Chapter 2: The Eoten in the Kingswood
At last, the heroes discovered the source of the vermin in the sewers to be a maddened halfling druid. They slew his minions and the druid soon after and found a journal detailing his descent into madness and a connection with a whispering being in the woods. The halfling, a farmer at one time, had been granted dark powers from a being in the forest and driven away for practicing witchcraft. He came to dragonwatch for work, but found none and became homeless. Soon after, he was robbed by the barrow boys. The whispers called to him and beckoned him to the sewers, where he gathered a small army of vermin to exact revenge on the thieves.
They returned to the barrow boys with the job completed and were handsomely rewarded (and kept the stolen coins and jewels found in the halfling's stash). Tired, wounded and badly in need of a bath, the group had a quick meal at the Riverstone Tavern before retiring for the night as the Beardless Dwarf in the craft district. The next day, they set out for the dragon's hoard in search of more work and found rumours of an Eoten in the kingswood challenging the "bravest knight in the realm" to a duel. The Eoten warned that he would attack the village of Ashfield if none came to challenge him. The group took it upon themselves to deal with it, and learned that the sheriffs of Ashfield were offering a bounty on the beast.
As they purchased supplies, a man bumped into Thrain and fell into a muddy puddle. The man, deeply insulted, proved to be a knight of Baeldaeg named Eomer Lewin and of noble birth. He challenged Thrain to a duel as a crowd gathered around them. Thrain merely insulted him and tried to leave, but the man persisted. Rasper suggested he should deal with the Eoten instead, and managed to convince him. Sir Eomer vowed to defeat the creature for the good of the realm and soon departed on his quest. The group gathered their supplies, purchased horses and set out after him.
Torbjorn tracked the knight by the hoof prints of his horse (showing a rapid pace), but the group took their time and managed to spot a goblin ambush before it could surprise them. Torbjorn and Thrain set out on the road as bait while Dox and Rasper snuck up on the goblins and slew 2 of them. Battle ensued as a hobgoblin appeared to lead the remaining goblins. They were soon dispatched, with little injury to the group. As they reached the wood, darkness came and they set up camp outside the forest. The next day, they followed the knight's tracks into the kingswood and were ambushed by a group of orcs and a hobgoblin. The orcs and their massive axes nearly slew Torbjorn, but he was soon returned to the fray by a healing potion from Rasper. Their combined efforts slew the remaining orcs and the group proved victorious against the ambush.
They followed the knight's tracks deeper into the forest, but found evidence that he had been waylaid and his horse likely killed. The trail of blood led them to the goblinoid camp where the Eoten belted out his challenge to all who could hear. Dox snuck into the camp, climbed a watchtower and slew its goblin occupant before setting fire to it with lamp oil. As the tower burned, the camp investigated while the group maneuvered around to a now unoccupied entrance. The unintelligent orcs and hobgoblin tried to put out the fire by ordering the small goblins to leap into the blaze, dying instantly. With little choice as the orcs and hobgoblin surrounded them, the goblins climbed into the blaze and perished.
On the north side of the camp, the party attacked the Eoten named Varg'Blarg. The head named Blarg seemed to think little of the one named Varg (who seemed to be the one behind the challenge). Blarg thought they should just attack Ashfield regardless, and called Varg an idiot for trying to act with honor. The Eoten proved mighty, and nearly slew Torbjorn as he waded into melee with it. Its mighty club nearly felled him in one swoop, but while he kept it occupied Dox, Rasper and Thrain pelted the giant with ranged attacks. Rasper used their bardic magic to assault it psychically by mimicking the other head's voice in ridicule, while Dox snuck about firing his crossbow and Torbjorn unleashed attacks from his Arquebus (including spewing burning acid at the Eoten). Finally, the Eoten was slain, but not before the orcs gathered around and tried to kill the group for slaying "their" Eoten. Without the numerous goblins, the remaining orcs and hobgoblin proved no match for the group. Tired and wounded, they searched the camp for loot and found their ill-gotten gains as well as the very dead Sir Eomer Lewin. They collected patents of nobility from his corpse (showing his noble lineage dating back nearly 100 years) as well as the Eoten's heads as proof of the deed before departing for Ashfield...
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