Campaign Log -- 05/19/07

[Boric Glanduum]

May 19, 2007--Session notes

At Edynn's yell, I jumped to me feet to stand at Treebrother's side. Behind us some thirty or forty feet away stood six eljut tangviren {hobgoblin archers}, all of them drawing arrows from their quivers. They were not the cause of Edynn's cry, however. It was difficult to see past Treebrother's bulk, but it looked like Nyrvald and Edynn faced six more eljuten warriors. These looked smarter and better equipped than their brethren we'd already faced. By the way they carried themselves and held their positions, you could see their skill.

One of them--much larger than the others--was, by his bearing and size, obviously in command. He was shouting something at Edynn; I had to concentrate for a moment to realize it was very poor eljram {Goblin-speak}--but not poor enough that I could not understand. The eljuten that roamed the forests around me home village and Ewskral {Hall of the Hammer} spoke a similar dialect. I glanced around; I couldnae tell whether any of me companions understood his words. As I looked back at the large eljut: I knew this creature; rather, I knew of him. I was stunned at this realization. This was surely the eljut I remembered--the one who had proclaimed himself "Ahlgwar"; this is what the eljut call their warrior cheiftains.

He barked out orders to his five minions and they closed in around Nyrvald and Edynn, surrounding them on three sides. The Ahlgwar drew an immense sword and grinned evilly as he stepped toward Edynn. Nyrvald took the opportunity as the Ahlgwar passed by him to swing his axe, trying to at least slow his attack on the olv. Unfortunately, the axe glanced off the eljut's armor. The Ahlgwar spared not a glance at the horm {cleric}, but yelled in eljram: "*I am Ahlgwar Pwo--FEAR ME!*" One quick swing of his sword and Edynn was down. "Pwo"--that's right; that was his name..."Pwo." Meaning "buttock" in eljram. Gotta love a parent that would name their child "buttock." ‘Course, maybe it's a compliment in his particular eljram dialect.

I climbed onto Treebrother's back and took a mighty leap straight at the eljut, me axe high over me head. "*Pwo*," I bellowed in eljram, "*you beardless, gnat-ridden barf-chunk! TASTE ME STEEL!*" The Ahlgwar reflexively brought his sword up as I flew toward him; I can only imagine his thoughts, seeing a dwar fly from the back of an angry bear. It was a forceful blow, but must have glanced off me armor, as it left only a small flesh wound that I shrugged off. I struck his chest and knocked him down to the ground; standing over him I spat in his face. "*Go ahead an' stand up, you hairy snot-rope! I dare ya'!*"

I sensed Nyrvald moving behind me to heal Edynn. Four balls of light fly passed me shoulder, striking Pwo and three of the other eljuten nearest to him. At nearly the same time, Amrus flew out of the stairway and incinerated one o' the eljuten at me side. With me attention gone, Pwo suddenly slid from between me legs--slid! About thirty feet or so, and wound up just in front of Amrus. I've really got to work on this distraction problem; it's interferin' with me bloodlettin' twicet now.

Distraction--the other three of Pwo's elite group thought they'd take advantage of what they thought was me distraction, watchin' Pwo slide along the floor. They surrounded me...they made a mistake, thinkin' I wasnae aware of ‘em. A mistake. Their last mistake.

I turned me grimthord {head} slowly back around to look at these three. The muscles in me neck cracked as I turned. I ran me thumb down the edge of me axe, grinned a toothy grin, and then shook the blood from me thumb. Red droplets spattered across their faces; their eyes grew wide and they began to shiver and whimper. I gripped me axe in both hands and turned almost half-way ‘round, then swung. Me axe cut straight through the first eljut on me right. Entrails and offal fell to the floor. Me swing carried me axe through the second eljut as well, though not as cleanly. Dark organs and more blood fell, coating the floor. One more burst of strength, and I buried me blade into the third and final eljut in front of me. As he fell, me axe was wrenched from me hands; must be stuck in a rib or somethin'. Killing these three had opened a clear path for Treebrother, who leaped over the three corpses and shattered the Ahlgwar's body with two quick swipes of his massive claws.

I had to climb on top of the last eljut's body to work me axe from his corpse. Edynn, from behind me, yelled, "Amrus, swing to your right!" Amrus did as he was told and his sword waved wildly through the air on his right side. Edynn sighed loudly. "Too far, Amrus!" A quick backswing and blood spurted from apparently empty air. Then Amrus jerked and grunted; a large wound appeared on his arm and there before him stood an eljut shaman. It was he that had robbed me of me kill, pulling Pwo away from me.

I ran towards him, brandishing me axe; it was as if I was watching from outside me own head. The Beast was in full reign. I was beyond insults, beyond the ability to speak eljram, screaming mindlessly. It did not appear to shake his confidence too much--he was still able to swing his weapon and hit me . . . doing no apparent damage. His blade must have been turned by me armor, or maybe by me blade. Whatever it was, he did no further harm and I ran through him, knocking him to the ground. Treebrother roared, took three steps, and rent the shaman into pieces.

Nyrvald healed Edynn, who then immediately ran down the stairway; seeing this, Amrus vaulted over the railing and into the stairway. I felt the Beast weakening; a push or two and the Beast was once again contained. As always, it left me drained of strength, but with a clear head; I staggered forward a step as the fatigue took hold. Our friendly horm grabbed me arm and asked if I needed gulmding {healing}. I told him to spend his olgulm {healing magic} on the others and downed two of me last olgulmaun {healing potions}. He nodded, then slipped another [u]olaun[/i] {potion} from his supplies, handed it to me, then walked over to examine our companions. The [u]olaun[/i] would not have too great an effect; I had lost much blood from me many injuries. They would, however, staunch the flow of blood from the puncture wounds from the merkkel {dog-thing} attack and the other various nicks and scrapes I'd received since entering the temple. They would also give me back a little strength to keep me on me feet a while longer. It was only then that I noticed that behind us was a swirling, raging storm; up until then, I'd been a bit too preoccupied to notice. Treebrother explained that he had summoned a sleet storm at the start of the battle to take the six tangviren out of the picture until we could deal with ‘em effectively.

Amrus walked back up the stairs to report that we needed to return to town to talk to Ramney as soon as possible. He had gone through the portal and caught up with Edynn on the other side. She told him that she had seen Vryxnr go through the portal; she also told him that she had a quest, the goal of which Amrus would not reveal to us. She promised to return when she had accomplished her task. He had also found the slaughtered remains of the merkkel.

Nyrvald and Treebrother spent a moment in discussion, then warned us all to retreat down the stairway a few steps. Both began weaving a [spell] of some sort. Two of the flying creatures they call "hippogriffs" appeared near the edge of the storm, just as Treebrother waved his arm and the storm dissipated. The two frus {animals} blinked and looked around for a second or two until they spied the six eljuten. There were those in me dwarkar {clan} that would have called it an arglary {a "proper" butchering}; maybe it was just the fatigue in me bones, or maybe it was pity, but it seemed to me to border on an arglarymos {dishonorable butchering}. At any rate, the eljut tangviren didnae stand a chance.

I sat on the top step, staring down into the blackness of the portal. I remained there while me companions continued their search of the surrounding rooms. They returned a short time later, and reported that they had found a throne room, filled with more of the symbols of zander {supreme evil} that filled the temple. As we discussed what they had found there, as well as the supplies and items we had collected from the many bodies in the temple, we journeyed back out into the woods to camp. We were all far too exhausted to set up much of a camp; the olvir {spellcasters} simply dropped to ghe ground to meditate while Nyrvald and I chose opposite sides of the fire and hunkered down on watch.

I may have dozed briefly--I will admit that I was that tired from the day's activities--but was brought to me senses by an ear-splitting shriek. I leaped to me feet, whirling towards Nyrvald to see four strange, twisted creatures. They appeared to be flying heads that were humanoid in form, but colored a deep blood red. They had dangling tentacles, withered and apparently useless. Large bat-like wings sprouted from the sides of the head. Unusually large mouths. It was these molkosen {abominations} that had made the shrieking noise. The horm was able to bring one of the flying heads down with his axe; the gundlin {bard} began singing and put one to sleep, which promptly fell out of the sky with a satisfying "thump." Amrus had risen to his feet at the initial shriek, but had not moved since; he remained motionless even when one of the sargh {disgusting} heads flew up and kissed him. Kissed him! Bloody tel; just seein' that is enough to make me spew!

They've stolen the olv's will, somehow. I ran over, holding me axe at the very end of the haft to get as much reach as I could. I still misjudged their height as me blow simply whickered below him. The molkos darted down and kissed the olv once again, quickly regaining his previous level above the ground. Amrus just ain't movin' and I've gotta change me tactics; I slipped one o' me kagalfnyren {throwing axes} outta me belt and sent it upward with a flick o' me wrist. It hit the sargh creature dead center. ‘Twasnae one of me best throws, but good enough to kill the molkos.

Me companions quickly finished off the remaining two molkos and ;Amrus was revived. He was shaken up a bit at the ease with which the creature had taken him outta the fight. Fortunately, the rest o' the night passed without event and I was able to get me enough sleep to bring me back to where I felt like meself, and let some o' me wounds scab over a bit more.