Meet 153, Adv 16, 3/21/26

We decided to go and visit Rash Ma’Luud, Sultan of the 3rd Storm. There was a portal to take us to the Air Plane and after we made sure to eat and get ready, It was Heatmonth 17th, 1:30AM when we stepped up to the portal. Stoneribs seemed unhappy and informed everyone that we needed to stay close and together, there was not much land here. We roped each other together and then followed the mighty Stoneribs through.

We found ourselves lying flat on a wooden surface. The wind was horrendous and we felt like almost twice our normal weight. Staggering to our feet we took a good look at our surroundings and gasped in awe. We were on some mighty tree, 300’ wide easily, the edges curled up. We were standing on the trunk of the tree. Behind us it curled up almost 200’ , tufts of branches and leaves whipping along there maybe a quarter mile away. Big featherless birds were milling about there, watching us. IN front of us – the trunk went off for miles, going straight down as far as we can see . The entire wooden tree was free falling in some cloud bespoked sky, spinning like a 6 mile long wooden integer sign, the spin giving us the illusion of gravity.

Amidst the howling wind, Stoneribs pointed down trunk, yelling that we needed to go that way. And to stay out of the troughs. We started walking, everyone checking their rope again and again. There were indeed large troughs in the wooden surface, 3 to 6 feet deep and seemed to be scored into the wood. We walked along, slow at first but the strangest thing, as we made our way away from the far end of the integer tree, our weight and the pressure and wind seemed to diminish, making our trek easier.

We did hear a rumble and did spy a speeding river of water racing down the trunk through the trough, speeding past us at 90 or so miles per hour. Stoneribs grunted and led us on. We saw great birds, tremendous and majestic. There was a sphere of water just floating through the sky, far enough away that we wouldn’t hit it, but Stoneribs said it was about as much water ass a good sized lake.

Great gasbags, the trailing tendrils, and other strange figures flew along in the storm. We could see other integer trees in the distance, spinning in the eternal storm, the size of a planet, a torus of wild air spinning in space.

Fuck. We don’t belong here.

We could see some city or something built into the trunk as we got closer to the middle. There were blue skinned thin and smaller people here, with feathers and flaps of skin under their arms. They seemed friendly and were tending to some thick moss. Weight and pressure was not less than normal, maybe 80%. They identified themselves as Aerans and were kind enough.

At the city itself, we could see all types of creatures and figures, massive birds, columns of air, even a few beholders. The Sultan’s palace had the minarets and the golden onion dome. What seemed to be silvery gold threads ran off from the city to just OUT there. What seemed to be the size of a longboat was all loaded up, a pair of hooks holding it suspended from one of the golden threads. Then there was a building twisting noise and then WHAMPH!! The ship sped off so fast it left a ghostly after image of itself and then disappeared. We came closer and eventually after going through a few functionaries, made our way to the Sultan’s audience chamber.

Rash Ma’Luud was djinn. Tall, powerful, turbaned, he was shrewd and met with us with a guileless expression and bit of a smile. We talked to him about who we were and our conversations with Oblord Seven and Countess Respidrii.

One of the things we gleaned pretty quick, the Sultan was unlike the other 2 rulers. Oblord Seven was slow, thoughtful, and cautious. Countess Respidrii was impulsive, hot headed, and excitable. The Sultan? He was smart. Cunning. Careful. And we were dismayed to discover, not interested.

Air acts as transport and messenger service not only for Helen, but other elemental lords from all over the spectrum as well. He is the only one to have any use of the Flowstring, the most volatile aspect of the refined Hadesnium. No one else will even touch it. He uses the flowstring to expand his network to other nodes, other worlds, other planes. As he said, if you aren’t expanding your business, you’re contracting. Status quo is never good enough.

He runs a section of the Flowgates right through the heart of Water for Princess Alecta, oxygenating a section of mid and deep fathoms for her so that she and her people can directly handle the pressurization herself. He does the same for Fire, redirecting his Flowstrings to run concordantly across the Forges of Fire to allow her refineries to operate at maximum efficiency. He is one of the only ones who doesn’t produce a good for trade – instead he’s the only one who provides a service. He gets a small cut from Water as payment.

When we were realizing we needed some time to talk, he offered us a flying carpet to ride, we took it out (another djinn drove it for us), and sailed though the plane of air for a bit talking. This was not going to work out. He had no reason to do anything, Air is well situated in the center of things…and if we push too much, what would stop him from just having a conversation with Queen Helen Back on his own, blowing our plans out of proportion? We signaled to go back and once there, thanked Sultan Ma’Luud for his time and left the palace.

It was 3 hours down trunk again, through ever deepening and increasing force and gravity before we came again to the gate to Fire. Passing through we sort of pissed of the Countess’ people. “We are not a waystation!” We made our way through and out, heading back to Earth.

From there we were treated better and made our way through the Earth caverns to the passage to water. Stoneribs let us know that when Ghostbear goes to Water, he does a spell so they can breathe underwater. Then he transforms into an Orca to make the swim easier to Princess Alecta’s coral palace. This limited our number who can go. We went through the group, how many spells we had left, and settled on 2 going through – Wilhelm and Connal. Two water breathing spells. Wilhelm could turn into a harbor seal, Connal had the ring of free movement. Plus as a harbor seal, Wilhelm should be able to talk to just about anything under the water.

The spells were cast, he left his gear here, and Wilhelm transformed into harbor seal, the two of them rolled through the gate and ended up in the elemental plane of water. There was an outcropping of some stone platform here, 50’ long, 30’ wide, the portal was in a cave at the back of the platform, a rain of gravel over an open hole. The water was clear, visibility was astounding. We could see for miles in all directions. Some swimming figures, rays slowly flapping under water, sounds from all types both above and below.

While looking about a merfolk wandered over, seemed to be a triton. Asked who we were and Wilhelm said…”Seal. Adam Seal.” We talked briefly about visiting and having to see Princess Alecta. The triton looked us over and took a guess, “Fetch quest? You need something?” He was willing to lead us to the Coral Castle and we set off – Wilhelm easily swimming and Connal doing that weird monk running under the water thing with the ring of free action. The Triton thought it was odd as hell and muttered about the oddity of fetch quests.

A bit under a mile away we arrived at Coral Castle. The area around it was set up with weird baffles of Flowstone, capable of turning the current in any direction quickly. The castle was large, and anchored faintly in the water here. There were floating fields of seaweed and glowing lichen. Whales, and elementals, and gilled creatures and sahaughin and even crab people milled about. We were escorted to Princess Alecta’s audience chamber where the youthful nereid was giving audience. Our concern was briefly if she would recognize either of us and the answer was no – not as a seal and not Connal most likely. He stayed back in the crowd for now.

Wilhelm took point in conversation, buttering the Princess up and then segueing over to the need for a deal with Helen. Unlike Sultan Rash, Princess Alecta had the emotional fluidity of a 15 year old girl. She was mercurial, quick to show her emotions, and when she learned that Helen Back and the goblins talked poorly about her even though she acts as muscle and vault for the Sword Bitch, she took umbrage. She called out 3 names and 12’ cyclones of water sped towards her, angry with her wrath. She pointed to a shimmering hole in the elemental plane just outside the ground of Coral Castle, 20’ wide, 6’ wide, and ordered them to “go through and vent her displeasure on the goblins there!”

3 water elementals stormed through and the people in Princess Alecta’s throne room applauded her decisive action. They then talked about the split and changes, the dropping of fire and supporting earth and air…

And then through the hole stormed in what had to be, Eternal Goblin Queen, Executioner in Maglubiyat’s Name, Helen Back. She was tall for a goblin, over 6’. Green and red hued skin. Clan in midnight purple scintillating spiked platemail, she held a sword of pulsing obsidian that  distorted the water around her. A pair of demon horns sat proudly on her head, curled back and were encircled by a halo of hellfire. She had a set of 25’ wings and she strode across the water as one would ground, literally burning her footsteps into the wet surface as if she was pouring molten lead.

And she was angry, eyes fixed on Princess Alecta who had quieted right down, and pointed one hand at the now cowering nereid. “Princess Alecta! What in the names of the demon princes do you think you are doing?!!?”

Alecta tried to deflect and grew terrified. Helen was right up there, majestic and sinister. Many goblins had died. She has other problems than this shit. WHY would you dare do that?! Alecta tried to talk about the new deal and her disdain for Alecta and her efforts. So Helen rightly asked, “Who told you this thinly veiled line of bullshit?!” And Alecta, and many others in the audience chamber all pointed to Wilhelm disguised as the harbor seal and said, “Him. Adam Seal.”

Wilhelm made a split decision as Helen glowered at him. He twisted in the air, fins and legs pushing, made an Immelman turn and raced for the nearest window trying to escape. Helen had a single swing and her sword smashed against Wilhelm’s back, laying his flesh wide open and dropping his hit points to half or less with a single blow. Connal ran for the nearest portal and joined Wilhelm in open water, the two of them orienting themselves for the distant portal back to earth just a bit over ¾ a mile away and swam/ran as fast as they could.

Connal COULD have outdistanced Wilhelm but stayed at the seal’s pace, the two of them barely escaping the suddenly shifting currents of the flowstone that Princess Alecta “tried” to adjust before they escaped. Helen was giving pace but she was not as fast as either of the fleeing adventurers so instead used her demonic powers and gated in a 20’ long, 4’ diameter mass of green and black amorphous creature with 4 dozen snarling and drooling biting mouths along its entire body. It hit the water hard and swam after the two of them. 80’ away for now, and swimming at Wilhelm’s speed.

8 minutes to the portal. Wilhelm could maintain top speed for 2 before he would need to start making checks. Connal could go 5, 6 since he was slowing to Wilhelm’s speed. They raced off, the gibbering mouther on their tail. As expected, on minute 3, Wilhelm began gasping and moaning, pushing himself on. By minute 5 they were hoping a shark would arrive, the seal was leaking a line of blood behind him half a mile long and it would hopefully arrive and interrupt the mouther’s approach. Did not happen. Instead, Wilhelm began to slow and the mouth closed. 80’. 50’.

20’.

2 to 3 minutes still to go to the portal. Connal could tell Wilhelm was not going to make it unscathed. So he turned in the water, feet braced behind him, the druid shot past like a lion, and the monk smashed into the mouther with his dagger out, getting in the way as it latched on and the 2 of them ran on, grappling and stabbing and biting one another. Briefly Wilhelm thought to slow and help but Connal had already put on his own speed, dragging the mouther with him, yelling at Wilhem to “Go! Go!”

Less than 2 minutes away. Connal was being chewed up, losing strength from the bites and other temporary ability scores. The ring gave him a benefit though and 2 of the mouths fell away, leaving a single one, still biting and chewing at the monk. The platform of stone was right there, Wilhelm skimmed along the flat surface, angled up, and hit the portal to the elemental plane of earth at 21 miles per hour. He blew though as a seal to the other side, flying over his gathered friends, rolling to a stop, and gasping for breath, eyes wild.

Connal was just ahead of the mouther as he too ran through the portal, skipped along the ground, skittered to a stop, rolling twice before rebounding up, soaking wet, dagger out, looking back at the portal.

Waiting.

The mouther did not come through. And we could see and hear nothing on the other side. Wilhelm turned back to a human and the water breathing spell ended, Connal and the druid spending a few minutes choking out and spitting up the water that was in their lungs. We shared what we had learned and decided, it was time to get out of here and now. 9:30 AM, Heatmonth the 17th. We made our way back to the gate to the prime material plane and stepped through.

The Goblin Warren was a mass of gathered and walking goblins. Hundreds were milling about, called west to the far side of the entrance of the city where Queen Helen was giving orders. Amidst the mess, Shim cast invisibility on everyone and we held Stonerib’s hands as he took us once more walking on the cavern wall and ceiling up and over and around to the other side. We entered the building, closed it behind us, and returned to our friends who at his point had to abandon the hut, leaving a single hour still on the clock, but reset won’t occur until 10 pm tonight.

We talked and stayed hidden. As it stands, Helen still doesn’t know it’s us, assuming it’s another animal and a single human fucking with her. She had to have gotten an earful from Alecta. The thought was she was going to go and visit the other nodes and see what’s going on. If and when she leaves, would be our window to step through and run the gauntlet through the Warrens.

Ghostbear used one of his major spells, Planar Ally, to watch Queen Helen for the next 24 hours and let us know the moment she steps out of the prime material plane – that is our clue to move. We talked about what we were going to do. We hoped to rest and get spells back. The gathering outside was already over and the goblins were returning to their respective warrens. For the 2nd one, Stoneribs and Connal were going to head to the Overwatch and do their damage up there, take them out and keep the chain gates open between 2 and 3. The rest of us were going to kill as many goblins as we could and support Darius as he and Geronimo tanked the juggernaut.

It was 10:15 now on Heatmonth the 17th and we were hoping to get what rest we could.

2nd Campaign, Session 1. 3/18/26

After taking a few months in RL off, the group had wanted to roll on with the characters that had successfully plundered B5, The Horror on the Hill. Missing our gnome, the player had rerolled another one, Fighter thief this time, and we picked up the foray to The Slavers (A series) story with A1, Slave Pits of the Undercity. Again - 26 session commitment, meeting every other week. I warned them that this was a Gen Con tournament module, designed to be more deadly and dangerous than a normal B/X adventure - 40% chance of death.

They said they were ready - let's find out together over the next year how it goes.

Write up follows:

According to some, for the last several seasons, organized bands of pirates and slavers have made a living by raiding the coastal towns on the Dyrian Sea. Ranging from Onnwal to the Wild Coast, they have descended quickly and ruthlessly on the small towns and villages, and carried off innocent citizens into the night. Although these marauders were not approved of by the lords and rulers of the lands they raided, they were allowed to continue their depredations. Being far enough from Karameikos, the local minor and feuding amongst the lords and the lack of funds prevented all but an occasional naval battle with the villains and the slow fortification of towns. Bribery was often a more effective method of protecting one's lands from the incursions of these avaricious seawolves.

Recently, however, the slavers' attacks have become more frequent and vicious. Believing their prey to be weak and helpless, the raiders have burnt entire villages and pulled down the waits of towns. Women, children, and whole families have disappeared; and though bribes are accepted, the agreements are ignored. Vast tracts of the barbaric coastline have been reduced to ashes, left barren except for packs of wild dogs.

The lords have finally become determined to take action, forgetting their petty squabbles to unite against the marauders of the yellow sails. Through information gained from escaped slaves, and those fortunate enough to have been found and bought by families or friends, the lords have learned they refer to themselves as The Syndicate and traced the slavers to a port from which they launch their swift attacks on the coast — the despoiled city of Highport. The Specularum Exploring, Guarding, and Adventuring Guild has gotten the ok from the Duke’s envoy as well as the King of Jector to combat these rogues. Even King Thor, the Orcish lord from the Broken Lands, who many had said was behind these attacks, have given his support to end these attacks.

Some who have lost kin and fortune to the reavers have advised taking a fleet and crushing the outpost, but cooler heads have prevailed. They have pointed out that such a base is undoubtedly well-defended and that the slavers, if alarmed, might arrange that loved ones and kin are never seen again. Instead, they have chosen a plan at stealth. Your band of adventurers (and supposedly another band) have been gathered together and will be sent to infiltrate the base and destroy the leaders of this evil band. Caution is recommended, for the true strength and extent of the Syndicate is not known, but they seem to be stronger and better organized than encounters with their small raiding parties would Indicate.

The weather has warmed slowly and the snow receded. The ice on the Dyrian Sea melted and smaller ships have once more plied the waters. On the 15th of Airmonth the first of the big Cogs left the quay to bring tradegoods east and west, which meant we were to gather soon.

On Airmonth the 29th, 195 A-30. The party gathered on the main docks of Karameikios, staring up at the 4 ton merchant sloop, the “Hawk’s Tail”. Captain Artina, Human, male, mid 40’s, was going to take us 6 days east on the Dyrian Sea to Highport. This will place 3 days past the direct reach of the Duke’s Frigates and in open waters. The smaller cities and towns on the Dyrian Sea in this area are a loose confederation, and often have little or ties to one another. For our safety and the safety of the ship and crew, the “Hawk’s Tail” does NOT fly under the Dukes’ flag or the Karameikios flag, instead it flies under the Feresco Merchant House. Ostensibly, the ship and its wares are in the market to see rare furniture grade hardwoods and will be using Highport as a base. 3 weeks is the window of time we can stay at the docks before the Hawk’s Tail should leave and then return a week or 2 later to keep up appearances.

As per the agreement, food is being covered for the party and Thobar will be once again carrying for the group, acting as porter. Captain Artina wants us to make sure we do not cause any undue attention to us while in Highport since we don’t want to be chased out.

The city itself is run and ruled by a Lord Keleborn, The Meek. He is known to be an ineffective ruler but we don’t have more particulars yet. Once we get to town, our contact is Father Falder, one of the last priests in town. He can be found at Temple Way, in the Temple of Uller. The 6 days passed with little concern. The air was cold and crisp, the wind favorable, and the company pleasant. We all caught each other up on what we had done and any new skills or abilities we had gathered since.

On Birthmonth the 5h, @ 2:30 PM, we came around the western edge of Inlet Bay and rode the Hawk’s Tail to the largest quay in Highport. The city is situated on a large rise of land, going almost 220’ at the top of the highest point, giving the entire city the look of being on the side of a sloping bowl. The bay was dirty, smelled, and was in poor condition. The jetties to protect the shore line had rents and holes in the stones, and the docks themselves could have been better maintained. ON the east and west quay was a schooner with yellow sails. Furled, but very much yellow.

Captain Artina was talking with the Dockmaster, some coins were exchanged, papers signed, and then it was done. 3 weeks from today and we’d have to sail out of dock. 2 weeks to return to Karameikios and come back to keep up appearances (and get more food and trade goods) if we have not resolved the issue yet. He let us know that our contact was Father Falder at the Temple of Uller while in town.

We left the ship and after getting a brief heads up of the city, made our way northward and upslope to Temple Way. The city was fairly well sloped, and over time, many cobbles had disappeared, leaving pot holes and standing water. Also, it appears that whatever sewer system was in place was no longer working. Instead, an over street series of troughs had been dug and ran down via gravity to the leeching pools to the east end of town. It gave the place a deep feculent smell.

We went up slope past the warehouse district, slums, mercantile houses, crafting halls, and mid tier level housing before we arrived at Temple Way. 8 massive temples and grounds were here; Thor, Idun, Odin, Uller, Thrym, Gruumsh, Frigga, and Vidar. Each one was 2 to 3 acres of grounds and had a temple on place. However, some fire had run through the west end of town, burning the 4 temples there. They were closed up.

At the Temple of Uller, we entered the grounds, picked through the unmown grasses and around the over grown flowers. The place, like the rest of town, was tired, worn, and in need of repair and sprucing up. We entered the main Cathedral and looked around. The place was set up more like a keep than a temple. Arrow loops, bracings for the door. Father Falder was a human, almost 50, tired and worn. He was warm and happy to meet us. He had 2 others at the Temple. Brother Ontant the Dwarf, fighting looking type, missing a leg on his left side, a peg leg was there. There was also Braliance, Half Orc youth, 12 years old, novitiate to the Father, and more elbow and joints than anything.

We got more of a heads up from them of Highport. Lord Keleborn, the Meek, is referred to as the Cuck by the populace. His 3 year son and 9 month old daughter he had with Lady Gailinda had pronounced lower teeth and a greenish cast to their skin than their 1st child, 7 year old Karto. Town has been on the down swing for a while, but it really cratered after King Thor of the Orcs sent some recruiters down here 6 years ago, riling up the people, emigrating a number of half orcs from the heart of his kingdom, and crashing the economy. Then the fires 4 or so years ago that ate half of Temple Way and too many other buildings was the death knell. If they had a better leader, things would get better, but for right now, momentum keeps Highport moving.

There are 4 criminal elements in town: Pirates, Syndicate, and 2 smaller groups that run numbers and gambling, and the other runs brokering and sex trade. None of them are any sort of defacto leadership and seem to be scrambling for whatever parts they can consume. As for the Syndicate, Father Falder has an idea. The Temple of Gruumsh was one of the ones that had been burned 4 years ago and the main Guilds opted not to fund the rebuild of the place. Instead they sent their people in, took everything that was not nailed down, and deconsecrated the land. Most of the other temples have done the same.

But, over the last 3 months, with the biting cold, they have seen the odd smoke coming from the chimneys and a person or two wandering near the front of the grounds. Braliance dared to go over there to look around, saw some slave wagons (empty) and half orcs on location but was roughed up and his coin pouch taken. If they do operate there, they are mostly under cover. Maybe something below ground? Three main people: Slave Lord (unnamed), Valeria (travels occasionally), and Marquessa (She comes from some other locale infrequently).

The old priest of Gruumsh before he left, dropped off the secret door key to the back of the temple to Father Falder once they learned the Uller priest was not leaving the area. He told us where to find it (back of the temple, south end, there is a marking of downward “v”s at the stone). We would have to sneak on grounds.

There is a criminal element at night, most of them will not go after larger groups, but a single, pair, or trio walking might be fair game. We wanted to check the place out and Fjord was going to make a copy of the key that we have, and a few of us were going to walk about. Some went to the temple of Thor and Thrym, made an offering of candles and prayers, and then walked by the other 4 burned locations. Gates were chained and locked, lots of burned stone and stunted vegetation. Generally unused. We did note that the lock in front of the Gruumsh temple was new and painted to look rusty. There was a channel, open sewer, that ran behind the temples, filled with water, urine, scat, and filth, that we could try to walk through to get to the back (south) end of the Gruumsh grounds. And from the front, we could see a section of the back 12’ wall had caved in, leaving a “V” with a 2’  tall wrecked area.

Back at the Temple of Uller we talked about options and it was decided that Fjord and Hrimvar would sneak onto the Thrym grounds, get to the back corner where it abuts with the Gruumsh ground, and scale the wall there and walk around. Fjord activated his ring, went invisible, and was hoisted up, hands on top of the wall.

Where we slammed them on set glass up there and took terrible damage (called shot) to his hands. He stifled a yell, came down, and sobbing, went back with Hrimvar back to the Uller Temple. Some healing was doled out but the half ogre was going to hurt until tomorrow. That’s when we learned from Father Falder that he could also provides service in name of Uller for the party: Remove curses, heals, blesses, regenerations, neutralize poisons. It had a cost (from 500 to 5000 crowns), but good enough for us.

We split up into 3 sets of watched the Gruumsh area during the night. Hearing activity between 3 and 6 AM only. They were orcish, couldn’t make out what was said, but there was also…ghouls? Ugh! We gathered back and on Birthmonth the 6th, 8 AM, talked about what our next action was going to be.

Meet 152, Adv 16, 3/14/26

Heatmonth 15th 10:20 PM, 289 of the 29th age. We got the lay of the land from Ghostbear, Geronimo, and Stoneribs. Discussed what we were to do next, how we would leave the Umbra, and other notes. Connal was abrupt and rude, almost condescending, Shim was also part of it. Not brave? Could have helped. Other comments. Eoghan and Darius tried to give cooler heads and the monk played it off like he was just saying and didn’t mean it.

Then Nate had a few things to say, which turned into quite a lot to say. He berated the 3 natives and the 2 animal spirit gods, lambasting them for not jumping in. They were the only one to do this, the only one to get everyone home. Don’t need or want their help. It was long, damning, and brutal.

When he was done, Shim was nodding in agreement and Ghostbear was like – fine. Fuck off and go do it yourself. There was much discussion and Darius took Nate outside to cool the fuck off (even though it was 120 degrees with 3 suns burning overhead). Things were not good, eventually some cooler heads prevailed but there was now a sour undercurrent through the entire thing. On the morrow, they would all leave and return to the goblin warren, and Stoneribs would escort a few of the party to the Earthgate on the south side of the Warren. Ghostbear would camouflage them before they left, and they would all stay in the hut at that time.

During the night, Wilhelm, Nate, and Eoghan had recurring nightmares of the goblin kids they had killed. It repeated again, and again, and again – in many cases the kids appearing as human. The ages shifted but the kids deaths were all real feeling, exhausting the 3 of them. The plane of Shadows (where we were) shared the Cosmological locale as the Realm of Nightmares, so it was part of the reason it was so heavy, prevalent, and real.

The guide and savior of the shared dreamscape was the emergence of Lathandar. He sent the other 2 on their way, reminding them to be good. Children are NOT universally evil based upon their race and should be treated accordingly. He then turned to Eoghan when the others were gone and was so happy to meet him. He was in a conundrum, because he did not know Eoghan at all. But he also knew everything about Eoghan.

When the group fell through the Ragnarok Gate from the Desmondian Diamond, Jessie the rabbit, a small piece of divinity that Eoghan had rescued from the Terror Dungeon in the Lathandar Node, came through as well. Except in this time, Lathandar is NOT a forgotten god, but a powerful and well liked and respected actually prayed to divine being. And Jessie … WHOOSHED right back to him.

To Lathandar it was decidedly odd. He had 100% of himself, but here was a 5% piece of him, telling such fanciful and strange and odd things. Things that have not happened. At all. It was frustrating. He’s been waiting for the opportunity to talk to Eoghan, but the Ranger had not been in a place he could easily commune with, until now.

No god, no one, can pass backwards through time. Except Chronos and he has been lost under the River Lethe, rotting away in the darkest hole of Tartarus since the formation of the Crystal Spheres. In fact only Odin has any perfect gift of foresight, and he had to hand from a tree for 9 days and give up an eye for it. And here Lathandar has a small time glimpse of it, and it’s enough to drive the god almost mad.

But he wants Eoghan to know that he can succeed, he is rooting for him, changes are already occurring. And he wanted to let the ranger know…his son. Lives. It’s true. To Lathandar’s eyes, Eoghan’s son is alive and if and when he manages to get himself done and back home, he will see him again. There were thanks and hugs and the dream eventually ended.

The night passed and the clock ticked over to the next day. Healing was doled out and we grew ready. Ghostbear planeshifted us back across from the Umbra to the Material plane and we were in the goblin warren, in the same building, 2nd floor. There was a temporary scaffolding up in place and the stairs down to the 1st floor had been consumed. It was relatively dark outside. We opened the hut and split the group – Wilhelm, Darius, Shim, Connal, Nate, and Captain Asher would go with Stoneribs to the Earth node. The Native hero could extend his walk on any surface ability to anyone who joined hands with him.

Ghostbear camouflaged them and they left, heading up to the 4th floor. From there they made it to the roof, crawled out, and closed the roof access trap. A number of giant spiders were about, but the goblin city was not on high alert anymore. They all stepped back to the wall of the city, and then stepped onto it, climbing up the cavern wall slowly to the roof above. From there they walked along, the ceiling eventually curving down, the group of them ending some 15 or so feet above a building.

There was a tunnel here, an underhang of rock obscured it from being seen below. They entered, perhaps 6’ wide, 10’ tall. Some distance in the passage had an area with falling gravel. Stoneribs held his breath, parted the falling stones, and entered, the group following.

We felt the incredible weight of stone above and all around us. A guard met us, recognized Stoneribs, and was willing to take us to See Oblord Seven. We passed gnomes, dwarves, giants, worms, even Xorns and an illithid. The main cavern had a figure made of stones, and elemental reaching 15’ in height. This was Oblord Seven. Darius headed off the talks.

He was charming and ingratiating, taking the stance that the Earth elementals were great and deserved better. We learned a bit about what was done here for Queen Helen Back. The Earth node provides Hadesnium and Flowstone for the Fire forges. The realm of Fire refines the Hadesnium into finer materials, sending some of it back to the Earth Node. The Flowstone and cutaways are also send to the Water realm to help them make baffles for the increase and decrease of Water flow traffic. In Return, Water performs deep hardening and pressurizing techniques on finished goods Earth provides, making the crafted goods practically invulnerable. They also act as a bank for Helen if need be, storing riches for the Goblin Queen.

We suggested heavily that instead of having Queen Helen get in the middle of it, they should trade directly with the Fire Realm. Earth was a bit pissed off that the best refined material of Hadesnium was something called Flowstring that Air uses to power their trade and messenger gates. If the group could get Fire to cease passing material on to Air, Oblord Seven would try to make a deal with Countess Respidrii of Fire directly.

We offered to go and try to talk to Countess Respidrii and were given the ok to pass through to the Fire Realm from the Oblord’s personal gateway.

We left the realm, passing through a curtain of falling fire, and found ourselves in a superheated flamescape. Most of the place was embers, small flames, fields of lava, curtains of fire.  A pathway of obsidian acted as a highway for us, the temperature remaining at a bearable 110 or so degrees. Go off the path, temperature hit 200 easy and then some.

A Fire Giant named Canal stopped us, was not happy, but agreed to take us to the Countess. It was a long walk, more fire denizens, eefreti, salamanders, horses made of fire, giants. Eventually we arrived at the Countess’ audience chamber and she was not happy to meet with us. Captain Asher passed on being the person who talked, giving the mantle to Connal to treat with her.

She demanded combat, and called to her personal Captain, Taris the Fire Giant, to step out. 16’, she held a 2 handed blade almost 10’ in length. The 2 of them squared off and fought . Darius was surprisingly capable and held his own, turning the combat to a series of dodges and parries, his axe cutting deep and often. Taris eventually started throwing 25# boulders at the knight, clipping him in a couple of places. Eventually she lunged down and snatched him up, grappling with him. Darius and Taris who had been bantering the whole time, the knight then used her bosom as a step, shoved himself up and kissed her.

The combat sort of ended and the two of them left, calling it a tie, Taris taking the knight to her chambers where even with the 2 plus times height difference, enjoyed one another.

We talked to Countess Respidrii. Yes, she gets Hadesnium from Earth. They supply much of it back to Earth for their purposes, and give the Flowstring to Air. Air then turned the volatile and wildly erratic refined Hadesnium flowstring into a series of Flowgates that they use to transport goods great distances almost instantly. Air, the local ruler was known as Rash Ma’Luud, Sultan of the 3rd Storm, also ran an entire communication array with the Flowgates. In return, Air has shunted a section of their Flowgates to act as blowers for the Forges in Fire.

Countess Respidrii sees no reason to make any direct trade with Oblord Seven that would cut out Air, since Rash Ma’Luud takes the most dangerous and volatile material off her hands, pays well for it, and helps power the Countess’ forge. She might be willing to deal directly with Earth if Oblord Seven agreed to stop providing Flowstone and trade with Princess Alecta of Water.

Darius eventually came back, singed, smiling, and winded. We figured we would have to find the weak part of the interconnected trade agreements and upset it long enough to take Helen Back off the board and allow us to then pass on through the rest of the Warrens without the Goblin Queen present. The thought was we would try and visit Rash Ma’Luud, Sultan of the 3rd Storm next. Heatmonth the 16th, 11:45 PM.

Meet 151, Adv 16, 3/7/26

Heatmonth 15th 8:05 AM, 289 of the 29th age. With the Warren chanting outside we backed away from the windows and quickly made our way down to the 2nd and then 1st floor. The faster party members were eating up ground, hitting the store down here. It was a finished art store, pictures, slate, canvas. 2 front facing windows. Massing goblins outside. Already 3 ranks, more coming. “Gotta get that Hwa’cha disabled,” Connal muttered.

Display table was upended, Nate showing it in one of the windows. Darius locked the door. We were going to rush out there, was the thought. Then the back ranks began hurling sling bullets, half pound hunks of lead, spinning wildly through the air. Table, doors, shelves. Shattered glass, forced us to get low, give ground.

A wind wall shot out, slamming into the ruined art store, sending broken glass to soar about, cutting everyone half a dozen or more times. Shim actually went airborne, almost whisked away but was safely grabbed and brought back down. We backed up to the stairs. Wilhelm had some spells he could try to cast on Connal.

IN VAS FLAM GRAV POR

The air outside ignited and a Fireball smashed through the front door and exploded. The entire floor shook, the building ground, and super hot fire race up the stairs engulfing Nate briefly as well as blowing out the front door, ending the conflagration just shy of the gathered goblins. Wilhelm cast Jump on Connal who ran as fast as he could for the roof access. Looking out the front window, we could not account for one of the giant spiders.

Another Fireball raced out, hitting the ground floor again, causing the structure to lurch and if anyone was still down there, they’d have been vaporized. Taking aim, Eoghan loaded up his last Thunderbird Arrow, arced back (the entire air seemed to slow down, ozone racing through the sky and igniting the ranger from behind and beneath), took aim, and fired.

And a single 60 hp stroke of Lightning blew away from the range, consuming his Uller bow, lancing into the street, and obliterating a spider rider and the Lolthian steed it was riding, leaving a smoking crater behind. The goblins close to that were quieted but the sudden and brutal death wasn’t enough to stop the overall chanting. Connal made it to the roof, shoving the trap door open and then lowering it in place. Goblins were racing around, lining up, getting in order, and coming to the building. The group was seriously overmatched.

And then the goblins called out some complex spell and the entire front of the building turned to mud, 2 stories worth of cladding and stone face slid out and away, crashing to the street below, leaving the 2nd and 3rd floors wide open.

FIRE!!

And the Hwa’cha to the west fired, sending 100 bolts streaming across the air and smashing into the party, tearing through everyone rank by rank. Most everyone was terribly wounded but Nate gave up his life, shifting his shield from himself to Shim, saving the gnome but dooming himself, the fighter/thief hitting negative hit points and then dead.

And then sling stones followed, ripping into the room, knocking armor and people wildly all over. Shim shot off a magic missile spell at a spell caster but it was stopped by a shield spell. A Lolthian spider crawled into the open floor and viciously attacked Wilhelm, the fangs pouring poison into the druid’s veins, the elf staggering but still alive. From outside one of the goblin spell casters was casting cloudburst on the burning 1st floor. Eoghan pulled out his hook and hook possible long bow.

Connal made his way eastward over building and gaps, running for the still 2nd unfired Hwa’Cha, his invisibility holding. Two demonic bats swarmed into the area, watching the fight unfold in the building. The spider’s venom continued to eat at Wilhelm, the druid falling over dead. Somewhere in the mess, a goblin shamen yelled out Hellfire Transport, and a 9 count of goblin warriors were transported to the open 2nd floor, doing battle with the group. Wilhelm’s animals were going nuts, tearing and shredding the goblins here. The goblin’s outside were given the order and a 30 count charged the first burned out floor.

Bit by bit, the party began falling. Hit points whittling away. The bodies hit the ground but appeared shadowy, as if not entirely there. Connal throttled the first goblin on the dead man switch, watching more goblins enter the warren from the lower warren, 40 more advancing. As the goblins around his were punching and hitting, he pulled the trigger and the Hwa’Cha fired – sending bolts and arrows INTO the building, but this time spearing and killing the Transported goblins there. He climbed up to the top and JUMPED back to the building, as sling stones and giant spiders gave chase.

To stop the press of bodies coming to the stairs, Shim cast a summons – getting a Gelatinous Cube – which he proceeded to gum up the stairs with, stopping the goblins from coming up from below. Darius fumbled, losing his axe while fighting a Lolthian spider but he lunged forward , shoving and pushing, trying to man handle the massive arachnid off the building. Healing was doled out but we were losing.

Shim called out, “I cast Lovitar’s Spell!” and the spider was hit with 5 instant waves of cascading pain. This allowed Darius the chance to hoist the spider up and SHOVE it off the building. He grabbed his axe and another wave of HELL FIRE TRANSPORT shot out, and 8 more goblins hit the party from the front. The fighter was critically struck in the chest and killed instantly.

Connal managed to dance and dodge his way over, an errant Hold Person spell hit his ring and slid off, protecting him. He slid down the front of the building and swung in, daggers and fists flailing. There were maybe 5 of us left, Connal tried to grab Wilhelm’s pack, the druid very shadowy, using the etheric gloves – instead it felt like he was being pulled in, the skin hot.

A fast decision was made as the goblins massed for a final overwhelming wave. Spells were coming through the open walls, sling bullets smashing everywhere. The last 5 of us linked up and Connal plunged his enchanted gauntlets into the shadowy outline of his friends.

And the 5 of them were transported through the edge of the elemental Plane of Fire to land with a rolling crunch in some desert. Cactus. Odd colored sky, hot. 2 suns. A single wigwam was here. We crawled towards it and there were all our friends who had died, and 5 others. An oversized coyote, an oversized raven, and 3 native americans. A large muscled one, chisled good looks, and a bare chest wearing a shirt with sleeves only covered in fringes. A slightly older one shorter, mad glint in his eye and sparks on his teeth. And a much older one, grizzled and wrinkled, long greying hair but kind face.

They were Stoneribs, Geronimo, and Ghostbear. They had been watching us for some time, waiting to see if we were brave enough to eventually face the Sword Bitch, Queen Helen. Bear alerted the spirits that strangers had come to the cave over 2 weeks ago. Raven came up with a plan to steal some of our life force each night. Coyote planted a spinel as treasure in his lair and we picked it up. Each night, the spinel would siphon a bit of out life force to Coyote who would then bring it to Ghostbear who would bag it for us. They had multiple medicine bags.

If we die, we would come back the next day a bit more hurt and weak, but still alive. In fact everyone who had died had lost a permanent constitution point. And some of us had more permanent injuries (scars, sores, hunches, no tongue). The bravery sense was not given to the few who had ridden with Connal to here in the Umbra – but they would have a chance to prove themselves later.

While here, 24 hours, they can sleep, study, pray. But, they cannot open anything with a seal to it, and food and water will taste as ash. But they did know how to find the guardian of the earth gate and would go with us to sneak there tomorrow.

Meet 150, Adv 16, 2/28/26

Heatmonth 15th, 3:00 PM. Hiding in the 7th building (by count along the north wall, from the end of the Warren we were looking to get to), we discussed options and plans. The thought was to keep picking our way along but to not get caught. The next building was the one with the elder couple in it (currently elsewhere). But for this, we figured, let's check out the rest of this building. 3 invisibilities were doled out and Shim, Connal, and Nate made their way downstairs.

3rd floor had some apartments and the 2nd floor was the same – kids and families. The 1st floor was a store – a cloth store (raw bolts, not finished goods), and being everyone was on lockdown, they were a captive audience for the shop keeper who was trying to force a sale on the goblins here. We listened for a bit and then went back to the rest of the party.

Given the Chime was still in position, we snuck across the next building, setting ourselves up again in the elder family’s home. We looked diagonally across the way to the other home. It was the home of a scholar or some sort, books, inks, papers. Shim read some of it, maybe a history teacher.

We went back to the other apartment and extended the bridge again, crossing to the 5th building where the gnoll had attacked people had been. We know the investigation of buildings below was still going on but we had not crossed to a building that had been searched so we had some breathing room for time. The place smelled bad, lye was in the air, and the scent was making us breathe funny and our eyes hurt. We got out of there to the next one across the way, looking over to the drug user’s apartment over there in the 4th building.

Being it was a 6’ gap, Darius slimmed the door down some more and Shim hit it with an enlarge spell – making it more than long enough to clear the gap. We extended the bridge and 4 of us invisibly made out way over.

6 goblin druggies in here; 3 were baked, 3 were just high. Door to the hall was open. Could see people walking back and forth there. Place was dirty. Goblins were seemingly rolling some powder in some damp cloth balls, packing drugs? A few noticed the bridge and were like, Maglubiyat wants me to cross it. Nah mad, you’ll fall and die. No, Mag’s wants this. Others came into the kitchen and were discussing what to do. Connal tried to shut the door and a goblin in the hall 2 seconds later slammed it open yelling at them, to keep the door open! Ventilation! Don’t shut it!

We stayed aside, lured them back to the main room, and then ran across the bridge, Darius pulling it back and us slamming the shutters closed again. We waited to make sure the noise died down and then figured we’d need a different place to cross over.

So we decided to check downstairs and there were 2 goblin families here, both with young kids . Invisibly we scouted it out, north east was a family of 4 and southwest was a family of 5 – other 2 apartments seemed empty. We figured to tackle the north east one first. So 4 of us were ready – Eoghan, Nate, Connal, and Shim. At 7 PM then snuck down there, and opened the door – arrows flew, killing the day, pegging the game board they were playing, then taking out the mom, the elder son, and then the daughter – elapsed time – 15 seconds. A bit of noise was made but they closed the door and waited.

No one seemed to catch them, so they figured to take out the other apartment next. Listening had 5 in here, and it sounded like it was bath time. 2 of us were now visible so we had to be faster. Door opened and Eoghan was not as effective in his shots this time, arrows going everywhere. A single yell started and Nate was in, face slamming the 4 year old into the wash basin, throttling and drowning the child. Shim and Connal were next but were still about half a second out and some cries were given before we silenced them at long last. Brutally, powerfully, and without mercy.

We gathered together and tried not to look at what we had done. A quick clean followed and then we were gathering some food stuffs to eat up when a Detect spell rang out from outside and we were found. 8:05 PM, Heatmonth the 15th, and the chants of Helen were following as the goblins gathered forces towards getting us.

Meet 149, Adv 16, 2/21/26

Heatmonth 15th, 11:15 AM. Given the low light, we hoped that details of our being caught were minimal. A few Lolthian Spiders and riders were on the various buildings, one of them highlighting our direction with a blast of dancing lights. Shim Countered the end of the area of the lights with a darkness spell while the rest of the group ran to the edge of the next roof.

Connal and Darius were tossing people across the gap while we kept a ready eye out for approaching enemies. A look to the street showed goblins gathering and running along. A few other spiders were climbing on the ceiling or vaulting over the gaps in buildings. Random sling stones flew out, ringing off floors and roofs as we ran off. Shim fired off a knock spell, unlocking the roof access of the next building that we were running across to. The Hwa’Cha was being repositioned to take a straffing run at us if need be. “Off! Off the roof!”

Access hatch was lifted and Asher was down first, turning to help catch everyone who fell down afterwards. The Captain was kicked and buffeted, but the party slid down the opening as fast as we could. On the floor of the 4th floor, we plowed into the apartment on the north side of the building, racing across the ruined apartment to the shuttered window. From the roof the spiders were close and Shim fell down the hole, getting battered as Connal was last, twisting in the end to lock the dog wheel above.

Across the way, 4 feet, was another apartment, seemingly empty. From the edge of the window we could hear goblins chanting and racing into the building as well as forcing the roof access open. Shim shot off an Open/Close spell on the other shutter and Connal vaulted through the 2x2 window and across the open 4 story alley to the other side. Taking the busted door off the floor, Darius scraped a long furrow down the length of it, scoring deep with his enchanted axe and then splitting it in twain.

Using the 6 and a half foot, now 2’ wide door plank as a bridge, he spanned the opening and the party hit the window and raced across to the next building, closing the shutters behind us and quieting down. We snuck across to the next side and from that apartment looked out. Across the way was an older goblin hanging a bit out the open shutters looking at the street. We quietly opened this one, and Connal ran, launching himself across the gap, slamming into the goblin and..non-lethally…smashed his head into the countertop before lowering him to the ground. An older goblin female was calling out to the kitchen and Connal repeated the action, knocking the old woman out, spilling stew everywhere.

We repeated the action crossing now to the 6th building. We wanted to keep going but a look at the next building showed a number of goblins looking out – in fact 3 or 4 windows filled. We needed to back up and Shim shot off a Summon Monster spell, getting a gnoll that appeared in the next apartment and proceeded to tear into the goblins there. This attracted the goblins in the street and we fled back from the building with the older couple to the other abandoned goblin building and waited there.

The situation outside calmed down a bit and eventually various goblins did arrive. We chanced to open the hut and hid within, knowing we had an hour and a half tops before it was used up for the day. Healing was given and we waited.

After 1 hour we snuck out and could hear voices across the way. Investigators were talking to the older couple about their attacker. Human, bare chested. They had a preconceived notion on who or what, and we assumed they were guessing Stoneribs might have been here. This means they saw a group of us, but no identifiers as to who we are. So that was good. The elder couple were being taken to the infirmary as per their adult children and the investigators. We could not hear chanting outside anymore so that was good. As for the gnoll, the thought from the goblins was it too might have been Stoneribs or something like that, and some goblins in that building had been hurt and/or killed.

We waited an hour for them all to go before we guessed we could cross again. We used the door/bridge to funnel everyone back to the older goblin apartment where we ate some of their stew and Wilhelm set himself to use the cauldron here as a reflecting pool. We gathered around as the druid cast the spells one after the other – using all 4 of them, but getting 24 valuable minutes of information.

The building past this one along the north wall (of which there were 5 still till the end), had a variety of apartments and homes, each getting nicer and nicer. There was a drug den, some young goblin couples, then a nice penthouse apartment. Eventually the last building was a cathedral to Maglubiyet. The streets had goblins about. There was a group with some shamen who did glean Wilhelm’s scry briefly before he pulled the image back.

At the end of the Warren was a set of stairs going down, the passage narrowed to 20’. A plinth with a 14’ gargoyle was on top, a chain around its neck, keeping it within 50, 70’ of the plinth. A Warren was past here. 2/3rd the size of this warren. An Overwatch with 12 goblins was on the ceiling. A weighted kill switch would seal the doors at the far end of this warren. Some juggernaut of brass, iron, steel, and wood was set up below, metal and stone rollers spiked and ready to defend. Better neighborhood here. Richer. Still over 150 goblins at least. Some steamworks were here as well, 3 to 10 suits for goblins here.

The images eventually ended and we discussed what to do. We didn’t want to be caught here, so we went to head back to building 7. Before we did we unlocked the roof access here on the 6th building and then went back to the 7th one to discuss our next options. Time was 3 PM, Heatmonth the 15th.

Meet 148, Adv 16, 2/7/26

Heatmonth 15th, 6 AM. After waking up and breaking our fast, we went through our supplies and then were going to set out. The assumption is that the goblins have been further establishing their dominance in the area so we wanted to check it out with care. Shim cast Invisibility on Nate and the budding thief slipped out and checked around. Could hear more goblin mining in the distance, and it sounded like multiple picks at a time. There was also a set of mine cart tracks here, running around the length of the room in the center, heading south and west and then north and west.

Dared to check around the corner to the north, Hellfire brazier was still there, and there was the start of a set of a gates at the northern exit for the chamber – and the western end of that chamber had the collapsed stones removed. The mine cart tracks ran off that way. And there was the sound of distant goblin voices. He headed back and shared what we learned. The consensus was that the goblin expansion was happening all around us and our window to slip out was fading and fast. We had to go.

We linked up, closed the hut, and made our way north, relying on the infravision people to guide our way. As we came to the brazier room, we paused long enough to make sure the coast was clear before sending Lexi in in both, drag the copper brazier to the side, but to feed on the hellfire within. She ate swiftly, dormant flames withing the hellhound firing up again. The rest of us ran north, through the not completed gate, across the stones, and to the waterfall chamber again, Eoghan and Lexi slipping out last but safely and better off.

We had heard from the Wolf Spirit that the Cree Negashi had made their way to the chasm where the Water Babies had offered them some succor. We figured this was as good of a place to go next, especially as it was hinted the water babies could possibly make it down to the city below.

However, as we came to the bridge, we fell victim to the cave fishers…again. And again it was Captain Asher who was hit, whisked up and away from the bridge. Damn it! This time we were prepared, sort of. Another weighty chest, and another feather fall took care of the insectoid, tearing it from its perch above as it perceived the Captain’s weight to be much larger than its own. But the space and drop was going to pull Asher down so Nate made a brave leap and knocked the Captain aside just in time, clutching his friend to keep from falling, as the fisher whistled past and smashed to the rocks below. “Hey! More food for the animals!”

The two friends settled down to the bottom of the chasm and Connal and Darius used ropes to ferry the rest of the party down. 7:35 AM. We approached the northeast section of the chasm where the water was pooling from the falls above. We could hear faint cries from the water. Eventually a young adult/teenaged figure came out, reddish tanned skin, long black hair. It talked to us after we convinced it that the Wolf Spirit and the Cree Negashi were our friends. There were more of them, they arrived some months ago but the goblins had attacked, wounded, and then eventually dragged its clutchmates out of the water, effectively stilling them. They were taken away somewhere. It has no love of the goblins.

It tried to describe the city area below, the falls down there, the massive pool, the goblins who come and get water, the guards and buildings. But we needed more information. It could swim not only down the falls, but up as well. But to swim any of us back up would not be possible except for Shim – the rest of us were too large and heavy. So Shim volunteered to go down. They held hands and Sim could feel sharp barbs connecting him to the water baby. And then he took a deep breath and was dragged under the water.

“It would be funny if we totally fucked up just now and trusted the wrong figure, huh?”

Shim felt himself dragged under the water, everything blurry and hard to focus. The lower half of the water baby was a mass of undulating tentacles, flippers, and fins, running out almost another 7’. The hit the drain hole and swam DOWN the waterfall, the Water baby kicking off just a moment before they would have smashed on the rocks about 30’ above the pool, and then dove into the spray to the water here. Shim resurfaced (maybe 35/40 seconds?), made sure his oilskin messenger bags were still closed (would protect his scrolls for 10 minutes before water would get in, spoiling them), and took a look around.

Hwa’Cha was the most obvious thing outside of the water, 90’ or so from here. Menacing tall tower of prepared missiles. 20 to 30 buildings down here, on both sides of the massive cave. Some 3 or 4 stories tall. Lolthian Spiders with riders were perched on top of buildings as well as walking the city. Easily a dozen goblins AT the pool. And another 2 to 3 dozen could see the pool should need be. Two buildings were nearest the pool – west was a forge or smithy on the bottom floor, 3 stories tall, east was an apartment building of some sort, 4 stories tall. A few windows visible.

Shim nodded to the Water baby who grabbed the gnome and swam UP the waterfall, dragging Shim behind, until we arrived at the top and made his way out of the pool. He stripped off some of his wet things and wrung them out, sharing with what he learned below.

We then spend some time talking about invisibility spells, how long we could hold out breath for, and the time between the water baby trip up and down the falls. The hope was enough of us could get down there and we could all fight as one, but the ability to stay underwater for that length of time was not possible. At all. Not for an all in one plan.

So that brought us around to the hut and nap spells. A few of us would go down ferried by the water baby, we would be invisible, then make our way to the tenement housing building and find a way inside one of the apartments and open the hut and get everyone out. It was a good plan. Captain Asher cast the spells, Invisibility was put in place, we sealed the hut, and we had an hour on the clock.

A few of us cycled down to the pool below, thanking the water baby and then figuring out our next options. We swam quietly to the east side of the pool, waited for a clear spot, and then when the coast was cleared, climbed to dry land all the while watching the hundreds and hundreds and goblins going about their business. We crept eastward to the building there and looked in the nearest windows. Some sort of bedroom, goblin sleeping. Darius led the way to the front of the building. There was a main door in, and on the 2nd and 3rd floors were some sort of overhang place to sit. There were a lot of goblins about. Shim was keeping time – 43 and ½ minutes expired.

We made our way to the front door and then pushed it in. Hallway, 2 doors left and right, stairs and the end going up to the 2nd floor. Garbage and weird smell. Noises in a few of the doors. We opted neither of the doors on the left as we know through the windows we could hear people inside. So the 1st on the right. Checked it out, locked. 55 minutes. Knock spell followed, pushed in, we entered. Foyer, smells of feet. Goblin woman, so very fat, sleeping on a shitty couch. 59th minute, no time – good enough.

Hut went down and opened just before the nap spell ended. We went in to check the animals, all friends up. Then some 1 year old goblin toddler stepped into the room and took one look at all of us. And Jarjar, Wilhelm’s Lynx, lunged forward as the kid began to yell and eviscerated it, tearing its throat out and then raking it, splitting the child in two. Blood filled the area and we all just looked around, counting to 5 to see if anything heard us. Darius turned to Wilhelm with a WTF expression and Nate was just slashing the air with one hand in a repeated be quiet, its over motion.

We looked over the apartment we were in. 3 or 4 room. Corpulent goblin woman sleeping, kitchen with some gruel looking crap in a pot, main bedroom, and a smaller closet like bedroom – with 4 other goblin kids in it in cribs. We guessed we were in some goblin nursery. Shit shit shit. Also, looking around – the apartment should have 2 adults in it – but there was one missing. We didn’t have much time.

Nate did suggest that maybe killing the goblins would be necessary and There was much discussion about not now, not in a fight, their fucking sleeping, and there are kids. Direct quote from Nate, “There is no such thing as an innocent goblin.” We did pick up the goblin kid body and put it in the couch under the cushions for now. “We can’t stay here,” we need to find another place to hole up.

Shim and Nate, invisible, went into the hall and up the stairs. They creaked and were in bad condition – limited to 1 person at a time. Another 4 doors up here 2 and 2, and then another stair going up. Some woman goblin was fighting with her kids and the fight spilled into the hall, another goblin from another apartment came out and helped ameliorate the situation. We waited and were not sure about this. Time was ticking.

Went back to the main apartment and told the group what was what. We had to risk going up to the 3rd and/or 4th floor. 3rd floor was partially lived in only 2 apartments had people in it. The 4th floor was abandoned apartments. There was a ladder at the end of the hall leading to the roof. The 2 friends crept that way, opened the jogging lock, and pushed it open.

City was laid out about them. There were at least 8 lolthian spiders we could see, and three of them were on patrol. They would travel about 1/8th of the city’s perimeter from the roof of the building or the walls themselves and then stay in place looking around. 300 goblins in total? We could see the far end of the warren had some sort of exit from the cave there so that was the ultimate goal – but there were at least 9 or 10 building between us and there.

A patrolling spider saw the open roof access and came over, closing it (locks from the inside). We waited for it to move on before daring to open in again and slip back in. We went back down to the 1st floor and told the group what was what. We figured we’d make the roof and then travel from roof to roof eastward and hope to make it out that way.

Then there was what to do here. Start a fire? Stage an accident? Nate was talking about options when a goblin kid saw us and starting yelling. Wilhelm being the closest ended up throttling the child as it was biting and scratching at the druid, choking the life out of it. Nate took care of the mother swiftly and the situation was getting out of control. “What the fucking hell guys?!” Darius asked. Captain Asher felt VERY upset inside from Maglubiyat and Eoghan was just, “They’re fucking kids, damn it!”

“Guys, no more.” “Its out of our control.” “No its very much in our control.” “It’s a series of unfortunate accidents” Nate assured as he set fire to the living room. “Let’s get going.”

“Sonovacrap..”

We left the apartment and ran for the stairs, pounding up them. A Few goblins that saw us tried to get in the way but were either intimidated to return to their home or just flat out stabbed (depending on who ran past) as we ran on. 3rd floor, 4th floor. Roof. 10:55 AM.

We emerged up here, smoke coming from below. In the excitement, we made our way west to the next building and jumped or tossed across everyone the 3 to 4’ gap. From behind us, Wilhelm could feel druidic magic being cast as multiple cloudbursts filled the apartment, guttering the flames. We crossed the 2nd roof to the next building, making us 8 buildings away from the end of the Warren. When multiple spotters saw us and the alarm was raised. We were 4 stories up, Spider riders and others turning our way, a bit over half way through the goblin City, at 11:15 AM on Heatmonth the 15th.

No where to retreat to. Do or die.

Hero time.