February 2014

[Just Rob]

Solaster lay on his palate, thoughts racing over the events that had happened recently, recounting in his mind the battles and war that the party had become involved in without being aware of it being staged by some unknown guiding force bent on keeping them from reaching the portal (known locally as the gate of the gods) and passing through to the next area. He was grateful for the chance to rest and recover some of his energy that had been spent fighting group after group of enemies until he was almost depleted and every member of the party was so hurt (including Eli who almost passed into permanent darkness if Solaster had not managed get to him in time to heal him) that the party was almost destroyed down to each man. Thankfully, the priest of the keep had assisted in restoring the group back to full health and had graciously allowed them to rest in a fairly comfortable room with only asking for purifying some of their spoiled food in return, which Solaster was able to do before needing to rest and gave some collective hope to both the keepers of the keep and the members of the party that some might actually pull through all this and continue on the quest to pass though the next gateway and perhaps save the townspeople from total annihilation in the process. As each of the friends lay in the dark resting, renewed energy flowed into them and they felt their abilities increasing and preparing them to take on the forces of evil striving to keep them from accomplishing their quest.

Passing through the last portal that was protected by a stone golem (something felt wrong about leaving it un-examined - as if it was keeping some item of power that the party could have used, but our focus was on passing through and not wasting time looking over a fallen foe: much to our possible dismay at leaving something behind) brought us out of the side of a hill, right into the midst of a force of orcs, trolls, war-trolls (which we found were greatly empowered trolls with magic resistance, armor, and great swords that were meant to do us great harm and not be touched by our defenses in return), and hill giants. We engaged in battle with these vast forces, and yet managed to pull through using all the physical attacks and spells at our disposal. We found that spells did not work on the war-trolls, yet the blade barrier summoned by Solaster was helpful in doing damage and keeping some of the trolls down who fell. Upon felling the trolls through our various attacks, we found we needed to use oil and flame to destroy them and keep them from regenerating. The orcs and hill giants were affected by the blade barrier and took time to follow its edge to try to get to us which gave us time to run away from the force that could still bear down on us and bring us down in combat. We ran towards a town on a hill with a keep on the highest point surrounded by flame and destruction by armies who had obviously sought to destroy this town and all that lived in it. We sought to discover what had happened to the keep and, since Arihana said the next portal was somewhere within the keep, try to get to it and see if we could pass through to the next area, not knowing what was on the other side.

Arriving at the outskirts of the keep, we found an army of 100 orcs with their leaders, 6 trolls manning a battering ram trying to penetrate the gate of the keep, and 2 stone giants who were directing the battle. It was a formidable force and our hopes sank as we saw the pure number of enemies arrayed against us and the defenders we could see upon the keep walls. But we knew we had to try to reach the keep and defend the people inside it before the reinforcements coming behind us arrived and made entry into the keep impossible. Trident, summoning a spell he did not know would work, cast a powerful illusion of the most feared thing the stone giant could think of attacking it, and against all odds, the giant believed the phantasm he was seeing was real and, beset by his greatest fears, fell over dead at the image; the defenders on the walls cheered as they saw one of the leaders of the army fall without being able to see what had caused such a great hope to strike their most strong enemies. Soon, attacks were launched against the other stone giant and Malgrim began the work of death against the multitude of orc foes, attacking with such vigor and power with his orc banes, that a group of 10 fell dead at a time, causing more cheers from the ramparts. Solaster summoned some of his last spells for use against the trolls and burned them with a pillar of divine fire in a flame strike, bringing the 6 temporarily down and halting the attack on the door of the keep. Unfortunately, some of the orc legions were able to get some sergeants and troops up scaling ladders to the tops of the keep's walls and defenders were being lost while the attackers were beaten back. Arihana continued the work of death with arrows flying around the battlefield in a blur, enemies dropping like flies from her efforts. Solaster cast his spell that gave him dragon's breath, which he used in a cone mirroring a red dragon's fiery breath, and loosed it on two groups of orcs which killed all of them except for the sergeants. Some of the orc troops began to flee in fear, despite the curses and epithets shouted at them by their leaders. Others were killed where they stood by the attacks of the party who brought down nearly all the foes except the trolls who had regenerated and were manning the battering ram again against the door. It was up to the party to bring them down, despite being depleted from spells and some of us wounded from the battle.

Eli took it upon himself to burn the trolls by getting next to them and attacking a few at a time to try to bring them down and then roast them with his ability to be like the face of the sun. While he was successful in bringing 3 of them down, two of them caught him and clawed and rended him which brought him down and brought him nigh to true death. We had to find some way to get to him and finish off the last trolls before the ones down regenerated and made us lose forever one of our companions. Suddenly, the gate to the keep opened and a knight on a mighty war horse with his retainers rode forth and laid into the trolls, bringing them down, and then working with us to both keep them down with flame and get to Eli with healing before he perished. Quick exchange of information allowed the party to allay any fears the defenders had of us being allied with evil and to get back inside the keep with the battering ram to strengthen the support on the door before the reinforcements arrived. We both saved and were saved in our battle against and army of evil.

We discussed the location of the portal and the Earl was very against the idea of our exposing the gate of the gods which the keep was built over to keep anything from passing through it and was covered and bricked up by the keep, making it currently impossible for us to even think of passing through. We made an arrangement for him to try to give us time to rest and recover our strength and rebuild our abilities to help save his people of his town, and he would see about helping us get to the portal so we could decide what to do next. Trident was against anything that would put us at risk, as the town people were not HIS people and he did not care to put us at risk to save those who he was not associated with. We decided we would rest and pick up the discussion of what to do next after we emerged from our sleep.

Thoughts of what to do raced along with thought of what had happened as Solaster lay on his cot, wondering what would happen next, as some as-yet unidentified force was guiding the efforts to keep our party from reaching the next portal by sending an army and reinforcements to destroy the town and keep us from getting to our next destination. A moment of decision, he felt, was soon to be revealed as we decided what to do to help save the remaining townspeople and uncover the bricked-over portal while turning back the tide of evil forces arrayed against us in great numbers. Soon, he though, soon. All will be revealed. Will we be up to the challenge? We shall see.

[Boric Glanduum]

<translated from Dwarven>

I fell today.

I saw all around me the Forgefire. I could hear nothing but the sound of the All-Father’s Hammer on His Anvil.

My companions saved me. Rather, they brought me back, keeping me from a gathering at the Forge. While a part of me regrets this, there is another part of me that is glad: glad that I have another chance to spill giant-blood; glad that I have another chance to acquire more gold; and glad that I have another chance to draw one more breath.

Apparently the tales about the spitefulness of elves, the greed of humans, and the flightiness of gnomes are all exaggerated. Either that, or these that surround me are not representative of their respective races.

We exited the portal from the side of a mountain. The stone golem was an abomination; we were truly lucky and blessed to have conquered this foe. A part of me lies unquiet; we did not search the area before we leaped into the portal. Perhaps it is the gold-lust talking, but I fear we overlooked treasure.

As we exited the portal, our first sight was a large group of orcs. Morir found her way to my left hand and Jarral found his way to my right. My only thought was, “Let it begin.” My heart raced with the chance to slay orcs.

They fell quickly.

They were followed by another group of orcs, accompanied by giants and seemingly led by several enormous trolls. We fled for the high ground, seeking safety among the rocks atop the cliff. It was to no avail, however. The trolls quickly scaled the heights and the giants rained rocks down upon us. The elf fell amidst the onslaught; we healed him only just in time. Our efforts eventually–somehow–succeeded. The larger, more dangerous foes fell to our weapons; more orcs and foes were coming behind. In the distance–in the opposite direction from the orcs–we could see a keep. Choosing discretion, we decided to run from the battleground and seek shelter from our foes there.

We ran.


We ran straight into an ambush. In the clearing were 20 orcs; 10 on either side of the clearing. There was little chance of us running the gauntlet safely. Eli and I looked at one another; he pointed to our left and I nodded. Eli charged into melee, taking out two orcs quite handily. I attempted to overrun another orc; he read my intentions and sidestepped me. As he did, however, Jarral bit into his side and he dropped to the ground. Spinning around, Morir tasted of his neighbor’s orcish blood and he fell to match his companion.

I confess that I started to laugh.

My companions made short work of the other orcs. Arahana alone accounted for many orc deaths. I have to admit that it has not been...unfortunate...to have the snake-head with us. Although I still do not trust her, she is a sharp eye and a keen archer.

We ran again, hearing the orcs coming up behind us once more. As we ran, I used a wand to heal myself; Solaster cared for the others as he could.

We soon arrived at the city surrounding the Keep. The buildings were all decimated, with no signs of their inhabitants. Between us and the gates were a hundred orcs, two stone giants, and six trolls. The trolls stood at the main gates, hammering with a battering ram. Luck was still with us as none of the great host noticed our arrival. It quickly became clear that the foes we’d already fought were reinforcements for the attacking army. I started forward, eager to slay and loot this host, but Trident grabbed my arm to stop me.

He waved his arms and cast a spell. One of the massive giants dropped to the ground, dead. Still, none of the host–not even his brother giant–noticed our presence, or even the giant’s death for that matter. Seeing my chance, I nodded my approval at Trident and then moved around the side of the massive corpse, using the stinking body for cover. The smell was indescribable.

I crept with sufficient stealth, and with enough cover from the dead giant, that I was able to walk right into the midst of an orcish battle group. They all exclaimed with fear as a column of flame dropped from the heavens, splashing hot death on the gate-battering trolls. I chuckled, knowing Solaster was at work. My chuckle was heard and an orc turned to look at me with both surprise and di-sgust obvious on his face.

I moved, then, not caring who saw or heard me. Morir and Jarral flew and flashed through the air. Orcish blood fell. It was like a hot battleaxe hitting a plate of butter. Nine fell before I paused for a breath. Only their sergeant stood, alone, facing me.

I smiled. Then stepped forward before he could finish drawing breath to yell a warning. He was quicker with his blade and nicked my shoulder. And then I stepped over his body. The commotion raised the attention of the nearest battle group. They looked at me, shouted, and fled, leaving only their sergeant to face me. He charged and I charged, crashing together with ringing steel. Each of his blows missed. Mine did not, and I stepped over his corpse.

Near the gates, I could see Eli standing, fatigued and wounded, his shoulders slumped. Here and there flames licked around his body. The bloody elf is on fire, by Tel! He did not seem to notice the flames, so they must have been some of his own magic. He was surrounded by three trolls, one of whom took a massive swing, knocking Eli to the ground thus extinguishing the flames. That can’t be a good sign.

At nearly the same moment as Eli fell, trumpets sounded on the air. The gates opened and the last few trolls are overrun by a mounted human and his armed retainers charging from the Keep. They helped us easily finish off the few remaining of the horde while Solaster moved to ply his healing wisdom on the elf’s body.

The mounted warrior introduced himself as Earl Vorinso, the Earl of the Keep. We hurriedly advised him of the oncoming reinforcements and followed him inside the gates. As we talked, he asked us to help turn back the coming horde. Trident, in a fit of...I’m not sure what to call it...he balked at helping them. He wishes only to find the next portal and be on our way. There is little concern or respect in his mind for these warriors–many of whom are simple farmers doing their best–and how they fought against overwhelming numbers.

I felt like slapping the little fellow senseless.

The Earl promised to help us dismantle the foundation of his Keep–the location of the portal–if we but help him save his city and his people. After a lengthy conversation, we finally agreed–including Trident–if we can but have eight hours of uninterrupted rest so that we can recover mentally and physcally from our labors. Vorinso agreed to do his best to grant us our request. He introduced us to another human, a priest, as Canon Barfell. Barfell led us to another room with some beds and pallets. He told us that there is little food and drink to spare to share with us and aid in our recovery; much is spoiled and rotten, apparently. Solaster smiled and told Barfell that he had a remedy for that problem. I fell to a pallet and was barely able to cover myself with a blanket before sleep took me.