Session 5 Summary

Game Date: June 13, 2009

Heroes: Bagheera, Rhinox, Laertes, and Dashiell; with NPC Podrus

The heroes found themselves deep underground, below the very Tower they were investigating. They had found a hidden area beyond one of the sublevels and it lead to a secret lair of the humans that are helping the goblins. After finding and destroying the working portal, the secret entrance the Commander has been looking for since this all began, the adventurers still had to find a way back out of the Sanctum.

The party pulled themselves out of a clever necromantic trap in one of the Sanctum halls and continued their search for an exit. Winding through the passage the way dead ended at a small round room with a ladder in the center. The ladder went up through a hole in the ceiling. Thinking this could be a way back to the upper levels of the Tower; the heroes climbed the ladder, only to find a similar small room. A single narrow passage exited the room.

Their choices were limited so the adventurers followed the passage until it connected with other, wider passages. A strange phenomenon happened when they looked back at the path they had taken. The room with the ladder was blocked by a wall and once they entered the wider passage, the path behind them had another wall blocking the way behind them. These walls were simply illusions keeping the room with the ladder a secret as they found the passage led them back to the sewers. Finally they had reached civilization once again, albeit in the pitch of darkness. The town was closed.

In the morning they spoke with the Commander once again and relayed what they had found. Surprisingly, Maranaren stood with the Commander again, as he always has. The destruction of the portal beneath the Tower was good news to the Commander, but the First Advisor seemed disappointed. It seemed, the Advisor could have used the portal to send the heroes directly to the lair of the troublesome goblins. They all agreed that could have been disastrous and so a plan for the heroes to hike through the Jagged Plains was devised. One small problem, the party was split and the leaders were currently elsewhere.

Upon the request of the adventuring party, the Commander used his influence with the Church of the Raven Queen and was able to bring in a low ranking acolyte to help the adventurers on their journey. The next morning the party was ready to head out and begin their travels through the deadly goblin hills beyond the Ridgeback Cliff. With only half the party and a hireling in tow, the heroes began their search for the enemy. A small crude map of the region where the Deepspear goblin tribe might be located is all they had to keep them going in the right direction.

Even today a road leads from the Great Gates north to the very mountains themselves. It is an old road and hasn’t been maintained for many centuries but it helps cut some travel time for the party. Not an hour down the road they found the markings of the barbaric and bestial tribes that live in these hills. Just of the road to the east they found a series of pikes sticking out of the ground. When they investigated they learned these were the displays of past victims of the many tribes that live in these hills. The bodies that were spiked here decayed and finally slid down the pole to rest on the ground. One pole still had a head spiked near its top. It had come loose from its body and now hangs high for the sun to eat away at its flesh, or possibly for other things to feed on it.

With such a small party the heroes did not want to take any chances. Bagheera the Druid took point far ahead and became their scout. His abilities hit pay dirt as several hours up the road they came upon a spot in the road where a goblin hunting party was ready with an ambush. With the early warning from druid they thwarted the ambush and engaged the goblins. After suffering very few injuries the heroes were able to scatter the goblins, but they were not done with them yet. A thirst for goblin blood overcame the adventurers as they attempted to hunt down every last goblin that tried to escape. Their determination murdered all but one of the ambush team. It is possible the confines of the village or maybe the heat of the hills clouded their judgment as they continue to hunt these villainous beasts.

The heroes were close to the mountains and finally began their journey through the thick rocky terrain of the hills. The adventuring party worked together to make it through the treacherous terrain as they finally located the object of their search. Within a cluster of ravines, Dashiell’s sharp eye caught a cave at the end of one of them. It could be the entrance of the Deepspear goblin lair, or it could simply be the lair of a large cave bear; only one way to find.

The party moved into the cave and found a network of tunnels. They found a small four way intersection with a natural spring in its center. There was evidence of goblin activity around the hole. This must be the place they were looking for. Choose a path the party marches on through the tunnels finding a large central chamber that looked to be used for tribal gatherings. The cave had several fire pits scattered about and there was evidence of recent use. Once again Dashiell’s sharp eye finds a loose set of rocks hiding a narrow tunnel. The heroes decided to follow the tunnel as it led them to a strange site.

The hidden tunnel emptied out onto another passage going right and left. While all is quiet Rhinox attempts to listen for ambient sound and hears voices in the air to the right. The party follows the whispers and comes across a room with a few individuals waiting inside. A small group of tall goblins called hobgoblins were standing about a worked wooden door fashioned in the wall across the room. Down a set of carved stone steps, on a lower level of the chamber, a pair of humans was whispering amongst themselves, obviously the source of the voices Rhinox heard.

Most of the enemy was caught by surprise as the heroes descended upon them. The party suffered very few wounds as they delivered swift justice to these vile creatures. Whatever they were planning, it will not go farther than this room. The adventurers move up to the door and hear voices coming from the other side. Opening the door did not immediately gain the attention of those beyond.

As the adventurers opened the door they entered into an ongoing conversation between a rather muscular goblin and a well armored hobgoblin. It appears the goblins name was Nibkraw and he claimed to be King of the Goblins. One thing was certain; he was in control of the portal that was currently located within this lair. By this time the oversized rat pet of the Goblin King noticed the party’s intrusion. The goblins figured together they would make quick work of the heroes.

A long battle ensued. Wounds were suffered by many of the heroes but surprisingly no one was seriously hurt. In the end the heroes prevailed; the Goblin King had been slain along with hobgoblin liaison. The heroes searched Nibkraw’s stone throne and came up with a letter signed Avatar Deogol. It seems an outside source is putting the goblins on the same side, even if the goblins don’t like it. It still begs the question, who are these outsiders?

Nibkraw had a successful raiding career putting together his Deepspear tribe. The chamber of the throne was littered with valuables he had collected. Gathering up the valuables the party the party found nothing of magical value but their hireling, Podrus, was a cleric not a wizard. One strange item they did find on the body of Nibkraw. He was wearing a medallion in the shape of a shield above crossed weapons. The strange part of it was the medallion was broken. Nibkraw was only wearing half of the trinket. The other half was nowhere to be found.

Who are these strange Avatars? What do they want with the Fort and why are they using the goblin tribes? Why are they remaining in the background? What is the medallion that was found and where is the other half? Many more questions and very few answers, lets see what happens next.

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