Post by hubertbartels on Jan 30, 2021 15:41:22 GMT -5
The next morning, we set from the camp near the dead trolls and continue along the southern edge of the Rift, headed to the last rumored location of Gornock the Unstoppable. Around late afternoon, we came across the remains of a battlefield. There were plenty of orc bodies, some with the crude symbols of Gruumsh, and signs of hobgoblin footprints. Gideon found a trail leading northwards – hobgoblins and orcs, some of which wear bearing litters. They had a 3 days start.
By picking up the pace, we hurried on, slowly cutting into their lead. On the third day, Sir Thabo and Dunkin spotted tents in the trees. Wolfram and Gideon in the form of a squirrel went ahead to scout. A report came back to us that there were a half-a-dozen tents and a larger tent bearing the banner of a flaming skull.
Then Gideon changed in a skull and charged to attack. Wolfram also disappeared among the tents. A flaming skull rose above the large tent and spat a fireball back at the rest of us. Reeling from the fire damage, Aerwyn followed Sir Thabo into the circle of tents. There, our paladin and Wolfram faced off with Gornock the Unstoppable while we fought well-organized hobgoblins.
When Gornock fell, the flaming skull destroyed and the hobgoblins defeated, we were free to search the campsite. We discover more dead orcs at the edge of the camp, killed as they tried to rebel against the hobgoblins and litters with dead hobgoblins. Gornock was planning to raise his dead and replenish his forces. In the large tent, we found Gornock the Unstoppable’s records. The hobgoblin commander had been pressing orcs into Iuz’s service and killing the rest.
After a night’s rest, we began to return to Scardos’ camp. There are three days left before his plans are set into motion.
On the second day of our return trip, we discover another battleground. The ground was covered with dead hobgoblins and a dead scorpion drake. There were signs that more scorpion drakes were involved.
Continuing on our journey, we noticed that we were following the remaining scorpion drakes. By moving quickly, we were able to catch up to the wingless drakes and kill them before they could use their poison on us.
Back at Scardos’ camp, we made our report to Captain Milani. She was impressed with Gornock’s head and his banner. We were assigned to enter Scardos’ pavilion with the next squad of mercenaries. Upon entering the tent, we were quided to step through the watery reflection that was the mirror and then immediately make room for the next person.
In the pocket dimension, everything was bright and mirrored. Aerwyn guessed that it was about a mile across and probably 50-100 feet high. The place was crowded – we were told our best bet to find a quiet campsite was in one of the tunnels being dug into the sides of the pocket dimension. As we headed toward the edges of the pocket dimension, a runner came by, telling everyone that Jovian, the ally of Scardos that was a wizard, needed two more days of casting; he had been casting every day for a year. Aerwyn thought it sounded he was casting a teleport circle – but it was difficult to teleport in and out of a pocket dimension…
As we looked for a place to spread our tents, we noticed that some of the tunneling seemed to end whenever the mirrored rock became stressed and cracked. There were multiple places like this. The material removed from the tunnels was cut and polished to become a fort for Scardos. Only the commander and a few of his inner circle was allowed into the fort.
In other places, bars had been set across the tunnels, securing crates behind a locked door. When we found one in a secluded spot, Wolfram picked the lock and opened the crates. Inside were cheaply made replicas of the tabards worn in Midmeadow. So Scardos’ target was Nyrond after all.
Aerwyn didn’t like the place at all. Tunneling into the walls of a pocket dimension could crack the dimension and spill us all into the Astral Sea. And then there were stories and rumors flying around – rumors of a crazy mirror beast that was striking back at those digging into his home. Gideon went to look at the bodies and reported that all had their throats cut. We were warned about going into the tunnels alone.
It would be another day or two before Scardos’ plan came to fruition…