Rise of the Runelords

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.