I broke camp early in the morning, I was quite eager to get back to some form of civilization. As I neared my destination the forest around me took on an unnatural manner. The trees turned from green to shades of blue or purple, The animals looked and acted strangely and were beginning to make me feel unsettled. Luckily for me civilization turned out to be not far off as I broke into a clearing as the sun was beginning to rise fully above the trees.
The entire area was a bustle of commotion. Some people were putting tents up, even as others appeared to be taking them down. A gruff looking dwarf approached smoking a pipe, that similar to the trees, made more of purple haze then actual smoke. After exchanging pleasantries and him eyeing me up and down, presumably to make sure I wasn't here to cause trouble, he welcomed me to the Rolling Stone Caravan. I asked him if there was anywhere I could get something fresh to eat. With a slight bit of excitement in my step I followed the Dwarf's directions to a rather large tent with the most wonderful smells emanating from within. I was terribly tired of trail rations. Even though it's been years since I left the comforts of Kratston manor the fare that I had on the road was something I could never get used to.
I made my way back to the bar and took a seat next to a rather noble looking man, though based on the rate at which he downed the ale his nobility was slightly in question. The bartender, a fellow by the name of Hook, offered me some breakfast, and a mug of what might have been the best ale I'd had in years. I was beginning to understand why the man sitting next to me was drinking so quickly. Not long after I'd sat down there was a slight commotion as a rather large Wolf slowly worked it's way around the tables looking for scraps. Just as the noble man set a plate full of food in front of him a rather imposing half-orc woman entered the tent, admonishing her Wolf and calling him back to her side before continuing on to join us at the bar. It wasn't long before we were joined by a few more, and judging by the looks we were all getting, I wasn't the only one that was new to the Rolling Stone. An elf, or maybe a half-elf, I have trouble telling them apart sometimes, had been the next to join us. I couldn't decide which drew my eyes first, her fire red hair, or the three six-legged rabbits she had slung up on the bar in an attempt to sell her catch to Hook. Followed shortly by one of the most interesting looking dragonborn I had ever seen. His scales seemed almost iridescent, seeming to shift even when he was still. Not long after he'd ordered his food a giant bat suddenly dropped down into his lap and began to drink straight from the mug of mead his master had ordered. The last one to join our band of outlanders was a seemingly normal human male. Though he appeared to have drank more ale than the Noble man. I wasn't sure if he was drunk from his morning libations, or still drunk from last nights.
The bartender explained to us that there had been some people go missing from the Caravan, and although I felt for their loss I really had no interest in blindly searching through these messed up woods. Until he mentioned the prospect of a reward that is. That was the reason I had headed this direction to begin with, and in that moment I was decided to wait for the meeting Hook said the leader of the caravan would hold that night. In the meantime I knew that I should properly prepare for the road ahead, and that meant restocking my healing potions. I doubted that I would have time to prepare my own before this job got underway proper, and so I asked around for a local alchemist that may supply me.
Apparently I wasn't the only one looking to make some preparations as I arrived at the shop I was directed to at nearly the same time as the red-head, who introduced herself as Reena as I made my approach. Looking around I saw no sign of the shopkeep and so lightly knocked on the counter and called out. What appeared was possibly the most comically startled looking gnome I'd seen in my life. His goggles were cocked the wrong direction so that they protected his nose far more than either eye.
"Yeeessssssss?"
I really wasn't sure if he was surprised that he had a customer so early, or possibly it was simply having one at all. Especially after his follow-up of asking me if I was a cop. I chuckled lightly and asked him if I had to answer, which of course he said I did. After informing him that I was not a cop, Reena had to tell the kook that was exactly what a cop would say! After a little persuasion he decided that he could sell to me after all, and so I asked what manner of potions he had. Quickly ducking down below the counter he pulls a small box up to the counter and opens it to reveal three vials.
"What kind of healing potions were you looking for? Ones that heal, ones that heal real good, or ones that heal really really good?"
So I asked about the potions that heal, and he immediately whips around and grabs a rather large vial from behind him. After a little haggling about the price I continued my inquiry into the potions that heal real good, and once again he grabs another potion, leaving the first three he pulled out of the box sitting where they were on the counter.
"And the potions that heal really, really good?" I asked
He again ignores everything he'd already pulled out and grabs what has to be the smallest potion bottle I've seen and sets it on the counter, next to the now five others. After agreeing on a fair price he heads off to help Reena with whatever it was she'd come looking for. I spent a few minutes just browsing the rest of his wares, before I decided to head back to the mess tent. Of course, not before tipping my hat and telling 'Officer Reena' to have a nice day. I walked away laughing as I heard the crazy old bat go off on poor Reena.
I passed the rest of the day waiting for the caravan leader to call his meeting in the mess tent getting to know the other outsiders a little bit. I had no doubt that if anyone was going to be looking for these missing people it was going to be us. There had appeared to be two schools of thought traveling around, the first that these people had decided to leave like others had before and there was no need to look for them. The second was the reason I felt we'd be the ones doing the searching, the ones that were afraid of what had happened to the others and were terrified that it would happen to them as well.
This did give me a chance to learn the rest of the newcomers' names. The noble looking man was Thorixx, who though he had been drinking all day didn't appear to actual be drunk. Not only that, but his eyes weren't even the same color as they were earlier. After asking him about it he did show off a little bit and reveal his ability as a changeling. I responded in kind by letting him in on my secret. In an instant my armor snapped to life as it shifted and emerged from beneath my clothing as it formed a helmet. Reena, not being one to be shown-up, used a little bit of magic to make herself appear exactly like me. Thorixx of course responded by changing himself to appear as Reena, right down to her clothing. Hook seemed to be thoroughly amused by our childish showmanship, as Reena asked him to throw an apple in the air. The second the apple left his hand Reena had an arrow knocked, but even quicker was the human who drew a pistol, and without hardly setting his drink down, put a bullet straight through the apple. Reena quickly loosed her arrow into the apple, and then quickly knocked and loosed another into the man's shoulder. I don't know if he was too drunk to notice, or if it was just an effect he was used to having on women, but the man made almost no notice of the arrow as Reena pulled it free and healed his wound with magic. Introducing myself I learned the man's name was Flynn, and the pistol that he had was of excellent workmanship. Nothing too fancy, but it was clear he kept his weapons maintained much better than he did his own person. Eventually the half-orc and dragonborn rejoined us along with their companions. The wolf, Ragnar, accompanied the half-orc Lagatha, and the giant bat, Fluffles, was the companion of Balasar.
As the evening approached there was quite the commotion throughout the Rolling Stone, and we began to make our way along with the locals to hear what this leader had to say. The leader was quite a site to behold. A tabaxi, which are quite rare around my homelands, with fur that was obviously dyed shades of pinks and purples. Clearly this wasn't a recent endeavor for him as his much darker fur was clearly showing through in a number of places. As he started his speech the entirety of the tent fell silent to listen to him. He talked of the people who had gone missing, and told us that he didn't think they'd left of their own will. He made a point of calling out our motley crew, I think in the hopes of piquing our interest to help him. I, of course, was in at the prospect of a reward, though I did feel for these people who had lost friends or family. They were all clearly concerned about the recent disappearances, which they made clear through some small bouts of murmuring during their leaders speech. Finally he made a call for volunteers for a search party to attempt to locate the missing members of the Caravan. Naturally only the outsiders were willing to volunteer for what was sure to be a foolhardy endeavor. Whether this was because we felt more capable then the rest, or were simply more the fool was yet to be seen.
After dismissing the rest of the folks, we followed the tabaxi back to a rather fancy looking tent colored with bits patches that rather closely matched his fur. Entering the tabaxi, who now introduced himself simply as 'The Cat', gave us a little more information on what we were up against. A total of six people had gone missing recently, and The Cat believed that they were taken. The first victim he told us about was named Rumor. A white tiefling who was apparently a ward of The Cat. To get paid we were going to have to make sure we brought Rumor back "in 2 or fewer pieces" a sentiment that slightly unnerved me, but knowing the powers of magic I had to believe he planned on returning her to life and nothing more unsettling. The others that went missing were described to us in a little less detail, and much quicker. First were two human brothers, twins by the names Hector and Marco. A dwarf with long curly red hair with a bit of attitude and brass knuckles name Roxanna. An thin elf with blond hair, that I was hopeful may have some knowledge to share from the bookish nature she was described, named Elise. The last missing caravaneer was an Orc by the name of Brutus. He was quite simply described as wielding a large great-sword. After giving us the information he had the cat told us that there was a witness to some of the disappearances, a young human boy by the name of Monty. The cat promptly called Monty in and then told us this wasn't his tent as he disappeared in a puff of purple smoke.
Monty entered the room with a significant limp, that Reena quickly tended to and healed. He described to us the events of his nightmarish encounter with a red mist in the forest not far from the caravan. His hunting party was out, when they began to here the distant sounds of a piano, and calliope. As the sounds approached they were quickly overtaken by a red mist that obscured their vision. All he could see were silhouettes carrying weapons through the mist. Most of them had knives, but one stuck out to him as wielding a large whip. The very whip that lashed out and tore into his leg. As the pain of the blow knocked him to the ground the force of his collapse dispersed the mist just enough for him to make out people with painted faces stuffing his friends into large sacks and then turning and hauling them off into the mist. As soon as the mist cleared he made his way back to the caravan as quickly as possible, but made note of where they were attacked. Lucky for us the tree that Monty described stood out the Reena. We knew what we were up against, and where to start the search, so decided that we would all get some rest and then head out first thing in the morning.
Knowing a bit about what we may be up against, and who I would have at my side, I made some last minute preparations. I procured a small keg of gunpowder and spent a little bit of time tinkering with Flynn's pistol. I was able to infuse a thread into the barrel, hopefully improving its accuracy enough to counteract the hangover that I was sure he must have today. So the job began in earnest as we headed south away from the Rolling Stone towards a large, surprisingly normal looking, oak tree. As we traveled through the forest Thorixx took the form of a wolf and followed along near Loki. After some time we finally came upon the tree and Reena promptly reached up and plucked an apple from it's branches. So much for it being a normal Oak tree, of course things immediately took a turn for the weird when it opened it's eyes and mouth to start talking to us. Apparently Flynn and the tree had some sort of history, though I couldn't understand how since Flynn was adamant he'd never been here before. The tree was able to confirm what Monty had told us and proved that we were on the right track. He did his best to indicate which direction the people had been taken and we quickly took back up our search.
After a bit of traveling we began to hear the faintest sounds of a calliope and the smell of popcorn became thick in the air. Now we were all but certainly headed in the right direction. After a few more hours of travel the sounds of music had faded, as had all the sounds of the forest. The trees were no longer moved by the winds, the animals were silent. As we continued forward we saw the red mist approaching. I immediately prepared myself for a fight. A small needle in my left gauntlet pricked into my finger, a small stimulant I had developed to heighten my senses. (Guidance) As the red mists swirled around us the landscape seemed to morph under it's power. Nearby rocks transformed into comically large balls rolling past us, the trees lost their vibrant colors and, when we could see them through the mists, looked sickly. A single figure approached through the mists.
As he turned his head to take in, what he certainly saw as more victims, we saw through the mists an unseemingly bulbous nose that dominated the figures head. He spoke to us as if he owned this land, and taunted us, even as he seemed to admire our strength above those that had been lost before us. He then issued an ultimatum. We were to seek him out, or apparently die trying. I felt as if something was tugging at my pocket. Reaching inside I found a small piece of paper. One side said "Admit One" and the other appeared to be some form of Tarot card that said "The Cripple". Then everything went black.
I don't know how long I had been out, but the stench that hit me when I woke was unnatural. As I began to take in my surroundings I felt my hands had been bound and hung above my head. Around me were the others, minus their animal companions, and what appeared to be quite a few bodies, all of us hung on meat hooks. Reena quickly cast a spell and the ropes binding her hands simply untied themselves and extended up towards the ceiling (Rope Trick). Flynn immediately proved his resourcefulness as he flipped himself upside down, shaking a dagger out of his boot, and nimbly cut himself free. I had to wonder how many times he'd found himself in this situation before. Quickly he cut the rest of us free and we made a check of our condition. It seems that whoever had hung us up on these hooks didn't take any of our belongings.
The room was filled with bits of flesh and bone. The floor had a few inches of what I could only assume was blood with chunks floating in it. The smell was truly a thing of nightmares. In one corner was the largest meat grinder I'd ever laid eyes on. I was all but certain you could have run a full grown cow through it all at once. One thing was certain, that we needed to get out of wherever this was and regroup fast.
Flynn knocked on the door drawing the attention of the guard who proceeded to tell us to keep it down lest we anger 'big momma'. Flynn of course, took this as an opportunity to ply his roguish charms to insult 'big momma'. Seconds later the door burst open, and I once again felt the familiar prick in the left hand. As soon as the door was open, or more accurately blown off it's hinges, Flynn deftly thrust his sword into the side of guards head. As he dropped to the ground I finally saw what we were up against. His fur was matted and he was wielding a comically large fork as a weapon, but there was no doubt that these creatures were gnolls.
As the fighting started a voice boomed down from the opposite side of the room.
"WHO'S MAKING ALL THAT RACKET!?"
In perfect unison the gnolls all paused for the briefest moment to point at us, but remained silent. Flynn of course pointed back at them before immediately resuming his combat stance. I made my way for the door and threw a small sonic explosive to the far side of the room (shatter) as Flynn moved ahead of me dropping another gnoll. The sounds of booming footsteps approached and just as my explosive reached the far side of the room a massive gnoll came right into it's path. Arrows started flying past me as Reena and Lagatha moved into position let loose on the gnolls. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the tentacled face of an Illithid as, what I can only assume was Thorixx, charged towards the gnolls. He struck at the gnolls leaving deep gashes that seemed to be covered in frost. Balasar said a small incantation as he loosed an arrow (ensnaring strike). As it struck the large gnoll, big momma, vines rose up from the floor and attempted to wrap her massive legs. She almost casually ripped the vines to pieces causing the magic to fade and the vines withered back to the ground. I let loose a few blasts from the gem in my right gauntlet, a lightning bolt slammed into the wall behind one of the gnolls even as I adjusted my aim and the second bolt ripped into his face. Big Momma swung a massive three headed flail around, each head seemed to move on it's own through the air. I taunted her as she brought the flail up to make an attack and watched the frustration grow in her face as the heads of her flail seemed unable to find a way past my armor. In a fury she made an attempt to bite me, and caught nothing but a face full of my shield. More gnolls came in from another room opposite big momma, but Flynn and Thorixx were dropping them as fast as they could enter. Big Momma struck out at Flynn a few times, and a sense of fear seemed to overwhelm him. Suddenly he turned to me and thrust his sword right into my side.
"Remember, it was the ELF that shot you! Not me!"
Luckily whatever madness had overcome him seemed to fade just as quickly, but it still gave Big Momma the opening she needed to get past my guard. I felt like a horse had run me over as the weight of her flail slammed into me. As I braced for another blow Big Momma suddenly started swinging at something behind her. Balasar had released his Giant Bat from somewhere and it was furiously clawing into the back of the gnolls neck, at the same time a spectral hand (chill touch) latched onto the creature. Lagatha saw the perfect opening from this, running into the room she leapt into the air and fired an arrow that brushed through Flynn's hair as it buried itself completely into the chest of the enormous gnoll. Big Momma casually dropped her flail, reached one hand to the wound in her chest, and brought the blood to her mouth to taste.
"Needs more pepper." The last words she spoke as her body went limp and dropped to the ground. We quickly searched the bodies for anything useful and made our way towards what looked like daylight on the far side of the structure.
Top Row: Elias Kratston, Reena, Thorixx
Bottom Row: Flynn, Lagatha, Balasar
