Been a month since anything really interesting happened. It’s now the 7th of Goodmonth, and we arrived not long ago in the village of Harrington (which, to call it a village is kinda stretching the term. There’s an inn and a big manor house, plus a few scattered cottages).
We approached the inn first, but it’s been a rough month. I think we had maybe three copper pieces between us. If only we hadn’t bought the –
Well, anyway, Ezekiel chatted up the proprietor, but the proprietor couldn’t help us (too pricy and not interested in a labor exchange) and suggested we try up at the manor house. Apparently there’s a cleric of Pholtus the Blinding Light up there.
Ezekiel (naturally) was very excited, and we trotted on up there. The place had definitely seen better days, but didn’t have “that look” if you know what I mean…the look that I should be watching my back for undead.
Mikael told Nori to hang out on the roof so as not to disturb the residents.
The man of the house is named Haraldus, and once Ezekiel explained our situation he was more than happy to exchange some supplies and lodging for some service.
As he explained, he had five acolytes he wanted to take to a chapel of Pholtus the Blinding Light (the “Chapel of Light”), so they could further study the “true faith,” and he wanted some mercenary protection for them on the road. In fact, he offered us fifty gold apiece if we helped him out!
Well, we figured we could handle that, so we agreed, and Haraldus sat us down to enjoy stew with his five acolytes (wearing grey/white cloaks with hoods that hid their faces).
Haraldus gave a long prayer over the food – even longer than Ezekiel might give. When he was finally done, the acolytes threw back their hoods and started eating.
……They were hobgoblins.
Not the stew, I mean. The acolytes.
The four of us kinda looked at each other, then Ezekiel slapped on an exaggerated smile and started eating stew.
Gotta say. It was excellent stew.
At our questions, Haraldus explained that some time ago, he had been captured by the hobgoblins of these acolytes’ tribe – with the whole rest of his party being slaughtered.
(Sounds familiar.)
However, Haraldus insisted on preaching the One True Path to the hobgoblins, and these five were persuaded to leave their barbaric ways and follow the pure Pholtus (of the Blinding Light). The hobgoblins confirmed his story eagerly in between guzzling stew.
My brother Tomlin always said, “If you don’t ask, you won’t know.” (Tomlin was a hopeless nerd, by the way.)
So we asked: “Why would a group of goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears attack a small village for no reason?”
The acolytes said, “Oh, hobgoblins very mean, very violent. Us hates that way now.”
So…Sorry, Ertulli – goblins are just mean and violent.
Well, the dishes are cleared, and we leave early in the morning (so as not to disturb the villagers). Ezekiel is currently talking to Haraldus about Nori, explaining that she’s really quite nice, actually, just kinda scary when people first see her (especially unexpectedly).
****
Mikael cast Predict Weather this morning (eager to try out his new spells), and said the weather would be “good.”
We introduced the hobgoblins to Nori, and they took her in stride. Duh, they’re hobgoblins. They probably have pet spiders and snakes all the time or something (I have not asked about that yet).
Which is good, because she took down a deer and came trotting into our camp at lunchtime, dragging the partially-munched carcass. Good thing we don’t have a floor for her to mess up.
Made good time, and set up camp in a little wood.
I get to sleep a little before my watch.
****
Nothing is ever simple, is it.
I was on watch when I noticed footsteps surrounding us. While I roused Raven, I realized it sounded like dwarvish feet (they’re small but heavy, and they usually go rattle-clack somehow).
I got Ezekiel and Haraldus up, and while Mikael was calling Nori to stand by, a dwarf came close enough that we could see him and hailed us.
“Who comes?” asked Ezekiel.
“Durglower,” answered the dwarf, which I thought was the name of his tribe – or maybe swearing – but is actually just his name.
Then he (the dwarf) demanded that we hand over the hobgoblins to be executed because their tribe had killed some dwarves.
Haraldus refused, explaining that these hobgoblins were good, now, and had reformed.
Ezekiel also pontificated about how the acolytes were under our protection, and we couldn’t just look the other way on them getting killed.
Well, obviously this made the Dwarf mad.
Ezekiel tore the cover off his shield of Perpetual Light, and the woods lit up with harsh white light and extreme shadows. Then he went for Durglower, and battle was joined.
Haraldus led the hobgoblins in singing “O Blinding Light,” which might have been just as effective a weapon as anything.
The dwarves focused their attacks on the acolytes for the most part, which I think was good for us.
I spotted a dwarf through the trees and started filling him with arrows…but dwarves are unexpectedly tough. I got in four hits, and only then did he start trying to run away.
Meanwhile, Mikael and Nori were somewhere in the dark, trying to bash dwarves. Mikael finally cast Faery Fire, and Nori, of course, knows her business well.
Suddenly, the chief dwarf was yelling, “Fall back!” and the dwarves scattered into the woods.
All except the chief, because Raven charged him, and Ezekiel forced him to surrender.
Haraldus and Mikael went around casting Cure Light Wounds on the acolytes (Haraldus asked “Brother Ezekiel” if he had any healing spells prepared? Yeah, that’ll have to be explained one day…).
One of the acolytes was down, but the others were still singing “O Blinding Light” through their wounds.
Now that’s what I call a radical conversion.
Ezekiel did his pomp-talk to the dwarven chief (Durglower Rockvein), all about how they attacked us in the dead of night without warning, but he didn’t hold ill will against them, and would let them bury their own dead if they wanted.
I counted up three dead dwarves (two of them covered in Nori’s teeth marks, one of them full of stab wounds from Raven), while we’d also lost an acolyte. We dragged the dead out of the woods and lined them up on the edge of the campsite, then Ezekiel and Raven decided to dig a grave then and there (I guess because they were all wound up. I convinced Ezie to leave the rest of the discussion until morning, and the acolytes, Mikael, and I curled up to sleep the rest of the night as much as possible).
****
Morning. Ezekiel announced that he wanted to let Durglower go, but that he was keeping his sword (which incidentally had been glowing last night) as “discouragement” from any further banditry.
Raven and I weren’t sure that was such a good idea, since – as Raven pointed out – it was likely a family heirloom (the kind of thing people are very attached to) and – as I tried to point out – the kind of thing people might commit murder to try to recover (and would bear a grudge for having stolen).
But then I had a flashback to my Ranger Master, talking about the law of the woods. It’s different out here than it might be in a town, and the victorious combatant deserves the spoils.
We were already being pretty generous in not looting the dead dwarves.
And…it was a very impressive looking short sword.
So that’s that. We buried Mook the hobgoblin, Haraldus gave a long and passionate burial service (complete with singing), and we prepared to go after breakfast.
Durglower was not excited to share stew with us, and took off as soon as we let him.
Hope we won’t have trouble there later.
Mikael says the weather prediction is “good.”
Read the next entry here.
This is a continuation of the adventure begun in “How Did It All Start?” To get to know the characters better, click here.
To read where we left off last time, click here.
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