Session 21: Gnolls Attack!

When the adventurers travel to Zelcors Ferry to sell loot and buy supplies, the town is attacked by a horde of Gnolls.

This is from Kay's notes from our January 10, 2024 session. Since our group is scattered around the country, we used Discord for our voice communication and Roll20 for our virtual tabletop. Thanks to Jojo for the screen shot.

Continued from: Goodbye Gelver, Hello Gelatinous Cube

Date: May 15, 3517

3 PM
We were back at the castle, sorting the loot from today’s adventures in the Mouth of Doom. Lark started building a ladder to put over pits. He was building it to come apart so he could carry it in a dungeon. We had a discussion about Sinis getting the diamond for a spell component for chromatic orb. He got it.

Lark decided to go up to the top of the cliff for the night, and pulled the rope up after him.

We all slept for the night and got a long rest.

May 16
After breakfast we discussed selling the horses, and brought them with us into town to sell along with the rest of the loot we aren’t keeping.

10 AM
We got 10gp per horse on top of the cut of the rest of the loot, so everyone got 138 gp to spend. Lark also sold his rusty chainmail shirt that he got a while back for 10 gp. Blaze bought a child’s ball for 1 sp. Beneddar wanted more rations, but we reminded him that he could get them from our stores that have been replenished from the bandits’ pantry. Lark asked Rasmus Pye for lumber in town but Rasmus said he couldn’t do deliveries and people just cut their own from the trees. Elron purchased a sling that can throw three stones. Lark purchased a new pair of leather gloves to replace the one sticking to the door.

We had a nice fish dinner with ale from Bristleback’s Inn, and Blaze and Beneddar asked about the latest rumors and gossip. One of the guards had heard that a great priest was entombed within the Rappan Athuk complex behind a door sealed with seven seals. If released, the powers of good would be greatly aided. Blaze unrolled her map and showed the others some areas to investigate further.

2:10 PM
We were in the inn, packing up to go back to the castle when we heard a commotion outside. Elron’s elven ears heard an alarm from a guard on the wall above the front gate. All the guards inside the inn charged outside. Elron grabbed his bow and followed them while telling us about what he had heard.

The Guards ran towards the gate.  Beneddar, Breena and Rocky followed Elron outside.

They saw guards, with arrows sticking in them, fall from the watch towers at the front gate.

Sinis grabbed his drink and looked out the door. Parahelia stepped outside. Artie, still in the inn, looked at the guards’ table for a drink, saw that it was cheap ale, and moved to the door. Blaze grabbed her pack and quarterstaff and ran outside. Bristleback ran to the back door and opened it. Then he told Gumble something, and then ran to the fireplace where the giant axe was hanging over the mantle.

Elron noticed three gnolls coming over the wall on ladders to the north of the front gate, which was closed and barred now. Elron aimed his bow at the first gnoll on the left and hit for a lot of damage. Guards were charging out of the barracks and running towards the front gate.

Sinis cast acid splash but missed. Parahelia held her position and raised her shield. The three gnolls on the wall to the north jumped to the ground and began moving into the town. Three additional gnolls came over the wall on the south side of the front gate and engaged in battle with three of the guards. An additional three gnolls came over the wall to the south of the second wave, closer to the inn.

Beneddar cast sleep on the gnoll that Elron shot. Artie stepped outside and cast firebolt, missed the gnoll, and hit Sinis in the back – this seems to be a recurring theme between them. Blaze cast flaming sphere at the middle gnoll in the group to the north and hit for minor damage, the right gnoll also got burned. The left gnoll, sleeping and already injured, died.

Breena aimed for the gnoll on the right with her crossbow and hit.

A big, bristly, snouted creature with a curly tail ran out of the inn with the great axe in its hands. Apparently, Odo Bristleback is a wereboar, as we suspected.

Lark moved up to flank Odo who looked over at him and nodded. Elron aimed an arrow at a gnoll on the wall and hit, killing it. Some of the gnolls still alive and moving went to the front gate to remove the bar and let others in.

The guards attacked, moving up to the three gnolls at the front gate who were trying to open it. Three other guards were in a fight with the three gnolls on the south side of the gate. Big Morgan, the armorer, opened the door from his forge and stepped out wielding a war hammer. Sinis, injured, retreated into the inn. Parahelia cast spiritual weapon on the middle gnoll on the north side, but missed.

One of the gnolls moved to the gate to open it; the gnoll on fire from Blaze went to back him up and shot at Odo, hurting him.

Three more gnolls appeared at the top of the wall at the north, jumped down, and engaged the guards. The burning gnoll shot at Elron. Four gnolls attacked three guards at the southern end near the inn, and three more gnolls appeared at the top of the wall on the other side of the gate. There were fifteen gnolls so far.

Beneddar shot the gnoll at the gate who was trying to open it, and killed it. Artie shot the second gnoll at the gate that was on fire. Blaze cast chaos bolt, which missed the gnoll and hit a guard, killing him instantly. Chaos indeed.

Breena shot at a gnoll with her crossbow and missed. Odo moved to the gnoll at the gate. Lark moved to flank the same gnoll.

The Necromancer, Ulman Dark, stepped out of his shop, saw the battle, and ran toward the fight.

Elron shot and killed the gnoll at the gate. Three guards in front of the armorer’s were fighting three gnolls, and Capt. Brilstaff came up to the fight and killed one of them. Big Morgan used his war hammer on one gnoll for some minor damage.

Rasmus Pye, having left his shop, ran toward the gate. Sinis backed into the inn, closed the door, and cast his blur spell on himself. Parahelia moved up to the middle gnoll at the back fighting with a guard, and cast guiding bolt at a gnoll near the front gate, hitting and killing it. One gnoll fighting Big Morgan bit him. Another gnoll was going for the gate, stepping over his fallen comrade.

One gnoll disengaged from the guards and went after Elron. Beneddar shot the next gnoll at the gate and killed him. Artie shot at the gnoll attacking Elron and injured it.

Blaze moved the flaming sphere to the gate to protect it from being opened, and levitated to look over the wall to see how many more gnolls there were; she doesn’t see any, but from her current location couldn’t see anything standing against the other side of the wall.

Breena hit a gnoll with a crossbow bolt for major damage. Odo swung the axe at both gnolls in front of him, and both ducked just in time. Lark moved up and hit one as it was dodging Odo’s axe; it sounded like bones being crushed, major damage to that one.

So far, of 15 gnolls on this side of the wall, 7 were dead; and one guard died from friendly fire, plus the two guards who fell from the top of the gate. The front gate was still closed.

TO BE CONTINUED