About half the group spent a few hours on the gambling barge trying to dig up any loose information. You weren't very successful because you weren't sure exactly 'what' you were looking for in the first place. Those without the sihedron mark (all but Malloric) were often approached and offered tattoo services. Bach almost took them up on it but after D'Argo was able to sneak away and cast detect magic which revealed a residual magic on all those with tattoos, he changed his mind. Something that was said a couple of times by those offering the services was that 'the mistress would be happy to tattoo you.' Feeling things getting a little (more) creepy you decide to leave and get ready for the hike to the fort in the morning.
Midway through the second and you figured last day on the road, Bach and Malloric heard a sound off in the woods. Malloric identified it as most likely a hurt animal. A big one. Shalelu concurred. The group decide to go check it out. You found a large black bear caught in a heavy and rusted bear trap. It was to strong for anyone to pull apart but Golian was able to disarm it. The bear was actually friendly and seemed to be trying to thank you for releasing it. Shalelu figured it must have been a local ranger's or druid's pet. About this time you heard the baying of dogs. You waited quietly and once you decided they were in fact coming your way you made a break for the horses - Shalelu lead the bear. Malloric and Golian stayed behind and hid to get a look at what was coming. Soon a large (but still medium-sized creature) humanoid came into view. He had one seriously deformed hand with which he held the leashes for half a dozen dogs and two very large worgs. He noticed the broken trap and yelled "Who took my bear!" He released the dogs and they began to sniff around. They eventually found your trail and headed off toward most of the group and the horses. He followed up with the worgs. Malloric and Golian moved stealthily behind him.
Back at the horses, you could hear the dogs coming so you prepared. About the same time the dogs broke the tree line, Golian stepped on a branch. That drew the attention of the handler and he sicced the worgs on Golian and headed off towards the dogs. D'Argo fireballed the dogs as they charged and the rest were mopped up in a few rounds. Just as about the last dog fell the handler emerged and seeing the bear charged Shalelu, skewering her with a long spear. The group converged and steel started flying. Malloric and Golian had their hands full with the worgs. Infact, it soon looked like that had more than they could handle as the worgs kept tripping them. Golian soon fell and Malloric yelled for assistance. Wolfgar responded to the call and started into the wood. Edwin had his hands full keeping Shalelu alive and the rest healed as the handler was dishing out some significant damage. Bach raged and soon struck him down with a severe falchon blow.
You regrouped, healed up and looted the (Half-ogre?) handler. He didn't have much but a blanket/loin cloth had some Black Arrow badges sewn on it. They all have relatively fresh bloodstains. You decided to track the handler and his animals to where they came from.
After a few hours of easy tracking, you came to a clearing in the wood with a house and barn and some tilled areas that barely qualified as gardens. Malloric and Golian scouted ahead and found another deformed half-ogre sitting on the porch of the house. You developed a strategy and most went around the wood and Malloric and Golian went back through hoping to be able to surround him. When he spotted the party, he yelled, "Mammy, Dinner's here!" and charged. Bach returned the favor but when they met, Bach got the short end of that stick. The half-ogre swung his halberd with such force that it almost knocked Bach over and opened a deep wound. The group converged on him and soon took him down, but not until after he sliced and diced nearly everyone at least once.
You healed a bit and headed into the side door of the house. It was the kitchen. The smell and sight of the prepared 'food' about made you retch. It looked as though they were serving human. You moved into the dinning room only to be waylaid by swinging scythe blade traps on each of the three doors into this room. Exploring the first floor, you discovered another room with two more, albeit slightly smaller half-ogres. A few spells and melee rounds later and they too were defeated. There were stairs down and up.
[we'll pick it up here when we next play - xp not yet awarded]
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