• Cast of Characters
• Backstory
• Session 1: Goblin Raid at the Well Traveled Tavern (Janurary 31st, 2006)
• Session 2: Adventurer Raid on the Goblin Caves, Part I (Feburary 7th, 2006)
• Session 3: Adventurer Raid on the Goblin Caves, Part II (Feburary 14th, 2006)
• Session 4: Chimes at Midnight Part I (Feburary 28th, 2006)
• Session 5: Chimes at Midnight Part II (March 21st, 2006)

The Groundwell Adventurers all grew up together in the small hamlet of Groundwell. They've been playing adventurers as long as they have been friends. As a result they've had their fair share of mis-adventurers in town. These range from jumping out and terrorizing traders that visit the hamlet, to waking all those in the hamlet in the middle of the night to defend against a vampire invasion (which turned out to just be nothing more than a few bats flying around).

The most prominent episode was the burning down of Smedley's barn. Their story was that they were stopping the Smedley brothers from performing a demon raising rite, while the Smedley brothers say they were just drinking with friends. In any case something caught the barn on fire, and since the Smedley brothers were older than any of them, they got blamed. While they were let off from any serious punishment, aside from having to help rebuild the barn, because it was chocked up to them being just kids whose hijinks got out of hand. Jisrae will say that it was his sweet talking ability though that saved their hides.

The Adventurers have decided it is time to leave Groundwell and go forth into the world for real adventures. (Unbeknowst to you the hamlet is glad to see you leave, hoping things will be quieter now). It doesn't hurt that the hamlet has decided to give them some nice going away presents; 5 gold pieces each, a weeks worth of trail rations, plus a simple martial and range weapon each. Summerset though was given a nice chainmail shirt from her parents who own Summerset Blacksmiths.

The Well Traveled Tavern

Sign post of the Well Traveled Tavern

Night falls. They come across a Well Travelled Tavern. Jisrae goes up to the barkeep and offers to sing for their keep. Merchant stalls line the other side of the street. Carts are hitched up behind them. Jisrae sings for keep and food. The patrons are only mildly impressed. They get some grub and a room for free. Gorram wants free beer. Some man wants him to dance for it. Gorram: “You going to make me?” He fingers the hilt of his sword. Morena volunteers to dance. After her poor performance: “You should be paying us to watch this stuff.” Also in the bar are Anvil Hammerstone the owner, his wife Gem, his son Gray, his daughter Flower (all dwarves), two merchants, five henchmen, one woodsman, and one fighter. Jisrae tells the rest of the group not to talk and sit at our table in the corner. Vyshte manages to buy all of them beer after dropping coins and wrestling them back from the henchmen. Others discuss payment for work done.

Morena and Edna Bettie go to look at the mules. Two henchmen follow them. Gorram looks at his beer and wonders if it is half full or half empty. Beer goggles make the women look pretty. He distracts Vyshte. Twls gets drunk and goes to sleep under the desk. Jisrae goes to bed. Edna Bettie follows Morena, who wanders like Billy from Family Circus throughout the town. The henchmen are standing there oblivious. Morena goes up towards the henchmen; they move toward the two girls. Morena and Edna Bettie wrestle over who is in front. Morena wants to know what is in the cart. She is looking for powerful weapons of medicine. The guards are confused. “Want to see what’s in the cart? Come back tomorrow morning and we can sell you stuff. Why aren’t you in the tavern? We were sent out to make sure you weren’t going to steal stuff.” The henchmen argue over whose cart they will buy from. Edna says one will buy from one and one from the other. Morena tries to bribe them with extra money to look at the carts. They don’t accept; the two girls go off to bed. Everyone goes to bed. Vyshte sleeps standing up.

Gorram hears loud footfalls running down the steps. He pulls out his sword and opens the door. He sees the hat of the woodsman at the bottom of the stairs. A merchant is standing and walking tentatively closer to the steps, and the henchmen jostle trying to make each other go down the steps first. Gorram closes the door and wakes everyone up. “Let’s go find out what’s going on!” They pick up gear and question the merchant. The merchant says that the mules were making noise, and they hear shouting. They head down the stairs and out the door, and Jisrae sends Gorram in front to smash some heads. A rock smashes in a window as they get to the main floor. Little creatures are trying to crawl into the window. Jisrae yells “Over there!” and knocks the closest table over to give him cover as Gorram wrestles with a henchman to get by. Gorram throws the guy aside, Edna moves in between them, and Vyshte is pissed that she has been woken up. Morena goes to hide behind a table. Edna runs over to a table closer to the window and sees about five different things forcing their way through the window. They look like ugly little creatures (a.k.a. goblins, although the party doesn’t know that). Gorram goes through the door and circles around to get to the things from behind. He sees two henchmen cowering against the wall of a stall. One of the henchmen inside smacks his head against the wall; the other one slams his head against the desk and knocks himself out. Jisrae shoots with his shortbow towards the window, and one of the creatures falls out. Then he pops back down behind the table. Vyshte also runs forward. Morena shoots her crossbow at the window and hits the table right by Edna. Two of them make it through the window. Edna punches one into the wall, and it falls dead. Gorram attacks them from behind and slices one. Jisrae moves towards the door so that he has line of sight and can see out the door and shoots. The arrow thuds close by Edna again. Vyshte runs and attacks with her halberd, poking it and cutting its arm off. Morena fires at one in the window and knocks it out with her crossbow bolt. The one outside tries to get away; Gorram tries to hit him, but he books it out of there. Edna punts the creature on the floor and impales it on a table candlestick. Gorram runs the other one down… “Mercy…you want mercy?!? I’m chaotic neutral!” He kills it. He steps on another one’s head and kills it.

Edna tumbles out the window, Morena smashes in the back window, Jisrae came out the door, and Vyshte follows Edna out the window. Morena sees two more creatures out the back. The rest see the cowering henchmen. Jisrae: “Hey, what’s going on over there?” Then he goes over to the stables. Edna runs up to the henchmen. Gorram follows and goes past her. He sees a lot of small figures and other humanoid figures down near the mules. “To me, brothers in arms! Charge to battle!” yells Gorram. Jisrae is at the stables and starts singing to inspire courage. Vyshte runs up behind Gorram. Morena shouts and casts sanctuary on herself, but she is so nervous at the sight of the creatures that it doesn’t work. They pull their daggers out and walk towards her. The others fight down by the mules. Edna runs around to get them from the side. She sees what’s left of a mule being dragged by four creatures. Gorram charges in: “Time to die, pipsqueak.” He fells one. Jisrae heads diagonally towards the action. He wonders where Morena is. Vyshte charges in to attack and fells one. Morena realizes that they are scared of her and goes ooga booga boo. She prepares to inflict pain and steps forward. They back up slowly. Vyshte gets hit by one, but another misses her. The woodsman dies. Edna hits one, and it crumples over the body of the dead woodsman. Gorram: “Die die die!”…they don’t die. One henchmen steps aside, and the other waves Jisrae in. He sees Gorram and Vyshte attacking. He shouts encouraging words: “Go Vyshte! Go Gorram!” Edna: “…what about me?” “Go Edna!” Vyshte halberds one to death. Morena: “If you don’t leave me alone, I’m going to smite you.” She smites and kills one. The others slowly back away. The fighter goes down. Edna misses. Gorram hits the one who felled the fighter and slices him in half against the cart. The henchmen root the others on. Jisrae tries to figure out if he knows Morena is missing. Vyshte misses. Morena yells smite again and shoots a bolt into a goblin. He screams his head off. His cronies run for the hills. Edna knocks one underneath a mule. Gorram charges in and swings, checking it so as to not hit Edna. Jisrae circles around the cart. Vyshte hits and fells one. Morena skips and yells smite as she shoots and misses the injured goblin. He pisses his pants. One tries to hit Vyshte and misses. The mule stomps one to death. Edna punches one. Gorram misses again. Jisrae keeps walking and slips in gunk on the ground. Vyshte kills another. Morena smacks the wounded one and kills it; then she skips towards the others. The mule goes down on its knees. Another swings and misses Vyshte. Edna kicks and leaves one half dead. Gorram swings and misses, spraying blood everywhere. Jisrae: “There’s blood over here!” He follows the blood trail by feel. Vyshte hits one that is slicing and dicing the mule. Morena skips down towards the bloody singing noise: “Smite smite-y smite.” One goblin runs off. Gorram hits him as he goes by, and the goblin’s buttcrack goes up its side. Edna kills one, and Gorram kills one. More blood! Jisrae keeps following the blood trail that he can now see in the moonlight. Vyshte puts the mule out of its misery. Morena skips towards the stable.

Everything in front of them is dead. Gorram goes to search through the carts. The henchmen wander down cautiously. Jisrae stops playing his instrument and wanders back. Vyshte checks the corpses for stuff. The henchmen tap Gorram on the shoulder: “Excuse me?” He turns around and faces them with blood pouring down him: “I’m just making sure the goods are nice and safe.” Edna tries to prevent Vyshte from looting the bodies and grapples her. Gorram: “Look, women wrestling!” The henchmen enjoy. Jisrae says that they want to make sure that none of their possessions get lost, so they will take them off the bodies and talk to the relatives of the deceased. The henchmen want it split right now. Gorram: “You didn’t do any fighting, pansies.” He pushes one to get to the fighter’s corpse. The henchman pulls out a dagger. Edna tries to talk them into going back to the merchants and gets sliced with a dagger. Jisrae tries to trip one. Vyshte attacks the henchman and misses. Morena meanwhile pets the horses in the stable. Edna hits for nonlethal damage, and the henchman goes unconscious. Gorram grapples the other one. Morena wants to take the horses because they don’t have names on them; then she decides not to. Edna goes off to fine Morena. Jisrae collects everything off of the bodies. He gets a longsword, leather armor, a helm, and a dagger off the fighter and a sword, leather armor, a dagger, and a shortbow off the woodsman.

They go back to the tavern. Anvil is standing at the door. Jisrae: “What just happened? Does this go on regularly?” Anvil: “It’s the first time in a long time.” His family is fine, as they stayed inside. The merchants also stayed inside. Anvil asks for the possessions of the fighter and the woodsman. He offers them a night’s stay and good meals in exchange. Jisrae tries to bargain to get something better. “Either give it up now or I’ll force it out of you.” He hands it over. Vyshte objects that Jisrae is the leader. Gray gives them beer and nice rooms. The merchants go to check their stuff. Gem bandages Edna up. Jisrae drinks ale, acts disgruntled, and goes to bed. Jisrae is more grateful after he sees the fine rooms. The next morning, the weapons of the fallen are mounted on the wall. A table is propped up against the broken window. They burn the goblin bodies. The dead mule is being buried by a henchman. The merchants wonder what they are going to do.

The infamous bridge

The Golbin Caves as found out so far

In walks a paladin. Anvil walks up: “Araya, it’s good to see you. I’m glad you finally became a paladin. Bad news though…your father died last night.” Araya: “NOOOOO!” Twls is there but hung over. Araya comes over and chats with the party who witnessed her father’s death. Gorram is still sleeping. Morena stumbles down the stairs and sees Araya talking to the party. Then Gorram follows her. Morena: “What can you do?” Araya pulls out her sword. [Rachel: Araya reminds me of black people crying.] They explain the difference between clerics and paladins to Morena: “You go ooga booga, she goes smite-y smite-y with a big sword.” Araya wants to go after the goblins; Morena wants gifts. Anvil goes to talk to the merchants. Jisrae kind of wants to go to the next town, but the others persuade him that he can get more stories this way. Anvil says that they will get the nice rooms anytime they come back. The merchants will send stuff home to their parents; another will give them four potions of cure light, two potions cure moderate, and one cure serious.

They pack up and follow the blood trail from last night’s mule. Araya takes her father’s horse, and Jisrae and Morena ride the other. They come across the corpse, and they hear a buzzing from the trees. They see batty creatures (stirges), and they swarm at them. Gorram slices one out of the air. Twls attacks one with a dagger. Edna punches one and kills it. One lands on Twls. Another one tries to fly away. Araya misses. Vyshte misses. Jisrae tries to shoot and falls off the back of the horse. Morena shoots with her crossbow and misses as Jisrae falls off the horse behind her. Gorram misses. Twls and Edna also miss. The bugs also miss. One flies away. Araya hits the remaining one and kills it. Jisrae shoots the one flying away but misses, and Morena also misses. Edna hits it with her sling, but it flies away.

Gorram tracks them up to a rickety bridge. The horses have to be tied up. They leave Jisrae to guard the horses (practically tied with the horses) so that the goblins don’t eat the horses. Morena goes first and goes splash. Edna balances across and starts to get out her rope to get Morena out. Gorram goes sploosh. Twls hangs on the bridge, dangling her feet in the water. Vyshte throws her rope to Gorram. Edna throws her rope to Morena, and Morena catches it. Gorram manages to stand up in the 5ft. water, and he grabs Vyshte’s rope. Twls falls in the water. Edna throws a rope at her, and Twls manages to catch Edna’s bad throw. Gorram jumps in again and walks across the rest of the way. Vyshte tries to cross the bridge and goes splish. Araya also goes splash. She stands up and picks up Vyshte. Jisrae sends the horses back to town, and he crosses fine.

Vyshte goes off in the wrong direction, but Gorram drags her straight. It gets dark out. They come to a steep gorge where the goblin hideout is. Gorram wants to charge. He goes off, and Vyshte charges after. The others go more slowly and carefully. Vyshte gets to the cavern mouth and sees little blocks with people looking around the edge of the barricades. They have arrows at the ready. Vyshte yells that there are five: “Kill kill kill!” and she runs up and swipes at them. Morena casts sanctuary on herself. Araya moves up to the edge of the entrance with Twls. Jisrae: “Remember the fallen! We kill them for the fallen!” The goblins shoot at Vyshte, but they can’t penetrate her armor. Gorram moves in, as does Edna. Vyshte slices one. Morena saunters ahead. Araya moves in near Gorram. An arrow hits Gorram. He charges and attacks the one who shot him and reams through him. Edna goes up next to Gorram and punches one across the barricade with a cool move. Vyshte misses. Twls hangs out. Araya charges and slices, but she fails to hit. Jisrae lights things up. Morena wanders in. Two goblins bolt in two different directions. Edna jumps over, lands on top of the goblin, and kills him.

Morena runs down the path to the left. Jisrae chases her, and the rest follow to the north except for Twls, who sneaks the other way. Morena comes to a door and goes in. Vyshte runs in the door too, as does Gorram. There are six other goblins. Morena: “I’m shiny.” Then she realizes she doesn’t have sanctuary any more. Morena summons a celestial giant fire beetle. She gets hit by a morningstar. The fire beetle also gets hit. Jisrae moves in. Gorram carves everyone’s name into the back of one goblin. Edna moves into the room and stands in the long line of people who want to hit things. Vyshte kills one. Morena drinks her cure light wounds potion. She shoots and misses. The beetle bites one. Araya cleaves through one. Jisrae steps through and tries to tumble to the other side of the combatants. He ends up at the feet of a goblin, who hits him. The goblins miss. Gorram charges and misses. Edna finally gets in and kills one. Vyshte kills another. Twls hears noises coming her way. Morena and the beetle attack but don’t hurt the goblin. Jisrae bounces up from the ground and mauls the goblin with his shortsword, cutting him in half with a critical. Seven goblins charge past Twls.

There’s another door, but it’s steel. Morena tries to open it; Jisrae wants to go find Twls. Edna cleans off blood. Morena heals herself and Jisrae. Araya and Gorram go down the tunnel farther, and Vyshte follows Gorram. The rest follow. The path goes on, but there’s a door. Gorram (a.k.a. Arnold Schwarzenegger: “Ahhnold”) charges in: “I kill ze goblins!” Twls goes into another passageway. Jisrae pulls out his soapbox and gives another speech: “Blah blah blah.” Morena steps in the door and tries to shoot something. Edna charges in, as does Vyshte. Vyshte kills one. Vyshte gets hit. Gorram: “You can’t hurt me, you puny leetle goblins!” He swings and misses. “Stupid goblins are too small to heet.” Araya moves into the room. Jisrae tumbles in. Morena walks forward. She watches the door. Twls creaks the door open and goes down the hall noisily. Vyshte is too distracted by Ahhnold’s (whoops, Gorram’s) muscles and misses. Jisrae’s armor is dented. One hits Araya. Gorram misses. Jisrae tumbles behind to flank and slices it. Morena closes the door. Edna fails to hit. Araya gets hit again. Gorram kills one. Jisrae swings and takes one down. Edna still can’t hit. Twls searches a room. Vyshte halbards another and takes it down. Edna and Araya kill the last one as it tries to run away.

A door is in the back of the room. Jisrae searches the bodies (NOT groping). Araya drinks her potion. Araya and Edna hear the door open. Twls finds some gold. Two bigger goblins step in; they look tougher and have swords. Jisrae gets scared and starts playing his pipes and makes up a song about smiting the evil goblins. Edna charges up. Another little goblin comes up in between them. Araya runs up and, like Edna, misses. Morena tries to shoot with her crossbow; it thunks into the wall near Araya. Gorram charges and squeezes up between Araya and Edna and kills one of the big ones: “I kill you stoopid goblin!” Twls sees an open room and tipsy goblins. Vyshte shoves Edna to the wall. A sword almost hits Edna; she kicks him back, squeezing between the wall and Vyshte. The little one hits Gorram. Araya can’t hit; Morena runs up to the door as Jisrae keeps playing his instrument. Gorram hits the little bugger but is stopped by its armor. Twls sees one open a door. Vyshte doesn’t hit. Edna gets hit and misses. Gorram gets hit again by the little guy. Araya misses. Morena starts to open the door. Gorram smashes the little bugger and kills him. Vyshte misses. Edna misses. Gorram misses. Twls hears a scream, and a goblin runs back. Other goblins start screaming and running away past Twls. Edna kills the big one in front of her. Vyshte and Gorram kill the little one as he tries to get out. Blood trickles down their rippling muscles. Vyshte is covered in so much blood that she is raging. Araya misses. Morena opens the door. Gorram smashes the big guy. Twls sneaks up to the door and sees rust monsters. Vyshte splatters the big one against the wall. The remaining goblin commander retreats. Morena and Jisrae go into the room and see a little goblin hiding in the corner. Morena fires off her crossbow with no arrow in it. The goblin pisses himself and passes out.

There’s a commotion out in the hallway. On the other side, Twls opens the door quietly and shuts it behind her. Gorram and Vyshte attack the goblins that run right by them and each kill two.

The Golbin Caves as found out so far

There are two doors in front of the larger group. Through one door they hear partying, and the other door is ajar. Twls is now stuck in a room with sacks of moldy grain, and there are rust monsters outside the door. Gorram pushes open the ajar door. Jisrae lights the way with his lantern. The passage opens up into a big room with broken tables and chairs and bottles and two doors. Those in that room find trinkets and baubles. Twls finds some gold and then creaks the door open. Two rust monsters charge her. She slams the door shut just in time, and one of the rust monsters gets its feelers stuck in the door. The others continue through the ajar door. Morena and Vyshte wander off. They pass two closed doors and run into a rust monster. Twls whacks off his feeler. Her dagger starts to rust. Edna charges but slides past it, and it attacks her. Rust monster two moves up and tries to hit Edna. Araya charges in, swings, and misses. Gorram charges in as well and misses Edna. Jisrae moves forward and starts singing. Gorram: “Your singing makes my muscles feel bigger.” The rust monster attacks Araya’s chainmail armor and rusts it, grappling her. Twls opens the door and sees the rust monster looking at the party. Edna tries to hit and fails; it goes after Gorram and injures him as Gorram defends his sword. Araya grapples with the rust monster on top of her and breaks free. Gorram flies into a rage and attacks rust monster three and slices it. Jisrae moves up and tries to scare it. Gorram to Jisrae: “Don’t be a pansy, girly man!” The rust monster laughs at Jisrae. One goes after Gorram’s sword and eats part of it. Twls flanks the rust monster attacking Edna and sneak attacks, stabbing it. Edna punches the same one. One rust monster eats more of Gorram’s sword. Rust monster two rends Edna. Morena walks in to them fighting rust monsters. She tries to shoot with a crossbow and misses. Gorram slices the one that’s eating his sword. Jisrae moves, fires, and misses. He’s somehow playing his panpipes and shooting. Morena shoots one. Twls misses. Edna misses and steps out of the way. Rust monster two moves up and tries to hit Gorram’s sword but misses. Araya swings her sword and fells rust monster three, slicing it in half. Gorram beats on one. Jisrae steps sideways and misses his shot. Morena shoots with her crossbow. Twls sneaks up on the one with Morena’s bolts sticking out of it but can’t stab. Edna tries to kick one from behind. The rust monsters get in each others’ way. Araya tries to hit but misses. Gorram fells one with his rusty sword. Jisrae shoots and hits, Morena misses. Edna moves up to hit another one and misses. The rust monster misses Gorram. Araya strikes and fails. Gorram misses as the rust flakes in his eyes. Jisrae and Morena miss. Twls sneak attacks and guts it. They’ve killed three rust monsters!

They talk to their missing companion Twls, and Morena heals Edna a bit. They go through the left door. Twls, however, goes through the right door. Jisrae follows her. Those two are in a room with four little goblins cowering against the wall. The other four see a door taking them into the big chamber again and a little path. Jisrae drags Twls off and locks door behind them. The little goblin kids piss themselves. Morena, Edna, Gorram, and Araya (MEGA) continue down the passageway, and Jisrae and Twls (JT) follow. Morena opens a door and goes left, and the other two try to catch up as Morena speeds up. Twls already looted these rooms, though. They backtrack to go in the other doors. The steel door opens inwards, and water is dribbling out from the door. Morena: “Barbarian monkey, go open the door!” He doesn’t open it, though. MEGAJT tries to get the door open, but nothing happens. Edna notices that the water is coming out of both sides of the frames.

They go off to the other door (the partying one). Morena blindly opens the door, and the partying noise quiets down a bit. Inside is a brightly lit room with upwards of ten goblins. Some look at her. She starts dancing. She yells for Jisrae to start playing music. Morena can’t dance. [Lionel dancing like Morena is wonderful.] Jisrae starts playing music. Morena walks through the doorway. Jisrae shouts for her to come out the door. Gorram takes up position on the side of the door. The goblins shoot Morena. Edna moves out of the way. Araya moves forward. Morena turns around and runs out the door. Twls shuts the door. Morena mentions the fifty-some goblins. Jisrae tactically directs. The door opens, and a goblin is standing there. It swings at Twls and misses. She daggers it and moves back. Gorram tries to swing and misses. The goblin misses Araya. Edna tries to punch it. Araya takes a swing and kills it. Jisrae gets on his soapbox and cheers them on. Gorram swings and misses. The goblins slam the door. Edna hears some shuffling from the other side of the door.

Edna stays to watch the door, and the rest go back to the steel door. Jisrae casts message so that he can talk to Edna. The others inspect the door; Jisrae says to chip around the edges. Gorram attacks the doorway. More water comes out. Morena and Twls also chip at it, as does Araya. Gorram criticals on the door frame. Edna hears quiet and moves back towards the others. Water is definitely flowing more. Edna runs, and Gorram hits the door again, as does Morena. Everyone runs as the door comes at them. Edna runs more. Water flows into the room, splooshing everywhere. Gorram splashes in face first, as does Morena, Jisrae, and Araya. Twls runs for the door. Jisrae stands up, as does Morena. Twls gets out the door and sees goblins. Gorram glubs and goes unconscious. Edna peeks back around…she thought the plan was to run out, but no one else is there. Jisrae goes splash again. Morena tries to leave, but she goes splash as well. Twls runs in the other direction. Gorram floats down the hallway. More goblins appear.

• Edna: “What’s going on?”
• Twls: “They’re all drowning.”

They make it out alive but very wet. Edna and Jisrae now have a phobia of water. They carry the unconscious bodies back. The water under the bridge is now only about two feet. They get back to the tavern and crash. Twls sits and counts her money.

GM NOTE: I used the map of the city of Alhaster for this adventure which can be found with Dungeon Issue # 131 (February 2006) , with some tayloring of my own of course. Also this particular adventure is a tailored version of the Chimes at Midnight adventure from Dungeon Issue # 133 (April 2006)

Araya and Twls wander off. At the inn, they tell the others to go down south to Alhaster. They reach the Eel Town ferry, and Jisrae is scared of the water. The others try to convince him to get across the river. Edna gives Morena cloth to try to tie him up. He figures it out, though.

• Gorram: “Get on the ferry, pansy man!”

Morena wants to skip the horse into town. They reach the gates and have to pay a gold piece each to get in. Everyone helps Gorram look for a blacksmith. They hear a crowd scream, and people start running towards the party. Vyshte and Gorram run into the crowd, and Edna ducks down an alley way as Morena and Jisrae move up on the horse. The two on the horse can see overturned carts, goblins, and creatures bigger than goblins: hobgoblins and ettin. Vyshte and Gorram continue to push forward through the crowd, and Edna continues down her alley. Jisrae shoots with his bow at a goblin. A goblin charges Gorram and stabs him. Vyshte swings at the goblin in front of her, and Gorram also swings and misses. Morena shoots a hobgoblin and misses. Jisrae sings and inspires. Vyshte hits and kills the goblin, and her barbarian comrade also kills one. Edna charges up and punches a hobgoblin. Morena shoots and misses; Jisrae shoots a goblin and slays it while he continues to sing and play his wind pipe. Vyshte swings at another goblin, and both she and Gorram miss. The ettin moves a cart out of his way. One hobgoblin swings at Vyshte, and another hurts Gorram. Morena turns the horse sideways and shoots a hobgoblin. Jisrae shoots at the big errin. Vyshte swipes at another hobgoblin, and Gorram misses. Edna also misses. Morena takes a hobgoblin out. Jisrae takes a potshot at the big guy. Vyshte also goes after the big guy and whacks it with her halberd. Gorram hits the hobgoblin with his damaged sword, cursing the rust monsters. The ettin smacks Vyshte on the head, and she is pissed. Morena crits on a hobgoblin. Gorram tries to kill another hobgoblin after Vyshte misses the ettin. The ettin pushes Vyshte out of the way because it sees a nice tasty horse. Edna punches the hobgoblin in front of her. Morena drops her crossbow as she jostles the horse. Jisrae shoots the ettin again. Gorram keeps picking on the hobgoblin. Vyshte again is pushed out away, and Edna misses the hobgoblin. Jisrae kills one that is running away. Vyshte kills one. Gorram also kills the hobgoblin with his rusty sword. The ettin kills a goblin while swinging at the horse. Edna punches the ettin. Morena uses Jisrae’s short sword to hit the ettin. Jisrae dismounts and smacks the horse in the rump to make it run, and he shoots at the ettin. The ettin slams its club around Edna and misses her; Edna misses it, Morena misses it. Jisrae steps back away from the big nasty thing and shoots at it. Vyshte kills another, and Gorram kills the Ettin. Edna kills a goblin, and Vyshte kills the other. All the enemies are dead.

The town guard finally shows up. There are people missing: criminals. They finally get to the blacksmith. He looks at Gorram’s sword and tells him he would be better off buying a new one. Morena also gets two sai. Jisrae looks for an inn: he says he will perform for everyone’s room. They stay at the cheapest place they can find. They are tired of rescuing towns for nothing.

GM NOTE: I used the map of the city of Alhaster for this adventure which can be found with Dungeon Issue # 131 (February 2006) , with some tayloring of my own of course. Also this particular adventure is a tailored version of the Chimes at Midnight adventure from Dungeon Issue # 133 (April 2006)

Araya comes into town in the morning with Twls tagging along. It seems like people are showing up for some kind of party: moon madness. Morena and Vyshte wander off. A loud bang sounds at the door.

• Jisrae: “Yes?”
• Guard: “You’re coming with us; you guys are the ones who were involved in the fiasco yesterday.”

• Araya: “What are you doing with my captives? I’ve been looking for them all morning.”

• Guard: “What are their crimes?”
• Araya: “The bard presented a very raunchy performance in front of Lord Twls at his daughter’s wedding, along with his two actors.”
• Gorram: “I can’t help it if all the women want to take off my clothes.”

Araya is sent to talk to the Baron. She goes into a very nice building. The Baron is the captain of the city guard and sheriff of the local lands. She is informed that a caravan of criminals is being taken to the arena today. However, there was a breakout from the caravan, and the “prisoners” killed some of them. The Baron is puzzled about Lord Twls’s identity. Araya says that thanks to their deeds the previous day, she will drop the charges; they can help as long as the barbarian keeps his clothes on. He says that the night is wild with bloodshed and looting. He releases the others into her care. The guard comes back and escorts Jisrae, Gorram, and Edna in. Jisrae glares at Araya. Gorram sees a picture of a girl of about Araya’s age, sitting on the edge of the Baron’s desk. The Baron moves the picture to one side

• Baron Trelib: “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t look at my daughter like that, especially since she’s missing.”

All of the criminals were captured by the same person: Victor Saint-Demian. He wanted to be the under-sheriff, but he’s arrogant, so the Baron turned him down. It is believed that he is trying to get back at the Baron. He lives on the south side of town. The Baron is meeting troops at the docks brought in by the Iron Duke. They continue towards the house of Victor Saint-Demian. Jisrae learns that Victor Saint-Demian’s a very skilled investigator, but he’s an arrogant bastard. He was raised in an orphanage in town. They reach his chateau and walk up to the front door. There is no answer when they knock. They try to find ways to pick a lock without a rogue. Gorram wraps his hand and smashes the window. Jisrae who tries to stop him is also smashed. Edna climbs up on the roof and finds a hatch. It is also locked. Gorram snaps the frame out of the window. Jisrae tumbles in and sees paperwork on a desk, books, etc. He casts message so that they can all talk to each other. Edna climbs down the wall when Jisrae tells her to join him. He wanders in and looks around. Araya and Gorram keep watch, Gorram with his arms crossed in front of the bashed-in window. Edna enters through the window. Jisrae looks at the papers on the desk. Edna sneaks over to watch over Jisrae while he looks through the papers. They look like they are related to the criminals they are looking for. They take them. Jisrae finds a key: it opens the front door. Araya and Gorram move inside.

• Gorram: “It smells nasty in here.”

They head out and look for pepper and silver, as two of the criminals are susceptible to those items. They rush up to the dock as the Iron Duke slowly makes its way up the river. They are asked for a ticket by ticket constructs: “Ticket please. Ticket please.” They have to buy four tickets to Eel Town. They are told it is the wrong dock. Gorram punches the construct. Then Gorram grapples him, and Edna and Jisrae tumble past as other constructs try to grab and hit them. A mad dash pursues. The ticket-takers mob Gorram: “Ticket please, ticket please…” They reach the guards and try to explain what’s going on. From the bow of the Iron Duke is a big explosion, and out spring airy living clouds with shimmering string attached to the ship. Edna and the constructs get entangled and trip all over each other while Gorram leaps over their heads. Jisrae sings “We must save the Baron!” The Baron gets out of the skiff, and the party runs up as the constructs entangle each other asking about tickets. Jisrae looks at the incoming ship and tries to calculate when it is going to impact. He falls in the water when the Iron Duke crashes into the dock. Gorram and Edna try to fish him out as he panics because of his paranoia of water. It takes them about a half an hour. Araya gets the Baron to safety. Edna sees a bowman on the warehouse, who shoots at them as they dry Jisrae off. The arrow lands at his feet, and the bowman disappears. There’s a note on the arrow from Victor Saint-Demian.