Co’bok…went to his bellows,
Turned them toward the fire, and started them to work.
And the bellows, blew on the crucibles,
Blasting out waves of heat…
He cast durable iron and steel onto the fire,
Precious platinum and gold. Then he positioned
His enormous anvil up on its block
And grasped his mighty hammer
In one hand, and in the other his tongs.
He made cuirass first, heavy and huge,
Every inch of it intricately designed.
Layer after layer, each hammer blow increasing its protection.
Like black obsidian, the chest and back gleamed with a deep never ending darkness.

The armor was layered hundreds of time, and he
Crafted its surface with all of his genius.
On it he made the Bear, the Wolf, the Primal Beast,
And all the signs that garland his soul,
On it it he made all the arcane markings oh his people,
And it was beautiful.

Coming down off the mountain from the Gythzerai fortress I am looking forward to a brief respite in Brindol But I am frustrated by the cruel joke the gods are playing on me. To return my Mother to me but remove her ability to provide any answers… Perhaps it is her reward for service to them to remove the painful stains she endured in her past, that she may have some peace. But it provides me little comfort. Do I have the same fate, play my part in their dealings only to have who and what I am erased to avoid certain insanity? Is that even a reward at all. And what about Gilgathorn… his death is such a waste of talent. was that his reward, for whatever services he’s performed in his life. Seems a cruel end, bitter and depressed with his lot in life… He deserved better.

Why do my thoughts turn to the Morbid. We all survived, what surely should have killed us all. That was a LOT of dog-men, enfused with unholy power… the power of my Father.

Lots of things still left to do. Goliaths need a new home, Gnolls still roam the countryside, although now leaderless and without direction still a nusiance to the Vale for sure. The Seed of Winter is missing. Somehow despite the only way to find it being the tasks and path that my freinds and I pursued many seemed to be able to divine its location… So much for the ancient protections and sources of information. Not as relaible as we were led to beleive. Mother – Amyria wants to travel to Overlook for some undisclosed purpose. Its as good a place as any I suppose. Her connections to the Gods may be giving her an instinctive insight as to where we all should be. I still chaff at the yoke of minionship the gods place on me, and with my paladin blank slate Mother, as an example of my potential reward… I think it might be correct to do so. Time will tell.

So we head back into the fortress to clean out the remaining gnolls. When we get to the gates we find them closed, but nobody can remember if we closed them when we left or not. Also up above on the out sniper ledge there is a hole in the cliff face that was not there yesterday. Sheldon’s curiosity piqued we decide to climb that route up into the unknown reaches of the fortress. Some quick exploration in the deep darkness reveal a LONG straight five foot wide corridor that has several offshoots to the right. Sheldon and I explore the area and find several short corridors some with stairs that lead int either a blocked collapsed tunnel or a secret door leading into the middle room of the Gythzeria Mind Trap. The main corridor leading deeper into the mountainside. We decide to head deeper perhaps to a new place but find that the corridor leads back to the underground passages from the training room where we fought the shadar kai disarming expert. We hear the movement of what we assume are gnolls, and formulate a quick plan. As the best defended amongst us I’ll ascend into the room and call out to the gnolls luring them into the room then once there I’ll descend into the tunnels below and we will fight them in close confines, while the archers amongst us will pepper the gnolls from the arrow slits.

I sense the gnolls in the far room leading into the ritual chamber where Fangren met his end. So I let out a familiar dog calling whistle and get the appropriate response. A troop of them come running down the long corridor to the room. I send a few taunts their way to get them in to a nice frenzy careless enough to not worry about the murder holes my friends are manning. Then I hear a noise behind me form the direction of the waterfall room, and I sense beings coming form that way. Remembering the giant dogs in there I move to bar the door and am confronted by a large gnoll covered in wet and dried blood, matting its fur, and he’s quickly followed by two more and 3 giant dogs. I close the door and bar it with a heavy battle axe and move to step to the trap door. But I miscalculated. The troop had caught up while I was barring the door and I was now cut off from the trapdoors. I was pleased to see that Sheldon and Yamis were holding up their end of the plan even if I was not. Several of the troop were impaled by belly bow bolt and crossbow bolt. But the numbers were still sufficient to cut me off. Suddenly from behind the door exploded from it hinges and the huge dogs fought their way through into the room and I was quickly surrounded. I entered into the most defensive Stance I knew, enhanced by my host of shields power, I began deftly batting bite claw sickle and sword away, but the sheer number of attacks eventually one was bound to get through. I was slowly being whittled down by them one grazing wound at a time. I decided more overt action was required and I started blasting with my sword burst. Blasting time after time I was giving better than I got but the shear numbers were on the side of my enemy. I engaged my dimensional thunder and teleported out of the center of the fray to try and avoid some of the attacks and shake the spines of my enemies with thunder… it worked and I felt the bite of Wicked Fang as a jolt traveled from my arm to the blade and opened the wounds created by thunder just a bit more… interesting…

My win was short lived however, one of the gnolls near me started bleeding profusely at the wounds I had inflicted and it seemed to fuel him he stuck at me wildly with a ferocity that was unexpected . Its sickle crossed my defenses and bit my flesh deeply nearly rendering my left arm useless. Blood freely dripping down the trapdoor I had expected to drop down.

“Uh Guys I could use a little help here…”

At that point my Hex was activated and I teleported across the room again – maneuvering away from the throng of attackers, and laid a serious blow to the other larger gnolls, and the mounts that they were riding. I blasted one of the giant dogs with deep freeze, and the mini blizzard surrounding the dog continually reached out to take little frozen bits of the combatants. At that point another of the gnolls started to go berserk, and the one that previously had somehow was able to teleport to me both struck at me with a ferocity that was impressive. I blocked the vast majority of the blow but my left side was still reeling from the previous assault. Both of them caught me with their sickles and I went down my world going dark.

I awoke still in the midst of combat – Gils words of battle ringing in my ears, and blessings of Pelore about me, My Goliath friends were still with me and fully enjoined in the battle. Co’Bok arrived from nowhere and started cleaving enemy after enemy, running about from victim to victim. Soon the battle was over but I was a little worse for the wear… I hope that the rest of the fights to clear this place out are less taxing…

I sit alone with my thoughts amidst a host of peoples, after an extremely trying day. I just cannot help but reflect on the fate of Gilgathorn. Sitting there with most of Thor’s belongings folded neatly by my pack and wondering what drives a man to such dispair that he throws his convictions to the four winds and moves towards paths of darkness and desparation. Ending Thorn was NOT on the list of things to do today,…

Thorn was not a bad man. Yet in the end he behaved in a manner befitting a bad man, and practically begged for the conflict that ended him… demanding 2000 gp to take a walk… He was dangerous, no doubts there, but one man and a few constructs to take all of us on, foolish even though we were pretty spent form the days activities.

Could I be driven to that dark place? What would push me there? My Mother the Deva, my Father the Demon Prince – what inner forces could break me so? Could I recover? Could Thorn have recovered from his deamons given time and circumstance?

Gil took his head. A sign of honor to him no doubt but it seems wrong taking Thorns head. I will not speak of it to Gil though, he is following his custom. I think I’ll start a custom of my own though…
________________________________________

Damakos leaves the party and heads to the remains of Thorn and arranges them neatly with some semblance of honor. He then starts the funeral rites for the Elven gods that he knows and the ones common to this area, hoping to cover whatever patron Thorn worshiped.

---

I can not help but feel that this death was wrong… but he did choose it, though somehow I have the feeling he did not deserve it. Why I have this feeling I do not know. But I can not deny it exists.

I will mourn Thorn, and hope that this example will strengthen me against the terrible realities I am no doubt destined to face with the parentage I have… Yes I do Believe in redemption…

Fangren Gimped his way back to the pyramid and fell to a heap due to Sheldon’s very well placed crossbow Bolt. The giant demonic dogs cackled their hideous laughter at us barraging our minds with images of torture and death while the priest types that were assisting Fangren with his ritual atop the pyramid threw rays of withering death and fire at us. A dozen or more wretched creatures assaulted us from all sides their stench and claws ripping out our resolve and bodies.

Things were looking bleak until Gil Exclaimed that the Enemy had a vulnerability, Yamis saw the opportunity to attack a fallen Fangren and charged him, the fury of a thousand slain goliaths in his eyes. Co’Bok saw the same opening and attacked. The prone Fangren responded with foul oaths to his demonic Patron and Co’Bok was repelled by the force of the evocation. Yamis’s blow however was true and full of power, opening a freely flowing wound that blazed with white light upon making contact with the gnolls hard pelt and skin. I saw the opportunity to position myself to great effect centering myself among villains I blast forth with my sword burst ending several of the noxious wretches and severely blasting one of the demonic dogs.

The acolytes of Yeenoghu started manipulating ropes dropping captives from the ceiling into the three open cauldrons causing the cauldrons to bubble ominously and the people to scream horribly. Shortly after the captives crawled form the cauldrons withered and changed into more of the poor creatures surrounding us.

Sheldon squared off against the other demonic dog and started piercing it along its entire body – presumably looking for its liver. The effect was dramatic though the dog was steadily losing ground to Sheldon’s precise thrusts and lunges, but was not incapacitated. It fought back with a ferocity that only can come from the abyss, and in the end was giving Sheldon almost as good as he got… Almost. Sheldon maneuvered himself behind one of the Cauldrons and used it to shield himself from the rest of the fray while concentrating solely on the Dog in front of him. In a dangerous dance Sheldon opened his defenses luring the beast closer. It was a gambit that barely paid off the beast did indeed come closer lunging for Sheldon’s through while raking him with his front paws, the effect was impressive t he beast opened up Sheldon like a keg of Dwarven ale at a WinterFest celebration, his blood freely flowing but in return Sheldon’s rapier neatly passed through its lips into and out of its skull cavity ending its life forever.

Meanwhile Fangren had regained his standing position and made his way up to and over the back of the pyramid Yamis and Co’Bok Following. I decided that I was needed there, and felt a strange pull toward the rift behind the pyramid. Simultaneously I heard a voice in my head coming form the platinum sword containing my Mothers essence.

“Place me on the alter Damakos, I can help you.”, kept whispering in my ear. As I got closer to the alter I felt the Arcane energies flowing, and tapped them sapping energy out of it, closing it slowly, and directing it into my sword bursts ending what seemed like the unending flow of wretched creatures from the cauldrons. The effects were impressive as the portal closed slowly each time I tapped and redirectd the energies. As I got closer to the portal a face appeared from the portal and called my name.

“Come to me Son. Join me and we can ruin the Elisir Vale and turn it to our own purposes.”

When I did not respond in kind and tried to close the portal further a large hand scooped out of the portal trying to engulf me. I deftly swatted the hand aside and addressed Fangren,

“See even through all your work your worship is for naught. He prefers me to you, even as I oppose him. You are worthless and not worthy to stand in this room in my presence.”

Fangren enraged called upon his disciples and creatures of his command to end me. I started a dizzying array of defensive maneuvers, blocking claw, ray, blast, touch and bite. The ploy worked while they focused on me, my friends dislodged the Alter disrupting most of the portal, I tapped the remaining portal energy and sent it into my sword burst. The blast ended several wretches and severely wounded Fangren. It was then that the voice of my Mother returned to me head,

“Place me on the Alter Damakos, then manipulate the remaining portal energies to release me. I will guide you.”

I drew Amyria from my pack and handed it to Yamis who was standing next to the Alter. “Place it on the Alter and we can free her.”

Yamis took the blade and dropped it onto the Alter, “By Pelore Blessing, free yourself of your prison.” He exclaimed.

Gil who I had lost track of stood up to the Alter, “Grandfather Lend your aid to this poor creature trapped, for so long by the evil of Yeenoghu, the architect behind the slaughter of our people.”

I tapped the Arcane and Reached up to the last vestiges of the portal, pulling the remaining energies from it and directed it at the sword on the alter, it glowed mightily and a blinding flash responded, a beautiful Deva Woman was standing atop the alter, sword at her feet. As I recovered from the temporary blindness to see this, a disciple of Yeenoghu blasted me with his withering ray and my world went black.

.
.
.
I awoke and grasped my sword, a Blast of some magic surrounded me and my world went black.

.
.
.

I awoke and grasped my sword, ready to defend myself, to find that all of Fangren’s minions save one dead. I dropped my hex upon him and stood. Co’Bok was engaging him and took a mighty swing at him missing. The Disciple took a step back and struck Co’Bok with a blasting ray of some sort, dropping him but engaging my Hex. I teleported behind him and laid a horizontal swing with all my might. The disciple must’ve thought me dead because he was unprepared for my attack and my blade met no resistance as it neatly bisected him at the abdomen, as I fell to my knees in exhaustion. Gil and Yamis raced to Co’Bok’s side and revived him. Sheldon went off to release his Father who was tied to one of the pillars facing this fray. Gil, Yamis and Co’Bok then assisted Sheldon in releasing all of the remainign people s and providing them with some water and small bits of food. My Mother was off to the side of the Alter, looking around in a confused manner. I pulled myself wearily to my feet and made my way to her.

“So how is it that my Mother has been trapped in a sword for hundreds of years but I am here alive, and only 20 or so?”

“Mother? Son? Trapped?… yes trapped I do remember that. I’ve been in that sword for a long time, how long I cannot say. I only know that when I appeared here I knew I was to assist you. But not where I came from or what my past is. This is very confusing. We must make our way back to Overlook though. That much I do know, somehow.

“We have a few things to take care of here first. We are in no condition to travel at the moment”, addressing the rest of the assembled friends and noting that nobody looked fit for anything except rest. “Its been a trying day.”

“Of course, of course, but we must make our way there as soon as we are able.”, she responded

“Why?”, I asked fully expecting to get the cryptic answer that followed.

“I do not know why, only that is is essential that we make our way there with as little delay as possible, just like I knew that I had to assist you and your companions upon my release.”, she stated

“That Sword is a historical relic and must be returned to Brindol”, Sheldon interjected.

“This sword? It is but a normal sword and my property. If you feel strongly about it I am not opposed but I feel I must ask why you think this?”, Amyria looked at him quizzically.

“Its an historical artifact that has been preserved and protected in Brindol for many years.”, glancing at the sword, “What has happened? Its no longer made of platinum? This is not the same sword at all!?!?”

“Then if its alright with you I’d like to keep it. It is mine afterall”, She stated.

Gil interjects, “We really need to get these people to safety, and away from here. We should take them to the others and rest. Come back and clean out the rest of the gnolls and head out from Brindol. From there we can make our way back to Overlook as you suggest.”

“Agreed, we can postpone the trip to overlook to take care of immediate needs.”, Amyria responded. “Perhaps you should look under the Alter I think you will find some trinkets that may help fund your endeavors there.”

We looked where she had suggested and found a impressive chalice as well as much gold and a few other objects of Art hiding there. We then set about gathering the peoples and making our way as quietly as possible out of the fortress and to the hiding place we set up the other survivors at. We found Troyous allowing the children to play in the hiding spot.

“Are you complete without wits at all? “ I questioned him directly and forcefully, while turning to the children, “SHHH, and to bed all of you”. Turning back to Troyous, “This is not a safe haven, any noise that is out of place could cause gnolls to find you and kill you all. Act with some sense man. We cannot be in two places at once.”

Troyous at first look agahast that anyone would talk to him in this manner, then he saw Sheldons Father, “Councilman Holt, good to see you alive.”

“You too Effram. These men have saved us all, perhaps we should not stand on ceremony here and do as they say until we get home.”, the elder Holt strongly suggested without an ounce of harshness in his practiced tone.

“Agreed”, Troyous responded

Sheldon seemed very intent on remaining focused on the task at hand. We used the ritual comrades Succor to spread our remaining energies equally amongst the group and then Sheldon went off to find a good spot to stand watch on the Fortress and our impromptu camp. We set a watch cycle and decided to rest … QUIETLY

Gil pushed mightily into the demonic gnoll, shoving him to the side and back. Unfortunately this opened a line straight to a hunter using a crossbow, who took the opportunity to plant a bolt deeply into the goliaths stomach. Gil howled again, rage fueling him he stepped forward again and crashed his greatsword into the large gnoll’s defenses blasting him to and fro.

I had my hands full with the head of the class and his Shadar Kai instructor. The pale man looked at me and stated, “Kill the gnolls but let me live and I’ll tell you all I know of the fortress and the plans of Fangren.”

“You have no information I need. Anything you might tell us we can get from your dead body with a ritual. Sarshan sent you, that much is perfectly clear and when we are done here, I think a trip to umbraforge is in order to end that piece of shit. We’ve had about enough of him.”, I responded while sword bursting and ending the final gnoll trainee, his prize student.

The Shadar Kai stepped aside though, and tried to pull the same disarming trick on me as he had Co’Bok. Having seen it once I was prepared and deftly batted his attempt aside. Fortunately for me the Shadar Kai’s maneuver placed him right into the sites of Co’Bok and Yamis, who rushed him and pummeled him from all sides, ending his futile efforts to coerce me into letting him bargain for his life.

Sheldon slid down the far trap door, as Yamis slid down the one Gil had jumped down. I maneuvered to the wall where the hunters were shooting from. Seeing through the slit in the wall I fired off my dual lightning strike and teleported in behind one of the hunters, thrusting my longsword deeply into his abdomen. Co’Bok also moved to the wall and decided to strike at the same hunter with his newly retrieved executioners axe. The blow neatly sliced through the long arrow slit and removed the left side of the hunters body. He fell to the floor in a blood spouting mess. I then made may way toward the other hunter that was shooting Gil from around a corner. Gil had been beating back the huge gnoll who was almost to the corner. I blasted the hunter and killed him, Gil took a viscous upward swing that staggered the huge gnoll, I then let my lightning lure fly. Pulling the creature to me and lighting him up with an electric blast. The electricity caused him to stagger back where out of nowhere a bolt came flying and pierced the huge demonic gnoll through the eye and into his cranial cavity. The beast twitched a few more times and slumped to the ground.

Sheldon retrieved the intricate longsword that the gnoll was wielding while I checked for magical auras. The longsword shone brightly, as well as a few objects upstairs. Sheldon informed me f an extremely uneasy feeling while holding it in his hands. I detected nothing magical that could cause it and it felt “perfect” in my own hand. he readily gave it to me as I was othe only person that regularly used a longsword. Imust say that it does feel “right” in my hand. We made our way out of the tunnel to Co’Bok and found that the barbarian had located a few potions of healing and a few “paperweights” as he called them, that he gave to Sheldon. It was then that I noticed Gil had not returned from below. I went back down and traced my previous footsteps, finding a dark passage that twisted around and went a considerable distance ending in a pinpoint of light ~ No Gil. I turned around and went the other direction, and was greated by Gil return form around the far corner.

“There are more passages this way. Some seem to go the direction of the main hallway out of the room upstairs. A back door perhaps? I think we should investigate this way.”

We gathered the group together and bound our wounds. After a quick discussion Gil’s plan was invoked. We descended down the trap door and into the small passageway. 5 foot wide and not as finished as the rest of the fortress. Not too far into the searching Sheldon noticed a blank wall going nowhere. His curiosity piqued, he examined the area identifying a hidden door activated by the power of pure will. He closed his eyes and concentrated opening the door. Beyond were two oddly shaped chambers shrouded in darkness. Yamis produced a light rod and illuminated the rooms beyond. Empty save for some blood spatters on the floor to the right. No signs of gnolls other than the obvious signs of a combat.

“I do not think my Father is this way.”, said Sheldon.

“I have a bad feeling about this”, I said.

We turned about and continued our exploration. Specifically we went down a very long narrow hallway to a point where loud thrumming noises could be heard. Sheldon and I scouted ahead, and he peeked a door at the end of the hallway. Beyond was a large chamber with ringed with red velvet and a large depression. Near the far end a 30×30×15 pyramid could be seen on top of which three robed figures were performing a ritual in front of an alter and very large free floating rift of planar energies. Ringing the area was a set of a dozen or more tall pillars that each had a victim strapped to the inner portions facing the pyramid.

“I have a plan. I’ll use my rapier to teleport the largest one to us up here where we can gang up on him.”, Sheldon said.
“Sounds like a good plan. Let me bring the others up here so that we are all within striking range when you bring him here.”, I responded

Sheldon nodded and I retrieved the rest of the Green Dawn. After we had assembled Sheldon snuck to the nearest pillar. Almost immediately the sound of unseen dogs started howling loudly, and two of the robed figures on the top of the pyramid turned to look. Sheldon slipped from his hiding spot and through his rapier, it flashed and embedded itself into the largest figure conducting the ritual on top of the altar. Immediately the figure bamphed to the top of the balcony ring next to Sheldon. I rushed to attack the figure as did Co’Bok, Yamis and Gil in succession but the creature who turned out to be a very large gnoll crawled to the ledge and fell over it. We had to descend into the lower level to get at him. As I closed I saw that the room was, a pit within a ring, and in the pit was a large number of withered creatures, with long claws, as well as two very large dogs that I had heard earlier. The robed figures on the pyramid descended down into the pit to attack us with some sort of vortex that blasted bits of fire all about. Well – we’re in it now…

After fighting our way through the long stairs, and through the Gytherai Mind trap we were at the real entrance to the Fortress. Down to our right we heard some gnoll voices that Co’Bok discerned were arguing about eating some prisoners. Seeing as Sheldon’s Father could be among those prisoners we wasted no time. He and I snuck down and spied the situation. Seeing 4 gnolls, 1 larger than the rest, one with a wicked looking barbed whip, and a couple of basic looking guard types. We also suspected that there ones at least one more around the corner that we could not see.Sheldon leaned in and whispered,

“ I have a plan, I’ll shoot the whip one located in the rear and teleport in behind, while you rush into their midst and blast them with Flame. That will be the signal for the rest to rush in.”

I nodded my agreement to the plan and awaited his shot. He did indeed teleport behind the furthest gnoll, I rushed into their midst and called upon my flame cyclone to blast a bunch. Co’Bok, Gil and Yamis rushed down the stairs to join the fight. The gnolls ceased their bickering about eating the prisoners and quickly reacted to my presence. They attacked with Shadar Kai greatswords and moved to form vicious pack-like attack around me. My sword skills were up to the task though and I parried attack after attack. The jailor of the pack through down a set of caltrops and tried to pull me through them, while I was avoiding that the Whip wielder that I had assumed Sheldon had the attention of lashed out with me with that wicked barbed whip, I tried to sever the strands but it was made of sturdy metal infused cord and arced around my blade and opened up a large gash on my inner thigh. The pain was minimal but the prodigious amount of blood was astonishing.

Gil rushed in and stated singing a Goliath battle hymn while tossing me a bandage and nearly beheading one of the gnolls. I hastily wrapped my upper thigh while batting away several more greatsword swipes, and I blasted off my sword burst for good measure seeing as I was fairly well surrounded. That took the doggies for surprise. They had assumed I was a basic fighter type, and the blast caught them all off guard. It was a good thing too because as I did it I was starting to feel weak form the blood loss.

Yamis called to Pelore for blessing on my efforts and I felt the blood dry on my leg and strength return to my sword arm. He then pasted a gnoll with his morning star staggering him and setting Gil up for a perfect kill shot – which he took with glee in his eyes. Co’Bok was a whirling tornado running back and forth between combatants landing massive axe blow after blow. In a short order the gnolls were reduced to just the massive jailor and the whip weilder, and one guard. We combined our efforts on the whip-dog and ended him quickly, the jailor on the other hand was made of sterner stuff, and ordered the remaining guard to alert the others, who took off up the stairs the way we came. Gil took off like a hot after him, Seeing that Sheldon and Yamis had the Jailor well under control I took off to assist, as Did Co’Bok. The guard continued to run but I ensnared him with my lightning Lure, and pulled him back to me. Gil Co’Bok and I surrounded him and he didn’t last long. We then drug his body back to the cells.

When we got there we found that Yamis and Sheldon had opened the cells and were taking care of the prisoners who turned out to be the Sage that was Megan’s adoptive Father, Effram Troyous form Brindol and a group of small children ranging in age from 5 to 9 years. All were in a poor state having been starved and mistreated badly. We quickly decided that we could not protect them if a party of gnolls arrived so Co’Bok and I took them back outside to a fairly secluded spot off the main trail. I gave them my tent food and water and told them to head south back to the Vale if we did not return in a day. Co’Bok drew a crude map and gave them a set of trail markers to look for on the way back so that they had a chance of success in case we do not prevail. We then made our way back to the jail where we found some magic items on the jailor and gave it to Yamis, some sort of necklace.

We then made our way back towards the entrance, and came upon a door that had the sound of rushing water beyond. Sheldon suck a peak through and spied three large hyena looking dogs being ridden by gnolls, as well as several other gnolls on foot in a room that had a mini waterfall fed into a set of pathways that ran around and through the room in no apparent pattern. He closed the door and we decided to let it be and go to the room where the gnoll that was trying to escape headed for.

Again Sheldon and I scouted ahead and found a set of double doors with the sounds of combat and orders being barked out beyond. Again Sheldon cracked the door to take a peek.
Inside were a large group of gnolls being trained by a Shadar Kai in the use of various weapons. We decided to again rush in and gain surprise on them. I entered the room stepped to the first gnoll I could see and removed its head. Sheldon also entered and split to the left engaging a larger gnoll wielding an intricately carved longsword. Co’Bok, Gil and Yamis rushed from around the corner to almost enter the room as the gnolls stared to react to our presence. Another gnoll rushed me swung his sword clumsily at me. I deftly slid the blow aside and on the backswing removed his head as well. I then saw the Shadar Kai take note of me, and I stepped forward into his direction, Yelling as I did so at his students,

“Come Get me cowards! Attacking undefended villages and old men is one thing – try me!”, hoping to entice them to surround me so I could end them all quickly with a sword burst.

My plan worked perfectly, the students surrounded me, trying impotently to penetrate my dancing defense sword parries. The Shadar kai sensed something was up and did not take the bait. He stepped to the side and gave orders to his students directing their attacks, one of them did slip through my whirling blade and pierced my shoulder, obviously the head of this particular class… What the Shadar Kai did into count on was Co’Bok now had a clear path to him, which he took. With a howl Co’bok tore across the room and swung his axe mightily, landing a serious blow on the pale man. The shadar Kai though did not panic, he slipped his shortsword in across Co’Bok, but instead of going for a vital organ as you’d expect he cut down and along Co’Boks forearms seeking out the tendons and veins living there. He must’ve hit the right spot because suddenly Co’Boks hads sprang open and the axe flew from his grasp. The Shadar Kai danced to the side picking the axe from the air with one hand, dropped the shortsword it had been wielding and fully embraced the executioners axe, bringing it about in a surprisingly graceful move that Co’Bok only barely regained his senses long enough to avoid. The Shadar Kai then turned ghostly and teleported across the room behind to the right. I continued my plan and blast for the sword burst killing all of the students except for the one that had hit my shoulder – truly the top of his class. I then dropped my Hex on the Shadar Kai as he was obviously more dangerous than the rest of the gnolls here – or so I thought…

Sheldon was having a very hard time with the large gnoll with the fancy longsword. Apparently that gnoll knew what he was doing and was slicing up my poor cat-burglar. Fortunately Gil noticed this as well and rushed the large gnoll, giving Sheldon the window he needed to retreat to the doorway and hide. Yamis bestowed blessings form Pelore on him and also engaged the battle moving to the Shadar Kai.

Co’Bok took a moment to flex his hands making sure his fingers still worked drew a battle axe that he had always kept in reserve and attacked the large gnoll that Gil had engaged. He landed a well placed blow into its flank, just as Gil howled and pushed the giant dog-like man backwards and into a hole in the floor that was an open trap door. It was at this point that we noticed what the trap doors must be for… Several archers started shooting crossbows at us from the left side of the room, peppering us with little metal missiles.

The gnoll in the trap-door started climbing to the top. Gil then pasted him with his foot in the head causing him to fall back down the hole, he followed that up with a whooping sound and jumped greatsword first down the pit to engage the gnoll down there.

Gil’s Battle Song

(Sung to the tune of ‘Eliza Lee’ by The Dreadnoughts)

(Verse)

From the top of the mount by ancients made

Ho wey! Ho! Their deed is done

The sons of bitches did invade

Butchered all our kin til the rise of sun.

(Chorus)

So we’ll hunt them down til the debt is paid

Ho wey! Ho! When we have won

You’ll find their blood upon my blade

Slay’em to the last until the job is done!

(Verse)

To the valleys green they cut their path

Ho wey! Ho! Their deed is done

For what they did they’ll feel our wrath

Butchered all our kin til the rise of sun.

(Chorus)

So we’ll hunt them down til the debt is paid

Ho wey! Ho! When we have won

You’ll find their blood upon my blade

Slay’em to the last until the job is done!

(Verse)

And when we get to their own town

Ho wey! Ho! Their deed is done

We’ll knock their hairy heads around

Butchered all our kin til the rise of sun.

(Chorus)

So we’ll hunt them down til the debt is paid

Ho wey! Ho! When we have won

You’ll find their blood upon my blade

Slay’em to the last until the job is done!

(Verse)

They took our kith and they took our kin

Ho wey! Ho! Their deed is done

They know not how deep shit they’re in

Butchered all our kin til the rise of sun.

(Chorus)

So we’ll hunt them down til the debt is paid

Ho wey! Ho! When we have won

You’ll find their blood upon my blade

Slay’em to the last until the job is done!

(Verse)

And when we’re back in Brindol town

Ho wey! Ho! Our deed is done

I’ll stand you whiskeys all around

Butchered all our foe til the rise of sun.

(Chorus)

So we’ll hunt them down til the debt is paid

Ho wey! Ho! When we have won

You’ll find their blood upon my blade

Slay’em to the last until the job is done!

And we’ll hunt them down til the debt is paid

Ho wey! Ho! When we have won

You’ll find their blood upon my blade

Slay’em to the last until the job is done!

Stroking his long braided beard thoughtfully, “Hmm, This one is acting erratically. I told you it was a mistake to entrust the spawn of our enemies with this.”, The formidable dwarven form moving away from the divining portal, and taking a seat in a large throne-like stone chair.

Pelore steps to the divining pool and gazes in, “It was important to allow him to come to power without the suspicions of our enemies. I think that he and the rest are progressing nicely. Your concern is valid but perhaps premature. He is having moral misgivings while simultaneously accepting our boons and acknowledging them. He is modifying his path to that of an avenging sword, without our having to push. I suspect that he feels the pull of his Mother more than his Father.”

“Allowing that depravity is one of my greatest regrets. We will make it up to her.”, Moradin responds while looking Pelore in the eye.

“She is one of our best Servants and took the task willingly.”, Pelore responded equally serious

“She didn’t know the full extent of her task or the pain involved.”, Moradin interjects rising from his stone chair and pacing back toward the divining pool. “This entire plan is fraught with risk and pain. It pains me to resort to dirty tricks and questionable methods to protect the Mortals.”

“The greater Good is served. And all participants are acting of their own will, even if they do not know the fullest extent of the plan, For that matter neither do we, as our enemies no doubt have agents of their own at work here, following a path less honorable than ours I have no doubt.”, Pelore explains

“Allowing the near destruction of the Goliaths was not part of the plan.”, Moradin retorts.

“As I said, our enemies are nothing if not unscrupulous. Stopping that would have required tipping our hand and exposing the Green Dawn to higher scrutiny before they are ready to absorb the aftereffects. It is regrettable but ultimately necessary. I also have a small plan to even the scales…”.

The divining pool settles upon a myriad of goliaths shifting rapidly from one to the next. Eventually on a pair, climbing a set of stair, fighting a pack of gnolls, with a party of mixed races.

“I wish you to be well equipped to avenge your race…”, Pelore states as gazing at the two goliaths. With a wave of his hand, “Be Fueled by Vengence, my goliath’s”

Suddenly the Warlord goliath leaps up a cliff and climbs to the top of a 50 foot sniper crenellations, grabs a gnoll and throws it down from the heights, the Cleric of Pelore raced with amazing speed and clubbed the gnoll with a massive blow to the head splitting it open… the Goliath up top Leapt to the ground swinging mightily a greatsword opening the gnoll from throat to groin in a great howl.

“It is good”, said Pelore, as Moradin nods approvingly…

So after we make the fantastic revelation that the sword is my Mother enter another group of Assassins trying to collect the bounty… a fireball crashes through one of the outer windows and sets one of the displays in the Hall of Valor ablaze… Seriously I thought Sheldon was going to have a conniption fit. As much as Sertanian and he seem to dislike each other I was momentarily struck by their strange similarities in this regard. Both stood aghast at some old items being set afire. While I do not share their love for such items I do acknowledge the value that they placeon on them, so I set about to put out the flames as several unfortunate bounty hunters made their own move on us. They tried to trip me with some stones bound by string that they flung about with great speed. I was not surprised by it and made my way over to the flames next to Yamis who had made a similar move. He pushed aside the display case and I stomped out the flames, Sheldon called out to pull the table cloth from the display cabinet and use it to smother the flames, I did as he asked and now we had only a small fire.

Co’Bok cared nothing for the fire and went straight to causing mayhem; he waited for one of them to get close and rushed him with great ferocity. But the bounty hunter was prepared. He gave Co’Bok back at least as good as he got tripping him to the ground after a blow to the head with a maul. Two of his com-padres joined him and quite soon Co’Bok was dropped to the ground bloody about the head Gil rushed to assist Co’Bok and unexpectedly found himself outnumbered three on one.

The stone slingers were at it again and this time they were a lot more careful about their throws I found myself caught up, as was Yamis and Gil. I patted out the remaining flames then used my dimensional thunder to over and assist Gil and Co’Bok. My tangled feet went with me but I thundered them pretty good upon my arrival. Gil started singing some sort of goliath battle hymn that Co’Bok started copying and then Co’Bok started flinging mighty chops of his axe at the ankles of the hunters. I think he took at least 3 feet from them by the time the fight was over.

The stone throwers realized that the fight was going badly as the numbers of their friends near Gil Co’Bok and I were thinning and they took off. Good thing for us too as although they were taking a lot of damage from us w e were not much better off. But Yamis and Sheldon were not really hurt and they did not like those odds. The city guard showed up and took what was left of the bounty hunters away although one seemed to get away.

One of the guards recognized Sheldon and mumbled something about a Holt having been captured by gnolls when I pressed him. Sheldon made for the estate while the rest of us tracked the remaining hunter to the docks where we subdued him and the guards took him as well.

We met back up with Sheldon who was asked by his brothers to try and find their Father. We made ready gathering a few potions, researching the location of the githzerai and such and made haste to the fortress in the mountains finding a few markers to look for and head out. The trip was over some fairly tough terrain and in a few locations we identified some traps set recently. I’ve never heard of gnolls setting traps like this but perhaps their demonic infusions have made them a bit smarter as well. Sheldon picked them out easily enough and we found a track through the mountains that led us pretty quickly to where we wanted to be… A large bridge that tracked directly through a waterfall was the signpost that told us we were in the right place. Beyond the bridge we found a path winding upward and to a set of long stairs.

Sheldon went ahead and scouted. He identified a guard patrol of gnolls on the stairs… Here’s where the fun begins…