Game Session Recaps

[frenzied67]

I didn't have an opportunity to review the post until now.

Correction:
"... As he moved into the room he realized what he was seeing, the Hobgoblins and Orcs had been forcing the Badger and Halfling to fight..."

The kobolds and goblins were the ones forcing the halfling to fight the badger.

Also, when Enkili shouted, “I killed your boss!” the only one to hear him was the fleeing mercenary archer. You think that he escaped via the stairs and upper guard tower.

EP 125 18th Drindos C.E. 1032

*Apologise for how late this was posted. I had it written up but failed to put it on the forum. Thank you DM, for the corrections above.

The knowledge that it would take the twenty four remaining slaves a week to recover from the monster’s song made the party indecisive. As spent as the party was, and exposed within their enemies fortress, there was a call to retreat. Enkili’s military experience made him wish they could press the attack, but even his bag of tricks was expended. Yet they all knew that guilt would hound them if they left even one soul behind. Straining, Enkili strove for one thought, one idea that help them. Realization hit him. They had cleared this one section, and a shift change of guards would not be due for at least three hours.

They could get a short rest at least, though that would not be enough for the spellcasters. Leiya was not content with that, so she lifted her voice in prayer, begging Milosta (Melwen) for a restoration of her health and spells. Inside her Handy Haversack a coin made of powerful magics glowed then faded from existence. When her Coin of Fate vanished she found herself healthy and rejuvenated completely; her spells fresh as though eight hours of rest had been had. Tilting his head at seeing this miracle happen, Grynn called upon Melana.

He did not have to expend a mystic coin though, his miracle was granted immediately. He too was healed and granted his full allotment of spells. Retreating to the room full of stupefied slaves, the party rested for an hour, patching themselves up. Only Blaylocke was denied a chance to regain all his abilities, though he did study the wand Leiya handed him. He determined that he held a Wand of Opening, an item with ten knock spells infused into it. As he was the only person who could use arcane magic, since Jolrael was not with them, he was granted custody of the wand.

After they emerged, the party made their way to the rooms they had not searched before. They looted the heaps of dead as they progressed. In the room Jolrael had drowned a lot of orcs in, the party found a gold ring, a set of brass bracers, and an ivory handled dagger. In the Orc leader’s room, where the badger still wrestled with its chain, the party uncovered a chest that held platinum and gold coins, a handful of amethysts, and a scroll showing some secret slaver trade routes.

In the Ogre’s room a small pot of coins was found with silver and copper coins predominate inside. A long bow and quiver were taken and a nice greatsword was found. The “commander” of the guards, the man with glowing red eyes, had a ring and another nice great sword. Later Blaylocke studied these items and declared the ring to be Ring of Fire Resistance, and both greatswords were magic (+1). The Hobgoblins had mixed amounts of gold silver or copper coins.

Enkili entered the kitchen/mess hall by himself, Leiya nearby in the hall. There were six doors spaced around this huge room. The fighter moved clockwise around the chamber. The north east door turned out to be the man boar pig’s room (wereboars?), and he was charged by a frothing wild pig. Quick reactions kept the fighter from being painfully gored by tusks. When his startlement ended, the fighter took two swipes to end the boars threat. He grinned when Leiya started calling into the room, asking if he was all right; his silence was his idea of a prank.

Grinning impishly Enkili remained silent except for tossing the room. Unable to contain his distraught nerves, Grynn dashed passed Leiya and entered the kitchen. He was not pleased at the fighter’s dumb attempt at humor. The priest remained in the hall in the middle of the north wall. Blaylocke had also moved closer, but he remained in the hall studying potential magic items (the ring and great swords)

On a kitchen table near the middle of the eastern wall, Enkili found a note under a tankard. At first the parchment looked blank, but he looked closer and found raised indentations all over the sheet. Very few of the raised shapes repeated themselves which clued the fighter in that this was a language. He took the sheet knowing his companions might actually be able to decipher whatever language was thereon. There were two doors in the south east corner of the kitchen. Enkili opened the northernmost of those doors and stepped in. Again the fighter was taken unaware.

A squealing Kobold darted around the big man and shot north. At this point Leiya entered the kitchen and blocked the way out with Grynn. She hurled a Sacred Flame which did catch on the little creature. It expired in a flash of fiery light. After checking to make sure the Kobold was unable to bring harm to his friends, Enkili returned to ransacking the larder he found. Other than food, there was nothing of valuable. The most southern of the south eastern rooms also held food stock.

The next door was across the room along the south western wall. A semi opulent room revealed itself, obsessively clean. Weapons and a shield were displayed on the walls, part of a martial decor that made Enkili think of the red eyed man in dark armor he had killed. A padlocked door broke the plane of the southern wall, a voice called out when he tried the handle. “Icor, I demand you release me” the woman’s voice demanded. After calling in his friends, the fighter waited until Grynn was at his side, Blaylocke was behind the priest and Leiya found a spot in the doorway. The fighter stripped the lock away with a wrench of his pry bar.

Opening the door, the three men beheld a woman whose hair writhed then rose on coils to reveal snake heads instead of locks. Grynn, Blaylocke, and Enkili all felt something trying to freeze and stiffen unnaturally within themselves. The female creature lunged for the open aperture, but the fighter was quicker, slamming the door quickly. The fighter then retreated west before he remembered the door no longer had a lock. Blaylocke and the fighter hoisted the nearby bed and set it up before the door, with Enkili leaning on it to help prevent whatever was inside from leaving. The door nob was twisted, the door banged against the bed frame with manic persistence.

Grynn, who was still shaken from the creature’s unnerving gaze, prepared his Stoneshape spell; he then waited for Enkili or Blaylocke to move aside so he could apply the magic. Enkili stepped back and lifted the stout Halforc priest into his former place. Stone ran like wax around the entire frame, sealing all cracks, and jamming every hinge. When the unnatural woman called through the door they began a dialogue.

She began by giving her name and promising not to harm them if they released her. M’Iclotha claimed she was a slave, taken as property by Icor a blind fighter who barely fed and watered her while forcing her to watch his treasure chest. Blaylocke attempted to read her with a Detect Thoughts spell, but her shocked reaction shattered the magic as it was being laid down.

Grynn asked “Clotha” how many slavers remained in the stockade, she claimed that she did not know. Icor and his band were business associates with this batch of slavers. She claimed that the only slaves in the facility were those who were bemused and a few who were taken below for “experimentation” from a fellow with a Bhelian name. All others were sold or transported from there. She did say there was a trapdoor under Icor’s bed that went to this nightmarish chamber of horrors.

Though she seemed to be hewing close to the truth, they did find the trap door, the party was reluctant to release her at first. They did talk themselves into releasing her if she wore an executioners hood that had been left in the Ogre’s room. Clotha was true to her word, she donned the hood as the stone was chipped away from the door frame and hinges. Most of the party huddled behind the bed standing on an edge, but Blaylocke moved into the north western corner of the kitchen.

Before she left the room she spoke to the bard, Enkili moved into the kitchen to make sure his friend remained unmolested. He overheard the last part of her quoting the origins of her people who had been turned into Medusa by the gods. After that she glided out of the room and began to make her way through the carnage the party had left in their wake. There was one outraged cry which cut off abruptly. Fearing the worst Enkili ran out of the kitchen, not noticing the north western door which had been closed was now open. He saw a brand new goblin statue with warding upraised hands amid the bodies of where they had tried to make a stand.

There was a chest in the closet that had been M’Iclotha’s prison. The lock was pried away to reveal gold coins, handfulls of jet, another parchment with raised bumps (braile), a silver bracelet with a black opal, and a locked brass coffer. Grynn upset Enkili by saying that they should return for the treasure, but the fighter was not having it. They did leave the coffer unopened as they stuffed Leiya's Handy Haversack to the brim, and dumping the rest into Grynn’s Bag of Holding.

The trapdoor was opened and the party started down. A few rungs down Enkili cut his hand on a rough protrusion. While trying to warn the party of this hazard the poison struck him severely (rolled a 1 for Con save). Blacking out the fighter fell the remaining forty feet of the climb. The crash below knocked the breath from him, and Enkili found his head whirling from pain and poison….

*Our next game falls on December 14th.

EP 126 18th Drindos C.E. 1032

Even as the party began to hurry down the stairs, Enkili fished out his potion of supreme healing he had been hoarding. When Leiya hit the basement level she found Enkili better off than when they had started their descent. They were in a ten foot wide hallway that moved west, but turned north after twenty feet. Rounding that corner, Enkili was surprised at the lack of any evident doors. Starting at the corner, they started seeking for secret or hidden doors.

Their efforts were rewarded at the seeming end of the hall, a secret door along the western wall. It opened by applying pressure against certain parts of the door in steps, pushing so far while pressing here, then pressing another point to advance the opening some more, until three phases had been completed. When it swung free Enkili found himself face to face to a large wolf like canine with four times his mass. Another canine lifted it’s head twenty feet away in another large alcove. Even as the nearest creature began to sound it’s warning growl Grynn manifested his trusty Spiritual Weapon, he then granted Enkili a boon of Guidance.

Leaning in order to see her target, Leiya cast Sacred Flame at the overly large dog. The growl and menace turned to a massive yelp as fiery light burned fur and blistered flesh. Seeing that most of the work was already done on the first huge wolf, Enkili finished it with two strokes. The fighter then waded into the alcove and hall, closing with the second creature to deliver two cuts (Great Weapon Master granting the fourth cut). Unable to see what was happening, Blaylocke still knew his companions would benefit from his efforts. He sent Leiya a song that bolstered her resolution (Bardic Inspiration). He then moved up to the spot Enkili had vacated and shot the big dog.

Just that short glance was enough for the bard’s sharp mind to put two and two together, Anvilarm backed down the hall calling out “It’s a Worg”. Grynn squeezed passed Leiya and the bard and moved through the secret door. He then moved his Spiritual Weapon up next to Enkili. The manifested weapon struck true and finished off the last worg. Silence fell, as the rest of the group moved into the crossed shape passage. The worgs had been squeezed into two alcoves in a ten foot wide north south passage. Twenty feet to the north was a set of double doors, south beyond the group's lights (fifty feet away) was another set of double doors.

By consensus they moved north. Enkili and Blaylocke both listened at the doors, but heard nothing, though everyone could see flickering light from beneath the doors bottom edge. The room beyond was huge, looking like an alchemist's dream laboratory. Sixty foot by forty feet, the room had narrow balconies overlooking all the tables, tubing, and beakers on tables and desks arrayed all around the space. Goblins in fine chain armor all turned as one, most of them on the balconies above. To the very north of the room nestled behind a desk and between the balcony stairs was the Elven slaver woman, Mierca Inagwy.

Goblins began to rush into positions, those on the balcony raising javelins, and some of those below began to operate counterweights near the heroes. Mierca raised a hand while strange words passed her lips. Lightening jumped from her fingertips, crossing the room and passing through Grynn and Blaylocke. Enkili had to move his head aside to let a javelin pass. A nearby Goblin cried out in Bhelian and the sounds of a portcullis raising joined the sounds of the counterweights moving to the west. The counterweight sounds began to come from the east, also very near the party.

Without the usual brandishing of it’s scimitar, nor the caterwauling of threats, an elite Goblin ran to close with the party; making sure not to take up space in the center of the lab. It ended up in front of Enkili but could not use its weapon. A javelin from an Elite Goblin from the balcony struck Blaylocke. It’s companion missed with it’s throw. Vexed, Blaylocke cast his last spell; Haste was placed on Enkili, followed by a Bardic Inspiration. Grynn moved his Spiritual Weapon up next to the Elite Goblin confronting the party, the weapon struck true. Emboldened by that success, the priest tried a Sacred Flame but the magic was shed without doing damage.

One of the elite Goblins on the balcony ran for the stairs down. Another of the elite Goblins that had dodged out of view to the west, near the double doors, started raising what sounded like another portcullis. An elite Goblin tried to close the distance but had a lot of ground to cover, it arrived before the party breathless from it’s sprint. From the south east an owlbear rushed out of a hidden alcove, its claws scrabbled on the stone floor as it spun about to face the party, it occupied the space directly behind the two Goblins threatening the heroes. An arrow sped from the balcony, the shaft hit Enkili with bruising force.

The Sainted Sword blurred as it spun, the two goblins before the party fell; one gutted, the other losing an arm as it’s head was split. The fighter then drove the blade deep into the owlbear as Enkili shouted in its face. Intimidated, the beast hesitated to swipe at the fighter as the man continued passed it. Enkili used the bard’s spell on him to close with Mierca all the way in the office space in the north, vaulting several tables along the way. One of the elite Goblins drew it’s scimitar and tried to hit the fighter; even though Enkili was focused on the Elven slaver, he still managed to sway away from both slashes. A javelin from the balcony also missed the fighter, the weapon’s author raced for the north eastern stairs.

Another small figure on the eastern balcony who had already spent it’s javelin raced for the stairs, just reaching the bottom step. Taking one step forward, Leiya found she had a clear shot at the slaver Mierca. Her Guiding Bolt hit and adhered doing moderate damage. A second owlbear from the western alcove raced after Enkili, closing with the fighter. A javelin from the western balcony sailed by Leiya’s ear and clattered down the passage; another green figure raced for the stairs but had too many of its kin cluttering the way. The elite Goblin who had freed the eastern owlbear barked orders at the beast before closing with and swinging a scimitar at Blaylocke. Shield of the Faithful from Leiya shunted the curved blade from the bard’s flesh. A second slash was easily evaded by Blaylocke.

Turning back to her original target, Leiya upcast her next Guiding Bolt. This time Mierca cried out and staggered. The slaver was now in dire straights, barely conscious. One of the Elite Goblins who had come down the stairs managed two hits on Enkili. Now the owlbears became a huge factor in the fight. Owlbear 2 grabbed Enkili with it’s beak and yanked the fighter away from Mierca just before the fighter had a chance to strike, its claw attack was evaded by the disgruntled Mandagan. The first owlbear moved over the two goblin corpses and raked Leiya with both beak and claws, leaving deep bloody wounds on the priestess. Grynn moved his Spiritual Weapon to hit owlbear 1, wounding the creature heavily.

Grynn then hurled a Sacred Flame at the Elven slaver, but his cantrip failed to burn Mierca. Two elite Goblins pounded for the stairs, the second Goblin occupying the space Enkili had been yanked from. Staggering as she ran, Mierca raced through a set of doors along the north west wall. Bouncing down the western stairs another elite Goblin closed on Enkili with raised scimitar. Blaylocke drew his new Defender Rapier, he drew on its magic to shroud himself with protective energy. He then put the pointy end into the Goblin who had released owlbear #2, wounding the miscreant. One of the elite Goblins tried to vault from the west balcony stairs but belly flopped, it stood up then swung twice at the fighter missing completely.

Another Goblin reached the floor, but the elite Goblin who closed with Enkili ran face first into the table nearest the fighter. It had to crawl awkwardly up on the furnishing. It too missed Enkili with its curved steel. Now surrounded, Enkili thought he would have an easy time clearing the Goblins. However, it took three hits just to kill one. His fourth attack was on owlbear 1, the fighter then Action Surged to strike the hulking menace four more times, dropping it. Rallying, the elite Goblins began to act on their training, one of the three menacing the fighter, slashed at Enkili twice then danced away without allowing the swordsman a chance to retaliate as it retreated. Neither scimitar attack hit, however.

Trying his rapier again, after using its protective feature, Blaylocke missed the first owlbear’s handler. Lowering itself from the western balcony’s railing an elite Goblin dropped on the table and strove vainly to slash Enkili. With its beak, the first owlbear slashed Leiya, but missed with its gouging claws. The Spiritual Weapon whacked owlbear 1 again then the priest switched places with Leiya (Don’t know which feature allowed that maneuver). Flanking the fighter, a Goblin missed with its first attack but the second slash was solid (critical). The first Goblin that had flopped while dropping from the balcony was the Sainted Sword’s next victim. Enkili then ran back to the first owlbear. He took three opportunity attacks as he ran, two hitting while the third missed.

The surviving owlbears handler attacked Blaylocke, but Leiya again intervened with Shield of the Faithful, it’s second attack failed to strike Enkili when it shifted its second attack to the fighter. It darted away without allowing the fighter or bard a chance to strike it. Two more Goblins cleared the stairs and aimed themselves at the still distant party. A nearby Goblin danced in swinging at Enkili, before zipping away after failing to connect. The Goblins were proving impossible to swing at even as they retreated. Another Goblin hit the main floor and aimed itself at the distant heroes.

Though she was hurting, Leiya cast a Healing Word on Enkili before she set the first owlbear alight with a Sacred Flame. A whistling shriek from the burly monster proved the spell landed true. Another Goblin joined it’s wily brethren just outside of weapon range of the party, it eyed its chances to attack and escape and decided to wait a more opportune moment. Still smoking, the first owlbear tried to shred Grynn, but the priest moved and allowed his armor to thwart the beast. Enkili found another Goblin slashing at him, but his dance like moves kept the blade from his person. Again the Goblin spun out of sword reach without allowing a retaliatory riposte.

Another Goblin hugged the eastern wall as it joined its brethren circling the party like a frothing pack of wolves. Running then sliding under the owlbear, an elite Goblin cut the fighter once, missed the second time, then mocked Enkili as it spun out of reach before the owlbear could even look down. Another elite Goblin joined the pack forming in an arch around the party, just as another darted in at Enkili. This one hit once then adroitly evaded any counter attack. Another joined the crescent of goblin steel. Grynn’s Spiritual Weapon connected with the side of the last ownbear’s head. Both the crack of contact, then the sudden limp body spoke of the finality of that exchange. The priest, himself, sent a Sacred Flame at one of the first Goblins to have remembered it’s special training.

Though the Goblin sizzled, it was not killed. Grynn then took up a position west of the fighter. Leiya made a short move out of the worg’s hallway to upcast Cure Wounds on Enkili, she then moved back eyeing the feral Goblin pack. Another Goblin darted in at the fighter, this time Enkili used his riposte maneuver after the critter’s slash missed. Another body heaped as all the Goblins confident smiles faded. With Enkili and Grynn creating a buffer, Blaylocke sheathed his rapier and knocked his bow; his arrow missed though.

Enkili glanced at the clattering shaft, which gave a Goblin a chance, however both slashes failed to do more than sing off the fighters armor. With no enemy in reach, the fighter had to break from his position warding the hallway mouth to attack the two nearest goblins along the east wall. He missed the northernmost of the duo, then shifted his focus on the southern most. Two chops hit but one missed, however that Goblin slumped to the floor, fainting from blood loss. At that moment a pair of typical looking Goblins and a Bugbear charge into the office space in the northern section of the lab.

The last Goblin to have attacked Enkili tried again, both it’s attacks missed as before. Blaylocke fired at that Goblin in retaliation, but again his arrow flew through space no longer occupied. Another small Goblin raced into the lab. A goblin attacked Grynn, but the priest used his shield expertly. The Goblin backed off snarling it’s dissatisfaction. As yet another small Bugbear paced into the north, a second elite Goblin darted in at Grynn. This time one bladed attack connected, before the scimitar’s owner zig zagged out of weapon range. Another lesser Goblin reinforcement arrived.

Three more jostled through that northern door joining a growing clump of small Goblins. Leiya claimed she had a spell that would help, she just needed the party to make room or they would suffer too. Enkili dropped the last of his Goblins, jumped on the next nearest and killed it too, before he fell back near the alcove one of the owlbears had been penned in. Grynn also fell back, almost inside the other owlbear pen and cast Sacred Flame that hurt one of the elite Goblins. His Spiritual Weapon damaged another elite Goblin. Yet a third elite Goblin tried Enkili, but it’s only success was getting away before the fighters big blade could end it.

Two more Goblins poured in from that north western door. Calling on the power of her goddess, Leiya lit up the room with a vast Dawn spell, elite Goblins, Goblins, and Bugbears covered their eyes and cowered in place. A set of typical Goblins surged into the room and into the new circle of searing light. Their bodies spilled as the Dawn spell killed them. Both Blaylocke and Leiya glanced back as a gibbering figure moved into view in the hallway they occupied; a new set of reinforcements were arriving south of the party. One of the elite Goblins who had not been encompassed by the Dawn spell received Grynn’s attention. His Spiritual Weapon clubbed it from the left, as his Sacred Flame punched it from the front; this elite Goblin succumbed to it’s wounds.

Sensing the lethality of the light, the Bugbear tore out of the Dawn spell. It had to stop near Grynn while breathless. Following the example of its taller cousin, one of the new Goblins also dashed to get out of the divine light. Much nearer, one of the last elite Goblins closed with Enkili, one attack missed but the other embedded deeply into the fighter (critical). A small Goblin chose to move north, as it did not have the speed to pass through the Dawn spell. Having an elite Goblin nearby made Enkili happy. He was able to chop that enemy down, before he joyfully flanked the Bugbear trying to menace Grynn. That Bugbear died horribly.

As another Goblin figure appeared in the south, one of the new northern Goblins had to race across the lab only to end up near Enkili, Grynn, and Grynn’s Spiritual Weapon. The second Bugbear to arrive, was forced to displace back through the northwest door. One of the Goblins sought a corner out of the Dawn spell, but no sooner had it moved, then Blaylocke let loose at it. Heart shot, the goblin died. The Bard then imparted a precious Bardic Inspiration on Enkili, singing the fighters praises in order to bolster the man’s spirits.

Leaving the light before it could be kill by it, a regular Goblin closed with the bard, and hit him with its small curved sword. More Goblins were forced to displace north in order to save themselves from Dawn’s killing rays, not all of them succeeded. In the face of the southern reinforcements that kept arriving, Leiya moved her Dawn spell passed the party and into the hallway behind her. Her spell had already decimated the northern forces, and separated the rest. She then dropped the Goblin attacking Blaylocke with her Sacred Flame….

*Wow, what a fight; and it is far from over! Our next game will be December 21st. We will have Ghosttusk with us then who will be able to control Grynn much better than our “running him by committee” (Which is mostly the DM making a decision and we players saying sure. Not fair to our DM who already has a full plate.). Hope this isn’t heading to a TPK. Maybe we will hear from Ramsay Cowlishaw who entertained at Dike Van Dyke’s 100th birthday. What an entertainer, whose physical comedy amazed and delighted the world since before most of our group was born.

EP 127 18th Drindos C.E. 1032

Grynn’s Spiritual Weapon glided through the air then swung with sudden savagery, and another Goblin slumped among all those slumped among the lab's tables. The priest, himself, closed with the last Bugbear and made his mace ring against the metal bits in its armor, the Bugbear’s pained expression was mixed with a bit of panic. Emerging from the Dawn spell’s pure light, a Goblin raced up to Leiya and sliced across her midriff. While her blessed garments were not sliced, she was bruised none-the-less. In the spell’s light another Goblin was seen running with arms and legs pumping. Almost at the fringes of the magic, that Goblin suddenly began to smoke; it spilled onto the ground, cooking and dead.

Another Goblin actually made it’s dash curving around the western corner of the lab's entrance. Then others pattered into the lab having crossed the deadly Dawn spell, one Goblin ended near Enkili and Grynn; two more pressed Leiya accompanied by a bugbear. The last surviving Bugbear from the northern batch tried to hit Enkili, but the fighter stepped into the weapon’s arch stealing it’s power. Like a bug in a fire, another Goblin failed the deadly crossing through the Dawn spell, it’s cry of despair tugging it’s companions morale down. The western most Goblin threatening Leiya had an arrow sprout in its side, a gift from Blaylocke. Beyond Leiya’s Dawn spell, a Goblin figure at the far end of the holy glow drew up short, then refused to race through the light. It actually turned about.

Three more Goblins were also seen stopping short then following their companion back the way they had come. For the first time in her career as an adventurer, Leiya found herself mobbed by several enemies. She chose her Word of Radiance spell and radiant energy burst from her with devastating effect. Three of the four Goblins surrounding her became smoking bodies at her feet. She then hurled a Word of Healing at Enkili, which healed her a little due to a special ability. With too much confidence Enkili tried to crush the Bugbear near him, when his sword only chipped floor stone he sternly took himself in hand. His second attack was lethally accurate, which freed him up to race to flank the lone Goblin trying to harrass himself and Grynn; it died almost split in two from shoulder to groin.

Enkili then raced over to support Leiya, he then killed the arrow injured Goblin; the one who had survived the radiant burst she had emitted. Moving behind his Spiritual Weapon, Grynn and the glowing weapon shaped spell closed with the last Goblin in the lab. Both he and his spell missed the shrieking but agile loner. With no living allies near, the Goblin decided discretion was better than dying, it disengaged from Grynn and wove through all the tables heading north through the lab. Almost blurring from the Haste spell on him, Enkili ran the Goblin down, His blow was so puissant that the creatures head flipped to nine feet of height (critical). The fighter continued north, feeling that the Goblin forces from the south were possibly working their way back to that north western door in the lab.

With the tumult of battle passing into sanguine quietude, Leiya sighed and pulled a Potion of Healing from her pack. Beyond the Dawn spell the party heard little boots scuffing on paving stone, but those sounds faded as whomever made them chose not to dare the holy magic. Never-the-less, Blaylocke positioned himself so he had a straight shot down the southern worg hall, arrow nocked and ready. Before reaching the north west door, a pair of Hobgoblins charged through and threatened Enkili. A blurring figure turned out to be a Gnoll, it took Enkili’s left flank but removed by a body length. A second Gnoll also entered the room, it stood shoulder to shoulder with the Hobgoblins biting at and stabbing towards Enkili; that violence failed against the stoutness or magical protections of the fighters armor.

A blue skinned Ogre entered the room, settling back against the northern wall with a big glaive leaning against it’s shoulder. It eyed the room with a malevolent intelligence normally lacking in most Ogres. Before any of the larger Goblinoids could attack, Leiya sent a Sacred Flame at the first to have closed with her fighter friend. A flinch kept that light and fire from touching the Hobgoblin’s person. Leiya then lifted her voice and called down a Mass Healing Word on the party, knitting wounds from their last fray. Grynn’s slow Spiritual Weapon trundled north but was unnable to close with any enemy combatant. Grynn passed his weapon shaped spell, also too far to commit to an assault.

Two more Hobgoblins piled into the room, one aiming for Enkili, but the second hoisted a javelin and ran up the western balcony stairs. A third new Hobgoblin entered the lab but it stopped near the doorway. Unable to see the Hobgoblin trying to become a sniper, Blaylocke drew and loosed on the Gnoll with unnatural speed. The Haste like ability on the monster also protected it as the Haste on Enkili protected him, so the arrow shattered against a wall instead of burying into a body. Enkili focused on the second Gnoll, hitting twice with three strikes. Killing that hyena faced foe allowed the fighter to shift over to the east and bring the fast Gnoll under threat, a fourth sword stroke landed on the eastern most Hobgoblin of the pair facing him; it staggered but did not fall.

The fast Gnoll threw fangs and short sword slashes at the fighter, but Enkili ducked and weaved avoiding those attacks. Grinning to the dire thoughts in it’s head, the blue Ogre vanished from sight. The fighter also avoided the two greatsword attacks aimed at him from the injured Hobgoblin. To preserve her meat shield, Leiya made a short sprint north through the maze of tables, then set Enkili’s last attacker alight with a Sacred Flame. That slew the Goblinoid. Slower even than a Halfling, Grynn’s Spiritual Weapon glided through the air but did not arrive at the skirmish going on. Stopping shy of the melee, Grynn aimed a Sacred Flame at the would be Hobgoblin sniper, wounding but not stopping it.

The Hobgoblin who had paused at the doorway saw an opportunity and jumped the table between himself and Enkili; its big sword seemed unable to strike the fighter though. Still smoldering, the sniper Hobgoblin finished its climb and noticed that Leiya’s attention was not on him. The javelin punched into her side, making the priestess call out in pain. Not one of the heroes looked hale, they were all bloodied and tattered. A last Hobgoblin entered the lab, it stood over its dead friends and tried to enact vengeance on Enkili. Again the fighter moved and swayed to keep himself safe from the steel’s harmful kiss.

Enkili’s other Hobgoblin foe swung and missed, but it’s return stroke stabbed through the joints of the plate the fighter wore (critical). Now able to see the Hobgoblin sniper, Blaylocke reached into his quiver and grasped nothing. Hastily the bard fished out one of his precious silver tipped arrows. Though the shaft failed to penetrate the boiled leather cuirasse, the Hobgoblins grunted as though it’s breath had been driven out from the impact. Splitting the fast Gnolls head, Enkili then shifted his attention onto his newest Hobgoblin assailant. It took three powerful strikes to end that menace. Enkili then undid his quiver and tried to throw it to Blaylocke, Haste was the only reason how he was able to launch the quiver towards the bard at all.

The throw was less than accurate though, it landed closer to Leiya almost directly under the snipers position on the balcony. This also gave the last two Hobgoblins a chance to flank Enkili. They both missed their first attacks against the fighter, but landed their second heavy blows on him. The sniper started for the quiver at the same time that Blaylocked started to sprint for the arrow container, the Hobgoblin hesitated from dropping down when the bard proved faster than perceived. It had to scramble back over the railing, but it took an arrow shot in the upper thigh before completing it’s move.

“Enough!” a gruff voice growled before the blue Ogre materialized ten feet away from the fighter, it’s first glaive slash missed, but the second creased the armor and staggered Enkili.

The trundling Spiritual Weapon finally closed with this new enemy, striking and injuring the western most of the Hobgoblins harrassing Enkili. Grynn moved in and cast a beefed up Cure Wounds on Enkili, though he too needed treatment. Reversing itself yet again, the sniper Hobgoblin turned about and dropped on the table near Leiya. Drawing it’s big sword, it struck Leiya with it’s second attack. She was so staggered that she lost grasp of her Dawn spell. She tried to retaliate with a Sacred Flame, but the magic failed to settle on the Hobgoblin. Instead of healing herself, she also cast a Healing Word on Enkili.

Stepping from between the two Hobgoblins book ending him, Enkili tried to drop the hale Hobgoblin. Though he hit all three of his attacks he did not kill that foe. Instead of finishing with a fourth attack, the fighter took the time to push back against the pain of his wounds (Second Wind feature), the flow of blood under his armor lessened quite a bit. The other Hobgoblin split it’s two attacks between Enkili and Grynn repectively; neither swing hit. Grynn repositioned his Spiritual Weapon, but it failed to strike the Hobgoblin who had tried to hit him. However, while it was dodging the manifested spell, Grynn swung his mace mashing the Hobgoblins throat and breaking it’s neck in a single blow.

Panting from their long run, goblins who had not traversed the Dawn spell arrived at the north west door. Though it had a shot at both Grynn and Enkili, the blue Ogre instead uttered dark words and shot it’s hands out. A whirling cone of ice and frozen air lanced out covering the party and the last two Hobgoblins. The magic using Ogre’s eyes grew wide when it’s Cone of Cold spell failed to drop any of the heroes; it did turn one of its Hobgoblins into an ice sculpture and severely injured the last one. Seeing this blatant disregard for the Ogre Magi’s own troopers, more Goblin arrivals stopped at the door, unwilling to become sandwiched between the merciless party and the callous Ogre.

With the same speed it had imparted on Enkili, the Haste spell left the fighter. He had to grab a tables edge to keep from pitching onto his face and becoming a limp figure writhing on the floor. Laying his bow down, Blaylocke unlimbered his Instrument of the Bards and strummed a few melodic notes. A flaming wall encompassed the three visible Goblins, blocking the door and trapping the Ogre Magi in the northern tip of the lab. The Goblins perished, their cries drowned by the furnace shriek of the Wall of Fire. Blaylocke then moved ten feet east and waited with bow in one hand and Lyre in the other.

There had been a fourth Goblin who had still been in the other room next to the lab, it is assumed it ran for it’s life after that demonstration of superior magic. Cut, bruised, and frozen, the last Hobgoblin found itself cut off from it’s only ally, the Ogre Magi. It disengaged and started to scoot south. Leiya tried to burn it with a Sacred Flame spell, but that magic failed to kindle on the Hobgoblin. She then hurled another Healing Word onto Enkili, who was slowly getting his strength back. Grynn set off in pursuit but was already too far from the Hobgoblin, so he resorted to casting a Sacred Flame. Again the spell refused to settle on the miscreant. It took Blaylocke raising his bow and firing in order to finish that last Goblinoid.

Staggering at first, with his legs firming as he ran, Enkili mounted the west balcony stairs; freeing his bow and extra quiver from the carry case he wore. He saw the Ogre Magi over the Wall of Fire, healing almost as fast as the heat blisters appeared on the hot side of the spell. Following Enkili’s example, Leiya mounted the stairs to the east balcony, running all the way. Realizing that it was about to absorb more damage than it could continue healing, the Ogre Magi charged through the Wall of Fire. Once again it vanished from sight even as it was patting out the flames licking up its clothing after it broke through.

Anticipating the impending mayhem, Grynn cast Spiritual Guardians on himself. Putting away his bow, Blaylocke unlimbered his Defender Rapier readying himself for physical combat. Enkili merely dropped his long bow and dropped on the table next to the stairs, he crossed that, stepped onto the floor and headed passed where he had last seen the Ogre Magi. His proximity triggered the brutish figure to attack, the Ogre Magi became visible even though parried. Enkili swept it’s feet from under it, then rained two more successful blade attack on the monster. Leiya cast Guiding Bolt on the Ogre Magi, the spell hammering into the brute.

Rolling to its feet, the Ogre Magi bounced to the west before lashing out with another Cone of Cold on Grynn, Enkili, and Blaylocke. This time it snarled when it’s spell failed to drop any member of the party. Wanting to remain at distance, Blaylocke sheathed his sword and resumed the use of his bow; though he did not get a shot off. In the middle of spinning away from the fighter, the Ogre Magi turned Invisible again, but the fighter swung at the residual glow on the figure imparted from Leiya’s Guiding Bolt. Enkili staggered from the big miss, but Blaylocke noticed a table react from being bumped well south of the fighter.

Severely hurt, Leiya pulled out her healers kit and dressed some of her worst wounds. Probing with the Sainted Sword, Enkili closed on the spot where the bard had said the Ogre Magi had been. He found nothing, but he did ask Grynn or Blaylocke to cover the southern set of doors, the only escape route for their enemy. Knowing that he was as hurt as everyone else, Grynn upcast a Mass Healing Word on the entire party before moving himself and his Spiritual Guardian spell into the doorway. He actually physically closed the aperture. Enkili mapped a route in his head that he would have to probe to find the Ogre Magi, but all it took was a single step before he bumped into… something yeilding.

Though he could not see the creature, the fighter plied his blade and miraculously hit with all three attacks. Grynn tried to replicate the fighters feat, but his mace crashed into a table without wounding the enemy. Drawing his rapier, Blaylocke climbed onto a table near where the Ogre remained unseen. The bard pumped up his armor with the blade’s magic, but kept some magic in the piercing point. His stab also failed to find Ogre flesh. Though unseen by eye, the Spirit Guardians still began to chew on the Ogre Magi. The creature tried to stiff arm Enkili out of the way, but found the man far too resistant to being moved. Changing targets it hit Grynn once but missed a second time.

It did manage to push the priest aside as it tried for the door. Using it’s Glaive made the hulking figure visible once more, so as it tried to run, Enkili lashed out by instinct. Spine severed, the Ogre Magi spilled before the door shuddering as the life left its big body. Nigh spent, Leiya dragged down the stairs and then watched the Wall of Fire drop when Blaylocke willed it to cease. All would have been quiet, except for Enkili who began charging, the fighter threw the southern doors open and raced to the alcoves where they had faced the worgs. He was worried that their secret entrance was the only exit out of the basement, and he wanted the Elven slaver to face the justice of his blade….

*Our next game will be on December 28th. It is clear that the basement loops around, but is there another exit? Has Merketh (it was not Mierca) been able to escape? How long will this latest respite last? Spells and tricks are already getting low even after two miracles that had restored both clerics as though they had received long rests.

**Addendum. Mr. Ravenblade has a family function on December 28th, therefore our next game will actually be January 4th. Ramsay Cowlishaw is heart broken, he was going to actually return to the game on our next session. Having that session delayed a week is like punishment for the poor man who has been away for awhile.