Mapping the Briars: The Party Meets "Grandmother"

Today's game was about 5 hours. The party was using the tools seen here (using mapping, oculars, and magical communication to stay on track, etc.) Musad the genie is still collecting their reports, etc., too. The late Summer weather is much better (if freakin' hot) so travel was a touch easier.

Today they played through 6 weeks of game time. In addition to the asps, giant spiders, and rats they encountered:
- Many instances of hippogriffs, gryphons, etc. flying by
- A tribes of ogres (12 total) fleeing from Ol' Knobby's ambition. The party put them all down in 9 rounds and relatively low damage. The survivor accepted a parole to go to Goblintown after explaining the Ol' Knobby, no longer held back by Ol' One Fang, has ambitions of ruling the Briars.
  The party was also told that Ol' Knobby was horribly changed by some power and is a powerful, twisted creature.
- They fought a group of brigands and took out a 10th level mage with backstabs and spells and a 10th level fighter with Hold Person and a barbarian. The survivors accepted a parole to turn themselves into the baron of Esber.
- A war party of 17 kobolds totally surprised Brigid with 2 segments of surprise. Then the party slew them all.
- The met a brushman named Wilson. They spent the night in his cabin. In the morning Vasilissa traded a pie for one of Wilson's hams. The party spoke more with Vasilissa and WIlson explained how to be properly polite with Grandmother.

- They met Grandmother.

  The tiny old woman with fangs jutting up from her lower jaw almost to her eyes was 'rowing; her giant mortar with a giant pestle while an animated broom erased all evidence of her passage. She paused and spoke with the party.
  The party was very polite and deferential and gave her the traditional gifts: spices, fabric, and clean water. She praised them for their politeness and said she would welcome them for tea some day. She also told them to give Vasilissa a message that Grandmother would be late.
  Hours later they found a clearing. A circle of dragon femurs topped with human skulls (that followed the party with their gaze) surrounded a clearing 120 yards across with a small hut in the middle. Vasilissa was trimming roses by the hit and called a greeting, The party gave her the message, and she thanked them and said it was good they did as they were told.

  They left immediately. The general attitude was

  Things they learned from Vasilissa while at Wilson's include:

• Grandmother is evil, maybe the most evil thing ever, but she has rules: she won't kill children unless they are 'naughty'; she won't harm the polite; she won't destroy cities unless their rulers have insulted her; etc.
• Never, ever ask her a personal question: 'how do you do?' or 'would you like some honey in your tea?' = OK; 'how old are you?' or "where are you from?" = she eats you. While you're alive and screaming.
• Vasilissa was sent by her stepmother to serve Grandmother as a servant because her late father owed a debt and Grandmother will forgive it in return for honest, loyal work. Vasilissa has been serving Grandmother for 4 years; in 2 more years, when Vasilissa turns 16, Grandmother will release her and 'reward her as is fitting' which means she might get gold, a powerful magic item, and a blessing. Or a prince for a husband, Or she might be cooked and eaten. It depends on how honest, loyal, and clever she was as a servant.

  We broke for the night and hope to continue tomorrow.