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Snot begins to spill his guts. There is some disagreement between Fourn
and the others as whether to kill him in any case, or let him go after he
talks. Snot tells the party that a human is hanging around with the
gnolls, and seems to be in charge. He doesn't know the human's name, but
confirms that something is definitely going on. Snot gives away the
location of the lairs in which his tribe (or clan?) lives in, one of which
was the cave the party already encountered. Snot wants a reason for
parting with all this information (apart from his life being spared) and
Fourn offers him a silver piece, to be handed over on the night of the new
moon, when the party go back into the broken lands to meet him.
Sending Snot on his way, the group continue into town. After
handing over the six ears in their possession (eight are required on
expeditions after the first), Reb asks to talk to someone who can deal
with the piece of paper the party found in the broken lands. The soldier
takes the piece of paper, and tells the group to come back tomorrow to
talk with Sgt. Chadeau. With that, the party retire to the Egg and Carrot
Inn. It is still only the middle of the morning, and as the group sit
talking, a monk (there are a couple of chapter houses about town) and a
man wander over to them. The monk introduces himself as novice Haiko, the
man as Czevbourne. Haiko seems to be interested in Gruff, and probes him
with questions. After a while Haiko wanders off to talk with his order,
and the others sit and talk. The city is all very military, and every now
and then a guard pokes his head in the door to ensure all is well.
Next morning (the night having been spent in the barracks, with
about one free week left) the party meet Sgt. Chadeau. He says that the
group have another 3rd class favour at their disposal as a result of the
six ears and the paper. He takes down all the information the party have
to offer, and reminds the group that even if no ears are recovered, a
scouting mission into the broken lands (duly reported on) will yield a one
week stay in the barracks. With about a week left before the party have to
set out to meet Snot, people rest, and get to know Haiko and
Czevbourne. Mat spends his time about town, and comes back with the rumour
that some people are 'interested' in Gruff, and not in a good way. Haiko
sort of confirms this, and tells that his order had reports of people out
to get Gruff.
Days pass, and the group are ready to set back out into the broken lands,
timing it to meet Snot at the ambush point on the night of the full
moon. On the night before departure, there is a disturbance in the party's
room in the guardhouse. Most of the party wake up to find Haiko holding a
man, arm twisted behind his back. Haiko throws a knife to the floor, and
the man, fearing for his life if the military find out, talks. A bald man
at the Cabbage and Turnip Inn had hired him to kill Gruff, he would have
gotten to keep the knife if he had succeeded. The would be killer's name
is Beagio. He doesn't know why the bald man wanted Gruff dead, but when he
has finished talking Haiko marches him out into the corridor, and hands
him over the soldier on watch. The group have to spend a while filling out
forms, and only Reb and Gruff bother to get up at dawn to see Beagio hung.
It comes to the attention of the Sergeant dealing with the
attempted assassination that Mat had heard rumours of threats against
Gruff, and demands to be led to their source. Mat is obliging, but if he
is to spend the morning with the Sergeant, he will not be able to set out
with the party. Reb asks Sgt. Chadeau if it would be possible for Mat to
report at a later date, that he may accompany the group into the broken
lands, and he says yes. Haiko brings with him a bundle of perishable
rations enough for the group, and by that evening the party are camping in
the alcove, a day into the broken lands.
The night passes, and just after the party set out the next
morning, three wild boars are encountered. These boars aren't the hounds
of goblins, and Gruff placates them easily. Gruff borrows Reb's
shortsword, and drives it into a boar, who happily walks towards him as he
does so. Apparently it is okay to kill boars for food and necessary
hides. About an hour is spent preparing and cooking the food, and only
Haiko abstains from eating the roast boar. By evening the party reach the
trail, and Reb reckons there are no new tracks. With midnight nominally
being the time the party were to meet Snot, the waiting begins. By most
people's reckoning midnight is long past, and people are beginning to
wonder if Snot is going to show.
Just as this thought is crossing people's minds, Gruff gives a scream. Reb
and Fourn move to his position, and Czevbourne moves to the lantern, in
case it needs to be turned up.
When Reb and Fourn get to Gruff, Snot is there laughing away, saying how
easily he could have killed Gruff. Snot talks. His clan have moved from
this area, southwards, to a now-used disused fort just inside the broken
lands. The human in charge is called Celsus, and he is the one responsible
for gathering all the goblins and gnolls so close to human
territory. Fourn hands over the promised silver piece, as long as Snot
agrees to show the party this fort of Celsus'. Snot goes off while the
group rest for the remainder of the night, but returns in the morning to
lead the way.
Snot is usually a couple of hundred paces ahead of the party, and
at one point rushes back to report a couple of big creatures on the trail
ahead. Snot seems to think they are likely to have treasure, and wants the
party to kill them. The party dally, and lose sight and trail of the
creatures. The party continue along, only this time find themselves
surprised by three large, but different creatures. The three 7ft tall,
hairy, muscular creatures attack the surprised party. Mat and Czevbourne
are missed, but Gruff is struck for good damage. In the first round the
party get a chance to act, Haiko manages to hamper one of the creatures
enough for it to fail to hit Czevbourne, and for him to step out of the
fray. Reb hits one of the creatures for relatively little damage, and Mat
misses with his staff. Gruff attacks the injured one, and finishes it off
with his two-handed spear. Mat it hit by one of the creatures, and falls
to the ground. Fourn hits one of the remaining two with his net, but the
large creature just rips its way through it.
In the next round the party gain the initiative, and Haiko gets in first
with flurrying hands and feet, but does little damage with a well aimed
kick. Reb hits the nearest bugbear for 10 damage with his first attack,
and both Fourn and Gruff miss with their spears. In turn, the bugbear
strikes Reb, but to greater effect, putting him down for good. Czevbourne,
clear of the combat, takes to muttering to himself and rubbing sticks or
something on a piece of leather, for no apparent reason. The fight
continues on, but the party gain the upper hand. Fourn falls before the
last bugbear is dispatched by a stone from Czevbourne's sling after he
gives up whatever he was doing.
Gruff tends to the injured. Mat is only unconscious, and Fourn
saved by Gruff's adeptness in the healing ways. Reb was saveable according
to Gruff, but he doesn't make it. Without anyone to translate what Snot is
saying, communication has gotten a little more difficult. The group decide
to wait until people are feeling better, and Gruff needs time to prepare
his herbs. Somehow Snot is convinced to hang around, and people rest up
for around eight hours. Valuables are removed from Reb's corpse, in the
main part being his weapons and armour, and Snot continues to lead the
party, hopefully in the direction of getting a look at the fort. In due
course this is achieved, and the group of five manage to make their way
out of the broken lands, and back to Corunglain.
The morning after arriving in Corunglain the group again talk with
Sgt. Chadeau. The party are told that the information and ears returned
will be worth two 3rd class favours, and the group decide to assign them
towards one of the party members being trained, their understanding being
that the military will train someone in exchange for ten 3rd class
favours. That makes three towards training. Sgt. Chadeau, understanding
that the group lost their man familiar with the broken lands, introduces
an ex-soldier named Dyxs, keen to do something other than following orders
all day. Sgt. Chadeau explains that the army will be preparing to deal
with the fort in the broken lands, and asks the party would they like to
be the party to do it. Considering themselves incapable of taking on a
fort of several hundred goblins, the group decline.
Still eager to earn favours and free lodging at the barracks the
party decide to undertake another expedition into the broken lands in a
few days time. The bounty hunters will have to stay away from the fort,
due to the military operations going on, but Dyxs knows there is plenty of
room in the broken lands for goblins. Nothing really happens over the few
days rest, Mat likes city life a great deal more than the broken lands,
and gambles away a couple of silver pieces.
On the morning the group have planned to set out into the broken lands,
Dyxs is checking his backpack. Down at the bottom is a map of some sort,
definitely not put there by himself. He recognises it as being some part
of the broken lands, but cannot read the place names. Dyxs enlists the
help of Haiko to read the map, after which he reckons he could reach the
point 'X', indicated on the map. Setting off like he knows where he's
going, Dyxs leads the group northeast along the river towards the broken
lands. The group camp for the night beside the river, and set off again in
the morning. By late morning the group reach the fortified bridge (located
inside the broken lands) spanning the river. A small round tower and
portcullis guard each side of the bridge. After exchanging pleasantries
with the guard at the tower, the party continue into the broken
lands. That night passes uneventfully, and Dyxs (with Haiko's
assistance) begins to refer to the map more carefully the next morning. In
due course the party reach what is reckoned to be the general area of 'X'
on the map. It is at this point that Dyxs tells people about not having a
clue how he got the map or what it is for, but nobody seems to react too
badly to this.
People begin turning over boulders, searching for whatever the map
might lead to. Czevbourne kicks over a couple of boulders, and uncovers a
strange design on the ground. It is a circle with some sort of star in the
middle, with symbols inside the circle too. As people are wondering about
the circle, a goblin appears on the circle. Most of the party are startled
by the sudden appearance of the goblin, but Dyxs is gathered enough to
swing at and miss the goblin with his longsword. People are still
startled, and the goblin immediately takes off. This time Dyxs swings a
punch at it, and renders it quite unconscious. Gruff tends to the goblin
to wake it up, and Dyxs kneels on its chest as he talks to it. The goblin
is quite disorientated, and talks of having just been sent on guard duty,
and then finding itself here. Curious about the circle, Dyxs hauls up the
goblin, and, holding its shoulders, pushes it onto the circle. Nothing
happens.
Dyxs has grown tired of the goblin, and draws his longsword to kill it. He
swings and misses, but only because Haiko was quick enough to get in his
way. The goblin runs for it, and Mat and Dyxs go to give chase. Haiko
steps into Dyxs' way, but Dyxs easily barges past him. Dyxs and Mat pursue
the goblin for a round or so, but it seems to duck behind a boulder and
disappear. They search the area and listen out for a while, then return to
the rest of the party at the circle. Haiko is busy drawing a picture of
the circle in that notebook of his, and Czevbourne is curious when Mat and
Dyxs report that the goblin just seemed to disappear after ducking behind
a rock. Mat and Dyxs return to the point where they lost the goblin with
Czevbourne. There is still no sign of the goblin, and after a while they
return to the rest of the party.
When they get there Haiko and Gruff are crowded around what seems
to be a stone statue of Fourn. It seems as that some kind of large lizard
appeared on the circle, and it had beautiful eyes that one couldn't resist
looking at. All of these things appearing and men made of stone is a bit
much. Just then, the stone statue of Fourn starts moving again, and he is
once more flesh and bone. The party talk for a while, and Haiko and Mat go
over to examine the stone carved circle to see if anything hidden lies
within or around. They find nothing.
Suddenly, a man in his bedclothes with a book under his arm appears on the
circle. He mutters to himself, then rises about 30ft into the air. Most of
the party just stand there open-mouthed, but Mat and Czevbourne call out
to him. The man descends slowly to the ground, and begins conversing with
the party. When he sees the circle he immediately calls for it to be
covered over, and Haiko and Dyxs oblige, Fourn still being quite dazed by
everything that is happening. The man, named Claudius asks hopefully for
swig of alcohol, but some water from Dyxs' skein has to suffice.
Claudius begins by trying to convince the party that they didn't see him
float up into the air, or appear out of thin air, but for the most part,
it doesn't work. When the goblins and Celsus are mentioned, Claudius grows
solemn. He explains that Celsus poses a major threat to the party's world,
and that he must be stopped. By way of demonstration Claudius shows the
party what Celsus can do, their power being presumably comparable. He asks
the party to stand behind him, then waves his hands and chants a
bit. Lightning sprays forth from his hands, obliterating boulders and
earth in front of him. Claudius explains that Celsus has the ability to
give such power to goblins for a short period of time. Claudius admonishes
the party not to talk of anything they have seen. When somebody mentions
the nearby river he tells the party to stay put, and wanders off by
himself. He returns a couple of minutes later to report that he has a ship
waiting to take the group south to Corunglain. Indeed, when the group get
a bit closer to the river, they see a large vessel, which Claudius must
have stopped on its way south, they suppose. Everyone piles on board, but,
strangely, no crew is to be seen. It is only a short while before the
bridge is reached. Dyxs talks to one of the guards, who wants to know why
no flag is flying on the ship. Dyxs asks Claudius, who hands over a pile
of documentation to be passed on to the guard. Clearly this is Claudius'
ship, but how did he get it here. Dyxs gives the paperwork to the guard,
who is satisfied, and the ship continues south towards Corunglain. As
Corunglain grows closer, the first thing the party see is a large pillar
of smoke in the sky. By the time the party are close enough to see things
clearly, they realise that Corunglain has been utterly destroyed. All that
remains are smouldering clumps of burned down buildings. Claudius says
that it is the work of Celsus, and his powered up goblins.
It being late enough, the group decide to spend the night on the docks
before venturing into what's left of the city in the morning. The damage
to the city seems odd. Only where there were people or things is
burned. The group get down to looting. Haiko goes off to search the
remains of his chapter house, and is accompanied by Czevbourne. Reb and
Fourn go in search of horses. Mat and Gruff have a general pillage of
likely areas. In the remains of his chapter house, Haiko uncovers his clan
katana. The scabbard is a little burnt, but otherwise it is in perfect
condition.
Mat finds some of those strange leather strips that Czevbourne
seems to like messing around with, and gives them to him. Czevbourne seems
pleased, and goes off to talk with Claudius. By nightfall, nothing more
has been found, and the party settle down to sleep.
In the morning, Claudius and his ship are gone. A note remains, saying
that the party's world is safe until after the full moon, when both he and
Celsus can return. The party decide to head south to the town of Favaro to
warn them. The city bridges are burnt, and the group will have to head
north, back up to the guard bridge in order to cross the river. Dyxs and
Fourn are both on the look out for horses, figuring a few must have bolted
during the attack on the city, and not wandered too far. They are
correct. A solitary horse is spotted, and Fourn sets about making a tether
out of his hemp rope. The horse is a little shaken up, and burnt for that
matter. Gruff applies some of his herbs to the burns, and the horse calms
down a little.
With Fourn now leading a horse, the party continue north to the
bridge. The party spot a small wagon on the side of the road, and stop to
have a look.
Two goblins spring to their feet on the back of the wagon, and
four more appear out of the brush on the side of the road. A gnoll leads
the charge. The two goblins on the back of the wagon fail to strike Haiko
and Dyxs.
In the next round both the party and the goblins get a chance to
act. Fourn tries to tether his horse by placing the butt of his spear into
the ground, but the horse is trying to bolt from the goblins, and he
doesn't make any progress. Czevbourne takes a slingshot at one of the
incoming goblins, but fails to hit. Both Haiko and Dyxs fail to strike
with their swords, and Mat is only person to hit, striking a goblin with
his staff. In the next round Haiko slays the goblin he is facing, and
moves into its space to free up some room. Czevbourne takes to counting
the goblins, placing the leather thing and some other stuff on the ground
in front of him.
Again Mat strikes one of the goblins on the cart, but again for little
damage. Haiko takes a solid blow from of the goblins, but both Dyxs and
Mat are missed by their attackers. In turn, Gruff fails to hit the goblin
he is facing, and Dyxs misses with both of his attacks this round. Fourn
continues to try to deal with the horse, but again fails to tie it down.
In the next round, the party fare better. Dyxs slays the as yet unhurt
gnoll, and Mat finishes off one of the goblins on the cart. Again
Czevbourne plays with his stuff on the ground, and Gruff misses with his
spear.
It isn't looking too good for the goblins, but both Haiko and Dyxs fall,
and they stay to fight another round.
Fourn gives up trying to deal with the horse, and rushes in to
attack. Within a couple of rounds another goblin is dead, and three are
fleeing. Fourn takes off in the direction the horse went, and Gruff deals
with the injured. While Fourn is off looking for his horse, Mat searches
the wagon. It contains a full size statue of a man, the one from the town
square in Corunglain, if people aren't mistaken. Also amongst the junk is
a human hand, presumably lopped off so as that rings could be taken at a
later date. Furthermore, Mat uncovers a large heavy, gold chain. This
thing has got to be worth an absolute fortune, but people soon realise
that it is the mayoral chain from Corunglain.
In the distance, Fourn is seen running towards the party, three gobins in
pursuit. When he is close enough to the party, he turns, and throws his
net. The unfortunate goblin is cocooned, and snaps his neck as he falls to
the ground. Czevbourne fires off a sling stone, and another one of the
goblins drops to the ground.
The remaining goblin starts running the other way. Fourn and Dyxs give
pursuit for a while, but are growing too far from the party, and give up
after a while.
There is disagreement as to whether it would be a better idea to
press on towards the bridge fort (which may require walking after
sundown), or rest up at the cart for the night. It is decided to press
on. As the fort is sighted in the distance, Haiko is sent off on his own
to check it out. He returns a couple of minutes later, urging the party to
hurry towards the fort. It is still held by humans, and they don't have a
clue what's going on. The party are asked to pick up any unbroken arrows
they see as they make their way past the goblin bodies to the fort. The
fort is not unused to goblin attacks, but they have been attacking in
droves for the past couple of days (obviously not with the strength with
which they attacked Corunglain) and the soldiers are running short on
nerves and arrows. Dyxs relays the bad news about Corunglain, the sight of
the mayoral chain being proof enough for the already disheartened
soldiers.
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