The Kobold Cave - Expedition Summary 7/16

Day One [The Brambles]: 

On our way to the Kobold brambles the party was ambushed by a group of wargs. The party attempted to avoid conflict, but the vile beasts are cruel in heart and attacked, of course the brave explorers of Longreach managed to drive them off without too much trouble.

Bernard successfully charmed one of the Kobold foot soldiers to aid us. Although he was limited in his ability to help he was able to heal us, show us exactly where the entrance of the cave where the half-elf had been visiting, and help us fight the other Kobolds. 

The mouth of the cave entrance became Breknar's personal standoff with the Kobolds. The Kobold forces were unable to pass as long as he held his position within the choke point referred to now as Drake Maw Point. Knowing the risks he faced he prepared himself for the afterlife and urged his companions to live another day. However the Gods did deem it his time as his companions refused to waver. Despite grim circumstances, They rallied more courageously than ever seen before. Olivia continued her assault while Tyrdithas carried Bernard to safety and stabilized him. The remaining Kobolds eventually retreated which allowed the party to briefly study the area before returning to town. 

The swamp gas lights the group had witnessed were unusual. They moved precariously and attacked without provocation. There was also a noticeable lack of swampland for lights like this to appear. Wisps are generally found in swamps, however these lights are most certainly sentient, undead, and malevolent. They are illusive spiritual vultures that drain the life of the nearly deceased. Anyone who encounters these are to immediately vacate the area. If you cannot do this, you will have to ensure any of your foes' lives are ended completely. 

While they resist injury from normals weapons they seem to take damage from spells just fine.

Day Two [Brambles - Kobold Cave - Beyond the Maw:  A cave was found just past the maw, its entrance little more than a mouse hole. The party pushed through the trap infested Kobold Den until they found a completely safe and well protected little corner that they would be able to rest at. However the kobolds tracked them down and threw a vial of poison into the confined area.

The group cleared through more of the den and also found another exit.



Members of the 7/16 Expedition:

Lord Dieterich, Gunter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bernard

Illitor, Scorros
Olivia
Swampshield, Breknar

Tyrdithas

Other News:

A Meeting with Enduld Sveriss - Expedition Summary 7/12

A small diplomatic party consisting of Scorros, Layla, and Breknar were dispatched to parley with Enduld Sveriss, an elven druid who admitted to being behind the impalement of the Elder Tree, the fungal undead in the Cave of Colors, and the blight. He asked the party to join him against the orcs. The group, with Sir Calen's Blessing, declared war against him instead, and are considering other options for diplomatic relations. The orcs may be a source of temporary aid in battling this greater foe.

Members of the 7/12 Expedition:

Illitor, Scorros
Layla
Swampshield, Breknar

Other News:

Bramble Scramble - Expedition Summary 7/10

Lord Dieterich, Olivia, and Griknak set off to explore the Silent Cave just northeast of Longreach. There they found quite a few zombies as well as some sort of mud imp. The only thing of note found in the cave, aside from the creatures, was evidence that a worshiper of the treacherous goddess Flit lives in the cave. To this end they found bedding and an altar to Flit, as well as a symbol that resembled the tree symbol found on the evil tainted stone fused to alter in the Cave of Colors.

Finding no further leads in the cave they decided to follow the map obtained at Haggard keep. First, they mapped out the area east of Lake Stirge, finding nothing of note. Next they proceeded north. The center of the northern area was overgrown with thick brambles and had a thick layer of fog. The small group quickly encountered Kobolds and their traps in heavy numbers. In addition they found wisps and large lizard creatures fighting along aside the Kobolds. The three managed to carve a path through many of them, but eventually they were forced to turn back after heavy injuries.

Updated Map: 

Members of the 7/10 Expedition:

Lord Dieterich, Gunter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Olivia

Other News: Rook's Quarry is now open! Gilvess Falloway has been brought in from the great city of Redmoor to run the shop. His first task will be refitting our town guard with better armor emblazoned with the Steed and Tower of Sir Calen's livery.

The Cave of Colors - Expedition Summary 6/26, 6/30, 7/01, 7/03, 7/07

6/26

A small group consisting of Lord Dieterich, Vincent, and Griknak returned to the Cave of the Lost Orc to see what they could find. Griknak showed his cowardice by refusing to enter the cave until Lord Dieterich overpowered his weak will with his commanding presence and forced goblin to enter. Moving into the cave they encountered skeletons animated by vines and more fungus. Pushing further in they encountered a large spore-filled fungal orb that, when damaged, violently burst. Luckily only the goblin Griknak was caught in this and became very ill, with spores growing under his skin and becoming weak. Understanding that he was dying, the three left the cave and began their journey back. In the dark they got lost for a while before stumbling onto the road, Griknak looking worse with each passing minute. Soon Griknak slowed to the point where Lord Dieterich had to carry him. Treacherous Kobolds had laid traps in the road since their departure and the group was hit by hidden crossbows and fell into pits dug under the roadway. Forcing themselves to continue, Vincent also was unable to keep up. Lord Dieterich, sensing the urgency of the situation and putting his own needs aside, picked up Vincent as well and carried them both heroically to the edge of the Jago River. Exhausted, he single-handedly rowed them across the flowing river back to Longreach where he woke up kind and knowledgeable Father Lyle who promptly aided the group and over the next few days brought them back to health.

Members of the 6/26 Expedition:

Lord Dieterich, Gunter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jones, Vincent

6/30

Most info contained in the 6/30 and 7/1 reports is from Scorros Illitor.

Hoping to eliminate the threat of disease posed by the Cave of Colors, also known as the Cave of the Lost Orc, Vincent, Scorros, and Griknak set out under the leadership of Lord Dieterich on the third Longreach expedition to that dangerous grotto. Griknak at first refused to return to the place where he had nearly died, but Lord Dieterich displayed excellent leadership in convincing him to face his fears.

The group traveled through territory still believed to harbor orcs and goblins to reach the cave. Fortunately, they encountered no threats.

they found the ghost orc soon after entering the cave. She seemed utterly indifferent to us, responding calmly and blandly when addressed. They made their way respectfully past.

Violet fungi and skeletons animated by a similar fungus posed minor inconveniences as they explored. Interestingly, Griknak seemed unable to distinguish moving violet fungi from the completely still fungus on the floor, suggesting the eyes of goblins are less attuned to movement than those of higher species.

The party soon encountered one of the great gas spores that had proven nearly fatal to previous expeditions. Scorros asked the others if they covered a great area with their deadly spores when burst, and was told the spores would not fly far. He judged fifteen feet to be a safe distance based on this information. This turned out to be insufficient. The spores immediately inflicted grievous harm, and Scorros fell ill shortly thereafter, blisters covering my skin.

The explosion also alarmed a shrieker, which alarmed several undead, including a giant skeleton. Lord Dieterich served as the rearguard and guided us through an effective fighting withdrawal.

Returning to Longreach, Father Lyle cured Scorros Illitor of the spores. 

Members of the 6/30 Expedition:

Lord Dieterich, Gunter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Illitor, Scorros
Jones, Vincent

7/1

Wasting no time, the group began their fourth expedition to the cave.

This time, they were much more successful, using what they had learned. The group destroyed the great skeleton and all other resistance encountered, including an undead shadow that may have been a sister to the ghost orc and a strange new myconid-like species. They also discovered that if we placed the orb we had found earlier in one of the colored pedestals and spun it, it would reverse the position of all doors of the same color, opening them if closed and vice versa.

While they explored much of the Cave of Colors more remains. Perhaps the fifth expedition will reveal the last of what it holds.

Members of the 7/1 Expedition:

Lord Dieterich, Gunter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Illitor, Scorros
Jones, Vincent

7/03 

Extremely busy with their continuing mission to clear the Cave of Colors the information being turned in has been generally truncated. The following 3 entries are from Vincent Jones:

Lord Dieterich, Scorros, Vincent, and Griknak went back into the Cave of Colors again and entered a gold/orange area with a pedestal of that color. Sensing a dangerous situation, Lord Dieterich selflessly decided to turn the keystone in the pedestal in the pedestal. The walls collapsed and an enormous fungal beast and many minions were revealed. The party was starting to tire in the face of such overwhelming odds-both Griknak and I were getting crushed by the fungal monster-when Tyrdithas came in and turned the tides. The group managed to destroy the monsters, but had to return to Longreach before they could continue their exploration.

Members of the 7/3 Expedition:

Lord Dieterich, Gunter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Illitor, Scorros
Jones, Vincent
Tyrdithas

7/07 

 Scorros and Vincent attempted to finish exploring the Cave of Colors, but encountered resistance. Breknar came to their aid, allowing them to clear the rest of the cave, finding plenty of riches with which to aid Longreach. In the heart of the ruins they found a corrupted altar of Solenas in the depths of the cave. It appeared to have evil forces acting upon it similar to the evil that was effecting the elder tree. After purifying the altar, Solenas gave her blessing to them and anyone who prays at the altar. The stone fused to the altar that was corrupting it bore the following sigil:

After leaving the cave Breknar and Scorros felt concerned about the well-being of the elder tree, but Vincent decided he had risked death one too many times and decided to retire from the adventuring life. Olivia and Tyrdithas met up with Breknar and Scorros at the Elder Tree where they found evidence of orcs attempting to damage the tree. They hunted down the Orcs and slaughtered them all.

Members of the 7/07 Expedition:

Illitor, Scorros
Jones, Vincent
Olivia
Swampshield, Breknar
Tyrdithas

Other News: the Silver Sylvains have shown an interest in the lumber from Longreach and have begun investing in the town thanks to a deal brokered by Kellen Stoneleaf! Their interest will certainly be a boon to us and attract the attention of artisans everywhere.
Warning: Due to sightings of large and dangerous looking humanoid figures on the main road any travel to or from Longreach requires a minimum of four (4) guards. Speak to me if you need to arrange a trip but don't have the means to hire guards yourself and I will arrange caravans.

Lord F. Arden, on behalf of Sir Calen

7/08 in the Year 874

The Conquering of Haggard Keep - Expedition Summary 6/20-6/21

The vast majority of this report come from Vincent Jones who recorded the events surrounding the capture of Haggard Keep while in the field.

6/20, Longreach

Scorros and Vincent set off with the objective of exploring Haggard keep, thinking that the kobolds that have been harassing the lumber yard with traps might be holed up there. In addition, Sir Calen believes having the fortification available for the protection of the town would be very beneficial so clearing it out was a top priority.

Having worked together previously to scout out the Stirge Pool, the two knew they could count on each other to investigate the ruins safely. Cautiously approaching the keep they found several clumsily made traps consisting of tripwires attached to old crossbows, disabling and marking their locations. It is unclear if they are working with the orcs or not at this point.

Upon reaching Haggard Keep many kobolds were found living here. Despite their obvious numbers not too many of them were out in the afternoon, and Vincent concluded they must be nocturnal.

At Vincent's suggestion Scorros and he stalked one of their trap making parties when they saw two groups form up and head off from the Keep around evening. Scorros managed to track one of the groups until they were found starting to set up their traps. Catching the miserable kobolds completely off guard, they quickly slaughtered them party.
Wanting to get as early of a start as possible the next day, Scorros and Vincent took advantage of the hospitality offered by fellow citizens of Longreach and stayed at the lumberyard that evening.

6/21 Lumber Yard

Scorros skillfully caught and prepared breakfast for the two before continuing on towards Haggard Keep, this time circling around to the east of the structure instead of the southern approach they took before. They came across more kobold traps but made it to their destination in good health and were joined by Tyrdithas.

Upon scouting out the tower, Tyrdithas and Vincent maneuvered stealthily into the keep to determine the best approach to capture it. Climbing onto the roof, Vincent managed to slip into a room full of unsuspecting kobolds. One by one he took out the cretins silently before they could react, potentially saving several Longreach lives in the battle that was to come.

The infiltration party made their way back to Scorros who had been joined by Breknar and Kellen who had lit fires as a distraction which successfully lured some inhabitants out of their protected tower and into their demise. The consolidated party of 5 took some time to rest, compile info, and prepare their attack.

Launching their assault, Tyrdithas and Breknar climbed to the rooftop battlements while Scorros, Vincent, and Kellen attacked the bottom floor from the north. It's unclear what happened initially with the second group, but Breknar has provided a detailed summary of their attack on the roof.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 1: The description of the battlements. Please note that what Breknar refers to as "Jetties" are the roofs of the floor below.

Figure 2: The initial position of the kobolds readying for an assault up the stairs in the southern section.

Figure 3: The order of movement of the Longreach Party.
1- Breknar and Tyrdithas climb over the battlements, eliminating the two kobolds under the central awning and pushing across to the eastern roof in order to eliminate the two shamans and their support there. It was found that the kobolds fear sunlight and are blinded by it, so the two destroyed the awnings and utilized their own defensive palisades against them.
2- Having cleared the eastern tower, Vincent and Tyrdithas climbed up the east wall joining them. Scorros set off in search of reinforcements.
3- The rejoined party moved toward the central tower again, clearing it of kobolds and pushing them to the southern one. Facing stiff resistance they burned the closest awning and palisade with a jar of oil.
4- Having destroyed the kobolds' best position to defend against their assault from the central tower, the group charged into them, driving the few survivors down the stairs into the inside of the tower. Breknar noted that during the final push Solenas was truly with them as Tyrdithas was able to trigger & evade a large trap, opening a massive portion of the floor 30 feet below that closed up after. This not only prevented certain death but also could bring a new source of blinding sunlight down onto the fleeing kobolds.

The party then pulled the palisades into defensive positions against the staircase, preparing for a counter attack by the kobolds, resting and waiting. Tyrdithas ran back to catch up with Scorros and deliver a report on the situation.

Things soon took a turn for the worse.

While putting the finishing touches on the barricades chanting was heard from below. A dark cloud formed, blotting out the sun, while dozens of kobolds climbed up onto the two northern roofs. Hopelessly outnumbered and still tired from the fighting before, a familiar banner appeared in the treeline to the south. Lord Dieterich had come! Accompanying him was Scorros and Griknak.

Under the cover of the dark cloud the kobolds began to advance on their tenuous position. Lord Dieterich and company were still a long ways from being able to help on the roof. As thoe on the roof gave battle to the kobolds something seemed amiss. Many of the kobolds attacks seemed to cause us no harm, and even my best shots could not bring them down. Some foul magic was at play.

With their magical advantage those on the roof felt they couldn't safely face horde of kobolds from their current position. Vincent was soon heavily injured and was forced to jump off the battlements onto the roofs below. Soon Kellen joined him in a rapid retreat from the top of the keep, where they joined Lord Dieterich, Grikank and Scorros doing battle on the ground by the main entrance.

The battle on the ground was going well when they heard a battlecry from above. Breknar was still fighting the kobold army on the roof, single handedly! Retreat was not in his blood and he was determined to face his foes to the bitter end.

Moments later Kellen saw him take a hit from a kobold club and fall off the edge of the wall. Scorros, Kellen and Vincent quickly rushed to try to catch his body, hoping he was still alive. Managing to break his fall, Kellen fed him a Goodberry given to him by Scorros and he recovered.

The Kobolds soon began to descend from above. Vincent managed to pull Breknar's unconscious body back into cover, while the rest of his companions prepared for the assault. Just at that moment the cloud the kobold spellcasters had summoned passed beyond the sun. A large number vanished into thin air! This explained why they were impossible to hit and managed to miss all of their own strikes.

With much of the party heavily injured they had to pull back and take and longer rest, tending to their wounds.

6/22, Haggard Keep

In the morning, when he had fully recovered, Breknar thanked Vincent for watching over him while he was injured. The finals assault on the keep was swift and fairly clean. The few kobold forces remaining were quickly demolished and the party then set about securing and searching the keep.

Sir Calen is pleased that his potential new fortress has been liberated in the name of Longreach. the keep need quite a bit of work to restore it, but it should prove a great addition to our defenses.

Members of the 6/20 Expedition:

Illitor, Scorros
Jones, Vincent
Stoneleaf, Kellen
Swampshield, Breknar
Tyrdithas

Members of the 6/21 Expedition

Lord Dieterich, Gunter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Illitor, Scorros
Jones, Vincent
Stoneleaf, Kellen
Swampshield, Breknar


Other News:
    Lady Vern has completed her inspection of the town and has left for Redmoor. There are certainly areas we can improve on and we will work together on them in times to come.

The Pool, the Lady, and the Goblin's Plight - Expedition Summary 6/17

Another large expedition set out under the leadership of Lord Dieterich to make another attempt on the Stirge Pool. Lord Dieterich wisely decided to bring along a canoe for the assault, and performed the portage himself with the aid of only Breknar.

Along the way, at Scorros's request, they made a brief detour to the lumberyard to observe their forestry practices. While the lumber yard was operating at peak efficiency to get our town built it was determined that the current methods might displease the gods of nature which is certainly not in the interest of Longreach. At the urging of Scorros, Kellen, and Breknar, the foreman, Fen, agreed to begin practicing more sustainable forestry practices with Kellen's guidance.

Fen also provided the party with useful information in regards to their mission. A swarm of stirge often attacked at noon, forcing them into hiding. This swarm consisted of the blood-gathering worker stirge earlier presumed to have existed by Scorros.

With this knowledge and Kellen's insight that stirge detest smoke, they advanced to within a short distance of the stirge pool, built large greenwood fires, and planned their assault. Lord Dieterich and Breknar bravely volunteered to make the landing on the queen's natural castle of an island. The rest of the group would provide support from the far shore, shooting down as many stirge as possible and serving as a distraction. They would also build greenwood fires on both flanks, creating a funnel to force the stirge to attack from only their front. The strike was then scheduled for noon to divide the opposition. As a final preparation, they covered ourselves in mud in hopes of deterring the stirge, which helped on the initial approach.

The stirge reached the supporting positions without difficulty. However, they immediately saw that they would not be able to provide direct support for Lord Dieterich and Breknar, as the cliff on this side was so high they could not see the plateau. Nevertheless, the group stuck to the plan as to not be caught repositioning when the attack began and readjusted their tactics to provide optimal support.

At Lord Dieterich's signal, the support team loosed arrows on the stirge. The rest went according to plan. The northern detachment destroyed, at Scorros's count, 17 of the creatures before splitting and circling to support Lord Dieterich and Breknar directly. Tyrdithas also arrived at this time and joined the attack on the island, using himself as bait to successfully lure a portion of the swarm away from our lord.

Lord Dieterich delivered the killing blow to the queen just before the worker swarm could return to defend her. Having already slain the warriors, the party quickly dispatched the workers and filled in the queen's blood pool to prevent another queen from easily taking her place.

Finally, the group returned to the lumberyard and asked Fen to take his workers to fill in or drain the pool as a permanent solution. He agreed and was advised to take guards and exercise extreme caution.

At last, the group returned to Longreach, where they learned that they had slathered themselves in mud and blood just in time for Lady Vern's arrival. After cleaning themselves as well as could be done in a rush, they made it in time to present themselves with the rest of the townsfolk. 

Lady Vern asked to speak to Scorros and Lord Dieterich and told expressed that Lord Dieterich may be granted knighthood and land, possibly Splitriver Keep. This came as no surprise to those who know Lord Dieterich. His valor in battle, effective leadership and noble blood more than qualify him for the job. More surprising was that Scorros is also being considered for lordship or a position equivalent to nobility, a great honor for one not born of noble birth.

After meeting with lady Vern most of the group chose to relax and refit for a few days. However, Lord Dieterich and Vincent Jones-bringing Griknak as a guide, chose to set out the next day to gain some more information on the Cave of the Lost Orc. On route to the cave, past the Statue of Haelus, the two discovered several traps. Griknak seemed to think they were lain by Kobolds. If you are travelling north of town please be cautious of the main trail as this seems to be a target for local hostile forces.

Grinknak was reported to be very scared to be going into the cave. He kept repeating that no one ever comes back out alive from the cave. Lord Dieterich gave a rousing speech and convinced him to enter the cave. They progressed further in the cave, encountering heavy resistance including several new types of fungi, undead and fungi hybrids, including a fungus that exploded poisons when it died. In their last battle Griknak was poisoned very badly by one.

Given their poor condition the small party decided to rest for the night but were ambushed by an orc, two wolves and a goblin. They managed to kill them all, but their resources were completely depleted, and Griknak was completely unconscious. Still 7 hours away from Longreach, lacking sleep and a wilderness guide they bravely strode into the dark night, only becoming briefly lost. With Griknak down and Vincent struggling to maintain the pace, Lord Dieterich managed to carry them both back to Longreach, though once again they fell into traps lain by our foes. Finally, making it back, Father Lyle managed to cure Griknak, saving him from death. 

The disease the goblin fell prey to is new to us and kills within a day. Pustules filled with sportes develop on the skin. It's speculated that the skeletons encountered in the cave were being controlled by spores and may have been previous victims of the disease.

Members of the 6/17 Expedition:

Lord Dieterich, Gunter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Illitor, Scorros
Jones, Vincent

Stoneleaf, Kellen

Swampshield, Breknar

Tyrdithas

Other News: Lady Vern has arrived and is staying at Sir Calen's compound. Please extend your warmest greetings to our honored guest and show her the extent of our hospitality here in Longreach. If for any reason you need to go into the woods north of the lumber yard exercise extreme caution. Traps continue to be an issue and have caused several casualties. 

Lord F. Arden, on behalf of Sir Calen

6/18 in the Year 874

Exploring the Coast - Expedition Summary 6/13

   A two man expedition consisting of Scorros and Vincent left early to investigate the Stirge Pool, knowing the recent issues surrounding the lumber mill and the possible connection between the two. On arrival they found that the pond is a stagnant pool of water in a depression. There is no water coming in or out of the pool, creating the perfect breeding grounds for the stirge. In the middle of the pool there is a small island with a disusting, bloated queen stirge that seemed unable to move or fly. Apparently when stirge have an ideal habitat they can grow a queen. It also had a pool of blood it was drinking from and it's suspected the pool is either filled by regular stirge or by some outside force.

   The two decided to try provoking the stirge to see what their response would be. They were met with swift response though as several stirge immediately attacked, with 2 latching onto Vincent they were forced to retreat.

   They suspect that they could try a full on assault of the stirge nest if we had people with heavier armor, but are waiting for research to get to longreach before we try anything else.

   At this point the rest of the expedition party caught up and found group recovering from Stirge encounter at which point they decided to go mapping/looking for Venweed to help aid in the spread of Bloodsucker's Bane. As they moved west to the inlet they found disturbed soil by the river, neary a small island in that forks the river briefly. The other side of the river could be ripe for exploration, but without canoes or knowing about any potential dangers, the party decided to stay the course for now.

   Speculating the area could be a landing area for orcs, they camped out for a few days to ambush any that might walk through

- After a few restless nights and the party becoming growing anxious, a bear walked through. [Note, the recorder may have had a long day, as what follows is unedited:] "It was so exciting. Majestic. Nice bear. Bear is a good bear. Thought it could be a druid. We were barely noticeable from the bushes we were hiding in.

- Decided to continue exploring in the direction of the bear for some reason and found a bare bear cave with evidence that the bears are just bears. Bear in mind we barely approached the bear cave and decided to continue exploring."

   Afterward they found their way back to the  Echo Stone where they heard their own conversation from before and left a terrifying new message for any orcs that listened in the future.

   Continuing on they came across a new cave. It was a deep, sort of twisting narrow path down into the darkness. Lacking visibility, Breknar carried Kellen on his shoulders and held Vincent's hand to guide them through the darkness. Deeper in the cave had strange purple moss growing on it that hid aggressive vine like monsters that attacked the party, who found it was all too familiar to their encounters with the blight, though this was different. Using some fish Scorros had caught earlier and some rope, we were able to safely draw out the tendrils, which were weak and easy to hit, but should absolutely not be underestimated.

   Inside a set of doors they saw an orc, Breknar sensing quite a bit of undead in the area. The orc was not aggressive, and was found to be possessed and told then she came here to save her sisters and requested they don't harm them, instead try and free them by restoring an altar in the cave. Hearing that it was the work of a necromancer it was determined that they may be able to consecrate the altar by removing it. The spirit is bound to the room she was found in and cannot leave. Something about the room also seems to make it safe for us to return and rest and speak with the spirit if we have any more questions. Unfortunately the spirit has been there for so long its memory has began to decay. The ghost identified itself as Selena, and her sisters Meg, Ana, and apparently Phphphphph.

   Deciding to poke their heads into the temple within the cave before returning to town, they found the temple walls had more aggressive vines, and reanimated bodies and skeletons. Although this is necromancy at play here, the bodies are being controlled by the vines as opposed to standard necromantic magics. Tyrdithas is recording as exclaiming "I'm so shocked by blight that I saw vines and just beat the crap out of it!" After exploring the temple a bit further, the party decided they'd learned enough about the cave and to head back to town.

   One of the entities dropped a small red orb made of stone which when dropped into nearby pedestals caused heavy stone doors to budge. The spirit explained that the orb is a key, and can open some doors by placing it into the pedestal and turning in a correct direction. There also may be other orbs matching doors and pedestals by color.

   The group declared this expedition a great success, having drawn up much more of the map we now have much better bearing of the region. The discovery of this cave and the necromancer is also significant. If this necromancer is related to the stirge and or the blight, finding him or her would be monumental in securing the area.

Members of the 6/13 Expedition:

Illitor, Scorros

Jones, Vincent

Stoneleaf, Kellen

Swampshield, Breknar

Tyrdithas

New Map:

   Other News: Lady Vern is expected to arrive in town on behalf of Baron Bertwyn in order to meet with Sir Calen and Lady Silvain in regards to the future of the town. It is expected that you will treat any such honored guests with the utmost respect during their stay. Stirge attacks on the lumber yard to the point that some are discussing leaving, we want you to know we are sending more resources that way and our expedition part is looking into the subject very seriously.

Lord F. Arden, on behalf of Sir Calen

6/14 in the Year 874

Victory at Splitriver Keep - Expedition Summary 6/8/874

Today, Lord Calen made an unprecedented decision following a meeting with Lord Dieterich. He decided to allow the goblin prisoner Griknak to leave with the party to clear Splitriver Keep at the end of the Jago River. Sir Calen said the decision came after much debating and a week of interrogations of the goblin, stating that the value gained by having this goblin as a guide was worth the effort of keeping him under control. Those travelling with the goblin have been given clear orders to execute the goblin at the smallest sign of attempted escape or betrayal, and he is to be kept under lock between their missions. The orc Vutrak Tongue-Splitter was declared to be of no further use to Longreach and was promptly executed.

Upon arriving at the keep and town ruins, it seemed that they had an increased goblin presence. The goblins seemed prepared for attack. Lord Dieterich led Scorros, Vincent, and Griknak in an ambush against the goblins patrols, killing off many of them before they could raise alarm. After slaughtering the goblins the party assaulted the island keep. With further reinforcements from other members of Longreach's Expedition Team they were able to overcome the goblin's ogre and even their mightiest warriors.
Of special note was Tyrdithas, who showed astounding signs of physical prowess, maneuvering through the castle with a speed and grace not seen before. He bypassed the main goblin defenses to swiftly eliminate the head shaman of the goblins who was aiding their leader, who was locked in a duel with Lord Dieterich. 

Speaking of Lord Dieterich, he once again showed his bravery, skill, and commitment to his men as he singled out the goblin war leader for a duel. While the goblin called for all of his men to aid him, Lord Dieterich held to his honor, fighting against all odds until, bloody and beaten, he rose victorious, slaying the goblin and clearing Splitriver Keep of their presence.

Longreach now controls the area of Splitriver keep as well as the surrounding town. They have also secured the goblin fleet that was harbored there, bringing us several more canoes and two small sailed vessels.

Members of the 6/8 Expedition:

Lord Dieterich, Gunter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Illitor, Scorros
Jones, Vincent

Stoneleaf, Kellen

Swampshield, Breknar

Tyrdithas

Other News: More guards have been deployed to the lumber yard to aid with the stirge. Lady Silvain has offered a reward to anyone who can figure out a way to stop the pests. The general store is over halfway through it's expected timeline to being completed, within a few weeks we'll have access to a consistent supply of tools and basic goods! Additionally, our first dock was built swiftly following the capture of the goblin vessels. We have received word that Lady Vern is gracing us with a surprise visit and is mere days away from visiting our humble town. Please be on your absolute best behavior for her arrival.

Completed Construction:
Small Dock
Contributors:
376gp: Vincent Jones - Priority Mooring in one Slot
187gp: Lord Dieterich
187gp: Breknar Swampshield

Lord F. Arden, on behalf of Sir Calen

6/09 in the Year 874

Interrogations of Griknak the Goblin Sniper and Vutrak Tongue-Splitter the Orc

Griknak the Sniper

Breknar Swampshield's Results:

Griknaks health was not critical but was very much wounded from the encounter. He had no disease but did seem to be suffering from a mild case of mange.
After healing Griknak, he was very talkative. I gave him a decent meal; roasted chicken, ale, and water. Initially he was very anxious. After earning his trust a bit he seemed to relax. His common is broken, and also seemed to barely have a grasp of his own goblinese. I did not attempt to speak in Orcish.
Griknak confirmed that Vultrak does not speak goblin, though this has not been confirmed. He is not his chief but only leading the small scouting party that we had defeated.
He also mentioned that the orcs mistreat the goblins and beat them. He showed great appreciation of how we’ve been treating him. Considering his conditions, his history, and our experiences with their fear of their commanders, I believe he is not evil by nature. He and the goblins working for the orcs are borderline slaves; indentured mercenaries.
I showed him a map being sure to conceal our location. He was very confused but described a large camp much larger than our own. I spent some time teaching him what a map is and eventually was able to pinpoint an exact location of the major Orc settlement, which seems to be where they are settled. They are by the sea. He gave the name of their Chieftain: Ravug, a Beastmaster, able to control and command animals and beasts.
He described the defenses and military force of the Orcs. They have watchtowers and patrols but does not seem to have artillery. He could not confirm any fortifications or walls.
I offered to return to teach Griknak common, culture, and laws. I believe he is capable of showing true character and assisting us. I am unsure if he's just been telling me what I want to hear. It’s promising that he is willing to stay imprisoned and patient enough to learn.
Griknak is very charming so I would advise anyone speaking to him to consider until he does live up to his promise to consider what he could be saying may be manipulative. He wants to prove his character to Sir Callen, to us and to the people of Longreach. I feel letting him leave wouldn’t be wise or even fair to him. Sending him to Ravug would be a suicide mission, especially after what I learned from Vutrak.

Lord Dieterich

Dieterich talked with Griknak twice. He also tried to talk to the orc, Vutrak, but was unable to get the orc to communicate with him.

The first time Dieterich was mostly trying to find out as much information from Griknak as he could. Griknak was very nice and agreeable. It seems he just wants to be set free. I lauded him with comments of his capabilities as a fighter and he seemed very happy to talk to me. He claims to not be important within their society, just a goblin scout. He mentioned Ravug, who is the leader of the orcs, it seems. According to Griknak, Ravug wants to know where we came from. The land our town is on is allegedly the orc's land as well. Coupled with the fact that we killed two orcs from a scouting party (with the third one running away and not killing any of us) has shamed Ravug. He's mad because it appears as though the orcs are weak. When asked if there was any further information that Griknak could provide, he just said that Ravug wants us dead. Griknak then let it slip that they were trying to find out who the leader in the town was so that they could kill them. When this was mentioned, Griknak claimed he was a friend. Griknak seems to dislike Ravug and wants to work with us.

This ends the first conversation. When discussed with Sir Calen, the man was undoubtedly against working with either the orcs or the goblins. (In this, I agree with not working with the orcs... there is no way that peace could remain between our two groups – they have already enslaved one group of people and they claim that we settled on their land. Any peace that was created between the two of us would end in them attacking us... that much I am certain of).

The second conversation I had with Griknak was to be blunt and honest with him. I told Griknak that the higher authorities wanted to execute him and did not want to let him go. Griknak immediately started bawling. He was very upset that everyone is lying to him. However, I told him that I would free him (as I do think I could make a good case for this) if he told me the honest truth about what he would do if he was let free. He said that the orcs made him a slave, we want to kill him, and he just wants to get away from here and live free. (At this point the conversation ended because the DM disappeared... however, Dieterich would like to free Griknak and make the goblin work with him. If Griknak seems to do well, Dieterich would consider helping Griknak free the goblins from the orcs and establishing an alliance with them... with Griknak hopefully in the leadership position because Dieterich has a good relationship with the goblin).

Vincent Jones:

Here are my general thoughts. I also only was able to speak with Girknak. To me he also seemed to hate the orcs, but I he is just as eager to betray us as he is to betray the goblins. I was hoping we could use Griknak to communicate with the goblin leaders to form a pact to destroy the orcs together.

Vutrak Tongue-Splitter

Breknar-

As you go to leave the orc speaks "What's it like?"

"what's what like?"

"What's it like being a half-blood?”

Vultrak was in poor condition though not life threatening. He would likely survive but may be permanently wounded. I am continuing to visit to assess his health. No disease was found.

Initially refused to speak to me. After comparing our battle scars, trophies of valor or brandings of shame he eventually broke silence. We spoke a while about culture and philosophy. I have to be honest he evoked a fairly emotional response from me. For this reason I will be summarizing quite a bit.

Vutrak was very hesitant to speak on specifics so the intel is vague and there's more to learn, and I’ve made some offers to him to potentially return and learn more.

Families, children. Not only are there children and families in the Orc settlement but they seem to have a vibrant flourishing society. They are not always battling and they are not always raiding. Not all orcs raid. Vultrak himself has a family and children there.

Honorable single combat
Vultrak’s clan would not take him back unless he earned his release through besting our champion and had proof of it.

Oblika Butter-Mouth: Seems to be the only mediator for outside trade or dealmaking. She would be our first and only point of contact prior to communicating with the rest of the clan.

He had nothing left to say to me until I could arrange his single combat. I get the sense we have gained repore with one another. If I can arrange this there's information I want to learn about, such as the name of this settlement.

Chieftain, more information is needed
The Settlement, what are their defenses and economy like. They do not purely thrive on raiding. They are on the sea so I want to know what they have for ships.

Combat, I want to know how they fight and how they raid. If I continue to learn from him learning orc tactics would be the next most crucial intel I can imagine.

Vultrak concerns me. He implies very strongly that war will be inevitable and trade is possible but difficult. He is not able to speak on whether peace would be possible but did say they typically are open to talks and that they are not always kill on sight. I want to stress, they are not one dimensional and do not live up to their reputation. An opportunity for peace is still on the table. We have to be careful about how we approach this.

Preliminary Attack on the River Ruins - Expedition Summary 6/05

A large party set out in search of fishing sources for our town and to clear the path, or in the words of our resident Seivun worshipper "forge a path" to the Vandal Sea. To begin they set off west along the tentatively named Jago River to where it meets the sea's inlet and the other river. On the way they came across another rune stone that was surrounded by small animals who seemed to be protecting it, allowing only Scorros the elf to pass through, who took an etching of the symbols. Please avoid this runestone if you come across it as it is a danger.

At the fork where the rivers meet the sea they came across the ruins of a town and a castle on the tip of the landmass separated by a small body of water and a collapsed stone bridge. Here they saw that the town was inhabited and moved in to investigate.

Moving ahead of the party under the cover of darkness, Vincent maneuvered through the town, locating several goblins and making his way to a canoe by the collapsed bridge, attempting to steal it. However, the goblins managed to spot him and opened fire, and the rest of the party swiftly entered the town to get him out.

In the town the party fought valiantly, clearing the west side while facing new magics not encountered before. Goblin shamans turns sticks into aggressive vipers and called upon powerful fire magicks. Emboldened by their victory, the party continued to push into the keep without regrouping and found themselves pinned in the waterway between the landmasses by withering volleys of archer fire. Those who made it across the river found themselves encountering even greater resistance, a goblin leader showed the cowardice of his race as he pulled his own subordinates into the way of oncoming blows. Then, when things were already looking dangerous a huge ogre burst from the compound, threatening to crush the party.

Weary from the engagement, split up and dealing with a breakdown in communication in the face of such dangerous foes, the group made the call to fall back, recover, and return once they had a new plan in place. It seems widely understood by the group that they had not utilized the terrain to their advantage and were so eager to wipe out the menace they allowed themselves to become spread out and uncoordinated.

Even with these setbacks it's clear that they did serious damage to the goblin garrison and are sure to eliminate the threat soon. Once under control we will have a defensible position from which we can extend our influence over the seaway.

Members of the 6/5 Expedition:

Illitor, Scorros
Jones, Vincent

Shorehammer, Rhogar

Stoneleaf, Kellen

Swampshield, Breknar

Tyrdithas

Other News: With the onset of summer the stirge have become more of a nuisance, slowing down production and threatening our chances at continuing growth. Sir Calen has indicated he is focusing on getting some smithies running to ensure we have the tools to defend against possible incursions against us. Additionally there are some new maps that have been completed.

Lord F. Arden, on behalf of Sir Calen

6/06 in the Year 874

Back to Exploring - Expedition Summary 6/01

Breknar Swampshield led a small exploratory excursion into the wild to map the area north of Lake Stirge yesterday. On they way they were ambushed by a sinister group of orcs and goblins who camped out along the trail our brave men have been using through the area. Undaunted, they managed to defeat them while taking our first two prisoners: Griknak, goblin sniper who they've encountered before, and Vutrak Tonguespitter, some kind of leader in the orc tribe. Sir Calen has seen to it that they are imprisoned securely and we will use them to provide information to us regarding the orc's objectives and the location of their base. It was noted by Breknar that before being captured Vutrak showed his true colors by being too cowardly to battle in honorable one-on-one combat.

After returning these prisoners to Longreach the party continued their journey north and mapped the area surrounding the Elder Tree without meeting further resistance. At the ruins of the tower that had been infested by blight-now deemed "Mosaic Tower" after the mosaic found inside, they found an alter of an unknown god. Upon revisiting the pool of blood that had been feeding the giant flower blight they purified it and removed the many bodies and stirge corpses the blight seemed to have stored in the pool, proceeding to burn them in order to aid in purifying the region.

Finally, Breknar Swampshield has devoted himself to the safeguarding of life and nature and has taken the Oath of the Ancients at the base of the Elder Tree, truly we will purify this land of the evils within.

Members of the 6/01 Expedition:

Illitor, Scorros

Jones, Vincent

Swampshield, Breknar

Other News: The lumber yard is completed! The final tally on contributions towards the project are as follows: 
626gp: Breknar Swampshield 618gp: Lord Dieterich 480gp: Sir Calen 131gp: Scorros 102gp: Kellen 55gp: Assorted Small Investments 29gp: Tyrdithas 15gp: Vincent Breknar Swampshield and Lord Dieterich have been awarded the recurring stipends of 75gp and 50gp respectively for their contributions towards getting this community going. The boom in available jobs has led to a massive increase in our town's population as workers and their families flock to Longreach, and we anticipate the rate of growth of the town to increase as well. Thank you to all who have contributed to this project. Unfortunately, the workers at the lumber yard have complained of having to leave the site occasionally due to stirge harassing the area. Sir Calen is contemplating requesting additional guards for the settlement for this critical time. Additionally our map has been expanded following this excursion, see below:

Lord F. Arden, on behalf of Sir Calen
6/02 in the Year 874

An End to Blight - Expedition Summary 5/29

Lord Gunter Dieterich has successfully led a mission to the northern forest in order to eliminate the source of the blight! Working hand-in-hand with the industrious citizens of Longreach, our noble warriors equipped themselves with axes, saws, and fire arrows before they returned to the blighted tower north of Lake Stirge. There they cut their way back to the great root they had encountered on the expedition of 5/25 where they fought against a vicious onslaught of every kind of Blight and a swarm of stirge. While fending off the assault, we discovered that the great root did not reach to the Elder Tree, as previously imagined, but into a vile pool of blood and water that fed the great evil plant.

The rest of this summary is lifted directly from the words of Scorros Illitor, who tracked down the Blight to its lair:

Once we had defeated the monsters, we set to hacking apart the root. It gave way easily, with an almost fleshy softness beneath our axes, but once we cut through it immediately began to regrow and reconnect. Even burning the ends could not stop it. However, the energy it put into this combined with the lack of nourishment seemed to weaken it elsewhere, and heavy roots that had blocked the tower's entrances retracted. We entered the tower before the blight—apparently a single creature covering the entire building—could recover.

Inside, we discovered yet more bloody pools feeding the abomination's roots. How the blight were able to amass such a wealth of blood, I do not know. I am inclined to believe that a third party had supplied it.

It is worth noting that a mosaic showing a beautiful countryside adorned the tower's overgrown walls. A great civilization had once thrived here and celebrated its land.

We hacked our way to the top of the tower, fighting for every yard against both independent blights and vines from the giant. Among the crenellations were enormous flowers and vines seemingly straining to crack the stone. And there, in the center, lay a skeleton which no part of the monstrosity approached, with a pair of glimmering, perfectly intact gloves.

As we assessed the situation, three enormous vines and a single colossal flower more than eight feet thick shot up around us. The flower showered us with poisonous needles, while the vines batted us about, threatening to crush or to fling to the distant earth. But the entire party fought with great valor and was assisted by the enchanted corpse that the thing could not approach, and the abomination was hacked to pieces.

With the flower dead, the surviving parts set to tearing the tower down on our heads. I attempted to recover the corpse for decent burial, but it disintegrated in my arms, and we were forced to take the magic gloves and leave the bones.

The gloves were only able to ward off some of the blight's attacks. Poison was poured in our path, vines whipped and snagged and hurled stones at us, but eventually, we escaped. Only moments after the last of us exited the building, the blight pulled the tower down upon itself.

With our foes crushed, we at last returned to the elder tree. There the party honored my request to be the one to remove the malignant spear. The weapon grew thorns to impale my hands, but the gloves suppressed them and granted me a safe grip. I hauled it out, foot by foot as if dragging it free of sucking mud.

As soon as the spear was removed, it disintegrated. From the ashes emerged three evil-looking shadows, which immediately scattered and fled northward.

The horrible growths that had afflicted the elder tree died. When I spoke to the great tree, it met me with a blue glow, showing the life that still survived inside it.

The forest will recover.

I am left wondering whether the dead person was a hero who tried to stop the blight single-handedly, or the villain who planted it here, attempting to control it with nothing but the magic gloves. Regardless, I will use his or her artifacts only to protect the forest and the innocent from further attacks by blight.

I once again must commend everyone who participated in this endeavor. Not once did anyone shrink from the duty we were faced with, and all left numerous blights behind as lifeless heaps. Especially worthy of mention were Lord Dieterich, who fought on despite many wounds and repeated poisoning, and Breknar Swampshield, who again and again put his shield between his foes and his friends even when it meant he would be wounded.

Members of the 5/29 Expedition:

Lord Dieterich, Gunter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Illitor, Scorros

Jones, Vincent

Stoneleaf, Kellen

Swampshield, Breknar

Tyrdithas

Other News: Construction of the lumber yard is nearing completion, invigorated by the elimination of the blight that once threatened the endeavor. Materials to begin work on a general store are also on the way, which will greatly aid our day-to day life.

Lord F. Arden, on behalf of Sir Calen
5/30 in the Year 874

The Blighted Elder Tree and Tower - Expedition Summary 5/25

Understanding the threat the newly discovered Blight would have on our town, Sir Calen put out a reward to any who could find its origin. Answering this call were 5 of our stalwart explorers who marched out into increasing treacherous swamps north of Lake Stirge, battling the vile creatures as they went. This excursion was chronicled in great detail by Lord Dieterich, Scorros Illitor, and Breknar Swampshield and the following is a composite based on their writings:

A group of us (consisting of myself, Scorros, Breknar, Kellen, and Tyrdithas) decided to take action against the blight that has permeated the forests north of Lake Stirge. Not far north of the, the forest became a blasted wasteland, overrun with blight and stirge. We saw no other living creatures; only piles of skeletons consisting of various creatures remained among the dying trees.

Quickly, we found ourselves surrounded by a thick fog. We formed a defensive formation and slowly made our way through the woods. Lord Dieterich decided to take point as he has proven his capability at surviving dangerous situations. We relied on Scorros's expertise on the blight matter to guide us towards the source but as we marched forward we were attacked from beyond the fog by what was clearly Blight, though stirge were also present. Given the thick fog and tendency of Twig Blights to appear as bushes the entire area was very disorienting. Many of us became paranoid, sometimes carrying torches and swinging our weapons into brush with uncertainty, though Lord Dieterich showed great valor by promptly rushing into the fray to engage our foes head on and gain a better understanding of our surroundings.

As we pushed further north, thorns and brush formed an ever-tighter path to a single destination: an Elder Tree, impaled by a blighted spear... the nefarious actions of a deceased wizard or other practitioner of sinister magic, perhaps? The tree was suffering greatly, used as a conduit to spread the blight through dark, twisted roots and vines like veins. While some wanted to burn the tree down and eliminate the threat, the decision was made by those with the greatest understanding of the situation who determined that as green leaves remained, and the Elder Tree might still be saved if the blight can be cured. 

Behind this apocalyptic setting of the blighted elder tree we spotted an overgrown tower. As we approached it we noticed that there were large vines that seemed to be alive... in a more physical sense than any plant ought to have any right being. The vines thrashed out at any who came too close. We concluded that whoever thrust the spear through the Elder Tree must use it as his fortress and resolved to find and destroy them. The tower appeared to be old and inhabited. The surroundings were grossly overgrown and hadn't been taken care of for a long time-or perhaps the blight took over and things grew particularly fast. 

The tower grounds were full of blights and stirge and, being exhausted after our fight through the wasteland, we were soon divided and overwhelmed. We decided to withdraw and regroup, covering eachother as we exited the ruins. Before we left we gained valuable intel, we saw a great, pulsing root on the east side of the tower, likely a major artery between the thrashing vines and the elder tree. Destroying it could be devastating to the blight, but it would take time and adequate tools to cut, burn or saw through. It should also be noted that a thick mist in the region allowed our group to become separated frequently. This created life-threatening situations that should be avoided in the future through careful planning and coordination, and perhaps deliberate training.

We all survived and intend on returning to this dreadful place... so that we can kill the remaining blighted creatures and investigate the tower. Mark these words, we won't retreat this time.

Members of the 5/25 Expedition:

Lord Dieterich, Gunter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Illitor, Scorros

Stoneleaf, Kellen

Swampshield, Breknar

Tyrdithas

Other News: Wolf attacks have stopped and they are only occasionally seen now. As funding for a lumber yard reaches nearly half the needed amount the Waymark Charter Company has started scouting locations for the yard, though they've had some harassment by traps in the woods. Luckily only minor injuries so far. Our next shipment of goods will be arriving within the next few days so keep an ear out for Dax, he'll announce its arrival.

Lord F. Arden, on behalf of Sir Calen
5/26 in the Year 874