Episode 15
Drinks & Displacement
While traveling on the road, the party is confronted by a pack of magical beasts. Later, they enjoy drinks, food, and games at the Sleepy Woodsman Tavern & Inn – before Anton’s past comes to greet him.
Recap
As the party began their trek north along the Imperial Road once again, Raz’sik bonded with his horse Lightcall psychically while the rest of the group looked on curiously.
The day continued until they were suddenly attacked by a group of displacer beasts – magical panther-like predators with two tentacles protruding from their backs and the ability to displace themselves, giving the illusion of being in numerous places at once.
Willa, who claimed to have fought the creatures before, lept into battle to deal devasting blows with her maul. Sovemil, after casting Bless, fired his crossbow from his horse, Paprika. Raz’sik charged in with his horse, eventually getting surrounded by two displacer beasts. Anton rode his steed Sulaine into the fray, swinging his khopesh and short sword. Gemma, at one point, leaped off her horse Misty to a rocky ledge, and she fired numerous Fire Bolts from above.
After the displacer beasts were defeated, the party reached the Sleepy Woodsman Tavern & Inn just before nightfall. They hitched their horses and headed inside. Despite its namesake, they found the place to be quite the opposite of “sleepy.” A bustling, rowdy establishment, they found a great selection of food, drinks, and activities to get involved in.
Raz’sik and Anton participated in a gambling card game popular in the empire, called Fate. The Pangenan ended up winning the pot of gold and proudly called out, “Drinks on me!” which was met with a gleeful hoorah.
Gemma and Willa, on the other hand, decided to approach a table of adventurers nearby. Calling themselves The Last Hurrah, the all-female adventuring party explained they were on their way to the Ruins of Yelquinal to claim treasure and magic items that could be sold to the empire. Though Gemma and Willa expressed a friendliness to join them, at least down the road, they overall seemed hesitant. Willa recalled that Yelquinal was once a great elven city that fell a couple hundred years ago, though no one really knows why for sure.
As the night began to wind down, a group of drunken hooligans approached the party, apparently looking to pick a fight. It was at this moment that two warriors, clad in the regalia of the Domaarian Knights, entered the tavern, their eyes shifting as if looking for someone. Anton immediately recognized them.
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