A Festive Infestation

The Brave Brothers Three - our adventurers!

After the exertions of the preceding day, the firbolg brothers are awoken by the fine smells of breakfast bacon and other delights wafting up from the kitchen below their room at the Grey Hare Inn. Stretching and groaning as some of the effects of the last night's celebratory drinks with the Autumnleaf's have Middle brother in particular a little worse for wear, they head downstairs. While his younger brothers partake of the sizeable buffet, much to the astonishment and somewhat chagrin of the other guests, Elder speaks with Dave Tanner about the Gnoll problem he had alluded to yesterday, querying if some coin may be had if they were to assist. Dave laughs and tells that himself, Finel and some of the other hunters aren't too bothered by the Gnolls, and a posse of sorts will be heading to the south for a bit of fun after lunch, to chase off the beasts.. While there's not really any coin in it for them, the brothers are welcome to join, if they wish.

Dave also tells Elder that if he's interested in coin, he points out a dwarf with his nose in a book at a nearby table, and remarks that he might have something of interest for a price, but the brothers could always try their luck at some of the games at the Festival too, to earn some money. Nodding and thanking Dave, Elder heads back to his brothers, and while the three finish their hearty breakfasts (aware that the 1st Day of the Festival is tomorrow, and this day is one of fasting - to honour the sacrifices that previous hunters made in keeping the town fed - the brothers are filling their bellies in preparation!), they notice a few soft flakes of snow settling on the town, a cool breeze blowing in from the nearby mountains bringing a light dusting of white to the streets and stalls outside.

Elder decides the brothers are here to enjoy the Festival, and the three head out once more to take in the stalls, sights and sounds in more detail. As they wander through the marketplace, they all suddenly notice a red hat bobbing about above the heads of the crowds, and occasionally above some of the awnings of the vendors, a gleeful laugh and gasps and cheers marking the hat's pausing in the passageways. Suddenly, as the three brothers stop to look at a couple of the more enticing stalls, the owner of the bouncing red hat comes into view, and it is now the brothers turn to gape in amazement at the person before them.

Kiara - tiefling leaflet girl

The tiefling looks at the brothers and thrusts some leaflets into their hands as they gaze at her awkwardly, she then laughs and tumbles away acrobatically, gleefully telling them to enjoy the Festival, and to find Wizard Tower!

Astounded by this vision, the three brothers are somewhat flummoxed, but Middle is certain they must speak with this tiefling more. Young One agrees, and Elder finds it hard...not to agree. Both the younger firbolgs know of Wizard Tower Brewing Company, and the brothers agree to follow the leafleteer, but not look like they're following her, acting casually. As they progress once more through the marketplace after the bobbing hat, the brothers notice other vendors, one in particular takes the eye of Elder; a travelling merchant with a sign on her cart reading, "Lamrink's Goods & Services".

Elder approaches and strikes up conversation with the merchant, interested in the wares she may have, and what services she could provide. At first she is a little taken aback by the rough looking firbolg, and explains that her wares may be out of his price range, but Elder, although gruff, shows some charm and wins the merchant around with some fine talk, and with a little blushing, gains himself a blue velvet fez and an evening's date in the process!

Tink Lamrink - travelling merchant

While Elder is engaging in talk with Tink, known as "T" to her friends, the younger brothers continue to watch the bobbing of the red hat as it edges closer to them, and as Elder rejoins his brothers, resplendent in his blue fez, the tiefling stops by them once again, remarking on how wonderful Elder's new hat is! As she has stopped, but still jiggling with energy in front of the trio, Elder nudges Middle forward to ask her where they might find the Wizard Tower. The following conversation between the lovely Kiara and Middle is quite possibly the most awkward in the recorded history of Eastern Farraway, she believing him to be of a simple nature and taking pity on him, he in awe of her natural beauty and shape. With more luck than judgement Kiara is encouraged to take the brothers to her employer Miss Stumblefoot, the proprietor of Wizard Tower Brewing Company. Kiara then takes Middle's hand and eagerly tugs him along the path away from the Festival towards the Tower, which before long looms into view, Middle not seeing it as his focus is elsewhere.

The Wizard Tower is not what it used to be, but while it looks like the ruined remnants of a stone watchtower, it has also been refurbished to hold the successful brewing business, the locally well-known sign swinging bright and bold in the wintery breeze.

Wizard Tower signage

Kiara knocks and shouts for Miss Stumblefoot as the party reach the door, then she turns to Middle and explains to him in small words and slow speech she would love to show him around the Festival some more, and perhaps have something to eat. Middle expresses the fact that he isn't hungry, but Elder coughs and tells Kiara that his younger brother is not wise to the ways of the world, and accepts on his behalf a dinner date at the Grey Hare.

Kiara claps her hands together gleefully .at the prospect of a 'double-date', and the firbolg brothers look away as she bounces away excitedly to continue her leafleteering, then are met by a loud voice and an excited halfling at the door, who urges them to enter. Luisa Stumblefoot is eager to speak to the brothers, as she is under the impression they are there to help her with a problem, being large and brave looking. Before the brothers can say a word, she explains she is looking for big, brave and bold adventurers to help her with an infestation of rats she has, the last couple of workers she had were not up to the task, and she is keen to get things back on track before she may lose any more coin to loss of trade at the Festival.

Ms Luisa Stumblefoot

Before Elder can speak, Young One steps forward and proudly exclaims "Yelsalor will accept this quest!" Impressed at his bravado, Luisa takes the brothers into the backroom where she shows them her entrance to the cellar. Striding forward into semi-darkness with confidence, Young One leads the way, his brothers almost without a choice to be a part of his machismo.

As the brothers eyes adjust to the dim light of the cellar, they make out many barrels, and bags of what must be hops and barley. 'Yelsalor' strides on down the steps into the room, and before the others can stop him, he interrupts a giant rat gnawing on a bag. Not to be alarmed by this creature that is almost as large as a mastiff, Younger attempts to lay his hands on the beast and apply a 'Shocking Grasp'. But the spell does little more than turn the rat fluffy with static!

Middle then spies another rat in the corner of the room, and leaps from the cellar steps, throwing his javelin as he does so. The weapon goes shy of his mark, thudding with a resounding thwannnananang into the wall behind it. Elder sighs at his brother's ineptitude, and striding forward, roars his catchphrase "Come, Get SOME!" and strikes out with his battle-axe, splicing a rat in two, and then turning to his younger brother shouts, "Help your other brother!", as more rats have surrounded the large Middle brother, his swings with his stone hammer wildly missing their targets, as two more rats spring in and bite at him roughly. Younger disappears, confusing a rat near him as Elder's axe crunches into its skull.

Giant Rats

Middle is panicked, these bitey creatures piercing his flesh with their sharp fangs, and while Younger appears next to him, and scorches a rat with a firebolt - that mostly hits the wall behind it - it is enough for Middle to finally hit a beast! Finishing off another rat, Elder turns, and as he strikes true again, dissecting a foul creature, he pulls a hand-axe from his belt . He calmly throws it towards a rat bothering his two other brothers, neatly taking its head off.

Dismayed at the loss of their own brothers, two remaining giant rats attempt to escape through a hole in the back wall, and while one squeaks past Elder (no pun intended), another rat is seemingly confused for one moment as its front and back paws do not carry it into the hole, as it has neatly been separated in half by Elder's axe.

Pausing briefly from this battle, Elder is concerned there may be more of these rats, and investigates the large hole that one of the nasty beasts disappeared into. He forges ahead, finding a long corridor that ends in a dog leg, and peeping around it he is met with a well lit mosaic floor, and inscribed upon the wall beside it some writing. Joined by his brothers, they look at the interesting artwork and poetry, that Younger reads out loud;

Concerned that this may be some clue to a trap, Elder and Middle talk together, but 'Yelsalor' again strides forward, confident that it's just a fancy floor. As he steps onto the first tiles, a loud clunk is heard and it is his instincts alone that save the young firbolg from being sliced in two by a blade, as it swings from overhead.

Elder, shocked, scrambles forward and grabs at his youngest brother pulling him back to safety, but in doing so stumbles as well, almost falling in the path of the swinging blade. Middle, his strength and athleticism not failing him, grabs at his eldest brother, and like links in a chain, the three are all pulled strongly away from the blade as it disappears into its hidden moorings. 'Yelsalor' the Brave gibbers a little about his brothers saving his life, and Elder cuffs him roughly, but lovingly, around the head. Middle and Elder try to decipher the clues to pass safely, which they do, with Elder taking the risk to step from tile to tile as advised by his brother. Safely across this puzzle, Elder passes the sliced body of the remaining rat, it not so lucky at passing over the beautifully coloured floor.

Looking ahead, a door at the end of the corridor looms large, and another to their left. Elder listens at both doors, and hearing some strange breeze and a dripping sound, he opens the door straight in front of him to be met by a small room containing a well, and not much more. Ahead of him he sees another doorway, but it has been shored up by dirt and stone, most likely from the weight of the new brewing company above. He closes this door and encourages Middle brother to open the other door. Swinging the door open, the brothers are met by a larger room, that appears scorched and marked by soot and flames, and the burnt dried remains of rats. A large table at the centre and smaller tables around, the ashen remnants of books and potion flasks indicate this is what may have once been an Alchemist's Laboratory. One corner of the room appears more soot-stained and even shadowy, so Elder and Young One approach to investigate further, and are both struck at by a huge Inferno Spider, its flaming web flung at Younger, it bites at the two firbolgs before skittering away onto the ceiling. Middle rushes in to swing at the beast, but fails to hit as it flees up above his head.

Younger, trapped by the webs, wriggles free and attempts to attack with firebolts, as his Eldest brother tries to hit it with his own javelin, but the spider shrugs these off, seemingly laughing as its mandibles click with glee. However, it doesn't laugh off a huge hit from Elder with his hand-axe, and before it can attack again with any success, Middle flings his javelin with might, spearing the spider's head to the ceiling with such force that the weight of its body is too much.

The spider separates, flaming carapace and abdomen falling to the floor, its eight legs clicking and scrabbling in death throws, while its head remains pinned to the ceiling.

Now exhausted, and wounded from this skirmish, the brothers decide to take a short rest to recover. And take in a little more of the room after the huge arachnid surprised them. They now notice a further door in the back wall, and after having a brief respite, Elder opens the door and strides in. He spies a small rat in the far corner, lapping at a broken bottle, then sees the shelves stocked with all manner of potions. On closer investigation, he sees that much of the stock is spoilt, but manages to find a few bottles that look good and pockets these. He is joined by his brothers momentarily, and Elder encourages Younger to investigate the broken bottle in the far corner.

Young One does so, looking at the blueish liquid and the small, then larger footprints around it from what look like a rodents. He has trouble reading the label, but can make out -tion o- -argemen-, and quickly deduces this was a potion of enlargement, and as he says this to his brothers, a giant rat bursts from the cupboards and sinks its teeth into him!

Elder rushes to his aid, and swings with his axe, but the rat dodges away, nipping at Elder. Panicked as the teeth of the giant rat tear at his flesh, Young One takes up the remnants of the bottle and drinks. As he does, Elder and he watch as Middle's javelin flies between the two other brothers and pins the rat's head to the floor, its eyes bulging in surprise as it tries to lap at the fluid on the floor, before sighing its last.

Elder, noting that Young One has drunk of the broken bottle, edges away from him, stating that he had seen a small rat drinking of this as he entered the room. Young One is convinced he will be fine, as nothing has happened, it wasn't instant. And Elder nods agreement, it wasn't instant. There is a pause as this sinks in.

Young One is still concerned that they have not found any sign of the two workers sent by Luisa Stumblefoot to investigate, and also for his own safety now, lays down on the floor in the Alchemist's Laboratory, very worried that he might have done something a bit... silly. Elder walks back to the Well room, and finds at the bottom of the well what appears to be the flesh-stripped bones of two halfings at its base, and concluding that these are the original rat catchers, goes back to his brothers.

As he enters the room, Young One starts to groan and shift in shape, and grows to twice his normal size! Young One starts screaming and crying, "Help Me Brother!" and then Middle starts crying and shouting too, and Elder has trouble calming the hysterical pair, Young One crawling at him, his head and shoulders just shy of the ceiling, crying and scrabbling at Elder's leg, "Help me! Don't leave me! I'm sorry!!" Elder explains he will need to go find someone, but perhaps this is now Young One's lot, to stay here forever more. They'll bring food. Don't worry. Both the younger brothers start shouting and crying again, Middle trying to soothe the now Not-so-Brave 'Yelsalor'.

Elder strides out of the room, stating that he will be back, and makes his way upstairs to Luisa Stumblefoot. He explains that while they have been largely successful in ridding the cellar of GIANT rats, not just normal rats, his brother has got himself in a predicament. Luisa suggest that the local cleric, Father Lomas, may be able to assist. After hearing Elder out, Luisa pays the the money owed for assisting her with the infestation, and explains to Elder she will ensure his brothers will be safe until he comes back with the cleric.

Elder walks back to the town, and follows the directions given to him by Luisa to the Chapel, where he looks in for Father Lomas. It is explained that the Father is not at the Chapel at present, he often goes into the forest to meditate, but on his return the acolytes will ask him to head to Wizard Tower to meet with Elder, and help his brother out with his large problem (at this the acolytes giggle). Elder leaves a modest donation, and returns to the Tower to wait for Father Lomas, but on entering the Brewing Company, finds his brothers with Luisa, sampling some of her wares, and much merrier than when he had left them, Young One now his normal size.

Exasperated, Elder explains to Luisa that Father Lomas may call in on her, and to apologise for his inconvenience, and then, dragging his two brothers by their ears, the three head back to the Gray Hare Inn for either a Gnoll Hunt, or to spruce up for their dinner dates!

What a time the brothers are having! And it's not even Day 1 of the Hunter's Moon Festival yet! What will the rest of this day bring for them? Gnolls? Romance? Gnoll Romance? Join us again for the next adventure, in the new year!