An Opening in Ostrav (From the Journal of Tyengandrill)

General Summary

Tarsakh 5 – 11, Year of Rogue Dragons

Days pass with easy work and our band, the Magnificent Seven, start to settle in at Muddy Boots and Bloody Blades.

Tarsakh 11, Year of Rogue Dragons

One afternoon I find myself being formally and properly addressed by Lady Sheila Heidmarch, Mistress of the Bloodstone City Chapter House of the Magician's Guild. After inquiring if she can speak in front of my rowdy and a bit randy companions, she delivers me my badge which formally recognizes me as an Adept of the Magician’s Guild and she informs me her personal manor has a wing set aside as the Chapter House.

Lady Heidmarch then offers me the opportunity of continuing the investigation into the fragments of Slaughtergarde and the next step of that investigation leads to Ostrav in the Duchy of Arcata, the Surinak Family and their hunting lodge. Lady Heidmarch indicates that an opportunity has arisen that would allow the Magnificent Seven to be tolerated in Ostrav and open the door continued investigations. Ostrav is having a surge of Goblinoid troubles and has indicated to the Magician’s Guild that if they receive assistance in removing the threat, they would allow access to the Surinak Estate. Once again an adventure is presented that all my companions are excited about and we leave immediately for the Town of Ostrav. Fame, Fortune and Goblinoids to slaughter bring such smiles to their wee little faces. Personally, I want to know more about who and what is trying to use Slaughtergarde’s old magic to reopen a portal and to what realm plus the gold is always nice.

We are given a letter of introduction to Mayor Sandra Trinelli and we journey three days south and arrive at the Town of Ostrav. What a joyless place, though considering what has happened within two short human generations, it is understandable. The township still maintains multiple gallows in its square, ready for use and it makes quiet the first impression on a new visitor, dreary. Seeing two inns we decide to approach the newer one called the Witches' End Tavern. We are greeted rudely by the proprietress Alice, a giantess of a human female with the disposition of a freshly shaved dwarf. Drawing deeply upon my inner calm, I remind myself she is only human and proceed to request lodgings and directions to Mayor Sandra Trinelli, brandishing the letter of Introduction, before Alice gave any thought to Gnome or Hin tossing.

Tarsakh 14, Year of Rogue Dragons

We settle ourselves into the Witch’s End and my companions go about being their colorful selves. Ser Buckthorn seemed a bit taken with Alice; you can see it clear on his face that he wishes to scale the peaks of that mountainous woman. I have never seen a half-gnome before they would have to exists as it appears human can interbreed with almost anything…fascinating.

The meeting with Mayor Sandra Trinelli goes as expected, with a twist. There is always a twist, but that is what makes existence interesting. They are experiencing a Goblinoid problem and the goblinoids are covered in filth and purple blotches. My mind immediately starts thinking of the Rotting Man and his Blightlords, but no, from what she describes this is different. She further explains that she will pay 5 gold for each Gobliniod killed, 10 g for every goblin wolf and 100 g for locating and wiping out their camp. Interestingly enough for a people so gun-ho for hangings, my inquiry to which ear she wishes us to collect turn her face a funny color. Seems she is willing to take us at our word and if it sounds too crazy, she will call in the priest to verify our statements.

Once the Gobliniod threat is over, she will give us a key to the Surinak Estate and while we are there she wish us to gather any documents regarding the human sacrifices, as the Surinak Family kept records of who they sacrificed. She stated these documents can put the town-folk’s minds to rest regarding missing family members. This reason does not make much sense to me, considering humans brief life span it has been 50 to 60 years since the people of Ostrav rose up against the Surinaks, the missing people most likely would be dead by natural causes by now and the current generation would only know the missing from stories, not personally. I will have to examine these records prior us surrendering them; I wonder what she truly wants with them.

Mayor Trinelli indicates we can begin our search at the Escoro Fields. Gobliniod where spotted in that area. I request an official Writ to assist us in dealing with the people of Ostrav, considering we have no human members and the nature of her people. She provides this to me and we are off to the fields.

We arrive at the fields and sure enough, goblins were hiding in a sheep herd, trying to sneak up on us. Seriously? If you are going to roll around in mud, be covered in purple splotches you are not going to pass for a sheep.

Stupid goblins.

The goblins and goblin wolf riders come at us in waves; The Magnificent Seven, well, performed magnificently! Close by was a farmhouse that serviced the field and it was under assault by some hobgoblins lead by a hobgoblin mounted on a dire wolf. We are getting much better at killing Gobliniods, the teamwork is starting to shine through. That…or the absence of Jinx through all of this. I told him not to eat that “meat” on a stick, but did he listen, noooo. Honestly though, the noises his bowels were making made me wince in sympathy.

A hobgoblin and the dire wolf got away, but not before I gave the wolf a proper feathering. It should leave a nice blood trail for us to follow right back to the gobbie encampment.

Upon examination I determine the purple goo on the goblinoids and splattered on most of my companions, is Demon Bile, really nasty stuff. I suggest they wash it off of their skin before it grows into them permanently. Once the anxiety attacks were over, I further explain they have to roll around in it, sleep in it, eat it or get it into a gaping wound before it merges with them. It wasn’t until the purple stains started to fade that they calmed down.

I send my familiar off to the mayor with a note requesting a priest who can channel divine energies to destroy the Demon Bile before it spreads and infects the field. I foresee another foray into a fragment of Slaughtergarde in our future. It has to be the source of the purple goo, a Bile Pit! I am glad I stocked up on the coal and paper for proper glyph rubbings. This is so exciting!

Report Date

14 Oct 2018