Goblins Attacking the West Bank!

Faced with the daunting reality of thousands of goblinoids and their allies massing at Cinder Hill, SWAG began the journey back to Andrushel, planning to lay traps along the way. The detour around the now-ruined Skull Gorge bridge would take about 3 days.

Camping near Skull Gorge, SWAG slept while Red kept watch. A few hours into the night, SWAG was awakened to the screams of Red being ripped to shreds by a large girallon. SWAG lept to Red's defense as the girallon began eating Red and dragged him off into the woods. SWAG gave chase and repeatedly attacked the girallon, finally killing it before it could finish its buggy dinner. DeKelley healed Red and SWAG continued on to the other side of Skull Gorge, and Jorr warned that at least 100 hobgoblins had set up camp on the Cinder Hill side of the gorge.

Not knowing whether flying creatures accompanied the hobgoblins, SWAG chose to avoid battle, continued to Vraath Keep, and raced back to Andrushel, arriving before nightfall on Flocktime 17. SWAG warned the town council that a huge force was headed this way. The town council called an emergency session for the following day, and invited SWAG to join in. Finally, SWAG met the druid Avarthel and asked him if he could send an animal messenger to warn Sumberton. Avarthel said that he hadn't memorized that spell, but would do so in the morning.

About 2 am that night, screams rang out through the town as fires raced through buildings and the druid's grove on the west bank of Andrushel. SWAG and a dozen of the town guard and militia boarded the ferry for the long 6 minute ride across the river. By the time they arrived, many building and trees were in flames. Illuminated by the light of the flames, six goblins on worgs raced around the town, peppering townsfolk and the SWAG/town guard/militia forces with arrows. SWAG helped save children and townsfolk trapped in burning buildings and engaged the goblins in battle. SWAG also attempted to save the druid Avarthel, who emerged from his grove in flames. Unfortunately, Avarthel died of his injures before Petra could save him.

As the town guard slowly advanced and SWAG killed or chased away several goblin worg riders, a dozen hobgoblins emerged from the darkness. SWAG and the guard engaged the second wave of invaders, killing most of the hobgoblins. Two hobgoblin spellcasters with red hands emblazoned on their chests escaped. With the druid Avarthel as the only obvious hope to warn Sumberton, DeKelley used the staff of life found in Vraath Keep to raise the druid Avarthel.

The battle was won and Andrushel safe for now. Six militia and two town guard stationed at the west bank outposts were killed in the battle. DeKelley helped heal the others and all worked through the night to form bucket brigades to put out the fires.

Madness! Madness!

The battle of Skull Gorge Bridge raged on, with Thelonous joining the fray. Tired of the mighty slashes by Petra's greatsword, the dragon Ozyrrandion yelled to the hobgoblins to rip her off her horse. They grabbed her repeatedly, yanking her to the ground, while the bugbear Koth fired magic missiles and lightning bolts at SWAG.

SWAG fired arrows, magic missiles and fireballs, while Red stormed across the bridge to engage the foes. Petra rose, enduring opportunity attacks and leaping onto her horse with a grand fast mount. Red and Petra then began slashing away at the hobgoblins, dropping them left and right. DeKelley raced to heal all of the wounds caused by the hobgoblins and dragon.

With the battle turning against the Red Hand, Ozyrrandion the dragon retrieved an invisibility potion while Koth drank a fly potion to flee. The dragon made one last appearance, enduring yet another fireball before unleashing his acid breath attack and diving into the gorge to make his escape.

With the battle won, SWAG spent an hour searching the bridge and the camp, finding a weak spot in the bridge. Red hacked away at it collapsing it into the river 150' below.

SWAG pressed on to Cinder Hill. Late in the afternoon of Flocktime 12, SWAG saw the full picture of the Red Hand menace. A vast encampment in the valley below Cinder Hill of thousands of goblins, hobgoblins, and worgs, joined by dozens of giants, siege engines, and other creatures such as manticores and a red dragon swooping overhead.

Battle of Skull Gorge

On the balmy afternoon of Flocktime 10, SWAG enjoyed a brief repast at the inn at Andrushel after battling goblin forces at Vraath Keep. The council of Andrushel approached and enquired about SWAG's success in stopping the hobgoblin raids. SWAG told the village leaders that there may be more hobgoblins meeting at Cinder Hill, and agreed to investigate. The village began mustering its militia to defend against any new raids.

SWAG traveled to Jorr's cabin and spent the night there, prepared to head out toward Cinder Hill the next day. On Flocktime 11, SWAG journeyed on, again fighting the 6-headed hydra on the Dawn Way. The hydra's corpse was all that remained after a battle this time, floating in the murky water.

SWAG continued on past Vraath Keep, finding a forest giant effigy and a wide path leading off the road to the west. SWAG kept going and camped near the road a few hours' ride from Cinder Hill. On Flocktime 12, SWAG made it to Skull Gorge bridge, a key bottleneck along the road from Cinder Hill to Andrushel and the Valley of Obelisks.

The bridge was guarded by a large force of 2 hell hounds, 9 hobgoblins and a medium sized green dragon. Four hobgoblins stood guard on watch towers, armed with bows and arrows. SWAG engaged the enemy, striking down the hell hounds. The green dragon breathed deadly acid gas, nearly killing Quintavian, DeKelley, and his kobold cohort Sosukan. Meanwhile, Petra rode across the bridge to battle the hobgoblins there, Red captured a southern tower, and Odette and Jorr fired arrows at the enemy forces. With SWAG controlling both southern towers and the dragon readying for another acid gas attack, the battle raged on...

Uncovering the Mysteries of Vraath Keep

After the battle at Vraath Keep, SWAG spent several hours searching its rooms and healing. Red, Quintavian and Petra gained a level, with Red specializing in improved bull rush, Quintavian learning the powerful fireball spell (useful during enemy group photos) and Petra getting in touch with her mysterious air elemental affinity to learn how to levitate.

In the tower, SWAG found a dead farmer glowing with a pale green magical light. DeKelley suspected this was a ruse to convince travelers that the keep was haunted. SWAG also found a long undisturbed vault with what is likely the body of Avery Vraath and his treasure -- many coins, a powerful staff of life, magic armor and weapons, the deed to Vraath Keep itself, 2 letters of credit and Avery's papers, many of which mentioned a kingdom of Rhest. Upstairs in the hobgoblin lair, SWAG also found a paper with strange, unidentifiable writing on it.

SWAG spent the night at the keep, and then returned to Andrushel on Flocktime 10, rushing past the hydra on the Dawn Way's swamp bridge. SWAG spoke with the town speaker, militia captain and other local leaders about the map found at the keep and their next steps...