An Epic tale form another part of Kalamar XI

 The Story Continues

Let me axe you a question...

Ngithol sat in silence and watched from afar as the others busied themselves with the slain green dragon. She watched the camaraderie, their faces flush with success and their bodies relishing in the brief rest they now allowed themselves. She watched... and she envied them. The bonds they shared, the ability to peaceably talk with each other and more importantly, their full control of their own faculties.

She turned away from them to step into the shadows of the nearby trees and walked over to a goblin that lay there. She'd noticed it had survived the earlier purging and had tried to crawl away unnoticed not realizing Ngithol had been trailing behind staying a ways away from the rest of the group so as to not endanger them in combat. Two days following at a distance in the forest, two days of executing any goblins that weren't yet fully dead and brutally slaying those that stumbled upon her...two days of being alone with nothing to do between the bouts of madness induced violence but to reflect on her being a liability now.

The goblin looked at her with fear as she approached. It's mouth was gagged and it tried desperately to crawl away with little success, the cauterized stump where it's left foot had been pushing ineffectually at the ground, as blood loss and shock kept it from mustering much effort. She walked to it and addressed it in dwarven unlike any other, "You know not what your kind is do you?" The goblin gibbered unintelligibly clearly in shock or more likely just not understanding. What were the odds it'd know the language of her lands? She looked into it's eyes for a moment more hoping for some spark of recognition before she twitched her fingers and pulled on an invisible thread of power.

With a flash her great axe suddenly appeared within her hands. She kicked the goblin over so it laid on it's back and held a brief flame to the edge of the axe, heat slowly building within it. She beheld the goblin's face again and saw recognition then as it knew what she intended to do. With a deliberate and fast swing she took the goblin's right foot off before holding the hot axe blade to the stump sealing it shut. Rather than scream or struggle the goblin made the right choice and simply passed out. She disregarded that fact and continued speaking, "Murderers, thieves and kidnappers. You creatures barely alive and worthy of respect. You're nothing more than pests to be exterminated."

As she spoke she continued to vent her frustrations from the past few days upon the goblin's body. Her anger at the fact that Kalamor now had validity to his beliefs she was some sociopathic invalid and the fact that the diminutive Frug likely thought her capable of little more than mindless bloodshed with Malvus probably being of similar mindset. Such frustrations compared though to the shame and regret she felt after having nearly killed Darius, the only individual she felt able to connect with in some fashion. It'd been after striking him in the back when she first used the axe that she realized the danger it represented. How much time passed as she continued her macabre act she did not know. It could've been 10 seconds or an hour. In the end there was little left to be identified as a goblin other than meat and gristle.

With a grunt she set the remains afire and used the flames to burn the blood off her axe. She sighed as she realized she was alone again and that she likely would continue to be until she was rid of the axe.

An Epic tale from another part of Kalamar X

The Story continues 

Tribute

Two more days. Doesn't seem like a long journey, but you're not exhausted, wet, cold, hampered by wounded goblin survivors, low on supplies, and still being followed by goblin hunting parties. Yeah, the heroes are having a bad week.

As tired as they were, the party kept going as long as possible. Darius looked like he might be suffering from infection, and had slowed too much to keep pace. Malvus continued scouting, ever aware that goblins continued to harass them. When a goblin was spotted on their side of the river, the spry monk chased after, only to fall into the goblin's trap.

Te little bastard threw a rock into a stirge nest and tried to make a run for it. Unfortunately, Malvus was faster and knocked the goblin out. He was too late o avoid the stirg , however. The little bloodsuckers swarmed the party causing panic among some of the women. Jjela and Shary, however were used to stirge and fought back bravely.

Now, had stirge been their only problem, this would have been over quickly. Unfortunately the commotion drew the attention of other predators in the area. From the bushes came a rust monster, hungry for the delicious taste of paladin armor. It was ineffective at the armor, but did damage Kalamor's sword, giving way to many curses at the rotlord for sending forth such a monstrosity.

While Darius continued to tear off stirge, Frug succumbed to the swarm. Fighting through his own pain, the young servant shoved a healing potion into his friend's mouth. They were starting to take control of the situation when a loud, baritone like howl shot through the forest. Kalamor shuddered. Owlbears are somewhat common in the Fyban, but usually leave adventurers alone, focusing on easier prey. Unfortunately for the heroes, stirge wee biting at the big beast, and sending it into a frenzy. It charged Neshy and Shary, but Malvus lept in the way. The stirge continued to swarm the party, but most were either dead or moving on, having had their fill. Kalamor did his best to avoid the rust monster while the owlbear made continued strikes at the monk.

A lucky stray kick from Malvus dropped the rust monster and Frug shifted into a great bear to take on the owlbear. Between maul, bear, an spear, the owlbear was quickly slain. Most were ok, save frightening amounts of blood loss. Neshy, however succumbed to her wounds during the fight. Her sister, Shary, was saddened, but showed little remorse. Chada was so distraught from the ordeal the was nearly in a catatonic state.

Onward the heroes marched, now with one goblin in tow. When he awoke, Kalamor interrogated the goblin for information. He confirmed the goblins were preparing another assault and that they were nearby. To by the party time, Kalamor took the goblin back to his people, hoping to intimidate them into giving up, or at least give the heroes time to rest. They were less than accepting of the offer, claiming they needed the girl as tribute. Kalamor countered that the girl was their tribute and they should find whatever hole they could to avoid further punishment. The ruse seemed to work as the goblins did back off. The paladin then turned and did his best to find his friends.

A couple hours later, Frug found the passed out Kalamor, lost and exhausted in the woods. They reunited with the party and got the best rest they could hope for. Around mid-day, the party awoke, feeling better, but crestfallen to find Chada and Shary missing, along with Kalamor's sword. The party debated on whether to leave them or continue onward, but it was all empty argument. They would not abandon anyone to sacrifice or tribute.

Frug found the scent and led the party back up river to a location near where the goblins had been. The trails split after that, with one human heading south, and the other with the goblins due west. The party followed the single human and found Shary hiding in the bush. She was frightened and told the tale that they tried to leave south back to their people and were caught by the goblins. She escaped but Chada was caught. Before they could decide what to do, two wood elves approached the party. Karyion and Sarif were tracking some goblins and followed the trail to the party. They had also found a group of goblins with a prisoner. It was unlike goblins and Orc to keep prisoners for tribute. Another, more sinister threat must be out there.

They agreed to get some sleep and push out early the next day to catch the goblins and try to free Chada, again. With the elves help, The party made good time and caught up with the goblins in a clearing. Most were sleeping and Chada was see tied to a stump. The heroes attacked with abandon. In mere moments, the goblins were all but destroyed. Karyion smiled and strutted up to a goblin near the tree line and put an arrow in its eye. But before he could turn to help the heroes finish them off, a great claw snatched him into the forest and ended the elf's life.

"Where is my tribute!?", the dragon roared as he entered the clearing. It's green scales shimmering in the morning sun. Fear. Not some simple nervous twitch before a fight, but genuine fear fell upon the party. The dragon was still young, but even a young green dragon is more than a match for novice adventurers. He charged Frug, nearly killing the little guy, only saved by a transformation into a great bear. Darius helped Malvus finish off the goblins, then layed hands upon Kalamor. If they wanted to survive, they needed the paladin in fighting form. In turn, Kalamor blessed his allies, while Malvus sent flurry after flurry into the flank of the dragon. Undeterred, it continued to strike Frug, though he was needing to share attention. Darius walked forward speaking the oath of the valiant, challenging and condemning the dragon. He smote the beast repeatedly, drawing the dragons attention.

Seeing the tide turn, the dragon moved to a strategic position and let blow a mighty wave of poisonous gas. Darius fell, grasping at his throat and Frug lost his concentration, shifting back into gnome form. Malvus, too, was affected, but still standing. The dragon smiled at his handiwork, oblivious to Kalamor. His blessing chant stopped, and a wrathful scream flowed from the paladin's lips as he charged, mace in hand. The dragon turned, but too late. One final blow to the temple and the beast was vanquished.

The party assessed their situation and were mostly relieved. Of the nine, only Karyion and Shary had died. Chada was rescued and confirmed what Kalamor suspected: Chada was to be used as tribute, handed to the goblins by her own people. Well, with the dragon dead, the tribute was no longer required. Darius, awake now, eyed the dragon's scales as a good replacement for his worn set. It would take a while to skin this beast...

An Epic tale From another Part of Kalamar IX

 

The Story Continues 

It's a Dangerous Business

With the Tannarukk defeated, the party prepped for their return trip to Drhyff. By Frug's best guess, it would take two to three days to get back. They went wildly off course in fighting the orc. Laer-Thuil said her goodbyes and left Shifyrn to act as a secondary guide. Jjela was eager to reunite with her children.

The first day's hike was mostly uneventful, though the party was feeling the early stages of exhaustion. It was due to that exhaustion that both Frug and Shifyrn missed the tell-tale signs of danger when picking their campsite. When Kalamor cleared away some leaves to make a fire, he noticed a strange yellowish liquid on the ground. The liquid, once disturbed, immediately launched a pseudopod at the paladin, rising up to a height of six to seven feet. Kalamor shouted for help and the party set to deal with the ooze. Unfortunately, their shouting only alerted another group of dangerous creatures. Shifyrn spotted winged beasts gliding between the trees; easily the size of a giant eagle but with the head of a wolf. It even had stag horns jutting out from just above its eyes. "Peryton", screamed Shifyrn! It was not alone. Three of the monstrosities attacked from all sides, seeking an easy dinner of human heart. Frug shifted into the form of a giant spider and set to bringing the beasts down by catching them in webbing, while Shifyrn and Kalamor moved to defend Jjela. Darius had never seen an ochre jelly before, but it looked like something he could smash with a hammer, so he focused on it. Fortunately for him, the ooze is very susceptible to bludgeoning damage. It was quickly brought down. Despite the peryton's flight advantage, they were sorely outmatched, and most were restrained and poisoned by Frug. The third was almost successful in tearing through Kalamor's armor, but the quick thinking Jjela stuffed a goodberry in his mouth, bringing the paladin back into the fight. Malvus and Ngithol arrived back in camp with some firewood and no idea what had happened.

With the camp now secure, the party finally enjoyed a good night's rest. With the morning's arrival came prayers, a breakfast of rations and goodberries, and setting out on their trip. As they plodded along, Shifyrn and Frug pointed out telltale signs of goblin incursion, including the obvious; a desiccated corpse hung in a tree to ward off adventurers. Frug used his magic to disguise the heroes and their tracks, while Shifyrn tracked a path to the goblin village. There the party could see at least three still-living slaves. Darius and Kalamor would not suffer the goblins' continued atrocities and moved to strike. Malvus and Shifyrn kept Jjela defended while Darius and Ngithol struck out on the right flank. Darius and Frug took the left. It would have been an unremarkable battle, except for one detail. Ngithol used the axe.

As soon as the blade tasted blood, the diminutive dwarf lost herself in a berserk rage, striking out at any nearby target, regardless of friend or foe. Darius deflected blows and tried to calm her, before seeing Kalamor in need. He left the dwarf to deal with the goblins and hopefully regain herself. When the goblin warriors were dispatched, Ngithol's bloodlust dissipated and the heroes were able to free the slaves. Unfortunately, some of the goblins escaped, likely warning other hunting parties of their deed.

With goblins hot on their tail, the party approached Vullf's creek. With no bridge, they'd have to forge across with the wounded captives while the rest set up a defense. Darius chose to aid the captives and the others engaged the goblin hunters. Their leader, a shaman, brought forth dangerous magic, attempting to drown Darius with a hold person, while leveling the others with magic missiles and shocking grasp spells. Unfortunately for the shaman, magic missiles do little to slow a bear down, something Frug knew all too well. The goblins were dispatched and the party safely crossed the creek. Only two or three days until they're safely out of the forest.

An Epic tale From another Part of Kalamar VIII

 

The Story Continues

A Good Day

Ngithol listened calmly to the prospect of them engaging this...
'Tanarukk' as everyone around the town of Rurr scrabbled to get themselves out of it's way. She listened and thought back to the tomes she'd thoroughly studied and tried hard to memorize. Tomes filled with knowledge of the arcane, filled with information she had hoped might lead her home and not be the product of a drug induced scribble session some writer experienced. She ran through the steps for one of the 'simpler' spells it had contained and found herself working through it as though it were some simple mechanical design. She smiled inwardly at the feeling of the various parts of the spell slotting together becoming a greater whole. That is until she came up to the part where she always failed. The part where she, a dwarf that'd faced down angry leviathans once upon a time, felt scared. To complete the spell she'd have to open herself up to energies, energies she felt firmly were responsible for the life she now lived. She sighed as she felt herself unable/unwilling to open that door at this time and watched in her minds eye all the pieces of the spell drift away like sand held in her open hands, sand that was now being replaced by tell tale signs of another 'episode' Ngithol gritted her teeth and set about busying herself with the civilians and their evacuation, determined to not lose her composure again so soon. She knew they'd most likely misunderstand her mood and demeanor but could care less, as long as it kept the flames at bay.

-----Several instances of Surliness later-----

Blood. It always intrigued her how some claimed it held mystical properties. How it could seperate and tie together groups. How it could purportedly cause some to rise to greatness and others devolve into beasts. Beasts which now lay slain at the feet of her partners. The blood of these orcs held no promise, no reason, no explanation for their savagery or brutality. It held only their life essence, an essence twisted to violence and cruelty. An essence that seemed all too ready to abandon it's liquid prison given the chance. She thought back to the children that'd been attacked by these orcs and the fact that it was only through her group's luck and timing that they'd narrowly avoided being orphaned, a fate she'd not been so lucky to avoid as a child. She thought of the others undoubtedly not as lucky as those three, the hardship that would forcibly be placed upon countless children if her group failed in their mission. She looked up at her comrades as they set out and when she believed none were looking forced herself again through the spell she'd been stymied by countless times over the years. She paused for only a heartbeat before wrenching open the 'door' she'd been afraid of, determined to no longer let her own fear prevent her from doing all she could to protect the untold innocents.

Time seemingly stretched for a moment as adrenaline flooded her body and she closed her eyes in anticipation of the flames she knew would surely engulf her. After a few heartbeats in which the flames did not come she opened her eyes and beheld a small mote of green fire dancing languidly in her hand. Hypnotically it moved around her hand, flowing against her palm before seemingly moving to caress her fingers as she flexed them. She realized it was connected to her by a thread of power, a thread she now knew was binding it's destructive potential to her will. She looked at the orc corpse at her feet and willed more power into the spell and marveled as the mote suddenly spewed forth a bolt of flame that reduced the corpse to ash in the blink of an eye. With a thought she dismissed the thread of power and watched the mote disappear leaving her hand empty and unharmed. She hurried to catch up to her party, her mind now alive and racing to recall all the information the tome had contained. She knew she might need more than flame for the things yet to come.

-----One Dead Tanarukk later-----

Ngithol felt aches and popped a few joints as she sat down to truly try and rest for the first time in what seemed like an age. It felt like an age since she'd pushed herself hard like she had to try and keep up with her group. Combining that with the battles they'd fought and that it'd been over a day since the last proper sleep made for a really strong urge to nap. A Tanarukk dead with his axe now resting in her lap, various people saved and her now having taken steps to use the arcane. All in all a good day. She looked up at Laer-Thuil as they sat in the druidic circle, noting the elves were readying for their own departure and drug herself up and approached them.

As she neared the elves she spoke out in Fhoki, "Laer-Thuil, a moment of your time perhaps?" hoping that might prevent others from thinking she intended some social faux pas. As the elves turned she pulled a few pieces of leather parchment from underneath her chainmail, they seemed old and weathered yet she obviously took great care to preserve them. As she unfolded them, it became obvious they were covered quite thoroughly in script. One intimately familiar to Ngithol as she'd penned the original parchment years ago and had periodically added to it as time went on. The script made up a letter meant for Mebzuth if ever she found a way to get it to him and detailed much of what she'd been through and experienced. It mentioned her highs, her lows and how she'd never once found as stalwart a companion in life. All this and more was on the pages she now readied to hand to the elf, yet she was willing to risk the possibility of another seeing such a side of her if it meant finding her home.

As she proffered it to Laer-Thuil she suddenly spoke in elvish, "I know elves are a long lived race and prone to remembering things forgotten by those with shorter lives. I wonder perhaps if the script on that page might seem familiar to you or your companions in any way. If so I'd greatly appreciate any information on how you might know of it. If you do not recognize it, perhaps you could indulge me in advising me on any nearby ruins that might once have been part of a fort, one built into the side of a mountain?"

Going to Lincoln today

Complications 

Today I am going to be mostly distracted by going to Lincoln to deal with the fan faecal matter event which is ongoing over there so I will almost certainly get behind with the Bloging not that I am not fully aware I am already miles behind on that score.

For its own sake

More from the People we suport

a Wild goose chase with a happy ending 

Vulnerable Goose...

Two days ago we were called out to Mercia Marina near Willington regarding a Canada goose that seemed to be partially blind. Residents were feeding her as she was being bullied by the other geese and also swans, however on Tuesday evening they became concerned for her welfare when a visiting member of the public decided to kick her, full force into the water. This upset many residents who them decided to call is for help.

When we arrived, the goose was obviously very nervous of people after her experience and took to the water quickly. Once she was in the water we noticed she was swimming around in circles and it was evident she could only see out of her left eye. We threw her some bread which she ate then we made a plan on how to capture her. 

The Rescued Goose

As she was blind in her right eye, we decided to use this to our advantage. We coaxed her out of the water and further onto land with bread. We then approached her from her right side and, before she had time to process what was going on, we managed to grab her. She put up a fight but then gave in.

We took her back to the sanctuary and put her into a paddock with other geese. She should settle into the group and then she will be offered full roam of the main field and pond area.

Goose at the Sanctuary 

as ever donations to support this work can be made here 

Swan in distress

A plea for help form the people we support 

reposted from Facebook 

Urgent Appeal...

***WARNING - GRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPH***

This morning we rescued this young swan from a lake at a water sports club in Draycott, Derby. 

site of rescue

Last night he was involved in a collision with a speed boat on the larger lake at the club. As it was dropping dark the driver of the boat didn't see him as he swam in front of them. As a result he was injured but disappeared into some bushes.

This morning we attended the scene and with the help of several club members and a boat, we managed to locate this poor youngster sitting on the edge of the lake next to brambles and trees. It was obvious he was in a lot of pain as he didn't move even when the boat was near him. Thanks to a kind club member, who waded across in a wet suit and caught him, the young swan was brought to the boat where we secured him in a swan bag until we got back to the docking area.

Rescued swan with mangled wing folded up

We have named this young man Drake. Due to extensive injuries to the right wing, which is both broken and mangled, the next course of action is surgery to remove the damaged portion of the wing. The operation will be done tomorrow once he is stabilised. This will cost in the region of £200 which we hope to be able to raise as it is a lot of money.

If anyone can help please donate funds for his surgery via paypal small_furries06@yahoo.co.uk. 

This poor lad deserves another chance at life and it would be devastating for his life to be over when it barely has begun. He is fighting us despite his condition and didn't want to take his pain relief or antibiotics. According to the people at the location this morning he is the last of five cygnets born on this lake with his siblings mysteriously disappearing along with his parents, so he has been surviving on his own. We plan to pair Drake up with Gracie once he has recovered and we have an offer of a private lake the pair could reside on next year.

Still a baby really hence the grey colouration

Please help if you can, Thankyou.
Lake photo courtesy of Wilne Church Water Sports Club

• Please note that I have not posted the detailed picture of his injuries as to be honest even with the wounds  cleaned up its not pretty even if survivable with the proper care  which Burton Wildlife Rescue will give

Somthing form the people we suport

Bundle Of Bristles...

We received a call today from a couple in the village of Lullington about a family of hedgehogs. The back garden was being tidied up and when they moved a rubbish pile, they were shocked to see a female hedgehog with youngsters. 

After going to the location to assess the situation and speaking with the couple, we decided to take mum and babies as they would no longer be safe and the garden was completely enclosed meaning the food source, which was very limited, would not provide enough nutrition to support all five hedgehogs. 

Mum and all five babies are now in a pen where they will be fed a good quality diet. It is likely that mum will be released soon but the babies will over winter in our heated hedgehog shed whilst they gain weight. All four babies will be released next year as hibernation time is nearly upon the hedgehog population.

If you have a hedgehog visiting your garden you can help them get ready for hibernation by leaving food out. Having a good supply of food such as cat meat or cat biscuits will allow them to gain weight faster therefore allowing them to survive the colder months. Please remember that if you see a hedgehog out in the day, there is usually something wrong. Call your nearest wildlife centre for advice.

 

 Burton Wild life Rescue Here 

An Epic tale from another part Of Kalamar VII

The story Continues

Fall of the Tanarukk

Malvus made a quick journey toward Dryff, even dropping off the kobold on his way. He notified Elmin Hessir of the impending orcish attack. He then set out as fast as possible (for a monk, that is very fast) to rendezvous in Rurr with the party.

Meanwhile, the townsfolk of Rurr were preparing evacuation and gearing up for a retreating battle. The two elves accompanying Laer-Thuil were desperately trying to cope with the last few hours. Battidel wanted to show his bravery and courage by attempting to compare himself favorably to Darius. The young paladin, seeing the fear, shared stories of the Swift Sword to calm his nerves. Shifyrn, however, sought solace in Frug. The little druid knew burial rites, and Shifyrn's friend Tessia was not granted a burial after the assault by the orcs. They simply didn't have the time. Frug, ever the gnome of few words, did his best to ease the elf's pain.

The others prepared in their own ways: Kalamor by performing his own last rites, and Ngithol by being insensitive and surly toward all. Once affairs were in order and Malvus had arrived it was time to go. The plan was to meet the orcs and try to harass them while buying time for the townsfolk. Unfortunately for them, the orcs were much closer than expected.

In a clearing along the path, a wagon was found overturned with its mule dead. The owners lay about, one dead, another dying. The third knelt next to her brother. She was in shock and barely able to speak. With some healing and help, they saved her brother, Tannen. Yuji, the girl pleaded with the heroes to save her mother, the fourth family member, and one taken by the raiders. Ngithol confirmed the assailants were orcs, and Malvus found blood they could track. Lawr-Thuil ordered Battidel to get the young ones to safety and the party changed direction, after this advance party of orcs.

They found the orcs easily enough, and they were too proud of their murder and looting to notice the heroes creep in. Within moments, the orcs were slain, and the mother, Jjela, was rescued. She took up a sword and offered to help fight, but in truth she was in no condition to do so. As such, she offered up an old tin pendant of the old man, in hopes he would guide them in battle. Frug, meanwhile, began to wonder if the orcs intended target was Rurr at all. Nearby was a little-known druid circle; a place of power. He led the party to the circle and communed with its caretaker, a dryad named Birch. She agreed with Frug's theory, and offered to lend aid. One of her disciples, a sprite named Sprig, guided the heroes to the warband containing the Tanarukk. He was in the company of a quasit and numerous skeletons and orcs.

The battle was fierce. Both sides knew only one would win this day. No quarter would be granted. The magical axe of the Tanarukk split armor and rent flesh. It was all moot, however. The heroes fought like warriors who've accepted death. Orcs have never been so brave. When the Tanarukk was brought low by the flailing of a berserking, wild shaped Frug, the other orcs tried to break rank and run. There was no escaping the arrows and blasts from Laer-Thuil and Ngithol.

The ranger stood victorious over the dead Tanarukk, loosing arrow after arrow into its corpse; each one freezing the flesh instantly. With her quiver empty, she sighed, "It's over".

The heroes returned to the Druidic circle hoping the orcs had not yet arrived. Instead, they were met by a centaur, Karrak. He thanked the heroes and told them Birch had requested the aid of his clan, the star hooves. The orcs were dead or running at this point.

All breathed a sigh of relief and Darius returned the pendant to Jjela. They were alive and victorious. As the sun rose across the wildlands.

More from the People we suport here

Dexter and Angel 

Dexter was raised from very young and is one of the reasons  that visitors are not encouraged at the centre he attacks them, he also attacks the staff  including the one who pretty much hand reared him so its not personal

Snuggled Hedge hog

Assorted Birds playing with the water feature

a friendly hen

Feeding time for the youngsters

Some more images form Burton Wildlife Rescue showing the width of their work an what the funds raised here go towards

I was hoping to find the Picture of the Rescue managers long suffering Staffordshire bull terrier being hen pecked but I cant find that at the moment and the pictures of the same Staffy being lead astray by Zenko the fox are too blurred sadly but they have a great time.

for more on Burton Wildlife Rescue

An Epic Tale form another part of Kalamar VI

 

 

The Story Continues

Return of the Tanarukk

The Urze was slain, but rest was not yet earned by our heroes. Due to the rain, an ogre was looking for shelter and food. He saw the cave and Kalamor and gave a disease-filled toothy grin. The ogre tossed aside the corpse of the goblin guard he'd found and went after a fresher meal. He was so outclassed.
While Kalamor dove for weapon and shield, Frug threw his cooking stick aside and charged the giant. To everyone's shock, the diminutive gnome altered form into that of a great brown bear, easily matching size with the ogre and stopping it cold in the entrance of the cave. Darius annd Ngithol moved to flank while Kalamor blessed his allies. The ogre never stood a chance.
Sleep came quickly after that, with the regular watch assignments. In the early morning, before everyone was awake, both Kalamor and Darius were focusing on their morning prayers; Kalamor down by the creek, and Darius at the mouth of the cave. It was that momentary distraction that allowed the elves to sneak up on the servant of the swift sword.
Three elves in total, all looking battle-weary, wanted to know why a group of adventurers had entered their territory, and with a kobold, no less! Kalamor and Darius explained their situation while Ngithol's flippant attitude did little to help. Their leader, Laer-Thuil, a female wood elf bearing the markings of both a ranger and the Golden Arrows, accepted their tale before requesting their aid. Her party was tracking a group of Orc through the Fyban. It had been years since any Orc dared enter the forest, and not in the numbers reported by scouts. The elves were ambushed and barely escaped with their lives. Even worse, Laer-Thuil all but confirmed the leader of these Orc was the lost Tanarukk, a demon-blooded Orc born in the blood of Orcus worshippers. He had evaded the destruction of his kin, and appears to be amassing a horde.
Darius was quick to accept the quest, and the others were but a breath behind him. Orcs are no friend of the good races. Malvus offered to earn Drhyff and finish business with the Kobolds. He would meet up with them afterward. After mending some wounds, the heroes broke camp and made haste to Rurr, a small logging outpost in the middle of the forest. It would likely be their first target. There the orcs could gain much needed weapons and food. With the elves as guides and scouts, travel was only hampered by their overall speed, and not much of that, even. Before long, the heroes encountered a group of orcs on an advance scouting mission. The very same that ambushed and killed Laer-thuil's brethren. It was only fair that they return the favor.
What a bloodbath it was. Darius and Kalamor took the advance charge, while the elves laid out suppressive fire. Laer-thuil loosed arrows from her bow that froze in mid-air before sinking deep into her targets. It was an impressive show of force. The Orc archers were routed by A shapeshifted Frug, and Ngithol kept anything from getting clean shots at both Kalamor and the elves.
With the orcs dispatched, Laer-Thuil interrogated a survivor and confirmed her suspicions about the Tanarukk and the orcs target of Rurr. Wounds forced the party to rest, but they knew their small group would still make better time than the warband. It would only be a few more hours before they reached the outpost. The people were warned and began evacuation while the party resupplied and set out to delay the warband.

Some very nice terrain

from the Hits to Kill blog  which I also recommend even if the rules system used is not HackMaster  and indeed I am not sure quite what it is to be honest

I have to share this even though I dont get the chance to use terrain in most of my RPG's this appeals to the inner wargamer and brings back fond memories of my youthful adventures on the table top. for more detail on how it was done follow this link

D+2 today

The real test of the work expansion happens today as its the first full working day after D-day on Saturday and whilst there hasn't been as much of an effect on activity here  as I was expecting this might be the day it happens.

However get today out of the way and things should start falling into place rather than apart and I should given that episode twenty five of the Company of Fools has been moved to the 9th of October  I may even get a chance to catch up you never can tell.

An Epic tale from Another Part of Telene V

The Story Continues

The Bigger They Are

Malvus had difficulty containing his frustration as they approached the cave. He felt that his skills and training were inadequate to the recent events. Jeshela dying needlessly in the kobold tunnels, and himself being surprised and paralyzed by a monstrous spider, helpless to do anything but watched as his companions fought to save him. Nothing he had learned in the monastery had prepared him for this.

He managed to control himself enough to sneak up to the cave entrance with the rest of the group, their approach covered by Frug's magical fog. The startled goblin sentries were dispatched easily enough, though Malvus lost his spear in the fracas and had to fight unarmed. Then the Urze, the hulking bugbear leader of the goblins, lurched into the torchlight, along with his grizzled wolf companion and more goblins. "Who dare to invade cave of the Urze?!" he bellowed.

Suddenly everything snapped into focus for Malvus. He felt the energy flowing up through his body, from it's source in the earth below out to the ends of his limbs and beyond, as his masters had told him he would. He felt Ngithol standing at his side, stable and dependable. He saw from the Urze's stance as he approached that he had an old wound in his side that had never fully healed, which caused him to list slightly to one side and left a flaw in his defence.

"This cave is not yours. Leave now, and we will let you go in peace," Malvus replied calmly. Feeling at one with the earth and his companions and even his enemies, he saw no need for violence.

The bugbear laughed derisively. "Soft, puny-hand man going to get squished. I going to eat your bones!"

"Come then, and see how 'soft' my hands are." The bugbear's first swing was telegraphed, and Malvus dodged it easily. He never got a second. Malvus first strike went to the Urze's solar plexus, left unguarded by his reckless swing. As the air rushed from his body and he stooped over in shock, Malvus crushed his throat with a second strike. The bugbear crumpled to the ground, and the other goblins fled.

Ngithol also fled the cave; Malvus sensed that she wanted no company and didn't go after her. He allowed himself to celebrate the victory with his other companions, but a part of him was somberly reflecting on what had happened. He had mastered the basic forms of his fighting style years ago, but this had been the first time that he had truly felt the meaning behind them. He knew he would be much more formidable now, but that was no reason to rest easy. His next opponent might not be so careless and easily felled.

An Epic Tale form another part of Telene IV

The story Continues 

The Urze

The kobold identified himself as the alpha and offered up his conditions of surrender. They would return the child, unharmed, and leave if the party agreed to liberate their previous cave from a bugbear called Urze. The bugbear and his goblin minions had routed and killed the alpha's mate and hatchlings, and forced the remaining kobolds to evacuate and find an alternative haven.
Reluctantly, the party agreed, mostly on Kalamor and Frug's insistence. They told Brendol, the farmer, to head into town and alert Elmin Hesir of the situation and that they would return after dealing with the bugbear. One of the kobolds would stay with them as a guide (much to Frug's chagrin).
The weather Fyban was unusually quiet as they traversed the ancient paths. No far in they found the cause. A servant of the swift sword whistled along the path. He introduced himself as Darius, a Kalamaran youth on his Search. Fighting bugbears sounded fun, so he offered his great hammer in service to the party. The other reason for the silence was quickly noticed as well, when a hunting pack of mountain lions ambushed and attacked the party. They were quickly dispatched and sent running, with the dead one making a fairly tasty meal for their camp.

The kobold who failed to be a useful guide was self-named "Dragon's Blood". He wasn't particularly bright, but he did know the way to their old cave. He was fairly good at cooking up wild cat, though. And after a good nights rest, the party continued on through the day.

Malvus used his speed and stealth to scout ahead as the party followed the creek. It would have been an uneventful travel if not for one wrong turn. A giant spider dropped down from the canopy of trees and snatched up the monk, paralyzing him with poison. Because he was so far ahead, the party didn't see the signs when they arrived and were similarly assaulted. Thanks to solid armor, however, the heroes were more resistant to the spider's bites and powered through the monstrosities.



With the spiders dispatched, Malvus was freed. Frug found some other victims of the spiders and confirmed one was the tax collector. They looted the bodies of some healing potions and the tax collectors information. A reward would probably be forthcoming for confirming his death. The kobold was grateful to Darius for saving his life and, in his stupidity admitted that the alpha had lied about the death of their matron and hatchlings. This truth earned the ire of Kalamor.

Not far beyond the spiders' den, the party located the cave. A lone goblin stood watch, distracted by a trapped pixie he was torturing. The party killed the goblin and slipped into the cave quietly. The goblins inside were unprepared for a fight and caught off-guard. The party set to dispatching them quickly before the snoring Urze woke to the sounds of battle.



As the massive bugbear emerged, he laughed at the party's attempt. Calling out the monk, he drug forward with his oversized Morningstar, "soft, puny-hand man going to get squished. I going to eat your bones!" With a roar he swung the weapon at Malvus' head, only to miss as the monk struck with lightning speed. In an instant, Urze lay dead on the floor.



"Dragon's Blood" rushed forward and stabbed the dead carcass with his spear only to retreat when a dull growl of air was released as it died.

The heroes were victorious, and they found a sizable amount of coin from Urze's stash. All in all, it was a successful venture.

An Epic tale form another part of Tellene III

The Story Continues

Past in Flames

It's name was Urze and it was pretty damned big as far as Ngithol was concerned. Big, ugly and angry; angry enough that any blows from it's club would likely be fatal. Most would've felt some form of trepidation as it approached her and Malvus, Ngithol however merely felt anticipation and... nostaliga?

Shaking her head to banish the feelings she brought her focus on readying her shield and blade and watched as Malvus deftly avoided approaching beast's attack and unleashed a rapid counter attack of his own, striking with precision and undeniable effectiveness. Urze had a mere moment to contemplate what had occured before he slumped to the ground, utterly broken. Ngithol fought to not do the same as what she had seen triggered a sudden flood of memories of Mebzuth... her dear sweet Mebzuth. Then came the memories of verdant flame that seemed to always tie themselves to any thoughts of her previous life. She marshalled herself and attempted to refocus on the fight, intent on killing a goblin to distract herself and bury the memories, only to see the remaining ones already dead or fleeing.

Ngithol ignored the smiles and cheering of her... companions and hurried out of the cave, her skin suddenly feeling aflame and her vision blurring slightly as the memories came. The pain, the loss, everything she tried not to dwell on coming back in a rush. With mute fervor she strode to the nearby creek, throwing her cloak and pack aside before desperately pulling her chainmail off, all but convinced now that the flames were upon her again. It was no sooner that she got free of her armor that she immediately began wetting the bandages she was still wreathed in with creek water and relished the feeling of it smothering a fire she knew was not there. It took only a moment for the 'flames' to go away once she had started but it was a notably longer while till Ngithol successfully steadied herself.

She quickly stood, realizing how insane she must look, and retrieved her pack before sitting on a nearby rock where she began peeling off the soaked cloth wraps covering her scarred body and setting them aside, chiding herself as she realized how dirty they'd become and the fact she'd neglected to replace them sooner. She looked at the fresh wraps in her pack and decided best to let herself dry before putting them on. As she stood there wearing only some thin cloth shorts she took a moment to try and make a note of picking up an unguent from the town when they returned, anything that might help soothe her skin. An unguent and perhaps some alcohol.

An Epic tale form another part of Tellene II

The Story Continues

Time for Plan B

Ngithol stared at the dark hole in the ground and felt nothing but loss, a veritable void inside her where once she had felt so alive. She felt this void and genuinely mourned the loss she had suffered. Not the loss of the hippie half elf, who looked as lifely as a potato. Nor was it for the loss of the farmer's child, a child she was certain was already dead. Instead she keenly felt the loss of what she had once been.

It had been a while since she felt this way, having learned long ago that dwelling on such thoughts was unproductive. But she couldn't help but reflect upon there having been more kobolds than she thought there would've been and that if she were at her peak and not the wretched shell she is now they'd have all been chaff upon the wind. Their arms deflected by her platemail and their screams as she cleaved them apart with a blade that had slain countless others.

Instead all she could do was ignore the pain she felt throughout her entire body and resort to the universal 'backup plan' many of her clan had relied upon in time's of darkness. Burn Everything. She looked to the pile of flammable material she had gathered rapidly while the others finished getting out of the tunnel and threw some down into the tunnel before readying her flint. She hoped that if the fire didn't kill the kobolds it would at least by them time to seal the hole by burning the barn down.

D+1 in the morning

If it is a bit quiet around here tomorrow it is because I will still be dealing with work related matters left over form today I will still be posting but it may be a relatively quiet day in that regard.just so you know.

I intend to finish off things I have already posted by way of a priority rather than post new stuff however you like I will have to see what I do manage to get done.

D - Day

Business expansion 

In the real world today is the day when my customer base increases by 20%  all at one go so the rate of blog updates may very well slow down at least for today. However I will still be doing what I can and there is life in the blog yet

Update 

Well despite the fact it could have gone better mostly a massive foul up on the part of my suppliers who had carefully ignored the changes I had painstakingly made to my order and taking the better part of an hour to sort this all out I got trough it and am as you can see now back to the Blog.

Which will take my mind off the possibility for a repeat foul up tomorrow

More foxy pictures - from the people we support

Bingo one of the resident foxes having some after supper fuss,

Because whilst Burton wildlife Rescue aims to treat rehabilitate, rewild, and release when at all possible there are those cases where this is not possible and then the sanctuary provides a permanent  life time home.

 

Supper previously  - Please note the toys and the size of the pen - foxes are rather dog like in their playfulness  and every effort is made to allow them to play even if it does involve them encouraging the sanctuary managers long suffering Staffie to be naughty and we have pictures of that they are just a bit blurred as they where play fighting an chasing each others tails and not staying still enough to photograph easily