Keep on the Shadowfells – Session 8

To the Lower Level

Having survived the kruthik menace and realized this was a bit of a red herring, our brave heroes return to the crypt chamber and the mysterious runes. After successfully navigating them, they are surprised to find Little John waiting at the top of the staircase for them. “Shall we press on, lads?” asks the plucky ranger. Our scarred and bleeding adventurers respond with nary a grunt.

Cautiously the party moves further beneath Shadowfell Keep. Stepping into a lit chamber, a pair of hobgoblin guards face them. Laying his hand on his weapon one calls out, “Shadow seeks shadow!”

“Uhh…” stammers Cirlandir. Quickly Lorik recalls the message found in the graveyard the previous day. “In the ground some magic was found,” he responds.

The guards look at one another with wide eyes. “Ninaran’s been slain! Sound the alarm!” Quickly the two hobgoblins form up and trap our heroes in the stairwell, while reinforcements pour in from adjoining rooms.

The warriors prove hard to hit. “Little John, loose your bow and push them back!” cries Tallow, looking behind him to the rear guard. “Little John? Little John! Oh, where the hell have you run off to now!”

“Nevermind him,” answers Ganak. “We’ll do this the old fashioned way, with steel and blood!” Slowly, he and the dwarf make space for the party to move, whitling down the hobgoblin numbers. Suddenly, Cirlandir spies activity in the next room, when two grunts have opened a cage and freed and horse-sized spider that quickly gallops into the frey. By the timethe arachnid arrives, however, the tide has turned, and a few well placed blows quickly dispatch the beast.

The Warchief and the Warcaster

After checking the remaining barracks, our heroes proceed east and then turn south. Just a few paces down the hall, Tallow steps on a loose stone and an iron portcullis crashes down in front of them. Figuring their progress would only have been halted if they were on the right track, Korbein steps up to raise the portcullis… with a little help from his friends.

The room beyond is dominated by a large oaken table, scarred with burns and dagger cuts. Several mugs and crumbled parchments lie scattered across the table’s surface. Lorik and Korbein inspect the documents, which appear to be plans for an undead assault on Winterhaven!

Suddenly, the two doors in the room burst open, and more hobgoblins pour out. “Take them alive; we’ll sell them to the Bloodreavers!” cries their warchief, as they soldiers and grunts form their line of assault. Korbein bears the brunt of the assault, but Ganak and Lorik are able to make ground on the other flank. Once that happens, the soldiers and warchief are soon overwhelmed. Despite Tallow and Korbein looking a bit ragged, our heroes press on in their quest to re-seal the rift, though a tactical change is certainly called for.

The warchief’s room leads no further, so our adventurers head north through a doorway. Their approach is met by a surprised hobgoblin peering arround the corner. “We’re under attack!” cries the soldier, who turns and runs through another door, slamming it behind him. Our heroes ready for an assault, this time keeping our sly halfing in the rear to begin.

Ganak throws open the door, and is pierced with a black-fletched arrow. Lorik steps forward to send arcane fury toward the green-skinned creatures, but his assault is met and overpowered by the hobgoblin’s own warcaster. Lorik wisely retreats leaving the paladin to square off against the onrushing soldiers.

Meanwhile, yet more hobgoblins throw open the other door. Here Lorik’s magic is more effective, as the lot are felled with a single firey blast. One flank cleared, Korbein circles around to close the noose on the warcaster and his guard.

“We are close to our objective now, my friends,” says Cirlandir as we binds wounds. “But so, too, is our enemy. We must press on.”

Post-Session

XP: 511/PC

Treasure: 410 gp; 61 sp; +1 vicious short sword