An Admission of Error

Kaldmont 13 990AC
 
After sending the gnomes out with the humans from their conquered home we continued on. Durbin was able to spot a hidden door which he was able to open and found some kind of…pre ceremonial chamber. There were robes, staves and some earthen jars sealed up along with more of the beautiful tile murals. We decided to come back later for this as we assume the gnomes held these items sacred.
 
Continuing down the hall we came to some kind of ceremonial chamber. The goblins had really taken to trying to destroy anything in this room. There was a pedestal and a large mud shaped goblin over what I assumed was the original statue. This seems particularly bothersome to Durbin who started to try and clean it off. I stopped him and told him I could do this much easier. I pushed the mana through my staff and changed it to water and washed the mud away revealing a severely defaced statue of a gnomish immortal.
 
There was another passageway going further and we continued further Durbin leading the way. Going through another low and short passage I heard some strange muttering, a screech and combat. I entered and there was what I would guess was a goblin shaman doing some kind of ritual Durbin interrupted. The thing had some kind of protection as Durbin seemed to not be as effective so I assisted in taking the thing down with a bolt of lightning. After it was dead we examined it further to find the thing had basically mutilated itself pushing various bones and items into its skin. Horrid. It also had many hide scrolls and such but they were all written in goblin. There could be some good intelligence here but we would need to come back and get it. Oddly enough the room was surprisingly cleaner than the rest of the goblin areas.
 
This was the end of this tunnel and we had one more to clear out, at least hopefully one more. Making our way down there we came across a room of Bugbears that were sleeping. Durbin and Dram made quick work of them so I stayed back and kept an eye out to ensure nothing snuck up on us. There wasn’t really anything in their chamber but they would have been quite the foes had they been awake and alert! The next room was the biggest challenge of this gnomish cavern, hobgoblins! They were well organized and not surprised at all. I think Durbin and Dram are getting a bit full of themselves as they just pretty much walked into the room and got hit quite hard. I was in the process of working the mana into an ice slick. I would have liked it larger but I didn’t have time so I made it as large as I could and forced it to ice to hinder as many as possible. It definitely helped and for additional assistance I brought together a lightning bolt in case it was needed. It definitely was as a large hobgoblin came out and joined the battle. I aimed, loosed and I swear that Ilsundal guided this to the best location to damage this one as it was smote down upon the floor. After that the battle dragged on for a bit but dram and Durbin had it in control though they were badly hurt. Durbin rushed in but before I could cancel the ice he slipped and fell on his back. I admit I had to stifle a laugh at that before I shouted sorry and canceled the spell! I gave Dram a healing vial we had left which helped some.
 
We went through their belongings and an item of note was 100 brand new shiny silver coins from the same mint outside the rift. Very odd. There is something going on here to manipulate the rift towards something? I’m not sure but the conspiracy seems to keep growing. With that we decided to head out, rest up a bit and have the humans come in and help us gather everything we could. I figured the treasure we found was the gnomes they could use to help rebuild or settle them somewhere. I would like to negotiate for the two sapphires though as they were perfect for a beautiful set of earrings.
 
Coming out of the caves we found wounded dwarves and the rest not to be seen. We learned that they had indeed found the Orc King but he got away with a small retinue and they were hunting him down. With both the dwarves and elves on top of them it was only a matter of time before they were killed. We went back in and gathered what we could, especially the items from the hidden chamber. When we came out the gnomes were delighted and especially interested in the two jars. They opened them and began giving everyone who was wounded a sip and it turned out they were a powerful healing brew! Someday I may like to learn how to make these items but that is for another time.
 
Since everything seemed to be under control with Orcs being pursued by the Dwarves and Elves were asked to take the wounded and such back to the Kleine. Dram was very disappointed and wanted to continue to help. Young children. I explained that we did our job, others must do theirs. Continuing to push on despite wounds and such could just cause worse problems. There is an old elven parable of such that I recounted to Dram which seemed to help him some. The travel back to Kleine was uneventful and the townspeople were more than happy to help. It’s good to see that in times of need humans are very helpful. It just seems that in times of peace they want to make poor decisions.
 
Kaldmont 14 990AC
 
I began writing out a note to Rhiannon when the War Priest came in and asked Durbin to take his kin and the gnomes to Hearth Home. Dram was very happy to hear that as I know he wanted to go back. I was about to decline when I had a very strong feeling that I needed to go. I don’t know what it was but it superseded my dread of returning to the underground fortress. Melwin felt it too but I assured her she did not have to go this time. I tore up my original note and wrote out a new one. I informed her everyone was safe and things were well. We needed to stop at Hearth Home with Durbin and would return home afterwards. I know she would like to return so I assured her I would speak to Durbin to get another visit, perhaps after the wedding and that I would gladly return there just for her. I sent Melwin and told her to stay with Rhiannon for now and I would return as soon as I was able.
 
With that we set out to Hearth Home with a mix of apprehension and something else. I can’t explain it but maybe a sense of determination? Something wanted me there. The journey was uneventful, at least until we got to Hearth Home. Apparently the Orcs had come here too so the rest of the fighting dwarves were on the battlements keeping the Orcs at bay. Dram of course wanted to help but from what I saw of the dwarves going into the Orc cave would they even accept our help unless it was dire? It was a moot point anyways because of what happened next.
 
As we settled in to figure out what we would do next a dwarf (Durbin swears there were only women and children around us but I don’t know) came running into the room covered in flour crying about goblins in the cellars! Now there was definitely something very odd going on in the rift. We gathered our things and went down even deeper. Every flight of stairs down I can just feel the pressure increasing, the weight of the stone just growing ever heavier. It doesn’t hurt but it’s like an annoying bug buzzing around that you can’t get rid of. Getting to the bottom of the stairs we could immediately hear them trashing a supply room.
 
Peaking in these goblins were very well armored. Like so well armored it was very out of place. They also had those glowing purplish eyes like we encountered in the other cave. What was going on here?! Dram and Durbin rushed in to confront the goblins and more were coming in through the doors leading into the room on the other side. I created another ice slick and, again, not as large as I wanted but enough to hinder a number of them. It took awhile but we dispatched them all and this time Durbin looked to me to ensure the ice was gone. I canceled the spell early and we continued on. A part of me wanted to not cancel it and see someone fall again but this was not the time for such foolishness. Off this room was the alcohol storage room which the goblins had trashed as well. The wine, whiskey and ale was on the floor! That was a real stab of pain in my heart. I thought about how I could perhaps shape it, clean it and separate it but we just had no time. I whispered a blessing over the loss and we moved out.
 
We continued down the winding corridors which had me very confused where we even were. We ran into a few more groups of goblins that Durbin quickly dispatched. Then we came to the library which was, like the wine, destroyed. The goblins in here were rushing towards another room though and what happened next was a flurry of destruction. A tentacled monster came after Durbin backing out of the room off the library making this high pitched noise inside our head making it difficult to concentrate. It attacked in quick succession wounding Durbin and Dram faster than I've ever seen before. I charged up a lightning bolt through the occasional shrieks from Durbins hits, but only Durbins hit for some reason. Once charged I stepped in the room and aimed. Thank Ilsundal the thing barely noticed me and I only had to dodge one attack which I quickly grasped mana out of the air around me to assist. If I was hit holding this it would be pain and possibly death. I loosed and hit it! It shrieked horribly at that so it seemed to really not like the lightning attacks. I stepped back while it concentrated on the others. This time I put all I could into charging another bolt. I pulled nearly all my energy and partially drained my large stone. No sense in holding back now. I stepped out, aimed and unleashed. The thing screeched, shuddered and exploded causing some minor wounds.
 
With that Dram collapsed but was still alive so I rushed up to Durbin and looked in the room. Some kind of circle of control that had failed. Durbin was convinced this magic stone needed to be in the circle but that caused it to glow. Barrick nor myself understood this thing that seemed to defy the nature of magic. I knocked the stone out of the circle and the glow went away and the circle disappeared. That was easy enough but then Durbin pushed it back in causing the circle to appear it glow again! We started arguing, he was convinced the stone needed to stay in but I was convinced otherwise, it could be charging the circle to summon again. As the argument got more heated he pulled out his warhammer and I jumped back. He swung down and smashed the stone to bits causing the circle and glow to disappear completely but causing some minor wounds to us from the explosion. I stood in shocked silence for a few seconds. “That was the correct action master Durbin, it seems you were right.” Then I leaned in and said quietly, “I will not openly ever admit it again and there is no one else to recount the tale.” I patted him on the shoulder and walked out to help Dram.