I think we should pursue a better sale price online. How about using my contacts among the nobility in and around Hru Hru, perhaps to arrange sale to a Southern merchant? John and the others could slip back into town while Ookla finds a new tree.
John is in a hurry to do this because he plans on settling his share on Brunhilde, the were-bear mother of his bastard child. But of course, the first priority is to close up F'chelrak's Tomb so it can no longer blight her forest.
BTW, here's the bullet for those who missed:
Ookla is back from the dead.
The Church of the Kiling Frost would like to see Ookla's despicable sword, Thirster, in the hands of their champion, Captain (ummm …) Ricotta. So we ducked out of Hru Hru top avoid a "sparring match" between them.
The hill giant king has hired folks to track down those who stole from his throne room. He, the frsot giants, and the church of the killing frost are planning to move against Patriarch Zekon — and us.
We thought about locating the hill giant king by eagle chariot and beginning an assault, but the chariot was unavailable.
We found out about some towers in the area: Stargazer's, Ashur Ram, Citadel of Fire, and what turned out to be F'chelrak's tomb, which we explored since it was closer.
We ran into werebears, made up with them, brought some to the tower, explored in the tracks of previous adventurers, fought manticores and what was likely a hobbit thief possessed by some wizard ghost who summoned a fire elemental (!!!) which almost killed Ookla again before Ookla did like 30 points and 3 life levels on an exploding critical and Chrystos did a backstab for even more. The hobbit was reduced to zero hp exactly and hypnotized.
The gem mentioned above was retrieved, as well as the spell book.
John, thinking he was going to be in a knockdown with the elemental, drank the potion of heroism right before the poor thing was popped by Chrystos. Rather than waste the potion, he rapidly seduced and impregnated one of the were-bears in order to secure his family line in case of his death. Go John!
And Thislyn turned her minotaur skin into minotaur shape-shifting armor.