Session 02: The Road to Pine Hollow

Union Report #3419: Escort to Pine Hollow

Filed by Drenna Cleftbranch, Level 3 Ranger
Date: 04/15/1732   Reckon I oughta start by sayin’ this leg of the journey from Abizma to Pine Hollow weren’t the smoothest, but we made it in one piece, more or less. I had the pleasure (and the headache) of leadin’ this bunch of greenhorns up the pass. Here's how it went.  

Day 1: Stockin’ Up

First off, I sent the party over to the Union office to grab their free adventurin’ gear. No point in spendin’ coin when the Union’s got ya covered, right? Course, Tich Tich the thri-kreen had other plans. Feller decided he needed a mule and a cart, then turned it into some kind of miniature mobile workshop with a table and some cloth. Cute idea, but only he and that spidermonkey hadozi, Skreet, can fit inside it. Didn’t stop him from beamin’ like he’d invented the wheel all over again.   Meanwhile, Nesa, the noble lady from down south, started complainin’ before we’d even left town. Seems the idea of sleepin’ on the ground offended her delicate sensibilities. Every night, she’d go on about her poor back, her poor neck, and her poor everything else. I told her unless she could shrink down to fit in Tich Tich’s tiny cart, there wasn’t much to be done. The goat's cart was loaded to the brim, and I’ll be damned if I’m unpackin’ it every night just so she could sleep curled into a ball to make herself fit.  

Days 2-3: Hittin’ the Road

The trail up the pass offered some mighty fine views of Wydegap Canyon. I reckon even the grumpiest dwarf would’ve stopped to gape. Nella told me she always loved comin' this way - that's when I realized she and I knew each other from back when she was a Harold. Looks awfully different now, outta that Harold get-up. Can't believe she didn't tell me we'd met already, but she said it was easier than explaining the whole Harold thing to those not in the know.   Not much happened those first couple nights, which is about the best thing you can say on a road like that. Just campfires, stars, and the occasional critter watchin’ us from the brush.  

Day 4: Myrtle & Clem’s Place

We reached an inn run by Myrtle and her husband Clem. Now, Clem’s a friendly enough feller, but I reckon he’s got a bit of a racket goin’. He sold the party some odds and ends and strongly suggested they head up a dangerous trail to a viewpoint where adventurers leave treasures for each other in a cache. Mighty convenient for a shopkeeper, ain’t it?   Well, they took the bait. Trail wasn’t too bad, though Skreet went spelunkin’ in a crevice to check out some corpses. Looks like they were already picked clean—maybe by Clem? Wouldn’t surprise me none. I know he makes most of his his sundries he sells, like those little painted rocks and the models of the canyon, but some are a little out of his league - and how often does he leave the shop and Myrtle all alone to go to Abizma? Maybe more than I know. Anyway, at the top, Josie, played song-bird to some ravens - soothing the savage beasts, as it were, and the rest of the climb was easy as pie. Derrick claimed the prize at the end of the trail, while the rest marvelled at the view, but he had to leave somethin’ behind to seal the deal—gave up a bookmark, a tincture, and even a secret. I didn’t go up there myself, but they filled me in after. Sounded like a good bonding experience for 'em all, all things considered.   Nesa got herself all snugged up int the Inn, I thought she mighta been disappointed in the earthiness of it all, but she seemed just pleased as punch to have a soft mattress and a long bath.  

Day 11: Trouble in the Trees

Travels were smooth, but slow goin' uphill for the next whole week. We got into a routine of things, grouping up by 2s to keep watch while the rest of us slept through the night.   It was the 11th night out where things got dicey. Just after the rest of that started to doze off that night, Josie heard somethin’ howlin’ off in the east. Spooked her good. She made sure to tell the next watch when she woke 'em, and I think we were all on high alert to danger through our watches after that. Near dawn, Skreet and Maggie heard it too—close enough to make the forest go deathly quiet. That’s when I knew we needed to hightail it outta there.   But we weren’t fast enough. Derrick spotted amber eyes in the shadows, and before we knew it, a starvin’ Wampus Beast pounced on us. Nasty thing—big as a bear, with a howl that’d make your bones rattle. Poor Maggie took the brunt of the first attack, and Josie got so scared she bolted, along with the goats, donkey, and Tich Tich - still sittin’ in his cart! Even Nella, the courier, joined in the scatterin.   It was a tough fight, no doubt about it. That beast had claws like scythes and a hunger that wouldn’t quit. But Maggie held her ground and, with one last kick to the skull, put the thing down for good. We had heard another howl, off to the east again, and knew there wouldn't be time to stick around. We had to skeddadle fast, and hope the sun coming up was sending the second beast back to it's lair.   We hurried along after that, tension keeping us alert. But the forest woke itself back up, and the day pressed on - Wampus don't hunt in the day, so as long as we pressed on and got as far as we could with the daylight on our side and getting the canyon to our backs, we'd be fine. At lunch we reached the Echo, and of course they all got to hollerin’ into the Echo up the canyon—y’know, that nonsense about hearin’ fortunes bounced back at ya. They were havin’ fun, and I didn’t see no harm in lettin’ ’em blow off some steam. What I didn’t tell ’em is why I stayed quiet. Last time I yelled into that Echo, it came back with somethin’ mighty embarrassing. Ain’t no reason for them to know about that, so I kept my mouth shut.  

Arrival in Pine Hollow

We limped into Pine Hollow a few days later, none too worse for wear. The mule and the goats were recovered (thankfully), and Tich Tich was no worse for bein’ carted off. The Wampus Beast gave us a scare, but it’s dead now, and I reckon the locals’ll sleep easier knowin’ it’s gone. All in all, this bunch has promise. They’re green, sure, but they’ve got guts, and that’s somethin’ you can’t teach. Guess we’ll see if they make it through the next leg of the journey.   Signed,

Drenna Greenthorn