The Silver Blades
The Silver Blades:
Gregor: human, male, Fighter 4, CN
Adan: human, male, Cleric 4, CG
Taralan: elf, male, Mage 3/Thief 4,LN
Lostris: human, female, Paladin 4, LG
Tarax: human, male, Invoker 4, N
Frask: human, male, Ranger 4, CG
Selatis "the slayer": half elf, male, Ranger 4,
NG
Valentine: human, male, Mage 7 (Fighter 5), LN
20th February 1994
Taleran returns to Hochoch and arranges for a rescue party to
return to the Dim Forest with him. Returning to the goblin
infested ruin they try to infiltrate the lair. They locate the
entrance and ambush 10 goblins but one of the diminutive
humanoids manages to escape and raise the alarm. The party
retreats and circles round the ruin and attacks from another
angle.
Entering the main goblin warren Gregor, Lostris and Taleran are struck by a fireball which kills Taleran. Gregor and Lostris charge down the entry corridor to try to get into combat. Lostris is held by a hold person spell so Gregor stops to free her but is hit by a second fireball and falls. Adan who has been watching the attack from the safety of the entrance flees back into the forest.
Sunday 27th February 1994
Adan, the only survivor from the last assault on the goblin outpost once again travels to Hochoch. Asking his superiors for advice he is introduced to the mage Valentine who agrees to help him rescue his friends. Valentine then introduces him to Tarax, Frask and Selatis "the Slayer" who also agree to aid the young cleric.
The party travels from Hochoch to Ravenswood without incident. The following day they enter the Dim Forest. A blizzard strikes and the party finds shelter. For four days the party remains snow bound while the blizzard rages. Once the storm passes the forest is blanketed in a thick layer of snow and the trail is lost.
A week later Frask at last finds signs of the goblins and Adan feels that the party is near the goblin lair. Valentine polymorphs himself into an owl and checks out the strongholds outer defences. He is also invisible so manages to escape detection.
The party decides to launch an airborne invasion (it is Selatis’s idea). Once again Valentine uses a polymorph spell, this time he changes into a hippogriff and flies the party (one at a time) into the fortress. Once everyone is inside the courtyard Valentine sleeps the two goblin guards at the warrens entrance. He then changes into an owl and flies ahead of the party acting as their scout. Exiting the long entry corridor he enters a chamber and changes back into human form so that he can open a door. Unfortunately it is a trap- the chamber beyond contains two angry trolls. Valentine quickly casts mirror image on himself and retreats.
Frask meanwhile has fallen into a pit in the heavily trapped entry corridor but is freed by Selatis and Adan. Frask then retreats to ‘guard the entrance and protect the rear.’ Salatis and Adan cross the pit just as Valentine comes charging back towards them- being followed by the two trolls of course. A portcullis drops between Valentine and the others so he once again polymorphs- this time into a mouse- and escapes the trap. Regaining his human form he casts a fireball and two magic missile spells on the trolls- killing them both. But by now the garrison is alert to the assault and the party decides to retreat. As they fall back the corridor is engulfed in a fireball and everyone is injured.
Outside they are engaged by a four worg riding goblins but quickly dispatch them but only to find themselves in the middle of a deadly cross fire as goblin snipers open up from throughout the ruins.
Valentine leads the retreat and makes for a palisade covering a hole in the keeps ruined outer walls. "Follow me" he yells leaping over the wall and straight into a spiked pit! Tarax, Salatis and Frask who are right behind him are all impaled on spikes and are all killed! Valentine grabs Adan and levitates out of the pit and flee into the forest.
Several hours later Valentine has rememorised spells and is once again able to cast polymorph self. This time he changes into a pegasi and with Adan on his back flies out of the forest and into the safety of Ravenswood.
Two days later Valentine makes an aerial reconnaissance of the fortress during which he finds Ogre and Eron’s remains impaled on a stake. He recovers both bodies.
Adan and Valentine return to Hochoch and manage to get Ogre ressurected.