Rise of the Runelords

The next morning after finishing curing you continued exploring the stockade. The first event was the discovery of an open courtyard with four dead dogs and two dead goblins. The goblins had been dead for a few days and had their skulls crushed. The dogs were more recently killed from piercing blows. Many tracks could be found, but none that provided any clues. Inside a storage shed you discovered a very mistreated, malnourished, and large jet black horse. With some magical aid from Edwin, Ishan was able to soothe the beast and make it friendly enough that you were able to lead it back out of the stockade and to a grassy area where you left it.

After descending some stairs you found a room with a large table and several chairs. On the wall was a large piece of slate with drawings, lines, arrows and other scribblings - all on top of a sketch that you recognize as Ardrinn. Exploring further you came to an ornate set of double doors. Henrik paused and said to prepare for a tough fight. He explained that he could tell there were two creatures with moderately evil auras in the room beyond and that that meant they were likely going to be a challenge. Both doors were tried but only on opened. The group filed in through the open door. There were two thinnish wolf-like creatures at the far end on either side of an alter. Ishan cast grease at one of the beast's feet. It retained its footing. After a number of the group moved in, one of the creatures bayed. It was deafening and not of this world. Fully half the group was overcome with panic. They dropped everything and started to run. Edwin was able to reach the open door to block egress, but not until after Bach bolted through. That left only Wolfgar, Henrik and Pirozzi to fight the beasts. One charged Pirozzi. Henrik and Wolgar took swings and realized that their damage was significantly reduced. Henrik pulled a silvered dagger and set after one of the beasts. Wolfgar went to help Pirrozi who was playing cast and run with the other. The second beast bayed. No one else became panicked. You were able to defeat them but were quite hurt. Pirozzi managed to defeat one with arcane damage alone. But he was now spent. You cast a few remaining cures and continued.

The next area explored was included a torture chamber, prisoner cells, and what turned out to be the jailer's quarters. One goblin and two humans were in the cells. You didn't learn anything immediately important other that the fact that the jailer was a bugbear. One of the humans was at death's door. It took a group effort and some magic to stabilize him. Golian unlocked the two cells and you left the conscious human with a goblin knife for defense and assured him you would be back. He was in no shape to protest.

You moved through a short hall and Bach opened a door at the end to find himself face to face with a bugbear. With one blow, Bach almost dropped the creature. That blow was followed by a lightning bolt that ripped through the bugbear and nearly the entire party. A few people dropped unconscious. Edwin set about searching for potions and feeding them to those who needed healing. Bach, Wolfgar, and Henrik moved into the room to face a female wizard (all four of her), another even larger bugbear with a very large bow and several female goblins. The bugbear started peppering people with arrows. The wizard cast a ray that greatly reduced Bach's strength. As Henrik moved up to the wizard, Tsuto stepped out from a stairwell and tripped him. The monk proceded to pummel Henrik into unconsciousness. Wolfgar could not battle through the female goblins and took a lot of arrow damage. The bugbear eventually ordered the goblins to leave. Right before he unlimbered a heavy flail and dropping Wolfgar. Malloric had regained consciousness and moved up to help. Things were not going well for the group until Bach scored an opportunistic blow on Tsuto. The monk backed out of combat and ordered the wizard to "finish them." He fled. The wizard and bugbear dropped and almost killed all but Malloric and Ishan before they finally fell.

The two standing looked after your fallen comrades and bound them as best you could. Malloric recognized the wizard and found that she was not dead, just unconscious.

Welcome to 3rd level.

Ishan was able to cure Edwin who regained consciousness. After a quick prayer to Pelor he realized he could do more to aid the group. Shortly all were mobile, but very hurt. You tied up Lyrie and gathered the two freed captives and made you way back to your horses. Unfortunately, they were no longer there. Malloric searched while everyone else rested. He reported some wolf tracks and that it looks as though the horses ran off in different directions. You resigned yourselves to the long walk back to town.

You reached the road about mid-day and stopped for lunch before being on the move again. A short while later a couple of merchant carts approached from behind you. They agreed to carry the freed captives. You made much better time. You arrived in Ardrinn with a few hours of daylight left. You agreed to split up to accomplish many tasks before the shops started to close.

Golian started off sneaking across the rickety bridge, closely inspecting everything along the way to discern its stability and to avoid any scouts or archers that might be on the other side. Once across, he realized there were more ropes than needed and the 'extra' set was knotted at intervals. He figured the bridge was once able to be rigged to intentionally fall but was not currently trapped. He tied off the extra ropes hoping they would add strength to the bridge. The party crossed one by one anyway, all the time keeping an eye and ear out for goblins. Gathering on the other side near the entrance to the stockade, Henrik thought he heard some goblin voices. Straining an ear further all anyone could hear was the sound of the surf below.

The group entered the stockade and started exploring to the west. Someone pointed out that the goblins that Henrik thought he heard earlier were toward the eastern tower. The group turned around and went in that direction. In the eastern tower, the group lined up behind Bach who was at the top in front of the trap door to the roof. He threw it open, surprising four goblins who were in the midst of a card game. Half the party was able to gain access to the roof before the goblins fully realized what was happening. It must have been the cramped quarters that caused the main fighters to struggle to beat the beasties down. Ishan made it to the roof and skewered the second to last goblin standing, dropping it with one blow. The last one jumped off the tower onto the stockade roof and started to run north. Malloric missed with a clumsy shot. You all started to think about being swarmed by goblins as the alarm would be raised. Pirozzi, who finally made it to the roof, stepped up the the edge and with one shot, dropped the fleeing goblin. Ishan thought (out loud) that is was quite humorous that the sorcerer and bard had half the kills. Bach grumbled a bit and headed back down the stairs.

Moving north, you came the end of a hall with two doors. Henrik held the group up and asked if anyone else could smell something odd. Concentrating it wasn't too hard for anyone to notice the smell. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. Opening one of the doors revealed the source. Flanks of poorly smoked and salted meat hung and sat in heaps in the room. The meat was mostly dog and horse. But there were some human hands and feat that could be seen. The door was quickly closed. Many of the group were more resolved to punish the goblins for this.

Bach threw his shoulder into the last door and had to take a step back and try again. Once open you saw a large room with many goblins. Bach raged and started a charge. He was interrupted by a big goblin mounted on a giant gecko. The gecko ran along the wall and over the door that Bach had just entered. The goblin in the saddle struck Bach with a wicked blow as he rode by. Bach completed his charge and met the roder and mount where they stopped and proceeded to cut the geckos's head off. Bach faced the goblin leader alone as the rest stumbled over each other in the hall while trying to enter the room.

The goblins formed a arc an invited you to come and get them. Two goblin archers fired into melee with great precision. A goblin warchanter countered Ishan's inspiration with her own. The leader dished out much more damage than Bach could deliver. Bach fell to be stabilized and pulled out of harms way by Edwin. The goblin bard cast sleep and only affected Golian. Henrik called for Ishan to rouse him as he continued to press the other goblins. Wolfgar took Bach's spot and Malloric maneuvered around to the the other side of the leader fighting all the way. The leader went after Wolfgar after he scored a heavy blow. Malloric and Wolfgar inflicted most of the damage on the leader and took some in the process.

By the time the leader fell, only one regular goblin remained as did the two archers, but their moral was broken. They started to make their way to the double doors leading to the entry courtyard. Only one made it. The group chased after it. It ran into the hall leading to the tower that the group had already been in. It pounded heavily on a door and took a defensive stance. Malloric heard the goblin was running and went around the other direction.

Malloric opened the door and you had the goblin surrounded when the door it pounded on opened with six more goblins on the other side. They were unarmored, but willing to fight to their death. Henrik battled them in the doorway but was forced to retreat. After almost another minute of fighting all the goblins were dead with nearly everyone having taken some wounds. Enough that you were in no shape to continue onward. You looted the bodies and moved them into the tower room.

After resting for several hours, you started to make preparations for the night when someone smelled smoke. As a group you went up to the tower roof and could see slight wisps of smoke coming from the main doors. Going back down to the courtyard you found the other set of double door on fire. In front of the doors was a dancing goblin with a flask of greek fire in one hand. You charged and cut it down quickly. You quickly saw that the flask was actually tied to the goblin's hand with strips of cloth. The beast itself had a rope tied around it's waist with the other end tied to a stake pounded into the ground at the base of the burning doors. The fingers on its free hand had all been broken so it could not free itself from either the rope or untie the flask. You quickly put out the fire.

Searching around, no one could find any signs of comings and goings other than than the myriad tracks you attribute to yourselves. You decided to spend the night here anyway.

After spending the rest of the day and the better part of the next morning and afternoon talking to town officials and leaders about what you discovered and training, Edwin was approached by Father Zantus who asked if it was safe to venture into the smugglers tunnels. Edwin informed him that the group had not fully explored the area yet so that was doubtful. Zantus expressed a desire to examine the shrine where the quasit had been. The group reformed and escorted Zantus to that area and locked him in while heading off to clear the rest of the complex.

Exploring one hall you entered a room and were not surprised, but the vargoule in the room got the jump on you and shrieked. Luckily most avoided the paralyzing effect and beast was quickly dispatched. That hall ended at a descending stair. A collapse a short distance down blocked passage. Malloric concluded nothing had come or gone from here in some time.

The other direction took you to a old prison room with an elevated walkway. Inside were four of the beasts the quasit had been 'creating'. Some of the group suffered a few wounds, but by in large they were no match for the now 2nd level group. Past that was a room that looked to have once been used for experiments/torture. A small study just off this room had three cells. In each was the skeletal remains of some creature - badly misshapen.

As you approached the next room, a few heard low moaning. Not pain, but deathly moans nonetheless. The most striking feature in the room was eleven not so carefully hidden pits. The rickety and rotting wooden covers didn't look like they would support much if any weight. At the far end of the room was a goblin, or what might once have been a goblin. It looked very much like a burly goblin (if there ever was such a thing) and wore only a dirty loincloth. What made it entirely not like a goblin was the fact that it had four arms, and wielded weapons in three of them. The group charged as best you could while negitiating the patchwork of pits. Henrik closed first. The beast was ready. It lunged and grappled Henrik to only maneuver him the next round over a pit. He fell in to find a zombie as company. Some attacked the goblin, others aided Henrik. The beast was very effective when he focused all his attacks on one target. He dropped Golian and one points and heavily wounded several others. Eventually it was killed.

Zombies were discovered in each of the other pits and destroyed.

The last couple of room were a ascending stair - also fully blocked by a dead fall. and a spherical room. You entered the spherical room at the equator. Inside were several floating objects: a bottle of wine, a wond, a book and a dead raven covered and surrounded by floating maggots. Ishan used a quick spell to 'pull' the desired items out of the room. The inside of this room was covered in a metal - probably some sort of steel due to the partial rust. But on, or maybe in, the metal of the walls were flashed of 'energy' that seemed to periodically coalesce into a shape, or image, or maybe rune. There did not seem to be any pattern. Nor could the 'images' be ciphered. So you gathered Father Zantus on your way out and reported to the Sheriff and Mayor.

The next day took you north into the Nettlewood. After having to leave your horses along the stream, it took you another couple hours to hack your way through and find what you thought was most likely the goblin camp - an overgrown mass of thickets with 'tunnels' leading here and there. They wer at most four feet high wich made for very slow going.

You stumbled into one area with about a dozen goblins huddled around a small fire. Again, with the new found skills, they were much easier than those you encountered in the Glassworks. Another 'room' was a kennel for less than a half dozen dogs. They weren't much trouble but did cause a lot of noise. This drew the attention of a nearby leopard and its druid master. The leopard got in a few attacks and then pulled back as the druid entangled the entire rear of the party. This was enough no nearly disbale a few people as not only did you have the rough terrain to deal with but also the grasping vines. The druid had few ranged spells or weapons and closed (into his own entangle) He was quickly beaten down. Instead of fleeing, he changed form into a bird and started to fly away. Malloric was able to bring him down with an arrow. The leopard fled.

A little further exploring brought you to the edge of the thicket and a cliff. A well-worn rope bridge connects the mainland and and an island. Even to untrained eyes, the sixty or so feet could be treacherous as the ropes and wooden planks on the bridge look as though they've taken a beating from the salt spray from below.

The goblins appear to have constructed a one story keep on the island out of reclaimed shipwreck wood and other scraps.

'till next time.