Dicing with Death Episode 139

Day 92
Zweihard Blacksteel has just presented the created Dwarven Battle Axe to his brother Thane Einhard Blacksteel, who was just in a meeting with other Thanes. Thane Einhard had then tested it by throwing it into a nearby wall to Zweihard's horror.

Day 99
Over the next week more Thanes arrive. Thane Einhard is getting reports on scouts about the Hobgoblin activities and holding meeting with the other Thanes.

Zweihard goes to visit the small chapel in the Keep where he was taunt by a Priestess Johanna, and borrows a relics to cast an augury spell. The relic is made from 1000 year old bones of his Blacksteel ancestor who founded the Keep.

He asks toe augury if he should join Einhard in his crusade against the hobgoblins. Zweihard gets back the answer 'Great Destruction'. Zweihard flashes back to his brother Thane Einhard throwing his new weapon. You give a young dwarf lord all this power and he is reckless. He can also read signs of danger is from the far east. Zweihard assumes it is the Orcs to the east.

Zweihard resigns himself to being an observer in the coming events.

Zweihard attends the Thane meeting as an observer. They are speaking of the history of Dwarves and Hogoblins that everyones knows, but define before going into this new war.


 * Dwarves have lived in these hill since before the gods split the world into pieces (broke apart Arcadia). However all of the above ground structures collapsed when everything split apart, and a great many people died. So cities had to be rediscovered or resettled. Tharnham was a small know-nothing town a couple thousand years ago, that somehow became a prominent town 1200-1300 years ago. And Blacksteel Keep came a few hundred years after that.


 * But the hobgoblins have been in these hills probably just as long as the Dwarves. Back when the Dwarves were primarily underground, the hobgoblins controlled the surface, the dwarves controlled the underground, and it was fine. But as the Dwaves came to the surface to find better access to materials, to move over land easier, there became more clashes Hobgoblins and Dwarves. Over the last 800 years or so, the Dwarves really solidified their presence on the surface world and pushed the Hobgoblins into a smaller territory and deprived them of some of their original resources.


 * Things have been good for the Dwarves for a long time now, but the Hobgoblin threat has never ever faded. They are always attacking something, finding lost underground tunnels and popping up in Dwarven bases in the middle of no where, sacking thing and fleeing again.

Thane Einhard Blacksteel it's time to complete the transformation that the last 1000 years have been going towards. For the Dwarves to truly control the Hemdorkas Hills. Starting with the Hobgoblin Tribes in the Western Hemdorkas Hills. After that is done, contact Mil Faldur and other Eastern Dwarves about doing the same to the Orc Tribes in the Eastern Hemdorkas Hills.

Thane Einhard announces he is sending Zweihard as the ambassador to Mil Faldur to open up the talks about the second campaign against the Orcs. Zweihard stands, says it will be a honor to server then sits back down. The talking continues.

The Thanes have a consensus with this plan of action, and will return home to raise armies for the war. Aiming to start the war in a month.

Zweihard talks with his brother about his mission. He is to go alone, as Thane Einhard can't spare anyone else from the coming fight.



Day 100
Zweihard prepares for his trip. He purchases new supplies and three new Goats. One old goat that has been to Mil Faldur before. Two other goats to carry his things. Zweihard casts charm animal & animal friendship on his new goats.

Day 101
Zweihard heads off Mil Faldur, making six miles a day over the Hemdorkas Hills.

Day 104
During the day Zweihard comes across two cyclopes. Zweihard does his best to avoid them by avoiding them by a 1 mile detour.

Day 107
Late afternoon, Zweihard leads his goats to water, but can't force them to drink. While at the creek, Zweihard and a Orc notice one-another from a distance away. The Orc retreats to the North-East.

Zweihard finds a safe spot in a cave to camp for the night. The entrance to the cave is natural, but there is a small carved tunnel that goes deeper inside. Zweihard leaves the goats just at the cave mouth and goes to crawl into the cave.

The tunnel is 30 feel long. In deeper in the cave Zweihard hears the sound of goblin-oid language. He also hears the pulling of chains. The tunnel opens up into a room with the remains of a fireplace in a cavern.

Zweihard, with axe & shield drawn, heads deeper in. He finds a dozen goblins sitting around a fire. Near them is a wooden cage holding three halflings. Two goblins look like shaman. One goblin is entertaining the other goblins at the fire with a performance of some kind.

Zweihard starts with casting Heat Metal on the Goblins, then casts Charm Person on a Shaman. The goblins wearing metal start removing their armor and 2 goblins head in Zweihard's direction with wooden spears. Zweihard casts strength of stone. One Goblin Shaman casts Strength of Stone. The charmed Goblin Shaman casts farie fire at Zweihard. Zweihard implores to the charmed Goblin Shaman to stop his friends from attacking. The Goblin Shaman calls his fellow Goblin to stand down.

Zweihard pretends that the other Goblins are still attack him, and knocks out one Goblin with a shield. The Goblin Shaman calls for his friends to stop fighting, but the others continue. Zweihard knocks out another Goblin and shield punches the hostile Shaman, stopping his spell from casting. Zweihard then takes out the hostile Shaman.

The goblins back off in a defensive line holding spears. Zweihard destroys the cage holding the Halflings. The Halflings flee out of the exit.

Zweihard kills the Goblin Shaman and retreats back to the halfings, who are pleased to be freed.

The 3 Halfling were the sherpas for Bluejay, the Cleric of Sayor that Zweihard found dead at the start of his Rite of Passage. The halflings says they were hunting down Mithril for a coming threat from the South-East much more terrible than Orcs. The Halfling decide to follow Zweihard to Mil Faldur.

The charmed Goblin Shaman tearfully casts strength of stone on himself, resolving to stop the combat. The Goblin Shaman then goes to tackle Zweihard, but Zweihard takes the opportunity to hit him with axe and shield.

Day 108
The group finish resting and then start towards Mil Faldur.

Day 109
The halflings find some berries and Zweihard makes 8 goodberries. They continue to Mil Faldur. No encounters.

Day 110
The halflings find some berries and Zweihard makes 11 goodberries. They continue to Mil Faldur. No encounters.

Day 112
They continue to Mil Faldur. In the evening Zweihard and the Halflings ambushed by a burred Cyclops.

The Cyclops looks confused. Zweihard takes the goats northwards, the Halflings heading East. Cyclops takes stock of his surroundings. Zweihard throws a Dust Devil at the Cyclops. The Cyclops kills the dust devil, but Zweihard hits the Cyclops in the eye with a sunscorch.

Zweihard stops running after 5 minutes, turns back and sees the Cyclops dig a hole to pull out a Cyclops. Then another.

Zweihard doesn't find the halflings.

Day 114
Zweihard makes it to Mil Faldur. Zweihard attaches his Blacksteel tabard at the end of his halberd and lights produce flame to be visible.

A walled Dwarven City, a few human buildings down at the docks. The ocean side isn't walled in. Many buildings are build into he hills.

At the South-East Gate, Zweihard asks about the 3 Halfling, and they haven't been spotted. Zweihard asks about the cyclopes and the guards haven't heard of them. Zweihard changes his plans and decides to meet the Dwarf Lords that night instead of waiting for the next day.

EXP: 2350 (1175 to each class) Total Exp: 9900