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Message: <blockquote data-quote="S'mon" data-source="post: 1387395" data-attributes="member: 463">Leo's accountLeo's accountThe Mad Ogresses.Leo was sitting at this desk muttering. “Fireballs, fireballs, everyone wants to learn fireballs.”He had just finished an involved lesson in the theory and use of magic with some of the more advanced students in the tower. As he had looked at them, he could almost hear their thoughts. “Yes, the theory of magic is very nice but when are you going to teach us to cast fireballs”. A rap at the door interrupted his thoughts. “Come,” he called and a young messenger entered and handed him a now familiar note with Kanor’s seal. He was wanted at the palace. As usual he called at the Temple of Urnus Gregaria where he collected Tarquin the priest and they both made their way to the Palace. They were ushered in without delay. The Palace servants were very familiar with them by now. In Kanor’s audience hall Leo saw Xiang, Sigurd and four strangers. A tall, bearded man wearing a blue cloak, a slight lady in nondescript clothes, a dwarven warrior dressed in black armour with a large axe and another lady dressed in neutral colours but with a shield bearing a human skull. All four looked intimidating. “Leo,” Xiang called out as soon as he saw him. “ I want to introduce you to some new colleagues.” He took to mage to a corner and spoke quietly.  “That is Raven”, he said pointing at the dwarf. “He is a virtuous warrior and knight. The lady with the skull shield, Fjorint, is a forest witch like Rhianne and the other lady is Cailin, a scout.” “Forest witch” Leo thought. That meant a shapeshifter with other powers. The other two descriptions were self explanatory. Leo looked enquiringly at the last stranger. “I don’t know him”, whispered Xiang. At this point Kanor entered. “Ah, Leo, you are finally here. I hope you have made your introductions to the others. The gentleman in blue is Alp Ciernan, a druid from the Thuali Woods. He has come here to ask us for help in removing a tribe of goblins from the wood and restore it to his tribe. The goblins have a motley collection of allies including bugbears and ogres. Captain Xiang, it would be very helpful to all of us if you and your colleagues helped Alp Ciernan at this time.”Captain Xiang? Leo wasn’t sure where this captaincy came from but he would ask Xiang in time. At this moment it wasn’t important. Clearing out the Thuali Woods was. First it would potentially create a safer, faster trade route to the South but more importantly there was a possibility that Heracules the cambion may try to persuade the goblins to launch an attack on Gaxmoor from the Southwest at the same time as he attacked from the Doskan Heights. That would be very bad. So time was of the essence. The group left to make their own preparations. Leo and Tarquin introduced themselves to the strangers. Leo was pleased to hear Cailin describe herself as being ”familiar with traps”. That was going to be particularly useful. He spent a little time talking with Sigurd about his new kingdom. Then Alp Ciernan was questioned more closely and two things became apparent. Alp himself was not particularly powerful but he was very familiar with the area and therefore would make a very good guide. He was also informative, telling the group about a Goblin King, a variety of bugbear chieftains, more sneaky goblins and hulking ogres. He believed he would be able to lead them on a trail to a valley, which was faced by a group of hills dotted with cave entrances. These were the living quarters of the tribe. Alp was also confident he would be able to lead them straight to the Hall of the Goblin King. Finally he mentioned about the Nighthounds, gigantic dog-like beasts who hunted men at night. The next day, Leo conjured his Phantom Steeds for everyone. This was greeted with delight by Raven, who was a skilled rider and had not an experienced the intoxicating speed of these beasts. The group set off, riding down the trail, briefly stopping to speak to some farmers selling chickens. By the end of the day they were on the edge of the woods. Night came and the group set up camp. Watches were set but little happened. About midnight, Leo was woken briefly by the rain and as he turned around in his shelter he saw Sigurd swinging his sword energetically with no apparent reason. Then he turned around and went back to sleep. In the morning the group set out on foot, led by Alp and Cailin. Raven was able to summon Binky his charger. Leo tried to reconcile the name Binky with the half-ton of snorting horse-flesh in front of him. He gave up and cast his Prying Eyes. As the group moved in the woods, Cailin motioned for the group to stop and briefly moved off. Then she came back and informed the group that she had come across a small, foul smelling dark hole. As the group moved closer to investigate it, Alp said he thought this could be the lair of the nighthounds and Raven hissed that he could feel evil from it. Leo sent an eye in there and when it came back it showed him a central corridor with several branches and an end cave with four dog like shapes in it which attacked it. Some attempts were made to draw the hounds out but they were unsuccessful. As Raven was the only one who could fight in the hole, he was supported by some magic and went in there to deal with the beasts. Fjorint changed shape into a bat and followed him. There were sounds of battle from inside and suddenly a hideous howling was heard. Several members of the group found it too horrible to stand and they had to run away. Leo steeled himself against the sound and he heard further sounds of battle and a bright flash from inside. After a little time, there was silence and then Raven emerged and the bat flew out. Raven called out that the evil had been dealt with. The others sheepishly rejoined the group and a search was made of the lair. A little money was found together with a set of bronze bracers. The group then continued on the path and made camp from the night. This again was uneventful with the exception that everyone was awakened briefly to look at another strange dog, this one pure white who looked at the group carefully but did not approach them once it saw they were all awake. Sigurd said that until then it had been approaching. Alp then chimed in, saying he believed it was a moondog, a benevolent supernatural creature which watched over the land. The group set out and as before, Cailin motioned the group to stop and shortly came back to report seeing a mound with several bugbears outside it. There is little ceremony; the group moves in with the warriors at the front. Fortunately the enemy is startled and slow and so the warriors from the group are able to reach them quickly. General melee ensues but the bugbears are no match for the hardened warriors. There are two entrances into the mound and the enemy alerted, pour out of both. A moment later, Fjorint seals one of them with a barrier of brambles and thorns. Groups of goblins join in the fray.  The battle is short and sharp and the outcome is never in doubt. The mound is searched and non-combatants are sent on their way with warnings never to return. The journey on the path is resumed. Some time later, Cailin again motions for the group to stop while she goes ahead to investigate. She comes back to relate that the trees part to show a small collection of dilapidated hovels next to a river. There are two bugbears next to a point on the river, possibly a ford. Again the group hold a quick discussion and the decision is made that offence is the best option. Moving quietly up to a point, the group rushes in, headed by the warriors. The bugbears realise they are under attack and sound the alarm but by this stage the group already is very close to the village. As the enemy come pouring out of the buildings and group together to repulse the invaders, Leo saw an opportunity and cast a fireball in the middle of their number (he smiled wryly to himself as he thought about he irony of the situation, considering his lesson two days ago). This was effective and thinned out enemy numbers as well as hurting the more powerful ones. In the back he noticed another fire spell affecting two bugbears at the back. General melee followed, with the warriors being surprised by the power of the bugbears that seemed to be some elite guard. Be that as it may, the warriors soon dispatched the whole group. After searching, some loot was found but not a great deal.The group then started on the main trail. It was criss crossed by several other trails that were obviously heavily used by a variety of creatures including ogres and bugbears. The journey to the valley was uneventful with one exception. Cailin stopped the group and started investigating one section of ground ahead. Suddenly she stiffened, paled and jerkily headed back to the group, saying that she had been poisoned. Tarquin quickly took her boot off and examined her foot, which had a small puncture mark. He tried to suck the poison out but suddenly Cailin stiffened and was unable to move. Fortunately Tarquin had a prayer which was able to bring her back to her normal self. The group then moved forward into the valley. They were hoping that Alp was going to be able to guide them straight to the main hall of the cave system. Moving into the valley, Cailin reported a quartet of goblins outside that cave entrance posted as guards. The group moved up as far as they could and then Cailin moved in and shot two of them. Unfortunately the other two set off the alarm. The group wasted little time and led by Alp, they sped into the cave mouth. They passed numerous cave entrances, punctuated by goblin screams of women and children and a few warriors. These were ignored and Alp led them to a pair of large wooden doors bound with metal and obviously barred on the other side. Moving quickly, Leo used an effect of his ring and suddenly only the metal binding was left in a gap made in the doors. Unfortunately, Leo was shot full of arrows as soon as the hole appeared. Cursing, he made way for the warriors who were clamouring to enter. As more of the group entered, they saw a large cavern full of goblins, a harem of naked goblin women and several demented female ogres also wearing very little. Suddenly, a wall of brambles and thorns appeared, effectively sealing off half the goblins on one side of the cave. Battle was joined with the others. The mad ogresses rushed forward, engaging the warriors. The harem set up a steady shriek. The king bellowed instructions to everyone and more goblin archers and warriors made ready to enter the fray. Archers shot at Leo and scratched him. Goblin warriors flailed at Fjorint who was in the shape of a bat at the moment. Cailin tumbled through the battle although this seemed costly to her as Leo saw her being hit at least twice until she was able to take a shot at the Goblin King. This infuriated him and he rushed towards her. He also struck her but this put him in reach of Sigurd who promptly cut him down. By this stage there were only a couple of the mad ogresses left and they were quickly dispatched although Xiang was screaming for healing. Then three large earth elementals appeared and they mopped up the remains of the enemy. A few fled through another pair of double doors at the back of the throne room. The group searched the throne room, healed and made ready to go deeper into the complex so as it create as much mayhem and disruption as possible.</blockquote>

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