The Silver Blades
Ogre: human, male, Fighter 4, N
Adan: human, male, Cleric 4, CG
Lexar: human, male, Conjurer 4, N
Maxine Firebright: human, female, Evoker 4, N
Valentine: human, male, Mage 7 (Fighter 5), LN
Eron, half elf, male, Ranger 4/Druid 4, NG
Monday 7th March 1994
Both Ogre and Eron are raised. Adan is summoned before the town council to report on progress so far. In the meeting it is revealed that a spy as been caught who has revealed that there is a temple in the heart of the forest and it is from here that the raids have originated.
After several days in the forest the party meets a group of elves and decides to spend the night with them. It turns out that the elves are dopplegangers and they turn on the party. After several minutes of confused fighting the party manages to kill all the creatures but for awhile it was touch and go- especially for Eron who had to convince the party that he was himself while a doppleganger was doing the same thing!
Four days later they discover the temple complex. Valentine once again uses a polymorph self spell to reconnoitre the outer defences of the complex. What he sees is enough to make him crap himself and when he returns to the party they decide to retreat and take down the goblins instead and hopefully find some useful magic items to aid them.
They stumble across the trail of a hobgoblin war band and follow the raiders to their lair- a stockade surrounding a low hill. They use invisibility spells to near the outer walls but the magic is negated by an anti-magic shell and they are spotted and attacked.
They flee back into the forest pursued by a large force of hobgoblins. Valentine covers the retreat, killing 14 hobgoblins with a single fireball before escaping. The party is scattered to the winds and reunite sometime later in Ravenswood. Here they vow to destroy the goblins.
Returning the goblin warren Valentine transports the invisible party onto a tower where they observe the goblins and discover the lairs secret entrance. After overcoming the initial guards they head deep into the goblin warren. Valentine leading the way leaps into a large natural chamber that houses 60 goblins and drops a fireball - killing them all.
Later they attack another guards barracks which also holds about 60 goblins. A huge battle ensures. The goblins make several defensive lines and attempt to hold but each time the Silver Blades driven further back into the heart of the room. Maxine covers the parties line of retreat and manages to web a group of 30 reinforcements.
Eventually the chief, shaman, sub chief, an evil cleric and 20 bug bear body guards arrive to reinforce the goblins. Valentine casts a lightning bolt which kills many goblins but the leaders fight on. Eventually the party triumphs but at a high cost : Adan (-9 hps), Ogre and Lexus are all knocked out.
20th March
After finishing exploring the (now empty) goblin lair they find the goblins secret treasure room and recover several magic items. They also find and release more than 100 slaves and then depart the lair.
They march back to Ravenswood where they are greeted as heroes but 10 slaves die on the journey. From Ravenswood they travel back to Hochoch for training.
After a couple of weeks have passed they return to the Dim Forest and ambush a hobgoblin patrol near the temple thus gaining disguises for themselves.