We're Going on a Gnoll Hunt

Returning to the Gray Hare after helping Luisa with her infestation, the brothers take some time to rest up before lunch. Elder and Younger make their way downstairs (Middle stays in the room, desperately reading up on damsels and maidens in his Little Golden Book of Paladins, and deliberating on what to wear later for his date with Kiara - the teifling leaflet girl), and Elder chats with Dave, wanting to find out who best to talk to about the silver plates he discovered. Dave says any of the merchants visiting the Festival might be good to ask, but expensive, and he mentions Tink in passing, that causes Elder to blush and let slip he was meeting her for an evening dinner date. Dave laughs, and says Gorm might be worth talking to about it too. He also reminds Elder about the impending Gnoll Hunt.

Elder decides he would like to talk with Gorm, and both he and Younger make their way through the Festival towards the blacksmith's forge. However, as they approach it is apparent that something is happening as the heartbeat sound of Gorm beating his iron is not to be heard, but raised voices leak out over the sound of the nearby Festival. Elder goes to approach but Younger graps his wrist and then disappears. Elder recognises that turning invisible might help. The two firbolgs move closer, not noiselessly, but the two figures in the forge do not notice them at all, their arguing rapid and loud in Dwarven. Gorm stands in front of another Dwarf, and the firbolgs hear a few words, 'Ironclan', 'Lord Santem' and 'graverobbers'. Then the other Dwarf puts a finger to Gorm's lips, at which the blacksmith knocks the fellow to the ground with a punch to the face! At this, Younger steps in, and grabs at Gorm, who is a little surprised at the sudden appearance of the firbolg, and shouts at Younger. Younger manages to calm the dwarf, but the other dwarf on the ground reaches to his pocket. Gorm tells the other dwarf to put his hand away, he knows the firbolg, and he is right that they should not fight, and he offers his hand to to the figure on the floor, who takes it and stands, brushing himself off.

Bjorn Amberclan

Gorm explains to Younger this is his brethren and kinsman Bjorn, and also expresses the knowledge that he knows Elder is nearby, and the other firbolg then makes himself visible, but in the form of a High Elf! Bjorn noticeably scoffs, and Gorm looks, and then nods and gives a wry smile, he likes this game! Bjorn says he is not going to speak in front of some damn Elf, at which Younger then transforms into a Dwarf! A rather tall and meaty looking dwarf, but a Dwarf still, and says "Would you tell another Dwarf?" Bjorn, looks at Younger, then at the Elf, and not being uneducated, a smile crosses his face and he laughs, realising he has been duped and encourages the firbolgs to show their true forms. Elder then talks with Gorm and settles on trading in his silver plates for some good cash.

Bjorn suggests that he and the brothers return to the Grey Hare to talk over a business proposal, at which Elder agrees as he is keen to hunt some gnolls! After some tense moments about sharing a drink with a dwarf to talk business, Bjorn explains that he is on a mission to find evidence of the Ironclan in the area, and had made a dig site at a nearby Dwarven Burial Ground that had long been accepted as a druid circle due to the presence of two stone monoliths; giving the place the name of 'The Twins'.

However, after a night at the Inn, Bjorn returned to his dig site to find it ransacked and the presence of graverobbers, and he was attacked and forced to flee. The archaeologist knew he needed assistance, and sought the help of Gorm, who refused, stating he was too busy with the Festival. Elder agrees to meet on the morrow to assist Bjorn, but for now he has more pressing matters to attend to (gnolls! dammit, gnolls!!). Bjorn agrees, finishes his ale and makes his way upstairs to his room to make 'preparations'.

Elder and Younger join Dave at the bar, where the landlord is strapping on leathers, ready for the Gnoll Hunt. He asks where the larger brother (Middle) is, and the brothers explains nerves of the heart have meant he is not able to join them. Dave nods, and Finel, joining them, overhears this and wonders if Jillian may be a distraction that the scouting party, and Middle, do not need for now. Elder and Younger exchange glances, not wanting to tell Finel that his daughter is not the intended victim of Middle's wooing... The group head to the south of town, the Apple Hollow last where gnolls had been seen, and separate into two groups to scout the area, Dave and Finel to the north near the forest and treeline, and Elder and Younger to the farmhouse to the south. Elder and Younger make their way closer to the building, as all appears quiet, with no sign of farmhands or even animals. Confusing doors with windows at first, Elder peeps through a window, and not seeing anything decides to sneak inside. Entering the farmhouse quietly he discovers two gnolls in the kitchen, grunting over something they are cooking, like two fat, hairy, horse-riding chefs.

Sensing an opportunity, Elder brings up his axe and recklessly charges in, slicing into the back of one of the gruesome cooks, it screaming out in surprise! Younger hears the scream and runs into the farmhouse, surprising the other gnoll behind a door. He reaches out and grabs at the creature, only to give it a light tickle with his shocking grasp, and it turns and bites at him. Younger slams the door in the face of gnoll and puts his back up against it, holding fast. Elder continues his battle against the other gnoll, and after some fancy footwork, slices the head from his foe, it tumbling toward the kitchen range. Younger opens the door once again to lay is hands upon the other gnoll, further irritating it with some sparkly static energy. Sensing his brother is struggling, Elder moves in for the kill, only to see two more gnolls burst from another room, an arrow whizzing past his ear! Scoffing at this, Elder smacks his axe into the neck of the gnoll in front of Younger, the head of the creature arcing out over Younger's own head as its life juices splash across the firbolg and room, the head rolling to a stop with a thud. Enraged, a third gnoll moves towards Younger and Elder in the doorway, and as the creature bites at them both, his fellow misfires, and an arrow pierces the neck of this raging beast. Sensing an opportunity, Younger send a firebolt towards the gnoll archer, but only forces it to take a misstep as it too moves closer to the firbolgs. Elder, turns and with the full force of his firbolg strength grabs the gnoll attacking his brother, and charges forward, using the wounded gnoll as a meat shield and weapon, crashing into the gnoll with the bow, all the while he and the grappled beast snarling at one another ins a contest of wills and halitosis. Elder then drops the beast, pushes it away and brings his axe upwards from the floor, striking the gnoll in the groin, its genitals and then its stomach spilling on to the floor as it collapses in a heap. Inspired by this, Younger moves in to grab at the final gnoll, laying his hand upon the creature as Elder turns and hacks into with his axe, This gnoll is not a weak opponent, it shrugs off the shock of Younger's, but distracted by the two firbolgs, it stumbles, drops to one knee, and Younger, desperate that he make an impact tries once again to kill the creature. He wraps his hands about the gnoll's head and lightning surges from his hands, the beasts eyes rolling back, smoking and then frying away as it is lightly fricasseed. The fight now over, the brothers search the farmhouse for more gnolls, but only find it bare. Elder takes up two gnoll heads, and a gnoll penis, to prove to the scouting party of their kills, and scour the bodies of the creatures for loose change to help with festical fun The firbolgs meet back with Dave and Finel on the path back to Buckbridge, and Dave wonders at the remains in Elder's hands, then bursts into laughter, his deep throaty laugh being heard all the way back to town as he exclaims, "Gnoll cock!!! Ahahahaha!!!!" again and again

Finel looks on, unimpressed. and Elder is a little confused, but accepts when Dave proclaims him "a legend!", through his laughing. Back at the Gray Hare, Elder gifts Rosie his hunt souvenir, who also stifles laughter as Dave disposes of the other gnoll heads. Finel and Dave then clap their hands upon Elder and Younger's shoulders, as best they can, "a successful hunt, lads! Time for a drink!"

The brothers still have an evening of romance, followed by a trip to a nearby burial mound the next day; avoiding the fasting day of the Hunter's Moon Festival! Come back in two weeks for the next instalment!