ADVENTURES IN THE NORTHERN REACHES #3

Session #3  (4-7-2012): Back to the Caves of Chaos:

After a week of resting and regrouping, party decides to procure more hirelings using the majority of the money they got from selling off their former deceased hirelings equipment. After paying guildmaster Osen of Hireling Hall another 10gp for his services plus ("what wait cries Orien, we already paid him the last time." Yup, I said, that was for the last group of hirelings you managed to go through, now you want him to produce a new batch of cannon fodder- he  wants his cut". To which Orien didnt seem to agree but went along with the deal anyway).

They got Bryrig again, and also two peasant men at arms named Yar and Guy ( who hoped to become real adventuers one day), and another men at arms named Cortag. They passed on the hissing grave digging magic user with the shovel who was interested in assisting in plundering the Barrowmaze. Now broke, the group had the issue of getting enough rations for themselves and the hirelings. Brother Cadfael had the great idea of scavaging through the garbage of the Flaming Troll and other locals where old and bad food was thrown away, then casting Purify Food and Water on the garbage to make it edible enough for the trek. An un appealing option to say the least, but the group decided it was the only option at this point ( and it should be noted that while he made the garbage safe to eat, his spell did nothing for its presentation or taste....) And off to the Caves of Chaos they went.

Day two into the journey they were set upon by a group of 4 wolves led by another larger wolf. Orien and Brother Cadfael thought it uncharacteristic that a group of wolves would attack an armed group of humans in the wilderness when normal prey was surely in abundance in the area. As they readied for the pack of wolves to attack, the lead wolf revealed itself to be something different all together. Its eyes glowed a blood red and its flesh curled back off its head to reveal its bloody muscled skull benieth. It let out a strange cry and the wolves leap to attack.

Myra quick with her sleep spell, felled all of the wolves eccept one, but had no effect against the strange wolf like creature. The creature immediately moved into the fray and aggressively woke the wolves up- seeming to know exactly how to revive them.  Brother Cadfael tried to blind the creature with a light spell, but only managed to make it glow with light instead ( hmm didn't this happen a week ago with the wild dogs...).

Orien let loose a few arrows at the creature and the men at arms stepped up to take the wolves head on. After two of the wolves went down, the wolf creature and the a companion wolf took off. The remaining wolf attempted to retreat from the combat, but was slain by the men at arms, its sad cry calling off to the two who had fled.  The party searched the bodies of the wolves and about for a lair but found nothing. Orien was worried that this creature  whom had some sort of power over the wolves, might return with more and so the group quickly carried on.

Upon reaching the Caves of Chaos, the group once again entered the goblin caves. They immediately met up with a group of goblins once inside the caves and killed them, but some goblins ran off. They pursued deeper into the lair and took a path that led into a dead end. This was an unfortunate choice for a group of goblins came up behind the group and attacked them. Poor Guy fell in the skirmish but the group did manage to kill the rest of the goblins. With one of their man at arms dead and others wounded, the group decided to take the haul of coins they had managed to find off the goblin bodies  along with their heads back to Threshold to better equip themselves for a return visit. Yar insisted on bringing his friend Guy's body with them to bury in the wilderness, he doesn't want him to end up as goblin food.

Once back in Threshold, the group used their coins to try and hire their own henchmen at the Flaming Troll. They manage to get a goblin hating elf named Galdreel and another porter named Wargrim who seemed to know a lot about elven history for some reason. They equip the group with shields, foodstuff and other goods and head back to the caves.

At the entrance once again they are met by a group of goblins, who once again are taken out of combat with a simple sleep spell. Heads are collected and coins pocketed.

This time they continued along the path they had been on a few days before and came into a storage room of some kind. As they entered and began to look about, a group of goblins that had been hiding behind the crates and barrels jumped out and attacked by throwing spears. Yar went down immediately. Brother Cadfael charged into the room and slammed into a stack of barrels upon which a goblin was firing from, dumping the goblin at his feet. Brother Cadfael ordered the goblin to give up, but Cortag didn't agree with that and attacked the goblin. The elf Galdreel laid into the goblins with zeal, and soon they were all dead. There was little in the room besides lots of spears ( which the group broke in half to prevent the goblins from using them in the future), and a set of stairs going up.

They climbed these and found a door beyond which Orien heard low grumbling goblin like voices. " I don't think there are goblins in here, we may not be ready to take on these guys" he whispers back to the group. And so the group sneaks back down the stairs and back to the entrance to explore the opposite hallway.

No sooner do they begin down the h all and they are set upon by more goblins which the party makes quick work of. Further on they come to a room where 3 goblins are standing guard in the corner, some other exits are out of the room. The party hatches a plan to surprise the guards, by charging into the room and attacking. But as soon as they begin this course of action, they realize their mistake, for not only did the goblins know they were coming, but they laid a trap for the adventurers ( could it be all the noise they had made up to this point or the constant goblin body count or perhaps the light shining from their torches just around the corner ). One goblin opened a secret door behind it yelling "Bree-Ark Bree- Ark" and threw a sack of coins into the room beyond, while another group of goblins who were hiding in one of the other passages threw spears at the group and ran into the room.

Brother Cadfael, Galdreel the Elf and Cortag were pinned between the two groups of goblins trying to get away or get a swing in when through the secret passage lumbers in a huge ugly grimacing ogre wielding a blood spattered spiked club. Orien's sleep spell takes care of the goblins easily enough, but the Ogre isnt even phased. It smashes Cadfael with its club while he and the elf lay into it. Cortag  says " to hell with this" and flees the encounter, then wrestles the torch from Wargrim the torchbearer and flees the dungeon. Myra lobs a flaming oil which set the Ogre aflame and Orien, Cadfael and Galdreel finish the creature off.

As half the group bandages wounds, collects goblin heads and searches for treasure, the other half search the Ogre's lair and finds a large sack full of coins, a barrel of expensive brandy and hidden it the creatures filthy animal hide bedding they find a potion, some very nice arrows ( magic?) and a scroll of cleric spells. The group decides to make a hasty escape through the exit cave mouth found in the Ogres lair just as a group of goblins are about to set upon them.

Back to Threshold the party quickly flees without any encounters. Their pockets heavy with the spoils of their victory......