Froggy Tea Party Presents: Dragon of Icespire Peak

SESSION 2: Starting on a Heroic Path

Upon waking, Miss Coco announced to the party that she'd named the pet frog Wallace. The party counts heads and realizes that two of their party members were still in Phandalin. Because of having the donkey and cart, they find that backtracking will be no problem for them. Meanwhile, Perseus and Stout  realize they've *really* overslept and rush to gather their belongings. They make it about ten miles outside Phandalin when the party meets up with them. The group tells them of the quest that they've taken off the job board, to investigate Butterskull Ranch. Back on Triboar Trail, they travel all day until they reach the previous night's camp. Taking a long rest, they camp once again, though this time without any Giant Toads interrupting.

On the road they meet a merchant heading west, selling Potions of Healing. He tries to sell them potions for 10 GP each, and is willing to sell 6 of them out of his stock. He tells them that's all he can spare, as he is heading to Phandalin to sell the majority of them, and that he'd continue toward to Neverwinter. The party hems and haws at the price, and questions the merchant's integrity. Mama tries to determine if he is shady in any way, and the party successfully determines that he is not suspicious, only opportunistic in trying to make some gold while on the road. The merchant understands that they are leery of strangers and reluctantly offers to sell them a batch of 5 for 5GP each. Coco, however, was not impressed with his discount and wanted even more. She talked him down to 3GP each. He was saddened by giving them such a deep discount, and made them promise to come buy more wares from him later so he could make a better living. Nausicaa, as the party's provisioner, pays for the potions out of her pocket. As he's walking away, they try to glean any information about the road ahead. He tells them that he travels in such a way that he does everything he can to avoid conflicts, especially including areas where orcs could be. He tells them that while Conyberry is a destroyed village, he didn't venture into it to check it out.

Following Triboar Trail, the party reaches Conyberry as night is falling. The sky is darkening, and the group is hesitant to enter the ruins so late. The wind howls, and at first they hear nothing abnormal. Listening closer, through the perception of the party they hear horses nearby, but neither see nor hear anything else. Perseus recounts Conyberry's history as recorded in Neverwinter's library of books. It was previously a village of loggers and hunters, but one night, some 10 years prior, they were ambushed by orcs. The orcs destroyed the village and burned it to the ground, with very few survivors escaping westward. The survivors reported the destruction of the village and it was recorded as lost.

There's talk amongst the party members of the village being haunted, and the group decides that only a couple should enter so that they can make a quick exit if needed. Nausicaa and Stout, because they have night vision, enter the village first to investigate. They make their way up on the south western path toward the burned out buildings. They turn right and pass a tree stump which looked to be from a very old tree, but had been cut down some time after the burning of the village. They reach the center of the village and investigate. There's three horses. They're grazing on grass nearby, and it's noticed that they have no saddles, no harnesses, no bags, no wounds.

After only a short time of not hearing from the two, the rest of the party outside of the village is antsy to enter, led by Mama who wants to explore. Leading the donkey and cart in, they join up with their two scouting party members. With the entrance of the group, they get too close to the horses and they spook. The horses gallop off toward the eastern side of the village and disappear around the burned out building to the left. They hope that the horses haven't gone too far, wanting to use them as additional pull for the cart.

While at the well, they look down inside. It's mostly dried up, but there is muck, indicating that there's still some water to be drawn out. They pull up a bucket, and Alexander uses Shape Water to extract the water from the muck to refill the party's canteens. They party discusses using water to try and lure the horses. They dunk the bucket back into the muck, and when it's pulled back up Mama cuts the bucket free of its rope with a dagger. Alexander pulls the water out, leaving the dirt in the bucket. After dumping the bucket out, Alexander puts the water into the bucket and Coco purifies the water with Prestidigitation. Taking the bucket in her hands, Coco follows the tracks left by the horses, with the party following closely behind her. They locate the horses at the north east side of Conyberry, at the last burned out house. Coco uses Animal Friendship to lure one of the horses to her, and is successful in drawing them out of the group. The horse thirstily drinks the water down to the last drop. Taking rope from her pack, Coco fashions a makeshift harness and the party leads the horse back to the cart, tying it up to it.

Conyberry seems safe enough, and so the group agrees to split up. Perseus investigates the stump of the cut down tree, looking for any potential extra details. She finds that there is nothing important about the tree. A dead, lifeless husk of what it once was. Nausicaa and Coco stay with the cart. Alexander and Stout investigate the small shrine to the south east of the well, and are looking through the crumbled ruins, wondering whom the shrine belonged to. Mama investigates the burned out building to the south of the well. When she attempts to investigate for items of value she instead invokes the wrath of a Swarm of Spiders. She screams and tries to run. The party quickly gathers at the point of the scream. Nausicaa and Coco meet at the door frame of the building while Alexander and Stout come in through a gaping hole in the eastern side of the building. Odd catches up and joins Nausicaa and Coco at the entrance. (Initiative is Ani, Coco, Vapra, Stout, Mama, Odd, Swarm of Spiders).

Ani casts Eldritch Blast and kills 1 spider. Coco moves forward and stomps on a spider and kills it, then uses Bardic Inspiration on Mama. Alexander uses Chill Touch from behind the spiders and damages the swarm for 12 HP. Stout moves further into the building and picks up a rock, readying to throw it. Mama dodges and rolls out of the entryway of the building, putting her behind Nausicaa, Coco, and Perseus. Perseus uses Breath Weapon and deals 3 damage to the swarm. The swarm of spiders attacks Coco as the closest, and deals 8 damage, putting her near death. Ani uses witch bolt and hits for 12 HP finishing the swarm off (200 EXP). Coco heals herself up with Cure Wounds, and a few members of the party remark that they're feeling stronger.

Returning to where the spiders emerged from, Alexander looked inside, but didn't notice anything interesting. Mama, though, stuck her arm in and pulled out +1 Shortsword and +1 Shield. She sticks them in her inventory, and while she equips the +1 Shortsword, there's discussion of someone else in the party using the +1 Shield.

Alexander wants to return to the shrine to investigate further, and asks about the history of Conyberry's shrine. Perseus recounts that it used to be a shrine to Savras. She tells the party Savras's history, and that there is rumored to be a larger Shrine of Savras to the south of the village. The group discusses going there, but because it was a long trip, and the excitement has tired a few of the party members out. Alexander offers to keep watch over the group while they get rest. Nausicaa and Mama set up camp, laying out everyone's bedding for them while Coco and Perseus scout the perimeter. Stout attempts to find anything of importance at the tower, but is unsuccessful. The group settles in for a rest, with important decisions to be made. Do they attempt to coax another horse after they rest? Is there more investigation to be done in Conyberry that would be worth their time? Do they continue on toward Butterskull Ranch to determine the fate of Alfonse Kalazorn or will they let themselves take a detour toward the Shrine of Savras?