More Adventures in Tellene - Main Tale

[EvilGinger]

Episode VIII – The War Begins in earnest  

Dramatis Personae
Telec - Kalamarian Human Priest of the Wanderer
Aetlred - Half Elf Ranger
Lalia - Halfling Thief
Thans – Dwarf fighter thief
Heradin- Dwarf fighter mage
Dvorn the Axe- Folokkii Human Fighter
Sondan – Brandobian, Human Fighter
Fawlit – Half Ork Fighter
Violet - Paladin of the Guardian
Nyasse - a wounded human girl

Location
The woods and hills to the north of the village of Hidden Dell and in the caves and encampment of the goblin raiders

Events
The episode begins where the other left off with the company hidden by the edge of the forest observing the goblins camp and planning what they should do next. Shortly Lalia, Aetlred and violet go off scouting. Lalia disappears into the woodlands not to be seen for some while and Aetlred with Violet screening him scout the lay out of the clearing for the best angle off attack. Whilst every one else remained concealed by the tree line and the dense underbrush under it.



Crouched in cover and awaiting the return of the scouts the rest of the company watched the clearing ahead intently. At the back of the clearing was a steep slope with scree and lose rocks obvious between the grass and scattered brambles and gorse bushes on top of that slope was a wooded ridge. The face of the slope was marked with three caves making the appearance of a lopsided face the largest of the caves was at ground level and from it issued a broad muddy path edged with trampled grass which seemed to be the end of the track that the goblin raiders had made form the village of Hidden Dell even if the amount of mud and trampling suggested that it had more use here than most of the rest of the way  to the right of that broad path was the smaller of the two stockades both constructed from rough posts driven into the ground and reinforced by a haphazard weaving of brush and thinner branches through them. The result looked very primitive and rather crude but the fighters in the company had no doubt as to the effectiveness of it as a barrier. Behind the smaller stockade was some sort of shed but it was hard to see as it was largely obscured by the stockade in front of it. To the eastern side of this stockade was a tall post seemingly made from a pollarded tree toped by an inverted cone made of a basket work of thin branches. The stockade on the west was similar but significantly larger and perhaps newer as the interwoven branches still sported the occasional green leaf.  Either side of this was two structures similar to the one on the eastern stockade differing only in that these where not built round a tree but around sturdy rough hewn posts.

The pair first scouted to the east and considered making their move from that side but decided to scout the around the other side as Aetlred was concerned about the company having to cross a wide area of relatively open ground on his side where the trees and underbrush had been cleared. Likely to build the two stockades and the shed they could see in the clearing and all the long grass like that in which they where now hiding trampled down. It was also not clear quite what the posts where for. So the two moved to the west where it quickly became apparent that the larger western stockaded coral contained all of the animals looted form the Hidden Dell and those they where all cramped together, untended and stinking, with the cows in milk in some considerable distress as it was clear they had not been milked since before the raid. It was some what worrying that no goblins had been seen about so far and that for all they peered into them the stockades and the odd structures atop posts which might have been hiding them neither Aetlred nor Violets practised eye could spot anything hidden.

With that the two scouts returned to where the company was hidden and there was a discussion as to what to do. Telec a man of wide travels noted that the structures on top of posts resembled those used by hobgoblins as raised watch points and the goblins being kin might use similar. He also said that many human cultures used the same sort of structure to build beacons and that they could therefore be either. In the end it was decided to strike form the west as it was upwind of the trapped live stock and they where less likely to smell humans and sensing relief from their distress give the game away. The company moved round to the west well inside the tree line crossing the shallow beck out of sight and sound of any watching goblins and finally as before halting on the edge of the trees

Once again Aetlred and Violet went forward moving through the sheltering long grass with ease before they finally spotted a solitary goblin in the crude basket work of branches atop the furthest western post. Both Aetlred and Violet drew their bows and loosed. Both missed and readied their bows again hoping that the goblin watchman did not notice his lucky escape he did not. They both drew and loosed again Violet missed driving an arrow into the post below the basket, Aetlred struck home but not at all hard as the arrow was slowed passing trough the woven screening twigs and almost stopped by the layers of fetid furs that the goblin guard used as armour. The goblin could not fail to notice this and readied his own bow whilst scanning the ground before him for the archers he knew where there but could not see. Aetlred moved closer for a better shot and the goblin saw the grass move and still not seeing a target dropped his bow and blew his signal horn.


Violet signalled the retreat and she and Aetlred made for the relative safety of the trees edge whilst the goblin camp roused behind them and most wooingly the air was rent with further more distant horn calls and the barking of large dogs which grow lest distant by the moment.  At the woods edge Violet took charge sending the company west whilst she took off at a loping run to the south. The company fled with as much stealth as they could muster at speed fording the beck well inside the woods and then following it as it wound its way north and west to where it issued from the scarp. There they halted and considered entering the narrow cave but eventually dwarven wisdom about water and caves being a poor mix prevailed. All the while they listened out for sounds of a pursuit closing in but it would seen that whatever Violet had planed had worked at least that well  it kept the goblins and their massive ravening hounds of the companies backs.

As they where discussing the merits of going into the cave it came to Than’s that the ridge above them was the continuation of the one in which the abandoned dwarf test mine had been dug from which he had cleared those goblin bandits from the previous spring More relaxed the company decided to return to the goblin camp along the wooded ridge line which they do relatively easily being sure that the goblins are not guarding this angle of approach  It is still getting late by the time the company arrive in a position above the goblin camp. Further discussion occurs as to weather they should strike at the goblins or wait to see if Violet returns. Now confident the company decides to press on. Sending Thans down to the east most or upper cave as it’s the only one that the companies one hundred feet of rope will reach and the slope is far too steep and covered with lose stones to be scrabbled down safely without the aid of a rope. Thans is very careful to make sure that the only other dwarf in the group is in charge of the rope. At the cave Thans discovers a narrow shelf off rock forming a sort of an apron outside the cave little more than five feet at it’s widest and that the cave entrance is blocked by a lattice of interlaced branches. Thans signals and Fawlit the half ork is sent down as he is best able to clear this obstacle with his bestial strength.




Thans crouched in the entrance to the cave looking into the darkness as Fawlit descended the rope he could see nothing in the dark of the cave, beyond the grill, even with his superior dwarven vision, consoling himself that this meant there was no one there he waited and in due course the half ork reached the apron in front of the grill. Fawlit placed the shaft of the axe beaten his teeth as a dwarf might a knife and griping the wooden grill tore it asunder and rolled through the gap.  There was a silence a distinctly goblin squawk of alarm and three goblins charged into view. Thans drew his daggers they where only goblins and he was sure he could take three with ease after last spring. It did not alarm him therefore when Fawlit appeared stunned until after the first arriving goblin tried to knife him. Thans duelled with two goblins matching their petty knife strikes with his mighty blows. Then the Half ork gained his wits and bringing his shield into play moved to attack his axe sending his opponent sprawling before he turned on the two fighting Thans distracting them and allowing Thans to disengage and move to strike form behind. He wounded both goblins before Fawlit finished one off and the second stated to back off realising it was going to die otherwise. Unfortunately neither of them noticed the goblin Fawlit had sent sprawling recover and scamper off as they drove his comrade back and slew him amidst the bedding in which he and his allies had been skulking.

The fight over the rest of the company climbed down the rope and took stock, Aetlred managed to find the goblins solitary bow before Fawlit a well known hatter of missile arms did and then he fell to tending the minor scratches the goblins had managed to deal out. Thans searched the bedding and the corpses recovered the goblins small stash of copper and bronze trade coins. Before examining the low passage the escapee had used and declaring that it was dug and badly not a natural cave.

Outside the company noticed that the pursuit group had returned with empty saddles and some hunting dogs missing, others limping and it would seem Violet had pulled something and that the goblins had had the worst of it

[EvilGinger]

Episode VIII The war begins in earnest

Scouting
Lalia                        20         +1   
Aetlred & Violet                   25         +1

Attack on the watch tower
Aetlred                        10         +1
Violet                          5         +0   

Evasion
All except Lalia & Violet               10         +0
Lalia                          0         +0
Violet                         54         +1
Heradin - role play                      5         +1

Returning along the ridge
Telec & Thans                     20         +1
Every one else except Nyasse & Violet          10         +0

Descending the ridge
All                         5         +1
Telec & Thans                      8         +1

The fight in the eye cave                
Fawlit                        27         +1
Thans                        25         +2   

The aftermath of the fight
Aetlred                        5         +1   
Thans                        5         +2   
Telec                         5         +0

General role play
All                         10         +0
Thans                         nil         +2


Thans will be level 2 next session

Ginger

[EvilGinger]

 Episode VII
The honour Issue

We still have two groups now including Violet

Starting honour              Honour          Averaging
                                       Awards                     effect
Aelthred    23                 26 (+3)                             27(+1)
Telic      16                 17 (+1)                             18(+1)
Lalia      21                 21 (+1)                             22(+1)
Thans   18              18 (+0)               19(+1)
Heradrim    15                       16 (+1)                             17(+1)
Fawlit      09                  10 (+1)                             11(+1)
Sondon   13                  13 (+0)                             14(+1)
Dvorn      11                 11 +0)                               12(+1)
Nyasse    19                16 (+0)                             17(+1)
Violet      175              177(+2)                   176(+1)

Group average honour  32 at the start  32 at the end

Starting honour           Awards                           Averaging effect
Melias      13               13 (+0)                            13 (+0)
Nameless  13               13 (+0)                            13 (+0)

The second group average honour 13 at start 13 at end of the session

& have dropped out of any group for now

Starting honour           Awards                           Averaging effect
D'rek        18               18 (+0)                             18 (+0)



Ginger

[EvilGinger]

An interlude for one character -which takes place at the same time as Episode VIII

Dramatis Personae
Lalia - Halfling Thief

Location
The woods and hills to the north of the village of Hidden Dell and in the caves and encampment of the goblin raiders

Events
Lalia slipped away from the group as Violet and Aetlred left on there own separate scouting attempt well aware of her own near invisibility in natural surroundings. She followed the pair as they swung off to the left and soon caught the distinctive smell of large unfriendly dog something all too familiar to any Halfling of a larcenous bent as just about every Halfling farm kept at least one large and usually unfriendly dog and they made acquiring stuff from them a little too interesting at times. Lalia decided to leave them to it when it became apparent that they where going to try to enter the camp from that side and even on her rather short legs was out of earshot by the time Violet and Aetlred moved around the other side.

Lalia made her way along the base of the scarp to the east not wanting to climb it as it was very bad going with all those lose stones and offered little cover to the climber even if you where prepared to make the effort. About a mile to the east of the goblin camp Lalia came across a deep gully which scared the scarp and which under all the underbrush which filled it appeared to be an ancient set of stone steps going up the scarp. This was much easier going and the cover was better as there was plenty of vegetation along the sides of the gully.

Lalia cautiously advanced up the stairs comfortable that her movements could not be observed at the top of the stairs was an open area the edges of which where slightly over grown such as to be largely indeterminate. In the middle of this paved area was a low circular plinth edged with three broad shallow steps so that all in all it was around waist height for Lalia all like the steps in the gully where very heavily worn and weathered and in the centre of which where some small stumps spaced as if they had once been the ends of legs of a table of perhaps the hooves of a quadruped statue but time had more them down beyond recognition as more than almost shapeless lumps. Lalia had a good look at the plinth until she was sure it held no secrets that she could discern then she continued to explore the ridge line back to the west in the direction of the goblin camp and the caves. Lalia wandered for some time through an area of open woods along the crest of the ridge and on the upper portions of its back slope. Until some where near the entrance to the goblin caves and their camp but down the back slope of the ridge she found a dimple in the lush turf where the earth had given way and quite recently. Some careful investigation revealed that the dimple revealed a sink hole and quite a deep one at that. Lalia was careful not to fall into the sink hole and as she was lacking rope unable to explore down it with any safety. Some where about this point Lalia who had been quite happy exploring solo fell to wondering what her friends where up to and thinking to perhaps tell them of her findings she went looking for them




 Ginger

[EvilGinger]

Episode IX – A Tactical withdrawal and some inter-party conflict  Part I

Dramatis Personae
Telec - Kalamarian Human Priest of the Wanderer
Aetlred - Half Elf Ranger
Lalia - Halfling Thief
Thans – Dwarf fighter thief
Heradin- Dwarf fighter mage
Dvorn the Axe- Folokkii Human Fighter
Sondan – Brandobian, Human Fighter
Fawlit – Half Ork Fighter


Location
The caves and encampment of the goblin raiders the woods along the ridge line and a very old dwarf hold abandoned dwarf hold

Events
(the action starts in the upper eye cave following on directly from the conclusion of the previous episode it is late afternoon or early evening and its been a long day, and a very long one for others)

The company except for Lalia continued to mill about in the cave and consider what to do next for a while. Eventually it was decided to send Thans down the tunnel the goblin had escaped down to take a lot whilst every one else continued to mill round and Heradin tried to hide his fearful eying of the narrow tunnel which looked like where they where going down next. At some point around then the rope was removed and Heradin who every one else assumed was watching it at this end being to concerned with hiding his rising terror at the prospect of going down a narrow tunnel failed to notice.  Thans scouted the tunnel almost to its end but did not leave it as it was apparent that the tunnel opened out into the mouth cave near enough to the entrance of the latter for any one doing so to be silhouetted against the fading daylight coming in from the outside, not sensible for a scout when the goblins where likely warned of the company’s presence and equipped with bows.

Thans scanned the cave but even with his superior dwarf vision could see little, it was a large cave as could have been guessed from the size of the mouth with a high roof some twenty and more feet his practiced eye said. He noticed that the mouth of the cave was blocked by a crude lattice of branches lashed together as the other one had He noticed the tracks of many passing on the mud floor of the cave and the scrapes made by the central section of the grill blocking the caves entrance having been moved in the manner of a gate, he noticed shapeless piles of stuff which could have been any thing and the over powering stink of dogs and goblins However most importantly he noticed no goblins what so ever suggesting that the disgusting little creatures if present where in some sort of a craven ambush. It being unwise for even a dwarf to spring an ambush he decided to report back and see if the whole company would come to a decision unlikely as there where entirely too few dwarves in it for sense to prevail.  

Back in then eye cave Thans report did not stir any one to action, they company had decided that it was trapped and to press the attack would only further advantage the goblins who where no doubt waiting to lose a volley of arrows into any one exiting the tunnel. Telec suggested that it might be better if the company again withdrew which they did despite posturing from Dvorn who proposed valuably charging out of the end of the tunnel and taking them in a wild charge until it was suggested that he lead such a charge, They looked out of the entrance and saw two goblin archers crouched bows in hand on the roof of the shed below, Aetlred viewed half fearfully half greedily the pile of arrows beside each goblin and then some one noticed the rope was missing.

A mild wave of panic insured as the missing rope almost certainly meant that the goblins had found it and almost certainly also had archers on the top of the ridge to shoot down. The shot up was possibly worth the risk as the mouth of the eye cave was almost out of short bow shot form below and shooting up hill was always going to be a poorer shot. Than down not to mention the top of the slope being nearer than the shed below any way. Trapped it was decide that they needed to know what was at the top of the ridge so Telec had Fawlit start shouting down the tunnel in orkish as loud as he could and shortly every one else joined in shouting as loud as they could. At the same time Thans slipped out of the cave and started to scramble up the scree, difficult without the help, of a rope but not impossible for a bold dwarf. Down below the goblin archers drew and loosed there arrows dropping short as Thans made the apex above the cave mouth then a few feet up before slipping as every one in the cave made an unholy din. The Goblin archers at the limit of their range drew and loosed one last time whilst any goblin archers on the crest of the ridge held their fire. One arrow went astray the second found its mark catching Thans in the leg thought the skirts of his leather armour. Still wounded or not he pressed on now out of range of the archers below and made the crest with no further incident.

Here Thans found no waiting goblins indeed he found no one but the rope had been untied form the stout tree Heradin had tied it round and was no where in sight. Further there was no sign at all of who might have done this until Lalia appeared out of nowhere with a smile. Thans had a brief chat with Lalia and the two swapped tales of what they had been doing. The ending of Thans reminded him quite why he had come up here and he asked Lalia if she had any rope and when she said she did he borrowed off her and swiftly secured it around the stout tree and lowered the other end down the slope.

Much to the relief of the rest of the company in the cave who one at a time and in initially under fire from the goblins below climbed and scrambled up it. The goblins below missed with the first few volleys of arrows and either ran out of arrows or tired of the game by the time the last of the company scrambled free of the cave and up the slope above.



The company regrouped in the woods on the crest of the ridge and Lalia told them that she had found a possible back way in and some steps asking if they wanted to be shown them. The rest of the company decided that they did and there was time before night fall to do so. Unfortunately in the discussion several members of the company conflated the back way in Lalia spoke of with the steps she also mentioned and it was decided to look at the steps first. So being a basically happy and obliging young Halfling Lalia lead the company just over a mile east along the track to the plinth and dais and adjacent steps, incidentally a mile  further away from the possible back way in which was a mere couple of hundred yards back from where they started at the top of the reverse slope. On arriving at the steps every one had a good look at them and the other exposed stone work and on the basis that it might be dwarf work had the two dwarves present Thans and Heradin examine it in more detail but all they could add was that it was dwarf work and very old. Telec suggested that it might have something to do with the dwarf hold they had found earlier at Meliac’s farm. Sondan asked innocently where the entrance was as he couldn’t see any thing that looked like an entrance, the stairs after all only lead down the face of the scarp.

To with Lalia replied that, it was just in the woods behind where they had met her. There was some grumbling in the ranks at this point and Aetlred in particular was more than a bit aggrieved, he still hurt form his encounter with the spiders, had had a long hard day and a rather bad time of it and this was almost too much, especially if you added in the stupid dwarf going on ad nauseam about how much better dwarves where than any one else at just about any thing you thought to mention, blasted Dwarves blasted Halflings blasted adventurers and thrice blasted adventuring. Even so Lalia did not notice the mood building and cheerfully lead the company back a mile west along the ridge line and then a little down its back slope, to where a dimple in the thick turf between the scattered trees of the wood revealed a sinkhole.

Lalia explained that she had not looked down the hole as she had at the time had no rope to allow her to lower herself down it, but now she did as she had found a hundred feet of it tied round a tree just before she had met up with the rest of the company so they could use her rope. Aetlred realised that this was the rope he and Telic had given to Heradin who had tied it around the tree to make Thans and the Half Ork’s decent to the eye cave easier, it was his rope, at least in part, and the blasted thieving Halfling had better give it back. “Give me my rope back” he growled, to which Lalia replied defiantly and a bit to cheerily “shan’t it’s my rope now finders keepers”.

Aetlred already had his bow out and had had all the way both ways to the stairs and back with an arrow knocked but not drawn in case of ambush. “Give me my rope back” as he spoke Aetlred drew the bow, no one least of all Lalia thought he would loose at her “finders keepers” she said again.  Aetlred snapped and loosed the arrow before he could have a second thought it struck Lalia at a range of may be ten feet it couldn’t very well do any thing else, every one was stunned.

Lalia looked down at the arrow lodged in her leather armour, then up at Aetlred who had knocked another arrow and was drawing the bow again, and smiling grimly. “All right you can have your rope back if it’s so important” Aetlred relaxed for a moment then Lalia slowly and deliberately snapped the arrow. Aeltred’s anger flared again but Heradin intervened.  


The dwarf calmly suggested that they stop this as they where there after all to fight goblins not each other. Every one else looked on tired from a long day and still more than a little stunned that the disgruntlement all of them felt had flared into violence, Aetlred glared at the Dwarf, blasted interfering dwarves he thought then he remembered that he had given Heradin four of his precious arrows “you can give me my arrows back” he said Heradin said nothing but drew the small bundle of arrows from his belt and handed them to the Half Elf  before adding calmly “you had better see to that” indicating the arrow lodged in Lalia and the blood trickling out form around it. Aetlred put down his bow and the arrows and moved to attend to the Halflings wound. The moment of crisis had passed at least for now.  

After a short rest whilst Aetlred saw to Lalia’s arrow wound the company turned its thoughts to what to do about the sinkhole. There was some discussion and it was decided that Thans who had become the company’s designated scout in such circumstances should be lowered down the hole with Lalia as back up.


A few hacks of Fawlit’s axe cleared the unsupported turf away form the top of the sinkhole whilst Thans and Heradin secured a length of rope around a convenient tree and Thans looped the rope around his waist and prepared to descend. The hole was narrow but wide enough to admit a Dwarfs shoulders, it descended around twenty feet into a roughly round chamber. The sort of chamber which might have been made a vortex of running water over a long time. To the north the passage quickly narrowed to the point of impassability though Thans was sure that it widen out again beyond the impassable squeeze there was simply no way of knowing. To the south the passage also narrowed from the point of entry but not to the point of impassability remaining just about wide enough for a Dwarf to pass without contorting himself and for a tall Dwarf like Thans to walk upright without the ceiling catching his hair. It was as black as pitch down here and even his superior Dwarf night vision would not have aid him much without the aid of the guttering torch the Half Elf had made.



Thans proceeded carefully down the passage as natural caves where unpredictable things even with out the possibility of the malignant interference of creatures like goblins to consider. However the passage continued south and perhaps a little west for several minutes before Thans cautiously advanced food found void not floor beneath it. He rolled his weight back and moved back away from the edge. Marking it by leaving his guttering brand near to its entrance and went back to fetch the Halfling so she could hold the torch whilst he had a good look down the hole. The torch was too close and impeded his night vision if he held it himself and it would be bad if he alerted any goblins of yet another approach, it was irritating enough that the fool Half Elf and Half Ork had already managed to do so twice.  Lalia descended the sinkhole with a torch of her own, Halflings do not see any better than Humans in that sort of dark and met the dwarf in the chamber at the base of it and was rather unceremoniously told to follow Thans, had she not been a happy soul this being treated as the help might have offended especially after the shooting incident. She had considered waking in the night and breaking every one of Aeltred’s precious arrows, but she was not spiteful and that would endanger every one. Lalia followed as she was bid and stopped where she was bit. The Dwarf knelt to look into the hole whilst Lalia looked into the short distance of the other tunnel she could see on the other side of the hole and wondered if there where any spiders down here.  

Thans looked down the hole and his practiced eye estimated that it descended some twenty feet before entering the larger cave below. He could see little of the cave below but a few points of flickering red orange light suggesting torches and his nostrils caught a faint tang of greasy smoke from them. It was apparent that the large cave below held at least part of the goblin camp and was either behind the mouth cave they had seen form outside or was the back of it. He considered it as an angle off attack, but could see little virtue in it as such as any attacker must descend by rope and being caught part way up or down a rope is a bad place to begin a fight. He decided that he should put his observations to the rest of the company.

By the time Thans and Lalia exited the sinkhole it was dark and with the company almost exhausted it was decided to make camp and rest as best they could for the night. It became apparent as it had the previous night when the company had camped in the ruins of the hidden dell that they where ill equipped and unprepared fro a stay out in the wilderness. Worse caution counselled that they should not light any fires in case they attracted the attention of any wandering goblins and because of this all they had to eat was the uncooked fruit porridge which those of them who had any trail rations at all had a few days supply of, not intended to be eaten cold and uncooked still it served to take the edge of the hunger if not improve the mood.  After this mean supper the company who had no tents and little bedding fell to making some sort of shelter with little success and only Telec woke relatively refreshed in the morning as a result. Every one else was either cold or uncomfortable and some of the more unfortunate where wakened by the rains which fell as a sharp shower about three am and which caused the trees under which many had sheltered to drip mightily there after. At dawn and every one was awake by then if not before the mood of the company had not improved even if they where a little rested and that breakfast was the same uncooked fruit porridge as supper had been only tended to make things worse. Telec however experienced at roughing it had made a good shelter and rested well enough to be able to heal one of the worst wounded. Telec’s relatively better mood than the rest of the company proved to be remarkably uncontagious.

After a discussion over the rather unsatisfactory breakfast it was decided to send Thans and Lalia back down the sinkhole to further explore it.  The initial plan being that every one else remain on the surface until they had but worries about possible goblin patrols lead all to them to descend with Thans and Lalia leading the way. Heradin screwed up his courage to the sticking point and went with them even thought he would have much preferred to be left on the surface guarding the rope.

The company edged its way along the passage slowly until they reached the first hole where they stopped and Thans again peered down the hole. This time he saw a great cooking fire below and several scurrying goblins. Smoke and the smell of meat cooking rose up the hole causing some of the company’s eyes to run and all there stomachs to grumble after all they had all breakfasted on uncooked fruit porridge whiles the blasted goblins seemed to be roasting a whole animal at the very least.  There was some discussion as to weather and how best to use the hole as a way of attacking the Goblins below but as no one could come up with a plan which had any chance of success the company turned its mind to exploring further on. There was some further discussion and Aetlred still perhaps annoyed from the night before suggested that Fawlit should hurl the Halfling across. However more sensible counsel won the day an it was decided that Lalia should indeed cross but using the shafts of Aeltred’s spear and Telec’s staff as an aid and that she do so roped to the massively strong Half Ork.


 Continued




Ginger

[EvilGinger]

Episode IX – A Tactical withdrawal and some inter-party conflict  Part II

Dramatis Personae
Telec - Kalamarian Human Priest of the Wanderer
Aetlred - Half Elf Ranger
Lalia - Halfling Thief
Thans – Dwarf fighter thief
Heradin- Dwarf fighter mage
Dvorn the Axe- Folokkii Human Fighter
Sondan – Brandobian, Human Fighter
Fawlit – Half Ork Fighter


Location
The caves and encampment of the goblin raiders the woods along the ridge line and a very old dwarf hold abandoned dwarf hold


Events
Lalia crossed on the second attempt and scouted a little way ahead before it was decided that it would be better if Thans crossed as he could see better in the dim light. Some one Passed Lalia a torch. The passage continued straight on for a short distance, perhaps a yard of two beyond the limit of Lalia’s sight the previous night Then the he passage widened made a shallow turn to the left and ended in a second much larger sink hole thought which Thans could see day light filtering in from the cave below and he quickly worked out that the second sink hole opened into the roof of the mouth cave fairly near the entrance. However of much more interest to Thans than the location of the sinkhole’s opening was that the last four or so feet of the sink hole passage was made of worked stone. It showed some signs of wetter wear but it was sound and Thans though of Dwarven origin having been laid without mortar. That the stone was not perfect suggested that it was the back of a wall rather than the front.

Thans worked at the stone work at the end of the sink hole with care knowing he could work the stones free of the wall and yet not wanting to drop the stones down the adjacent sink hole and alert the goblins below. Being a Dwarf he succeeded in the task and found himself looking into a void beyond the wall. This void with the aid of his torch and his very much superior dwarven night sight resolved into a shaft around forty feet square with a stair well built around the wall descending from a collapse some distance above and ending in a large hall may be fifty feet below the broad landing that the hole in the wall he had made opened on to. The stairs where wide upwards of fifteen feet to his cartographers eye and relatively shallow. The hall below was at least twice the size of the stair well but even a Dwarf could not accurately measure it by eye, from this distance. Every thing was covered by rock dust and a scatter of small bits of rubble probably from the collapse which blocked long ago the stair above but the air was fresh and there was no sign at all that any creature had been in the place in a very, very long time indeed. Thans got up and returned to the rest of the company to report his findings leaving Lalia who had been behind him whilst he worked the stones out holding the torch to guard both the hole and the terminal sink hole.

The rest of the company followed him quickly to where Lalia crouched and entered the stair well regrouping on the landing on the other side of the hole Thans had made; Heradin in particular was relived to be out in a larger space after the discomfort of the cramped passage. Shortly the company descended the stair putting the first foot prints in the dust fall.

At the base of the stair there was indeed a wide hall high hall, square in plan like the stair at its centre but at least a hundred feet to each side and decorated with a brightly painted bass relief frieze, in the flickering torch light the frieze almost seemed to be alive. The company moved out into the hall obviously some sort of grand entrance hall but one given the subject of the freeze with a very singular message to impart.

The frieze here was divided into panels by the three archways exiting the hall to the north east and west as well as the corners of the hall depicted a pitched battle between Elves and Dwarves in relatively open country. It showed mailed elves largely fighting on foot supported by a few mounted warriors and the Dwarves all fighting mounted either as lightly or even unarmoured horse archers or as massively heavily armoured cataphracts armed some times with bows and massive two handed lances but mostly with long handled axes, mace’s and a few long chopping swords and hammers. The flow of the battle showed the Elves confidently advancing against the Dwarves. Then the Elves   horsemen being chased off by the much more numerous Dwarven horse and then a rather one sided battle between the Dwarven horse and the Elven foot. With the former forced into squares bristling with spears and backed up by longbowmen by the Dwarves then systematically slaughtered first by storms of short bow arrows fired by the Dwarven horse archers who seemed to take little hurt in reply for the Elven archers despite many of them being depicted in no armour at all. Then by the cataphracts who advanced plying their own bows before charging into the beleaguered Elven squares and smashing them and riding those down with the few Elves who survived the slaughter and broke for the next square being cut down by the returned horse archers.

The final panel, which took up the whole of the south wall showed a wounded and obviously beaten Elf Lord surrendering to the Dwarven commander and the last and rather pitiful survivors of his army being lead into captivity behind him. Just behind the Dwarf commander one of his men was standing on what appeared to be the Elves battle banner as it lay amongst the mud and the blood the symbols on which looked to Telec a lot like those used by the Overlord worshiping men of Pell Brolenon in the South of Brandobia, not that he had ever seen them in person but the priests of the wayfarer are if relatively few very well travelled and well informed about the world beyond their own travels by the very nature of their calling. This observation lead Telec to go back and look at all the other panels for religious symbols and whilst he found many he could not identify those he could on the Elven side seemed to be of the Overlord, The Flay master and the Emperor of Scorn those on the Dwarven side seemed to be less identifiable but those he could where mostly those of The Speaker of the Word and The True. Though the most common was that of a radiant flame which he could not identify, however this was so old he mused that the symbols of the very gods may have altered since then.

Having explored the entrance hall and had a good look at the frieze around it the company discussed where they should head next. They had already noted that of the three exits form the entrance hall the north one seemed to be the most important as the frieze along its walls depicted expensively clad members of several races some of whom the members of the company could identify but others not all carrying rich merchandise and at the end by the door kneeling to present them as gifts. The passage was fully twenty feet wide and some fifteen feet high at the apex of the roof, a roof which was formed of complex interlocking structure of Romanesque arches and heavily decorated with abstract geometric designs large bosses like stone lanterns formed a line down the apex of the arches where they crossed. No where in the passage way was there any indication as to how it might have been lit.

As the company reached within a few feet of the door an image of a dwarfs head wearing an elaborate cap similar to the one Telec Aetlred and D’rek had seen at the hold under Meliac’s farm. As before it spoke but this time only in an oddly accented Dwarvish “speak friend and enter”. At which Thans and Heradin who being Dwarves understood it started to formally introduce themselves in the manner of Dwarves, by reciting their lineages. Unfortunately Telec also understands Dwarvish and began to repeat the word friend in all of the languages he knew, nothing happened until he said it in low Elvish at which point an orb dropped out of the ceiling marked with an eye symbol. The eye scanned the hall as every one in the corridor bolted back into the entrance hall and took cover. Seconds passed nothing happened and the initial panic receded but everyone decided that they should explore the other ways out of the entrance. It was also decided that not one should speak Elvish again. Aetlred even going so far as top suggest no one should speak Brandobian as that was a language which had been heavily influenced by Elvish and might sound Elvish enough to set off others of whatever the eye globe was. No one knew for certain but every one felt sure it was some sort of fell magical trap. A trap which was designed to protect the place form elves which where it would seem the deadly foes of the builders. Aetlred was beginning to feel persecuted as this built upon the earlier find of the Dwarf made Elf bane arrow heads.

The company taking care not even to cross line of sight of the eye globe moved to explore the less elaborately decorated passage way which lead west out of the entry chamber. This was decorated like the hall to the north with a fries along the middle of the wall but this showed animals gambling about in an idyllic rural scene rather than battle or the races off the world coming bearing tribute. This passage was other wise very much like that leading to the north.

It ended after what Thans thought was perhaps half a mile in a chamber full of obviously dwarven style buildings though it was odd to find such buildings of the type Dwarves typically build on the surface so far underground, or underground at all for that matter. The chamber resembled a village or town square with prominent stone troughs full of dead earth which Lalia thought must have been flower beds  and looking up in the high vaulting there where signs that once long ago there might have been some sort of a skylight.

The buildings themselves where modest and had for the greater part been long ago stripped of any furnishings only the occasional stone shelves built into the walls and the scars of where other fittings might once have been attached gave any clue that they had ever been furnished, but no clue as to their former function. The company found two doors in the houses cut into the walls of the chamber itself both where locked but neither proved a problem for Lalia’s deft hands. The one in the house in the north east corner of the square lead into a large empty and featureless room, the other was more interesting as it appeared to open into an armoury. This had largely been long since striped of every thing and all that remained where several rows of crosses on one of which hung a coat of mail and plates the like of which the Dwarves in the battle frieze where wearing. Along the walls where empty stone shelves and the signs that wooden or iron weapon racks had been attached to the walls beneath them. The armour was heavy well made and though made for a Dwarf would wear well on the shoulders of a taller slimmer man by dint of not reaching quite so far down their legs. It seemed not to have been enchanted thought Heradin was sure at the very least minor ones against the effects of age had been used as it seemed to be intact and in good repair. After some discussion it was decide that form now Telec should wear it and he duly striped off the breast plate shoulder guards and bracers of his leather armour and put it on over the soft leather under armour. It did indeed fit but Telec would become aware latter that he needed to wear more substantial and differently designed under armour for it to be truly comfortable for long.
Having exhausted any interest in further searching these empty houses the company unable to go any further in this direction and still wanting to explore whilst avoiding the probable trap they had at least armed on the tribute corridor made a move back to the entrance and after a sort discussion it was decided to see what lay down the as yet unexplored rustic corridor. This continued Thans estimated for a similar distance east as the other had west and ended in a hall again containing buildings. These the company explored finding them all to be empty and stripped of all furnishings and most of the fittings. They where on the whole smaller than the buildings in the previous area but most of these had two stories and where given that they where subdivided into more rooms possibly living quarters. This cluster of for want of a better description houses where built around what was apparently at least central garden, now nothing more than barren soil and there was again some sort of sky light in the roof above.

This hall differed form the first in a second way this time there was an exit form it other than the way the company which had entered. Following that lead to a cross roads. To the east and north where more passageways with rustic friezes down the walls to the west however was what appeared to be a duplicate of the tribute corridor judging by the  frieze on the wall. Heradin did note that this frieze contained a completely different set of tributary peoples and goods being brought as tribute.

As their setting off of the probable trap in the other similar corridor had not it would seem had any effect here and as it was the most interesting option the company decided to go that way. They did so with caution and care not to speak any language which might set off a trap.

Again as the company reached within a few feet of the door an image of a Dwarfs head wearing an elaborate cap similar to the one Telec Aetlred and D’rek had seen at the hold under Meliac’s farm. As before it spoke but this time only in an oddly accented Dwarvish “speak friend and enter”. This time only Telec spoke saying only the word friend in Dwarvish. The door slid aside revealing a massive hall once again decorated with a brightly painted bas relief frieze.

Continued




 Ginger

[EvilGinger]

Episode IX – A Tactical withdrawal and some inter-party conflict  Part III

Dramatis Personae
Telec - Kalamarian Human Priest of the Wanderer
Aetlred - Half Elf Ranger
Lalia - Halfling Thief
Thans – Dwarf fighter thief
Heradin- Dwarf fighter mage
Dvorn the Axe- Folokkii Human Fighter
Sondan – Brandobian, Human Fighter
Fawlit – Half Ork Fighter


Location
The caves and encampment of the goblin raiders the woods along the ridge line and a very old dwarf hold abandoned dwarf hold


Events

The tribute hall now the company had finally entered it was easily as large as the entrance hall they had first encountered and like it, it was decorated with a vividly painted bass relief frieze of a battle between Elves and Dwarves. In the middle of the hall and taking up much the same sort of area as the stair well had in the entrance hall was a slightly raised circular dais with an elaborately carved stone on its edge to the north and to the south. These stones were pierced by an elaborately faceted gem the size of a man’s head and seemed unnervingly like some sort of grave marker.

Apart from the dais there was a large double door in each of the walls round witch the frieze flowed with the doors and for that matter the corners of the room breaking the frieze into a number of separate but linked scenes. The doors themselves where relatively plain being each decorated with a simple abstract pattern carved into the stone and unlike the frieze these where unpainted.

The battle depicted on the scenes of the frieze seemed to be taking place deep in Elven woodland and was between Elves and Dwarves as before this time the Dwarves where mostly on foot and all in very heavy armour and unlike the fist battle scene there seemed also to be a magical battle going on at the same time with a circle of Elven wizards apparently losing to a lone Dwarf spell caster as heavily armoured as the warriors around him. The Dwarves seemed to be getting the better of both battles and the final scene was of what appeared to be an Elven king surrounded by his slain bodyguard being cut down by an armoured Dwarf on an armoured steed armed with a sword. Drawing his eyes away from the frieze Aetlred who was beginning to find all this depiction of dwarves defeating elves more than a bit unnerving not to mention dispiriting him being a Half Elf raised by Elves an all he decided to look at the central feature of the hall in more detail.

The dais was unmarked save for a narrow ring of gold coloured metal laid into the floor of it around the edge, seeing Aeltred’s interest and being a student of the arcane himself Heradin joined him in the examination of this structure whist the others mostly watched Telec trying to identify the religious symbols in the battle scenes of the freeze. All except for Thans who just basked in more proof of the natural superiority of dwarves.

Neither Aetlred nor Heradin where make much of the nature and purpose of the plinth even after considerable examination Heradin’s comment that the whole thing reeked of magic was the best that either of them could muster.






 Ginger

[EvilGinger]

Episode IX - a tactical withdrawal and some inter-party conflict

experience is per character

In the cave
Thans - Scouting the passage way             15         +1
Telec coming up with a plan               05         +1
All fighters for not pressing the attack         05         -1


Exiting the cave
Thans – going first                   10         +1
Telec Aetlred &                   10         +0
Every one else except Lalia               05         +0


A wild Halfling chase
Lalia                         10         +1
Player characters                  05         +0
Heradin & Thans looking at the plinth and stairs      10         +0
Telec                        05         +1

Blue on blue
Aetlred                     30         -3
Lalia                        15         +0
Heradin                      10         +0

Exploring the sinkhole part one
Lalia & Thans                  15         +1

A damp and uncomfortable night in
the woods followed by a cold breakfast
All except Telec                  10         -1
Telec                        10         +0

Exploring the sinkhole part two
Lalia & Thans                     15         +1
Lalia and the Pit                          10         -1
Aetlred    & Telec and the pit            05         +1
Heradin going into a confined space            10         -2
Every one else not listed above             05         +0

The dwarf hold
Thans Breaking into the hold               10         +1
Examining the freeze in the entrance         10         +0
Thans Heradin in the “tribute corridor”         15         +1
Telec in the “tribute corridor”               20         -1
Every one else                          05         +0
Searching the living areas all player characters       10         +0
Lalia & the locks                           10         +1

The tribute hall      
Aetlred & Heradin                  15         +1
Thans and Telic                  10         +1
Every one else                  05         +0
             
                           
General role play
All                         20         +1
Aetlred                     10         +1
Lalia                        15         +1
Thans                      nil         +2



 Ginger

[EvilGinger]

 Episode IX the honour issue

The honour issue

Violet and Nyasse have left the group for now at least

Starting honour              Honour          Averaging
                                       Awards                     effect
Aetlred    27                 27 (+0)                             26(-1)
Telic      18                22 (+4)                             21(-1)
Lalia      22                25 (+3)                             24(-1)
Thans   19              26 (+7)              25(-1)
Heradin    17                     18 (+1)                             18(+1)
Fawlit      11                  10 (-1)                             11(+1)
Sondan   14                 13 (-1)                             14(+1)
Dvorn      12                 11 (-1)                             12(+1)

Group average honour  17 at the start  19 at the end

Starting honour           Awards                           Averaging effect
Melias      13               13 (+0)                            13 (+0)
Nameless  13               13 (+0)                            13 (+0)

The second group average honour 13 at start 13 at end of the session

& have dropped out of any group for now & I am not tracking them in detail at the moment

honour              
D'rek           18               
Nyasse    17              
Violet      176      




Ginger

[EvilGinger]

Episode X –  An unexpected change of direction

Dramatis Personae
Telec - Kalamarian Human Priest of the Wanderer
Aetlred - Half Elf Ranger
Lalia - Halfling Thief
Thans – Dwarf fighter thief
Heradin- Dwarf fighter mage
Dvorn the Axe- Folokkii Human Fighter
Sondan – Brandobian, Human Fighter
Fawlit – Half Ork Fighter


Location
The caves and encampment of the goblin raiders the woods along the ridge line and a very old and abandoned dwarf hold adjacent to it.

Events
(the action starts in the ancient dwarf hold following on directly from the conclusion of the previous episode it is early afternoon and its been a long day, and every one is feeling more than a little hungry and morale is ebbing especial as the Dwarf hold provides far more questions than answers)



The company after some discussion decided to leave the tribute hall and seek the more commonplace parts of the hold and see if they could find any more gear of the like of the mail Telec was now wearing.

The company after some discussion decided to leave the tribute hall and seek the more commonplace parts of the hold and see if they could find any more gear of the like of the mail Telec was now wearing.  The company turned out of the great hall of tribute and retraced their route east until they came to the cross roads again.

Moving north the Company moved up a broad passage way of the type the Company was familiar with and they soon came into a large hall with buildings around the edge rather like a square in a surface town. This square was larger than the previous ones of a similar kind that they had previously explored and featured a large fountain and central garden. The fountain was dry and the surrounded beds where as the other ones they had found just bare earth with not even a trace of any plants which might once have grown in them

The buildings around the square where in good order and appeared to be a mixture of shops and houses with an inn in the south west corner and what might have once been a library in the south east if the stone racking and pidgin holes where any guide. However as before it seemed the buildings had been striped of any fixture and fitting which they had once had leaving only marks on the stone to give any suggestion there had been something removed. Most importantly there was no sign of any more gear and the impression of long abandonment was driven home





Growing increasingly convinced that the ancient dwarf hold had been stripped of every thing else of either value or use, and finding that there scant supply of torches had dwindled to the point where the two they where using where the last of them, the company resolved to return to the matter of the goblins and retracing their steps soon found themselves in the entrance chamber and then in the sink hole despite, Heradin’s protests that he was not going in there again even he was there. Moving as swiftly as one may in such a narrow way they made there way to the first chamber and where relieved to find that the rope was still in place.  A short discussion followed as to the best plan of attack. It was decided that a stout branch should be cut long enough to cross the hole into the kitchen cave below so as to be able to support two people climbing down on a rope at the same time.  

Aetlred volunteers Fawlit as he has an axe to help in this task, the half ork always more than eager to please agrees. Aetlred climbs first tugging the rope to make sure it is still secure. He fails to hear the tinkle of the cowbells the goblins have attached to it. He pulls again and prepares to climb. Thunk, a bag of crudely but tightly stitched rawhide hits him on the head and bursts. Filling the chamber with a scatter of sharp stones, fortunately harming none of the others who are sheltering in the passage still. Cursing to him self Aetlred climbs up the swinging rope as Fawlit takes his place at the bottom, with him holding the rope Aetlred gains the surface finally noting the jingle of cow bells, to late however as the goblin guard they where meant to alert is already in place and swinging his mallet. Thunk and thunk again as poor bruised Aetlred is struck twice before he manages to scrabble free of the hole. Dodging desperately he draws the goblin away from the hole and Fawlit gains the surface. After that the fight is short for Fawlit’s axe will hew goblin just as well as wood.

Aetlred picks a suitable tree to provide the stout beam and whilst the obliging half ork plies his axe in this endeavour, he applies his first aid skills to his injuries, cursing all the while internally the foul luck he has had so far. By the time he has finished this Fawlit has the beam cut and trimmed.

From then on the plan is quickly put into effect with the stout but rough beam being emplaced over the hole which leads down to the kitchen cavern a rope tied firmly around it to allow Thans and Fawlit to descend, both being chosen as they can see best in the ill lit cave below.  Thans and Fawlit both descend into the cave and scouting around find that it is empty save for the dying embers of the great cooking fire and lit only by them and the last couple of troches both in the throws of burning out entirely. The place reeks of goblin, spilt beer and the remains of likely more than one whole animal roast. To the north the cave narrows to about twenty feet before opining out into another deeper cavern. Whilst to the south it does the same and apparently opens into the back of the mouth cave as the last vestiges of failing daylight can be seen dimly in that direction.

The rest of the company descended the rope and Thans and Lalia went off to scout. Lalia to the south confirming that the kitchen cave opened into the mouth cave. Thans moving to the north found a similar if smaller cave and found it to be full of sleeping goblins. Thans and Lalia having scouted retuned to where the rest of the company waited at the base of the rope in the glow of the cook fires embers.

A whispered planning session followed and it was decided that Thans should use his superior night vision and stealth to sneak into the north cave and to dispatch as many goblins as he could. The rest of the company would more as quietly as they may to the choke point to be ready to render assistance if need be. Aetlred decided that he was better at the top of the rope in the sink hole ready to drop arrows onto any goblins and Heradin had already decided to leave the hole to guard the rope at the top, and indeed had become quite truculent at the prospect of going into any more confined spaces.

So Thans drew his dagger and snuck into the northern chamber hugging the walls as there the goblins seemed to have concentrated sleeping in little knots of three or four. He snuck up on the first group of gently snoring goblins and with dwarven skill silenced each of their snores in turn. He moved to the next knot of four and dealt with them similarly. He moved further in towards a third knot of snoring goblins. Crack, Thans foot caught a piece of bone and it snapped rousing the goblins who scrambled to their feet drawing knives.

Thans fell back fighting from the three goblins he had disturbed whilst trying to cut their throats in their sleep lashing out as he did so with his dagger as much to dissuade them of the pursuit than to actually injure them. His companions waited for him at the choke point, for the most part not able to see what was going on in the dim cave lit as it was only by a scatter of failing torches and not having the superior night sight of dwarves. However the goblins where defiantly trying to kill Thans and just before he reached the relative safety of the rest of the company a goblin knife struck true and he fell.

At that Fawlit, the only one present who could see in the dark as well as the goblins gave a wild cry in orkish and charged the perusing goblins who where going to do unto Thans as he had intended to do unto them and indeed had already done unto several of their companions if the did but know it recoiled. Then backed away as Fawlit was joined by Dvorn, Sondan and Telec the former swinging his great axe in killing arcs and shouting for all he was worth. The goblins fled noisily further rousing their companions and Fawlit picked up the wounded dwarf and all fell back to the choke point. Where Thans roused himself and every one else wondered what they should do next as the goblins where now alerted.

Mean while Heradin who had refused to go back down the sink hole was sitting on the surface ostensibly guarding the rope, though in fact he was reading his spell book something which ha had not had the time to do for several days whilst the company had been gallivanting about in the wilds. It probably was not the right thing to be doing just now but it was just the thing to settle his nerves after being dragged up and down narrow holes repeatedly.

Aetlred, was crouched in the sink hole peering down into the kitchen cave trying to see what was going on down there and finding he was just unable to get a decent line of sight of what ever was just kicking off, given quite how much he currently hurt, cursed goblins cursed bags of gravel & their thrice cursed mallets he was disinclined to get closer for a better look.  

In the cave below Dvorn came up with a battle plan as the now well awake goblins assembled in the half darkness. They he proposed should hold the choke point as if the goblins charged it would give them least use of there advantage in numbers, Fawlit who could see just how many goblins there where most clearly resolved to sell his life as dearly as he could and muttered a quiet prayer to the gods of good and honour to accept him into their halls after his death. That he could do with a strong drink also crossed his mind.



The Goblins milled round sort out and picked up their scattered weapons, and some of them even their shields and a couple of the more cunning and cowardly bows and handfuls of arrows, none however acted. They where further discouraged because Fawlit had begun a blood curdling battle chant in orkish and had been joined first by Dvorn and then by the rest who added curses in as many languages as they could muster. The milling mass of goblins could understand little detail of this but quickly formed the idea that they where facing a group of confident warriors who where prepared to stand and fight. Goblins as a kind don’t like that sort of fight and it was not what they where here for, preferring raiding undefended settlements and then feasting royally off the stolen live stock. However all the noise the intruders where making filtered deeper into the caverns and shortly Akakabul the sub chief and a couple of his bullies arrived. He first ordered the bowmen to lose which they did at the mailed knight leading the foe.

Two arrows came out of the darkness and the milling goblins and struck Telec, thunk, thunk as each slammed into his newly obtained dwarf mail and being common goblin made arrows shot from weak short bows the arrows skittered off it leaving him unscathed.  In return Lalia wound up her sling and loosed a stone into the dark in reply but no goblin squealed to indicate it had hit any thing that mattered.  

Akakabul grew angry and started shouting at the goblins even more, and  setting his bullies on them to drive them forward, the common goblins being more scares of Akakabul and his bullies surged forward in a wild charge hoping to over run the company of at least send it fleeing

The line stood in the choke point and received the charge, Dvorn’s axe swung and a goblin fell, even before it had a chance to fight. Telec’s staff broke a nose on another and instants later both Sondan and Fawlit joined in and two more goblins fell. However there where a lot of goblins and the initial crush cared the charge home despite this and goblin blades struck home, the company’s blood also flowed and mingled with that of the goblins.

Hearing sounds of battle but unable to see to intervene Aetlred left his post to go and fetch Heradin and below a slightly recovered Thans and Lalia, prepared to add their missiles to the fight.



 Ginger

[EvilGinger]

Episode X

In the Dwarf Hold further explorations
All                        10         +0

Back to the Goblins
Deciding to get on with the mission at hand      +0         +1
Heradin re entering the narrow passage         +5         -2
Aetlred and the gravel trap               10         -2
Aetlred and whack a ranger               10         -1
Aetlred some clever tactics               05         +0
Dvorn and Aetlred fighting the goblin guard      11         +0

A plan of attack
Thans and Fawlit on the rope               05         +1
Every one else on the rope (not Aetlred or Heradin)   05         +0

Into the main camp
Lalia Scouting                     10         +1
Thans Scouting                        10         +1
Every one else    (not Aetlred or Heradin)      05         +0   

The battle begins
Thans goes hunting                   50         +1
Thans dealing with seven goblins             154         +2
Dvorn battle plan                        10         +1
Telec The stand off                   20         +1
Fawlit the stand off                  20         +2
Dvorn the stand off                  20         +3
Fighting the goblins – fighters                 20         +1
Every one else    fighting the goblins          20         +0
Telec-Tanking                     10         +1

General role play
All                         20         +1
All Multiclass fighters                10         +1
All other fighters                   10         +2


the player characters are within a session or two of hitting level three if they survive the fight they are in & thats tuch and go, but remember folks you can burn honour to save your worthless necks

 Ginger

[EvilGinger]

An interlude for two characters - which takes place whilst episode VII -X above are occurring

Dramatis Personae
Nameless Elven Mage
Melias B’Paran Human Mage-Thief


Location
The Sages tower and east into the mountains toward the high pass

Events

The sage himself was the soul of hospitality and entertained his guests to a standard that even the easily angered and to be honest extremely picky Melias considered proper. The accommodation was good even if the nature of the building, a converted Kalamarian watch post made them of necessity small. The sage was lavish with his knowledge too only asking in payment that they should add to it store.

In the few days that they stayed with him he was able to provide Melias with some additional spells which thought little more than cantrips where within his ability to learn He was unfortunately unable to add too much to Emetic’s quest for the fabled magical library however promises to look more deeply into the records left by his predecessors who where as he is not wizards. The Sages interest in wizardry is rather peripheral, to the acquisition of knowledge and he uses little of the magic he was thought and none to any other end. In all these discussions there ranger guide listens politely in the background but it is clear she has no interest and it would seem that she is happier being treated as a servant than an equal

Nameless is happy to allow any human whatever eccentricity they so chose after all in a century any human is going to be dead and he baring accidents or violence will still be in the first flush of his youth.

After learning all they could from spending several days with the Sage, time finally comes to pay for that service by getting him more information to add to his store. To this end the Sage asks the company to travel to the north east in search of a ruined temple of a forgotten god whose worship was apparently practiced by the Dreji tribes of this region before they where absorbed into the Brandobian kingdom. He does not want the company to delve into the ruins as the party is too small but should they find them the Sage says that a party in Bet Kalmar will be prepared to mount a larger and more through expedition which the Sage is sure they would be allowed to join.

The Sage allows the small company to equip itself from the Sages pantry’ and provides a couple of guards form his own men and a pack mule or two. The foot hills and the mountains are hazardous and inhabited by barbarous humanoids of several types and he does want the company to return safe with his information.

The company sets off from the Sages tower early in the morning crossing the ford fist before heading off into the wild hills beyond and for now at the least out of the compass of this tale.




 Ginger

[EvilGinger]

Episode X the honour issue

The honour issue


Violet and Nyasse have left the group for now at least

Starting honour              Honour                    Averaging
                                       Awards                     effect
Aetlred    26                25 (-1)                            25(-1)
Telic      21               26 (+5)                             22(+1)
Lalia      24               27 (+3)                             26(-1)
Thans   25                  31 (+7)                          30(-1)
Heradin    18               18 (+0)                          19(+1)
Fawlit      11                  17 (+7)                             18(+1)
Sondan   14                 17 (+4)                           18(+1)
Dvorn      12                 19 (+7)                           20(+1)

Group average honour  19 at the start    22 at the end

Starting honour           Awards                           Averaging effect
Melias      13               13 (+0)                            13 (+0)
Nameless  13               13 (+0)                            13 (+0)

The second group average honour 13 at start 13 at end of the session

& have dropped out of any group for now & I am not tracking them in detail at the moment

honour              
D'rek           18              
Nyasse    17              
Violet      176      

 Ginger

[EvilGinger]

An outsider’s tale Part III

Violet arrived at her cache and  quickly emptied it of the two bundles of arrows one for her long bow and one of short bow arrows originally for Perkal but  for the company she hoped had taken advantage of the  diversion and struck the goblins a blow or two. Violet also took the caches supply of food mostly preserves and the sort of hard black bread that almost never goes off but which no one who was not fairly desperate would eat willingly one of the precious potions of healing Perkal had made and some other useful items though not so much as she was going to be impeded by the load.

So equipped Violet set off back to the goblin camp what would other wise have been for her a pleasant afternoons hike under other circumstances. It would even been pleasant under the current circumstances had she Perkal along for company  and he was dead on the high pass and though Violet had long ago suppressed any feeling  that suggested  they would  ever be more than comrades in arms she realised that she missed him, more than the many others she had lost in the long war against the Kalamarian slavers, she had waged.  Dragging her thoughts away form the subject Violet turned he thoughts to how best to deal with the goblins single handed if need be.

As she approached the camp from the south she carefully reconnoitred the lower perimeter and quickly noted the lack of goblin or other activity for that matter. Then Violet decided her plan off attack first moving across to the base of the slope below the lower eye cave. Under cover of the perimeter trees and under brush.  Then after a quick look round to make sure that any goblin in the watch tower had not seen her approach. That done she scrambled up the exposed slope to the lower eye cave taking cover inside the shadows of its entrance.  Moving a few steps further into the cave Violet noticed the crude lattice blocking further progress and the sleeping forms of three goblins right at the back. Violet reached out and touched the binding of the lattice and unleashed her god’s power, the lattice unbound itself silently. Sufficiently to allow Violet to slip through unheard. Violet drew her dagger and cautiously advanced on the gently snoring goblins and one by one they ceased to snore.

Beyond them Violet spotted the way on a narrow tunnel low so she would have to crouch to pass thought it. She unstrung her great bow and holding it at her side spear wise in her left hand slipped down the twisting tunnel dagger still drawn.  At the end of the tunnel it opened into a larger cave but the view was blocked by a frame holding a drying cow hide. Even in the dark Violet recognised the animal one of the Hidden Dells best milkers, Violet grew grimmer even more so as she found that this first tanning frame concealed several others all adorned with the drying hides of Hidden Dell prime live stock.



 Ginger

[EvilGinger]

Episode XI – A Close run thing

Dramatis Personae
Telec - Kalamarian Human Priest of the Wanderer
Aetlred - Half Elf Ranger
Lalia - Halfling Thief
Thans – Dwarf Fighter thief
Heradin- Dwarf Fighter mage
Dvorn the Axe- Folokkii Human Fighter
Sondan – Brandobian, Human Fighter
Fawlit – Half Ork Fighter
Violet – Half Demon Paladin of the Free

Location
The caves and encampment of the goblin raiders

Events
(the action starts directly at the end of the last session with the greater part of the company being locked in a battle for their lives with an over whelming number of goblins)


With the outcome lay teetering on the balance, the company held its line and the goblin’s first rush was halted and those that followed them where less eager to step into the fight when it involved having to step over the dying bodies of those who had come before. None the less for all the fallen goblins the company could neither advance nor fall back and each of its members where well aware of their wounds and feared they would not stand much longer. Dvorn looked at the mass of goblins before him and was very afraid the axe he boasted off could not slay them fast enough even though one of the foul little creatures fell with each stroke. He wanted to run, but to run was no certain way to escape alive even if he could face the shame of it. Near him Fawlit, swung his axe to the rhythm of the odd song he sang as he fought and another goblin staggered back as the Half Ork’s age struck. Sondan missed his comrades form the company and blocked and stabbed as he had been trained another goblin fell and the gap it left in the goblin line remained.  Breathing heavily under the unfamiliar weight of the Dwarf mail Telec who was of all of them pressed closest plied his staff and tried not to give ground. As he realized that the goblins read his armour as some sort of badge of leadership.  Behind the line and half stunned by the wounds that had felled him earlier Thans hurled his axes into the milling mass of goblins hanging back behind the battle line and Lalia, who could see very little in the dying torch light behind the fighting line, launched stone after stone into the dark some times being rewarded by a goblin squeal as the shot struck a telling blow. Above in the sink hole Aetlred reached the bottom of the rope Heradin was guarding and tried desperately to   get the dwarf to come down and help.

In the rear of the mass of goblins Akakabul and his bully’s urged the lesser goblins between them and their foes to press the attack even as fear started to build in the pits of their craven gusts, these where not villagers to be rounded up from sleep but warriors prepared to fight and from the cries of the fallen goblins doing more apparent harm to his fighters than they where sustaining from them.

Violet heard the sounds of battle as she entered the kitchen cave and brought a quick prayer the Guardian to mind and before quickening her pace and readying a stoppered flask  ahead was the dying embers of the goblin cooking fire, she hurled the fragile flask into the hot embers with as much force as she could muster and closing her eyes advanced blindly as the heat the and the alchemical mixture in the flask worked their mundane magic

There was a massive flash and the dark caves where in an instant as bright as day. The company with their backs to the flash where not blinded but the goblins where at least briefly. Their attack faltered and the Company took advantage more goblins fell.

Violet unleashed a wild war cry fit to strike fear into the hearts of the fabled Grel and charged.

That was enough for Akakabul and his bully’s and with out them most of the goblins in front of them who had not yet joined the fight. A general rout ensued leaving only the front rank of the goblins still fighting, and only doing so because to run was to die for certain, but to fight might not be certain death. The charging paladin cut down one of the goblins mobbing Telec. Fawlit and Sondan stepped forward still fighting as a desperate goblin blade slashed out and took down Dvorn. Lalia sent a shot into the fleeing backs of the goblin mob still quite visible in the after glow of the flash, whilst Thans began the grim task of finishing off the goblin wounded. Then it was over the last few goblins that had remained in the fight had fallen quickly and the company drew breath in the knowledge that they lived to fight another day.

Violet turned as the fight ended towards the end of the battle line where Dvorn the tall lanky blonde warrior lay, his death approaching and kneeling beside him poured some of the healing poser of her god into the dying man to check deaths approach. It never ceased to amaze her even after four years that the god itself had seen fit to grant her such power.

The death vision of the would be fhokki hero faded as the guardian of the free’s life giving power was channelled into him and his erstwhile death wound began to close miraculously.

Aetlred his efforts at persuasion on Heradin being successful arrived at the site of the battle just as it ended and after that every one fell into something of a routine with Thans and Lalia finishing off the remaining wounded goblins before they could recover enough to flee after their fellows and Aetlred and Violet falling to tending to the company’s wounds whilst the least wounded Sondan who had escaped the recent battle with the goblins relatively lightly largely because of his skill with a shield let it be said and Heradin who had not been involved moved to secure the sleeping or as Thans would have it the slaughtering cave. As the process of tending the wounded dragged on Thans and Lalia fell to looting the goblins abandoned goods and bodies gathering a significant heap of low value coins form the local kingdoms a number of goblin made small shields knives and enlarged knife style short swords. Telec, not all that useful as a healer not having even Violets skill at it fell to finding the unlit torches the goblins had placed in crude sconces around the cave and lighting them and having done that making a few more out of burned out brands and the rags of goblin bedding.

As the healing went on even longer those who had been attended to joined the pair guarding the relatively narrow northern exit to the sleeping cave and after a while there being sufficient of them they judged pressing on with the exploration especially as nothing could be heard from the goblins even if every one was sure they where planning something and the company was in poor shape to deal with unpleasant surprises.

With the last of the wounded tended to as best they could, and the spoil of battle gathered up be the company resolved to press on with the exploration of the caves as they had yet to locate the captives form the Hidden Dell. Violet was in particular eager to do this as she felt there capture as a slight on her honour even if she had not been in any position even to try and stop it at the time. Before they pressed on Violet distributed a bundle of short bow arrows, she had taken from the rangers’ cache, to those who had bows and recovered her own long bow and quiver from where she had left it prior to her charge.





A short distance along the relatively narrow channel, it was still over ten feet wide and as high so Heradin was not discomforted, which lead north from the sleeping cave the company came across a hewn passage on the left. This passage was over man height and wide enough for two to pass abreast and after as short way ended in a rustic wooden door with signs of weathering on it the door was not locked and opened outwards into the passage freely on well oiled leather hinges.



Beyond the door was a sizable room hewn out of the soft sandstone with unfinished walls furnished with a large farmhouse table and half dozen solid chairs to match in a mismatch of styles. The room was unlit but lamp holders had been cut into the walls and wooden candelabra stood in the middle of the great table. There was a door in the north and the east walls both locked and both of the sorts you might find on any Brandobian farm. On the south wall was the hide of a bull in which a large map of the region had been drawn showing all the features that the company was aware of and three crosses in red. These latter Thans quickly worked out where the caves they where in now, the small abandoned Dwarf test mine he had cleared of goblin bandits last year  and another deeper into the mountains of the spur from the Laggosa range, this he concluded was yet another goblin camp. He considered taking the map with him but settled for quickly adding the new details from it to the regional map he had already.
 
Lalia was called in and made short work of the locks first to the north which opened into a large hall furnished in the manner of a barracks. Closer investigation revealed an number of interesting features first whilst it was furnished it seemed never to have been occupied, and once again all the furniture had seemingly been looted from farmsteads as whilst it was all of a type it was blatantly of different ages and slightly different styles. Lalia found a concealed compartment in one of the bedsteads into which was hidden an exquisitely carved holly icon of the true, she pocked this as it was at least covered in gold leaf. There was a weapons rack on the north wall newly made but innocent of weapons thought it was apparent theta it could hold pole arms for the twenty or so warriors that the barracks would accommodate. Feeling another mystery arriving to add to the may they had already encountered the company pressed on. This time thought the east door which leads to a short passage with a door at its end to the east and one on the north and south walls, as before the doors where well made and had quite apparently been acquired from local farms. All the doors where locked but with locks which where no match for Lalia.  

Through the south door was a large empty chamber featuring two large chests in one corner. These looked like larder chests of the sort used to store perishables like cream and butter and as they where neither locked nor trapped opening them to reveal a heavy marble slab in each of them confirmed this. The company began to conclude that this complex had been prepared for its intended inhabitants but that these had not yet arrived. Telec commented that this was the reverse of the ancient Dwarf hold whose inhabitants had long ago abandoned it.  

Through the north door was a passage with a number of doors off and a large weapons rack along the opposite wall, but the company decided to ignore this way for the while. Preferring to examine the door to the east. This chamber proved to be much more interesting. On first examination it was apparent that it was fully furnished and had been occupied even if it was not currently. The bed, again one seemingly recovered from a local farm was made up with fresh bedding. There where three locked travelling chests in one corner a dresser a smaller table and a couple of chairs. There where pot lamps in the alcoves in the wall made for them with used wicks and at least a trace of oil

The locks on the chests where more challenging for Lalia, but still not beyond her skill and the chests where found to contain much of interest. One contained several changes of male clothing including a set of priestly regalia for a mid ranking cleric of the tyrant as well as a flaying whip. The middle one contained several bags and packets of pungent herbs and spices of the sort used to make insense and perfume, in bags labelled in an odd script a bit like Brandobian, Lalia who had some knowledge of such things guessed that to the right individual this would be of considerable value. The third chest was to the coin poor company the most interesting it contained three leather bags of silver coin. The coin was bright and newly minted, unlike every other coin the company had recovered so far or indeed most of the coins any of them had ever seen more over all of them where the same and the widely travelled Telec identified them as being form Pel Brolenon.

The wayfarer priest showed Violet the bright silver coin he had been examining and she cursed. Suddenly the matter of the goblins had transformed from a matter impinging on her honour to a matter impinging on her duty. She needed not only to get her people free and safe but she needed to crush whatever the slaves of the tyrant where up to before she did any thing else. So her plans for Kalmar and the young kingdoms would have to wait. Then Violet grinned three sacks of such coin could make a good weapon to use against those who had minted them.

Pel Brolenon, a name most had heard of if distantly a cruel land in the south, home of the greatest slavers in Telene and rich in silver such as this. This most guessed was perhaps a clue to on of the mysteries they faced but also something of an evil omen for the future.

The dresser contained several sheets of used and fresh parchment which Thans took as well as a selection of pens and black gall ink and a other writing equipment along with space awaiting other gear.

Grimly the company turned north taking with it the sacks of silver and passed through the north door, ignoring for now the empty weapons rack along the west wall of the passage. There where two doors on the west side of the passage again obviously scavenged form some looted farmstead or other and both where locked. The locks where well within Lalia’s skills and the company was able to search both. They found them to be largely identical and apparently neither had been used. Each was furnished with a looted bed and some simple rustic furniture, principally a chest a stool and a work bench. Beyond the final door was a large completely unfurnished chamber whose function apparently had not been assigned as yet. The weapons rack was also empty but seemed to be made form reused farm tool racks likely acquired in the same way as every thing else in the way of furniture had.

The side complex now thoroughly explored the company determined to push on further in to the caves especially as they had still not found let alone recovered the captives they sought. As they also thought they had lost the element of surprise and given the company was in poor shape to deal with unpleasant surprises, Aetlred suggested they advance further using the solid table from the Priests room as cover, This they duly did following the channel passage further in and shortly came upon a large cave brightly lit with torches This cave was more rounded than the ones they had come across before and apparently had a deeper sink hole in the middle of it. This hole was covered by a crude lattice of branches and it was not possible to spot what might be down it form the place where the channel opened out into the large room, toward the back of the cave where two hurdle barricades of woven branches behind which several bow armed goblins could be seen briefly before the in turn saw the company and hid properly.

Having spotted the goblins hiding behind low walls of crude hurdles either side of the grill covered sink hole, the company needed a plan so that they could assault them without being shot to ribbons crossing the open space between where the relatively narrow passage of the channel opened up into the brightly lit cave. Having just used the smaller table from the overlord’s priest’s room to provide cover when scouting it occurred to Aetlred that the larger table from the planning room and some of the abandoned goblin shields could be constructed into some portable cover. Not having the skill to do this he asked if any one else in the company could and Sondan who had been apprenticed to a carpenter before taking up the profession of arms offered to do it and he was helped by Lalia, whose experience in making and repairing animal pens on her family farm proved of great use. Shortly the table fort was constructed and the company divided into two teams a shooting team who would try to shoot down any goblins which showed themselves and an attack team which would carry the table fort to give them cover as they approached the goblins. The attack team lead by Telec still hardly hurt in his dwarf mail picked up the table fort and crawled forward, to be met with a hail of arrows most of which either missed or stuck in the fort itself, except for the one which caught Telec in his unarmoured calf after almost skimming along the cave floor. Violet and the shooting team took pot shots at any goblin which showed itself to shoot. More of the companies arrows struck home than the goblins and they began to waver before the slow advance of the fort had reached them. The last straw was an arrow from Violets bow which struck the goblin as it ducked back in the shoulder with such force that it hurled the goblin a good ten feet back into the wall behind. The goblins ran and had escaped down both of the caves exits by the time the attack group had untangled itself form the table fort. The company did not give chase but moved the goblins barricades to block the ways the surviving goblins had fled down whilst Thans and Lalia dealt with the wounded the goblins had abandoned in their flight.



The company drew breath, and as it did so it became aware that the captives they sought where down under the lattice in the large sink hole in the middle of the cave.
 




 Ginger