Allansia Wildlands Campaign.

Brocc would retire early, wanting to get rested for the next morning.

Rufus would secure a room after their lovely meal.

<I'm good with moving on to morning and heading back out.>

Heading north out the gate you know the Moonstone hills, ‚a tortuous labyrinth of gullies and heights, prone to strange mists and haunted by wandering spirits, lie to the Northeast via the Lowland Gap and you follow the rough trail as it ascends.

What you all know: The Moonstone Hills are an area of uplands that stretches for many miles to the east of Darkwood Forest and to the north of Trolltooth Pass. Hidden somewhere within these lonely hills about a day’s ride northeast from ‚where the Silver River flows out on to the Windward Plain towards Chalice is the fabled Lost Lake. For a century the skeleton of Kull sailed a raft on this lake, clutching the necromancer Razaak’s sword, awaiting release from his curse but Razaak is now destroyed or so the tavern rumours go. Dead or not, Razaak’s  lair is also hidden somewhere in the  southeast of the Moonstone Hills, about a day’s journey from the Flatlands.

The Moonstones play host to all manner of humanoid creatures such as tribes of Orcs and Goblins, but also to stranger creatures such as Chameleonites, Wild Elves and others.  In the small, overgrown woodland spinneys tales say there lurk Black Fairies and Wood Demons.

Prospectors brave the dangers of the hills, drawn by promises of gold deposits. The many streams are said to run yellow with gold, and techniques such as panning and sluicing are employed by these lonesome pioneers in search of this valuable metal.

After a few hours you are among the hills on the southern edge of the Moonstones and it is still early in the afternoon, from the rough trail you are walking you can see a number of wooded hollows, a rocky depression and a fast flowing stream which you assume will join the Silver River once it leaves the hills.

The three original members recognise their last campsite nearby...

"Should we camp here and see if our hillmen come to meet with us?"  Brocc asks, glancing to the others.  "They will have to tell us where this beast has its home, since we did not find that out before."

Rufus looks about their former campsite. He says, "It would be helpful to meet them some where familiar. I'm not sure if we could find them ourselves. Best to stay somewhere they can find us."

The words had barely left Rufus' mouth when two familiar figures appeared out of the scrub.

The two men are dressed in hides secured over one shoulder. They both carry crude shortbows and a quiver over their shoulder. At their belts are long iron knives and pouches.  They are tall, gangly with large scraggly beards  and unkempt hair.  Their breath smells slightly of tobacco and strong alcohol.

J'thro and Joshwa waved to the group, " Well hell, Ya came back? Twasn't 'specting that."

" So ya'll here to killin' our beastie?  Even this elf woman and this big tortoise-looking fella?"

" Its down in this here holler a piece, won't take long ta get there."

The legendary Moonstone Hills appeared to be less scary than Lindale expected. In fact, they were not scary at all and to be honest here, were not different in any way from surrounding lands. Still, she was looking around all the way to the camp, ready to admire any landmark worth of noticing and expecting any second to meet one of the strange "creature of the true wild".

Uneventful trip was both relieving and disappointing, and sudden appearance of J'thro and Joshwa did not change it - the were no more scary or wild than town's drunkards and Lindale saw enough of those back in the Chalice.

"Greetings," (whoever they were, manners is an internal thing), "you look like experienced hunters" (and complements never hurt anyone) "if we are about to hunt that thing down, is there anything you can tell about the creature? Other than "it kidnaps people"?

Brocc nods in greeting to the hillmen.  "Yes, we have returned.  Have you spoken to your people and have the agreements in place?"

"I just want to know if I can count on y'all to keep your word when we kill the thing dead," the ever gruff paladin commented, his hand resting casually on his axe.

" Aye, yup..no problems thair."

" We've all come t'greement."

" No, Miss. It darn't kidnap folk it ets them, munch-munch-munch, been a bunch o' littl'uns gone."

" He's a biggun', all covered in metal and white hair..."

Colorful description almost made Lindale publicly scratch her head - metal and white hair? (Nature: 18 )

Quote from BlueBayou >>

Colorful description almost made Lindale publicly scratch her head - metal and white hair? (Nature: 5 )

 Try as she might she can't think of anything that matches the description....

"Well, no time like the present, if it is not far off..." Brocc says with a nod to the hillmen.  "Lead on."

"Can not even begin to imagine what that can be!" Now Lindale was very curious - wild lands proved to by wild and mystical after all! She followed the group prepared to be amazed.

"The beast walk on two legs or four?" Hatch asked. "Humanoid at all? Giant?" Frankly from the description he was worried about what they were getting into. What else was covered in metal but humanoids in armor?

Rufus was unconcerned about whatever the unknown beast was. He felt more confident to be accompanied by his two tested and tried companions bolstered by the addition of Banzo and Lindale. He thought to himself, Whatever it is cannot be worse than the undead minions they battled through the Flying Dungeon of Death.

" Two legs, metal like ye wear...not so clean but...", the wild hill man muttered as he lead the way down into a deep valley, at the end of it were gathered half a dozen men with bows and crude axes.

" Critter t'aint ne'er been hurt by desehere weapons afore bu' we here like we sayed."

He pointed along the valley floor to where it narrowed, there was a deep cleft into the earth there and in the mud footprints reminiscent of a mans but much larger ( 3-4x) and narrower.....a horrendous stench of rotting flesh spilled out of the cave overpowering the rather exemplery body odour of the hill men.

"Sure it isn't dead already..." Brocc asks as he waves a hand in front of his face.  "Something died in there for certain."

"So, giant? Either way, big. If we can slice his Achilles's tendon while the range attackers focus on his arms and head..." Hatch mused a strategy.

"If it is a giant - or walks on two legs and might be intelligent... May be we can talk to it?" Lindale did not sound convincing even to herself, and the stench around was speaking for itself, but she had to try. "I can sneak inside and look around, if you wish. I can be very ... subtle."