The party embarks on a new adventure…to the Caves of Chaos!
This session was played on Wednesday, December 29, 2010.
Featuring the PCs:
Vith and his men-at-arms Werford and Samfirth.
Binford and his man-at-arms Aldoon.
Marrick and his torch-bearer Larvey
Scratch
Drak (joined later in the adventure)
the henchmen Bryton, as well as Hillgax and his men-at-arms Mulm and Mulig
After spending a few days in Threshold, and running low on gold pieces, the adventurers decided to seek employment with Castellan Belrain. Belrain offered 5 gp for each orc or goblin head brought to the city gates - quite a good deal!
Patrols from Threshold indicated that some monsterous humanoids - likely remnants of the Dragon army - were massing in a canyon cave complex to the north and east of the city (see Map). The party gathered their gear and invited some recent drinking buddies new treasure-seekers to join them: Marrick the Channeller and Scratch the Halfling Thug (also known as the Unlucky Number).
With the help of Larvey the Labourer they managed to find the cave complex. The approached the canyon along the north wall but decided to enter the first southern cave.
The strong and courageous adventurers thought that Larvey and the two men-at-arms Aldoon and Mulm should enter the cave first.
The three found an intersection just beyond the entrance. Before they knew what happened, Mulm was killed by a sling stone to the head.
Larvey and Aldoon heard goblin voices and lifted tail decided to run back to the entrance and the rest of the party - leaving their comrade in a pool of his own blood.
Gathering their courage the party ventured east and were quickly attacked by a body of goblins - now they were trapped with no escape! To make matters worse, they heard the bellows of a large ogre echo down the hallway - Hillgax deadpanned "I like this kinda party." The commotion of the battle also drew another small group of goblins from the east and now the party had no recourse but to fight it out.
The goblins, emboldened by the presence of the ogre, fought viciously to the last man. The ogre managed two attacks and missed both times. The party, thanks to ranged attacks, Vith's wand of magic missiles, and a critical hit by Hillgax, made surprizingly quick work of the beast.
After this battle the party travelled west and looted the ogre cave. They managed to find Drak, a half-orc fighter beaten close to death, tied to a spit. They freed and healed him. The group then decided to retreat return to Threshold.
By the time the party managed to return to the caves, the remaining goblins fled to join the nearby hobgoblins. They established an aggressive series of patrols throughout the cave complex.
The group began exploring where they let off and while searching for secret doors were attacked by one of these patrols. Sadly, Samfirth was killed by a halberd-wielding hobgoblin.
The adventurers made quick work of the goblins and hobgoblins and continued their exploration. They ran into another patrol and hoped to lure the hobgoblins into an area they covered with caltrops. The hobgoblins, too canny for such a move, merely pulled out their bows and started shooting at the PCs.
They managed to down two hobgoblins before the other two fled. However, there were no exits from the room! They did manage to find a secret door.
The secret door led to the main hobgoblin complex. The party had to fight their way in taking serious damage from the hobgoblin polearms.
Continuing through the dungeon the PCs found the throne-room of the hobgoblin chief. The clerics cast protection from evil and the party opened the door. The chief's bodyguards attacked while another group moved around and attacked the party from another door. The battle raged.
Still the battle raged. Both Werford and Mulig, Hillgax's men-at-arms, were killed! In the end, Binford was left battling the hobgoblin chief until the rest of the party could move into position. The magic-users contributed with ranged attacks and Bryton managed to get behind the chief and flank him.
The Big Book of the Dead grew on this fateful day. In total, the party lost four men-at-arms. This will be especially disconcerting to Guildmaster Osen who runs the hireling guild in Threshold called the League of Ordinary Gentlemen. In response to the losses sustained by the guild, Osen had already raised prices. He may yet again.
The first foray to the caves was otherwise a success. They made off like bandits accrued great wealth from both the goblin and the hobgoblin caves and lived to tell the tale. They returned to Threshold for some serious carousing.
Totals to Date:
PCs Killed: 1
Hirelings Killed: 13
PCs/Hirelings Reduced to Zero HP: 12
Goblins Put to the Sword: 58
Hobgoblins Killed: 25
Ogres downed: 1
Skeletons Destroyed: 70
Zombies Destroyed: 35
Ghouls Killed: 7
Giant Spiders Killed: 2
Giant Centipedes Exterminated: 3
Gray Ooze De-Slimed: 1
Brigands Killed: 8
Giant Rats Exterminated: 20
Plundered Goods: 10936 gps of value
Days in Campaign: 51
