Adventurer's Present
Bilbo, a hobbit
Orsek, a dwarfley barbarian wizard
Mossmullet, a dwarfley cleric of winter's bite
SMASH. a dwarfley cleric of root cellars
We left the small storage closet where we spent the night, and miraculously located our cousin SMASH in the halls of the Yaga's hut. He joined us as we set about exploring again. Our first stop was the hut's well room. Once we'd slain or driven off the dozen ratling guards, we discovered that the well descended 100' before hitting water. Hamster-form SMASH explored the underground reservoir, and discovered a huge sea serpent living in the well's water. We tried to poison the beast by feeding it poisoned ratling corpses and blasting it with chromatic lightning, but it proved too strong for such tricks. We also located a storeroom with a couple of gems hidden in it (but, as you'll see, we didn’t get to keep them).
Soon enough, the Yaga herself found us. Instead of immediately attacking, she questioned us about our presence in her home. Ultimately, she struck a deal with our group, offering us 42,000 gold for the retrieval of a magic spear from the depths of White Plume Mountain. Figuring that it was better to keep our resale options open, we cut the deal with her. She gave us some slightly useful information about the dungeon, and supplied us 3 water breathing potions to aid our journey. She then took back our purloined pantry gems and escorted us off the premises.
Orsek's zombified troll servant hadn't yet overcome its undeath, so we set off through the swamp toward the Mountain itself with the rubbery zombie in tow. Along the swampy tracks we were attacked by some crocodiles, but some quick lightning by the clerics and some axe work by Orsek cut the reptiles down pretty quick. Poor Bilbo suffered the brunt of their attack, and was then somewhat electrocuted by a stray bolt of Varga's lightning, but the ferocious goddess made amends by Sparing the hobbit from true death.
At the end of the day we reached the base of the slope, but not before we stumbled upon 5 cockatrices, which promptly attacked. Although SMASH had a couple moments of magical sloth, the main victim of the birds' petrifying attack was Orsek's zombie troll. Completing its journey from life, to death, to undeath, to statue, the troll seems to have finally met its end. Coming in a close second, unlucky Bilbo found himself fully paralyzed. In a somewhat unorthodox maneuver, the party decided to have Orsek cut Bilbo's throat and end his life, before the cockatrice's bite could turn him fully to stone. Varga's divine might again saved the day, as the hobbit was returned to the living. The much-battered party made camp under the stony presence of the troll statue, awaiting to ascend the slopes and finally enter White Plume Mountain itself.
Party Experience Gained
Combat: 197 each
Exploration: 52 each
plus 175 each for talking to, instead of just trying to kill, Baba Yaga
... and Bilbo got an extra 100 for his brief view of the afterlife.
