Tromping through the Shudder Mountains, Part 7

Chapter 5: A New Journey

• Slithering through a humid jungle, he was catching up to his prey. Hairy things that within the past few centuries learned to walk on two legs. He thought they looked silly. They couldn't out run him and the male knew it. He turned to face him with a rudimentary spear, but the serpent blade whipped out with a flash, cutting him down. Wet blood spurt on his face and..
• Pinky woke as cold water sprayed his face. What a crazy dream... He looked around. His head was pounding. He was on a raft? Floating down the river? "Where am I?"
• "Ah you're up!" replied an older halfling. He was dressed in old torn and dirty clothes. His hair and sideburns were grey and both poofed out wildly. He smiled at Pinky with yellow buck teeth, "It's me son! Your Father!"
• Pinky looked on the raft again. Only Hans, sun kissed and completely hairless, lay with him. "Father?" Pinky was suspicious. "What happened? Where are the others?"
• "Weren't no others! You and him's all I found. Hellva mess up there?"
• Pinky asked why he left him and his father Frobert merely replied that it was a long story, fit for a better time.
• "Well Dad... Where are we headed?"
• "A town yonder, down the river! Gotta get supplies before our adventure."
• "What adventure?"
• "Oh don't you give it no mind! It'll be great! Just sit back and relax. You still need to rest!"
• So Pinky sat and studied this strange old hobbit claiming to be his father. Eventually Hans woke up and had a lot of the same questions, but his faith some what restored he decided to let fate take over.

• They arrived at the town of Lonelywood around noon, resupplied and met a conjure-man named Dagwood who was planning to make the journey up river anyways and would accompany them. [Dagwood is Alex's 3rd new character as I kept killing his other ones.]
• Frobert explains that he is searching for three ingredients for an elixir he needs. He doesn't specify why... Once they have the ingredients and some spoil water; then Pinky, being a brewer, can cook it up! Frobert promises any treasure they find and of course the chance to catch up with dear old Dad.
• The three ingredients are: The red milk from the lactating Gybrlyywock, feathers from each member of an order of sentient birds, and petals from The-Man-With-Roses-That-Grow-From-His-Hands.
• On their river journey, they come across a giant taking a piss and unfortunately float right between his legs as a waterfall of urine rains down. The giant attacks, Pinky cut off his reaching fingers and Dagwood holds the giant at bay with his rope magic long enough for the raft to reach the quicker currents.
• At one point a large cat fish, with female like features and tiny arms where fins should be, hops on the deck. Dagwood kills the fish and searches it's stomach, finding a strange statue carved in the likeness of woman. They push the fish back in the water and it floats down stream ahead of them.
• Later on they hear a strange wailing, "Sister! Mah Sister!" Several of the Catgals (imagine mermaids mixed with cat fish) are crying over the mutilated body of their sister. Hans calls Dagwood an idiot for killing the creature as he fears they will avenge her if found out. The party silently hits the deck as they get closer and manage to skirt by the mourning Catgals.

Not quite, what I envisioned...

• Some bad directions were taken and the raft is sent down rushing rapids. It gets dashed against the rocks. Dagwood loses his staff. Pinky and Frobert almost drown. Hans continues to let fate decide and lets the waters carry him under, but as he begins to down a branch catches him and he is pulled above the water. He sighs and decides to continue living.
• With the raft gone they must continue on foot towards the mountain in which the Gybrlyywock resides. Along the way they run into a young blonde haired man named Igneous [Alana's new character, a thief. This is her 3rd character too. DCC is unforgiving.]
• Igneous was heading to an abandoned tower, where he heard there may be treasure, the same tower Dagwood was looking to find as it was once used by a powerful wizard.
• They head to the tower and find it abandoned, with very little treasure in the way of gold, but several potions and a few books that are still intact. As they explore the top floor there's a odd cooing sound as a horrible winged man beast lands on the balcony.
• The cooing along with the things bright red swirling eyes is hypnotizing and has it's effects on some of the party. [This has been so long ago now I don't remember the exact details, but the party barely makes it out alive.] When the beast is killed it changes into a feeble old man. Hans heals who he can, but his disapproval is rising.
• After a few more days of travel through the mountains and a few more random encounters; the party finally reaches the mountain of which legends state The Great & Terrible Gybrlyywock lives.

To be continued in... Chapter 6: The Lair of the Gybrlyywock