Colonial Caerdia: Blossom Fall is a story being told through a 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons campaign I'm running at a local hobby shop called the Devil's Bench. If you aren't already familiar with this series, you can find the beginning over here.
You can find the previous episode here.
7th-9th of Waxing Spring, 0 AL
Our heroes left off in a public argument with Silence, a tiefling smuggler acquaintance of Vala's. Jojen is very upset about the deaths of his friends, who had been smuggled by Silence, but John and I'Un can see they aren't in the best position, and they don't want to inflame the situation. They both have a quiet word with Jojen, encouraging him to step away from the situation, then leave - off to where Silence has pointed to Vala lurking on the fringes of the activity.
Silence magically amplifies their voice, saying it's clear that Jojen want's a scene, and announces to all who are listening that they are retiring from smuggling - turning over a new leaf in this new world - and that anyone who wants any smuggling done should go to Vala, although anyone who does so should be careful that she might send her thugs after them for no discernible reason.
Finally, Jojen decides to go on his way, saying he'll give Silence the benefit of the doubt - for now. He leaves, and goes off to try to find something strong to drink - finding that he either has to talk to the tiefling Atsnid - which he doesn't want to do - or wait until what the tavern is brewing is ready. The others go their separate ways as well - Vala trading her axes for a length of chain to secure her barrel to a tree and I'Un attempting to get Opal on his side for building a council - though he fails, as the former captain of the Spring Blossom wants to stay clear of leadership, even if it only involves passing on the mantle.
Vala gathers the group together again, suggesting it's time to go out exploring to give people time to forget this day's exploits. Jojen wants to wait until tomorrow - with a keen interest in acquiring some money from Lord Krandig first - but the others talk him around to leaving right away. John fetches one of the long boats for rowing upriver, getting told by the sailors that he and his friends aren't to burn this one. Then he and I'Un attempt to recruit some people to accompany them, returning with nothing but a black eye for John. Will, at least, is willing to come along.
The group set out upriver, passing the cave they had explored previously and continuing on through the forest. As night falls, they pull the boat out of the water and camp up in the trees. The next day, they continue on up the river. Late in the afternoon, John spots a small section of the riverbank that looks like it is made of bricks.
They pull their boat up on the shore, flipping it over and concealing it in the brush. Slowly and carefully, they approach along the shoreline. As they draw close to the right spot, they see a greenish fin sticking up out of a hollow in the ground. I'Un rushes up to draw out whatever it is - whacking it on the head and accepting a nasty bite as he runs off to the side, slightly more concerned now that he's seen three more of the creatures in the hollow.
Vala shoots the fin, and Jojen casts his sleep spell over the hollow - he's relieved for a moment, seeing the fin fall over, before three more of the creatures come charging out - looking much like crocodiles with fins on their backs. One of them takes a bite out of I'Un, while the others charge in at the group. Jojen can also hear some splashing from the direction of the river.
Will rushes in to stab one of the creatures with his spear, while John shoots an arrow at the creature harassing the heavily-wounded I'Un, allowing the monk to finish it off before retreating to Jojen's side where he receives healing from the bard. Vala tosses her bow aside in favor of her rapier, then steps in to stab one of the creatures - which bites back. The fin of a new creature begins approaching them from out in the river. The other land-bound crocodile-like creature lunges forward, tearing a hole in Will's stomach. Will drops to the ground, dead.
Seeing the death of his cousin - the only other surviving member of his tribe - John trows aside his bow and charges in with his rapier, stabbing furiously at the creature responsible, but in his rage he doesn't even hit it. Will's death also rallies the others, and though they take a few more wounds, they manage to finish off the creatures - even the new one that comes in from the river.
Jojen and I'Un attempt to offer condolences to John, but John insists on being alone - dragging Will's body off into the woods to bury him. The others take a look at the hollow the creatures have dug out. They find what looks like the mostly-buried remains of the foundation of a building. I'Un also notices, one of those strange circle-oval clusters on the bricks, and the corner of a buried trapdoor. However, it is getting late, and they have wounds to tend, so they decide to wait until tomorrow. They camp up in a tree again, except for John who is unwilling to leave Will's grave.
In the morning, they finally convince John to come away from Will's grave, though he spends his time skipping stones into the river rather than helping the others unearth the trapdoor. It takes a while, since they have no shovels, but they manage to clear the trapdoor and pry it open with their crowbars. Below they see what looks like a flooded cellar with fish swimming in and out of a hole out to the river. There is a decrepit-looking wooden chest, along with five corpses.
I'Un lowers himself into the water as carefully as possible, not even causing a ripple, intending to investigate further. When he lets out a surprised yell, John come running to see Jojen and Vala pulling I'Un out of the water, legs bloody from the fish that decided to snack on him. Jojen instinctively casts sleep on the swarming fish in the freshly bloodied water, but it doesn't seem to have that much impact on the hungry creatures.
And that brings an end to this game session. Come back next week to see what happens next in Episode 8.
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