Once more into the Void Session 16

“Agut rak Nungblatz!”

This is not going to work I thought. Twenty feet in front of me Mukah is standing in front of a large, wooden door set in the side of a hill. He appears to be yelling insults at the door.
“Agut rak! Angbla Gat Zan!”
I shake my head, this is really not going to work. I pull myself up straight trying to hide my large frame behind the bare tree between me and the hill. To my right Thyrell is ducking behind a bush and Talrek is edging behind a rock. Ahead of me to Mukah’s left, Alcor is creeping up toward the door from the side.
It looks like Mukah is frustrated, wait he is leaning forward like someone is yelling from behind the door.
CRASH!
The door comes flying off its hinges toppling into Mukah. I look past Mukah and see a giant-like creature with two heads! Nodding I mutter: “Now the fun begins.”

Once more into the Void Session 16: Two heads are not better than one.

We have missed a few weeks, so we decided to play two weeks in a row. Which was a little strange (I forgot) but welcome.  When last we left our heroes were wandering about the mountain valleys looking for clues to the necromancer behind attacks against Winterton. As the night fell we had come across a wooden door set in the side of a hill. Smoke was curling up from the hill into the sky suggesting someone was home.

We waited to get a good night's rest and more before heading out before noon to the nearby mysterious hill. The heroes made some clumsy attempts to stealthily approach the door in the woods. However, as the heroes approached the hill both Talrek and Mukah set off bear traps hidden in drifts of snow. Mukah is actually caught in the trap but he manages to pry it open and extract his foot. Trying to be more careful, Mukah makes it to the door and notices there is an eye slit about 6 feet up the door. Mukah opens the eye slit but does not see anything. However, he can hear indistinct voices in the distance.

Mukah signs to the other heroes that his has a plan and he motions for everyone to take cover. Then, incredibly, Mukah walks up to the door and loudly knocks. Then Mukah proceeds to shout out in Orcish demanding to be let in.

“It’s cold out here, let me in! It’s cold out here and my party was ambushed by humans! Let me in!”

Mukah hears voices and dogs barking. There is a pounding noise and then, with little warning, the door explodes off its hinges crashing down on Mukah who scrambles to get out of the way. Framed in the doorway is a two-headed giant (ettin) and two mastiffs.

The Door in the Hill opens

Talrek immediately attacks the ettin with Guiding Bolt and his Spiritual Hammer. Oto casts Magic missile striking the ettin as well. Mukah leaps to his feet in a rage and strikes the ettin with his sword. The monster is staggered by the fury of the sudden attack, but it recovers and attacks Mukah with a battleaxe in one hand and a morning star in the other. The two mastiffs also move to attack Mukah.

Thyrell directs his wolf Tinda to attack. The wolf grabs one of the mastiffs and tears its throat out quickly killing it. Alcor joins the melee missing the ettin with his spear but punching it right in the left heads mouth.

Thyrell shoots the second mastiff with an arrow in the head killing it. Talrek and Oto attack with magic again. Mukah then stabs the ettin with his sword in a mortal wound. The dying ettin strikes Mukah with his battleaxe before dropping dead.

The heroes take stock after the battle. Only Mukah is seriously injured so Talrek casts Cure Light Wounds on him. Oto had stumbled into a bear trap during the fight but he has suffered only a minor injury.

The heroes make their way into the ettin’s cave. They find a crude kitchen, eating area and bedchamber. A search reveals a hidden dog door leading from the bedchamber to the front entrance of the caves. In the dog run Thyrell discovers the ettin’s treasure. A pouch containing 19 gold pieces, a vial of liquid and a scroll case. Oto is handed the scroll and he discovers it is just a cantrip spell that he already knows.

It is still early in the afternoon so the heroes set out again following the river to the south. After walking for a few miles they notice a pathway or unnatural clearing heading through the forest. It is just before sundown so the heroes set up camp and standard watches. Again they hear the screech at night, now sounding close and to the south. The next morning a vote is taken, and it is decided to follow the path. Beneath the snow the they see evidence that the path is an ancient roadway. Since the trail is wide and flat, Oto puts on his skies. The heroes are able to make really good time and travel a good distance into the mountains. The path gradually begins to rise into the mountains.

The heroes make camp just off the roadway. Around midnight they again here a distant, screeching cry. Now it sounds more distant and to the southeast. The night otherwise passes without incident.