Session 2

You continue deeper into the lair and approach the door towards the south of the barracks room. Beza checks for traps and even though she thought she had checked thorougly, a poison dart erupts from the lock as she opens the door and injures her slightly. You cotninue forth into a corridor towards the west, eventually turning towards the south, where you arrive at another door. You hear noises inside and prepare for battle.

You burst thhrough the door and see that despite the foul graffiti that vandalize the walls, the wall is covered with fresco paintings depicting the activities of centuries dead dwarven warriors. In the centre of the room, apparently waiting for you enter, is the giant Bugbear, Gorg the Bloodyhanded, who has taken this room as his personal quarters and he clearly doesn't like visitors. This is obviously the leader of band of Hobgoblins. You also notice that there is a cage in the corner of room containing a frail scared femail, obviously this is Anna, who you are here to rescue. Fortunately, she is still alive.

Johama strides forth to engage the Bugbear in melee whilst the rest of the party strike at him from a distance. Even though the villain is clearly outnumbered, he fights onward and only through the sheer weight of numbers do you prevail. You quickly approach the caged and crying young woman and set her free, vowing to escort her safely back to her father and to Saltmarsh. first though, you examine the body and the surrounding room and find a longsword of some value, quickly snapped up by Johama and a potion of healing. You examie the room carefully, and locate a hidden door on the east wall behind a tapestry and that does not appear tyo have been opened in some time. Again, you arefully check the door from traps and locate nothing. Carefully opening the door, you enter a corridor off to the east.

You eventually come to a large locked wooden door at the end of the corridor, which Beza makes short work of, and carefulyl open it to reveal a small antechamber. Fragments of disintegrating, rotting tapestry hang on the walls and litter the floors, buth otherwise, you identify nothing of interest. Exiting through another locked door in the east, you enter another corridor that eventually turns noth and opens up into a large temple area, one yet to be defiled by the Hobgoblins or their leader. The final chamber appears to be an ancient dwarven shrine. Six alcoves, each with a statue of an ancient hero of the stout folk, face a crystal skull on a granite pedestal that glows with a gentle blue light. As you approach, the skull lifts from the pedestal and relays a cryptic message in Dwarven to the party inviting you to recite some key phrase. You go back to the room with where you fought gorg, and notice a prayer, written in dwarven, along the wall. You go back to the skull and speak the words of the prayer and the skull drops to the pedestal and the glow fades, never to return. You examine the pedestal and locate a hidden panel within the pedestal. Inside are two potions of healing and a silver dwarven holy symbol.

You hurridly leave the underground temple and start to make your way back to the Village of Saltmarsh with Anna. On the way back you are assailed by a small group of bandits and their leader. At first you prepared for a difficuly encounter, but a critical hit by Aemi on the bandit leader, decaptitated him instantly, and the remaining bandits fled the scene, never to return. You experienced no further incident on your way back to town. On arrival, you are met by the familiar face of Eda, Anna's father Braxton and an addtional council member introduced to you as Eliander Fireborn. You wickly relay your story to those present and are presented witha reward of 200 gps from a grateful town. Both Eda and Eliander thank you for your help and invite you to take rest in the Inn after your journey.

You retire for the night, wondering what tomorrow will bring.....