da gloopy RPG diary

The party cannot see downfall for all of the fog. Distant croaking can be heard. Creeping mists over still water. No, not still. Shapes loom on the edge of their vision. Humanoid figures sitting in boats atop the water. Silently, the emerge from the fog, revealed to be humanoid frogs, small in stature, but standing to attention. "What so forth brings thee to our lands?" a haughty frog barks at the hapless humans. "Thou art trespass in the lands of King Gollop the Nineteenth. State thy business." The frog, dressed in a velvet vest complete with buttons and a silver brooch, surmises the party with a frown. Without missing a beat, Ferdinand steps forward, stooping into a deep bow. "Forgive us good sir, we are searching for the hag named Bavlorna Blightstraw. We believe her demesne to lie around here. I ensure you we meant no offence to your lord." The frog stares with glassy eyes, drinking in the display of nobility. He gulps. "I see. Mistress Bavlorna d...

Dramatis Personae Syl - Shaggy patchwork halfling. Looking for his lost 3 inches of height. Sunshine Foggytwist - Fairy seer. Can hear the spirits, and oft seeks their guidance. Sir Ferdinand Von Aegir - Haughty noble, the kind only humans can provide. Searching for his lost childhood love. Palemark - Energetic kobold warrior. Has figments of gods waging war in his head. Searching for his family. Albretch  - Upstanding human fighter. Quiet, practical, respectful. Misnique - Calm tree-horned devil-looking thing. Quiet and mysterious. Zanguys - The hulking tortle. Chef first, magician second. Searching for his mothers recipe book. Celeste - Shifty cat folk acrobat. Note: I missed session 2 because I was deathly ill. Syl and Zanguys woke up hungover on a high stone wall. Before them, the fairy realm of Hither stretches far into the misty horizon. Yellow and green swamp and marsh under a bright orb sun. Figures can be seen dancing and playing through the tall grass. Nursing achin...

On the outskirts of neverwinter, they wait to enter the witchlight carnival. Bubbles, glitter, dragonflies flutter through the air. The high pitched sound of a calliope can be heard. Each has been here once before, each has something to reclaim. A skinny, dirty, patchwork halfling stands in a line, surrounded by freaks of all types. Behind him, an elderly bipedal tortoise espouses the virtues of different spices to a furry humanoid cat, who seems at once enraptured and completely distracted. A tall noble, the very picture of elegance, looks down his nose at the surroundings, trying to disguise his eagerness to enter. A squat draconic kobold drags his heavy plate armor with each step. A bald, bearded human waits patiently, observing the giant dragonflies that flutter around the clearing. A blue figure with tree branches protruding out of her neck, spiralling up to become horns, stands patiently, observing the people around her. The entry fee is 1 copper piece, low enough for the unwashe...

 The journey to Krezk is long and slow. Through the woods, passing many side trails, often more worn down than the path they follow. They number 12 - four dwarves, two rangers, six hired drunkards lured by the promise of coin. When they finally arrive, the gates are closed. The guards aren't friendly. "The Burgomaster will not allow anyone to enter Krezk. Strahds enemies abound, we cannot be sure where your allegiance lies."  It's a long way back to Vallaki, and time works against the group. It will be nightfall soon. They have to enter Krezk. An argument ensues. The burgomaster is summoned to settle it. "To the south of here, along a small forest trail, is a winery that we were expecting an order from. It hasn't arrived, and our stores are low. If you can receive a cart full, we will allow you entrance into Krezk." A nobles busywork isn't ideal, but it's preferable to being eaten by wolves. One problem, the winery is too far down the road to mak...

RECAP: Dramatis Personae  Ranak, Daznit, Kuzome, Benri. All dwarves who lived a good life before being kidnapped by kobolds and worked to half-death. After losing many allies, they escaped the dragons cave. It seems, however, that fate had more in store for them. The dwarves depart from Madam Eva's camp as soon as their meeting is over. Their heads are swarming with foreboding mystery. With little solid information to hang on to, they decide a good nights rest will do them some good. The nearest village, Vallaki, is back up the road, down the other end of a fork in the road. Vallaki is made of rotted wood that houses rotten people. The dwarves get hard stares as they enter. Is it that newcomers are rare in this land, or unwelcome? The dwarves wonder if they too will be turned into greying withered folk like the denizens of this poor village. Priorities - somewhere to sleep, somewhere to resupply, and somewhere to find answers. Ranak and Kuzome head to The Blue Water Inn to exchange...

 The remaining kobolds take one of the prisoners before they're slain. After Benry turns back from an anvil, it's discovered that the remaining passage leads back to the kitchen. Every branch has been explored, and the dragons key is yet to be found. Every passage but one. The ogre lives beyond the fallen bridge. It's found grey and lifeless, clutching at its stomach, a pile of bones in the corner of its cave. It's been dead for some time. The key is fastened in a loop around its neck. The dragon, Sareesees, is in the debt of the dwarves who freed it. "If you ever need it, just call upon me. You would be surprised the worlds I can travel to." As it departs to the sky, the ragtag dwarves depart from the cave. They leave behind the corpses of innumerable fallen. Hopefully the prisoners can find peace. But before that, they have to get back to town. No warmth, no food, no idea of where they are, missing limbs and companions, the dwarves find themselves trekking a...

 The door slams open. A dwarf bursts in. Short. Ragged. He looks frightened, checks over his shoulder. "Help me!" he cries. "They're after me!" It's another prisoner, escaped from the kobolds. He speaks frantically of a kitchen, a horrid stew made of dwarven limbs. Now a conundrum: to go back and clear them out, or push forward to cut the head off the snake. Well, snakes have proven to be quite dangerous. Hopefully this one doesn't have two heads. Onwards into a room of floating isles, each with size enough for one. Each bearing a blue stone like the dragons. Keeps them aloft. Crossing them wasn't too difficult, Ranak manages it with ease. Until a kobold crosses his path on the final leap. But it wasn't expecting them. A quick stab in the gullet sends it into the abyss below. A splash betrays the presence of water at the bottom. More attacked from behind, slinging stones to knock the islands out of the air. Two fall, two flee. One of the ones tha...