up Jane and learned that he’s been secretly. taking care of her in the meantime. Alurand informs them that the queen has requested their presence to ask them to track down the bandits who escaped, but scared of the queen, the party decided to flee. They were led out of the city by Lyrican to the East Derluskian forest where they found a cave. While in the cave Amuriel decided to open the book they found. When she opened the book, it hauntingly spoke to them….we return to our party.

### Forest Cave

Amuriel finishes wrapping up the book and asks if everyone else heard the talking, which they all say they did. Myrtle in particular doesn’t like the book, saying that in her experience, talking books lead down a path of destruction. They discuss what to do with the book, with Amuriel saying they should bring it to a scholar somewhere and Myrtle saying they should pour holy water on it. Lyrican chimes in telling Amuriel that a scholar could end up using the book instead of protecting it. Cathleen says she thinks all the items they took are connected, with Myrtle criticizing Muddock, saying he’s no good and he’s to blame for the dam. Cathleen mentions feeling bad because she didn’t get to say goodbye to her mother. Amuriel tells her if they find a wizard, there are spells that will let her talk to her mom. With it getting later in the afternoon, and the party getting hungry, Amuriel and Lyrican go out to forage for food. Amuriel goes around picking berries; eating one for every one she picks, while Lyrican watches on. Cathleen comes out to join Amuriel, who hands her a handful of berries from her back. Cathleen recognizes the elderberries, which remind her of her mom. Lyrican offers to go get some supplies from a place she knows well, and tells Cathleen no when she asks if Lyrican would have to steal them. Cathleen can tell something is up, noticing how quick she replied. Myrtle is inside, trying to make the cave a bit more homey and notices scratches on the wall, recognizing them as the scratches of an owlbear. She goes out and tells the party they probably shouldn’t stay there as it’s occupied by an owlbear, which causes everyone to be on alert. Lyrican goes back into the cave to look around while Cathleen and Amuriel stay outside. Amuriel looks up and notices a nest on the top of the mountain and points it out. Amuriel goes on a tangent about owlbears and their size and how territorial they are and that they probably shouldn’t stick around. Amuriel says that Lyrican mentioned a settlement nearby and that they should go there. Lyrican tells them it’s where she stays and she isn’t sure how welcoming of outsiders they will be, especially of the Queen’s Guard. Amuriel smears some mud onto Cathleen’s armor to cover up the Queen’s sigil, which leads to the rest of the party doing the same thing. Lyrican sees this and says she could have gotten Cathleen new clothes. While they’re doing this, they hear the unmistakable screech of an owlbear, and notice it sitting in the tree, watching them.
Lyrican wants to try and tame the owlbear instead of fighting it. She puts out her hand, getting its attention, when it drops out of the tree to get a closer look at them. Lyrican tells the party “Follow the river, and if they find you, tell them the horned one sent you.” The owlbear creeps closer to Lyrican curiously. Cathleen keeps asking Lyrican what they need to do, to which Lyrican tells them they need to go. Myrtle grabs Cathleen by the cloak and pulls her away. Lyrican manages to lead the owlbear to its cave and is able to skirt around it, meeting back up with the group. The party continues down the path through the woods when they hear a whistle coming from the end of the path that Lyrican recognizes. Lyrican tries to lead them away, but Myrtle and Amuriel notice some homesteads in the village. Amuriel, who has never left the village, is amazed and runs towards the homesteads. Lyrican whisper-yells to her to come back, and Amuriel points out there’s a village there. Lyrican tells her to stay with the group and let her handle it, before whistling a reply back to the one they heard. Her whistle is replied with by another whistle that she identifies as being the all clear to enter. Begrudgingly, she leads the group to the village. Amuriel is ahead of the group, skipping down the road when she hears someone yell “stop where you are, identify yourself”. She goes to reply but Lyrican tells her to be quiet and handle it, before telling the guard that he heard her whistle, knows who it is and that she has company. Vlog, the guard, sees Lyrican and apologizes to her and says Amuriel caught him off guard. While he and Lyrican are talking, Amuriel tries to chime in, with both Myrtle and Lyrican telling her to be quiet. He tells Lyrican that Taonor won’t be happy, before leading them up the tree. Climbing through the trap toor, the party notices the quiet bustle of a wood elf village, when Lyrican notices Taonor sitting and looking at her with his arms crossed.

### Wood Elf Village

Taonor asks Lyrican what he told her about stealing. When she denies it, he holds up a satchel and points out that all his jerky was missing. She coyly says “it’s not like you didn’t get more” to which he replies that isn’t the point. She again tries to say that they’re allowed to take rations as their needs require, but he points out that while true, it needs to be logged; something she should know.’ She explains she didn’t have the time to do that. Looking at the group, he asks her why she didn’t have the time. Myrtle interjects, thanking him for letting them into the village, acknowledging that it takes a lot of trust for them to let outsiders in and that they’ll keep the location confidential and try not to take up much space or use too many supplies and add to their stocks of items. Hearing Myrtle say they’ll keep it confidential, Amuriel shuts her journal where she was drawing a map of the area. Taonor asks what everyone’s names are. They all give their name and where they’re from normally, except Cathleen, who shyly mentions she’s from the queen’s guard. Vlorg and Lyrican both notch an arrow, with Vlarg asking what she was thinking, bringing a member of the queen’s guard there. Cathleen explains she doesn’t consider herself part of the queen’s guard any longer. Vlarg says “funny coming from someone still wearing her symbol” before spitting at her feet. She explains she hasn’t had a chance to change out of the armor. Taonor questions what the story with them is and what Lyrican got herself into, mentioning Lyrican’s sister, which angers her. He tells Cathleen to go up around 2 or 3 levels to someone who can provide her with cleaner clothing. He questions Myrtle asking what she said her name was, because it sounded familiar. She explains she’s been a friend of the wood elves for longer than she can remember. Myrtle asks if there’s any way she can be of assistance, which Taonor says that some members of the village were injured by an owlbear and could use assistance. He has Vlorg lead Myrtle to where she needs to go. Amuriel follows Myrtle, and as the part splits up, they hear Taonor say “welcome to Avabelle”.

#### Edenwille’s hut

Cathleen comes across Edenwille, who asks why she’s wearing the queen’s guard armor. Cathleen, worried about a reaction, tells her that she used to be a queen’s guard. Edenwille tells her that she has some other wares and that she’ll take Cathleen to them. Cathleen notices their clothing is made of animal pelts, and is shown 3 different options of styles of clothing. She chose the second set she was shown, which is more modest, being leather pants with lace and twine going up the leg, an off white/brown linen top with a leather breastplate. Edenwille asks how Cathleen is going to pay for the clothes. Cathleen offers a trade, her armor for the clothing. Edenwille things about it for a bit and decides the armor will do. She explains there isn’t exactly a shower there, but Cathleen can go to the river to get washed up and hands her the clothes. Cathleen asks where the river is and Edenwille tells her its back by where the owlbear was. Cathleen decides to get changed right there, but Edenwille tells her she must stay modest, and calls someone over who gives Cathleen a small vial of dragon urine, telling her to shake it on her finger and dab it on her neck, explaining this will hide her from an owlbear, but may attract a dragon. Cathleen see’s a wood elf walk by naked and decides to change right in front of them.

#### Village hospital

Myrtle and Amuriel are led to where the injured elves are. They see one elf who has had a chunk taken out of him by an owlbear. The elf mutters nonsense, and Myrtle gives him a look over, seeing crude bandages wrapped around his abdomen, covering a wound that’s a bit infected. She cleans the wound as best she can. The elf tells Myrtle that she’s the most beautiful creature he’s ever seen and goes to put his hand on her cheek, which reminds her of a touch she felt before.