12 - 6/18

The storm continues to rage outside as the group huddles around a fire for warmth. Theta decided to see if he could recharge the Science Tube with its electrical energy, but determined after some arcane investigation that it was not the same type of electricity but rather it was powered by souls! The group cut up the Cave Fisher for usable parts and collected the body of the lad who perished here, and in the morning set off for the final trip towards the keep.   After trekking through the wilderness for awhile up a dangerous path, the group arrived on a bluff where they found the burial site of the man who had been missing his son, and got a good view of the entire valley. After surveying the sites a bit, the party could also see Vraath keep from here, and the party continued on to the castle   Upon arrival, the group found a group of hobgoblins had besieged the walls and had it surrounded. The first group proved no match for the parties assault as their defenses were all angled inwards, and an exhausted Mithris tried to help by firing arrows down. With the group reunited with their old companions from Helgafel, a plan was formed. Because of Mithris's unique senses, she discovered that a portal to the Abyss lay inside the keep and had informed the party that increasingly difficult attacks from Manes (lesser demons) had harried the group during the night, and even captured one of their own. But first the Hobgoblins needed to be dealt with, and the group set off out of the keep to face them.   A difficult fight ensued, with Theta even dropping once due to a flurry of arrows, but with their leadership gone the remaining fled and victory was had. Mithris got some much needed rest from her week of exhaustion, and the group determined that even with a long rest, night wouldn't approach and they could possibly stop the attack before the Manes came. The rest stood watch, and after a long rest the party ventured into the keep. From the second levels courtyard Theta noticed eyes peering down at him from the north section, and had a hunch that it might be a Fey creature and called out in Sylvan. Surprised that it wasn’t from there, further to his right Theta got a response from a bewildered fish creature named Blegenshy, who claimed to have came here from a portal and was followed. He was floating in the hallway and seemed scared and trapped, and just wanted to return home. Hilda noticed a strange magical essence from the southern portion of the keep, and rather than try the main section, the group decided to explore the southern small area first and see what Mysteries it contained