23-08-16 Milam Frontier

Lorie's Riders are the protectors of the farming community of Milam, the country that acts as the bread basket of Aldean Sea. Kaslan, Tyra, Isalie, and Darlie are all members of the Riders. The four of us receive a message from Lorie that she wants to meet with us. As we were riding to meet with her, we run into a group of ogres heading out of the mountains towards the nearest farm. We ride out to meet them.

-Darlie fires at an ogre, hits for -6 damage.
-Kaslan fires at an ogre, hits for -10 damage. Has swarm of ravens attack, hits for -4 damage.
-Isalie casts witchbolt at an ogre, hits for -3 damage.
-Tyra fires at an ogre, hits for -4 damage.
-Lorie fires at an ogre, misses, then hits for -8 damage.
-Ogre swings at Lorie, hits or -8 damage. Ogre swings at Tyra, hits for -16 damage. Ogre swings at Isalie, misses. Ogre swings at a rider, misses. Ogre swings at a rider, hits or -14 damage.
-Rider swings at ogre, misses, hits for -8 damage. Rider swings at ogre, hits for -6 and -8 damage. Rider swings at an ogre, hits or -6 damage.
-Darlie fires at an ogre, hits for -13 damage.
-Kaslan fires at an ogre, hits for -10 damage. Swarm of ravens attack an ogre, hits for -3 damage.
-Isalie pulses witchbolt for -2 damage. Urges her horse to attack, hits for -8 damage.
-Tyra swings at ogre, hits for -6 damage. Urges her horse to attack, it hits for -5 damage.
-Lorie dashes for an ogre; ogre's attack of opportunity hits her for -14 damage. Attacks an ogre, hits for -8 and -6 damage.
-Ogre attacks Tyra, misses. Ogre attacks Isalie, misses. Ogre attacks rider, hits for -15 damage. Ogre attacks rider, hits for -12 damage. Ogre attacks a rider, hits or -15 damage, knocking her out.
-Rider drinks potion of healing, healig for +6 health. Rider disengages. Rider swings at ogre, hits or -12 damage. Rider swings at ogre, hits for -8 and -8 damage.
-Darlie fires at ogre, hits for -11 damage.
-Kaslan rides to the unconscious rider, stabilizes her. Ravens attack an ogre, hits for -9 damage.
-Isalie pulses witchbolt, hits for -9 damage. Urges her horse to attack, hits for -8 damage.
-Tyra swings at an ogre hits for -8 damage, killing it. Rides towards another ogre.
-Lorie swings at an ogre, hits for -6 and -5 damage.
-Ogre swings at Isalie, hits for -13 damage. Ogre swings at Lorie, hits for -8 damage. Ogre swings at Kaslan, hits or -11 damage. Ogre attacks rider, hits for -9 damage.
-Rider takes a healing potion, healing for +8 health. Rider disengages. Rider swings at an ogre, misses, then hits for -6 damage.
-Darlie fires at an ogre, hits for -12 damage, killing it.
-Kaslan disengages, calls for his horse and mounts it. Ravens attack ogre, misses.
-Isalie fires at ogre, misses.
-Tyra swings at an ogre, hits for -10 damage, killing it.
-Lorie swings at ogre, hits for -6 and -9 damage. Uses Colossus Slayer for another -8 damage.
-Ogre swings at Kaslan, hits for -12 damage. Ogre swings at Lorie, hits for -13 damage.
-Rider fires at ogre, hits for -4 nd -4 damage. Rider fires at ogre, misses. Rider shoots at ogre, hits ffor -8 nd -5 damage.
-Darlie swings at ogre, hits for -17 damage, killing it.
-Kaslan disengages, drinks health potion, healing for +7 health. Ravens attack ogre, hits for -10 damage.
-Isalie casts firebolt at ogre, hits for -7 damage, killing it.

Lorie force her healing potion down the downed rider's throat, waking her up. Lorie is concerned with how many ogres have been coming out of the mountains lately. Otto Greenfire gave her some concerns about the ogres as well. She wants us to track where this group of ogres came from and kill whatever is driving them out of the mountains. The rider Kaslan stabilized gives him her healing potion. Kaslan takes the healing potion, healing for +6 health.

Kaslan and the rest of us track the ogres backwards. The ogres were running from something, something that scared them enough to run. The trail leads back to the ruins of an old tower. There are what looks like statue of ogres, a day old campfire, and a pile of refuse. Kaslan and Darlie investigate the statues; they're way too detailed to be a sculpture, might be actual ogres turned to stone. The pile of trash seems to be far too neatly piled to have been done by ogres. Isalie carefully investigates the tower ruins; they're fairly well kept, undisturbed by the ogres. Kaslan can't find any tracks that don't belong to ogres.

We decide to keep heading south to see what the ogres were running from. We come to a bend in the path as we track the ogres back and find a group of statues; they're horses and halflings, and some of them have had bites taken out of them, like something bit and consumed the stone. The statues all look terrified, and no one makes statues of frightened warriors. It looks like a battlefield that was frozen in time. Kaslan uses primeval awareness; he can't sense anything within six miles. We spot a cave.

We tie our horses to the statues and try to sneak up the cliff to get a better look into the cave; Tyra dislodges a rock, causing it to tumble down the cliff and a low growled to come from the mouth of the cave. Kasland and Darlie hide. All Darlie can see in the cave is darkness. Kaslan tries to lure whatever's in the cave out by having his ravens act as bait, cawing loudly and obnoxiously; the growling gets louder, but nothing else happens. Isalie casts invisibility on herself, and sneaks down the cliff. She creeps right up to the cave entrance, and finds herself almost face to face with a lizard creature; it's about as tall as her, six or seven feet long, with eight legs, growling lowly. Kaslan casts speak with animals and tries to communicate with the creature; it lurches forward.

-Darlie fires at the creature, hits for -15 damage. Hides again.
-Kaslan feels his muscles stiffen, and his fingers begin to turn grey.
-Isalie casts sleep; it has no effect.
-Creature bites at Kaslan, hits for -19 damage.
-Tyra averts her eyes and fires at the creature, misses. Backs away.
-Darlie throws her dagger at the creature. Hides again.
-Kaslan is turned to stone.
-Isalie averts her eyes and casts firebolt at the creature, hits for -1 damage.
-Creature bites at Isalie, hits for -18 damage.
-Tyra averts her eyes and fires at the creature, misses.
-Darlie darts forward and attacks with her shortsword, hits for -12 damage.
-Isalie averts her eyes and casts shocking grasp.
-Creature bites Isalie, hits ofr -12 damage, knocking her out.
-Tyra fires at the creature, hits for -7 damage.
-Darlie doesn't avert her eyes; her muscles stiffen and her fingers start to turn grey.
-Isalie is unconscious.
-Creature bites at Darlie, misses.
-Tyra fires at the creature, hits for -10 damage.
-Darlie fights off the stone infection. Averts her eyes and attacks, hits for -6 damage. Disengages and runs.
-Isalie is unconscious.
-Creature lurches after Darlie.
-Tyra fires at the creature, hits it for -10 damage, killing it.

Darlie forces her potion of healing down Isalie's throat, healing her for +7 health. We make a sled for Kaslan to bring him back with us, petrified as he is.

Darlie looks inside the cave. There's a pile of stone statue bits that have been gnawed on. There's a stone tablet that reads; 'If you read this, you're alive. If you continue along this path, you won't be.' It's signed 'Toten.'

Lorie brings Kaslan to Otto, who interrogates us about the entire encounter. He casts greater restoration on Kaslan, returning him to himself. When he hears the name 'Toten,'  he gets almost desperate to know the message that was left on the rock.