01.2 Isle of Lorin

[slug]

Journal entry 3.

Finally arrive at the Isle of Lorin.

We journey to our station.  We are on horses and accompany a wagon of spearmen/crossbowmen from our mercenary company.  We scout the trail ahead as these are troubled lands under the Barelinian flag.  
Halfway into our journey a hail of javelins and arrows strike our midst as a war band of goblins ambush us.  One of the spearmen succumb to the barrage and falls, as does Taran who tries getting off his horse to lend assistance and find they are not at all like boats.  Our group return fire and Krachtig slides off into the undergrowth to get behind them.  More missile fire is exchanged with both sides taking casualties.  Soon Kalan Ghent, Galvish and our Dwarf engineer Barrigan Stonebeak run at the war band to join melee.
These mighty warriors quickly even the odds with their superior close quarter weapon prowess, even Krachtig emerges behind the goblins with daggers dripping blood having taken several out.
Carinne is being kept busy binding wounds as Taran is about to heal some of the wounded when another bunch of Goblins rush us from the other side of the caravan, desperate hand to hand fighting follows, not helped by the presence of several Bugbears entering into the battle.  Taran goes down under a swarm of Goblins and Kalan strides over to fend them off the unconscious medic.  Eventually the battle is over and Barrigan uses his medical skills to get Taran back on his feet so he can help out with the other wounded.
One Goblin is taken prisoner whilst another wounded one managed to escape.  Under questioning the defiant goblin claims that his war band had already attacked some loggers nearby and they have a Orc war leader known as the Great Cloven Ear, which is also their emblem, he also claims that his leaders superior is a half orc that consorts with demons.  Galvish assists this one into the afterlife.
Upon reaching camp we restock our supplies and are soon told that there is trouble at one of the silver mines where production has recently ceased.  Our company is to go there and find out the problem.  An uneventful march up there sees us arrive at the mining camp, several permanent buildings and tents make up the place.  Several miners are strung up being disciplined, we later learn that these are the leaders and the guards are trying to force them back down the mines.  Upon questioning the miners they claim that the place is inhabited by foul creatures and several of their comrades have been killed and their bodies exsanguinated, or drained of blood.  My, but these miners are a knowledgeable bunch.  One miner also alludes to a secret which might be beneficial to us if we are to help him escape, keeping our options open we hesitantly agree.
After a nights rest we enter the mines and descend to the lowest level.  We begin to cautiously explore the area and are suddenly showered in rock as an Umber Hulk bursts out of the wall.  This is too much for Galvish who decides to quickly retreat.  A brief fight and the beast goes down.  Krachtig manages to worm along the partially collapsed tunnel the creature had made and finds a lair with some human bones and large amounts of silver nuggets, he brings some back but decide it’s too risky to traverse the passage again until it can be shored up.
Being a recently habited mine Taran muses that there “should not be any traps down here”, moments later he treads on a section of floor that moves slightly and half a dozen crossbow bolts fly from a side corridor, narrowly missing him but catching the hapless Galvish.  Deciding that maybe a trap finding spell would now be prudent the group continues.  Shortly they are assailed by persons unknown dropping pots of oil and burning brands, this catches Barrigan and Taran but they leap past with minor damage requiring waterskins and magically created water to extinguish the flames.  Upon inspection we see murder holes in the ceiling.  Krachtig scurries up there and minutes later appears further down the corridor where the passages meet up.  Before we reach him he is set upon by a spooky figure, when several blows seem to do no harm it is determined to be an illusion.  Before we could reach his side ropes stretching across the corridors are noticed and pulled by the inquisitive Taran.
Continuing on with the Gnome scouting ahead he is once more attacked, this time by two men with lassos who finding him very elusive set upon him with clubs.  We soon wade into action and kill these fugitive miners, for that is who we assume they are.  We continue to search around and soon a secret door is discovered.  Whilst the spell is still running it can be discerned that the door is trapped.  Galvish bravely tries to disarm the trap and is squashed by a huge block falling from overhead.  Taran just manages to bind some of the massive wounds to stop him from dying before Barrigan can use his healing magic to get him back on his feet.
We enter the secret passage and upon rounding a bend are struck senseless by a spell, once more Barrigan charges in and kills the spellcaster.  A rough sleeping area is discovered and a tunnel leading out to the other side of the hills.
Further exploration is made and near the end of one of the mine workings an irregular hole is noted with an almighty stench issuing forth – this is worse than a dwarf privy.  Taran descends into the cavern beyond and is followed by his cousin Galvish, suddenly a huge Troll charges them and a tough fight ensues, the rest of the party pour into this cavern just in time to see the first creature go down but not before another of its kind enters into combat, over the next few minutes half a dozen of these creatures have charged us and we soon remember the tales about burning these creatures after they have dropped as several of them get up again.  By this time we are on our knees and worse.  It takes all of the medical skills of Carinne, Taran and Barrigan to keep us alive throughout this fight.
We finally realize that this is the end of the hazards and return to the surface with our loot.  From one of the miners we learn that the leader of the guards here has been salting away some of the silver from the mine.  Upon this discovery Krachtig loots the hoard before reporting this find to our C/O.  The guards leader is led away in chains.  Upon reaching camp Carinne and Galvish gallop to the nearby city to identify and barter some of the magic we found and could not use.  They come back with a magic short sword for Taran and Barrigan keeps the enchanted axe we found in the troll lair.  Carinne carries the extra healing potion we had also found.  All in all a job well done and we are further rewarded for uncovering the fraud at the mine.

Party funds (includes previous adventures monies following shares)
373 GPs