Session begins on morning of October 18 with the party camped in Glen Moriston. It is overcast with fog and drizzle. Visibility is 30’ to 50’. A warm breeze is blowing through the Glen from the West. The party breaks camp and heads west along the shore of the river Moriston. After an hour’s march the party hears a thunderous crash about 200 yards to the SW. Brook is sent ahead to scout. He returns to report that there are hobgoblins cutting down some trees. The party decides to attack the hobs with a two-prong assault. Brook, Lio, Tarl, and Kieren head SW to flank the hobs, while the rest of the party intends to charge W along the river once the first group attacks. The priests decide to cast Detect Traps so that the groups don’t run afoul of hobgoblin snares or tripwires. Liana casts Enlarge on herself. The group led by Tarl is surprised by a lone hob who is defecating behind a tree. The hob calls the alarm and draws his weapon to attack. Kieren casts Invisibility on himself. Brook becomes invisible to mortals. Lio shoots the hob with an arrow and positions himself for any on-rushing hobs. 6 more hobs charge into fight Tarl’s group. There is a brief melee. Kieren attempts a sneak attack while invisible and misses. Brook casts magic missiles at two hobs and drops one. The surviving 3 hobs flee Tarl’s group. The remaining party members charge toward the hobs and run into 2 hobs sentries that are on alert. There is a brief exchange of blows and the hobs are dispatched. Kieren and Tarl pursue the fleeing hobs. Tarl throws his +1 hand axe at a fleeing hob and misses. Three more hobs spring from cover and throw spears at Kieren and Tarl. Kieren casts a Phantasmal ice wall to slow down the hobs and Tarl casts Entangle. The remaining party members charge toward the hobs and arrows fly at them from across the river. They arrive at the entangled hobs and Liana casts sleep which drops all but one hob. The remaining hob flees S toward the hills. Kieren pursues the hob, overbears it, and knocks it out. Tarl cast Detect Magic to locate his +1 hand axe. Magnus charges toward the sleeping hobs and becomes entangled. In his panic he draws additional flights of goblin arrows from across the river. Kieren returns with the unconscious hob, sees Magnus’ plights and casts a silence on him. Kieren and Brook go to the river to look for archers. They find none, but notice a ford across the river. Lio and Liana wake the unconscious hob and question it. The hob is uncooperative until Lio beats it to near unconsciousness. The hob tells them that the wood he is cutting is for a hobgoblin fort with 50 warriors. The fort is 10 minutes march to the S. Lio knocks the hob unconscious.

Brook and Tarl scout S to find the hobgoblin fort. After 500 yards they come to a cleared area that has worked soil with pumpkins, gourds and tubers. The can hear activity in the fog (voices, a smithy, hammering, etc.) Because of the fog little more can be discerned. Brook becomes invisible to mortals and scouts ahead. He returns to say the hobs have a hill-fort 150’ across with 15’ wood palisade, 10’ditch, guard towers, draw bridge and numerous hovels. Brook and Tarl return to inform the party. Tarl casts Messenger and sends a falcon to Emchath with a message.

The party has a heated discussion about what to do. Magnus & Kieren are anxious to go. Tarl and Brook want to stay and eradicate the hobs. The party agrees to continue W with all haste.

It is an uneventful day until late afternoon. The party is crossing some broken ground littered with loose rock when a large Ankheg rears up from its subterranean burrow. It attacks Liana and injures her. Gawain casts bless on the party. The party quickly dispatches it. Brook hits it with 2 Magic Missiles and Tarl casts Sunscorch.

Shortly afterwards the party finds a ford and crosses the river Moriston to the N side. Tarl walks across water with his ring. Gawain casts Water Walk on himself and Agate The party travels another hour and makes camp. Tarl heals Liana with CMW and orison. The night is uneventful.

October 19, Morning is foggy with steady rain. Visibility is limited. A very warm breeze blows from the SW. The party proceeds to Loch Cluanie and follows the N shore to the mountains of Kintail to the West. Before lunch the party comes across the carcass of a slain ogre who is several days old. The ogre was nearly cleaved in half by a large blade of some kind. There are obvious signs of a pitched battle in the vicinity but no other corpses. Later in the day the party encounters a herd of over 20 highland cattle grazing in a grassland next to Loch Cluanie. The party reaches the W end of the Loch and continue upwards toward the pass to Glen Shiel. The air temperature begins to drop as the party ascends and there are no trees around. The rain continues so the party looks for a dry place to camp. The find an overhanging rock outcrop on the hillside that is sheltered from the wind/rain. Brook casts evaporate to dry out the party and Tarl casts Create Campsite and Log of Everburning to provide a warm dry place for the night. Kieren lifts the party’s spirits by playing some cheery tunes. The party beds down for the night.

October 20, Morning is foggy with light drizzle. There is a chill in the air and a light breeze from the W. Just before daylight the watch hears the flapping of wings and a guttural cry as 8 gargoyles descend upon the camp. Tarl and Kieren are on watch, but Lio and Brook are also up (they need less sleep).

The Saga of Rhyawdd and the Dwarves.

Rhyawdd and the Dwarves make the trek back to Inverness. They have an uneventful trip and get there by nightfall. They meet with Emchath and Misha to deliver books and messages. Misha is able to dispel the magical blindness that afflicted Rhyawdd.

Emchath agrees to pay the dwarves 25000 gp in goods or coin for the spell books from the crannog in Glen Bruichaich. Emchath has several lengthy discussions with Rhyawdd to de-brief him on his adventures in the Crannog and the Cairn. During their discussions Emchath reveals that the books belong to Estelle, a pictish mage of great power. He is very pleased with the party’s efforts and expresses a great desire to meet with a Sidhe from Glen Bruichaich. Rhyawdd tells him that one of the Sidhe has joined Kieren’s party to rescue his daughter on the Isle of Skye. Rhyawdd also tells Emchath that he intends to put a party together to join Kieren’s group.

On the evening of Oct. 18 a falcon delivers Tarl’s message to Emchath and he shares this information with Rhyawdd.

Treasure: 25,000 gp from Emchath (25000 XP/5 Lio, Tarl, Rhyawdd, Gudrum, Hendel)

Experience point totals

(10% bonuses not added)

Liana - Fighter/M-U

Total 632

Spell point total: 22 / 22

Hit point total: 33 / 33

Kieren – Ranger

Total 582

Spell point total: 12 / 12

Hit point total: 40 / 40

Liothien – Fighter

Total 5182

Hit point total: 65 / 65

Tarl – Cleric/Th

Total 6132

Spell point total: 25 / 25

Hit point total: 38 / 38

Rhyawdd – Rogue – blind

Total 5250

Hit point total: 58 / 58