After the death of her character Clovis, Sarah decided to promote Genesa from NPC to PC as a 1st level fighter. Mike joins us as Agador the Wizard. And yes, owlbears may seem pretty small potatoes after recently facing down an ancient Dracolich, but you try being ambushed by three of them (and a mysterious hooded figure) and see how you like it.

In the wake of defeating Arakgnash, with the peace negotiations between elves and orcs ongoing, Tsafnur, Andres, and Genesa decide to find and destroy Grumblesticks, in Clovis’ honour. They are joined by Agador, an elvish wizard, who showed up at the elf warcamp too late for the action.

Genesa hired some orcs, led by one Greta, to start work on restoring her manor. They picked up the wagon and horses, Genesa got her father’s horse, Bartleby, from the stables. They decided to return to Skagaway and talk with any dwarves they could find there to get clues about how to pick up Grumblesticks’ trail. They get to Skagaway in the full chaos of a Market Day, but find rooms at the Cozy Owlbear Inn.

The party talked with an Elvish employment service, arranged to meet Brecht Vyring, an elvish scout familiar with dwarven territory, but she turned out to be very not friendly towards dwarfs, more interested in spying on them. She was able to recommend a half-elven scount who might be a better fit.

Agador found work through the same employment service, raising the spirit of a local merchant’s wife so he could ask her questions. The merchant turned out to be a real bastard, the wife’s spirit was uncooperative, but Agador got the information from her. The merchant’s steward learned that there were more secrets to be had and gave Adador a generous tip.

The second scout they interviewed was Hilvy, a half-elf scout who gets along fine with dwarves, hired.

Genesa also hired Nancy, a former cheerleader-type that Genesa knows from her school days (???). Nancy has a troubled past. Genesa hired her to be the new Steward and oversee the rebuilding of the Manor staff and grounds.

Hilvy led the group north, on the road toward the mountains, then veered west on a side track that barely accomodated the wagon. They had to get stop frequently to chop down saplings that were growing in the road, but Genesa relished the opportunity to practice with her sword. During one of these stops, they noticed that the birds had stopped, that the sky was quite dark with clouds, and heard several big animals moving in the brush around them.

Tsafnur unsheathed his rapier and headed for the first of these sounds, with Genesa right behind him. Agador climbed a tree for a better vantage, while Andrew and Hilvy stayed to guard the horses. Tsafnur was the first to encounter an owlbear, strangely out during the day (they are usually nocturnal). He engageed it with his rapier, but was badly injured. Agador sent bolts of cold fire at the beast, and Genesa hacked at it with her longsword. Between the three of them, they were able to bring it down.

From his perch, Agador was the first to notice a black-clad, hooded figure, with a black staff, looking into the back of their wagon. Another owlbear slammed into the tree he was in, and a third headed for the horses. Andrew was torn between saving the horses or getting rid of, potentially, the figure controlling the owlbears to get them out at this time of day. He ducked through the wagon, surprising the hooded figure with a blow from his mace. More of Agador’s bolts of cold flame also took the figure by surprise and it brought its staff down on the ground hard. The staff blossomed out protruberances, taking on the look of a candelabrum, with smoke coming from the bobèches (cups) of the candelabrum, but no light issueing from it. There is a horrid smell, however, like a rotting corse in the hot sun. The hooded figure turned and ran for the darkest shadows nearby and vanished into them.

Andrew returned to the front of the cart in time to see the second horse fall to the owlbear’s viscious attack. He swung his mace at it. The Owlbear trying to get at Agador gave up and headed for the wagon, but both Tsafnur and Genesa attacked it from behind. Agador continued to send his cold flames at each of the owlbears, but from a pool of shadows nearby, someone sent waves of necromantic life-draining energy at him. The party worked together to finish off the owlbears, and no more sign was seen of the hooded figure.