Journal Posts

...It's been a while since being able to establish a journal entry. After our encounter with the animated dead we pressed on further through the caverns beneath the Baron's Manor and within minutes would come upon our companion Malas Song. Entangled in the roots of a violent tree-like monster, pale and all but dead. We attempted to save him but it was too late. Through some means, he entered a final journal account with a horrific ending. We stuck to our favorite method of destruction and torched the base of the roots.

Paces to the south we came upon a room full of statues and a throne. Comically, one of Malas' chickens found us again, entered the room and activated some sort of plate that released one of the statues from its magical stone containment. An ancient? A golem? No, the man introduced himself as Japher Sceaph. He explained to us that he had turned into a statue two years previously which could be the doing of some known wizard who acts as a sort of arms dealer with any buyer.

Eventually we found the proper path to the ring at the revolving gem door. We met many puzzling illusions of lava, a massive underground lake, and lengthly halls with duplicating rooms. I heard someone activate the Lake Crossing mechanism as we came upon 3 rooms filled with substances im very unfamiliar with. Two were sticky and acidic and one was benign. As we made our way through two Agents of Nergal met our friend Gnewton Gnorlock's oil trap to hold them back at the doorway. As Gnewt went back to lay down some acid he was struck with a throwing axe and lost consciousness and a lot of blood. Japher and I led a surprise attack on them from a one-way door as Red and Brother Franc met them head on. Quickly they fell and we learned their true identity through their deities sign on their breast. The plot thickens... Who are these two working for as worshipers of Nergal?

Descending further, our final dilemma to getting the ring was a mathematical riddle of numbered stones above a large pit of lava. Rosier Rasher with his exquisite, genius level intelligence figured out the puzzle in no time. We crossed swiftly and grabbed the Baron's ring exiting through some sort of teleportation room which led out into a Temple of Anu in service. After many political dealings and inquisition of true identities, we made our way to where we left the Baron coming up with a horseman named Ort. Japher and Ort had some fishy dealings off to the side away from the party. Whatever Japher said to him was enough to get him out of our hair... but at what cost? It soon became clear that this very special ring was in fact the proper ring as the Baron told his identity. It was now time to confront the Doppelgänger.

At the Baron's courtyard, along with a large group of townsfolk, Ort summoned the False Baron and some of his entourage. Japher quickly stabbed Ort in the back dropping him like a bag of innards with a sword he found in a dream-like state we all experienced (It's very hard to remember but it felt like a dream of immense mental powers). As the entourage rushed, the Real Baron held high his signet ring of truth and declared his name. The False Baron laughed and met the Real Baron's challenge to try on the ring to reveal to the town he is indeed their true authority. To his surprise, his own confidence, and ego foiled his plan as the words he spit out were that he was a Doppelgänger. The ring of truth worked amazingly. In madness the Doppelgänger gazed in at Japher and transformed into a replica of him, Charging forward, focusing on Japher, he ran into a hammer from Brother Franc as I ripped him into a headlock and strangle hold. Brother Franc, with one more blow crushed his spine as he withered back into his original, ugly biological form. In moments he started to harden into something resembling stone. A very interesting phenomena.

The Baron thanked us offering us a feast and reward. Unscathed, I need little rest... except from all the politics of city and church. Until further adventures are met...

Not wasting much time we left the mud pits, now with a shiny new sword. Needless to say we went the only other way we could find. Then we came across a peculiar portal. I took the other fine chicken I had and coaxed it inside before the gnome pushed one of the mysterious gems with my spear. The small area spun at extreme speed, breaking my personal hand crafted spear that I had spent a week on. Then we heard the chicken from the other side and knew it was safe.

Following the same path as the chicken we ended in a long hallway, which led into a room of poorly maintained furniture and bat droppings. After I notice the bats squirm I begin to prepare to speak with the critters and convince them we are gods. I did not get the chances to complete my prayer as the bats swarmed the room. In the next minute or so a torch is thrown and the room ignites. I decide to stay on the other side. I bravely fend of some bats before fleeing back through the weird portal.

Back in the "museum room" I meditated on his failure until the magic used came in the front entrance, looking a bit wet and mottled. I greet him and after about ten minutes we here the others shouting. Our pair decides to meet up and search the burned bat room for secret doors. One is found in what is the north wall. It lead to another room in the generic fifty by fifty size. My eyes glance the room and lay on the elk skin carpet. What overzealous, uncaring hunter would kill to such an excess. It must be burned or the beast will never rest. The others had none of it, instead they directed me to burn it the other room. Picky people.

I spend a good amount of time making sure the skin is burned, and toss the ashes into the small indoor stream so that they may return to nature. Upon returning to the room where the others had been I find nothing. "Are you here?" I question loudly. No answer. I repeat it again. No answer. I rush towards the door, noting the buck head I will surely have to destroy later. Then I slow down. Being alone is dangerous, and I should have known better then to even continue, but I did. I came across a room with eight statues and a mighty throne, I was tempted to sit, yet thoughts of the eight beings coming to life and ripping me to shreds prevailed.

I continues down the only clear path and found myself in a large natural caver, with tree roots hanging from the ceiling. I studied some footprints, but these suggested that people fled from this area. The I saw the body, untouched by and scavenger beasts, which was my second warning. I slowly crept towards it armed after I had tossed my torch closer. As I approached a vine of some sort snagged my arm. I tried my best in struggling about and even managed to grab the torch. It was for naught, my last view was of the large tree mass above me, with a glimpse of my cloak as it was pulled over my shoulder. The cloak I wore was red, I don't think I ever noticed that before.

...We came upon the secret entrance to the keeps catacombs which was embedded within a tree outside of Hogsend. It was quiet very shortly as the first room seemed to be a taxonomic diorama of some freakish bird-men. That would be the last moment of peace in this labyrinth of the unknown. Ahead of to the North we encountered men made of mud who protected their spring with monstrous tenacity. Our strange Druid would toss about his chickens to test out these watered areas but would seem philosophically confused later as he left to burn a fur rug - we've yet to see him since. Brother Franc near suffocated due to smothering of muck and mud but would survive. As we exited the pool, the Mud Men would relax themselves back into the water as if nothing happened... Back to the initial room, we decided to traverse West. An interesting door with colored buttons, would act like a wheel and push us into a new direction (The poor Baron never seemed to tell us of any of this in his state of being). We've yet to figure out exactly how this machine works throughly. Possibly the Gnome, Mr. Gnorlock has seem some familiar engineering in his past... From there the pyromania would begin. A room of bats? On fire. Beyond the room, Rosier the magic wielder would trigger a mechanism that released a small river sending him out of the entire structure. As the fire of the bat room calmed, we began to search the room and I discovered a secret door leading into a well furnished room. This is where poor Malas Song would last be seen as he left to burn an elk rug. More fiddling from the wizard would teleport us all entirely out of the room into a new exit machine. Our depth seemed to be the same as where we vanished from, and would lead North into a cavernous dark chamber. To lighten up the situation I tossed a torch towards numerous boxes we could hardly make out. It turned out to be a mistake as a horde of skeletons erupted from their caskets, driven by evil and marching forward. Through the confusion of fight or flight, Brother Franc begin to turn them through his calling to Thor but as its told, two remaining would get wicked blows in upon Red Haus sending him down into unconsciousness. He's been healed and stabilized but is awaiting in a coma...

After my new companions pulled me out of the mud and I came to, we decided to venture onward. We came into a weird steel chamber that fit only one person but had three gemstones. When one of the gemstones was touched, the chamber would close and take that person elsewhere in these odd family catacombs of the Baron's. These northern folk have weird customs that I will never understand! I'm beginning to wonder what other arcane and evil practices this Baron is tied into.

After we all make it to what I can say the other side of this chamber by pressing the red button, we come across a filthy room with furniture that has long rotted and dung all over it. I ask the Ranger what kind of dung it is and he says it it bat dung. I immediately look up to see a score or two of the nasty critters and they get agitated by our presence. Just them they swarm us and the party leaves to the other side except for the druid unknown to me. Big Red's torch goes out from the bats so I had to make a decsision. Do we run from bats or do I put the torch to some action? I choose action! The room then goes in flame and the bats flee to the other side of the room where the party ran. That corridor leads outside and the bats flee.

The rest of the group is annoyed by me and think I am crazy and Thor knows they are probably right. But I wasnt gonna be defeated by stupid bats! While waiting for the flames to die down and reunite with the druid, the "highly intellegent" magic user springs a trap down the corridor and water rushes down and whisks him into the outdoors. I shouldn't pick on him, it sounds like something that would happen to me to. We help the gnome in the party and resident trap expert to better understand what happened. He discoveres that the mage is alright and the fire is dying down in the bat room.We go back to the bat room and meet up with the druid.I black out from the smoke but we'll just gloss over that for now. The Gnome discovers a secret door. Now tell me how we would have found that if I didn't burn out the bats!

We go through a small corridor and emerge into a room just like the bat room but this time the furniture is kept up nice. Theres a bearskin rug on the floor which sends the druid into a rage as he snatches it up and goes back to the bat room and burns it. Then I point out that he wont like the dear head in the corner of the room. Then someone pulls both antlers and we are whisked away into another room.By the gods these damn northerners and their cursed magic tricks!And now we are without our druid friend its his own treehugging fault!
Theres more chambers like that steel one we originally encountered and now I had enough! I stormed in and touched a purple button.

We end up in this large cavern with wooden boxes. Our ranger throws a torch into the room and the boxes ignite revealing them to be coffins and the inhabitants are none too pleased. The party is tripping over eachother to get to the chamber to leave, I will not! I will stay and take a stand against the unholy powers and cover the rest of the party. I am fortunate for two things. First, for the bravery of Red covering me and second, for Thor's grace as I turn these foul skeletons with Thor's might. Unfortunately I can't get all of them at once and red goes down. I turn the last of them that attacked Red and heal Red before he dies with Thor's blessings. Red has Thor to thank for his life. Thor favors strong and brave warriors such as him! If there were more Reds in this world, the giants would be sent back to hel where they belong!

...How I became caught up in this mess of seemingly potential lunatics is truly chaotic indeed... While searching through Hogsend's bazaar for seasonal gear and clothing to further hone my skills in the wild, I was abruptly knocked to the ground by a raving, half-naked man. He managed to swipe my bow and quiver as I hit the ground. A trail of other men passed by as I got up to give chase. The mysterious man, stunned and heavily blunted across the arm by a mace from one of the chasers, took the force from the pommel of my dagger to his face. As gore cascaded, he fell. It reminded me of my time as a youth in the slave camp where I received my pervasive facial scars from abusive captors before my eventual escape.

I pinned the man's shoulders down as he came to from concussion. He pleaded with us to listen to his story. As I recall, the man, Baron Von Hogsend, was awoken in his sleep only to look himself in the eye as his Other stabbed him in the chest with a dagger taking his life. His man of the cloth raised him from death through necromantic powers i can hardly fathom. The plan backfired in tragedy. Emerging to life as the magic flowed through must have caused him to react as if he had never died at all. The Baron, in a seamless fear, grabbed his friends mace and proceeded to pulverize him to death near the river where the ritual took place.

That brings the story back around to the present. The Baron's pleas and monetary offering have brought this strange group together with the motive to help a man in power as an act of Good (A few may have other motives, as one Tiny Man was vulturing the corpse of the Baron's priest). We've been instructed to enter and traverse the catacombs through a hidden forest entrance where he stores a sigil that can verify his identity to us, the people of Hogsend and his bureaucrats. Potentially this could snuff out his mirrored killer as an impostor.

The Baron believes his killer to be the nefarious Doppelgänger which has transmuted into his form. For what purpose we're not sure. A drive for corrupting power?... I've only heard legend of the Doppelgänger from hearsay... stories of their extraordinary sensory reading of thought and imagination. How their flesh, instead of moving into the processes of putrefaction after passing, turns as hard as stone. Some even theorize that they are descendants of the human... but asexual. A true marvel, yet extremely dangerous. If encountered, could It possibly leave the Baron's form and become one of us?... The party should stay together at all times.

For wildness,
Okänd

Red did his best to keep his wits about him throughout the journey. However, he became aware that he was fully lost within the dark depths of the Baron's complex. He had faith in his companions though, especially the Gnome who seemed to have a good understanding of where they were throughout the exploration. Traveling through magical doors was far from something that Red was accustomed to having grown up on a rather plain farm for most of his life.

And the magic user seemed to be pretty intelligent. He often spoke about things that he really didn't understand. But that just seemed to be the way of magic-users. They could perceive mysteries that others would never fully comprehend.

When the party came to a rather dingy looking room covered in bat dung and broken furniture, he fully expected that there would be monsters popping out to eat them. He scanned the room with his torch, looking for any large piles of dung that might conceal lurking creatures. He was wrong, of course, and his companions proved to be the most dangerous foes for the moment.

The bats didn't bother him much, beyond putting out his torch. However, when the cleric of Thor tossed a torch on the broken furniture, he had his doubts that things were really going well. Again, he started to wonder if he should be at home eating a warm meal and enjoying the comforts of the farmhouse.

The danger of the bonfire that resulted from the cleric's torch was one thing … but when the wall fell open releasing a torrent of water that washed away the crew's magic-user … he was certain that the gods were against them. Perhaps Loki was playing a joke on them, he thought, recalling tales told over campfires by his Uncle.

Using the Gnome like some kind of fishing lure, they lowered him through the gush of water into a cavern where the magic-user was busy drying out his spellbook. Finding that the magic-user was safe, but soggy was good news. However, he had his doubts that the Druid would survive the inferno in the next room started by the cleric.

However, it all turned out for the best. Smelling of guano and smoke, the party regrouped. They managed to negotiate through a few more magical and secret doors until Red was once again completely lost as to his true location within the complex. Even if he had any doubts about adventuring with this motley crew, he was bound to stick with them if he'd ever get back to Hogsend. But they all seemed to be a good lot of folks, so he figured if he stuck with them for long enough, everything would work out in the end.

Finding another room, Red started to light a few of the torches on the wall in case of any melee that might break out. Light was important, and since it seemed like someone had been in this room recently, that was his focus for the moment. As he started to put some fire to the sconced torches within the room, the Druid snatched up a rug and hurried away to set it on fire. Maybe setting things on fire was a normal activity during such expeditions. Who knows? Red certainly wasn't a veteran at these sorts of things … and it seemed to be important to light everything on fire for some reason …

And then suddenly, Red found himself in a different room. Everyone seemed to be just as surprised at the sudden, apparently magical, shifting of location. And he couldn't help but notice that the Druid was no longer with them. Apparently, he was too busy setting things on fire in the other room to have been magicked into the current location.

It wasn't long until they found another magical door which ultimately lead them into a cavern. The ceiling was littered with holes, and there was a cluster of boxes far off in the rather huge cavern. Before Red could suggest that he walk over and check things out … the Ranger tossed his torch out there to provide a better glimpse of the boxes. Rangers seem to be good at a lot of things, and this was no exception. The Ranger managed to land his torch on the boxes with adept skill, setting them on fire! Yes, again with the setting of fires … Red was sure now that setting things on fire was an important part of exploring a dungeon. He would have to remember that for later! If all else fails, set something on fire!

With the boxes burning bright, everyone became grossly aware that these boxes were actually coffins. And the coffins … naturally … contained the dead. Or in this case … the Undead. Yes, Red's stomach dropped a bit as several Skeletons stood up, and started to rush towards them. It was a thing of childhood nightmares, and Red prepared for a scrap. He stood his ground, pushing down the natural instinct to run away from the Undead creatures lurching towards him. He raised his shield, dropped the torch, and withdrew his newly acquired short sword.

Red was aware that most of the others started to retreat towards the door. He decided that he would make a stand, hopefully allowing some of the others to escape. With any luck, he could fight the monsters off until everyone else got through the door, then he could get the Hell out of there before they feasted on his warm flesh.

Red was amazed as the cleric started to shout out the name of Thor. The skeletons seemed to be deterred by the might of the Thunder God, and retreated. However, not all of the creatures feared the wrath of Thor. Despite the mighty effort of the cleric, a few continued forward. Red raised his shield, gritting his teeth for the initial crash of melee. He prepared to smash at them with his blade, but did not get the chance!

Both skeletons lashed out at him … and he reeled backwards. He fell back, aware that boney fingers were tearing at his skin. He thought he could hear the cleric shout out to Thor yet again, but it seemed far off … and then everything went black.

Fire, Red. You should have set them on fire, you fool! Have you learned nothing during this adventure?!

I left the safety of the church a week ago and set out to Hogsend. The masters said it was time for me to "Find my way" but I have a feeling they have had enough of me. I know I let impulse get the best of me and it sometimes puts me in bad situations,but how is fortune to be gained without some risk?

So there I was in Hogsend and the Bazaar had just been set up. Oh great a gambling tent! I sometimes feel that the Gods are testing me. I was gonna just hang out in front here and bless the potential winners in hopes of making some tips.Then,as usual with me, chaos erupted!

This big raving maniac runs into some people and loots them then he keeps running.Had I seen him I would have ducked away but he then blindsided me. I noticed my lucky silver holy symbol was gone that I won from another brother with the means to afford it! I came fast to my senses and tried to tackle the guy to no avail. This guy was tough. Not only was I chasing him but others too. It looked like one of those silly gypsy comedies I would see when thier caravans came but this time it wasn't funny. He had my holy symbol!

Finally I caught up to this thief and gave him a good smite on the arm with my mace. Looking back it seemed harsh, I really need to be more patient. Another big fella knocked him out and we proceded to get our stolen goods from him. Then feeling guilty I healed his wounds. But alas, it did not end there. This thief was actually the Baron of Hogsend (maybe) who proceded to explain that a doppelganger took his form and killed him. Then when his trusty cleric raised him, he killed his cleric without thinking. When he realized what he had done he went mad and thus encountered myself and some others who he looted from. Situations seem to follow me such as this. After the alleged Baron shows us his cleric's body, I noticed one of the others, a gnome, pilfering the dead cleric. I didnt know what to do until finally I had to plead with the little fella to stop! Then a mace was found very light to the touch and well balanced. It was the murder weapon. The suggestion was that I use it to help solve this whole affiar. I agreed to use it even if the whole thing seems grizzly.

The Baron explains that he needs a family ring to prove who he is over the doppelganger and gives us directions on where to find it along with some warnings about old family guardians. I must point out that I find these law and order types such as this baron and the clerics he keeps a little on the tyrannical side. However, I could not in good concious allow a kingdom to be taken over by a merderous monster such as a doppelganger.

After a short walk we enter the secret family chamber. It is dark with strange displays in the first roon of some sort of bird people. We then proceed into this other room with a muddy pool and a sword in the middle of the pool. This odd fellow who turns out to be a druid throws a chicken iin to test things out. A CHICKEN! This whole affairs gets me laughing. Maybe druids arent such drips as I once thought. I proceed to chase the chicken down but as fate would have it the chicken out foxed me. Then trouble begins!I agree to have a rope tied to me while I try for the sword. As usual my curiosity got the better of me. The mud begins to from into humanoid shapes and mud is tossed all over me! I try to flee but the mud is slowing me down so I grab the sword and give it to the big red haired fella. I go black from there.

When I come to, the rest of my new friends are taking mud from me and I can breathe again. I owe these guys my life, for what it's worth. I'm such a schlub!

Almost every good story has a struggle between good and evil, with evil usually having the upper hand. Evil can be in the form of a vicious conqueror, an invading alien race or a dark, faceless syndicate. In this case, it was a pair of chickens. A pair of uncooperative, clandestine chickens. No really. You'll come to understand later.

The city of Hogsend seemed to be a good place for Bo to begin his new career as a Treasure Hunter. His departure from the farm was looked down upon by this Uncle and Aunt who had taken him in at a very young age. His mother died at birth, and his father had been placed in prison for stealing horses. Working on the shared farm lands bred Bo into a broad-shouldered, husky young man. Called "Red Haus" by his family and friends, he was well liked as much for his good nature as his work ethic. However, "Red" wanted more. And when it came time, he set off on his own.

Now Red found himself browsing at the Armorer's stall, comparing his new chain mail to the available wares. After some time, the proprietor's hard gaze finally caused Red to turn and consider seeking out something to fill his belly. Instead, his attention was drawn to a ruckus at some nearby tents.

A mostly naked man, wild in the eyes, was running away from several angry pursuers. Red raised an eyebrow, surmising that from the strange assortment of loot in the madman's arms that he was likely a thief. As Red watched, he realized that the madman thief shifted his path rapidly, and was heading directly towatds him. Caught off guard, Red raised his hands defensively seconds before the collision. The madman smashed into him, pausing only for a second before running away.

The young man shook his head, and laughed. And then suddenly, his heart sank. "My sword," he shouted. He slapped at his empty sheath helplessly.

And so Red joined the chase with the odd troupe of other victims, chasing after the madman. As luck would have it, the final victim was a priest offering blessings to players entering the gambling tents. The madman collided with the priest, slowing just enough to allow Red to catch up with him.

Red launched himself forward, tackling the thief. Although Red was big, the thief's stamina was fueled by his madness. Realizing that he had staggered the thief, Red started to pummel the madman with his meaty fists in an attempt to knock him to the ground. The last thing Red saw was the pommel of his own sword lurching towards his face. Then, everything went black. As he went down, Red could swear that he heard chickens squawking. How strange.

When Red woke up, the rest of the group was carrying on a conversation with the thief. Well, he wasn't really a thief, but instead a Baron down on his luck. Really down on his luck. Apparently someone had killed him, and then assumed his identity through some kind of witchcraft. But apparently, he was raised from the dead by something called a cleric. But then the cleric was killed. It was all very confusing.

His Uncle had told him of witchcraft and magic, although he really didn't understand how it could be possible. Red listened to most of the conversation, gathering that the Baron wanted them to get some kind of ring from a underground complex. He would have caught more of the details, but his attention was fixed on the strange assortment of folk around him. Especially the one holding a writhing knapsack holding two rather ill-tempered chickens.

So after awhile, Red joined his new friends on the quest to help the Baron. Apparently something called a Doppleganger was the chief foe, a mythical creature able to assume the likeness of others ... in this case the Baron.

They traveled to a cluster of trees near the Baron's manor. Finding the entrance to the dungeon was easy enough, what with all the other people who did the searching and finding part. Red just stood around and watched. He kept an eye on the odd fellow with the chickens, and made sure to keep his trusty guard dog, Viceroy, close in case of danger.

Entering the dungeon, through a secret doorway embedded in a large tree, Red used one of his torches to provide a source of light. He took the lead, and kept his shield at the ready fully expecting terrible beasts to leap from the shadows at ant moment. Strange creatures indeed must lay ahead. I mean, who puts a door in a tree anyway? Odd and cruel beings, that's who!

The odd fella with the chickens took out from feed, and coaxed the chicken to enter the room before the group. Apparently, the chicken was meant to be a patsy for any murderous intent that might be lingering in the darkness ahead. Nothing exciting happened, other than the chicken strutted around and made a lot of noise. Stupid chicken.

Entering into a large room, Red noticed that one of the walls was made completely of thick glass. Dark shapes lingered beyond the glass. He gave it a wide berth at first, but was coaxed closer by the priest. Giving his new companion a second torch, they stepped closer to the glass wall.

They saw that it was some kind of odd display with three bird-like beings posed in an elegant manner. Raising an eyebrow, Red watched as the others looked around for a concealed entrance to the room with the bird-men. He glanced at the chickens again, fully reminded that he could be hanging out at the farm filling his belly with a home cooked meal instead of rummaging around in the musty darkness with this motley crew.

After a little while, Red agreed with the others that it was time to move on. The priest suggested the left hand door leading north. This door led into a large round room mostly taken up by a big, muddy pool. In the midst of the mud was some badly rusted armor and a fancy looking sword. It almost seemed that the sword gleamed in the torchlight.

The man with the chicken seemed to think it was a good idea to toss the ornery thing into the pool for some reason. Maybe it had something to do with some other kind of poultry witchcraft. The chicken refused, of course, and ended up causing a ruckus at the edge of the pool. The odd man started chasing his chicken, trying to herd it into the water. The priest gave chase as well. Within seconds, Red was watching something that seemed like it should be happening at the fairgrounds in the Bazaar, not a dungeon. Not being a part of the nonsense, Red stepped back by the door to make sure that nothing nefarious was sneaking up on them from behind. After all, those damned chickens were loud as the Hells.

Suddenly, the chicken ran between the priest's legs and there was a loud splash as the man fell roughly into the muck. Red could have sworn that he saw the chicken crack a sinister grin. Not possible, right? Chickens can't smile can they? As the priest sat in the mud, the chicken did sort of a victory dance at the water's edge. The other chicken started to made a lot of noise, almost seeming to cheer in sinister satisfaction.

Red started to laugh, but not for long. Suddenly, the mud began to move as if by magic. The mud formed into the shapes of men, and started to hurl balls of mud at the priest. There was a flurry of activity and someone tossed Red the end of a rope. "Pull!" someone shouted, so he did. All of the excitement had the big guy dazed for a moment. Red realized that they were making a group effort to pull the priest away from the mudmen and out of the pool. This plan proved fruitless as the mudmen pelted him with mud, and the rope broke in half.

Red rushed forward and did his best to put himself between the priest and Mudmen. We was aware that someone was shooting arrows at their enemies as well, but his focus was keenly on the advancing monsters. He was pelted with mud, fighting off the creatures who literally flung themselves at him as living weapons. He helped to carry the priest to safety at the pool's edge. A powerful slash of the sword from the pool, tossed to him by the priest before he fell, splattered and destroyed one of the mudmen. Red kept trying to fight them off, taking steps backward to get out of the pool.

As Red finally exited the pool, the mudmen seemed to lose interest and slowly returned to their quiet slumber. As the others helped the priest remove the hardened mud from his body, Red started to break away the rapidly hardening mud from his own body.

He cast a look at the chickens, and frowned. He shook his head, and mumbled under his breath. "Damn chickens."

I stood at the small animal stand, looking over various animal. I indeed did already have a lovely pair of chickens in my boisterous sack that hung from my should, but I wanted something less noisy. Before I decided however, a large half naked man with a helmet crashed into him bowling him over and onto the ground. Standing up I notices that my recently purchased chickenfeed and the mistletoe I harvested when I was began my druidic path had been stolen. I quickly dashes after the man, and notices that five other individuals were also chasing the madman.

When I caught up to the one in the lead I sees him wrestling down the thief, and the mage, who was the second fastest, standing idly by the side. I decides to try some fun, but before I can begin my plan, the others intrude on the situation.

The cleric arrived and quickly bashed the thief into submission after the fighter fell. I quickly collects my property, making sure not to mix my feed pouch with the mage's component bag. Wanting to ascertain, I stays with the other victims, only one being not human.

The man's story was suspicious. Supposedly a doppleganger had killed him and taken his place as the baron of Hogsend. Then his personal cleric revived him, who he subsequently killed. To prove himself as baron he would need his ingot ring, in a location that only the cleric and himself knew about. Suspicious of his story we head to where he left the body, and indeed it was a cleric. When the gnome begins rummaging the body and the baron starts crying If leaves to clean the club that bashed in the cleric's head. I finds it surprisingly light.

When I return I finds the others trying to resurrect the cleric with his own staff, but the attempt fails. In the end we leave the baron alone with his friend's corpse, and head toward the hidden underground storage area. I still suspect that this baron may still be a doppleganger trying to overthrow the true baron.

We eventually reach the destinations. Traveling down a steep long hall we eventually reach a room. I use my chicken as trap bait, however this proves mostly fruitless. The only oddity in the room was several humanoids frozen beyond a wall of glass, really not that big a deal.

We followed the northern of the two paths and reached a large circular room, defines by a large puddle of water. We try arious methods, but decide it would be best to throw something in. So I hand a chicken to the gnome, who it escapes from. The fighter and cleric try to corner it, but this ends with the latter falling into the muddy water. I throw him a rope to tie around himself, so if need be we can pull him out.

I wish to at some point learn how the creatures were created. They were humanoid in shape, but made entirely of mud, which they threw at the brave cleric, slowing him. All of the available comrades pulled at the rope and because of this the cleric was able to retrieve the weapon for the fighter, before being completely caked in mud.

The rope then breaks, and battle ensues, with spears and metal and mud flying everywhere. the cleric was isolated from our atmosphere, but en the end I was still alive and we had a minute or so the mud people would reform. In the last rounds I helped remove mud from our cleric friend, as the fighter valiantly guarded us, blowing away one of the creatures in a single blow.

I still don't know anybody's name.