NDT session 19: Poke-a-honker, or The Terror of the Goose Hydra

 Int. gnome mine, Wulfwolde Hills.

The party had climbed into a tunnel and were in mediates attacked by a large Ochre Jelly. Just as they were finishing it off Snake was stuck by a piece of web and was paralysed. The giant spider had made its move and was on the ceiling above them.

The spider paralysed a few more PCs before it was eventually slain. The party found some treasure and some web cocoons. These were found to contain two of the missing dwarf and the missing gnome. Plus a couple of orcs that were swiftly killed.

The dwarves and gnomes celebrated the return of their fellows with a grand feast of pasties. They gave the party a couple of silver short swords and had altered some half-plate armour so it fit Bait.

The party then decided to head for Xitaqa, remembering they had to defeat some strange beast by the river for Loshad. 

On approaching the river, the party’s horses got skittish and refused to head on. The party’s heard hissing from ahead and sent Namfoodle’s owl familiar to scout ahead. However, the only creature by the river was a goose.

A goose by a river

The group approached the goose hoping to scare it away with some thaumaturgy. This failed so Glimmer shot it hoping for a decent meal. 

The goose with two heads.

Instead of dying it grew a second head and let out a deafening honk before attacking.

Rurik was frightened by it and summoned up a fog cloud that hindered the other party members more than it helped. Meanwhile the goose started growing more heads as it suffered damage.

Rurik and Bait attack the goose hydra.

Eventually, the goose tried to fly away but was downed by some magic arrows and a very lucky shot from Glimmer. However, when the body was recovered it was only a normal goose again.

The party forded the river and soon after spotted a group of horsemen approaching from the distance.

DM notes: I thought the goose would be more fun than some werewolves and it was, albeit not very tough.