Session 009: In Which the Heroes Harvest Their Eldritch Rewards And Return to Trouble With the Law

Wherein Exposition Occurs

  From the swamp arose the Broodmother! Seeping from the Void and corrupting Midgard, he lands surrounding the fell lair submit to Chaos as the Broodmother is reborn! The swamp tries to swallow and consume our heroes while the Broodmother's tentacles batter them down into the rancid waters. The first Legendary Creatures the heroes face is slain and the heroes collect their rewards: components to craft The Tome of Living Memories - book of ancient knowledge, and the Broodslinger - an arm replacement.   The voyage home to Redtower is not all quiet. Bandits ambush the weary party but are waylaid and interrogated. The surviving member, Verby, previously served Imorta the Debased who seeks slaves for experiments and sacrifices to hell and is now enticed to join the Ghostpunchers for room and board, plus salary.   Through the power of friendship and self-actualization, Gru returns his body. Figuratively and literally reborn into the world and thus completing the Belly of the Whale step on the Hero's Journey and sending him to Act 2 of the cycle: Initiation.   Gru updates his order with the blacksmith Agniezka to acquire more branded Ghostpunchers merchandise. We're talking hats, toy gloves, branded overpriced sugar-filled drinks, transforming toys that get added to children's meals so they become addicted to corporate intellectual property at a young and impressionable age. You know, typical adventuring stuff.   Finally we set our feet up by the fire to dry them off and order and cold fresh-poured beer. But as our eyes begin to rest at this feeling of contentment a familiar voice is heard above the ambient chatter: Durgis and the Dwarves of the Shattered Axe. Seeing red, the party begins to rage.   The party questions his capabilities and demand he fight them in a completely legal and sanctioned Fighting Club of Extraordinary Gentlemen. He refuses saying the heroes are beneath him and it wouldn't even be a match. To a man (non-gnome of course), he tosses them out the window one-by-one. Chaos ensues in the bar and Erky accidently angers a drunk troll! The Wand of Wonder summons forth a lightning bolt and sets the bar on fire!   Constable Roch and the Law storm into the bar to settle the scene and prevent further damage to life and property, but have our heroes lost control of themselves and the situation at hand? Did the Eldritch Broodmother really twist and dement their minds this much?