Oh the tangled webs that were weaved in Daggerford this last Friday. The story picked up almost half a month after the end of the last episode. Everybody had taken time train. Shortly after our return to Daggerford, all of the different members of our group were contacted by different people to undertake virtually the same quest. A creature like a cockatrice, but with the opposite power (to turn stone or metal into flesh) was loose and each of us was asked to recover the creature.

Before the characters split for the night, Gareth and Milo introduced Eren to a new friend. They had picked up a riding dog and all the needed equipment for her in Waterdeep. The big beasty was a Moonshea Moorhound (imagine an Irish wolfhound but a bit beefier in the legs) named Ponk. The name came from the sound made by his favorite leather ball when he pounced on it. Ponk is all business when the saddle and bridle are on, but he still thinks he is a puppy when he's off the job.

After preparations were made, including the purchase of nets and an all wood cage, we set out to track down the critter. All our contacts agreed on one point, that the anti-cockatrice was most likely to be found in woods about a day northwest of Daggerford. We tracked the critter to a small cavern and were able to tempt it back to the cage and inside without having to sacrifice any of our armor or weaponry. (-whew!-) There was a bit of panick when two of our number triggered a magic rune while none of the rest of us was around and went missing for about 8 hours. But no lectures about not splitting up the party from the rest of us. Nosiree. ;-)

Thinking there was something a bit odd about so many very different people wanting the same critter, we took the anti-cockatrice to a hidy spot outside of Daggerford. Milo was dead set against letting the critter inside the city walls. We just got the walls repaired and he didn't want them getting collapsed because some ugly oversized chicken got hungry and started pecking at some of that yummy looking new dressed stone.

The Duke of Daggerford made arrangements for all of our group and all of the people that contacted them to meet in his castle. After all the principles were gathered we found out that the entire mission had been a test. Those of us who had been serving their apprenticeships were evidently judged to have graduated. There was some talk of the rewards that had been offered, followed by a bit of celebration and then life carried on.

Quite the fun game last night. Malarites captured the group to use in their High Hunt ritual. Melded us with animals. Probably shouldn't have melded so many of us with animals with natural weaponry. :-)
We ended up whacking most of the barbarian Malarites, including the son of the chieftain that captured us a couple weeks ago. Turns out we knew his son from our first "adventure" together. He was one of the barbarian bullies that started trouble in the Lady Luck Tavern that night so many months ago.
I hope the first thing his god says to him when he gets to his final reward is "You need to start explaining about that name your triumphant opponents kept calling you. Just wondering where you're going to fit in here in the eternal hunting grounds, Gerbil Boy."

-Milo, a rather burly halforc, wearing utilitarian adventuring gear, strolls in. He spots his friend, Eren the halfling mage, and strolls over. In a very gruff voice he says, "Here, lemme help ya." He sits next to the little halfling and and stretches like a great cat. He then just lays his entire height down along the bench.
His head laying right next to Eren's leg, he looks up at her, seemingly quite pleased with himself. "There, that oughta be 'nuff room, don'tcha think? Wake me when they get here and I'll move for em. Night, night."

A colorfully dressed female hafling, short even for a halfling, runs in, looks frantically around and then jumps up on the bench. She stretches out arms and legs, holding as much space as she can -- not much, to tell the truth. "I'm holding spots for my friends," she explains to any who ask. "They should be here any time!"