Session 2 Report

General Summary

The party free the tied up woman and confirm her identity as Martha, O'Hoolihan's wife. After taking a brief rest around the campfire in the cave and recuperating with drink and rations, Martha answers the party's questions about what happened: she was taken after the goblin raid to cook for them and treated surprisingly nicely by the hobgoblin leader. She also says that despite the four goblins in the cave that the party had slain, there were more she had previously seen with the hobgoblin unaccounted for. This includes monstrous wolf-life creatures, which Lephnut recognized as the description of worgs-- evil beasts that goblinoids often employed as mounts. After recovering any valuables from the cave and dead bodies, the party decides to leave before the hobgoblin and his forces come back. While on the path back towards Fallwood, Lephnut finds worg tracks headed directly on the path to the village. The group decides to take a detour around the northern river to avoid running into any enemies. Having found their way around to the western entrance to the village, they are surprised to find that the village is how they left it. No goblins, no worgs, and no hobgoblin leader. Instead, they find O'Hoolihan talking to a boyish faced human who is flanked by two armed guards, who O'Hoolihan explains is the supply caravan from the capital. The group converses with the man as O'Hoolihan reunites with his wife. They are wary of the newcomers and their intentions and interrogate him, both subtly and unsubtly, over rounds of beer complimentary from O'Hoolihan. The guard leader reveals his name is Finn and that he is with the Special Research Commission on an assignment, though he is notably unforthcoming with what exactly he researches. Finn explains the brewing wars in Ostren: King Barnabas has recently died and the prince is only 8 years old, leaving the question of who should really rule Ostren open. Lord Fallon is Barnabas' brother and has the best claim to the throne and has been engaged in all but formal war with his rival Lord Elwyn-- tensions are high and it won't be long before fighting actually breaks out on their territorial borders. Meanwhile, Lady Anna, the Duchess of Cressen, has been leading campaigns to drive out monsters from her land, as part of an attempt to instead win the will of the people versus directly fighting for the throne. This has been a big factor in pushing monsters to raid further out-- in villages such as Fallwood-- and from observations, it appears that the monsters are starting to organize into an army as well, led by some mysterious commander. O'Hoolihan offers free rooms at the Swinging Branch to rest. While Jett and Valqinor each take their own cozy bed, Big Richard bypassed any deliberations on which guest should receive a room and just slept in the bathroom. Finn has passed out at the table from half a dozen drinks while his stoic guards stay on alert through the night. Lephnut, keeping watch in a tree outside during the night notices movement in the distance but nothing comes, and eventually the sun dawns on a new day. Seemingly all is well. In the morning, O'Hoolihan suggests the party could catch a ride with Finn's caravan, which is also departing soon, but they instead decide to head North on foot. As they depart, Lephnut leaves the chunk of horsemeat for O'Hoolihan, and the party heads into the unknown. All that they've heard ahead of them is monsters and the onset of war-- an impending storm...