Camping on their last night before civilisation the party do well to
destroy some exotic poisonous shrubbery (good thing too - the local
environmentalists would block the Ristenby bypass plans for 20 years if they
had seen them).Finally the party reach
Ristenby where
Perkin, impressed by
their adventuring spirit, finds backers to start a
Ristenby Adventurer’s Guild
with the party as founder members. The party does some
shopping and Lura makes some enquiries of her own. At Perkin’s suggestion the
party begin their investigations at
Sandkirk a local gnome village (see
separate sheet for freely available rumours).
At Sandkirk it is clear that in addition to a missing carter and cart and
assorted gnome pilgrims not all the villagers are accounted for. They begin
their investigations at the Kreggissons farm finding two (dead) missing
villagers along the way plus some nasty looking birds who try to eat Midge.
Strangely there is a nearby empty cage with a candle/string/spring release
mechanism. Reaching the farm the party find a dead grandfather and a gnomeling,
stuffed up a chimney. But where are little Freggu’s parents and most of the
livestock? And what large rodent did the family badger grab in its teeth before
being overcome?. Tracks lead to a nearby stream. Lura points upstream (what’s
tracking in a stream to a Ranger?) and the party follow the stream for several
miles before coming to a cliff from which it issues via a cave. At the back of
the cave a portcullis bars the party’s progress.
At the top of the cliff is the famous ruined Broch (of ‘don’t go near the
Broch or you’ll disappear’ fame). A quick search reveals a loose flagstone.
Down the stairs are several rooms and even more goblins who quickly become dead
goblins. A captive reveals
- the complex contains ‘lots’ of goblins
- and some assorted hobgoblins, orcs and men
- and some slaves including gnomes and possibly hobbits
- and positively no giant rats
- the way to the slaves (‘downstairs’) is through the temple
The question ‘was he lying at all?’ was posed after the captive’s
unfortunate death. Wading through some giant rats (hmm?) the party discover the
goblin barracks. Disposing of a twelve-pack of goblins is not, however, done as
quietly as might be desired. During the retreat a ‘net and dart’ ambush is
brushed aside and a quick exit from the complex is achieved. Another successful
reconnaissance expedition. Only if the goblins ask themselves how 25 of their
compatriots managed to slit their throats shaving on the same day as an
assorted party of gnomes, dwarves, elves and men were seen in the complex will
the goblins think they’ve been tumbled. Hurrying back across the grasslands the
party are over taken by goblin/giant weasel cavalry. An epic battle ensues with
only two goblins making it back to warn of the dire consequences of crossing
Ristenby Adventurers Guild Enterprises (RAGE for short).
Back in Sandkirk the community are grateful for the warning and immediately
start preparations for a siege of their fortified mine. The party receive 25gp
each on account for a second expedition to stop the goblins attacking Sandkirk
(1000gp if this is achieved or 500gp if the goblins are defeated after reaching
Sandkirk).
Messages are sent to Ristenby without much hope of getting aid. On the other
hand Chaal seems to think her little sister may be in the area…
During the night Midge has a strange dream in which he is transported to a
secret entrance to the Broch guarded by ‘Melak’ (who hates goblins and gnomes)
and his pet spider, Sheila. The party take this as a favourable sign and after
being joined by Chaal’s sister,
Maag (a druid) and using Maag’s ability to talk
to the local birdlife they indeed find such an entrance by a murky pool.
Inside the Broch after triggering a pit trap and ducking under a rusty
portcullis the party find the dream seems to have revealed the truth. A goblin,
who hates goblins, Melak does indeed live here and with the aid of Maag (who
then departs) Midge tricks his way past Sheila and relieves the sleeping Melak
of a dagger he last saw in the hands of his grandfather at the sack of
Sandhills (where he was born).
Midge then scouts the complex as much as he can while invisible. Spying a
guarded door he calls upon the rest of the party to create a diversion. Never
ones to object to a bit of mindless slaughter they mow down some
over-enthusiastic bugbears, causing the guards, closely followed by Midge, to
retreat into what turns out to be the temple. Unfortunately there do not appear
to be any ‘stairs down’ as promised by the goblin captive (‘I’ll kill that
goblin next time I see him – oh no we already have’ thinks Midge). Anxious to
find any prisoners Midge searches the temple and finds a secret door behind the
altar.
While the rest of the party, having healed themselves, continue to clear
nearby rooms (including the giant weasel stables) Midge is unluckily detected,
captured and chained to the altar. Happily in this temple the goblins never
sacrifice anyone below 4th level. Fearing for his life, however, the rest of
the party rush to estimate the value of his equipment divided five ways. Will
they be in time (or will the goblins keep the equipment?)….
Things look bad for Midge as outside the temple doors the rest of the party
estimated that it will take at least half an hour to break them down
(professional pride prevents them from going through a door any other way).
Pottering around for an alternative (any goblins killed during this exercise
have only themselves to blame) the party discover a crude lift down to another
level and hence more goblins who are guarding some prisoners including the
missing gnome pilgrims (those they haven’t sacrificed/eaten anyway). Realising
that they have a free and grateful labour source on they hands the party use
the extra brawn and pickaxes to finally break down the temple door.
Unfortunately a small messy sacrifice on the altar tells its own story and even
worse there’s no sign of any equipment.
Meanwhile back at the altar Midge is up against it but with a superhuman
(superhalfling?) display of luck Midge cheats fate within an astonishing
display of his race’s resilience in a tight corner. Spying some stairs he makes
a break for it. Discovering some prisoners (and lots and lots of goblins)
upstairs he decides that he has tempted providence enough for one day and locks
himself in an empty cell. Phew safe at last … until the secret door at the back
of the cell opens to reveal the rest of the party who have been nosing around.
The party decide on a methodical approach to clearing the dungeon. By this
time, however, the powers that be had had enough of adventurers in the complex
and the full military might of the goblins is unleashed (with supporting magic
users). The party form a thin red line which soon becomes all too literal as
their own blood starts to cover the floor. Things look bad, Brand hears someone
TALKING IN CAPITAL LETTERS in his ear and only a swift healing spell averts
death. Only the resilience of the dwarf in the face of holding spells prevents
disaster. The party are assessing there chances of retreat v annihilation when
Dindle who had acted as lookout (‘point out goblins then run’) and sensibly
kept running returns. Even better he brings Maag who covers their retreat.
Outside the party consider their options and totally wipe out a patrol sent
to look for them (just to keep their hands in). The options are reduced by the
appearance of the full goblin army heading for Sandkirk (whoops there goes at
least half the reward!).
Returning with all speed back to Sandkirk the party warn the village who
decide that their fortified mine is the best option for survival. The local
magic user, Jeggi, feels that his magical brazier of sleep will help the
defence. Unfortunately this has been ‘borrowed’ by the daughter of a leading
light in the community and Jari would like it back without a fuss. The party
oblige by stealthily removing it from the gnome hole where it was hidden. Will
relief arrive from Ristenby in time? Hint - no. Will Maag’s companion wolf
finds any allies (‘look his wagging his tail – he wants us to follow him’) or
has he not seen any Lassie movies? As the party rest before there own
re-enactment of the Alamo one of them dreams…
A defence of the mine is prepared but as Brand explains his dream of an orc
war-band bearing down on Sandkirk, Lura realises these could be friends of
Chaal’s. Indeed the war-band is led by Chaal’s father, Krug Bloodaxe no less,
who have come to meet Chaal’s grandmother, Magga, who has been ‘travelling in
the south’ with her granddaughters. Since they are ‘in the area’ they are
prepared to knock 40% off their usual rates for saving a village provide
Sandkirk is prepared to act as a ‘demonstration village’ for would be hirers of
the war-band’s services. Krug and the party discuss tactics. Krug points out
that once the leaders and magic users are killed the goblins generally run. His
band wiped out a goblin cavalry unit on the way to Sandkirk just to keep their
hands in.
An ambush is duly set where the road passes between a steep incline and
forest. The goblin’s vanguard is let past and then the signal to attack the
crucial mid-section of the goblin army is given by Granny’s fireball. Caught is
such a tight space and subject not only to deadly melee assault but also to
Dindle’s ‘web and burn’ tactics the goblins crumble before their impressive
spell-casting leadership can mount any sort of resistance. The entire
mid-section of the army is massacred with but one spell-caster making an escape.
The vanguard of the army which failed to get back in time to help their
colleagues now retreats rapidly but goblins can’t run as fast as orcs with
predictable results. The rearguard section of the army retreats in the
direction of the Broch. The orcs and the party share the loot from the bodies
and the reward and gratitude of the village are appreciated. Next day the orcs
and the party raid the Broch but the goblins have cleared it out leaving some
minor loot in their hurry to be gone.