D&D Trouble in Brilidien

At the end of our successful skill challenge, we got 5 temp hp for the first battle as well as some acid damage dealing range weapons from the lizardfolk. Awesome! I wrote this for Kismet's reunion with his adventuring party:

Kismet has used his influence at the turnip festival to obtain horses for him and his entourage. Just as they approach the final stretch of road towards Brilidien, he sees a familiar figure astride a enormous dragonfly. Spurring his horse into a gallop, he calls out, "Stumbleduck!" She looks around and, with a huge grin on her face, turns Glitterstitch to fly directly at him. At the last possible moment, when it seems a collision is inevitable, she disperses Glitterstitch and leaps into her bestie's arms. Kismet manages to stay in the saddle, but only barely, and the two laugh their fool heads off. In other words, EPIC HUG ATTACK!

Once they have recovered, Kismet explains that his mother Celle has sent him a letter urging him to come home. Stumbleduck tells him she has received a similar missive from her former master. Kismet dismounts to exchanges a less exuberant but no less sincere handshake with Valna. Stumbleduck then introduces Kismet to Heian, Travok, and Bishop. Something flashes in his eyes when he greets the dragonborn, but his smile never waivers.

The adventurers continue on to the palace, but are stopped on their way by the captain of the guard. He tells them of the trouble plaguing Brilidien - some survivors claim it is lizardfolk, others ramble incoherently about snakes. With the guard stretched thin, he asks the party to help search for the threat. They agree, and ride out to the nearest village.. but they arrive too late! All the villagers have been slain and a tribe of lizardfolk are fleeing the scene, leaving behind a few pets to fend off our heroes.

In our first encounter, we fought four Large creatures (a couple of basilisks and a couple of salamader sparkers) and a pack of troglodyte minions. I was able to stay in the back and take pot shots at the bigger bad guys. Unfortunately, I don't have any burst or blast attacks that could've mowed down the minions. I'm thinking I should try to get some alchemical items to remedy this situation.

Our second encounter involved a fight with the leader of the lizardfolk (a shaman), a couple of axe-wielding troglodytes, and a herd of velociraptors scytheclaw drakes. The drakes' mobility made it impossible for Kismet to stay out of the line of fire, and he spent about half the encounter pinned beneath a reptilian foot. Not cool.

Finally, we went up against the snake that had been alluded to all session - as it turns out, it was a hydra! Strategy and foreshadowing dictated that we knock down its hit points until one of the heads fell off, and then do acid damage (e.g. throw a copperblood pod) to prevent more from growing back. This was bad because the hydra had an aura 2 that meant it attacked anyone who ended their turn near it... with all the heads it currently had. Luckily, our paladin weakened the creature (so it did half damage). In the end, we just went at it full bore until it disintegrated.

Returning triumphant to Brilidien, the party is greeted perfunctorily by the queen and given a reward of 9000 gp. Sweet! Kismet had a touching reunion with his mother, Excellence. But when he told her of his adventures - specifically of a villainous tiefling he had met - her attitude changed. It seems that one of the baddies we fought back when Justin was DM is (being ret-conned into) Kismet's uncle. Wait... didn't we sort of let him fall through a portal into the Abyss? Whoops.

Excellence begs the party to find her brother, Prismeus, and bring him back. The head librarian Professor Finchley and the court mage Erek volunteer to help. The only clue they have about traveling to the Abyss is an excerpt from the mad ramblings of a wizard who opened a portal into that plane - he speaks of the City of Doors, Sigil, and finding the Rule of Three. Curiouser and curiouser...

Coming next: Finding the path to Sigil.