Back in action

Two weeks went by after getting the seven-pointed star to House Cannith. I rode Huerga for exercise, and followed Jak to some of the social events she has to fulfil when she’s in the city. Dreadfully effete, some of these city folk, but Jak seemed to think it was important to stay on their good side. I sometimes imagined their response to being dropped into the middle of a battlefield and kept my good humor to myself. I’m just glad Jak isn’t like that! We never heard from Jin or Gib, and hoped that no news was good news on that score.

Then, Jak got a message from the Lady, asking to meet us at the Broken Anvil, and hinting at trouble. We sent a message on to Gib and Jin, and met outside the tavern the next morning. To our surprise, the Lady was very unlike the smooth and richly cultured woman we remembered! Disheveled, visibly upset, and huddled into the corner of the room, she hurriedly shoved a pack at us and whispered that there was no time to explain. Instructions and supplies were in the pack, great rewards would follow if we succeeded, but we should go immediately. Too shocked to argue, I scooped up the pack and followed the others toward the exit, as the door opened...

Four small figures entered the room, carrying crossbows. They spread out in front of the door, and a cloaked humanoid figure came in behind them. It shot the Lady with a crossbow, too quickly for us to stop it! I shouted at the figure, outraged, and the kobolds charged us all. Drawing my sword, I snarled at them, forced to fight kobolds while the figure reloaded and shot at the Lady a second time. This time she was able to get cover from a table, and I caught sight of metal and wood hands holding the crossbow - another warforged! Jin kept telling me to attack the thing - how I wanted to! - but we were all stuck fighting the kobolds. Jin then began to shout at the warforged in another language, but it only sneered at him in response.

As Jak used her whip, Gib slung stones at the warforged, and I hacked into the kobold attacking me, I heard the warforged tell Jin that the “flesh nations” are pitiful, and coming to an end. Jin threw more insults and was shot by the warforged’s crossbow in return. Jak was backed into the wall by now, and the Lady nowhere in sight. I dropped two kobolds and finally saw my way clear to attack the warforged... and found that this one, at least, was not going to go down easy. The others finished off the last two kobolds as I traded blows with the warforged, only to fall at its feet. The last thing I heard was its laughter...

I awoke to a much pleasanter sound, the chanting of a house of healing! It took several cures to get us all healthy again, but I was relieved to see that we were all there. I think the healer closed up shop for the day after we left; we tired him out! We took the pack to Jak’s and emptied it, finding a note, money, potions... telling us to go to a hobgoblin city to find help recovering another ancient artifact of the House. Jak found a half-elf crew to sail us there, and we actually left port without incident. I left Huerga with Jak’s House, knowing that this new city will not welcome our presence. She’d only be a target.

The third night out from port, we woke to screams on deck! We grabbed our weapons and made for the melee, finding that eight skeletons dripping seaweed had climbed on board and attacked the crew. Jak began to sing a rousing song - it really seems to work! - and we joined the battle. Gib, Jak, and four of the sailors hit the deck before we managed to destroy all of the skeletons, but thankfully, only one of the half-elves died. A few days and much resting later, we made it to the goblin city without further trouble...

overwhelming

The goblin city was very unlike Sharn. Dirt and tents made up the chief of it, with one red stone tower looming above. Still, the town was said to be relatively safe to walk in, so we got directions from the crew to the market, and set off for the center of town. Jak and I kept our hoods up to be safe, but in this place that wasn’t unusual! The hardest part, for me, was wrapping my scimitar well and putting it in the bag of holding. It was only wise to cover up my most distinctive weapon in a Valenar-hating city, yet... at least I still had the mace to carry.

The Bloody Market was an ocean of tents, goblinoids, and haggling. Gib led us through the maze, stopping occasionally to ask about where to find “Failin”, without luck. Jak saw that a few humans had booths at the market, and began to ask them as well. She was chatting up a man selling “herbal extracts” when Jin stepped up and actually wanted to know more about their (poisonous) properties! Jak got some ideas about this Failin’s whereabouts, tipped the human, and helped me shove Jin out of the booth. This was when we noticed that Gib was gone... with only a message through Jin that “he’ll know where to find us”!

Jak’s information directed us northward through the market, looking for a sail seller. Eventually, we found a tent with a person sitting in front, sewing sheets of sail together. He told Jak that he “might” know where to find Failin, with a significant pause... so, I slipped her a couple of silver pieces and she offered another tip. This time, we were sent east, to look for someone selling lingerie! Somewhat confused, we headed across the market a second time. I was growing irritated, arguing that we ought to find Jak’s House and ask them what they might know, but when we actually found a real lingerie shop in the eastern district I shut up and followed the others inside.

Jin insisted that it was his turn to talk, citing his experience in diplomacy and mediation. I had yet to see him in action back in Sharn, so Jak and I walked around the shop, looking at the wares, and listening to Jin and the shopkeeper. After listening to Jin ask over and over about Failin while the goblin ignored him to talk about his undergarments for sale, we gave up and headed back to the first human Jak had spoken to; a rope-seller seemed more trustworthy than the rest by now! This gentleman was clueless until Jak thought to trade him her broken fiddle, and we were sent - west, to a tavern, where Failin supposedly hangs out to buy and sell artifacts. I swore the whole time we walked that this was our last such attempt! I was ready to tear down the whole fair to find him!

We reached the Clenched Fist tavern without trouble, hoping Gib had been keeping tabs on where to find us. The mummified ogre’s fist over the door was pretty distinctive; the rest of the body inside the door, even more so! The place was run down, and mostly full of humans. We ordered ale and sat down to listen to folks; when that went nowhere, Jin wandered off to the bar and came back to say that our man was over in the corner. Finally! We found ourselves sitting across from a gangly red-haired human, who was happy to help us - for lots of cash up front. At least he was ready to go immediately, so we went to find Gib.

Outside, we found Gib lurking, waiting for us but refusing to enter the tavern. I pulled coin from the bag of holding for Jak to pay Failin with, and we went inside long enough for the human to pay his tab. Then, we were off to his “land cart” ...a wagon pulled by magic. Before we could pile in and go, however, we heard shouts! Two bugbears arrived on the scene, accusing Failin of being a cheat and worse. Gib disappeared, so did Failin, and Jin wondered out loud if we ought to pay them off, too. Ouch! The bugbears quickly transferred their rage to us when their first target took off! Jak traded words with them, I stood ready for a fight, but it ended with Jin being thrown into a puddle as they stalked away. Jak got Jin cleaned up, while Gib stepped from the shadows, unnocking his arrow, and Failin reappeared to get the cart started, apparently unmoved by his near-miss.

Finally, we were off on a three or four day trip to the Rose Quarry, where red marble is produced. The land cart was very fast, I’ll give it that! After all my travels, I did find it ironic to be headed back toward the Mournlands, however. That’s a border no one wishes to be near. Why is this red marble worth it?

We neared a village at the end of the trip, but found it abandoned and destroyed, seemingly covered with a layer of ice. Some trouble from the Mournlands? We couldn’t see... but we could hear the sound of digging at the other end of the village. In the darkness, Gib quickly snuck off to get a closer look. He found that the “ice” was glass, even covering the bodies of the former inhabitants, and that humans, goblins, and skeletons were guarding and digging at the other end of the village while the sound of someone chanting and praying in the distance drifted over the ruins.

While we waited, I heard the scrape of glass on glass. Peering into the darkness, I caught sight of two figures approaching us. I grabbed Jak and Jin, pointed, and we hid as two undead dwarves, covered in molten cracking glass, shambled at us. Hiding was no use, and we were attacked. Jak hummed quietly, I threw a dagger, Gib reappeared and slung stones, and we found that some of the guards had followed Gib back to us, shouting! Things got very confused in the darkness; I heard Gib bluffing that we had reinforcements, saw skeletons and undead and guards and... I fought until I dropped. Again.

Somehow, Jak was able to get a potion down my throat and wake me up. I hated to admit it, but I’d been hitting our attackers for all I was worth but hardly hurting them at all. I told her we needed to get out of there before we were all killed! Jak agreed, and we turned to the others; Gib looking very bad off, and Jin fighting for all he was worth. We shouted at them to run, and turned to go, ourselves. How I hated to do it! Jin fell, but was surrounded by far too many enemies for us to reach him. It was terrible! To our relief, Gib met us at the cart, we’d only lost one companion. Out of all our fighting, he had managed to kill one skeleton - the only thing we’d killed! We were lucky to lose only Jin!

Gib and I drank more of the potions; now only one is left. He thinks something is controlling the zombies and skeletons. We want to fight again, but are we strong enough to avenge our friend?

Left for Dead

As I drift into the dark void of oblivion one thought crosses my mind. They left me to die. Now I understand why. If they’d have stayed no one would be alive to complete our mission. That, however, does not change the fact, they left me for dead.

The goblin city was a strange place; the only real similarity is they like to give false information, especially when coin is offered. Eventually we were set on the right track and found our contact. We had to pay him up front so he could pay his bill. Once Gib retuned from doing his thing, we were off. There was a small misunderstanding with a couple of “people” who our contact apparently owed some money to.

It was fun to ride in a land vehicle that was moved along by an earth elemental. It was a quiet ride, and I was grateful to stretch my legs afterwards. That was when we realized we were not the only ones at this ruined city. Jak, K’ehleyr, and I went to look around at one area while Gib scouted another. We were attacked by some strange creature that appeared to be covered in ice. We fought as best as we could until K’ehleyr fell. I obtained the full attention of our attackers and lured them far enough away from my fallen companion to allow Jak to dump a healing potion down her throat. I watched K’ehleyr get up. I heard Jak yell “run.” I saw them turn to leave. Then the dark void I now reside in took over and I feel as if I’m holding on by will alone.