RedHandDoomPlayers / RHoD-Session5Summary


Session Five

Day 5 - Drellin's Ferry

The next day, not wanting to waste time, the adventurers wandered through town, finding places to sell much of the loot collected during their travels, and places to buy more supplies. After that, they returned to the Green Apple and waited. They spent most of the day waiting (although Dulmir spent the time studying a scroll he had acquired), until they finally tired of sitting around, and headed out to confront the elders. Eventually, they were convinced to set up a meeting late that evening.

The meeting was chaotic. Some wanted to fight, some wanted to run, some wanted to try to bribe the army (as though they weren't capable of taking anything they wanted), and some just wanted to hope that they'd go away. Eventually, most agreed that the only reasonable solution was to evacuate the town and have the populace head east to Brindol, which might, with it's guarded walls and standing army, have a chance of fighting off the horde. Having made that somber decision, everyone headed to bed and a fitful sleep.


Day 6 - Early Morning Attack!

Not long after midnight, the town was awakened with shouts of "Goblins at the west bank! Burning houses!" As they awakened, guards and our heroes raced outside, pulling on armor and equipment while rushing towards the ferry. Arriving on the west side of the river, groups of guards split off to the north and south, leaving the sturdy adventurers to head down the lane to the west. They hadn't gone far when they spotted a hound with flaming breath and eyes padding along next to a quartet of worg-riding goblins. As Waywocket turned invisible and slipped off of the elven hound Marel, Dulmir summoned several animals of his own - three celestial bison between the worg riders and the party.

For thirty seconds or so, the bison menaced the marauders while Sagamore and Vreln moved forwards to engage in melee. Once the goblins realized that their scimitars couldn't slice through the bison's incredibly tough hide, they circled around to try attacking the other defenders. The goblins had little better luck against their humanoid opponents, but their wolf-like mounts easily tore into their enemy's warhorses, leaving them bleeding and panicked. Still, the battle was slowly taking its toll on the invaders when reinforcements arrived, a half dozen armored hobgoblins and a robed hobgoblin sorcerer.

They newcomers weren't the only ones with a sorcerer, which was proved as they were all blasted by Dulmir's fireball, many of them collapsing on the spot. The sorcerer survived though, and made the sensible decision to cast mirror image, providing himself with several illusionary duplicates. Dulmir continued to prove his mettle in battle though, as he picked the right image to send his crossbow bolt speeding through, slaying the sorcerer with one shot. Meanwhile, his three companion continued battling the worg riders, who eventually realized they had no chance and attempted to flee.

One goblin strayed too close to Vreln, and was cut down. The two remaining goblins split up, one running off to the north, while the other one circled a house and shed to the south. The one to the north was paralyzed by a spell from Waywocket, and finished off by Sagamore, but the one to the south was crafty, dodging and hiding, and leading Eard and Vreln a ridiculous chase until they finally cornered it in the farmhouse bedroom and slaying it. After searching the bodies of the fallen, Dulmir and Waywocket headed back across the ferry to the inn, while Sagamore and Vreln settled down to spend the night outside near the site of the battle, in case any more invaders remained.

Day 6 (late morning) - A Soldier Arrives

Once everyone had awakened they all met at the Green Apple and breakfasted. They were interrupted by the arrival of a travel-worn female soldier, an elite soldier - a 'Lion of Brindol'. She brought news of a roadblock on a road to the north by the ruins of Rhest, guarded by a dozen hobgoblins and half that many ogres. She hadn't yet heard of the impending evasion from the east, and was rather horrified, by it did make sense of the roadblock, as any reinforcements for Brindol would likely take that route.

The rest of the day was spent helping the townsfolk prepare for evacuation, helping carry things and giving obvious ("The old rickety table has to stay") and not-so-obvious ("If there's something important that's too heavy to bring, you can bury it and come back for it later") advice. However, by noon it was obvious that the townsfolk were not moving terribly quickly, so they were informed that the adventurers would only stay and assist for another day, and after that they would be on their own, because other quests awaited.


Day 7 - Yet Another Day in Drellin's Ferry

By noon on a hot, humid, oppresive day, it was rapidly approaching the deadline for the villagers to be ready to depart, and they were nowhere near ready. The adventurers were standing around the town green, discussing what to do next, when an owl landed and began looking around. Using some of his less-developed ranger skills, Vreln managed to pick it up, and discover a message secured to its leg. It turned out to be from Jorr, letting us know that the army had just left Cinder Hill. This was a relief, since it meant that the village wasn't yet in immediate danger.

Of course, this was quickly proven incorrect, as the peasants calls of "Great Pelor! What is THAT?!" drew attention to a horrible 3 headed monster flying overhead. Flying low out of the ominous thunderhead clouds to the west, It quickly plunged to land on the village green and snarled at the nearby peasants with all three of its heads - goat, lion, and dragon.

Too far away to engage the monster in melee, Sagamore moved closer while calling on Saint Cuthbert to enhance his strength, while Dulmir attempted to blind the monster with glitterdust and Waywocket tried to bind it in place with a shadowy net. Astoundingly, the monster shook off the effect of both spells, and worse, blasted several nearby peasants with icy shards from its white dragon head, killing them instantly.

Sagamore, still too far away to fight the monster, began the spell to summon a giant eagle, while Waywocket again tried to ensnare the creature with a spell, this time succeeding in binding it to its place. It still maintained some mobility, as it dodged an axe strike from Vreln, who had used a swift flight spell to get close to the creature. Still, his actions obviously distracted it, as Sagamore finally closed in on the beast, bashing it in the side with his mace while his summoned eagle clawed at it from behind. It clawed and bit at Vreln as Dulmir summoned a demonic horse to menace the beast, but it was overmatched as Vreln prevailed against its attacks and slayed it with a mighty sparking slash of his axe.


After attending a very brief funeral for the fallen peasants, the rest of the villagers redoubled their efforts to prepare for travel. The adventurers decided to remain in the village for one more day, as their protection was obviously needed, and the rest of the day passed swiftly.

Later in the day, a small girl walks up to Dulmir, and presents him with a well-crafted sealed box. After dubiously thanking her, it is checked for traps and magical auras before he cautiously opens it... to discover that it is the decorated caparison he had commissioned for his warhorse a few days earlier.


Day 8 - Leaving Drellins' Ferry

By the next morning, the thunderclouds had dissipated, leaving behind a refreshing air, and roads that would be less dusty for the trip ahead. Once the villagers had all safely headed out early in the day, the adventurers ventured forth, and quickly overtook the heavily laden refugees.

After a long day of travel, the adventurers arrive in the town of Terrelton, a dusty town of stockyards and tanneries. Traveling through the streets, it is easy to hear all sorts of opinions on the evacuation of Drellin's Ferry, from open fear and dismay to ridicule of the Drellin's Ferryfolk. As in Drellin's Ferry, there is a choice of a few inns, and there is disagreement over whether to stay at the average-priced one, or the more extravagant option. Waywocket and Dulmir were in favor of the better class, while Vreln and Sagamore were inclined to save their money. "It's war, not vacation." said Sagamore. Dulmir retorted back "No reason it can't be both!" At this, Vreln is persuaded - "Especially if we can fight some more hobgoblins!"

The innkeeper turns out to be a dashing, red-haired gentleman, who tells them that the town council will be meeting there tonight. Using her illusions, Waywocket makes an impressive presentation, and the town council is suitable shocked by the forces assembled against them, and immediately begin plans to evacuate the town, aided by copies of Koth's invasion map magically conjured by Dulmir.


Day 9 - Leaving Terrelton

As the party headed out of Terrelton, they were stopped by a rather brusque human woman wearing severe-looking clerical robes. She was the local cleric of St. Cuthbert, and divinations had revealed to her that Sagamore was to receive from her several relics of the church - in exchange for a 'donation' of 2300 gold pieces. Sagamore was rather stunned by this, but managed to declare that an odd sum such as the one she named was rather less than orderly, and that surely 2000 gold pieces would be a more fitting tribute to a god of order. In exchange for that sum, he received two pieces of the Vestments of Divinity: goggles that allowed him to observe the powers of evil, death, and undeath, and robes that allowed him to more effectively dispel them. "As though we ever see undead", he was heard to remark. Still, worn together, the pair also allowed him to resist evil magics, so they're not entirely useless, and the money went to a good cause.

Ambushed Caravan

Sweating from the warm weather through the hills towards Nimon's Gap, Vreln, riding in the lead, noticed a commotion near the side of the path up ahead. Small figures were swarming over a wrecked wagon, watched over by a pair of 12-foot tall hulking two headed figures. Sagamore was surprising quick on the draw, and hurled a sling stone into one of the half dozen goblins infesting the wagon. Having pointed out the enemies, Vrlen sends another to its grave with a quick arrow shot to its nearly unarmored body.

One ettin is blinded by a glitterdust spell from Dulmir along with 3 goblins, and Waywocket uses a spell to blind the other ettin. Undeterred, they charge anyway, glancing a blow off of Sagamore's horse, and brutally smashing Vreln's mount. Sagamore is not distracted, and picks off the only goblin with sight remaining, while Vreln is clearly shaken and misses with an arrow shot at each ettin. Dulmir summons a firey nightmare to avenge Vreln's horse, and Waywocket continues the heat wave by blasting that same ettin with a bolt of flame. Enraged by this new assault, the dimwitted creature charged blindly towards Waywocket, only to be struck down by the flamaing hoof of the nightmare, before it charged over to crush one of the near-helpless goblins. The rest of the fight was quick work as Sagamore clubbed the remaining ettin to death and the last goblin standing started to pass out from fear, only to die to an arrow through the eye from Waywocket.


The caravan yielded some interesting spoils - not magic, but a large coffer of gold, and a letter to the leaders of the Shining Axes Mercenary Company, a band of dwarves from the Hammerfist Holds. Not wanting to divert from the mission to Rhest, the company decides to send Eard flying southwards on his own, hidden by Waywocket's elven cloak, carrying the payment in the party's bag of holding, to meet up with the party in the town of Witchcross when the tasks are done.

Nimon's Gnomes!

The tavern in Nimon's Gap turns out to be a technological extravaganza, run by gnomes who have installed bells, whistles, conveyors, and other gizmos. They are fascinated by the talk of the invading army, and quickly convene a council to discuss the forthcoming evacuation of the town and harassment of the horde, and the ensuing conversation is nigh unintelligible to anyone else. Still, Vreln takes advantage of the inhabitant's skills to stock up on a few alchemical supplies he had been wishing for.


Day 10 - Talar and Beyond

By midafternoon of the next day, the party had reached the small town of Talar, which turned out to be run by an incredibly impulsive young woman, who had inherited leadeship of the town and its stodgy council from her father. As with the gnomes, lengthy discussion of the invasion seems better left to the inhabitants, so after delivering the information and Waywocket's usual all-singing, all-dancing phantasmal presentation of the dire situation facing the Vale, the party continues on, hoping to make decent progress towards the village of Witchcross during the day's relatively cool weather.

For the evening's rest, Dulmir enchanted a rope, so that those who climbed it could take refuge in an interdimensional space concealed at the top. Surrounded by protective blackness, all within could therefore sleep untroubled by the cares of the outside world... or could they?

Page last modified on October 08, 2009, at 09:29 PM