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<blockquote data-quote="Corran" data-source="post: 84603" data-attributes="member: 85"><p><strong>Session 9 – Wednesday, February 6, 2002.</strong></p><p></p><p><em>17 Ches</em></p><p></p><p>The day started with a silly discussion about whether Darvear was part of the slaver ring and this was all just an elaborate plot to capture us. This suspicion was fed by the fact that Darvear never hit an opponent during our fight in the fortress and the fact that he was able to see the first group of orcs from five hundred yards away. It seems to me that if he was in on it, this was a very wasteful way of going about our capture. We killed quite a number of them; I can’t see how that would fit in their plans. If he was in on it they could have easily captured us while we were sleeping. </p><p>Early in the day Celedor sprained his ankle and was not able to keep the tempo. We decide that he and Borric should follow us at their own pace and that the rest of us would go on ahead. In retrospect that might not have been such a good idea.</p><p></p><p>A few hours in the afternoon we were walking without a care in the world. Suddenly two arrows sped through the sky and plunged into Cadrach’s chest. The cleric loses consciousness and sags to the ground. Calim, Varsk and I look about desperately and try to find some cover in the flat terrain. We finally spot someone, most likely an orc sitting in a tree hundreds of yards away. The tree is part of a small forest and the unknown assailant has hidden himself well in the tree. We try simultaneous to get Cadrach safe and to get to the orc. With the priest as safe as we can get him we open fire on the orc. Calim and I manage to land some arrows on the orc, but he gives even better than he gets. His arrows are dead on target and his arrows hit with a lot of power behind them.</p><p></p><p>Varsk tries to charge to the tree and Calim and I try to give the barbarian as much covering fire as we can. At the moment the orc jumps out of the tree and runs into the wood. We look at each other if we should follow the archer. I think that particular foe might just follow us and snipe us at every possible opportunity. And not to forget, Borric and Celedor will also pass this way. ‘Get him,’ I shout and we run into the forest after him. The orc is bleeding so his tracks are easy to follow. After only fifty or so yards I suddenly see Varsk plunge straight into the ground. A pit trap; the orc has prepared his getaway it seems. After checking that Varsk is ok, we continue the pursuit. Not much later I barely manage to evade a lasso trap that would have launched me high into the air. Calim that calls for a stop and we all agree that it seems to be suicide to follow our assailant any further. We decide to get back to Cadrach before the orc can circle around us and do the same. Once back we carefully move Cadrach further back and we set up camp in a defensible gully somewhat farther from the forest. Here wait for the dwarf and the elf and spend the night.</p><p></p><p><em>20 Ches</em></p><p></p><p>We had to wait two days before Cadrach regained consciousness and was fit to travel again. We have seen no sign of the archer. When we are ready to move on we decide to travel in a big arc around the forest.</p><p></p><p><em>22 Ches</em></p><p></p><p>At the end of the afternoon Cadrach sees something moving behind a bluff. When we get closer we see a caravan quickly leaving the area. We assume they are most likely smugglers.</p><p></p><p><em>25 Ches</em></p><p></p><p>We are now getting close to the fortress. We are lucky that Calim has such an acute vision; he spotted three goblins sitting on top of a rock looking in three different directions. We move around them and do the same when we spot four more guards later that afternoon. Just before dark we arrive at the bluff overlooking the fortress. During the evening we count about ten to fifteen orcs and twenty five to forty goblins milling about the campfires in the courtyard.</p><p></p><p><em>26 Ches</em></p><p></p><p>At sunset we observe most of the fortress inhabitants leaving. They are always in groups of one or two orcs with six to eight goblins. We decide to spend the entire day to monitor the goings on in the fortress and learn their schedules. We hope to find a time when the fortress will be empty enough for us to attack.</p><p></p><p><em>27 Ches</em></p><p></p><p>We think we have a good chance and sneak up on the palisade. We seem to be Besheba’s favourites however, again we are spotted. This time it's by a goblin guard in one of the towers before we are even close to the palisade. Straight away we fire at the goblin, but his guard tower affords him too much cover, we all miss. Varsk quickly scales the wall and drops down the other side. We follow quickly and are just in time to see the barbarian kick open the door he tried to bash in the last time we were here. This time Tymora smiles on us; the door is unlocked. An orc comes to the door to see what happened but Varsk takes him out in one blow. We all rush inside, leaving the goblin guards in the towers to deal with later; the really dangerous enemies must all be inside we think.</p><p></p><p>We come to an intersection where Varsk and I go right and Cadrach and Calim go left. We come to a room with stairs leading up and occupied by a number of orcs and goblins. Without too much problems we dispatch them, with Varsk taking the brunt of the work. The barbarian then rushes up the stairs where he gets hit by a number of crossbow bolts. Four goblins had been lying in ambush at the top of the stairs. We charge up and after he kills two and I kill one of the opponents the impulsive Uthgardt rushes up the next set of stairs leaving me to handle the last goblin. The little runt swings at me but he fails to connect. I manage to stab him with my dagger but the goblin remains standing. He has had enough of the fight though and surrenders and starts to grovel in what I assume is goblin. I gesture for him to leave his weapons here and move downstairs, he seems to understand and goes down the stairs. I call up to Varsk if he needs help but he says there are no more enemies upstairs.</p><p></p><p>When I come back down I am just in time to see Cadrach try and kill the gobo I just send downstairs. The priest’s swing goes wild and the goblin survives. I give the goblin a shove towards the door and Cadrach and I go to where Calim is keeping guard. They have had quite a fight on their hands as well; a number of enemies lie dead at the top of the stairs leading to the underground level. Downstairs we find sleeping places for both the orcs and the goblins and the dungeon we had been locked up in. We find no more enemies and of Darvear Huntinghorn there is no trace. We search the entire fortress but our money is gone.</p><p></p><p>A fight breaks out between Cadrach and Varsk. The barbarian claims that Cadrach has broken Varsk’s horn while the priest claims he found it in that state. I can’t understand why Varsk would accuse Cadrach such a thing but they almost come to blows over it. Calim and I just about manage to cool them down. Cadrach then promises Varsk that he will have the horn fixed again and while Varsk keeps moping, that’s the end of that. After we have completed our search we have found a hundred and eighty gold pieces and Borric’s warhammer.</p><p></p><p>After interrogating a goblin we learn that their leader and the shaman went to ‘big dark castle in the west.’ The castle is called Darkhold; a Zhent fortress according to Calim. The leader left twelve days ago with a caravan filled with prisoners. There’s nothing more to learn and I free the goblin, we make him promise not to go west, he quickly agrees.</p><p></p><p>Outside we see in the distance a lone goblin fleeing with what looks to be a dead pig on his back. The other goblin tower guards have also fled and from the four pigs in the pen only one is left. Varsk slaughters the animal and in the meanwhile we set fire to the place and throw some dead goblins down the well. After a short while we have some more food and a fortress that is burning like a torch. Not to soon either, the first goblin groups should be returning shortly. With the fire visible from a long way away we assume they won’t approach. They’ll probably think that either a Cormyrean patrol or a competing slaving band has torched the place and is still in the area. We start our journey back to Suzail.</p><p></p><p><em>28 Ches</em></p><p></p><p>Tonight we arrived at Castle Crag. We told the watch commander everything what happened and he told us he was delivered a ransom note not too long ago. The ransom they ask for Darvear is a stupendous twenty five thousand gold pieces! I can see why this kidnapping is so popular around here. The money is to be paid in gems somewhere in Westgate. This I can understand, Westgate is the most lawless city imaginable. I asked about Darvear’s family, the watch commander told me the ransom note was relayed to them and that they live near Suzail. I want to visit them as soon as we get back to Suzail. Cadrach gave Varsk his horn back; it was in one piece again. The priest said he had paid a wizard at the castle to fix it.</p><p></p><p><em>4 Tarsakh</em></p><p></p><p>We arrived in Suzail today and we visited the Huntinghorn family. They were keeping up very well under the kidnapping of their son. They even paid us what Darvear owed us and gave us fifteen hundred gold pieces as a part restitution for the money that was taken from us by the slavers. They told us that that was all they could spare now that they had to get the money for Darvear’s ransom. Of course we offered our help in handling the kidnapping. They said they had everything under control and did not need us, but they thanked us for the offer. I can certainly understand why they wouldn’t want us to help, with all that has happened. We gave them the name of our inn where we can be reached should anything turn up and took our leave.</p><p></p><p><em>10 Tarsakh</em></p><p></p><p>I bought a new chain shirt and some more supplies. I also found some very interesting Mulhorandi items for sale; unfortunately I do no longer have the money to pay for them. I did win some money playing old men’s bones; the Cormyreans are fortunately not very good at it. Cadrach spent the days creating some scrolls, so we didn’t see much of him. Varsk was inebriated most of the time. Yesterday they heard that Dagger Falls is calling out to adventurers to fight Zhentarim sponsored raids by orc warbands. I could have known that most of the others want to go there. It seems more than dangerous; particularly seeing how much trouble one orc in a tree caused us. I also suspect that the pay will be less than stellar (perhaps we only get what we can loot of the orcs). And the long journey to Daggerdale will also not be paid. But I can talk all I want, we leave tomorrow.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Corran, post: 84603, member: 85"] [b]Session 9 – Wednesday, February 6, 2002.[/b] [i]17 Ches[/i] The day started with a silly discussion about whether Darvear was part of the slaver ring and this was all just an elaborate plot to capture us. This suspicion was fed by the fact that Darvear never hit an opponent during our fight in the fortress and the fact that he was able to see the first group of orcs from five hundred yards away. It seems to me that if he was in on it, this was a very wasteful way of going about our capture. We killed quite a number of them; I can’t see how that would fit in their plans. If he was in on it they could have easily captured us while we were sleeping. Early in the day Celedor sprained his ankle and was not able to keep the tempo. We decide that he and Borric should follow us at their own pace and that the rest of us would go on ahead. In retrospect that might not have been such a good idea. A few hours in the afternoon we were walking without a care in the world. Suddenly two arrows sped through the sky and plunged into Cadrach’s chest. The cleric loses consciousness and sags to the ground. Calim, Varsk and I look about desperately and try to find some cover in the flat terrain. We finally spot someone, most likely an orc sitting in a tree hundreds of yards away. The tree is part of a small forest and the unknown assailant has hidden himself well in the tree. We try simultaneous to get Cadrach safe and to get to the orc. With the priest as safe as we can get him we open fire on the orc. Calim and I manage to land some arrows on the orc, but he gives even better than he gets. His arrows are dead on target and his arrows hit with a lot of power behind them. Varsk tries to charge to the tree and Calim and I try to give the barbarian as much covering fire as we can. At the moment the orc jumps out of the tree and runs into the wood. We look at each other if we should follow the archer. I think that particular foe might just follow us and snipe us at every possible opportunity. And not to forget, Borric and Celedor will also pass this way. ‘Get him,’ I shout and we run into the forest after him. The orc is bleeding so his tracks are easy to follow. After only fifty or so yards I suddenly see Varsk plunge straight into the ground. A pit trap; the orc has prepared his getaway it seems. After checking that Varsk is ok, we continue the pursuit. Not much later I barely manage to evade a lasso trap that would have launched me high into the air. Calim that calls for a stop and we all agree that it seems to be suicide to follow our assailant any further. We decide to get back to Cadrach before the orc can circle around us and do the same. Once back we carefully move Cadrach further back and we set up camp in a defensible gully somewhat farther from the forest. Here wait for the dwarf and the elf and spend the night. [i]20 Ches[/i] We had to wait two days before Cadrach regained consciousness and was fit to travel again. We have seen no sign of the archer. When we are ready to move on we decide to travel in a big arc around the forest. [i]22 Ches[/i] At the end of the afternoon Cadrach sees something moving behind a bluff. When we get closer we see a caravan quickly leaving the area. We assume they are most likely smugglers. [i]25 Ches[/i] We are now getting close to the fortress. We are lucky that Calim has such an acute vision; he spotted three goblins sitting on top of a rock looking in three different directions. We move around them and do the same when we spot four more guards later that afternoon. Just before dark we arrive at the bluff overlooking the fortress. During the evening we count about ten to fifteen orcs and twenty five to forty goblins milling about the campfires in the courtyard. [i]26 Ches[/i] At sunset we observe most of the fortress inhabitants leaving. They are always in groups of one or two orcs with six to eight goblins. We decide to spend the entire day to monitor the goings on in the fortress and learn their schedules. We hope to find a time when the fortress will be empty enough for us to attack. [i]27 Ches[/i] We think we have a good chance and sneak up on the palisade. We seem to be Besheba’s favourites however, again we are spotted. This time it's by a goblin guard in one of the towers before we are even close to the palisade. Straight away we fire at the goblin, but his guard tower affords him too much cover, we all miss. Varsk quickly scales the wall and drops down the other side. We follow quickly and are just in time to see the barbarian kick open the door he tried to bash in the last time we were here. This time Tymora smiles on us; the door is unlocked. An orc comes to the door to see what happened but Varsk takes him out in one blow. We all rush inside, leaving the goblin guards in the towers to deal with later; the really dangerous enemies must all be inside we think. We come to an intersection where Varsk and I go right and Cadrach and Calim go left. We come to a room with stairs leading up and occupied by a number of orcs and goblins. Without too much problems we dispatch them, with Varsk taking the brunt of the work. The barbarian then rushes up the stairs where he gets hit by a number of crossbow bolts. Four goblins had been lying in ambush at the top of the stairs. We charge up and after he kills two and I kill one of the opponents the impulsive Uthgardt rushes up the next set of stairs leaving me to handle the last goblin. The little runt swings at me but he fails to connect. I manage to stab him with my dagger but the goblin remains standing. He has had enough of the fight though and surrenders and starts to grovel in what I assume is goblin. I gesture for him to leave his weapons here and move downstairs, he seems to understand and goes down the stairs. I call up to Varsk if he needs help but he says there are no more enemies upstairs. When I come back down I am just in time to see Cadrach try and kill the gobo I just send downstairs. The priest’s swing goes wild and the goblin survives. I give the goblin a shove towards the door and Cadrach and I go to where Calim is keeping guard. They have had quite a fight on their hands as well; a number of enemies lie dead at the top of the stairs leading to the underground level. Downstairs we find sleeping places for both the orcs and the goblins and the dungeon we had been locked up in. We find no more enemies and of Darvear Huntinghorn there is no trace. We search the entire fortress but our money is gone. A fight breaks out between Cadrach and Varsk. The barbarian claims that Cadrach has broken Varsk’s horn while the priest claims he found it in that state. I can’t understand why Varsk would accuse Cadrach such a thing but they almost come to blows over it. Calim and I just about manage to cool them down. Cadrach then promises Varsk that he will have the horn fixed again and while Varsk keeps moping, that’s the end of that. After we have completed our search we have found a hundred and eighty gold pieces and Borric’s warhammer. After interrogating a goblin we learn that their leader and the shaman went to ‘big dark castle in the west.’ The castle is called Darkhold; a Zhent fortress according to Calim. The leader left twelve days ago with a caravan filled with prisoners. There’s nothing more to learn and I free the goblin, we make him promise not to go west, he quickly agrees. Outside we see in the distance a lone goblin fleeing with what looks to be a dead pig on his back. The other goblin tower guards have also fled and from the four pigs in the pen only one is left. Varsk slaughters the animal and in the meanwhile we set fire to the place and throw some dead goblins down the well. After a short while we have some more food and a fortress that is burning like a torch. Not to soon either, the first goblin groups should be returning shortly. With the fire visible from a long way away we assume they won’t approach. They’ll probably think that either a Cormyrean patrol or a competing slaving band has torched the place and is still in the area. We start our journey back to Suzail. [i]28 Ches[/i] Tonight we arrived at Castle Crag. We told the watch commander everything what happened and he told us he was delivered a ransom note not too long ago. The ransom they ask for Darvear is a stupendous twenty five thousand gold pieces! I can see why this kidnapping is so popular around here. The money is to be paid in gems somewhere in Westgate. This I can understand, Westgate is the most lawless city imaginable. I asked about Darvear’s family, the watch commander told me the ransom note was relayed to them and that they live near Suzail. I want to visit them as soon as we get back to Suzail. Cadrach gave Varsk his horn back; it was in one piece again. The priest said he had paid a wizard at the castle to fix it. [i]4 Tarsakh[/i] We arrived in Suzail today and we visited the Huntinghorn family. They were keeping up very well under the kidnapping of their son. They even paid us what Darvear owed us and gave us fifteen hundred gold pieces as a part restitution for the money that was taken from us by the slavers. They told us that that was all they could spare now that they had to get the money for Darvear’s ransom. Of course we offered our help in handling the kidnapping. They said they had everything under control and did not need us, but they thanked us for the offer. I can certainly understand why they wouldn’t want us to help, with all that has happened. We gave them the name of our inn where we can be reached should anything turn up and took our leave. [i]10 Tarsakh[/i] I bought a new chain shirt and some more supplies. I also found some very interesting Mulhorandi items for sale; unfortunately I do no longer have the money to pay for them. I did win some money playing old men’s bones; the Cormyreans are fortunately not very good at it. Cadrach spent the days creating some scrolls, so we didn’t see much of him. Varsk was inebriated most of the time. Yesterday they heard that Dagger Falls is calling out to adventurers to fight Zhentarim sponsored raids by orc warbands. I could have known that most of the others want to go there. It seems more than dangerous; particularly seeing how much trouble one orc in a tree caused us. I also suspect that the pay will be less than stellar (perhaps we only get what we can loot of the orcs). And the long journey to Daggerdale will also not be paid. But I can talk all I want, we leave tomorrow. [/QUOTE]
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