Expedition 13: Saving Private Arha

We rescue a beloved friend from the clutches of the Umber Hulks.

### Detailed Writeup

First, Jamie and Calliope gave us some necklaces made of bronze and the glass blue leaves of the wood. Then flowers were handed out to two of the casters. I kenned that they were some way of communicating. We also handed out potions we got for killing a troll. Healing mostly, and one protective, one offensive. We went through your pass into the Bluewood.

Brightstaff, he's called Brightstaff now, was able to find an initial path by climbing a tree. Nexrin was able to continue following the path with us behind. Tolyr had a good idea and sent his owl ahead to see what's what. This meant we saw the umber hulks before they saw us, though I don't know know the owl found the idea so great.

We were able to surprise the things, Tolyr casting Witch Bolt and Marzipan getting a spectral spatula up. The rest of us made do with more primitive methods of damage. *Feng pats his warhammer.* Brightstaff also prepared by downing that potion that made his skin like stone. Nexrin takes one down. The umber hulks confused our caster folk, but the rest of us put a good beat down. Enough to get one of them to run anyway. We kill the last one. Eh? Oh, I think Brightstaff got the last hit.

That was when things got weird. There were mummified folk in the hulks we killed, and they had clay collars. Those collars had magic runes on them. Tolyr figured them, and I think they had enslavement and transforming magics on them. That was for the casters to worry about though. We pushed on to find you.

Brightstaff lead the way. I was helpful in following the runner what with my woodsight. A branch did fall and hit Jamie, Tolyr, and Brightstaff at one point. *Feng looks aside not mentioning whose fault that branch was.* Marzipan was able to pick them up with some powerful healing spell. It made a swan appear. Or maybe the swan appeared when he cast the spell? I wouldn't know, but he said it was a blessing or some such.

Brightstaff gets us to the place they were holding you. I move in with Calliope to check it out. We avoid a brambly pit fall and find a big statue. Statue might be the wrong word, since this thing started moving. It tried to put a collar on me, but I dodged it every time. Never in doubt. *Feng wipes away a small bead of sweat.* This fight got a lot more hectic though.

Most of our bashers were able to get up to the statue real easy; my weapon couldn't damage it so I knocked it down and held it down. Nexrin got around that by using his potion of make weapon sharp. Eh? No, I don't know what it was called 'in reality.' I'm telling the story. Calliope kept its focus on her as the rest of us wailed on it, especially helped by Tolyr's blessing. Tolyr and Marzipan sensibly stayed back, but this backfired when that last umber hulk showed up again.

They dodged it the best they could but it confused Marzipan as we destroyed the statue. We started making our way to the last enemy, but Brightstaff is the only one that can make it in time. His punches packed a punch. *Feng chuckles.* Anyway, the jerk ran away again, but Brightstaff grabbed onto it this time, going with. We realized we needed to be quick and we all started heading down the tunnel. A couple of us forgot the exact location of the pit falls and got caught up, while those that ran ahead failed to see a couple traps. I had my woodsight up on the tree at this point.

We all scramble down to see the umber hulk queen. I was first and let me tell you that it hit hard. Thankfully, my armor can take a hit. That was where you came in, though you were so tired that I better finish out the story anyway. That queen deafened me and Brightstaff, who had just arrived with his new 'friend'. The rest of the group got cut off by these big cockroach looking things. They rusted up weapons pretty bad. Brightstaff had a good idea to pull the collar off the umber hulk, but it was basically part of its carapace.

Sorry, I'm getting all mixed up with what happened when in this fight. Marzipan, Jamie, Tolyr, Calliope, and Nexrin manage to beat down those rusty things with magic and spears. Then we focused on the smaller umber hulk. I was in pretty bad shape by that time, but I drank a potion and Calliope took some heat off.

It takes a second, but as you free yourself, Brightstaff brings the umber hulk down. I have to thank the healers we had: Marzipan, Tolyr, and Nexrin all did good work keeping everyone up, while Calliope kept the queen focused on her. Once it was the eight of us against the queen, it was a short fight. Tolyr had a flaming sphere and Marzipan found a way around its confusion. Jamie didn't and hit Marzipan but I can't blame him for that. Brightstaff takes the queen down finally.

Tolyr and I checked you were alright. You weren't. Shut up, you weren't. Jamie had a little breakdown but came over and hugged you. Then we did what adventurers do I suppose: looted the place. Long and short of that was we found a special magic orb. We had Marzipan hold onto that. Nexrin took a mandible for reasons I know not. We headed out. I spoke to the tree and asked who it was.

It said, "I am young yet old. I have not yet grown into what I ought to be. So I know not yet what I am."

A big snake showed up. We told it why we were here and it let us go in peace. The same cannot be said for the ice guys that we found on the way back. Eight of them, all demanding tribute. I gave some shade stock I found. Tolyr gave massive slabs of meat. I did not inquire where he got it. Jamie gave a miner's pick. These got some of them to leave, but apparently they don't like rations which prompted an attack on us. We responded and they all went down, those that had not run off with their tribute that is.

That's around when you made that fuss about going back which we rightly ignored. I had to practically carry you back you were so tired. Calliope and Marzipan got us back to your pass and back to town in the end. Now get some sleep.