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<blockquote data-quote="xabth" data-source="post: 1425536" data-attributes="member: 7013"><p>Rdry't 12 </p><p> </p><p>We stayed in a tiny village called Lamsted last night and witnessed the start of the Days of Dedication festivals, and that always marks the turning point of autumn. As if by clockwork, today feels colder, and it wouldn't surprise me to know that flurries of snow are already falling further north. Fortunately we still have the winter gear given to us by Baron, so I am able to bundle up a bit. Still, the chill wind whips at me and makes it that much more difficult to write as it threatens to tear the pages from my journal. </p><p> </p><p> But there is little else to do on the road, and when my mind needs a rest from constant reading I find that the jotting of notes is soothing, even if I must fight the wind for the privilege. </p><p> </p><p> I have been using my entries to sing the praises of each of my companions thus far, and as I watch Happy bounce along the trail, I am hard pressed not to include a few passages about her. </p><p> </p><p> Happy is every bit the halfling, and every bit the greenie on top of that. While my own clan can frolic with the best of them, the greenies have raised it to a fine art, and they would be well pleased with their Happy. </p><p> </p><p> Could there be a more suitable name for her? I doubt it, for I have yet to see her frown. She is utterly kind, ever optimistic, always ready with her infectious smile, and while she can be irreverent, she is also surprisingly thoughtful, and I get the idea that her outward frivolity camouflages her strategic mind. I could easily see her enemies underestimating her because of her size and good nature, but I've watched her fight, and can say with no irony that she is not to be trifled with. </p><p></p><p> Happy, like many of our kind, has the kind of grace that is usually reserved for elves. I envy her dexterity, for I could never pull off the kind of tricks that she makes look easy. She somersaults and flips like a born acrobat, and it is nothing for her to walk a rail as thin as my finger. I've watched her spin and dive between the legs of a foe to end up on their blind side in the blink of an eye, and once she has you at a disadvantage, you will no doubt feel the sting of her daggers, of which she seems to have a never ending supply. Watching her hurl her blades, it is as if time slows down for her, and she throws them with a careless ease that turns into deadly accuracy. </p><p> </p><p> I like her very much indeed, and so do the rest of the crew. It is difficult to be down in the mouth with Happy around to lift your spirits. She and Griff are thick as thieves most of the time, and I dare say they probably share much of the same roguish philosophy. </p><p> </p><p> And though I'd be willing to bet that Happy is not above helping herself to ill gotten gain, I can't help but trust her. Perhaps that is another example of her disarming personality. </p><p> </p><p> I have only one other to write about, and that is Caribdis. But it is time to return to my reading. We still have much road to walk, so I shall get to him in due time. </p><p> </p><p> Rdyr't 13 </p><p> Apparently my thoughts on Caribdis will have to wait, for it turns out that danger follows us. </p><p> </p><p> It was noon and the sun that shone on us did little to warm the crisp air. But, bundled in our good fur coats, it was easy to enjoy the ride and chat as the wind foretold of winters coming and brushed swirls of leaves across the road. We had just crested a small hill and begun the gentle decent into a valley. To our left we could see the Tein river as it snaked toward us from the west. This time of year the river is low, and what nearly intercepted the Queens Road was little more than a stream, easily wadable if one had to. We could see from our vantage point that it flowed lazily toward our road until, at the bottom of our hill, it changed course to run parallel to us, and we new that it would be our companion for the rest of our journey. </p><p> </p><p> Griffin smiled and gave a satisfied nod. "The Tein," he said, "We're half way there!" This immediately lightened our mood and put a bit of bounce into our steps, for we are all anxious to get to the city. Griffin is the only one among us who has actually been there before, and it's good to have him with us as a guide, or at least to tell keep us abreast of our progress. With renewed vigor, we headed into the valley. </p><p> </p><p> Along the riverbank there grew thick strands of oak and elm, and were it not for the fact that autumn has stripped the trees of their leaves, we probably would not have spotted the hobgoblins. About half way down the hill I saw a flash of movement through the trees, as if someone wading along the river bed. Happy agreed that she too had seen something. "Taklinn," I said, in hushed tones, "Let me have the spy glass." He looked at me quizzically, but handed the ornate telescope over to me and with it I scanned the trees, searching for the flash of color I'd seen. </p><p> </p><p> Yes, there it was. And again. Something... somebody... trodding through the Tein's low waters. And there, another. And yet another. It was difficult to see through the screen of branches, but what I did see gave me pause. Muscular limbs and iron weapons. I decided to get a better look. </p><p> </p><p> "Something’s on the river," I told my companions. "Wait here, I'll be right back." Without waiting for an answer, I quickly cast my two (and only) most powerful spells, and within seconds I was invisible and rising high into the air, the feeling of leaving my stomach behind, still gripped me, but I concentrated on the work at hand. </p><p></p><p> I rose still higher, getting myself above the trees for an unobstructed view of the river, and there I saw them. A ragged column of figures marching with the river. Even from my distance I could tell that they weren’t men, for their gait gave them away as humanoids. Pressing the spyglass to my eye showed me the truth. Hobgoblins. A quick count showed sixteen of the buggers, and worse yet, trailing behind them were a pair of bugbears. Our raid on the farmhouse flashed through my mind as I quickly descended. The wind had blown me a bit off course, so I had to hurry to catch my friends, who started a bit when my voice came from no where, explaining what I'd seen. </p><p> </p><p> At my report, the shift in Taklinn’s stance and the knit in his brow gave away his intentions even before he said, "Hobbers n' bugbears! Lets be at 'em then!" He shifted his axe and touched his holy symbol as I have seen him do before battle, and it was obvious what his plan was. But Griffin was not so sure. </p><p> </p><p> "They haven’t seen us yet," he said, coolly, "I say we let them pass. We're outnumbered and we've nothing to gain by taking them on." His steely eyes showed his resolve on the issue, but in this case I had to agree with Taklinn. </p><p></p><p> "Griff," I implored, "What if they're a raiding party, come to wreak havoc on innocents down river? Remember the farm house? Those were hobgoblins and bugbears there too, and they murdered an old man and his wife, and ravaged two young girls! If this new group does something similar without our trying to stop it, it'll be on our heads! Also, don't you find it a bit coincidental? Another group of hobgoblins, prodded along by two bugbears? Something is afoot here, and it could relate to us somehow. Besides all that, your right. They haven’t seen us. If we hurry we can beat them to that grove of elms at the bottom of the hill and set up an ambush. That should even the odds a bit." I strode purposely over to stand beside Taklinn to show my solidarity with him, though I'm afraid the effect was largely lost due to no one being able to see me. </p><p> </p><p> Griffin scowled and opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it. Happy and Caribdis looked from him to a very grim Taklinn. This was not the first time they'd had to listen to Taklinn and I convince Griffin that a fight needed to be fought, and though Caribdis, especially, wore a worried look, I felt confident that he possessed the sand to do what needed to be done. Finally, Griffin sighed and loosened his sword in it's scabbard. "All right then, lets be about it." he said, though obviously against his better judgment. He spun on his heel and started off down the hill. </p><p> </p><p> We hurriedly hitched our mounts to a nearby bush and hurried to catch Griff, the five of us trotting at a quick pace in an effort to reach what appeared to be a fine ambush spot. Thus far it appeared that the hobbers hadn't spotted us, and we needed that element of surprise. I used my levitate to cross long stretches of ground by running and pushing off, allowing myself to glide down the hill effortlessly. Once at the bottom, we quickly surveyed the thick strand of elms that lined the river bank. Having little time to discuss our strategy we quickly hid ourselves. I rose up into the branches of a thick old tree and positioned myself on a hardy limb in such a way as to have a fine view of the river while still affording myself the cover of the trunk, which I knew I would need once my invisibility was dispelled by offensive spells. Caribdis did the same, climbing a tree near my own and balancing precariously, his trusty bow at the ready. Taklinn hunkered down amongst the thick weeds that grew alongside the river, while Griffin and Happy quickly waded across the river and positioned themselves behind a deadfall there. </p><p> </p><p> We did not have long to wait. Within minutes the first of the hobgoblins rounded the bend, splashing through the waters, their weapons at the ready. As more of them appeared, they choked the stream with their hulking forms, and I realized that there certainly were a lot of them! The two bugbears that followed did little to bolster my confidence when they appeared, but it was too late to turn back now. Looking down from my branch, I could see Taklinn, coiled like a spring, ready to pounce, and I knew that he was going to have at these villains weather there be 16 or one hundred and sixteen. </p><p> </p><p> It was not until the first line of hobgoblins were directly beneath me, and not more than a few feet from Taklinn’s hiding spot, that I realized that we'd not made any plan as to who would initiate our ambush or when! For a moment I wondered if we might not all sit there frozen, waiting for another of us to make the first move until our quarry had passed us by. I needn't have fretted though, for Taklinn was not about to lose his opportunity, and with a mighty roar, he sprang from the tall grass, hurling himself at the front line of hobgoblins, his axe a blur in the cold sunlight. </p><p> </p><p> From that point on things moved very quickly. No sooner had Taklinn made his attack than the rest of us were in motion. From his position on the opposite side of the river Griffin leapt into the fray, laying about with his sword in the very midst of the surprised hobgoblins. From the deadfall I saw a brief flash as Happy hurled a dagger that downed a hobber, and I hastily cast as, from the corner of my eye, I saw an ashen faced Caribdis begin to let fly with arrow after arrow. </p><p> </p><p> The river began to boil with blood as Taklinn and Griffin set to work, and within seconds at least three of the hobgoblins lay face down in the water, and still others were pierced with dagger and arrow. For myself, I could do little but try to thin their ranks with Color Sprays and Sleeps. Unfortunately, those hobgoblins that went under due to Sleep fell into the water where they quickly revived, though it did keep them from combat for precious seconds and kept our warriors from being overwhelmed through sheer numbers. As it was, Griffin was surrounded and his blood mingled with that of his enemy as it flowed from several wounds. Even the stalwart Taklinn was feeling the bite of hobgoblin blades as they pressed in around him. </p><p> </p><p> From his perch to my right, Caribdis chanted his verse and loosed arrows as fast as he could draw his arm back. I had already exhausted my most powerful spells and shifted to my trusty crossbow, leveling it at a hobgoblin who had spotted Happy and was now hacking away at her while she bobbed and weaved away from his blade, desperately trying to get a hit in of her own. My bolt took the hobber between the shoulder blades, and down he went. She flashed me a grateful grin and went back to doing what she does best, chucking daggers into soft spots. </p><p> </p><p> Nearly a dozen hobgoblins lay dead in the crimson waters, but the bugbears had advanced by now upon our very wounded warriors. I saw one of them draw back his morningstar to take a swing at Griffin. I quickly cast the last of my first circle spells, Grease, upon the handle of his weapon, and as he drew back, it slid from his grasp and into the murky river. I prayed that it would buy Griffin the time he needed to dispatch the last of his hobbers that he might concentrate on the bear. </p><p> </p><p> Shifting my attention to Taklinn, he was in much the same fix, badly hurt and still outnumbered with a bugbear looming over him. I was down to cantrips, but I had to try. Rattling off the brief incantation, I cast Daze at the bear, and to my happy surprise, the brute fell under it's effect, standing there stupidly, trying to get it's bearings and leaving Taklinn free to dispatch another hobgoblin. I hastily followed the first Daze with another, the last of my offensive spells, and it too worked, keeping the bugbear off balance. It bought Taklinn just enough time. </p><p> </p><p> Hobgoblins dropped like ripe wheat under our steel and soon there were none left but the bugbears. With one of them unarmed and the other dazed, it was quick work to put them down. Griffin and Taklinn spun wildly, caught up in battle lust, scanning for more enemies. But there were no more. The Tein ran thick with blood and we were victorious. </p><p> </p><p> But our victory came at a price, for both Taklinn and Griff were badly wounded. It was all Griff could do to make it to the riverbank where he leaned upon his sword, panting heavily and bleeding from a dozen wounds. Taklinn hauled himself from the river and saw to his companion, treating Griff's wounds first as Caribdis and I came down from our branches and Happy joined us. Long moments passed as we caught our breaths, but at last, after Taklinn had brought himself and Griff a few steps away from deaths door, we looked about at the carnage and could do little but laugh weakly at each other, such was the relief of having survived such a battle. </p><p> </p><p> In short order we set about the business of searching the dead and retrieving our mounts. Unfortunately there were no survivors whom we could question, but we felt confident that we had saved blissfully unaware innocents from murder and mayhem by stopping this band from getting to where ever they'd been headed. </p><p> </p><p> Within an hour we were back on the road, leaving the row of dead humanoids behind us on the riverbank, food for scavengers now. </p><p> </p><p> We rest tonight in a tiny hamlet, the name of which I do not even know. The inn here has only one common room with hard cots, but to me, it is a night in paradise, as I am bone tired from the exhilaration of battle, and weary of the road. I shall sleep hard tonight. </p><p> </p><p> Rdyr't 16 </p><p> </p><p> We are all a bit quieter today. The fight with the hobgoblins, Taklinn's dream, coupled with our find today leaves us all wondering how the fates conspire to move us to their whims. </p><p> </p><p> It was getting on toward late noon, and we'd decided to take a short break to water our mounts and stretch our legs. I did just that, pacing a length of riverbank while watching Happy give a lesson in stone skipping. I swear, the girl can make a flat rock positively dance across the surface of the river for a mile! </p><p> </p><p> At any rate, Ambros crawled from his nest in my belt pouch and dropped to the ground, scurrying off into the grass, presumably to answer the call of nature. I thought little about it until he returned some moments later, dragging behind him the sorry looking corpse of a raven. My favorite rat told me that he'd found it a few yards down river, obviously washed up on shore. What made it a worthwhile find was the tiny tube attached to its leg and the peculiar dart that still protruded from the birds body. Freeing the dart, I could still detect a thin sheen of black ichors the consistency of tar clinging to it's needle like tip. A strange weapon, and not one that I've ever seen before. Too small and flimsy to be thrown, it must be a blow gun dart of some kind. </p><p> </p><p> Within the tube, a message that deepens the mystery that seems to follow us. </p><p> </p><p> "Bugbears, goblins, hobgoblins. Bands 20-100. Unknown goals." </p><p> </p><p> This simple, yet telling, message was signed simply, "- Janek". </p><p> </p><p> Who this Janek fellow is we do not know, but it is fairly obvious now that the lands of Havilah are experiencing an encroachment of goblinoids in large, well disciplined bands. We have already encountered two such groups. Who knows how many more lurk within our borders? </p><p> </p><p> Rdry't 17 </p><p> </p><p> Yet another night spent in the relative comfort of a tiny village on the road to Havilah city, though Griffin tells us, and it is easy to see, that we are getting close now. This little village (Duloch, I believe it is called) is a bit larger, more densely populated, and I sense an air of sophistication here that, while practically smothered in rustic hominess and uneducated boorishness, was not even evident in any of the other villages we have passed through. Indeed, they are even willing to watch Caribdis ply his trade in the tap room and listen with something almost like quiet as he recites his verse. They show him a certain respect, as if they appreciate art, or at least wish to appreciate it. </p><p> </p><p> Which brings me nicely to the subject of Caribdis. I have promised to tell more of him, and now, as I sit here in the tap room and watch him trying to hold his audience while I scribble my notes at an unobtrusive table, it feels like the right time to be about it. </p><p> </p><p> He is just a boy, a fact that we often times forget, and a fact that we are just as often reminded of at the most inopportune of times. He is... awkward. Caribdis is at that most wonderful and terrible of points in the life of every man, the point of becoming a man. He is still as gangly as a new deer, and he seems to have little control over his own limbs unless he is actually giving thought to what he's doing. </p><p> </p><p> He is possessed of the artists heart, and he desires nothing more than to entertain. He fancies himself a great orator, yet he possesses all the tact of an ogre with a tooth ache. He can be counted upon to say exactly the wrong thing at the wrong time, and more than once have I wished my legs were long enough to give him a swift kick under the table. </p><p> </p><p> He is every bit the young, human, male. Curious to a fault, friendly, loyal, lumbering, and true. He has yet to find his step, as my Uncle Window would say, but I think it will be most interesting and rewarding when he does. </p><p> </p><p> At heart, Caribdis is an entertainer. A bard. An actor. A would be musician He has a gift for lyrical poetry, a knack for crafting rhyme out of a current scene, and with it he can even perform some small feats of magic. His healing verse can produce effects that rival Taklinn's, and I've seen the odd arcane bit here and there. He is, of course, a spontaneous caster, lacking the discipline of true arcane book work, but how can I fault a natural gift? </p><p> </p><p> In combat he is surprisingly effective. His bow has made the difference in several fights, and his battle rhymes have an effect on his allies that rival any spell I can cast, for his words become a background noise that spurs us on, assuring us of our victory and aiding us in battle. Griffin's sword swings truer, Taklinn's axe cleaves deeper, and so on, even though his voice often grows shaky in the face of hand to hand combat. </p><p></p><p> Sometimes Caribdis feels like the fifth wheel. He is the youngest, and therefore ends up in the role of the younger sibling. Griffin sighs heavily and tolerates him, Happy is amused by him, Taklinn fathers him, and I, well, I try to see what he will be like in a couple of years. For while the four of us roll our eyes at his lengthy and poorly told sagas, or reprimand him for being too open to strangers, I think we all see a vast potential in him, and, like older siblings, we have developed a certain protective attitude towards him. </p><p> </p><p> At least I have. </p><p> </p><p> I was not joking when I said that, one day, I will be able to tell people that I traveled alongside that most famous of bards, Caribdis.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="xabth, post: 1425536, member: 7013"] Rdry't 12 We stayed in a tiny village called Lamsted last night and witnessed the start of the Days of Dedication festivals, and that always marks the turning point of autumn. As if by clockwork, today feels colder, and it wouldn't surprise me to know that flurries of snow are already falling further north. Fortunately we still have the winter gear given to us by Baron, so I am able to bundle up a bit. Still, the chill wind whips at me and makes it that much more difficult to write as it threatens to tear the pages from my journal. But there is little else to do on the road, and when my mind needs a rest from constant reading I find that the jotting of notes is soothing, even if I must fight the wind for the privilege. I have been using my entries to sing the praises of each of my companions thus far, and as I watch Happy bounce along the trail, I am hard pressed not to include a few passages about her. Happy is every bit the halfling, and every bit the greenie on top of that. While my own clan can frolic with the best of them, the greenies have raised it to a fine art, and they would be well pleased with their Happy. Could there be a more suitable name for her? I doubt it, for I have yet to see her frown. She is utterly kind, ever optimistic, always ready with her infectious smile, and while she can be irreverent, she is also surprisingly thoughtful, and I get the idea that her outward frivolity camouflages her strategic mind. I could easily see her enemies underestimating her because of her size and good nature, but I've watched her fight, and can say with no irony that she is not to be trifled with. Happy, like many of our kind, has the kind of grace that is usually reserved for elves. I envy her dexterity, for I could never pull off the kind of tricks that she makes look easy. She somersaults and flips like a born acrobat, and it is nothing for her to walk a rail as thin as my finger. I've watched her spin and dive between the legs of a foe to end up on their blind side in the blink of an eye, and once she has you at a disadvantage, you will no doubt feel the sting of her daggers, of which she seems to have a never ending supply. Watching her hurl her blades, it is as if time slows down for her, and she throws them with a careless ease that turns into deadly accuracy. I like her very much indeed, and so do the rest of the crew. It is difficult to be down in the mouth with Happy around to lift your spirits. She and Griff are thick as thieves most of the time, and I dare say they probably share much of the same roguish philosophy. And though I'd be willing to bet that Happy is not above helping herself to ill gotten gain, I can't help but trust her. Perhaps that is another example of her disarming personality. I have only one other to write about, and that is Caribdis. But it is time to return to my reading. We still have much road to walk, so I shall get to him in due time. Rdyr't 13 Apparently my thoughts on Caribdis will have to wait, for it turns out that danger follows us. It was noon and the sun that shone on us did little to warm the crisp air. But, bundled in our good fur coats, it was easy to enjoy the ride and chat as the wind foretold of winters coming and brushed swirls of leaves across the road. We had just crested a small hill and begun the gentle decent into a valley. To our left we could see the Tein river as it snaked toward us from the west. This time of year the river is low, and what nearly intercepted the Queens Road was little more than a stream, easily wadable if one had to. We could see from our vantage point that it flowed lazily toward our road until, at the bottom of our hill, it changed course to run parallel to us, and we new that it would be our companion for the rest of our journey. Griffin smiled and gave a satisfied nod. "The Tein," he said, "We're half way there!" This immediately lightened our mood and put a bit of bounce into our steps, for we are all anxious to get to the city. Griffin is the only one among us who has actually been there before, and it's good to have him with us as a guide, or at least to tell keep us abreast of our progress. With renewed vigor, we headed into the valley. Along the riverbank there grew thick strands of oak and elm, and were it not for the fact that autumn has stripped the trees of their leaves, we probably would not have spotted the hobgoblins. About half way down the hill I saw a flash of movement through the trees, as if someone wading along the river bed. Happy agreed that she too had seen something. "Taklinn," I said, in hushed tones, "Let me have the spy glass." He looked at me quizzically, but handed the ornate telescope over to me and with it I scanned the trees, searching for the flash of color I'd seen. Yes, there it was. And again. Something... somebody... trodding through the Tein's low waters. And there, another. And yet another. It was difficult to see through the screen of branches, but what I did see gave me pause. Muscular limbs and iron weapons. I decided to get a better look. "Something’s on the river," I told my companions. "Wait here, I'll be right back." Without waiting for an answer, I quickly cast my two (and only) most powerful spells, and within seconds I was invisible and rising high into the air, the feeling of leaving my stomach behind, still gripped me, but I concentrated on the work at hand. I rose still higher, getting myself above the trees for an unobstructed view of the river, and there I saw them. A ragged column of figures marching with the river. Even from my distance I could tell that they weren’t men, for their gait gave them away as humanoids. Pressing the spyglass to my eye showed me the truth. Hobgoblins. A quick count showed sixteen of the buggers, and worse yet, trailing behind them were a pair of bugbears. Our raid on the farmhouse flashed through my mind as I quickly descended. The wind had blown me a bit off course, so I had to hurry to catch my friends, who started a bit when my voice came from no where, explaining what I'd seen. At my report, the shift in Taklinn’s stance and the knit in his brow gave away his intentions even before he said, "Hobbers n' bugbears! Lets be at 'em then!" He shifted his axe and touched his holy symbol as I have seen him do before battle, and it was obvious what his plan was. But Griffin was not so sure. "They haven’t seen us yet," he said, coolly, "I say we let them pass. We're outnumbered and we've nothing to gain by taking them on." His steely eyes showed his resolve on the issue, but in this case I had to agree with Taklinn. "Griff," I implored, "What if they're a raiding party, come to wreak havoc on innocents down river? Remember the farm house? Those were hobgoblins and bugbears there too, and they murdered an old man and his wife, and ravaged two young girls! If this new group does something similar without our trying to stop it, it'll be on our heads! Also, don't you find it a bit coincidental? Another group of hobgoblins, prodded along by two bugbears? Something is afoot here, and it could relate to us somehow. Besides all that, your right. They haven’t seen us. If we hurry we can beat them to that grove of elms at the bottom of the hill and set up an ambush. That should even the odds a bit." I strode purposely over to stand beside Taklinn to show my solidarity with him, though I'm afraid the effect was largely lost due to no one being able to see me. Griffin scowled and opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it. Happy and Caribdis looked from him to a very grim Taklinn. This was not the first time they'd had to listen to Taklinn and I convince Griffin that a fight needed to be fought, and though Caribdis, especially, wore a worried look, I felt confident that he possessed the sand to do what needed to be done. Finally, Griffin sighed and loosened his sword in it's scabbard. "All right then, lets be about it." he said, though obviously against his better judgment. He spun on his heel and started off down the hill. We hurriedly hitched our mounts to a nearby bush and hurried to catch Griff, the five of us trotting at a quick pace in an effort to reach what appeared to be a fine ambush spot. Thus far it appeared that the hobbers hadn't spotted us, and we needed that element of surprise. I used my levitate to cross long stretches of ground by running and pushing off, allowing myself to glide down the hill effortlessly. Once at the bottom, we quickly surveyed the thick strand of elms that lined the river bank. Having little time to discuss our strategy we quickly hid ourselves. I rose up into the branches of a thick old tree and positioned myself on a hardy limb in such a way as to have a fine view of the river while still affording myself the cover of the trunk, which I knew I would need once my invisibility was dispelled by offensive spells. Caribdis did the same, climbing a tree near my own and balancing precariously, his trusty bow at the ready. Taklinn hunkered down amongst the thick weeds that grew alongside the river, while Griffin and Happy quickly waded across the river and positioned themselves behind a deadfall there. We did not have long to wait. Within minutes the first of the hobgoblins rounded the bend, splashing through the waters, their weapons at the ready. As more of them appeared, they choked the stream with their hulking forms, and I realized that there certainly were a lot of them! The two bugbears that followed did little to bolster my confidence when they appeared, but it was too late to turn back now. Looking down from my branch, I could see Taklinn, coiled like a spring, ready to pounce, and I knew that he was going to have at these villains weather there be 16 or one hundred and sixteen. It was not until the first line of hobgoblins were directly beneath me, and not more than a few feet from Taklinn’s hiding spot, that I realized that we'd not made any plan as to who would initiate our ambush or when! For a moment I wondered if we might not all sit there frozen, waiting for another of us to make the first move until our quarry had passed us by. I needn't have fretted though, for Taklinn was not about to lose his opportunity, and with a mighty roar, he sprang from the tall grass, hurling himself at the front line of hobgoblins, his axe a blur in the cold sunlight. From that point on things moved very quickly. No sooner had Taklinn made his attack than the rest of us were in motion. From his position on the opposite side of the river Griffin leapt into the fray, laying about with his sword in the very midst of the surprised hobgoblins. From the deadfall I saw a brief flash as Happy hurled a dagger that downed a hobber, and I hastily cast as, from the corner of my eye, I saw an ashen faced Caribdis begin to let fly with arrow after arrow. The river began to boil with blood as Taklinn and Griffin set to work, and within seconds at least three of the hobgoblins lay face down in the water, and still others were pierced with dagger and arrow. For myself, I could do little but try to thin their ranks with Color Sprays and Sleeps. Unfortunately, those hobgoblins that went under due to Sleep fell into the water where they quickly revived, though it did keep them from combat for precious seconds and kept our warriors from being overwhelmed through sheer numbers. As it was, Griffin was surrounded and his blood mingled with that of his enemy as it flowed from several wounds. Even the stalwart Taklinn was feeling the bite of hobgoblin blades as they pressed in around him. From his perch to my right, Caribdis chanted his verse and loosed arrows as fast as he could draw his arm back. I had already exhausted my most powerful spells and shifted to my trusty crossbow, leveling it at a hobgoblin who had spotted Happy and was now hacking away at her while she bobbed and weaved away from his blade, desperately trying to get a hit in of her own. My bolt took the hobber between the shoulder blades, and down he went. She flashed me a grateful grin and went back to doing what she does best, chucking daggers into soft spots. Nearly a dozen hobgoblins lay dead in the crimson waters, but the bugbears had advanced by now upon our very wounded warriors. I saw one of them draw back his morningstar to take a swing at Griffin. I quickly cast the last of my first circle spells, Grease, upon the handle of his weapon, and as he drew back, it slid from his grasp and into the murky river. I prayed that it would buy Griffin the time he needed to dispatch the last of his hobbers that he might concentrate on the bear. Shifting my attention to Taklinn, he was in much the same fix, badly hurt and still outnumbered with a bugbear looming over him. I was down to cantrips, but I had to try. Rattling off the brief incantation, I cast Daze at the bear, and to my happy surprise, the brute fell under it's effect, standing there stupidly, trying to get it's bearings and leaving Taklinn free to dispatch another hobgoblin. I hastily followed the first Daze with another, the last of my offensive spells, and it too worked, keeping the bugbear off balance. It bought Taklinn just enough time. Hobgoblins dropped like ripe wheat under our steel and soon there were none left but the bugbears. With one of them unarmed and the other dazed, it was quick work to put them down. Griffin and Taklinn spun wildly, caught up in battle lust, scanning for more enemies. But there were no more. The Tein ran thick with blood and we were victorious. But our victory came at a price, for both Taklinn and Griff were badly wounded. It was all Griff could do to make it to the riverbank where he leaned upon his sword, panting heavily and bleeding from a dozen wounds. Taklinn hauled himself from the river and saw to his companion, treating Griff's wounds first as Caribdis and I came down from our branches and Happy joined us. Long moments passed as we caught our breaths, but at last, after Taklinn had brought himself and Griff a few steps away from deaths door, we looked about at the carnage and could do little but laugh weakly at each other, such was the relief of having survived such a battle. In short order we set about the business of searching the dead and retrieving our mounts. Unfortunately there were no survivors whom we could question, but we felt confident that we had saved blissfully unaware innocents from murder and mayhem by stopping this band from getting to where ever they'd been headed. Within an hour we were back on the road, leaving the row of dead humanoids behind us on the riverbank, food for scavengers now. We rest tonight in a tiny hamlet, the name of which I do not even know. The inn here has only one common room with hard cots, but to me, it is a night in paradise, as I am bone tired from the exhilaration of battle, and weary of the road. I shall sleep hard tonight. Rdyr't 16 We are all a bit quieter today. The fight with the hobgoblins, Taklinn's dream, coupled with our find today leaves us all wondering how the fates conspire to move us to their whims. It was getting on toward late noon, and we'd decided to take a short break to water our mounts and stretch our legs. I did just that, pacing a length of riverbank while watching Happy give a lesson in stone skipping. I swear, the girl can make a flat rock positively dance across the surface of the river for a mile! At any rate, Ambros crawled from his nest in my belt pouch and dropped to the ground, scurrying off into the grass, presumably to answer the call of nature. I thought little about it until he returned some moments later, dragging behind him the sorry looking corpse of a raven. My favorite rat told me that he'd found it a few yards down river, obviously washed up on shore. What made it a worthwhile find was the tiny tube attached to its leg and the peculiar dart that still protruded from the birds body. Freeing the dart, I could still detect a thin sheen of black ichors the consistency of tar clinging to it's needle like tip. A strange weapon, and not one that I've ever seen before. Too small and flimsy to be thrown, it must be a blow gun dart of some kind. Within the tube, a message that deepens the mystery that seems to follow us. "Bugbears, goblins, hobgoblins. Bands 20-100. Unknown goals." This simple, yet telling, message was signed simply, "- Janek". Who this Janek fellow is we do not know, but it is fairly obvious now that the lands of Havilah are experiencing an encroachment of goblinoids in large, well disciplined bands. We have already encountered two such groups. Who knows how many more lurk within our borders? Rdry't 17 Yet another night spent in the relative comfort of a tiny village on the road to Havilah city, though Griffin tells us, and it is easy to see, that we are getting close now. This little village (Duloch, I believe it is called) is a bit larger, more densely populated, and I sense an air of sophistication here that, while practically smothered in rustic hominess and uneducated boorishness, was not even evident in any of the other villages we have passed through. Indeed, they are even willing to watch Caribdis ply his trade in the tap room and listen with something almost like quiet as he recites his verse. They show him a certain respect, as if they appreciate art, or at least wish to appreciate it. Which brings me nicely to the subject of Caribdis. I have promised to tell more of him, and now, as I sit here in the tap room and watch him trying to hold his audience while I scribble my notes at an unobtrusive table, it feels like the right time to be about it. He is just a boy, a fact that we often times forget, and a fact that we are just as often reminded of at the most inopportune of times. He is... awkward. Caribdis is at that most wonderful and terrible of points in the life of every man, the point of becoming a man. He is still as gangly as a new deer, and he seems to have little control over his own limbs unless he is actually giving thought to what he's doing. He is possessed of the artists heart, and he desires nothing more than to entertain. He fancies himself a great orator, yet he possesses all the tact of an ogre with a tooth ache. He can be counted upon to say exactly the wrong thing at the wrong time, and more than once have I wished my legs were long enough to give him a swift kick under the table. He is every bit the young, human, male. Curious to a fault, friendly, loyal, lumbering, and true. He has yet to find his step, as my Uncle Window would say, but I think it will be most interesting and rewarding when he does. At heart, Caribdis is an entertainer. A bard. An actor. A would be musician He has a gift for lyrical poetry, a knack for crafting rhyme out of a current scene, and with it he can even perform some small feats of magic. His healing verse can produce effects that rival Taklinn's, and I've seen the odd arcane bit here and there. He is, of course, a spontaneous caster, lacking the discipline of true arcane book work, but how can I fault a natural gift? In combat he is surprisingly effective. His bow has made the difference in several fights, and his battle rhymes have an effect on his allies that rival any spell I can cast, for his words become a background noise that spurs us on, assuring us of our victory and aiding us in battle. Griffin's sword swings truer, Taklinn's axe cleaves deeper, and so on, even though his voice often grows shaky in the face of hand to hand combat. Sometimes Caribdis feels like the fifth wheel. He is the youngest, and therefore ends up in the role of the younger sibling. Griffin sighs heavily and tolerates him, Happy is amused by him, Taklinn fathers him, and I, well, I try to see what he will be like in a couple of years. For while the four of us roll our eyes at his lengthy and poorly told sagas, or reprimand him for being too open to strangers, I think we all see a vast potential in him, and, like older siblings, we have developed a certain protective attitude towards him. At least I have. I was not joking when I said that, one day, I will be able to tell people that I traveled alongside that most famous of bards, Caribdis. [/QUOTE]
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