Chronicles the Story So Far Part Six

Episode VIII – The War Begins in earnest 

Dramatis Personae

Telec - Kalamarian Human Priest of the Wanderer
Aetlred - Half Elf Ranger
Lalia - Halfling Thief

Thans – Dwarf Fghter Thief
Heradin- Dwarf Fighter Mage

Dvorn the Axe- Folokkii Human Fighter

Sondan – Brandobian, Human Fighter

Fawlit – Half Ork Fighter

Nyasse - a wounded human girl 
Violet - The Half Demon  Paladin of the Free 

Location

The woods and hills to the north of the village of Hidden Dell and in the caves and encampment of the goblin raiders

Events

The episode begins where the other left off with the company hidden by the edge of the forest observing the goblins camp and planning what they should do next

Shortly Lalia, Aetlred and violet go off scouting. Lalia disappears into the woodlands not to be seen for some while and Aetlred with Violet screening him scout the lay out of the clearing for the best angle off attack. Whilst every one else remained concealed by the tree line and the dense underbrush under it.

Violets sketch of the Goblin Camp 

Crouched in cover and awaiting the return of the scouts the rest of the company watched the clearing ahead intently. At the back of the clearing was a steep slope with scree and lose rocks obvious between the grass and scattered brambles and gorse bushes on top of that slope was a wooded ridge. The face of the slope was marked with three caves making the appearance of a lopsided face the largest of the caves was at ground level and from it issued a broad muddy path edged with trampled grass which seemed to be the end of the track that the goblin raiders had made form the village of Hidden Dell even if the amount of mud and trampling suggested that it had more use here than most of the rest of the way  to the right of that broad path was the smaller of the two stockades both constructed from rough posts driven into the ground and reinforced by a haphazard weaving of brush and thinner branches through them. The result looked very primitive and rather crude but the fighters in the company had no doubt as to the effectiveness of it as a barrier. Behind the smaller stockade was some sort of shed but it was hard to see as it was largely obscured by the stockade in front of it. To the eastern side of this stockade was a tall post seemingly made from a pollarded tree topped by an inverted cone made of a basket work of thin branches. The stockade on the west was similar but significantly larger and perhaps newer as the interwoven branches still sported the occasional green leaf.  Either side of this was two structures similar to the one on the eastern stockade differing only in that these where not built round a tree but around sturdy rough hewn posts.

The pair first scouted to the east and considered making their move from that side but decided to scout the around the other side as Aetlred was concerned about the company having to cross a wide area of relatively open ground on his side where the trees and underbrush had been cleared. Likely to build the two stockades and the shed they could see in the clearing and all the long grass like that in which they where now hiding trampled down. It was also not clear quite what the posts where for. So the two moved to the west where it quickly became apparent that the larger western stockaded coral contained all of the animals looted form the Hidden Dell and those they where all cramped together, untended and stinking, with the cows in milk in some considerable distress as it was clear they had not been milked since before the raid. It was some what worrying that no goblins had been seen about so far and that for all they peered into them the stockades and the odd structures atop posts which might have been hiding them neither Aetlred nor Violets practised eye could spot anything hidden.

With that the two scouts returned to where the company was hidden and there was a discussion as to what to do. Telec a man of wide travels noted that the structures on top of posts resembled those used by hobgoblins as raised watch points and the goblins being kin might use similar. He also said that many human cultures used the same sort of structure to build beacons and that they could therefore be either. In the end it was decided to strike form the west as it was upwind of the trapped live stock and they where less likely to smell humans and sensing relief from their distress give the game away. The company moved round to the west well inside the tree line crossing the shallow beck out of sight and sound of any watching goblins and finally as before halting on the edge of the trees

Once again Aetlred and Violet went forward moving through the sheltering long grass with ease before they finally spotted a solitary goblin in the crude basket work of branches atop the furthest western post. Both Aetlred and Violet drew their bows and loosed. Both missed and readied their bows again hoping that the goblin watchman did not notice his lucky escape he did not. They both drew and loosed again Violet missed driving an arrow into the post below the basket, Aetlred struck home but not at all hard as the arrow was slowed passing trough the woven screening twigs and almost stopped by the layers of fetid furs that the goblin guard used as armour. The goblin could not fail to notice this and readied his own bow whilst scanning the ground before him for the archers he knew where there but could not see. Aetlred moved closer for a better shot and the goblin saw the grass move and still not seeing a target dropped his bow and blew his signal horn. 

Violet signalled the retreat and she and Aetlred made for the relative safety of the trees edge whilst the goblin camp roused behind them and most woringly the air was rent with further more distant horn calls and the barking of large dogs which grow lest distant by the moment.  At the woods edge Violet took charge sending the company west whilst she took off at a loping run to the south. The company fled with as much stealth as they could muster at speed fording the beck well inside the woods and then following it as it wound its way north and west to where it issued from the scarp. There they halted and considered entering the narrow cave but eventually dwarven wisdom about water and caves being a poor mix prevailed. All the while they listened out for sounds of a pursuit closing in but it would seen that whatever Violet had planed had worked at least that well  it kept the goblins and their massive ravening hounds of the companies backs.

As they where discussing the merits of going into the cave it came to Than’s that the ridge above them was the continuation of the one in which the abandoned dwarf test mine had been dug from which he had cleared those goblin bandits from the previous spring More relaxed the company decided to return to the goblin camp along the wooded ridge line which they do relatively easily being sure that the goblins are not guarding this angle of approach  It is still getting late by the time the company arrive in a position above the goblin camp. Further discussion occurs as to weather they should strike at the goblins or wait to see if Violet returns. Now confident the company decides to press on. Sending Thans down to the east most or upper cave as it’s the only one that the companies one hundred feet of rope will reach and the slope is far too steep and covered with lose stones to be scrabbled down safely without the aid of a rope. Thans is very careful to make sure that the only other dwarf in the group is in charge of the rope. At the cave Thans discovers a narrow shelf off rock forming a sort of an apron outside the cave little more than five feet at it’s widest and that the cave entrance is blocked by a lattice of interlaced branches. Thans signals and Fawlit the half ork is sent down as he is best able to clear this obstacle with his bestial strength.

Thans's Map of the Upper Eye

Thans crouched in the entrance to the cave looking into the darkness as Fawlit descended the rope he could see nothing in the dark of the cave, beyond the grill, even with his superior dwarven vision, consoling himself that this meant there was no one there he waited and in due course the half ork reached the apron in front of the grill. Fawlit placed the shaft of the axe beaten his teeth as a dwarf might a knife and griping the wooden grill tore it asunder and rolled through the gap.  There was a silence a distinctly goblin squawk of alarm and three goblins charged into view. Thans drew his daggers they where only goblins and he was sure he could take three with ease after last spring. It did not alarm him therefore when Fawlit appeared stunned until after the first arriving goblin tried to knife him. Thans duelled with two goblins matching their petty knife strikes with his mighty blows. Then the Half ork gained his wits and bringing his shield into play moved to attack his axe sending his opponent sprawling before he turned on the two fighting Thans distracting them and allowing Thans to disengage and move to strike form behind. He wounded both goblins before Fawlit finished one off and the second stated to back off realising it was going to die otherwise. Unfortunately neither of them noticed the goblin Fawlit had sent sprawling recover and scamper off as they drove his comrade back and slew him amidst the bedding in which he and his allies had been skulking.

The fight over the rest of the company climbed down the rope and took stock, Aetlred managed to find the goblins solitary bow before Fawlit a well known hatter of missile arms did and then he fell to tending the minor scratches the goblins had managed to deal out. Thans searched the bedding and the corpses recovered the goblins small stash of copper and bronze trade coins. Before examining the low passage the escapee had used and declaring that it was dug and badly not a natural cave.

Outside the company noticed that the pursuit group had returned with empty saddles and some hunting dogs missing, others limping and it would seem Violet had pulled something and that the goblins had had the worst of it