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Travels through the Wild West: a Forgotten Realms Story
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 9504" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Part 17</p><p></p><p>When Lok emerged from the building shortly thereafter, with the freed Lady Ilgarten walking beside him, one look at his face was enough to reveal to his companions what had transpired. A knot of dead hobgoblins—the guards from the towers, who had finally woken from the magical sleep of Delem’s wand—lay dead in front of the door to the barracks, their burned corpses revealing their cause of their demise. No other enemies stirred within the confines of the fortress, giving the heroes a chance to catch their breath and recover from their wounds. They were uncertain how many of the hobgoblins had escaped, but they knew that at least one had; they never did find the youth that had released the dogs upon Benzan. </p><p></p><p>“He’d better hope that we never come across him again,” Benzan said, as he lay recovering in a cot in the hobgoblin barracks, converted into a temporary hospital. </p><p></p><p>They gathered all of the freed prisoners at the fort, where they found more than sufficient provisions to sustain them. They brought the horses in as well, glad that their two surviving mounts had not befallen ill while their owners were fighting the hobgoblins. </p><p></p><p>Once they had rested, Cal used his bardic magic to work some minor healing, and Delem explored his own newly awakened powers as well. Still not completely sure what was happening to him, or the origin of his new abilities, he vowed to seek out more information when they finally made it to Elturel. </p><p></p><p>They buried Telwarden out in the forest, not willing to leave him at the site of the evil fortress. Cullan seemed hard hit by the loss, but all of them felt the sadness at the loss of a man who had been curt and officious at times, but whose keenly felt sense of duty had been the driving force in their pursuit, and the success of their mission. </p><p></p><p>They also took the opportunity to speak to the Lady Ilgarten, whose capture had brought them all the way out there in the first place. Dana, as she insisted on being addressed, was a plain spoken and clearly intelligent young woman, and even after the harsh experience of her capture and imprisonment was still able to warmly express her thanks to her rescuers and her sympathy at their loss. When asked by the companions, she explained what had happened to her. She had been traveling from Iriaebor to Baldur’s Gate to represent some of her father’s trading interests there when the bandits had set upon them. The caravan, so near to Dunderion, had been relaxed, and they were caught be surprise. Most of the guards were overcome by the sleep wand wielded by the hobgoblin adept or slaughtered by the first volley of crossbow bolts, and although the others tried to fight back, they were quickly overwhelmed by Steel Jack’s veterans. Her voice cracked some when she recalled the murder of Gonvolio, a long-time friend of her family, and she was saddened to hear of the death of Aric, who had tried to come to her aid during the ambush but had been knocked unconscious by a hobgoblin warrior. </p><p></p><p>To their surprise she quickly joined in with the treatment of the sick and injured, and they were even more surprised when they saw the telltale blue glow of positive healing energy being channeled. She explained that her father had sent her to a monastery for her education at a very young age, and that she had been initiated into the mysteries of the priesthood of Selune while there. She had kept that fact hidden from her captors, rightly afraid of how the evil cleric Zorak would respond. </p><p></p><p>“Apparently they also initiated her into the mysteries of ass-kicking,” Benzan commented, as he talked with his friends later. Lok had let them all in on what he had seen in Zorak’s lair, and how the woman, who had acquitted herself admirably when captured, had also managed to somehow avoid being slain while in the power of the evil cleric. When questioned about it, Dana demurred, saying only that the monastery she had been fostered at had been affiliated with a sect called the Sun Soul, and that they had taught her the basics of self-defense there. </p><p></p><p>Most of their discussions, however, focused on Zorak, and the operation he had been running out here in the wilderness. </p><p></p><p>“Did you find out what god he worshipped?” Cal had asked Dana as they spent the day after the battle resting. They had found no holy symbol or other identifying mark on his body, and it was unclear what he had used as a divine focus. </p><p></p><p>“No,” Dana replied. “He only referred to him—it—as ‘the master’. I’m sure he was working with others, though.”</p><p></p><p>That guess was born out by what they had discovered when they searched the large structure where Zorak had finally been defeated. In a locked inner chamber without windows, they found a huge wooden chest, reinforced with iron bands and bolted to the floor, and large enough for Cal to stand within it with the lid closed without having to bend down. Once opened with Zorak’s key the chest was found to contain only a half-dozen silver trade bars, each five pounds in weight. The rear part of the fort behind the barracks was found to contain a crude but fully operational forge, with molds to cast refined ore into bars. </p><p></p><p>Benzan had almost come to tears when they related the discovery of the nearly empty chest. “Ah, if only we’d gotten here sooner!” he lamented, closing his eyes to thoughts of what might have been, had they found the chest when it was full. </p><p></p><p>There were other clues that the fort and its mining operation had been part of a larger operation, but no concrete information about whom those unnamed others might be, or where they might be located. </p><p></p><p>“We shall have to report to Lord Dhelt about this,” Cal said, but there was nothing else they could do at the moment. </p><p></p><p>Still, as they prepared to move out on the morning of the second day after the battle, they could feel proud of what they had accomplished. The prisoners had already begun to show signs of recovery after being well fed and rested, although the dark shadows in their eyes would take much longer to heal. They considered burning the fort behind them, but ultimately decided to leave that decision to Lord Dhelt’s men, as such a strong outpost here on the edge of the wood might prove to be useful. </p><p></p><p>Despite the empty treasure chest, they did not return empty handed, either. Both Zorak’s armor and his deadly scimitar detected as magical. Benzan took the weapon, and since none of them desired to wear the armor, they packed it up and put it with their other gear on one of their horses. Cal suggested that they trade in the armor for recharges for their magic wands once they reached Elturel, a suggestion that met with immediate approval even from Lok and Benzan. The six trade bars were not inconsiderable treasure either, even though Benzan could not look upon one without muttering a string of profanities. There was other treasure too, useful equipment, coins in the pockets of the dead guards, the odd piece of jewelry, and other valuables. Most of those items eventually found their way into the hands of the former slaves, and even Benzan was caught slipping a few silver pieces into the pocket of one of the poor wretches who’d had everything taken from them. </p><p></p><p>So, victorious for the moment, the company set out once again for Dunderion.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 9504, member: 143"] Part 17 When Lok emerged from the building shortly thereafter, with the freed Lady Ilgarten walking beside him, one look at his face was enough to reveal to his companions what had transpired. A knot of dead hobgoblins—the guards from the towers, who had finally woken from the magical sleep of Delem’s wand—lay dead in front of the door to the barracks, their burned corpses revealing their cause of their demise. No other enemies stirred within the confines of the fortress, giving the heroes a chance to catch their breath and recover from their wounds. They were uncertain how many of the hobgoblins had escaped, but they knew that at least one had; they never did find the youth that had released the dogs upon Benzan. “He’d better hope that we never come across him again,” Benzan said, as he lay recovering in a cot in the hobgoblin barracks, converted into a temporary hospital. They gathered all of the freed prisoners at the fort, where they found more than sufficient provisions to sustain them. They brought the horses in as well, glad that their two surviving mounts had not befallen ill while their owners were fighting the hobgoblins. Once they had rested, Cal used his bardic magic to work some minor healing, and Delem explored his own newly awakened powers as well. Still not completely sure what was happening to him, or the origin of his new abilities, he vowed to seek out more information when they finally made it to Elturel. They buried Telwarden out in the forest, not willing to leave him at the site of the evil fortress. Cullan seemed hard hit by the loss, but all of them felt the sadness at the loss of a man who had been curt and officious at times, but whose keenly felt sense of duty had been the driving force in their pursuit, and the success of their mission. They also took the opportunity to speak to the Lady Ilgarten, whose capture had brought them all the way out there in the first place. Dana, as she insisted on being addressed, was a plain spoken and clearly intelligent young woman, and even after the harsh experience of her capture and imprisonment was still able to warmly express her thanks to her rescuers and her sympathy at their loss. When asked by the companions, she explained what had happened to her. She had been traveling from Iriaebor to Baldur’s Gate to represent some of her father’s trading interests there when the bandits had set upon them. The caravan, so near to Dunderion, had been relaxed, and they were caught be surprise. Most of the guards were overcome by the sleep wand wielded by the hobgoblin adept or slaughtered by the first volley of crossbow bolts, and although the others tried to fight back, they were quickly overwhelmed by Steel Jack’s veterans. Her voice cracked some when she recalled the murder of Gonvolio, a long-time friend of her family, and she was saddened to hear of the death of Aric, who had tried to come to her aid during the ambush but had been knocked unconscious by a hobgoblin warrior. To their surprise she quickly joined in with the treatment of the sick and injured, and they were even more surprised when they saw the telltale blue glow of positive healing energy being channeled. She explained that her father had sent her to a monastery for her education at a very young age, and that she had been initiated into the mysteries of the priesthood of Selune while there. She had kept that fact hidden from her captors, rightly afraid of how the evil cleric Zorak would respond. “Apparently they also initiated her into the mysteries of ass-kicking,” Benzan commented, as he talked with his friends later. Lok had let them all in on what he had seen in Zorak’s lair, and how the woman, who had acquitted herself admirably when captured, had also managed to somehow avoid being slain while in the power of the evil cleric. When questioned about it, Dana demurred, saying only that the monastery she had been fostered at had been affiliated with a sect called the Sun Soul, and that they had taught her the basics of self-defense there. Most of their discussions, however, focused on Zorak, and the operation he had been running out here in the wilderness. “Did you find out what god he worshipped?” Cal had asked Dana as they spent the day after the battle resting. They had found no holy symbol or other identifying mark on his body, and it was unclear what he had used as a divine focus. “No,” Dana replied. “He only referred to him—it—as ‘the master’. I’m sure he was working with others, though.” That guess was born out by what they had discovered when they searched the large structure where Zorak had finally been defeated. In a locked inner chamber without windows, they found a huge wooden chest, reinforced with iron bands and bolted to the floor, and large enough for Cal to stand within it with the lid closed without having to bend down. Once opened with Zorak’s key the chest was found to contain only a half-dozen silver trade bars, each five pounds in weight. The rear part of the fort behind the barracks was found to contain a crude but fully operational forge, with molds to cast refined ore into bars. Benzan had almost come to tears when they related the discovery of the nearly empty chest. “Ah, if only we’d gotten here sooner!” he lamented, closing his eyes to thoughts of what might have been, had they found the chest when it was full. There were other clues that the fort and its mining operation had been part of a larger operation, but no concrete information about whom those unnamed others might be, or where they might be located. “We shall have to report to Lord Dhelt about this,” Cal said, but there was nothing else they could do at the moment. Still, as they prepared to move out on the morning of the second day after the battle, they could feel proud of what they had accomplished. The prisoners had already begun to show signs of recovery after being well fed and rested, although the dark shadows in their eyes would take much longer to heal. They considered burning the fort behind them, but ultimately decided to leave that decision to Lord Dhelt’s men, as such a strong outpost here on the edge of the wood might prove to be useful. Despite the empty treasure chest, they did not return empty handed, either. Both Zorak’s armor and his deadly scimitar detected as magical. Benzan took the weapon, and since none of them desired to wear the armor, they packed it up and put it with their other gear on one of their horses. Cal suggested that they trade in the armor for recharges for their magic wands once they reached Elturel, a suggestion that met with immediate approval even from Lok and Benzan. The six trade bars were not inconsiderable treasure either, even though Benzan could not look upon one without muttering a string of profanities. There was other treasure too, useful equipment, coins in the pockets of the dead guards, the odd piece of jewelry, and other valuables. Most of those items eventually found their way into the hands of the former slaves, and even Benzan was caught slipping a few silver pieces into the pocket of one of the poor wretches who’d had everything taken from them. So, victorious for the moment, the company set out once again for Dunderion. [/QUOTE]
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