Campaign Chronicles-4-Those Hyenas Don't Laugh - They Die
View the previous chapter of the chronicles: Campaign Chronicles-3-The Goblin Cave
Wishing to do something meaningful during the day leading up to their meeting with Minlana Jewelfrost in the cemetary, the group returned to the Adventurer's Guild to look over their other possible quest contracts. One mentioned a missing persons report; those interested were to speak with Ferrin the teamster. Asking around the stables in the western part of Sparrowdale led the party to Ferrin, who had quite the story to tell.
It seems that Sparrowdale has regular trade with the village of Ravenside, about a day's journey west-by-southwest travelling by foot along a nice country road through a slightly forested region. One of Ferrin's agents, a certain Ambar Mightylock, was sent to Ravenside to trade farming goods for vegetables, yet had not returned when expected. The adventurers accepted the task, and were loaned mounts for transportation - they did need to be back by nightfall, after all.
Not long after leaving Sparrowdale, the group spotted the remains of a destroyed wagon, with signs of a struggle and footprints leading into the forest. Harnessing their horses to trees and following the clues, they entered the foreboding woods, which slowly became denser and denser. Syrin, his heightened elven senses at their peak in the woodlands of his druidic ancestors, noticed a brown furred creature in a tree, yet when he attempted communication it simply "yipped" and darted off. Following what could only be a gnoll, the adventurers eventually stumbled upon the entrance to a cave. Steeling themselves for what horrors might lie within, they entered...
Creeping stealthily into the caverns, the party soon encountered several pockets of resistance as the gnoll inhabitants mounted a counter-attack to ward off the intruders who could only have come to rescue their hostage. The war-priest Pengarond became particularly carnal as he enthusiastically eviscerated gnoll after bloody gnoll. Shamil the Sneaky was able to make excellent use of her knowledge of anatomy to quickly dispatch several of the feral humanoids, while the dwarven fighter and human sorcerer used steel and spell to dispatch their foes with a finesse that could only be achieved after years of dedication to their craft. The druid Syrin attempted to reach a diplomatic resolution at first, but after seeing that nothing short of whole-sale genocide would sate the blood lust of his comrades, he joined in the fray.
Once the adventurers hacked and slashed their way to the leader's headquarters the party made quick work of the leader of the gnolls (a savage hobgoblin) and his lackeys. A cage standing on one side of the room housed their quarry, Ambar Mightylock, surprised yet unharmed. After thanking the group heartily for rescuing him, he revealed a hidden pouch attached to his abdomen which contained several unique items he wished to bestow upon his rescuers. To the druid Syrin he gave the Skin of Zimozi-Guldu, the hide of an ancient green dragon fashioned into a set of breastplate armor. Alderick the sorcerer received a thin, curly wand of cedar which grants the use of the magic missile spell, while to Pengarond he gave an oaken wand of curative magics and a Stone of Elostirion, a relic of elder elven magics that increases a spellcaster's arsenal. Shamil was given Tinky's Terror, a small crossbow that has a history almost as sordid and unbelievable as the tales of Kyliria the Succubus, and to the barbarian Spikeblood he gave the Mammoth Armor, fashioned from the hide of one of the great mythic beasts that resides to the south. The dwarf Astronom pried a warhammer from the cold, dead grip of the hobgoblin general, and learned that it was none other than Ironfist's Vengeance, the weapon which, according to legend, had been wielded by none other than Dorin Ironfist at the Battle of Belfalas.
Ensuring no one had any mortal wounds, the group of adventurers headed back to Sparrowdale to prepare for their late-night rendezvous with Minlana Jewelfrost...
Continue on to the next chapter of the chronicles: Campaign Chronicles-5-Pact with the Thieves Guild and the Murder of Spikeblood
