LEGACY the Path of Heroes - Session 023

TEMPLE OF ELEMENTAL EVIL
SESSION 023 - The Cabin in the Woods

FREEDAY, 07 FIRESEEK (MID WINTER) 579CY
The wet wood sputtered and crackled as it started to burn. The moisture in the wood caused thick grey tendrils of smoke to drift up into the darkness of the chimney. The half-orc pulled his thick cloak around his shoulders, before kneeling before the fire to warm his large hands. The cabin was getting colder with the approach of evening; and the half orc felt a rumble in his stomach with the approach of supper.

The companions had spent better part of the day clearing the cabin and the barn of the dead bodies of the earlier battle. Jurgen had spent most of his morning gathering the silky strands from the giant spiders and placed it in some large sacks he had found in the old barn.
 

Seta watched as the young barbarian gathered up with spidery webs, shaking her head as she start burn the remaining strands of web from the cabin’s walls and rafters, this seemed to spur the barbarian to work faster in gathering the silky strands much to his frustration and to her delight.

Duerin and Markus had spent the afternoon finding a place to bury the bodies. They eventually found a place some way off from the back of the barn that was nicely secluded deeper in the forest. Duerin began the rites of passage as soon as Markus dropped the last body into the shallow grave they had just freshly dug. The Cuthbertine priest had felt it necessary to give these men a proper burial, so that they could find peace and be guided by the hand of St. Cuthbert in the afterlife.
 

That evening the friends gathered in the large cottage and raised a toast to their friend Duerin, as the dwarf and the girl would take their leave in the morning. Duerin assured the young barbarian that he would get the girl to her family in Verbobonc after they had rested in Hommlet and he had a chance to speak to Brother Terjon

The friends never forgot where they were, even though they spent the night in merriment and toasts to their friend, so too did they too keep a vigil eye.
 
Seta had placed her sword within easy reach from where she was seated should the need arise. Her telepathic bond with her weapon had kept her ever aware of any approaching danger.

Soon the friends turned in for the night, not wanting to overindulge in the night’s festivities as morning would bring new challenges. Each of the companions  took their turn to stand guard in case of danger until morning.

As luck would have it the companions evening past uneventfully.

Duerin prepared a nice warm porridge for breakfast and not long after they had eaten then dwarf and the young girl said their goodbyes. They climbed up on their horses and turned to leave.

The companions watched as the dwarf and the girl trotted down the path into the forest before losing sight of them. Markus patted Erehwon on his shoulder as they turned and headed back into the cabin.

The weather soon took a turn for the worst and the friends found themselves snowed in with little to do. Markus and Jurgen had managed to secure the remaining horses in the barn before the weather had turned really bad. Jurgen settled down close by the fire and continued to work on his piece of scrimshaw while chewing on a piece of dried meat.

Markus and Erehwon meanwhile had taken a bet to see who could find a hidden compartment in the cabin. They searched the cabin high and low for the lack of anything better to do, each intending to outdo the other. They moved the barrels and the bolts of cloth around that they had found earlier. Jurgen reminded them that some of the goods belong to the surviving merchant’s daughter that had left with Duerin. Jurgen had been employed to protect the daughter and the merchant's goods, but had failed to do so. He had promised the dying merchant that he would get his girl and goods home safely.

It wasn’t long after when the half-orc let out a cry of joy as he found a trap door hidden under a rug under a table in the corner of the cabin. Markus reached into his pocket begrudgingly and pulled out gold coin. He flicked it over to the half-orc, “Next time you won’t be so lucky!” said Markus as he made his way over to the half-orc.

Erehwon caught the coin with grin, before reaching down and pulling open the trapdoor. The door creaked open to reveal a small dark opening with a narrow flight of stone steps leading off into the darkness.

Climbing down the steps Erehwon and Markus found themselves in a small dry cellar. Markus’s torch flared to life. The cellar was packed with  large barrels. The barrels were marked with writing indicating that’s some were wine from Celen, others brandy from Keoland and at least one or two marked with dwarven symbols. Bolts of cloth of different patterns and colours were packed in a corner, some as far Wooly Bay other as far as from across the Nyr Dyv. Amongst the barrels and bolts of cloth were also portraits, chests and crates of different sizes. Looking through the stuff they found an assortments of clothes, letters, coins, jewellery and other personal items.

So the friends spent the rest of the afternoon searching through the items for information or anything of use or value.

Seta sat leaning her chair back against the wall watching the half-orc and Markus picking through the items that they had discovered in the cellar. She could just see out of the window that was next to her, the way she was seated. Resting her head against the wall she looked through the narrow gap and could see that the storm had started to let up. Settling back into the chair she closed her eyes and started to dose off….

“SETA! SETA!” called the sword. The young woman jumped from her chair as the words tore her from her slumber.

Peering through the narrow slit Seta could just make out a band of people entering the clearing that lead up to the cabin. The group in the lead seemed to be bound and were being spurred on by what looked to be men with spears. One of the men in the front called the group to stop, as they approached the clearing. The man turned to talk to a tall figure that had stepped up alongside him as did two men with bows drawn and arrows nocked.

The tall figure stepped forward, its thick cloak obscuring its features as it seemed to be focused on the cabin before it.