Chapter 2: At the Caves of Chaos

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About the Saga

Timeframe

Cast of Characters

Notable Quotes

  • None

What Has Come Before

Our heroes were part of a caravan traveling to Kendell Keep, a fortress in the lawless borderlands of the western Yeomanry. Only two miles from the keep they were attacked by goblins; after defeating those creatures they decided to track them to their lair. They have done so and now stand atop a ridge line overlooking the Caves of Chaos.

The Saga

Wealsun 2, CY 566

As the heroes approached the cave they came across a human warrior standing on the slope beneath them. The man, armed with a pike and wearing heavy armor, was unaware of their approach. Emmeral and Callie introduced themselves, and the fighter explained his name was Ingelred and that he'd come to the region looking to hunt goblins (there being a bounty on goblin ears at Kendall Keep).

After some discussion they decided to add Ingelred to their adventuring band. Ingelred had seen which cave the surviving goblins from the caravan raid had fled into and led the adventurers to it. They began exploring the cave complex, find that what had once been natural tunnels had been crudly expanded into rough-hewn corridors.

While exploring, the elven wizard Aust Holimiun headed down a western corridor and stumbled into a guard room filled with nearly a dozen goblins. Most immediately attacked, but two ran off for help while another two struggled to open a secret door. The party heard the scrapping of stone on stone as the door opened. What they didn't realize until it was too late that the goblins had tossed a bag of coins into the neighboring room in a bid to recruit an ogre to help them in their fight.

As the initial wave of goblins fell beneath the blades of the adventurers, the ogre stepped into the fray and knocked out Aust with a single blow from his massive club. The halfling rogue Callie and the wood elf Emmeral immediately ran up and engaged the ogre, but the huge humanoid took them both out with blows from its club. Fortunately the cleric Carmo was able to step and and use his healing magic to restore each of them to full life in turn.

The fight continued with Ingelred stepping into the gap left by his fallen colleagues and pummeling the ogre. In a side corridor two more goblins emerged from the shadows to ambush Link. He fought back as Callie, Emmeral, and Aust staggered back to their feet.

Ingelred was able to keep up his attack, finally slaying the ogre with a critical pike blow. Meanwhile Link, supported by his friends, ended the sneaky goblin threat.

Their troubles were not over though, as more goblins could be heard rallying the troops for a counter attack.

The Counter Attack

Rather than fleeing, the heroes decided to hunker down. They fortified -- or tried to -- the goblin guard barrack by taking the room's two wooden tables and barricading the entrances. Moments after the tables were slammed into place, the attack game, with goblins surging from both the eastern and western tunnels, the western goblins being led by the a large, muscled goblin wielding a warhammer.

A brutal fight, all the more so because the dwarven cleric Carmo could no longer cast healing spells. Indeed, not only were his spells exhuasted, but cleric of Moradin fell in the initial attack by the goblins further hampering the defense.

As Carmo lay bleeding on the floor, the halflking Callie rolled a barrel into the center of the room and used it as a platform to shoot at approaching goblins. Ingelred also tried to improve the tactical situation by lobbing a flash of burning oil at the goblins making their way down the western corridor, slowing their advance. As the goblins fought their way forward, he then used another flask of oil to set the western barricade on fire, momentarily causing the goblins to recoil in fear.

Meanwhile the goblins attacking from the east were able to smash through the barricade there, pressing the adventurers back toward the center of the room.

Realizing that the battle was in danger of being lost, Ingelred shouted a retreat. He grabbed the fallen dwarf Carmo and ran out of the room, slashing at the goblin boss as he did so. The boss tried to smash Ingelred with his hammer as he ran past, but instead knocked another of his minions. Fortunately for him (if not the minion) the goblin ended up in front of Ingelred's blade, blocking the attack and dying instantly.

The goblin boss then used one of his own minions to bash down the burning table blocking his way by grabbing the goblin's head and using it as a battering ram. The goblin died instantly but the table crumbled. The boss advanced into the room, laying about with his hammer and dealing out tremendous damage.

Ingelred fled through the nearby secret door, which opened up into a small cave that had served as the ogre's lair. There he saw two leather sacks on the floor. He hefted one over his shoulder and ran into an adjoining room, where he discovered a large bear sleeping on the floor and an exit to the outside world. He didn't waste any time dealing with the bear and ran through the room

Most of the rest of the adventurers -- Aust, Emmeral, Callie -- saw the wisdom in Ingelred's order to fall back and also fled through the secret door. Callie threw a dagger at the bear, just to see if it really was sleeping, and discovered it was dead; the ogre had been using the slain beast as a bed.

Meanwhile, Link Silverbow was determined to stand his ground. His ally Tye fought alongside him, and together -- using sword and spell -- they killed a few more goblins, but it wasn't enough. Silverbow was overwelmed by goblin attackers collapsed to the floor. Deciding it was better to run and fight another day, Tye grabbed his fallen friend and ran out of the chamber, through the secret caves, and into the canyon beyond.

As they ran the goblin chief shouted after them "Yes, run you cowards! Remember what happens when you attack *my* lair!".

Experience

Player Characters

  • Aust Holimiun: 250 xp
  • Callie: 250 xp
  • Carmo: 250 xp
  • Emmeral: 250 xp
  • Ingelred: 250 xp
  • Link Silversword: 250 xp
  • Tye: 250 xp

Treasure

Coins

  • The ogre's mercenary payment from the goblins
    • 250 sp
  • The ogre's loot sack
    • 2,287 cp, 51 ep, 70 gp, a hard cheese, and 658 "gp" (actually copper coins with a wash of gold, which the ogre was too dim to recognize)

Resources