The Heroes Three (Point Five): Keep on the Borderlands - Cancelled

[Insight]

Foray into the Caves - Part Four

It wasn't until two days had passed that Tamos was recovered enough to sit up and talk. He was badly injured and likely would have been stone dead had a few more moments passed in the Caves.

The Heroes camped, a little further from the Caves of Chaos this time, well into the forest canopy that shielded that Caves from the Road to the east.

"It's about time!" Miles proclaimed, patting Tamos on the back.

Each tap from the Halfling felt like the javelin was going back in. "Ow, all right, enough," he said.

"So you are better?" Lenalia asked.

"Did you miss me?"

The Elf maiden demured. "No," she replied. "I was worried rats or wolves would eat you if we left you here to rest... that is all."

Tamos smiled. "Well, to answer your question, yes, I am much better. Thanks to my brother here."

Rothrusk shined his holy symbol. "Don't thank me," he said. "Thank Valerias."

"I suppose the lot of you are too scared to go back," Miles said. "Pity, I think we were pretty close to some good treasure."

"Don't forget you almost died too, Miles," Lenalia said. "In fact, we were all pretty close to death in there. Those Goblins are rough customers."

Miles hopped up. "They should be taught not to mess with us then."

"Mess with us?" Tamos asked. "You realize of course that it was US who were the intruders. WE were messing with THEM, not the other way around."

"Pish tosh," Miles replied. "They have treasure... and... and they probably took it from someone... maybe even a HUMAN or something."

"He has a point," Rothrusk said. "I highly doubt the Goblins' treasure is their own by right. They have probably stolen it from someone."

"And that alone gives us the right to take it from them?" Tamos countered.

"Those Goblins almost killed you," Lenalia said. "Doesn't that make you angry?"

Tamos considered this question. He had been taught at the Monastery not to feel strong emotions. What was most important in life was clarity of thought. Emotions were secondary, or perhaps tertiary to actions and reason.

"So, you're saying that you want to go back?" Tamos asked.

"Yes," Lenalia replied. "This whole business is unsettling. But I believe we should learn from it and prosper, rather than run away from it."

"Agree wholeheartedly," Miles said excitedly. "Let's be off then!"

"Hold on there," Rothrusk cautioned. "We are very low on rations. In fact, we have just one day of water remaining."

"That's no problem," Miles replied. "I saw a barrel of water in that Goblin room. The first one."

"Yes, but is it safe?" Tamos said.

"Don't know til we try," Miles answered. "I'll scout it out and see what we can find."

The Heroes broke camp and marched the half-mile back to the Caves. Tamos was feeling better, but he still had a sneaking suspicion that something big was about to happen, for good or for ill.

...

It didn't take long for Miles to find the Goblins' barracks. It was a dismal place, and obviously had not had a good cleaning in... well, forever. The water barrel was easy enough to find. It was still in the dark corner in which Miles had seen it to begin with a few days back.

The Halfling started pulling empty waterskins out of his backpack when he heard a thunderous noise of stamping feet. This was obviously not a good sound, so he quickly jumped behind the water barrel.

Before two more second had passed, Miles peeked out from behind the barrel and saw a shadowy form coming closer and closer. The light in the Goblins' barrack was hazy at best, and Miles had brought with him only a small lamp, which he was hiding behind the barrel so that he might still be able to see without distracting whatever was coming his direction.

As the creature got within range of Miles' lamplight, it was obvious that this was an OGRE. The Halfling's heart skipped a beat, but he remained hidden. The Ogre sniffed around, sensing that someone was near, but never found Miles and moved on down the passage, heading toward the exit.

When Miles was sure that the Ogre was gone, he emerged and finished filling the waterskins. He then quickly darted out of the Caves, intent on warning his companions of the Ogre lurking within the Caves of Chaos!

...

The Heroes had made camp not far from the Caves and awaited Miles' return. In the meantime, Rothrusk made devotions to his deity, as well as any other Immortal he could think of that would help. Tamos rested, still not fully recovered from his grevious javelin wound. Lenalia slipped into her reverie, and remained in meditation until Miles returned.

"Big... thing... Ogre!" he exclaimed, running to find the new camp. "I saw it... didn't come out here, I hope!"

Rothrusk stood. "No, didn't see any Ogre out here."

"Whew," Miles replied. "Well, I've got your water here. Wake the others. I think it's time to go in."

Tamos awoke, and overheard what Miles had said. "With the Ogre in there? Are you crazy? Wait - don't answer that."

"Nah, he's gone now," Miles retorted. "It'll be great fun. C'mon!"

Everyone was roused and ready to return to the Caves. One question remained: what of this Ogre, and what did its presence mean for the Heroes? They would soon learn the answer to that question, and it would be the death of one of them!

 

[Insight]

Foray into the Caves - Part Five

Carefully, or certainly as carefully as they could manage, the Heroes re-entered the Caves of Chaos. It was getting somewhat dark outside, and a light rain was starting to fall. The edges of the clearing near the various cave entrances were muddy, and the Heroes knew they would likely be trailing in mud on their footsteps. At this point, leaving muddy footprints was the least of their concerns.

Miles, the Halfling, went in first, as had been customary in the last few jaunts. He knew that an Ogre lurked somewhere within the Caves, probably nearby, although he had no evidence to suggest that the Ogre was even from these caves (though it was a strong likelihood).

Before too long, Miles was into the intersection and waving his companions forward. Rothrusk still held the lantern to use as a light source, enabling all to see. The Heroes dearly hoped that this light would not attract the denizens of the Caves to descend on them en masse, but Miles, apparently an expert on Goblins, assured his allies that such was not the case.

The group worked its way through the Caves to the point where they had been ambushed before.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," Tamos said. "We didn't do so well last time we were here."

"Nonsense," Miles replied. "Treasure is... just around that corner. Why else would they be so vehemently guarding it?"

"That's probably true, brother," Rothrusk said. "We'll be fine."

"Shh..." Lenalia cautioned. "Someone is coming."

Sure enough, at the very edge of the Heroes' light, where only Lenalia, with her elfsight, could really make out any details, was a group of six Goblins, armed with javelins and maces.

At the same moment, a large hole opened in the wall across from where the Goblins had gathered, and through this hole stepped the OGRE!

"What is it, Lenalia?" Tamos whispered, reacting to the look of dread on the Elf maiden's face. She merely pointed at the Ogre, not realizing that none of her companions could yet see the creature.

Miles scampered forward, using some benches as cover against the Goblins, and heard something coming near him from the side, but could only make out a large, shadowy figure.

Tamos moved alongside, and Rothrusk moved slightly forward to back up his allies.

"Surrender, Goblins," Rothrusk announced. The only reply was a volley of javelins, a few of which struck Tamos and Rothrusk, but they were none the worse for it.

Miles leapt acrobatically across the chamber, into the waiting darkness, hoping that he could gain a flank on the Goblins as they charged forward. The Halfling was familiar with Goblin tactics for the most part, and believed he knew what to expect. As he landed, Miles saw that the large shadowy figure had come into view, and that it was indeed the Ogre.

Tamos and Rothrusk still could not see the Ogre, but fired their crossbows at the Goblins who were charging forward, just as Miles had expected. Both brothers each took out a Goblin, and Lenalia added to the body count by blasting one with her magical energy.

A trio of Goblins stopped just in front of Tamos and Rothrusk, and brandished their maces, clanging against the brothers' armor and weapons as they did.

Looking at the Ogre in disbelief, Miles figured that the big guy would instantly attack, but he did not. In fact, the Ogre stood there, watching the battle unfold.

"Excuse me," Miles said in the language of Giants. "Aren't you going to try to kill us?"

The Ogre looked down at the tiny Halfling. "Why?"

Miles was most puzzled by this question, but decided to proceed. "Well... uh... I dunno. Say, would you like to help us get rid of these Goblins? We have money..."

The Ogre looked at the Goblins, who were massing around Tamos and Rothrusk. To this point, it would appear to be a stalemate, with neither side gaining an advantage.

Lenalia feared the Ogre, and didn't think he would help the Heroes at all. But, in this case, she deferred to Miles to try to convince the Ogre to help out.

"Well, whaddya say?" Miles asked.

"Let me see this money..." the Ogre replied, handling his greatclub menacingly.

One of the Goblins broke free of the skirmish with Tamos and Rothrusk, and launched a sack of coins at the Ogre. In Goblin tongue, he said, "Here, Ungeheuer. Take these 200 gold coins and help us finish these intruders!"

Miles also understood Goblin language, and realized he would have to act quickly to counter the Goblins' far superior offer. Lenalia, on the other hand, also understood Goblins' language, and also knew that the Heroes didn't have that sort of coin. She would have to act quickly to stop the Ogre from turning the tide of the battle.

"Gah," Ungeheuer said, raising his greatclub. "Money talks," he added.

Lenalia, trying to stop the Ogre, or at least get his attention away from Miles, fired her mightiest blast of eldritch energy at the creature, buffetting Ungeheuer across the chest. The attack caused the Ogre to stumble back a few steps, but it was clear that the creature was not greatly inhibited with Lenalia's spell.

Miles tried to dodge the massive Ogre, but the larger creature's skills in combat far surpassed the Halfling's agility, and Ungeheuer smashed his great spiky club against Miles' back, bending the Halfling in two, in a way that not even a contortionist could appreciate. The blow sent Miles sprawling across the floor, knocking into Tamos, who looked down to see Miles quite dead.

"Miles," he said, kicking at the downed Halfling while still trying to maintain a defense against the Goblin horde.

Rothrusk also looked over to see Miles bleeding on the ground. "Here, handle these Goblins," he said. "I'll heal Miles."

"Handle these Goblins?" Tamos demanded. "There are EIGHT of them!"

Before Tamos or Rothrusk could act, they saw the Ogre, Ungeheuer, come into view. Each of them backed off, as did the Goblins a step, unsure what their ally might do.

Lenalia moved forward against her better judgment, trying to aid Rothrusk and Tamos should the Ogre continue to attack. Ungeheuer did just that, but in a way most unexpected.

"Sorceress!" he said, charging Lenalia, his club waving. "Die!"

Lenalia backed off as quick as she could. Tamos and Rothrusk could do little to help her, as they were themselves in a pretty untenable position, surrounded by Goblin warriors.

The Ogre swung twice. The first attempt sailed wide of the mark as Lenalia made good use of her natural Elven quickness to evade Ungeheuer's attempt. The second blow, however, found its mark, and crushed the Elf maiden against the wall. She was down and bleeding.

Ungeheuer turned to face Tamos and Rothrusk, whose faces were strained with tension at the thought of their own imminent demise.

Tamos charged through the line of Goblins, taking a few glancing blows, and kicked Ungeheuer in the gut, knocking the Ogre back a step or two. Rothrusk took the opportunity to bash a few Goblins who had gotten careless, and was now only facing six Goblins instead of eight.

Before the Ogre could deliver a blow to Tamos, he had tumbled behind Ungeheuer. The creature swung wildly, but could not seem to match Tamos' skills at dodging.

The Goblins stopped trying to attack Rothrusk, and instead were speaking amongst themselves. Rothrusk, though confused by this tactic, was glad to have the reprieve, and left the Goblins to aid his brother, whose time in fighting the Ogre was likely to be short without any help.

As Rothrusk arrived, both remaining Heroes looked up to see the Goblins raising javelins. Fearing the worst, both brothers closed their eyes. They indeed heard a thumping of javelins on flesh, but it was not their own. The Goblins had turned on the Ogre!

Not understanding the cause of their serendipity, Tamos and Rothrusk fled. As they rounded the corner, each peeked back into the chamber to see what was happening. The Ogre, Ungeheuer, was taking on the Goblins, smashing them as they stuck him with knives and bashed at him with their maces.

As the fight moved back towards the place where the Goblins had come from, Rothrusk dashed back into the room to grab Lenalia. She was still barely alive, and Rothrusk knew that a quick devotion to Valerias would at least save her life. While the would-be Cleric ministered to Lenalia, Tamos took Miles in his arms and fled. When Lenalia was stabilized, Rothrusk took her unconscious form and did the same.

Once in relative safety, Tamos and Rothrusk quickly examined the bodies of their fallen comrades. All the yellow potions in the Known World would not have been able to save Miles. Rothrusk pronouced him stone dead before Tamos could even ask. Lenalia was another matter, and she was up and somewhat active before the Heroes left.

The Heroes took the wagon they had found in the clearing outside and used it to transport their goods, as well as the body of their fallen companion. It was a silent ride back to Merghis Keep. It would be a while before they could speak of these events, but it would not be their final trip to the Caves of Chaos.

 

[Dawn]

It's always the fun-loving, little guy who gets killed first.

Excellent story writting and playing! Reminds me of the first trip I ever made into those Caves.

 

[Insight]

Liturgy for Miles (The Foray into the Caves Epilogue)

The Heroes arrived at Merghis Keep in the broken down cart a few hours after the debacle at the Caves of Chaos. Few words were exchanged on the trip back. It was the loneliest trip of the Heroes' young lives. The rain made the trip a bit easier in fact, giving each of the companions something else to think about. No one wanted to dwell on the death of their affable Halfling ally.

The guardsmen had seen the Heroes a few times now, and let them pass without question. Once they entered Merghis Keep, the Heroes went to the Captain of the Guards, with Lenalia leading the way.

"Excuse me sir," she said. "We have met with an unfortunate circumstance and... need the services of an undertaker."

The Captain's countenance soured. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said. "What happened?"

"Not sure I want to..." Lenalia replied, looking off into the distance. "We went to the Caves... there was an Ogre... we were lucky that the rest of us escaped at all."

"Yes," the Captain said. "You are not the only ones to have problems with an Ogre in those Caves. I wonder... Well, in any event, we do have someone trained in the art of preparing a body for burial. My lieutenant, in fact, was apprenticed to an undertaker in Specularum before joining the Army. He has been fulfilling that duty for us ever since he arrived here at the Keep."

Tamos and Rothrusk brought the body to the Guard Lieutenant, who ushered them into a specially prepared chamber for burial preparation in the levels beneath the Guard House. It was most unpleasant, as neither Tamos nor Rothrusk had ever had to deal with a dead body before. They left the Lieutenant to his business and returned to Lenalia's side as soon as possible.

"The service will be just before sundown," Tamos said coldly.

...

The rain came down even harder, but this did not deter Lenalia, Tamos, and Rothrusk from attending the burial ceremony for the comrade-in-arms they had just lost in the Caves. There was a small graveyard set aside just outside the walls of Merghis Keep. It had seen must more use recently, ever expanding with each failed expedition into the Caves of Chaos.

Each of the Heroes arrived in their finest attire. They met with the Guard Lieutenant, his two assistants, and Curate Ethelau, who agreed to oversee the service.

As storm clouds gathered in the darkening sky, Curate Ethelau began the eulogy. "Today, we commit to the bosom of the world a gentle soul, Miles, who served the cause of righteousness and was friend to many. We did not know him long, yet Miles left an indelible mark on the lives of his companions. He came to Merghis Keep by all accounts an outsider, but left this world in the company of his allies, fighting for the cause of Order and Law, trying as we all have been, to beat back the forces of Chaos which threaten this land."

"We salute you, Miles, for your courage and heroism in the face of mortal danger, and your allies will continue the good fight in your honor, keeping always sacred your memory."

As a peal of thunder broke, and lightning perforated the clouds above, the Lieutenant's assistance lowered the casket into the rectangular opening in the muddy soil. Curate Ethelau sprinkled holy water on the casket before a banner of the Grand Duke himself was placed thereupon. When that was done, the Lieutenant's assistants began filling the void with soil.

There would be a headstone, but that would take some time. The Provisioner would see to that matter, as it would be brought from a town to the south in a week or so.

Without saying a word, Lenalia and Tamos returned to the Keep. Rothrusk stayed back to speak with Curate Ethelau.

"You feel regret about your fallen companion," she said.

"Of course," Rothrusk replied. "Why wouldn't I?"

"There are many things that you will come to understand about the world, Rothrusk," Ethelau advised. "Those Caves... they are a sort of proving ground for young men such as yourself. Many do not survive such a testing. Those that do are far stronger for the experience."

The pair started up the path to return to Merghis Keep.

"But surely one day, the Caves of Chaos will be cleared of those monsters."

"Oh it will happen, Rothrusk," Ethelau replied. "I would not expect it to be soon. The Castellan brought several bands of mercenaries to Merghis Keep not too long ago. You probably already know of this. In any event, those men came and left, with no remarkable change in the Caves or the population of monsters inside."

"The mercenaries are gone?" Rothrusk asked.

"Oh yes," she answered. "Apparently, they met with a nasty fate in the Caves and have already set out for points south. They want no more to do with the Borderlands, or the Caves of Chaos."

Rothrusk didn't quite know what to say to this. It only made stronger his desire to seek his fame and fortune elsewhere.

"Tell me, Rothrusk," she said after a period of silence. "What did you learn from this experience? Do you feel any stronger in your faith?"

The would-be Cleric thought on this. "Somehow, I knew that we would survive. The three of us anyway. I have felt that since we started all of this a few weeks back. Has it only been a few weeks... seems longer."

"What of Miles, your departed friend? What will you do to honor his memory?"

Rothrusk hadn't considered this. "I... don't know. Hadn't really thought that far ahead."

"This issue is not resolved in your mind... or in your heart," Ethelau revealed. "You must pray on this. A suitable method to honor your fallen ally will come to you in time. It is important that you do these things. The Immortals will smile on you."

The pair exchanged a few more words, and then each made their own way once they made it inside the Keep. Rothrusk went to find Lenalia and Tamos. They would need some relief, and that was most likely to come at Shardstone Tavern.

...

The Tavern was alive with activity when the Heroes Three arrived. They had rested, and were ready to drink their sorrows away. The Heroes found that they were hardly alone in this. In fact, many adventurers had met bitter ends in the Caves of Chaos, and most of the survivors were here in Shardstone Tavern to forget what they had been through.

Lenalia secured a table while Tamos and Rothrusk secured ales (and a wine for the Elf maiden). Mirra, the serving girl who had spoken with Rothrusk on a few occasions, was very busy, but found the time to ask Rothrusk how it had gone in the Caves. Mirra did not have time for a long conversation, and was sorry to hear that Miles had met his end. She promised to speak more with Rothrusk about this some other time when she wasn't so busy.

The Heroes sat down at a table with four chairs, which was normal in the tavern. At each places was set a drink. For Tamos and Rothrusk, an ale each, and for Lenalia, of course, her Elven wine. What struck Lenalia was the placement of a fourth drink at the empty seat.

"Are we expecting someone?" she asked, extending her hand towards the drink sitting alone.

Rothrusk smiled and stood, holding his ale in one hand. "In memory of our fallen companion, Miles," he said loudly enough to be heard over the din of drunken revelry. "We salute you, Miles, and your devotion to the cause, whatever that might be."

Tamos joined his brother in standing, his own ale held at chest height. "Miles, we won't let such a sorrowful end to your adventures put an end to ours. We will fight the good fight in your memory, and ensure that your loss was not in vain."

Lenalia stood, raising her wine glass. "To Miles, who brought a smile to my face when even I didn't know I had it in me. Rest well, my friend. We will see you soon."

The Heroes Three raised their drinks in a final silent toast, clicking their vessels together, and finished them off, slamming them down on the table.

Tamos smirked. "Hey - that Halfling owes me money!"

The rest of the night passed as the Heroes drank to forget, drank to remember, and most importantly, drank to get drunk. They gained a newfound respect for their fallen companion and for each other, and soon, they would return to the Caves with a newfound respect for what creatures they would find there.

END GAME SESSION THREE

 

[Insight]

Revenge is a Dish Best Served... Part One

Darkness. Someone or something had shot out the lantern, and with it, any chances for most of the intrepid adventurers to see what they had gotten themselves into.

Neroue, the Elf maiden with sorcerous powers, was already gone, lost to the Bugbears on the first entry into the Caves. She had made the unfortunate choice to get too close to one of the goblinoid brutes, and met her end on a sour note. Sjoberg, a wild barbarian of the North, along with his pet wolf, Valkyrie, could still be heard struggling, though Sjoberg could not see anything. Likewise, Vanidorr, a roguish fellow from Specularum. He too fought valiantly against the Bugbears in the dark, but lost any sense of where he was fairly quickly.

The darkness had split them off from their other companions, Humdarr Ironbelly, a Dwarf known more for his love of cheap whiskey than his purported combat skills, Arodee, a Halfling and erstwhile musician and traveling fop, and Rytahl, a female Half-Elf warrior-maiden from the Barony of Kelvin just south of the Borderlands. Humdarr could see in the dark, as was common among the Dwarves. He had tried to lead his friends away from the dangerous Bugbears (and towards a cask of Goblin Wine he had seen in an adjacent room), but this tactic was hardly successful. Before too long, Humdarr was a prisoner of the Bugbears, leaving Arodee and Rytahl to fend for themselves.

Chaos ensued, as was all too common on a first-time foray into the Caves of Chaos (hence the name), and it wasn't long before the adventurers were fleeing for the exit. Unfortunately, none who were free could see, and it was a matter of survival just to keep from getting killed by a stray Bugbear axe blow or spear thrust, much less finding one's way in the dark.

Vanidorr, after several close calls, managed to find the exit just by chance, and saw Rytahl, his companion. She was waiting there behind a large tree in the clearing, his bow ready for a Bugbear popping out of the cave. She was alone, and while also beat up, was still alive for the moment.

"You escaped too," Vanidorr pointed out.

"Yes," the Half-Elf replied. "But get away from the cave entrance. They could come after us!"

Seeing the wisdom in Rytahl's words, Vanidorr joined her behind the tree and got out his crossbow, loaded it, and waited.

"So none of the others have made it out?" Vanidorr asked after a while.

"No," Rytahl replied. "I see that the Bugbears made a mess of you as well."

"I'm still alive," Vanidorr pointed out. "Wish I could say the same about our friends."

Rytahl smirked, still watching the cave entrance. "I'm not certain we will ever see them again, to be perfectly honest."

Vanidorr looked up at her. "Why do you say that?"

"You saw what they did to poor Neroue," she replied. "And the way we got split up in there... it's a wonder you and I got out alive."

"Yes," Vanidorr said. "I think Sjoberg got himself captured. His wolf too."

"That's odd," Rytahl observed. "I think Humdarr was captured. I wonder why the Bugbears wouldn't just kill them."

"No idea," Vanidorr replied. "Maybe the Bugbears use them as slaves or something."

"Or commodities," the Half-Elf added. "Perhaps to trade them to someone."

"Humdarr did overhear something about factions within the Caves," Vanidorr said. "I didn't really hear the whole thing."

"Perhaps you should pay better attention," Rytahl remarked. "The Bugbears are part of some alliance. Their leader is someone named the Eater of Men. Doesn't sound like someone I'd like to cross."

"Is that the same fellow they called Slaymane?" Vanidorr queried.

"Yes, I believe so."

"And there are other alliances within the Caves as well," Vanidorr said. "This much I do remember."

"An Evil Priest named Azgorod or somesuch," Rytahl replied. "He leads the alliance that seems to directly oppose Slaymane's. The third alliance, that of the Goblins and Hobgoblins, they follow an Ogre named Ungeheuer."

"I'm surprised Humdarr was sober enough to translate all of that," Vanidorr said, laughing.

"What should we do now?" Rytahl demanded. "We can't wait here all day to see if our friends emerge. Besides, I don't really think they're going to come out of there... on their own anyway..."

Vanidorr stood and shot Rytahl a glare. "You don't think you and I should go in there and rescue them? We don't stand a chance on our own!"

Rytahl smiled. "No, of course not, by ourselves. I have an idea, though. Let's head back to Merghis Keep."

...

Shardstone Tavern was as alive as ever. Tamos and his brother, Rothrusk were at the bar, talking to the barkeep, a Dwarf named Sandros Shardstone, owner and proprietor. While Tamos was trying to find out more about the mercenaries who had apparently blown through Merghis Keep in a hurry, Rothrusk's questions centered on the barmaid Mirra, and when she might return. Shardstone did not seem amused at these questions, though he was happy to answer Tamos' queries.

"So... no idea when Mirra's going to be back then?" Rothrusk asked.

Sandros smirked and returned to Tamos' question. "I'd say there were about a hundred of them," he said as he cleaned glass mugs and ale steins. "Most of them young pups with no more training in the use of a halberd than I do in dancing. And strange as it may seem, I'm no dancer!"

The three laughed, Rothrusk a little harder than was probably appropriate for such a lame joke. Tamos and Shardstone glared at Rothrusk.

"What? It was funny."

"Anyway... So these mercenaries, they left here when?" Tamos asked.

"Dunno... "Shardstone replied. "I'd say, if I had to guess, about a day before the three of you returned from the Caves."

"How do you know that?" Rothrusk asked. "Are you keeping tabs on us or something?"

Shardstone stared at the would-be Cleric for a moment, then returned to the task at hand. "Lad, I've got better things to do than babysit a bunch of adventurers. Just so happens I have a good memory. I make it my business to know when my customers come and go. It's come in handy in the past."

"Sorry about my brother," Tamos said. "We'll stop bothering you now." He took Rothrusk's shoulders and guided him away from the bar. "Smooth move. He was a good source of information."

They found a table and sat down. Just as they did, Lenalia, now fully recovered from her grevious wounds at the hands of the Ogre, arrived and sat down with them.

"Hello, gentlemen," she said. "Have we learned anything about the Caves or the mercenaries who went in there not too long ago? Or did we just get plastered?"

"No," Tamos said. "Not much of either, unfortunately. "It seems there were a hundred or so of those mercenaries. Shardstone says most of them were green."

"Inexperienced mercenaries?" Lenalia asked. "That seems rather strange."

"I agree," Tamos replied. "From what we have learned so far, it seems that the Castellan brought the mercenaries here to clear out the Caves once and for all. I would think that would required experienced warriors, and a great deal of planning. Neither of which seems to have happened in this case."

"Was it just a show then?" Rothrusk asked.

"Perhaps," Lenalia offered. "Still... I wonder."

At that moment, a pair of wounded and badly abused travelers entered Shardstone Tavern, one a male human, and one a female Half-Elf.

As no one seemed particularly interested in them, the pair wandered to the bar and spoke with Sandros Shardstone. But Lenalia had seen the pair enter and wondered who they were, and if their wounds were the result of a recent attempt at the Caves.

The Elf maiden rose and joined the roughened pair at the bar. "Looks like you two have seen some action," she said.

The female turned to face Lenalia. "Indeed," she replied. "We have just come from the Caves of Chaos. I am Rytahl, and this is my friend, Vanidorr." As she said this, the human gesticulated toward Lenalia.

"So you and Vanidorr attempted to go into the Caves on your own?" Lenalia asked.

"Oh no, not at all," Rytahl said. "We... there were more of us... they are lost."

Vanidorr stepped in. "We need someone to aid us in rescuing those who we believe survived. Will you help us?"

 

[Insight]

Revenge is a Dish Best Served... Part Two

The companions, old and new, sat at a table in a relatively quiet corner of Shardstone Tavern, discussing plans on a new foray into the Caves of Chaos. The barmaid, Mirra had arrived, which distracted Rothrusk from the discussion.

The rest of the Heroes spoke about what each had learned about the Caves and what trouble they might encounter on going back there.

"Like I said, there are three factions within the Caves," Rytahl explained. "I believe we encountered the faction loyal to Slaymane, also known as the Eater of Men. Apparently, he has Bugbears and Orcs in his alliance, among other creatures I suppose."

"In addition, we know of two other factions," Vanidorr added. "The Evil Priest Azgorod leads one, and an Ogre, Ungeheuer, leads the other, which is from what I understand, a barely-cohesive collection of Goblins and Hobgoblins."

"Yes, we have had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting Ungeheuer," Lenalia said. "My ribs still hurt a bit from that meeting."

"But we're going to get him back for killing our friend, Miles," Tamos said. "It's payback time."

"I think it would be wise to help our new friends first," Lenalia cautioned. "Perhaps if we can free their captive allies, we can join forces and deal with this Ungeheuer and his minions."

Tamos sighed, and realized quickly the wisdom in the Elf maiden's words. "Agreed," he said. "If you would be so kind, new friends, we would ask for your aid in return, once we have freed your friends... if indeed they can be saved."

"While I can't speak for those in captivity," Vanidorr replied. "I know that Rytahl and myself can commit ourselves to your cause."

"Vanidorr is fairly certain the barbarian Sjoberg was captured, along with his wolf, Valkyrie," Rytahl said. "I believe our Dwarven friend, Humdarr, was captured. We are not certain what may have become of our other ally, Arodee, a Halfling minstrel."

"We must make haste, as time is likely not on our side," Lenalia said. "I imagine that those Bugears have dire plans in place for your friends. We must free your friends before anything happens to them."

"Agreed," Vanidorr said. "Let's be off."

"C'mon, Rothrusk," Tamos said, grabbing the aspiring Cleric and would-be romantic. "We've got work to do."

Mirra smiled and waved goodbye to Rothrusk and his friends, and hoped she would see them again. Something would soon happen to take the barmaid's mind off her Heroes, however, if only for the moment.

The Heroes spent very little time getting their wagon ready, paid the stableboy for watching their draft horses, and made their way out of Merghis Keep, headed for the Caves of Chaos.

...

It was an uneventful journey from Merghis Keep to the Caves, especially since all of the travelers had taken this trip at least once before. Seemingly, the Bandits that had plagued the road were gone now, perhaps a byproduct of the mercenaries' assault on the Caves a few days back. The mercenaries' presence would likely have scared the Bandits away, if only for a week or so.

The Heroes arrived at the clearing to find the abandoned wagons now gone, though Vanidorr and Rytahl explained when asked that they had not seen these abandoned wagons when they had arrived at the clearing. After some deductive reasoning kicked in, the Heroes realized that someone had come to take the wagons away, probably a day after Tamos, Rothrusk, and Lenalia had fled following the encounter with Ungeheuer.

Within the glade that conceals the clearing from the road, the Heroes made camp and stayed the night, waiting until morning to sneak into the Bugbear Caves. Using the Dwarves' Map of the Caves that Miles had acquired, the Heroes were able to determine which cave entrance lead to the Bugbears, and where the captives might be found.

Vanidorr, who sometimes fashioned himself a sneak-thief, offered to scout the cave entrance, and since no one objected, Vanidorr headed inside, a lantern providing him illumination in the darkness of the Bugbear Caves. When Vanidorr slipped out of view, Tamos, who was also light on his feet, proceeded inside, cautioning the others to remain outside unless called.

Gesturing, Vanidorr got Tamos' attention. He pointed at 3 Bugbears who had set up a guard station just inside the cave entrance. Vanidorr had been too slow to get Tamos' attention, however, as was obvious when the Bugbears attacked!

The Bugbears hurled javelins at Tamos and Vanidorr before closing in with their morningstars. Vanidorr deftly evaded their attacks, and bounced back into the tunnel leading outside, producing his small crossbow in the process. "We've got company!" he called into the tunnel, firing his shortbow at one of the Bugbears.

In response, Rytahl, the Half-Elf warrior maiden, charged inside, her flail swinging as she went. She arrived to find Tamos engaged with a pair of Bugbears, and smashed one's side with her weapon. The Bugbear, enraged with Rytahl's attack, struck her across the midsection his his morningstar, sending the Half-Elf reeling.

Lenalia dipped around the corner to see the combat and drew her bow. Letting loose an arrow, the Elf maiden barely missed hitting Tamos in the head as he engaged a Bugbear.

"Hey, watch it!" Tamos called out, seeing the arrow fly by.

As Rytahl got to her feet, Rothrusk arrived at her side, his holy symbol out. "Please," he said. "Stay still for a moment so I can heal you." With little choice, the Half-Elf did as asked, hoping her allies could hold off the rest of the Bugbears without her help while she was being healed.

"All better," Rothrusk pronounced, standing up from finishing his devotions to Valerias.

"Watch out!" Rytahl called out, reaching for her flail as a Bugbear lumbered behind Rothrusk.

The aspirant turned just in time to get his shield partially into position as the Bugbear brought his morningstar to bear. The blow knocked Rothrusk back into the wall, and for the moment, unconsciousness.

Rytahl scrambled to her feet and swung her flail wildly at the creature, trying to draw its attention away from the downed Rothrusk.

Meanwhile, Tamos had his own problems. The Bugbear he was fighting had glanced him a few times with the morningstar, and he was bleeding. Tamos' own blows had done little to slow the creature, and he had even tried tackling the Bugbear, who, being much larger than Tamos, rebuffed the attempt.

Vanidorr set down his lantern, hoping that the Bugbears wouldn't get the idea to break it like last time, and charged forward, his shortsword drawn. He leapt high in the air, tumbling off a rock wall and over the Bugbear Tamos was occupying. The creature's attention thus distracted, Tamos struck the creature a fatal blow, a wicked combination of hands and feet, dropping the Bugbear to the ground.

"Those are some nifty moves," Tamos remarked.

"Thanks," Vanidorr replied. "It's what I do best!"

But the plucky rogue was not alone. Soon, he was joined by another Bugbear, who moved into position and swung his morningstar, battering Vanidorr about the head, sending the human careening to the floor.

Lenalia, her bow rearmed, found a waiting target and shot an arrow through the eye of the Bugbear that had dropped Vanidorr, causing the creature to spin around wildly, grasping its face. The Bugbear ran down the hall and away from the Heroes, leaving them with only one creature remaining in this chamber.

Rytahl spun her flail about, catching the remaining Bugbear with a few glancing blows. As she did this, Rothrusk recovered, and seeing that the Half-Elf was alone against the creature, joined her, using his mace to even the odds a bit. Before too long, Tamos joined the struggle, launching a valiant jump kick that caught the Bugbear off balance, leaving him open to Rytahl's finishing blow, a strike to the forehead that dropped the Bugbear to the ground.

"Vanidorr," Rytahl said upon seeing her ally bleeding and unconscious on the ground not more than ten feet away. "Please save him!"

Rothrusk, knowing his role well, rushed to Vanidorr's side, and immediately began incanting words to entreat Valerias for a healing. The aspirant applied his own healing skills to the effort, and before too long, Vanidorr was up and around.

"Thanks for healing us," Vanidorr said. "That was a close one."

"Don't thank me," Rothrusk said. "Thank Valerias. I am merely his vessel."

"We don't have time for this," Lenalia cautioned. "We need to keep moving before the Bugbears know we're here. I doubt we want the whole tribe coming down on us before we can rescue your friends."

The Elf maiden was right, of course, and another set of challenges waited right around the corner...

 

[Insight]

Revenge is a Dish Best Served... Part Three

"So these are Bugbears..." Rothrusk said, looking over the fallen pair lying prostrate on the cavern floor before him.

"Yes," Rytahl said, "Though I hadn't really seen them in the light before just now... yuck!"

Vanidorr and Tamos had gone off to scout for the chamber where captives were held. Lenalia ignored the other two discussing the finer points of creature identification and concentrated on watching for more Bugbears.

Finding a bizarre curved passage in an area that had been to this point clearly a created and not a natural system, Vanidorr edged forward carefully. Tamos, seeing that something ahead had attracted Vanidorr's attention, followed behind. The curved passage led to a heavy iron door.

When he reached Vanidorr, Tamos spoke quietly. "What do you think of this? Did you and you allies ever make it to this point?"

"I don't think so," Vanidorr replied. "This seems... ominous to me. Not sure why."

"Perhaps we should listen at the door," Tamos suggested.

"Good idea," Vanidorr replied, and did so. After a few moments, he retreated a few steps to rejoin Tamos. "Not sure. Sounds like something or a few somethings, some talking. Too muffled to tell what they were saying."

"Do you understand Bugbear language?" Tamos asked.

"Um... not really," Vanidorr replied sheepishly.

Meanwhile, Rytahl and Rothrusk had investigated the square chamber from which the trio of Bugbears had come. From there, the pair of adventurers found a stairway leading up, and wondered what might be up there. Lenalia, seeing them straying away from her, anxiously waved them to her, and they eventually joined the Elf maiden.

"We must stay together," Lenalia cautioned. "This place is far too dangerous for us to get split up."

Vanidorr and Tamos returned to the rest of the group. "Well, there's a room up there, probably infested with Bugbears," Tamos announced.

"At the t-intersection?" Lenalia asked. "What's down the other way?"

"Stairs down," Vanidorr replied.

"We found some stairs leading up down that way," Rothrusk offered.

"What to do..." Rothrusk asked to no one in particular.

"One thing is for certain," Rytahl said, "We will be a lot better off once we find Humdarr and Sjoberg. Should even the odds significantly."

"Yes," Tamos said. "But will they be able to help fight these Bugbears on our way out? What condition will they be in after being held captive for many days?"

...

The damned Bugbears could see in the dark, and since there was no need for the captives to see, there was, of course, no light. Sjoberg could tell he was in a small room with one entrance, and that he was not the sole captive in this chamber. Bugbears would come in a few times a day to check on the captives and toss in scraps of food, and there was a bowl of dirty water within arm's reach of each of the captives.

Sjoberg got the sense that he was chained on a loop with another captive, since when he tried to move, there was a shuffling from nearby, as if someone else was being tugged at the same time.

"Friend," he said to the darkness. "If you speak the Common, we can help each other escape."

All he heard at first was a grumbling. "Speak, human..." the voice said.

"This chain, it binds us together," Sjoberg explained. "We both pull on it. Our strength pulls it from the wall. Make sense?"

"They kill us for escape," the voice said. "Bugbears not like escape."

"Just try," Sjoberg suggested. There was a great straining on both captives' parts. Links clacked together as they lost slack, and both Sjoberg and his captive ally felt the chain start to give, but not before muscle fatigue brought both captives down.

"Heroic effort, my friend," Sjoberg said. "We will free ourselves soon, methinks. I am called Sjoberg, and hail from the North. What is your name, friend?"

"I am Chornin," the voice said.

...

"There are some noises down the stairs," Tamos whispered back to the rest of the group. He and Vanidorr bookended the passage, peering down into a dark chamber. There were indeed noises coming from the chamber below, and both Vanidorr and Tamos knew that Bugbears to be near.

The rest of the group waited behind, with Rytahl holding the lantern that gave the scouts enough light to barely make out the stairs.

Vanidorr quietly returned to the intersection. "More of them most likely," he said.

"No sense waiting up here then," Rothrusk, the aspiring Cleric, said, starting forward. Before anyone could stop him, Rothrusk had joined his brother at the top of the stairs.

Tamos stared at his brother, who was not much known for his stealth. "Going somewhere?" he asked.

"Let's see what's down there," Rothrusk suggested. "Bet that's a guard room, with our friends-to-be just beyond."

"That's quite an assumption," Tamos remarked. "What makes you so certain?"

"Faith, my brother," Rothrusk said, descending the stairs. Rothrusk drew his mace, and held his shield in his left hand, ready for anything. He made enough noise to wake the Goblins on the other side of the clearing, and this prompted the rest of the Heroes to ready their own defenses.

Rytahl lurched forward, with Lenalia following close behind, her bow ready with an arrow. The light from Rytahl's lantern gave Rothrusk and Tamos, who was creeping down slowly, some illumination with which to work.

When Rothrusk reached the bottom of the stairs, he could see a rather large, empty chamber. Of course, he hadn't quite entered the room, but from what he could see, it seemed uninhabited. He turned to face the others on the stairs. "Looks like no one's home," he announced.

Just as he did, a pair of brutish limbs pulled the would-be Cleric into the darkness beyond, spurring his companions into action.

Before Rothrusk could be completely beaten to a pulp, Rytahl entered the room, intent on drawing some of the Bugbears' attacks. When she came inside, the warrior-maiden instinctively drew her pick, dropping her lantern in the process, her other hand already occupied with her flail. The Heroes were fortunate that the lantern did not shatter upon striking the stone floor.

Rytahl and Rothrusk, though valiant, were not enough to hold the 5 Bugbears in the chamber off by themselves. By the time Tamos arrived, Rothrusk was down for the count, and though Rytahl had dropped one of the Bugbears, she was now faced with four of the creatures, and would likely not last long.

"This was a bad idea!" Tamos proclaimed, rushing to his brother's side. Lenalia was fast at his side, her bow at the ready. "Cover her," he said. "We've got to get Rothrusk out of here and come back when we're ready."

Without a word, Lenalia fired arrows at the Bugbears, drawing them away from Rytahl, who was proving herself to be quite the combatant. With a fighting retreat, Rytahl managed to get to the entrance, where she met Lenalia.

"Vanidorr," she said. "You're missing all the fun!"

Her stealthy companion had just made the bottom of the stairs, but was none too amused by what he saw. "You could have been killed in there!"

The unconscious Rothrusk was taken to the top of the stairs. Tamos, shuffling through Rothrusk's things, looking for healing herbs, or bandages, found instead a yellow potion! Knowing this to be a healing potion, Tamos dumped it down his brother's throat, which quickly roused the aspirant.

"Where am I?" Rothrusk asked, standing.

"Hurry," Tamos said. "The others will need our help!"

Meanwhile, Vanidorr and Lenalia kept a pair of Bugbears at bay with their bows, while Rytahl faced off against a pair of females, who were hardly shrinking flowers. In fact, the females were as tough as the males in any regard.

By the time Rothrusk and Tamos returned to the scene, Rytahl had dropped another Bugbear, but was greviously wounded, and had to withdraw. Tamos gladly took her place, and finished off the final female. On the other side, Vanidorr had drawn his shortsword and was busy dancing around the pair of males while Lenalia peppered them with her magical energy bolts.

Tamos joined Vanidorr in melee, with Rothrusk using his crossbow to add to the assault. Soon, all of the Bugbears had hit the floor. It was not without cost, as Rytahl was quite badly injured, and Vanidorr was not far behind her, following a lucky morningstar strike to his midsection.

"Look," Lenalia said after a brief search of the room had begun. "A key ring!" She snatched it up and took a look at the doors, one on each short side of the rectangular chamber. "I imagine these keys fit those doors."

"Not sure we should just go opening doors," Tamos said. "We have wounded."

"Nonsense," Lenalia said, rushing to one of the doors.

Before she had a key in the lock, Tamos joined her. "At least do me the courtesy of listening at the door before you open it..."

"Oh, very well," she said, acquiescing. She knelt, and used her keen Elven hearing. "Sounds like some grunting. Very odd."

Tamos knelt. "Let me try," he said. A loud crack could be heard throughout the chamber, causing Lenalia and Tamos to stand and back away.

Lenalia silently handed Tamos her key ring as she readied her staff for battle. She nodded at Tamos to open the door. He paused.

"We might as well see what that was," she whispered.

Tamos keyed the lock, and had it turned halfway when the door burst, nearly from its hinges altogether. The agile Tamos dodged door pieces and rolled away from the spot, only to be quickly set upon by a wild-haired, musclebound human, straining with rage.

The man glared as he hovered over the prone Tamos and said, "WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?"

 

[Tony Vargas]

I've been enjoying your story, I've always liked the early levels, when everything's a challenge.

So, which of the new characters are PCs? I assume one is a replacement for Miles? Did you pick up a 5th player?

 

[Insight]

I've been enjoying your story, I've always liked the early levels, when everything's a challenge.

Heh. It sure is. Wait til they tangle with the Ogre again!

So, which of the new characters are PCs? I assume one is a replacement for Miles? Did you pick up a 5th player?

The actual PCs are:

• Rothrusk
• Tamos
• Lenalia
• Miles (RIP) / Sjoberg
• Rytahl
• Vanidorr

 

[MichaelH]

Very entertaining so far, Insight. I recently became very interested in the new Castles & Crusades system from Troll Lord Games, and I plan to run The Keep using those rules very soon. Should be great fun.

How about a rogues gallery for your PCs.