Ep 33 - The Swamp Hut and a surprise reunion.

We pick up the campaign with the Adventurers waking at their campsite after spending the night by the riverside. As they share their morning meal of eel, Catsi takes a seat next to Gomer and begins a conversation with him where he informs the fighter that he intends to free his captive people and find land for them in Gogalla once they defeat Gareth. He tells Gomer that he also intends to make a request for Gomer to stay with him. Gomer is thankful but replies that they should wait until after whether they defeat Gareth first. Once having eaten, they broke camp and continued northward toward the swamplands where they were told a hut lay in that direction. On their travels they passed two plots of land that showed signs of death and decay from the land's equilibrium being thrown out of balance; the trees leafless and the ground hard and cracked from lack of moisture. Everywhere else the land was flourishing. After an hour-and-a-half of travel they reached the fringes of the swampland and ventured within to find the hut. After another half hour of searching, they came across the hut and stopped a little way off. Turning into her direwolf form, Lyllianes searched around for scent or sound of threat. While doing this, she saw that the hut had one single doorway for entry. She returned a little later informing that no threat was nearby. Heading to the front door, the Party decided to try and sneak in. Catsi and Tados (26 and 22 on Stealth) stepped nimbly over the doorway without making a sound while Cal and Bardryn tried to step through the door at the same time making a ruckus as they collided into each other (both rolled 1 on their checks). They walked through into a foyer area with a large white wolf skin lying on the floor, its head facing the door. The only other things in the foyer were a small table with vase on it and a long wooden staff with an amber ball on the top. The floor of the hut was wooden boards that were cracked and broken. Cal walked up to the staff and with an Arcana 22 ascertained it was a simple staff. Before they moved farther into the hut, Catsi decided to take it upon herself to stealth ahead and see what may be before them. With a Stealth 20 she silently stepped from floor board to floor board, creeping into the living room to find it empty. The others followed behind. When they left the foyer, the front door slammed shut, and a old cackling laughter filled the hut. The Party immediately set to searching the house to find a way to unlock the front door.  However, in true D&D style, the Party fluffed around the hut with poor rolls (Jett rolling a INV 1 and then another roll of 1 on his Alchemy kit as he tried to find out about a powder he saw on a desk). Bardryn came to the rescue with an INV17 locating a small amber gem that had scratch marks across the flat bottom side of it as though it had been moved against some surface regularly. Putting 2 and 4 together, she called out to the group to find something that looked like it may be scratched by the gem; however, Catsi had enough by this time and reached into her bag to pull out the remaining makeshift bombs she had made and called out to the cackling voice that she was going to bomb the hut if they did not receive information about Dael. Tados joined her in the threat and with an Intimidation of 17 they received a message from an old Hag's voice telling them the answers they sought "laid below". Jett followed on from this with a persuasive speech to how they only wanted to find the Green Cloak and not blow up her hut and with a roll of 23 gained another answer that told them to 'seek the lock of green on white on a round surface'. While this was ongoing, Cal had a momentary flash of brilliance and believed the fireplace to be a fake door. Throwing himself head first into the fireplace he crashed against hard stone and dying embers to receive 2 points of damage for his effort. Although, once he heard Bardryn calling for them to search for a place where the amber gem might go, he did locate a faint green pattern on a white tablecloth that sat atop a round table in the living area. Carrying her amber gem out from the bedroom to the living area, she brought it close to the tablecloth where a green circle lit up at the gem's presence. With the puzzle now determined, Jett went about the hut searching for items that did not seem to fit the environment, locating four more items that completed the puzzle and, with a twist of the gem that sat centre of the puzzle, a movement of machinery unlocked a door somewhere within the hut. Catsi, who was in the bedroom, laying her bombs under the Hag's bed, heard the machinery the loudest as it came from the wardrobe within the bedroom. Opening the wardrobe for the second time, they now saw a shimmering portal within, though Cal heedlessly launched himself through with his scimitar at the ready at least. The portal led them to an underground cavern where they began making their way through with Cal in the lead. With a PERC roll of 28 he slowly and safely led them farther into the cavern where he came across a room. Entering, he saw a table with a grappling hook, a bag, and a map on it, and also a Elven maiden with blue hair chained to the wall. As the others poured into the room at his call, Bardryn, Jett, and Catsi were surprised to see their old member, Naivara held captive in such a place. After freeing her, the questions flowed as they asked each other what they had been up to and why they were in this place. Naivara informed that she had been following some leads that would help her overthrow her parents, before being abducted and brought to the cavern. She woke up bound and did not know how long it had been since she was in the dark with no awareness of the passing days. The party filled her in on Dael's betrayal and that they had followed him to the hut, at which time Naivara replied that she had seen an old crone leading a soldier with a cloak farther into the cavern. They were interrupted by approaching footsteps and Catsi and Jett raced out to come face to face with creatures that were humanoid but resembled birds. They were covered in feathers but their arms were bones fashioned into a sword. Initiative commenced: Lyllianes, Tados, Dark Slasher, Dark Slasher, Naivara, Cal,  Dark Slasher,  Dark Slasher, Catsi, Gomer, Jett, Bardryn. Having the element of surprise Jett and Catsi got a free attack with Jett launching forward with his daggers. The first one missed as the Slasher ducked but he quickly followed up with his second (Crit roll for 28) that connected. Unfortunately, the Slasher made its CON save; however, coming out from a sneak Jett took half its HP in one attack. On the other side, Catsi entered a rage and frenzy taking a round to wind up her rage, swinging her ball and chain in readiness to attack. On his go, Tados sent a firey bolt at one of the Slashers that missed its mark, exploding harmlessly against the rock wall. The first of the Slashers Surged forward to engage Catsi, striking out with its bone sword arms, one hitting for 23HP (reduced to 11 due to Catsi raging) while the second missed. With its Surge bonus action, it raised it arms to Slam them down on Catsi for 16HP. Catsi saved the STR DC to remain standing and not be knocked prone. Another Slasher Surged forward to attack Jett, one finding its mark for 15HP (reduced to 7 with Jett's uncanny dodge). It then used its Surge bonus action to Slam him which he withstood making the STR save. Rejoining her old group, Naivara went into action, firing a bolt of fire at the Slasher attacking Jett, the fire immediately burning the feathers covering the beast doubling her 7HP to 14. She ended her turn telling the others to burn the beasts. Following the call, Lyllianes leapt to action (because the DM forgot her turn!) launching a flame at the Slasher attacking Catsi setting it alight for a bonused 16HP. Cal called forth his Spirit Guardians, small love-heart shaped angelic beings with wings and arms to attack, casting them over the two near Jett. Unfortunately, both beings made the WIS save on this turn, taking half damage of 10HP each. The last two Slashers Surged into action, the first attacking Jett again the two bone swords missing their mark, however the subsequent Slam was too much for Jett who failed the STR save and was knocked prone for a further 16HP. The second one launched itself at Lyllianes, it's first swing going wildly astray (Roll of 1 on attack) and lodging itself deep into the rock wall instead. The second attack made its mark with Lyllianes suffering 25HP damage. Due to the stuck arm, the Slasher could not make its Slam attack the Surge wasted. In response, Lyllianes hit the Slasher with an up-spelled Hellish Rebuke, which the Slasher failed its DEX save taking a whopping boosted 80HP which resulted in its immediate incineration. Poor Gomer was left in the dark, having no darkvision and no other light source to guide him. As he stood in the dark hearing the sounds of battle he tried to perceive where he should go but with a PERC 7 he stumbled about aimlessly until he came across Cal's back. Finally, having her turn, Catsi unleashed the pent up frenzied rage and swung her ball at the Slasher that attacked her. It ducked the first attack but the two following swings hit their mark for 23HP; however, the Slasher did not seem to bothered by the bludgeoning force and seemed to resist it, lowering the damage to 11HP. Sorely wounded and beaten, Jett used his Cunning Action to disengage where he ran behind Caland Naivara before turning to shoot an arrow at the Slasher which found its mark for a further 11HP damage. Bardryn ran into the foray, lashing out with her hand axes; however only one found its mark for 7HP. Round 2: Tados ran over and gave Heroism to Gomer and Jett for his turn, Lyllianes called on her Druidic power to conjure two large crocodiles. One appeared behind the Slasher attacking Catsi taking a biting chunk out of it for 7HP. The Slasher lashed out at Catsi in response with both attacks hitting her for a 43HP (halved to 21 due to Catsi's rage). The second Slasher tried to fight off the Spirit Guardians; however was unable to do so and it was torn asunder by the enveloping angelic sprites. Naivara cast another bolt of fire at the Slasher that had attacked Jett, setting it alight and burning all its feathers off revealing a blackened, burned skin underneath. The Slasher teetered on its feet as the flames died out but just remained standing. Cal cast a healing spell on Catsi giving her HP a healthy 13 points, then turned to the Slasher that Naivara had just hit casting Toll the Dead on it. Unfortunately, its resolve had it meet the save DC. Though on its turn it failed the WIS save for the Spirit Guardians and was also torn asunder. Catsi lashed out again at the Slasher in front of her, the first strike critically hitting the Slasher, the second missed its mark, but the third also hit. With a 40HP damage she smashed the Slasher against the rock wall and with breaking bone and smashed flesh, the Slasher fell lifeless to the floor. With only one Slasher worth looking into, Bardryn moved around to check it for possible loot, only to turn the corner just as Catso finished her frenzied rage by slamming her ball into its head again, sending bits of bone and gore raining over her - once again (she tried to DEX save to avoid it but rolled a 1). The episode ended with the group receiving some healing from Cal, ready for what lay ahead.