Synopsis:

Session begins mid- morning of November 6th.  It is very cold and a breeze is blowing from the north.  There is heavy cloud cover and a light snow is falling.  The party has successfully entered the hobgoblin lair near loch Monar and is engaged in melee with 4 hobgoblins who have appeared to assist their fallen leader.

Rhyawdd strikes down one of the hobgoblins with a powerful sword blow and is surprised to see the creature dissipate in a puff of smoke.  Liana , Kieren, and Rutlett have similar experiences as they dispatch the hobs that they are fighting.

During the combat the party feels a substantial tremor in the ground beneath their feet.  Cedric, who is on watch in the chief's escape passage (outside of Kieren's sound bubble) hears a sharp lightning crack that precedes the earth tremor.  Shortly after the tremor a billowing cloud of dust and debris issues from the escape passage into the chief's chamber.  Mem and Rhyawdd are momentarily overcome by the choking dust that gets in their nose and eyes.

Rutlett and Kieren decide to advance down the tunnel from which the hobgoblins came.  As they reach the tunnel's exit into another chamber they are set upon by 4 hobgoblins who look suspiciously like the group they just battled.  Blows are exchanged and Rutlett receives a vicious slash before dispatching one of the hobs.  This time the hobgoblin falls to the floor and bleeds when he is struck down.

Rhyawdd, Liana, and Joseph advance down the tunnel to assist Kieren and Rutlett with the battle.  As they move forward, an additional 12 hobgoblins appear in the chamber from 2 different passages.  Liana casts a sleep spell on 5 of the advancing hobgoblins to slow them down.  Joseph casts a flaming sphere spell to help block the tunnel exit and immolates a hobgoblin in the process.

The hobgoblins appear undeterred and continue to press the attack.  Kieren  responds by casting a lightning bolt spell into one of the tunnels that are full of hobgoblins.  The lightning vaporizes at least 6 of them but has the unintended consequence of causing the tunnels ceiling to collapse.  The floor shakes as before and the chamber with the hobgoblins is filled with dust and debris which limits visibility.

The hobgoblin’s morale is broken by this powerful display of magic and the survivors flee down a side passage.  Rhyawdd and Kieren pursue them a couple hundred feet to an adjacent chamber and then wait for the rest of the party.

Liana returns to the hobgoblin chief's chamber and casts a levitate on the treasure chest.  Mem and Rolf push the chest along and regroup with the rest of the party.  Meanwhile Joseph checks the chamber where Kieren and Rhyawdd are waiting, and he determines that there is only one viable exit to the right.  A second exit on the left wall has been recently sealed by a cave-in.

The regrouped party proceeds along the only tunnel that exits the chamber.  The tunnel opens out into a large chamber measuring 45 feet across and over 100 feet wide.  There are several tunnels exiting the chamber in different directions.  Each tunnel appears to be guarded by a pair of hobgoblins wielding spears.  The tunnel that the party exits is watched by 3 hobgoblins who are momentarily startled by their sudden appearance.

Rhyawdd and Kieren use this pause to shout and scream menacingly at the hobs to frighten them off.  Unfortunately, the ploy doesn’t work and the hobgoblins charge forward with spears to engage the party.  Several of the remaining hobs run across the chamber to join their fellows, while the remainder head off down the various tunnels, presumably to get reinforcements.

As combat is joined, Mem casts a bless spell on the unengaged party members.  Joseph casts a Melf's Minute Meteors spell and begins lobbing balls of fire at the hobs that are rushing up to join the battle.  Kieren, Rhyawdd, Cedric, and Rutlett each strike down a hobgoblin.  This coupled with the display of magic by Joseph sends the remaining hobs fleeing in every direction along the nearest adjacent tunnels.

The party enters the massive chamber and spreads out to cover the 4 tunnels and one door that exit the area.  Rolf and Rutlett check the passage at the far left end of the chamber and find that it goes 30 feet and branches.  They advance to the branch and see a set of double doors a short distance ahead (presumably the main entrance.)  The side chamber contains 6 hobgoblins which have assembled in a defensive formation.  Rolf and Rutlett wade into combat with the hapless hobs and quickly slaughter all of them.  Rolf is wounded in the combat.  Mem attends to Rolf’s wounds by casting a cure moderate wounds on him.

Rhyawdd checks beyond the wooden door in the chamber and discovers the hobgoblins latrine.

Kieren and Liana check the passage at the far right end of the chamber and find that it leads to the kitchen.  The tables in the kitchen have been turned on end and several hobgoblins have taken up a defensive position behind cover of the tables.  Liana speaks to the hobs in their native tongue and tells them that they will be given safe passage if they surrender.  The hobs respond by throwing spears.  Liana casts a sleep spell which affects the nearest 2 hobgoblins.  The remaining hobgoblins appear terrified by this display of magic and flee the kitchen along a passage in the far wall.

Kieren and Liana enter the kitchen area and note that there are three tunnels leading from it; the one they entered from, the one the hobs used, and a third to the right that appears to have been recently blocked by a cave-in.  Kieren and Liana proceed along the tunnel at the far end of the kitchen and come to a wide area with a side passage that branches to the left.  As they peer down the side passage 2 thrown spears barely miss them.  They can hear the footfalls of hobgoblins that are fleeing.

Just beyond the wide spot in the passage Kieren notes a barred door.  The door has a small window with a cover that Kieren opens.  A sickly stench emanates from the room.  Kieren uses his torch to illuminate the room beyond the door and he sees a number of unkempt orcs that appear to be chained together.  Kieren removes the bar from the dungeon door and opens it.  He calls for Liana, and the two of them cautiously enter the dungeon area.  They look around and find 17 orcs chained together along the right wall of the dungeon chamber.  Along the far wall they see a lone figure chained to the wall.  The figure is slumped over and not moving.

Kieren and Liana examine the lone figure and discover to their horror that it has been recently decapitated and the head is missing.  In fact, the body is still warm although there is no blood to be seen.

Liana, questions the orc prisoners about what happened.  They provide her with wild stories about a lone figure appearing from the darkness.  The man-sized figure approached the human prisoner and created wizard light to illuminate his face.
The figure then pulled out a jet-black scimitar and cut off the prisoner’s head with a single stroke.  There was no sound made by the prisoner or the killing stroke.  The figure then collected the severed head and simply disappeared into the shadows.

Kieren returns to the party and collects Joseph to see if he can identify the slain prisoner.  Joseph examines the decapitated prisoner and confirms that it was undoubtedly Lord Ross.  The remnants of his fancy clothes and birthmark on his left hand provide undeniable proof as to the identity of the victim.  Joseph breaks down in tears at this realization and swears an oath to avenge his fallen cousin’s death.

Joseph removes Lord Ross’s body from its chains on the wall and carries it back to the main hall with the rest of the party.  Meanwhile, Liana frees the orcs from their chains and tells them that they are free to go.  The orcs are quick to accept her mercy and flee to the kitchen where they grab whatever tools they can to remove their leg irons.  Then they arm themselves with kitchen knives, spears, etc. and grab whatever foodstuffs are lying around.

The orcs proceed to the main hall where they give Rutlett and his dwarves quite a surprise.  Rutlett is ready to start slaughtering orcs, when Liana appears and tells him to stay his hand.  She has promised the orcs safe passage for their information about Lord Ross’s assassin.  The orcs are told to wait in the far corner of the main hall, while the party opens the doors in the front entrance.

The party is uncertain about what kind of enchantment that Holgrim placed upon the doors to the main entrance, so they decide to use a different means of escape.  Liana uses her wand of earth of stone to create a passwall in the wall adjacent to the doors in the main entrance.  The spell creates an opening to the hobgoblin’s ravine outside.

Liana tells the orcs to leave and they willingly comply.  Only  seconds after they depart cries of battle are heard from the ravine outside.  Liana looks outside and sees that there are at least two dozen hobgoblins rushing forth from the upper end of the ravine to attack the fleeing orcs.

Joseph, who is still very angry and upset, dispatches the hobgoblins quickly by casting a fireball in their midst.  Over a dozen of the hobs are incinerated in an instant, and the remainder flee to the cover of the rocks at the far end of the ravine.

The party collects itself and prepares to flee the hobgoblins lair and ravine.  Homer and Rolf hastily bag up the 3200 coins from the hobgoblin chief’s chest and distribute it amongst the party members.  In the process Homer discovers a hidden compartment in the lid of the chest which contains 35 gems.  Homer pockets 10 of the gems at random before offering up the rest to the party.

The party leaves the hobgoblin lair.  As they clear the palisade wall, the trackers in the party begin looking for signs of Dermid and his companions.  The fresh tracks of the fleeing orcs obscure any others so the party yells for the orcs to hold and let them pass.  The orcs comply and cower behind a rocky outcrop as the party passes.

Kieren is soon able to locate fresh tracks for Dermid’s party.  The tracks lead north toward loch Monar.  At the loch the tracks lead west in the direction from which the party originally traveled.  The party follows the tracks for approximately a quarter of a mile to the edge of the woods along the shore-line of the loch.  It appears that Dermid’s party  stopped for some reason.  There are obvious signs of a scuffle (fresh blood, scorched trees,  etc.) and tracks leading into the trees.

The party follows the tracks for 100 yards and comes across the body of Sean, the half-elf.  He has a minor wound on his left arm as well as a gaping sword thrust through his mid-section.  Curiously, the thrust through his mid-section appears to have occurred after he was down on the ground.  Kieren checks Sean’s wounds and uses the dragon amulet to determine that they have poison in them.  Obviously, Sean was struck with an envenomed blade.  A further check of the body shows that it has been stripped of all valuables save Sean’s elven chain mail and his light crossbow and quarrel of bolts on the ground nearby.

Kieren checks the area around Sean’s body and sees only one set of footprints leading away west through the trees.  The footprints appear to be made by someone who was running.  There are also fresh patches of blood following the footprints which indicate that whoever ran away was wounded.  Kieren cannot find another set of footprints anywhere to account for the third member of Dermid’s party.

There is a light snow falling, so the party decides to press on with all haste to follow the tracks before the snow obscures them.  After a few hundred yards the tracks return to the trail along  loch Monar and  proceed west.  After an hours travel, the trail shows no sign of blood, which indicates that the individual must have taken the time to bind his wounds.

Kieren surmises, that whoever they are tracking, is moving considerably faster than the party.  Since the dwarves and halfling are slowing the party’s progress, it is decided to send Kieren and Rhyawdd ahead  because they are the most fleet of foot.  They will attempt to overtake and capture whoever the party is tracking.  Meanwhile the rest of the party will follow along as quickly as they can.  Liana casts invisibility on Kieren to give him a chance to surprise whoever they are tracking.  Both groups press on with all haste.  Kieren notes that whoever they are trailing appears to be trying to cover his tracks.

During early afternoon, the main party clears the edgy of loch Monar and proceeds west along the trail.  In the distance they make out six large flying shapes coming toward them.  Before they can muster much of a defense, the flock of griffins dives into the midst of the party.  There is a furious exchange of attacks and Homer is struck down.  Liana casts a lightning bolt at one of the diving griffins and knocks if from the air with a direct hit.  Joseph follows Liana’s lead and knocks another from the air with a lightning bolt as it does a wing-over to make a second pass at the party.  Rutlett knocks one griffin from the air with a powerful axe blow to its belly.  Liana takes another griffin down with a second lightning bolt as it dives for a second attack.  Joseph incinerates one of the fallen griffins with a fireball.  Liana sends a volley  of magic missiles into another fallen griffin to finish it off.  The remaining griffins flee from the party and their magic.  Mem attends to the fallen Homer and barely revives him with a cure moderate wounds

Session ends.

Map of Party's travels:

Map of Hobgoblin Ravine:

Map of Hobgoblin Lair:

 
 Experience point awards and character status:

Liana Ashwood - Fighter/M-U
Total EP’s               4229
Spell point total:      10 / 32
Hit point total:         38 / 38

Kieren Urquhart – Ranger
Total EP’s               1774
Spell point total:       1  / 12
Hit point total:         32 / 33

Rhyawdd MacPherson – Rogue
Total EP's               1374
Hit  point total:         52 / 74

Liothien Snowhawk – Fighter
No EP’s
Hit point total:           75 / 75

Joseph Kerr – Invoker
Total EP’s               3329
Hit Point total:          32 / 32
Spell point total:         6 / 24

Rutlett Trollcrusher – Fighter
Total EP’s               1929
Hit Point total:          36 / 73

Mem Hammerworker - Priest of Loki
Total EP’s                1979
Spell point total:      11 / 18
Hit point total:         31 / 35

Cedric – Fighter
Total EP’s                1729
Hit Point total:          27 / 46

Homer Goodmead – Rogue
Total EP’s                1074
Hit Point total:           1 / 13

Rolf Trollsbane - Fighter
Total EP’s                1729
Hit Point total:          8 / 30

Treasure:

Hobgoblins treasure hoard: 1285 cp,  1925 gp,
35 gems:  Amber, Amethyst, Banded agate, Chalcedony, Chrysoberyl, Chrysoprase, Citrine, Coral, Garnet, two Jades, Jasper, Lapis, Lapis, two Moonstones, two Obsidians, Peridot, four Rock Crystals, Smoky Quartz, two Smoky Quartz, Spinel, two Spinels, Tiger Eye agate, Topaz,  two Tourmalines, Turquoise, Zircon