Tombs and Turtles

Mistletov and Raguso would like to investigate their newly found treasure map but first Wren wants them to deal with the Giant Turtle who aggresively attacks boats on Tuskwater. An independent fisherman, Arven, has promised a reward of a returning runestone (found in a pike's stomach) if the huge animal is dealt with. Mistletov would have preferred to have negotiated with the turtle , Old Crackjaw, but is beginning to see that some animals in the area have become unnaturally aggressive and beyond reasoning with. Aided by Kenzin and Farouk they set out on the lake and soon attract the turtle's attention. Although Raguso suffers a dreadful bite from its jaws the party kill the turtle and present its shell to Arven who uses it as a basis for a new hut.

The guardian of the chamber is a powerful skeletal warrior who the party defeat to claim his magic greatsword. On the way out the party destroy the remaining skeletal guards of the tomb and as they do the magic in the trap fades and becomes inert. The party then return to the village.

A couple of days later two travellers arrive from the north. One is a Dragonborn dressed in somewhat dusty robes. She has a pseudo dragon with her as a pet/familiar and introduces herself as Harlann. Her companion is human, a somewhat grim-faced ranger named Lucius. She says she has travelled many miles to be here and has been sent by the Imperial Court of Dragons to be their ambassador to the new realm. Neither Mistletov or Raguso have ever heard of the Imperial Court but they are not well up on dragon lore so they welcome the travellers and allow Harlann to make herself at home in the fort basement.

A few days later Mistletov learns through Shadowfov and the fey network that a group of humanoids numbering about 20 are travel east through the forest. They include a group of (mostly human) women and children. Some of them are obviously in a bad way which is causing them to move quite slowly. They have just started, however, to follow the Murque valley which in maybe 3 - 4 days will cause them to enter the territory of the lizardmen. They have a number of non-human warriors amongst them and the lizardmen are likely to see it as some sort of invasion.

With Harlann having left to visit the kobolds and Wren yet to return from Brevoy Mistletov and Raguso take Artel and Mana with them to meet the refugees. They head off the group from straying too far down the Murque valley but make contact with a female lizardman scout who tells them that her tribe has become more agressive since the chief fell under the influence of an 'evil spirit'. By the time they get back to the settlement Wren has returned having successfully completed his negotiations with Brevoy and he welcomes the new group telling them they can stay as long as they like. It appears they were former inhabitants from the village of Renford (near Pitax) and the ruler of Pitax was probably behind the attack by orcs and goblins that destroyed their village. The mercenaries that accompanied them get on well with Sin because, it turns out, they are all from Pitax's underworld.

The refugees are happy to stay in Guilin as the new village has been named by a popular vote. Meanwhile news comes that faction in Brevoy inimical to the Stolen Lands project has hired the Black Tears once again with a view to disrupting the dwarven engineers building the kingdom's new roads. Raguso, Mistletov, Artel and Sin enlist the help of the former Pitax mercenaries to ambush those wishing to ambush the dwarves. Raguso pretends to be the suoervisor of the engineering party to much mirth from the engineers themselves. When the Black Tears arrive a major skirmish breaks out and the former mercenaries acquit themselves well against the Black Tears. All the casualties are suffered by the Tears.

A few days later Wren sends Raguso and Mistletov south to explore the lands on the kingdom's southern borders. They are joined by two dwarves Bea, a cleric, and Hardin, a ranger, who are looking for a site to build a tavern. At the junction of the Little Sellen and Shrike Rivers they find a ruined Ferry Station and a little deserted village that obviously grew up around it. Ominously there are bones in some of the houses. Hardin pieces together the evidence which suggests that twenty (ish) years ago the small community was attacked by an enormous beast. Either there were no survivors or those that survived fled never to return again. About five years ago some goblinoid bones suggest that goblins camped in the ruins but again were subject to a lethal attack.

The party then realise they are being watched and capture a small goblin who tells them he is looking for some heroes to confront a terrfying beast which is massacring travellers near his village. The party find a cave some miles up the Little Sellen River and confront a huge owl bear. Having killed it they have to fight a Shambling Mound while exploring the rest of the cave complex. They also find the bodies of a barbarian, a party of bandits and a smaller owl bear who may have been the monster's mate. The barbarian had on his body a map of the area with the location of the village and the monster's lair both marked. After looting the bodies they rejoin the goblin and generously waive the reward he wants to give them, preferring instead to try and establish friendly relations with the goblin village. The goblin, Gorblitt, is enthusiastic but is less sure about his leaders. Wren, however, is very pleased with this encounter and puts 'contact the goblins' on his lengthening to do list.