Maiden’s Head Games Games, Powered by the Imagination

The Journey Home

2nd of Eyre, 998 YK

As the party of adventurers complete their quest in the depths of Ongurr's Watchtower, they must decide on their next course of action.  They give the catacombs under the tower a thorough review, before deciding to head back up to the surface.  Once on the surface, the party goes back to their maps and decide to travel overland to the village of Grellreach, from there, they hope to join a merchant caravan to Rhukaan Draal.

Upon arriving at the village, they waste no time in tracking down a merchant who is travelling to Rhukaan Draal.  There is just a single caravan, taking assorted pickled fish and roots up to the city in hopes of earning a decent trade.  The caravan is comprised of four rickety carts pulled by old oxen.  The merchant and his guard number less than a half dozen, and they are obviously happy to have the extra bodies to bolster their numbers.  During the course of the first day, the party discuss with the old merchant the trade routes and how frequently he travels to Rhukaan Draal.  The old merchant mentions that the trade road to Rhukaan Draal has been plagued by slavers as of late.  He mentions that they are travelling just off the trade road in order to keep out of the view of any possible slavers or bandits, as the attacks have become more and more brazen.

As the journey continues, and the party prepares for their first evening's rest when they spot a lone rider along the horizon.  They plan the night's vigil, but not without first consulting with the old merchant.  He welcomes the party's eagerness to defend his wares and the families that travel with him.  During the course of the evening, the party is awoken by the noise of an animal attack just to the north of the camp.  The party awakes and heads over to see what they can find.  They quickly spot a pack of quixat, large felines that hunt the rolling hills along the base of the Seawall Mountains.  As they head back into the camp, they see one of the merchant caravan guards who is slumped over, and lies in an unnatural position.  Upon closer inspection, they find that his heart has been pierced by a barbed arrow, and that the arrow has been snapped at the point of entry.

The party does not take kindly to the attack upon the innocent within the merchant caravan, and heads out in search of the attackers.  After some twenty minutes of following the attackers tracks, the party comes up to what looks like a camp, encircled by several tents and wagons.  As the party approaches, they notice several people bundled up and huddled near the campfire.  The party approaches cautiously and quickly notices that the individuals near the camp fire are not moving, nor breathing.  In a panic Aramil casts a Scorching Burst, centered on the campfire, and the effects quickly envelope the camp in flames.  The individuals near the fire catch flame, and they are revealed for what they are, strawmen wrapped in cloaks.

The party rush into the camp, and quickly dowse the flames and search for any survivors.  They move quickly from tent to tent in search of those that ambushed the merchant caravan.  After a quick run through the tents and wagons, they realize the entire camp is filled with strawmen, and they have been duped.  They can hear off in the distance the sounds of a battle...  It comes from the site of the merchant caravan's camp!  They rush through the night back to the merchant's camp, in the hopes of capturing the attackers.  They arrive, but find that the camp has been ransacked.  The majority of the merchants have been taken off by the slavers, as well as his oxen.  The remainder of the camp has been left to rot.  

As the party gets ready to give pursuit, their attention is drawn to a faint cry coming from one of the wagons that has been left behind.  They quickly approach and find a small goblin baby bundled and left amongst the jars of pickled fish and vegetable roots.  Aramil grabs the child, and the party gives pursuit to the slavers, hoping to save the babe's parents from a fate as slaves.

The party gives chase, with the addition of their new companion the young goblin child.  The pursuit brings them face to face with the rear guard of the slavers!  After a quick battle in the rolling hills, the party dispatches the slavers rear gurad and are ready to pick up the pursuit!

The adventure continues in our next thrilling episode in the "Shadows Over Khorvaire" series!