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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mathew_Freeman" data-source="post: 4493135" data-attributes="member: 1846">Into The WildAs the group heads off into the woods to see if they can locate Douven Staul (the missing explorer), it is another clear & bright sunny spring morning. Birds sing in the trees, and the company spot the occasional piece of wildlife. Douven was last seen following a map from Eilian in search of a lost Dragon Tomb, and party have Eilian's best copy to follow themselves. For the moment, it's a simple trek back down the road they arrived on.The party have been travelling for about an hour or so when Aran pauses, eyes scanning the undergrowth ahead. The hairs on the back of his neck stand up - it seems suddenly very quiet.His fears are realised as several kobolds emerge from hiding and charge towards him – they are carrying the same dragonscale shields as the other group and look like competent warriors. Drawing his weapons, Aran dodges and weaves as they strike at him, but he is wounded a couple of times by their fierce attacks. Further up the road, he can see a spear wielding kobold begins to circle around the edge of the woods. Lastly, a fifth kobold comes into view, wearing a bone mask shaped like a dragon's skull and shrieking instructions and encouragement to his allies. Thinking quickly, Rangrim realises this is a Kobold Wyrmpriest - a kobold with strange arcane powers.The party leaps to their friend's defence, with Elwanen fey stepping forwards to engage. His forms blurs past Aran, sword in hand, but he is quickly surrounded by a dragonshield and the spear fighter, finding it hard to concentrate on both at the same time. The kobolds work together, harrying and harrassing him as he battles to keep them from surrounding him.Cass and Rangrim are engaged in a tough battle against the other two dragonshields. Unlike the kobolds they have fought before, these kobolds are hardy and skilled. Cass finds her attacks blocked and deflected by their shields, and Rangrim's strikes are warded off as well. Aran breaks free and makes for the Wyrmpriest. The priest invigorates his colleagues, driving them to greater heights of fury, before directing a ball of flame into his enemies, scorching Rangrim. The Wyrmpriest pulls another trick out of the bag as Aran charges, yelling, towards him. Taking a deep breath, a jet of fire sears through the air towards the halfling. Aran manages to pull out of the way at the last second and the jet shoots over his head - unexpectedly scorching a small bird on a tree behind him. Muttering a swift thank you to the Gods for his halfling luck, Aran presses his attack against his foe.Elwanen isn't doing so well. Faced with two skilled opponents, he struggles to make headway. Time and again the spear wielder manages to sneak a jab through his defences as Elwanen is distracted by the Dragonshield. Finally losing his temper and spinning to try and snap the shield in half, Elwanen is brought to his knees as he feels a shortsword in his back. Everything goes black for a second, before the calming words of Des roll across the battlefield. Reinvigorated, Elwanen opens his eyes, takes a deep breath and slices the spear in half, his sword taking a chunk of it's holder as well. Glancing round, he sees Cass and Rangrim stepping forwards over the bodies of their foes, with Theron smiling at the effects of his spell.Once it's three against two, the Dragonshield and friend drop quickly. Aran, too, has slain his enemy - two blades against one meant the Wyrmpriest was fatally compromised as Aran slipped around him and buries his blades in the kobold's neck.The company prevails and the kobolds are slain. Aran guts the priest and dumps his body to the ground, before finding an obsidian necklace on the body. Scratched into the base of a smal statuette is a symbol - a skeletal ram's head.Des immediately recognises it as being the symbol of Orcus – Demon Prince of the Undead. This lends credence to the rumours of cult activity. Orcus' followers are known to seek to raise undead forces against the living, and if such a cult exists in the area then the villagers of Winterhaven are in severe danger.Taking a moment to refresh themselves, the party loot the other bodies before piling the corpses at one side of the road.Next update: Arriving at the Dragon Tomb, and a well dressed Gnome.</blockquote>

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