Session 08
General Summary
The party retreated back into the woods and watched the cart burn for a while. Then hobgoblin
soldiers came out and put the fire out, determined not to let the cart itself burn to the ground. Our
heroes then moved their way stealthily to the far side of the fortress and hid and watched. The
hobgoblin guards were on high alert and a few more hobgoblins had arrived on the battlements
now. However as they sat and watched a deep autumn mist rolled in, blanketing sound and
reducing visibility. Elijah saw this as his chance and so slipped off into the foliage.
Elijah made his was carefully to the edge of the forest and picking a shadowy line across the
killing ground crept silently and ghost like across to the keep. Only a Halfling with exceptional
skills and training could have reached that fortress undetected, but Elijah pulled it off. He got to
the edge of the keep without the alarm being raised. Taking careful aim he picked out the lone
guard in the tower nearest him and let fly a sling bullet. His aim was true and the bullet flew hard
and fast. The hobgoblin guard dropped like a stone. Still no alarm had been raised. So the Halfling
snuck forward and reached the keep walls. He easily scaled the rough outer walls and was up. He
lowered a rope so the others could join him and hunkered down on his haunches in the corner of
the tower, out of sight. Drax�s eagle eyes spotted Elijah�s grey shape scaling the walls and
signaled to the others to leave the security of the bluff and race across the killing ground to the
keep. Of course the hobgoblins spotted three figures rushing towards them and the shout went up.
Suddenly all hell broke loose.
Elijah felled another guard with his sling and then more hobgoblin guards poured onto the
battlements from a guard room. Elijah retreated back into the tower and jammed the door. Jaina
was first to the top. She launched a series of blasts of holy might upon the nearest goblins as they
swarmed forward. Then Drax was by her side and the momentum swung towards our heroes.
Lynott took his time getting up the rope � which had become slippery in the mist � but was soon
alongside the others. The battle raged on in the keep tower for some time with waves of
hobgoblins being repulsed. Slowly the party made their way out of the tower onto the battlements
� they were pushing the hobgoblins back. Scarlet fletched arrows were raining down among the
party � many aiming for Jaina who was felling hobgoblins with great relish with her holy magic
� but none found their mark in the swirling winds and rain that was lashing down.
At this stage a door in the courtyard opened up and into the center of the keep strolled a huge
hulking hobgoblin, clearly the leader, followed by a shifty looking orc wearing the trappings of a
cleric of the Demon Prince. The hobgoblin soldiers visibly lifted at the sight of their leader. The
leader opened another door in the courtyard and shouted into it � apparently rousing yet more
hobgoblins. Him and the orc then rushed onto the battlements. More hobgoblins followed, still
pulling on bits of armour � these had clearly been sleeping when the leader woke them. The party
looked overwhelmed. And worse still, at the arrival of the orc cleric Drax�s axe began to glow
with a soft silver light, indicating the presence of a demonologist.
Lynott then stepped forward and calling upon the name of House Snow and uttering secret arcane
phrases he unleashed a blast of freezing cold and ice. As he did so his face took on the visage of a
fearsome white dragon. The hobgoblins who had been rushing along the battlements at the party
were staggered and frozen. Some fell from the battlements to their deaths. Others still were frozen
in place. But there were many more coming and the leader was here now. He charged into the
fray, his longspear darting in and out. The orc cleric spotted Demonbane in Drax�s hand and
screamed at the hobgoblins to take out the dwarf. The hobgoblins turned their full attention on the
poor Dutenhammer warrior. Drax was swarmed and struggled to stay on his feet as wave after
wave of goblinoids attacked him, led by their leader. Jaina threw one curing prayer after another at
the dwarf and somehow he remained on his feet. But things looked very grim.
Then Elijah, who had been quietly hanging back studying the hobgoblin leader�s movements and
defenses, let fly with one of his sling bullets. The bullet whizzed between Jaina and Drax, flew
over the leader�s shield, straight through the protection of his helmet visor and pummeled into
his head. The leader�s nose was splattered all over his face. He staggered and only a supreme act
of will kept him on his feet. Stars burst in his eyes and his vision swam. The hobgoblins around
him faltered for a moment as their leader almost collapsed. Then, incredibly, he regained his
balance and began to heft his spear once more. But that moment of hesitation was enough for Drax
and the dwarf�s mighty axe swept in and clove the hobgoblin�s head clean off his shoulders.
The head bounced along the battlements and dropped into the courtyard below.
Seeing this Lynott, his body starting to show signs of his draconic heritage as the battle fatigue
wore him down, called out to the hobgoblins telling them that the humans were reclaiming this
keep for Lord Kyle and that they would be allowed to leave if they fell back and retreated. The
hobgoblins facing Drax backed away but drew bows and continued to fire arrows � unwilling to
engage in hand to hand melee but not sure they wanted to take the draconic sorcerer up on his
offer. The orc priest shouted at them, cajoling them to continue the fight but Jaina's insight told
her that the orc cleric was not the same leader to these soldiers as their hobgoblin chief had been.
They were wavering. But they were also well trained soldiers and not prepared to give up so
easily. More hobgoblins poured onto the battlements � all the barracks below now emptied �
and started to pepper the party with scarlet arrows. Jaina evaluated the situation and told the group
that in her opinion all they needed to do was drop the orc cleric and the hobgoblins would cease
fighting. So Drax charged once more � keen to bring this demonologist to the fate he felt it
deserved.
The orc priest saw Drax charging and called loudly out to the Demon Prince. His whole body
shimmered in an unholy light and he reached out a hand as Drax rushed in. Ducking the cleaving
swing of Drax�s axe the orc jammed the flat of his palm into Drax�s chest. All the unholy
power in his body was channeled straight into the dwarf who cried out in utmost pain and dropped
to the floor at the orc�s feet. Even Jaina�s healing couldn�t help and Drax dropped
unconscious. However Jaina wasn�t finished with this foul orc yet. She summoned a magical
spirit hammer and pounded it into the orc. Lynott stepped over Drax�s unconscious body,
protecting him from the orc priest, and took the orc�s attention. Elijah threw sling bullet after
bullet at the orc. Scarlet arrows flew around their heads and the rain lashed down. Every one of
our heroes had blood streaming from them. Jaina was out of healing. Elijah was running short of
bullets and hardly had the energy to swing his sling over his head anymore. Lynott was fully out
of spells. However this seemed to have unleashed his inner draconic soul. His skin had turned
white and scaly. Cold breath came from his nostrils. Talons sprouted where fingers were
previously. He looked majestic and powerful and all could see fear in the orc priest�s eyes.
Finally Elijah�s sling bullet flew and hit the mark. Jaina�s spirit hammer pounded on the orc�s
armour. The orc slipped on the wet battlements and Lynott took the opportunity to run the orc
through with his longsword. The orc dropped to the floor, his guts spilling onto the battlements.
At this Lynott called on the hobgoblins to stop fighting. Seeing their chieftain and the orc cleric
both dead the hobgoblins saw no point in continuing the fight. The hobgoblins dropped back and
stopped firing on our heroes. One of them spoke up and agreed terms with the party. The
hobgoblins would retreat and leave the keep to the humans. The soldiers grouped up in the yard.
There were eight of them left alive. The party had killed about a score of the Scarlet Feather clan.
The survivors moved the carts blocking the way and drifted off into the misty forest. Our heroes
bound their wounds and brought Drax back from unconsciousness. They breathed a sigh of relief
and took a moment to recover their breath.
Searching the orc and hobgoblin leader they found a couple of potions and a map. The map
appeared to be of the Underdark and had two labels on it: �Keep/Dark Lake� and �Crushed
Skull Orcs�. Could this be a map from the current keep to the lair of the orc tribe that the priest
belonged to? Moving down into the courtyard the party started to search the buildings of the inner
keep. In the first, a barracks for the soldiers, they found a small golden ring, which seemed to
radiate magic and was pretty valuable. They put it in a pouch for later examination. Moving on the
next building was a kitchen. Four very frightened kobolds cowered in there, holding meat
cleavers. The group decided they were no threat and told them to make dinner! The next building
as a large hall where the hobgoblins had been gambling and relaxing. There was a staircase
leading down into the darkness here � presumably into the dungeon they knew existed under the
keep. They decided to leave this till later. The next room was the leader�s chamber. Here they
found some spare priestly robes of the orc priest, another couple of potions and a chest of
hundreds of imperial gold coins.
They moved onto the next building which was a stable. There were no horses in here � the
hobgoblins would have been more likely to eat horses than ride them � so the party moved in
slowly. Jaina was still looking for the relic of Pelor which was supposed to be hidden in this
fortress somewhere. In the back of the shadowy stable, sharp eyed Elijah spotted a strange
shimmering in the air and alerted his companions. Just in time too as a terror of the Underdark, a
huge gelatinous cube, slid forward towards the group, attracted by their movement and looking
hungrily for things to absorb and dissolve�
Report Date
10 Apr 2024
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