8th Week of the Scatter, 1488

Recap

The town of Boulderton has become besieged by gnolls. During the last week alone, more than 20 people have been dragged away from the town and are currently assumed eaten and dead. That isn’t including the ones that were just… tore apart on site. The people of Boulderton have become terrified, barely leaving their homes, the economy has ground to a halt, and the future looks bleak.

Just when all seems to be lost, a hunting group consisting of four people arrive in town on Friday ahead of everyone. Named Gno More Gnolls, these people claim to be famous (no one in town has ever heard of them), and the best at eradicating the gnolls. This group views gnolls as nothing more than pest creatures, needing to be wiped from the face of Katalossa. They view them as dumb animals, less than animals even. They employ cruel tactics such as large, toothed leg hold traps and sharp wire snares to trap and maim their foes.

Jacob Coldren, Human, is the leader of the group. His hunting group is funded by his father, a wealthy lumber smith, and Jacob himself is a trust fund baby. He is boisterous, a braggart, and thinks their group can do no wrong. His way is the best way, his info is the best info, their group is the best group, etc. He will try to engage the adventurers in whatever way he can, as long as he can make it about himself. Jacob’s dad, Giles Coldren, got on the bad side of the Shadowbrand, and is now being watched by them, and that includes Jacob.

The elf Ehrindil Gredove is their healer. She is new and slightly incompetent, and doesn’t do any type of fighting, refusing to even carry a sword in self defense. She is quiet and reserved, staying in the background. She does have an impressive library of healing items, and is willing to teach one item to adventurers for free on Saturday. She has been torturing and gaining spell knowledge from the gnoll shamans and performing vivisection on captured gnolls. She is very interested in the surgeries preformed on gnolls and what they found/how they turned out. She is particularly interested in the sewing of arms onto an Inspired, and how that is working out. Ehrindil Gredove is a secret agent of the Shadowbrand, who is there to keep an eye on Jacob Coldren.

Howard Sadler is a childhood friend of Jacob’s. Jacob convinced Howard to join him and Azuk in hunting the gnolls, earning a paycheck as they went. Howard is the brains of the operation. He draws up the maps, comes up with the strategy, and takes care of the negotiations for payment. Howard has always been Jacob’s right hand guy, ever since they were kids. He always has Jacob’s back, and will hype him up to anyone he meets. Howard won’t talk about himself much, just that his family were leathersmiths and tanners, and he didn’t wish to subject himself to that.

Azuk is an orc who Jacob took under his wing when young. Azuk isn’t the smartest orc in the bunch, but what he lacks in brains, he makes up for in brawn. Azuk adores Jacob, and views him as a father figure. Jacob can do no wrong, according to Azuk.

The breakdown of earning is as follows Azuk Earns the Money, Jacob spends the money, Howard keeps track of the money, and Ehrindil has no interest in money.

When the adventurers arrive at the gathering hall, villagers start to make their way into the hall. Each has their own story to tell. After the villagers leave, Gno More Gnolls enter the hall.

Gno More Gnolls have with them posters of all the Missing on them. They ask the adventurers to go through them and help hang them up around the hall. They introduce themselves, say they will be around over the weekend. Jacob makes plans with the adventurers to protect a caravan coming into town at around 9am the next day (Protect the Van). Ehrindil makes it known she wants all the gnoll information she can get, Howard talks about Jacob, and Azuk is quiet.

Nothing of note happens during the night with the gnolls or GMG.

On Saturday morning, after everyone is woken up, the gnolls find their way into town for snacks. Their goal is to create as many gnoll gluttons as possible. Ehrindil then runs into the hall and explains that 4 villagers have been taken by the gnolls. She asks that they help rescue them. The gnolls will harass the adventurers both to and from the villager body site, and will leave the adventurers alone once the villagers are dead and/or the adventurers get all the villagers into the tavern.

Jacob and crew do not show up for their 9am meet. At around 9:30am, Ehrindil comes into town. She explains that Jacob missed the meet with Paul&Paul Shipping Company this morning, and they need to retrieve the cargo to get paid. The adventurers are to carry the crates from the wreckage site to the gathering hall. The gnolls will harass the adventurers as they complete this task. Ehrindil will pay the adventurers based on how many supplies make it into the town ‘unbroken’. Jacob will come on scene and be impressed by the adventurers and want to take them hunting at 1pm.

Everything is relatively quiet until the hunt.

Jacob takes the adventurers out to kill some gnolls and get some gnoll teeth. Jacob will teach the adventurers how to remove the teeth. He seems to be having a great time killing and harvesting all the gnolls. While Jacob is out with the adventurers, Ehrindil will stay in the gathering hall and make healing bracelets with whoever stays behind.

In response to being humiliated and killed by GMG, the gnolls attempt a Breaking Ritual. They also release a Troll into the hall to cause chaos. Jacob Coldren and Ehrendil Gredove finally make their way to the hall with fantastical tales of fighting of the gnolls while they attacked the hall, to sit with the adventurers to discuss a hunting strategy for the gnolls and to take any notes. Jacob will strongly suggest going after them at dark or after, so they are bedded down for the day. The gnolls will constantly interrupt this process. The gnolls seem to target Ehrendil like they hate her.

Screams are heard from the direction of the village after the dinner downtime. Gno More Gnolls races into town to see the carnage. Jacob convinces the adventurers to go after the gnolls and wipe them from around the town. GMG will suggest to meet in 10 minutes in a designated place. The gnolls will attack, without GMG. The gnolls attempt another breaking ritual. The gnolls will retreat as soon as all the spirit shamans are dead.

Gno More Gnolls throw a party in the hall to celebrate the end of the gnolls! Drinks are flowing and Jacob raps a rap all about GMG. He leads a toast, and then GMG leaves. After they leave, the villagers come in to thank the adventurers for their help and give them small gifts.

A very battered villager, Wilson Ryder runs into the gathering hall. Gno More Gnolls were ambushed on their way out of town, and are now dead. The villager informs the adventurers that the gnolls are headed this way. Screams can be heard in the distance as the villagers run to the hall to seek shelter and protection. The gnolls attack the hall with the goal of killing as many villagers as possible. The gnolls throw in the heads of GMG into the hall, minus Jacob. They also throw in body parts and a Shadowbrand tag. The gnolls attack the hall for fifteen minutes, take a 10 minute break to regroup, and attack again, this time attempting several breaking rituals.

Once all the gnolls are dead and it has been quiet for a few mintues, Jacob stumbles into the hall, completely fine. He hid and then passed out when the gnolls attacked GMG. Ehrendil’s spirit shows up in the hall after the shamans are dead, wishing to be ressurrected. If she is, she will tell everyone what happened, and that when she was a spirit, she saw a gnoll spirit shaman turn into spirit, and then consume the essence of Howard and Azuk. They can not return.

Jacob has to face the consequences of his actions, if any. Jacob and Ehrendil will both leave the hall after that.

The next day, Ehrendil brings a couple bundles of flowers for Howard and Azuk. Jacob can come back to the hall if he chooses. Villagers that survived the onslaught can also make an appearance.