Bounty Hunters - Session 10

A Visit With an Old God

• The lizardfolk of the Swamp Temple offer the use of a legendary weapon. It is called the Hydra-Farmer's Scythe, and it is more-or-less an enormous stone axe that nobody in the party can reasonably use. They accept with some trepidation.
• The party sets off immediately. Whip puts on the belt for the quest, figuring he'll take it off immediately after.
• They are able to make smashing good time through the swamp, with magical hijinks and turtle assistance. It takes a day, and they get there in the evening.
• The hydra's lair is a very-much-pre-Alexandrian temple. Its entire lower floor is covered in about 18 inches of water, a reddish-brown murk.
  • Magrin is able to rattle of the history of the curse of Marwynn that first made Wydmoor into a swamp, and how this temple was probably from the people who lived her pre-curse.
• There are rust monsters in the front antechamber!
  • Since nobody can use their actual weapons, but the monsters themselves don't really warrant leveled spells, the fight takes a while. Whip takes the opportunity to get the feel for the axe. He's terrible at it.
  • Bern and Whip both damage their armor (Whip's is destroyed completely).

• Continuing their exploration, Bern notices an area of water that is darker than the rest.
  • They shoot it. It comes to life, and is a black pudding!
  • The party spends the next few rounds learning painful details about black puddings, like how much their pseudopods hurt, or how they split immediately upon taking any slashing damage, or how they spray acid when hit from melee.

• • Eventually the last split of the pudding is bitten to smithereens by Elian, in wolf form.
• In the next room, they stumble onto four shadows who really do a number on some party members (particularly Elian). The party decides to long rest afterward. Whip dons Elian's Wyrmscale armor, for now.

• More exploration, this time upstairs.
• The first attempt leads them to an area full of zombies and skeletons. The end of the hallway appears to go to an area of extreme cold--they decide to try another hallway and leave them alone.
• The second attempt leads them to a hallway, from which Bern can hear the echoing of a frightfully enormous creature's single head. The party turns back once more.
• The third leads pretty straightforwardly to the hydra. They're ready for this, so they waste no time getting to it.
  • The general idea is to ready actions to react after Madrin's alicorn lance. It works, although Bern doesn't get her sneak attack off, so they're shy of the damage needed for two heads.
  • The hydra is understandably pissed about this. Also, it's a cryohydra: It breathes cold at Whip and, blissfully, does absolutely mediocre damage.
  • Whip tries to swing around and get its attention. The hydra breathes on everyone else instead, doing much better damage than previously.
  • Another round of attacks takes off two more heads. The hydra mows down Elian and finally swings around to Whip.
  • Elian is brought back up and the party manages to get two of the three heads onto a floating disc. Whip has taken a round of attacks by this point and hates it, but luckily, the party is ready to disengage, so they book it.
  • The hydra gets one last breath weapon off. It's not enough to take anyone down, and they get away.

• Discussion ensues over whether or not to go back for the last head. Madrin is confident in their toolkit, and Whip is very much opposed to getting chewed on anymore. Caution prevails, and the party heads back.
• They return victorious!

Awards

• 140 to all for Rust Monsters
• 220 to all for Black Pudding
• 80 to all for Shadows
• 50 to all for Tower B
• 100 to all for "Avoiding the Ampersand" in the other large creature tower.
• 50 to all for The Hydra's Tower
• 300 to all for Heeeads
• 350 to all for Operation Success