Dara- Elf- Druid
Aramil- Eladrin - Warlord
Sonea- Human - Wizard
Shadowdancer- Eladrin - Avenger
Mikal- Human- Rogue
Adahan (Boomer) - Human- Swordmage
Bomilcar-Human- Undisclosed Defender Class
Now at the cave site we find dawn is rising, Mikal has gone off scouting and we’re left with our captive. We've tied him up and left him in the cage where we found the body of a dead mage. There are no jars left except some shards.
Sonea recognises him as Trehan Finner, a hedge witch who’s a pub owner from Gate Pass. We seem to think he may be the publican of the Poison Apple Pub. He could have been a member of the resistance as the Pub was used as a safe house. On question from Shadowdancer, Bomilcar assesses the body and feels he probably died to starvation.
Bomilcar is chosen as the one to speak with the captive. He bashes a hand against the bars and barks at him to wake up. The captive is lying curled up like a child as we’ve taken his clothes. He sighs and turns, rolling his eyes in the way one does when they can’t be bothered, very much a ‘here we go’ look.
Shadowdancer offers the human the shroud and holds it out to see the human’s reaction. Finding he can’t read him he speaks with Aramil in Eladrin. Saying how he just can’t read these mortal monkeys. Aramil shrugs explaining he thinks he’s being a hard man.
Bomilcar is speaking with him but there is a feeling this man may be of the philosophy of Stoic. He finds he is Cathar, a Patrician. Meaning he is of a family that has produced a president in the past. His family must have been very illustrious as they had afforded funerary masks.
They find that the cleft helm is a sign of shame. He failed at a task. It must have been bad as his families funerary masks were smashed, the helm cleft, his name shows something. He only as one name, he’s lost the right to his other ones or he has chosen not to show dishonour to his ancestors by using his full name.
Most senatorial families are Tiefling. For a human family to have risen to such a level and to have a president in their family is quite a thing.
Cathar really is of a high family. He despises silly questions and those low-born.
After all is said and done we find that we can’t get any more information from one so tightlipped and that we would do well to hire him.
Mikal arrives back to report a farmstead further down the valley. Some good news as a blizzard is forming, not the kind of thing you'd enjoy getting caught in outside of the city. Hurrying toward the stone building a young female beckons urgently, she seems to be expecting us. Gestures to put the mules in the line of sheltering pines near the stead. Mikal takes the mules to settle them in.
Entering it is a welcomingly warm home with the kind of rooms you would expect- main room/study and bedrooms. There are scrolls stuffed in bookcase, littering a table; a roaring fire warming a rather unfriendly looking old man; and many paintings on the walls. The young woman smiles and offers up wooden cups of steaming soup, she tells us that she is Kristin and to forgive her father Hadrir.
Rudely but expectedly, Bomilcar and Cathor take up positions on eitherside of the door.
Hadrir looks disgustedly at the people cluttering his home. Spying the black horse bands he laughs, he says it reads ‘murdering bastards’. Cathor is shocked that is was meant to read ‘Black Horse Company’. The old man says the language is Infernal.
Dara's ears bristle with attention, above the din of soup slurping and chat that there is scratching at the door. She raises her hand to Bomilcar ‘Can you hear that?’.....'There is scratching at the door’. He disagrees but opens the door to find two small goblins.
Kristin looks delighted ‘Ah there you are.’
Cathor mouths looks shocked and mouths ‘Arkanis’ to the others.
Taking the hint, Dara steps to the side of the door out of view and skittering sneaks into a mouse form and quickly sneaks under the book case.
Boomer walks towards the door and plants his battle standard.
The inquisitor shouts ‘We’ve come for the wizards, bring them out and no one will be harmed.’
The goblins squeak ‘Much.’
Shadowdancer steps to the side and teleports through the window to the outside.
Aramil throws alchemists fire out the door. He kills two skeletons.
The Arkanis growls something and casts a spell at Boomer.
The goblins take pot shots at Cathor, missing.
The sword man attacks Cathor and the spearman attacks Bomilcar.
Kristin runs and hides behind the cupboard. Hadrir just smokes his pipe.
Dara finds her way out of the house and into the thick foliage beside the house.
Boomer uses sword burst at those infront of him.
Cathor marks the nearest goblin. ‘You are mine!’
Bomilcar attacks the same goblin but misses.
Shadowdancer moves to the corner of the house and loads his crossbow, stepping out slightly from the house and releases his bolt. Unfortunately it just clicks.
Sonea kills a goblin with a magic missile and wounds the swordman.
Aramil throws alchemists fire at the enemies. He kills the final skeleton, singes a goblin and the inquisitor doesn’t even notice. He then uses Commanders Strike for Cathor but he fluffs it.
The swordsman misses Cathor, the Spearman stabs and hits Boomer.
Bomilcar gets hit by a goblin.
The bowman shoot at Cathor, one hits. Bolt of fiery arcane energy, black necrotic energy that you can see stars in banebolt.
Boomer invokes the Aegis of Ensnarement- teleporting the swordsman to a square beside him.
The goblin moves to a space where the swordsman was, he then swipes at Cathor.
The goblin comes screaming in attacking Cathor, Aramil and Boomer (hit). Warriors Rampage (anger of the shortarse)
The inquisitor tucks away his axe and casts a spell. Energy from his fingertips, red energy lash goes for Boomer. Boomer manages to duck and dive out of them all.
Dara shifts back to human form, moving to the teleported door and shoots flame seed. The...turns and cancels my spell.
Cathor swipes and hits the goblin.
Bomilcar swipes too and decampates the goblin with his shield ‘Don’t you dare try to stick me in the balls!’
Shadowdancer tries again with his crossbow, hitting at the goblin perched on the tomb. He steps back round the corner to hide.
Sonea blows a hole in the swordsman killing him.
Aramil attacks the goblin but misses.
The inquisitor shouts ‘Smarr! There’s a nest of them!’ the arkanis group all move for the inquisitor. He touches a bracelet and they all disappear.
After a moments silence after the clamour of the encounter Kristin comes out of hiding ‘See father, I said it would be ok, now you have lots of light’ Ever the optimist it seems.
__________ o 0 o __________
Unfortunately for the story and myself our game became untenable and the players disbanded. Playing with Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition makes combat a lengthy process and the rate of game play really killed our enthusiasm. I still hold out hope for this campaign to be rebooted with the OSRIC rules system. Shadowdancer lives on in the world of Edarnia. At the moment of typing this addendum we are playing Isle of the Earthshaker set mainly with Myceneans closer to the Protectorate of Zama 50 years on from the War of the Burning Sky.
~ Amber Renarde
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