Week 12 – Oni? I don’t even Renti!

Having helped Pebblecrag with his ‘indigestion’, the group hitches a ride with him the Graystone Quarry, which is as far as he plans on going. Along the way they meet up with some of their groupmates (Meero and Gabriel), who are startled to find them riding upon a Giant.

When they arrive in Graystone Quarry, they meet with terse attitudes and people who seem to be extremely unwelcoming of strangers. They inquire and find out that people have been getting murdered in the night with surprising frequency. Del’anoth listens to the stories being told, and has an inkling that the creature responsible may be an Oni; a vicious night monster that devours the souls of the sleeping and moves about in guile and secrecy. They strike a deal with the Captain of the Guard, whereby if they can get rid of the monster, they will be rewarded with mounts to carry them to Fae’un.

The group discusses what he knows about these vile creatures and then, on his suggestion, decide to lay a trap in one of the homes near the walls of the city. Seeking permission from an old lady in one of the homes, the group lies in wait throughout the night, waiting to see if the Oni will strike.

In the late hours of the night, Meeroo catches the Oni sneaking into the old woman’s room as a cloud of gas through a thin crack in the window. She breaks stealth to try and distract the monster from attacking the woman, and draws the monster’s ire. The rest of the group (except for Strom, who is thoroughly engrossed in a sandwich) launch into the fray.

The battle is extremely long, with the Oni putting more than half the group into a magically induced slumber. At the end, critically wounded, the Oni tries to escape through the window. Having none of it, the remaining team members leap through the glass and come crashing down ten feet below. They chase down the fleeing Oni and put it out of commission for good. Unfortunately, they were unable to save Bea, the old woman who was much akin to an Egg.

The Captain of the Guard was extremely grateful for their aid, and though he couldn’t get the Mayor who was still secluded away (strange), he gave them horses and thanked them for their help. The group rests up and makes plans on what to do next.