Introduction
This will describe what is be what is happening in the area whilst the company are off adventuring as there is as you would expect more stuff going on than meets the eye especially that of the company
Episode three
Noises off happening during Session XV
Events at the Holdfast
Whilst the company was away at the faire Nyassor had remained at the holdfast to avoid complications with him being thought a Grell whatever one of those was along with his comrade Americ who was too busy trying to make contact with his alien god or her divine servants
Nyassor having hunters instincts and wanting to become more familiar with the new lands in which he found himself continued to patrol the woods north of the Dell in the direction of the Goblin caves on the second day he found what he was sure where fresh dog tracks of the sort the local goblins used.
What Violet found & did at the Water caves.
Violet set off for the water caves where she had left the group of released slaves and other refugees from northern Kalamar around two weeks ago and whilst it is was scarcely more than three day’s travel to an experienced wilderness traveller less if one wanted to risk going thought the spider woods she was careful not to draw the attention of any goblins in the area either to herself as whilst a handful of Goblins was little threat to her all fights where a risk and wisdom dictated choosing ones fights with care. More importantly she did not want to draw the goblins attention to a soft target for another raid.
Her trip was largely uneventful though Violet did see Goblin. Goblin dog and even Bugbear tracks she managed to evade contact with any of them and arrive at the water caves without being followed. When she arrived she was less than happy with what she found. Less than half of the band was still there and they where building a fortified village against the cliff by the caves and had started farming. They had elected a leader and where building a small shrine to the Founder in one of the smaller caves.
They greeted Violet some what coldly when she arrived and then in the subsequent village meeting bluntly accused her of abandoning them to their fate and told her she was no longer welcome in their village.
Violet was angered by this frank ingratitude after all she had rescued them all form servitude and Perkal had died for them in that skirmish with the Orks on the high pass She warned them off the goblins but was not sure they listened and was told to mind her own business when she asked about the missing ones. So she left and went looking for them.
The battle at the Temple of the Wayfarer
Akakabul’s goblins approached the converted Kalamarian way tower with speed and stealth and in considerable numbers. He sent the new recruits forward first, to prove themselves, in two groups one against each of the gates, under the cover of the bows of his more trusted followers. He was expecting casualties expecting casualties but the watch by the temple guard did not spot them until the first where almost upon them, and could not close the still open gates in time as these first groups gained the temple yard. Akakabul ordered the rest of his forces in as the guards and some of the guest’s hasty defence first wavered then crumbled under the attack. It was from the start a forgone conclusion and all over in minutes.
Akakabul surveyed the scene of his victory and his losses, a score of his least experienced warriors dead along with the temple guards who had been on duty and three mercenary’s who had been escorting an early caravan east and a couple of others for a company to join on their way to A’Rakham
In exchange he had a small caravan of valuable and exotic goods from all over Cosdol with pack animals and wagons and upwards of forty captives. Of whom most would be better replacements for those lost at the goblin caves and the others the priest and his apprentice would be well worth ransoming as his church would surly pay to get him back.
Episode two -The Water caves
This takes place at the same time as episodes VII-XIII
Violet had left the band of refugees and rescued slaves that she had lead across the high pass, having with the slain priest Perkal lead them from the cruel captivity of an imperial plantation in northern Kalamar to freedom west of the mountains.
They had been left well supplied for whatever they chose to do next but they none the less felt rather abandoned when Violet went off and has yet to return, they compared Violet who was obviously little more than a tame monster unfavourably with the tall handsome heroic looking fhokkian cleric . There was much grumbling as some of them forgot the oppression they had been released from and the valour of Violet and Perkal as well as those others who had added them as they fled the imperial trackers all across the wilds of the young kingdoms and thence over the secret high pass.
For want of any instruction they where at something of a lose end, they where not that used to making their own decisions most of them having been salves or at least serf’s all their lives and as a result subject to the commands of others. Indeed even though both Violet and Perkal had tried to encourage them to become involved in the decisions that needed making during their escape it was apparent to them all that the Priest and the Paladin where in the lead and they for the most part went along with the choices those two made, even if there was some grumbling.
At first the refugees where content to camp out at and enjoy the bounty of the supplies there However as the days passed the grumbling and the discussion began initially the majority of the refugees decided that it would be best to wait for the Paladin and started building a temporary refuge at the water caves as this was soon finished the divisions grew, some having built at least a temporary shelter wanted to stay and settle permanently. Others mostly the more adventurous of them wanted either to go and explore the area or go and look for the missing Paladin or a bit of both however it was a while before these groups organised themselves and made there decisions. The first to set out headed south as they had heard there was some sort of settlement to the south and being made up of former rural surfs rather than released plantation slaves they had some experience at fending for themselves in the wilds the other two groups settled to exploring the local area as neither of them had the wilderness skills or confidence of the first being mostly composed of young released field slaves form the plantation who to be honest having escaped the oppression of the plantation had developed something of a taste for adventure on their escape.
Mean while a good way to the west the wealthy Kalamarian Merchant T’lec set out with a caravan of goods as well as the sort of empty wagons used for the transport of dangerous wild beasts to the fighting arenas of the Jaded south of Kalamar. The caravan sets off form the city of Crandolen intending to cross back to the young kingdoms with a lot more goods gathered up on his road east, With him where his trading associates the Brandobian Branvrildar Dorguld and his huge southern bodyguard who every one thinks a mute. Their escort for the dangerous trip over the Laggosa peaks are two score well armed hobgoblin mercenaries and a dozen light horsemen of the Dejy Lamakan tribe form the farthest east. The idle tongues in Crandolen’s taverns wonder at such a guard for crossing so much civilized lands especially when it is common knowledge that the fare at A’Rakham is the place to hire swords for the dangerous part of the journey. Indeed so rife was this speculation night before the caravan left that several of the hobgoblins felt the need to break the speculators faces in defence of their honour and the city watch where glad to see them pass the east gate.
Episode one
This takes place at the same time as episodes IX-XII
At the command of the Great goblin the goblin chief Benaxerak gathered up his forces and lead a raid from his strong hold on the M’Alvern ridge and after first looting and burning several Manish villages in the immediate area and obtaining a he decided an insufficient quantity of loot slaves and live stock crossed the M’Alvern stream and attacked the town of Vaynam. The town was walled and the raid was not equipped for attacking a walled town so the attack was driven off with no further loot and minimal destruction and Benaxerak withdrew in good order back across the M’Alvern stream where he set an ambush.
Into which rode the Lord of Vaynam and a large number of his men at arms the resulting fight was in the greater scheme of things some what indecisive as the goblins hit and ran not intending a stand up fight at that time however in the course of it the son and heir of the Lord of Vaynam was struck by an arrow which punched through his mail and struck him dead and the men of Vaynam withdrew in some disorder. Seeing this Benaxerak had them harried back to the gates of their town and commenced raiding at will along the M’Alvern stream burning farms and crop fields within sight of the walls.
At the same time goblin scouts moved south and east and there tracks where spotted near the Meliac’s farm. Grandfather Meliac was wise enough to evacuate the farm and move every one to Ettis wall, after the arrival of the Meliac’s family several other homesteaders to the north of Ettis wall reported goblin tracks or those of large dogs and the Militia of Ettis wall was mustered.
Mean while the usual summer market had begun to form at A’Rakum manor and the first significant numbers of travellers began to arrive both over the pass for the east and from the South and west along the kings road. None of the travellers from either direction reported seeing any goblins but those form the west had seen dog tracks but until it was pointed out to them did not see their significance. There developed a distinct undertow of nervousness amongst the markets traders which the lord of the Manor sought to keep in check.
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