In summary we need to get to Fedor Island. Following the woman’s vision, we are going to look for a tall bearded man, with revenge on his mind. He is near a building by the river with crossed sword over the doors of the building.

We cross over to that side of the town. Beggars are on the bridge. One with a dog on a string approaches us. “My friends, my friends, come have a word!”
We approach.
“I fear for Jacky”.
“Who is Jacky?”.
“Jacky is my dog. Will you please look after her. I couldn’t bear to think of her wandering the streets alone and masterless”.

Dubal, agrees to take the smelly mutt on. A tearful parting ensues, Chester sad to wave his loyal mutt cheerio. Vyaaren is moved to a hard stare at the foolishness of her companions. But she keeps quiet. They have to learn the hard way.

Now best friends with the beggar he is given twenty gold. He also knows where the cross swords building is. It was a tavern but it is shut now. We also ask him about a weaselly man called Vocoss? The beggar is unspecific and noncommittal in reply.

We continue across the bridge. We spy the tavern in a run down water front part of town. We put thoughts of property investment to the back of our collective mind. Dockers are scurrying around loading and unloading warehouses and ships in the area.

Morkel and Maglor go off for a night of watching and scoping out the crossed swords.

Maglor comes back and relates…. They want to the corner by the building. They see a guard in the shadows. Morkel distracts him and Maglor picks the lock at the front. It is now open (or was when he left it).

As it is night the party don armour. Either because it’s chilly or we ‘feel’ that as it is night we can perhaps get away with it. Maglor spots nasty swarthy people hanging around the area. They look like they are ready to ambush us.

We wonder, do they know, they know that they are watching us?

The session kicked,ed off a little late. Talk covered ebooks, pdf’s, reading in bed, and abandoning children on beaches. Then pizza arrived.

Having overcome the bandits, we were taking their river boat to sell.

A mysterious figure on a horse is visible in the distance. It sees us and heads away from the river.

Scylla the captain of the Mudlark, our boat, taking us to Threshold. We can sell the river pirate boat there. Scylla makes for a mud bank he is aware of. He wanted to get further but the prize makes for a worthy delay.

In the morning we spot three people heading to Threshold on a flying carpet. Strange. Apparently there is a regular taxi service from Riflian to Threshold.

We reach Threshold. Riverboats, everywhere. The townguard approach on a river skiff. They pull up. Pleasantries and ropes are exchanged. The Sergeant guardsman, a dim witted fellow who cant see that a mace is really a holy symbol of Helim, checks all weapons until we leave. Being law abiding chaps we comply. More comradarly amongst us agree to see him in the Hook and Hatchet later.

The priests head for the temple of Helim. They chat amiably with Creken a lay priest. They try to out do each other in the sincerity of our belief. He agrees to try and give them an introduction to the Patriach. He tells them about the important procession for the Patriach tomorrow

Back at the Hatchet and Hook the guards are drinking away. They tell us about Kalim the lady with the flying carpet, based near the Town hall. We discuss with the guard our search for the dukes daughter. He departs.

Maglor spots a weasally man in the corner of the bar, raising his jar of ale his cuff slips revealing a scarred wrist of manacle marks. On eye contact he departs. Our exit is blocked by four guards.

He is nowhere to be found. The innkeeper says that his name is Vogor and he has been seen around but is not a regular. The team head for bed.

We wake in the morning to a sturdy breakfast of bacon and eggs. We head to the Patriachs parade. The people are joll happy on this merry day. The Patriach makes the jazz hands blessing sign of the sun diety Helim.

We spot our enemies in the crowd. James Bond carnival style they disappear into the crowd.

The Adventure Continues. Session date 21st Feb 2011.

The brave adventurers continue their exploration of the goblin liar. They come to a room with coarse bedding. A split skull banner hangs menacingly in the room. A hollow log corridor leads away. Maglor scouts ahead. He notices a small trap door halfway along the corridor. Maglor pokes at it and he can see another part of river. Vyaareb fears that this is some sort of goblin toilet. The party shudders. The log opens to another room.

The room is tidier. There is wooden furniture in there. Another log at the base of the room. Ferrets appear, the bare teeth. Maglor throws food at them, the sniff and eat it. Less threatening than they were before. There is no treasure to speak of.

We move to the next room. Two Hobgoblins with vacant looks block the way and start to advance upon us. Stephen tries to turn them. He fails to do so that proves that they are not undead. They are still advancing. Maglor sneaks off to one side (we guess as he is still invisible, he might have buggered off altogether for all we know).

Combat is joined and Vyaaren, despite landing a couple of hefty, if not mighty blows, is paralysed in return for her efforts. The party despatch the creatures but Jubal is also paralysed. The party are able to move the two statues with them. The room is well appointed, cushions, tables, bed and comfy seat. The rooms get nicer and nicer. There are clothes and a chest. It is empty of anything interesting. Orcish undies, you get the picture. Maglor finds a small door, he opens it carefully but triggers a trap which drops a massive petrified branch onto the room. The unpetrified people take a heavy blow. This is enough to cause us to retreat from the area.

We pick up Babusha. She is relieved to be out of there. She has been there for a while, and was captured with a young girl. Yes, she has seen Stephan the hostage we are searching for. Goblins in iron collar appeared a few days ago and took Stephan the hostage to Zitarka, to see Old Skinny Leg. The girl was taken too and the old woman left as she was too slow and scrawny. According to the woman, the goblins are led by Vlak. They are looking for an Old Map. This is what she could garner whilst listening to the people being interrogated by the goblins.

With the woman in tow and the party wounded they head back for Suskiskin. It will take us two days to get there. The horse traders are a day away. We clear the petrified forest and find a suitable place to camp. At the camp we are joined by two more refugees, Egor and Dzulietta. Stephen heals the wounded people around the campfire with his staff.

We set off again to the west for the horse traders. The trek passes without incident. As does the following days trek to Suskiskin. Much damage has been repaired in our week away. Gregor is here as well. We relate tales of our battles.

They are unable to shed light on where Zitarka is. However Stellio’s mother suggests that we speak to the Horseman. Who is the horseman we ask? He takes the form of either a centaur or a black horse….

He is contacted on the moor by standing on one leg in the moonlight. And whistling. We remember leaving him on pleasant terms. Although as he runs with the horses he has no love of horse traders who enslave his people.

The Parting

We camped over night. Mountain lion cutlets for breakfast. Met up with the elves again. Camped in the forest. Encountered refugees from Segenyev, who had been raided by goblins. They are led by Gregôr.

We share provisions with the Segenyeves and they part to the west.

The Petrified Forest

It is raining once again. We continue South undaunted. We start to recognise some of the land marks Vissaryon, the gnomish mine owner, highlighted. We enter begin to enter the valley.
Plants give way to stone. A petrified forest, caught in full bloom. There is a trial to follow. It has been well

Our thief, Maglor, enthusiastically volunteers to scout ahead. The idea is all his own. No really.
He heads off noting that the path heads slightly down and there are paths leading off

We are attacked by bats who are not turned back by the parties decisions on the stone foliage provided by deciduous woodland, providing enough cover to prevent bats from getting to us.

The party react with arrows and slings at the incoming bats. Vyaaren missed with a sling, wounded by Stephens cruel comments that Helim does not approve of ignoble slings and shot.

Maglor brings one down. The bats bite and Jubal smotes one to death. One sinks his gnashers into Stephen. Helim has let his judgement on the sling issue be known!

Vyaaren is hit, a mere scratch. Vy misses three times in a row. But the fourth blow is true. Felling it with some other minor characters.

The Warband

The bats are a regular feature. Will we run into a bat tamer?

No time for speculation as a warband of goblins and wolves are almost upon us. We split and hide! They do not see or smell us. They have passed. There are ten goblins and three wolves.

Morkel casts sleep upon them as they pass us. All the goblins sleep, the wolves are still awake though. Battle is entered with the wolves. We charge the befuddled goblins. Jubal almost slays one with his blow.

Vyaaren avoids combat. She moves darkly amongst the goblins, bringing Helim’s salvation to them with her mace. A wolf savages her before it’s attention is taken by more immediately threatening party members.

The party chop and grind there way through the wolves. They learn to respect their ferocious bites. They loot the bodies for 35 gold.

Maglor scouts ahead. He reports seeing a dark thickly black river, parted by a bridge and on the other side of it is a large petrified tree with a large entrance. Perhaps some sort of goblin-dark-scary-stone-forest HQ-type-place think the party.

He wants to scout it us, under the cover of an invisibility spell cast by Morkel.
A dramatic bridge log crossing moment occurs when he trips on a small stone sending it splashing into the water. Grunting noises from the tree base reach him but no people appear.

In the tree chamber there are two goblins and more beyond. He decides to come back to the party.

The party, after some deliberation, rush the tree and Morkel expends another sleep spell. There are twelve goblins there and two wolves. Only four goblins fall asleep this time.

The party seize the initiative and rush to attack. With a sparkle Stephen casts, hold person, his latest shiny spell on the goblins and three are gripped in fear by the all mighty Helim’s rapture.

The party close on the remaining wolves and fight it down. More gold and then another wolf appears, it is duly despatched.

The tree seems to be opening out to a small building complex. They come to another room with a couple of goblins releasing wolves in there. The party reach them with the range of their bows.

Whilst useful for scouting and hearing things Maglor has been noticeable by his absence from combat. Morbidly attached to this invisibility?

The next room on this blitzkrieg is the chieftains. A central column surrounded by goblins. We pile in, in our normal somewhat chaotic tactical approach. As it only seems to be a goblin vice-president rather than a full king Maglor remains stealthed. His cowardly blades remained sheathed. But under weight of attack forces this leader to his knees seeking our mercy. Ha!

In a cell by the room is an old woman.

The leader, in charge of the prison, says that Vlak has taken the prisoners. King Kloss is the King of the wolf riders. Vlak is not here at the moment though.

The woman is released. She says she is from Chercus. She is very scared. She wants to wait here until we finish looking around.

The party continues to explore. The next chamber is Kloss’s bedchamber. A smelly affair of disjointed bedding. The next door has an individual in who draws our eye. He wears a white wolf skin tabard. He orders his adds forward. Duly these are engaged. They are dealt with and the party now low on healing potions pick up more wounds.

The leader comes in but he is despatched with a wave of arrows and cleaves from Jubal and Vyaaren.

The party loot his cache. Stephen picks up a very nice shield, Vyaaren glares angrily at him. He is bejewelled and bedecked. Vyaaren remains true to the noble spirit of the free light.

Maglor remains invisible.

The heroes completed their rest. Heading north east from the site of their last slaughter at the Red Blades camp, they encountered no monsters in the forest. The foul weather so foul that even wandering monsters, wandered not. They could not find tracks that the red blades had made, when vacating their cavern. So following their next lead from the female goblin captive, the brave clan headed for the Vipers cave dwelling. Towards mid afternoon the party found a dell to spend the night in. The soil was well drained so had not filled with water. The party gave thanks to Helim. Assaulting a goblin stronghold at dusk not being an attractive option. Stephen organised watches, something about wanting to use his healing staff at midnight or the like. The others found it strange that a priest of the night was so attracted to the witching hour. A flapping noise is heard, from above. Giant bats strike! Stephen shouts to wake the rest of us. Jubal, grabs a log in a primitive fashion. He waves it fiercely at the bats. A bat bites Stephen. He curses! Vyaaren doubts his godliness. Vyaaren is bitten too. God is twice cursed this evening. She hits back. Maglor slices his target in two. Then he moves to Vyaaren’s target and greedily fells that too. Jubal makes contact tuning his foe. Doing just enough to finish it off. The party returns to peaceful slumber. Todays weather is heavy cloud, light rain, cool and windy. After a light breakfast the team head in their now familiar north-easterly direction. After an hour of trekking Maglor spots a faint but definite pathway. Small footprints tally with our expectation of goblin sized footprints. The party sneak, on horseback, whilst being alert and carefully following the tracks. Weapons drawn but not in an duly risky manner. Bases. Covered. We come to a scarp (a rockface apparently). The path leads round it. We notice the scarp is smooth and almost hill like. It is steep and clearly important. We think we see cavelets. Stephen guesses it is limescale protrusions over a chalk base. Either that or Kobolds have been digging. The beasts of burden are tethered. We creep up the hill. Maglor is sent ahead to scout out. On the other side of the hill, is the other side of the hill! Disappointment at the DM’s imaginations, decreases when he spots a larger cave entrance. We could not see but there is a door. We heroically spend several minutes examining this door for clues. It’s lock, it’s wood type. We noticed disturbed earth by the side. A totem perhaps removed? “Have these bastards fucked off too?”, queries Stephen in the manner that only a vicar can. The party start to hack at the door. It takes ten minutes. Vyaaren does her nails. She wonders whether the party will still get a bonus for surprise on the initiative roll. The barricaded door gives way. The totem lies broken on the floor. We light torches. Complicated directions are discussed with members of the party who show most interest in this kind of thing. Well done Jubal. He scratches markings, like a map onto parchment. The party come to a door. They open it. It is empty. 20 x 20. It is completely bare. Slat chair, bed, weapon rack with no weapons. they exit and head off. Couple of turns and another door. S. D. P. Standard Door Procedure. Listen , Check for traps, 2 people at the door. 20 mins to explain. Only rubbish in there. The tunnel ahead is blocked. A barricade halts out ingress. A knife flies out at us. It clatters emptily to the floor. We hear a goblin argument then silence. Another dagger flies out. Sadly we don’t speak goblin. Our pidgin Hobgoblin makes little impression. A knife cuts Morkel. Jubal’s molotov falls short and lights our side of the barricade. We back pedal to search for hidden doors. The DM hints that they have only just holed themselves in and so we sharply about turn to the barricade again. The fire subsides as the team chat and procrastinate. Jubal misses, but Vyaaren is made of sterner stuff felling the first of the seven goblins. A dagger bites at her, and Jubal takes one in the side. Stephen and Morkel joins them at the top. The bitchy goblins fail to push their advantage. Stephen fells one and Vyaaren adds to her tally this day. Oh yes and Morkel slays one. The remaining goblins depart at Top Speed! But not before the party smite them down with holy mace, fleet arrow and Jubal tackles one with something he darkly calls ‘rugby’. Vyaaren is healed with a spark of pure blessed lighted from Stephen’s staff. The party begin to interrogate their capture. He seems to whimper a lot. Giving one word answers through waves of fear. The party are a little alarmed at Morkal’s advanced interrogation techniques. He seems all together too comfortable and familiar with it. The rest of the party carry on scouting out the rooms. Vyaaren thinks his mummy and daddy might have argued when he was younger. __ They come across a chamber. Goblin priests, more goblins. Knives hurled at us and then a snake having been whirled round his head, is flung towards us. We shut the door. Hoping to see a snake with lots of daggers in it attached to the door. With no other rooms, the party ready their sleep spell. Morkal opens the door, the heroes burst in. Morkal casts sleep on the goblins and many fall to the floor. The leader hurls another snake at Maglor. It bites down on him. Vyaaren complains about the unfairness of the chiefs rapid actions. The goblins and the party fight. The goblin chief hurls another snake. Vyaaren complains more. Maglor hits the snake. Morkel hits it too. Vyaaren thinks twice about hitting with the mace whilt wrapped round Maglor’s neck, but luckily Morkel’s blow slays it. Stephen fells a goblin. The chief goblin runs away. Not before Jubal lands a hefty blow on him, doing for him. A final snake remains. Vyaaren deals it a passing blow and Stephen misses it. Clearly a fast moving critter. But Maglor is the faster. Some of us are busy discussing goblin breeding possibilities with the two captives male and female goblins and others are fighting for our lives. They find 23 gold and a sparely belt with gold and gems. A measly toll. Wooden snakes, contain three gems, pearl necklace, and a small box with a small key hole. Maglor detects no traps. Vyaaren finds the key on the leader. Three magical glowing potions and fifty platinum pieces are contained within. Small sips from the phials make us feel, stronger, like commanding the birds and squirrels of the woods, and the last give us sight of distant lands. One passage leads off. We avoid a pit trap and the passage opens out to the wilderness. Maglor finds a small piece map at the bottom of the casket. It’s a map leading us to the final goblin layer. More next time!