“Owlbear!” cried Ary, charging the creature, striking it with his swords.
“Thanks for the heads-up. I hadn’t noticed,” said Wynter, her eyes almost rolling out of her head. Nick advanced beside Ary and knocked the beast prone with a mighty blow of his battle axe. Wynter unleashed a poison spray, but it went wild. The creature responded with vicious claw and beak attacks, the beak gouging Ary badly. Purple lighting erupted from Scomitch’s hand and struck the beast, deeply wounding it, flowing by a starry whisp from Aldi. One more hit from Ary put the creature down, and the elf sighed in relief, looking down at his wounds. “Good thing, one more of those beak bites would have been it for me, he chuckled.”
“Should we take a little rest?” offered Scomitch.
“Let’s keep going.” said Ary, “I’ve still got a healing elixir in case we run into trouble.” Scomitch reluctantly agreed, and the band continued their chase.
After another stretch, the band heard a gurgling river ahead and soon came upon a fast stream that was once spanned by a stone bridge, although the bridge had collapsed, leaving large stone supports and only the middle part of the masonry span above the water.
“How much rope we got?” asked Ary. The band produced four 50-foot lengths. “OK, I’ll tie these two together and go across to tie off to the other side.”
“Hey genius, take two lengths so there is a foot-rope and a hand-rope,” said Nick. “Not all of us are twinkle-toes, you know.”
Ary took a deep breath with his eyes down, paused, and then looked up, smiling at the Druergar. “Good idea, thanks.” Taking two 100-foot lengths of rope in hand, Ary leaped from the bank onto the masonry above the water and onto the ruined bridge in the middle. Just then, a large creature emerged from under the bridge. It was 9 feet tall with lanky arms and legs, putrid green skin, and a protruding nose. Its head was covered by a tangled mess of black hair, and warty growths and putrid, oozing boils mottled its skin.
“I am Noken the Yokai,” announced the horrible thing. “All who cross must pay tribute!”
The band, sensing a pattern, decided to rock out once more. The band got ready, and both Aldi and Scomitch weaved spells to aid in the performance. Once again, the band blasted out a performance for the ages to assuage the troll. Although the chances of it happening again were exactly 2127215623 to 1, it just so happened that the New York phone number of Paul Stanley in 1971 was (212)721-5623. Somehow, the band performance mirrored exactly the live recording of the American hard rock super-group Kiss’ live and the problematic performance of “Christeen Sixteen” on the 1977 Kiss Live II album.
Noken appeared to appreciate the performance, but when it was over, he chastised the band for the inappropriate theme of the lyrics.
“I told you guys,” said Wynter, packing away her drum kit.
“Noken the Yokai tribute requires a guest…for dinner!” said the troll.
“Uhh, like on the menu, or what?” said Nick. Scomitch quickly spoke up.
“Oh great and powerful Noken the Yokai, may we offer you a guest for your dinner, my very companion: Fortissimo the Owl. Allow us to cross, and I shall send Fortissimo to you.” Noken nodded, and Ary leaped across the far bank and tied off the ropes. In the process, he noticed the bodies of several goblins, an orc on the ground, scattered coins, several vials, and a pair of leather gloves in perfect condition. Ary noted this but nocked an arrow, ready to shoot any threats to the band as they crossed the river.
The rest of the band crossed, with Wynter going first, and although she fell into the river, she transformed into an octopus and easily made it. Nick then attempted to follow but slipped near the far shore and was rescued by Octo-Wynter by her tentacles wrapping around a pillar and the remaining around Nick.
Aldy leaped and skipped across without issue. Scomitch then crossed, but because he was the only one who paid attention at the safety meeting, he thought to tie off to the rope beforehand, and with that extra measure of safety, he made it across.
Once all were safely on the other side, Scomitch sent Fortissimo to the troll, although he delayed a bit to allow the band to get ready to flee in case the troll realized the “gift” of a familiar was not edible. The troll received the owl and stroked the bird lovingly, to the band's surprise.
“Me love pretty bird, you be me guest for dinner,” the troll cooed. It pulled out a live mouse and fed it to the owl.
As Scomitch sent the owl over to the troll, Ary returned to the coins and vial he had noticed earlier and began scooping them up, along with the gloves on the ground. The troll noticed Ary’s activity, and he was enraged. The items Ary took were the troll’s treasure.
The troll charged across the stream and began climbing the ruined bridge. Ranged attacks didn’t stop the troll. He climbed up the fallen bridge.
Nick waited, axe in hand. Nick called upon the ancient language of Giants, “INECK CHOCK!” and grew twelve feet tall. As a giant, Nick’s devastating attack lays the troll low and binds the creature in fire, restraining the monster. The band focused an alpha strike on the restrained troll, which was destroyed.
The troll's treasure revealed 49 gp, three potions of healing, and a pair of gloves for climbing and swimming given to Nick. The band took a long-earned rest at the river bank.
After resting, the party marched on to find a large stone structure: a mausoleum or temple of chiseled white rocks featuring an immense front stair and a grove of old trees planted in a double column. Two braziers, lit by magic by their violet color, burn brightly in the pervasive night, illuminating a pair of tall, heavy bronze doors. Each of the five stone stairs was about 18 inches high, with the mausoleum floor more than seven feet above the surrounding earth. The image of a snow owl is finely carved in each door. Written in elven are the words - ‘Estia of the Frost Giants. She fell honorably in the Battle of the Glacial Rift’. Rest in Peace – V
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