Session 3 – Mission Beyond the Frontier

Written by KoshcheiBessmertnyi

General Summary

After leaving Bester, the party makes an appointment to meet with Meerlinda in order to procure supplies and receive payment. The latter is apparently busy, so the appointment is set for the mid-afternoon. In the meantime, the party proceeds to the arsenal, where the sled, along with the nails, is being stored. Inside the arsenal, party members meet Tain Beyert, the arsenal Master. Beyert is a veteran of the Goblin War who apparently spent some time in goblin captivity, and has special tattoos to show for it. Unlike Elst, his attitude toward the natives is decidedly more positive, and he seems to have developed some feeling toward them prior to his release. Beyert does inform the group that in the course of interrogation, the captive goblin Mrax changed his story, and is no longer accusing Elias Amando of being the instigator of the plot to steal the nails, likely making his earlier testimony worthless. When the adventurers express skepticism regarding his change of heart, Beyert concurs, but says the goblin is probably more useful as a prisoner and bargaining chip. In any case, he is glad the fellow wasn’t seriously tortured, as “some” suggested. When asked whom Mrax is accusing, Beyert says that he is now blaming Elst himself, but dismisses the accusation. He suggests that the group members speak to the prisoner themselves. The party ascends to the tower where prisoner cells are located, and are admitted to see Mrax, who is chained to the wall. Mrax relates to Miletus that it was indeed Commander Elst who came up with the scheme to steal the nails, and when the scheme fell apart, he pressured Mrax to accuse another person. When asked why the goblins need nails, he remains evasive, saying only that they have no plans to make them into weapons, that they have and need no smiths, and that they intend only to “use” them. He does reveal that his band is lead by an elder named Nugast, who Mrax avers is “very powerful”, and a “giant” named Dradauf. From his knowledge of goblins, Enkidu deduces that “giant” likely refers to a hobgoblin. The party concludes that the hobgoblin is the real leader of the band, and is using it to stir up tensions with Claymore, but Mrax protests, arguing that he is merely Nugast’s servant. When pressed to reveal more about their purposes and kicked by Enkidu, Mrax merely demands to be released in order to show goodwill to the goblins and keep trade flowing.
Upon hearing Mrax’s screams, the guards enter the cell, ostensibly bringing a crust of bread for the prisoner. It is feeding time, they say, as they open the adjacent cell that contains Mim. Immediately upon opening the door, the attendant guard lets out a gasp. Mim lies on the floor, and a brief examination reveals him to be several hours dead. Glitterstem concludes that the hapless dwarf was likely electrocuted – the skin exhibits reddish web-like filaments, the hair is on end, and the eye area shows some discoloration – whereas Theobald surmises that the cause of death was likely a shocking grasp spell. A little wooden stool lies near a small barred window opposite the door. Glitterstem’s and Theobald’s examination of the small sill under and outside the bars reveals trace evidence that something burned there recently. The party examines the cell more closely, and then leads Beyert outside to examine the tower. They notice no obvious way an intruder could have accessed the cell from the outside, and no way it could have been done during the daylight hours, clearly visible as it is from the town’s main square.
Pondering what happened, as well as trying to decide what to request from Meerlinda and how to approach the goblins in Neverwinter Wood, the party proceeds to take in its midday meal at the Eager Beaver. A frank private discussion proves difficult, as the locals present all seem to be eavesdropping on the conversation. Luckily, the time for meeting with Meerlinda has arrived, and the group proceeds to the Company headquarters.
Meerlinda turns out to be a middle-aged Zhentarim functionary of a tedious and bureaucratic demeanor (his missing fingers and knuckle tattoos reveal him to be an erstwhile member of the Vagabonds – an old enemy of Miletus’). Meerlinda approves most of the party’s requests for weaponry, provisions, maps and liquor (for trade), as well as their payment, but he insists that all the requests need to be properly filled out, in triplicate, with all the requisite signatures and stamps, and that provisioning will take several hours to complete. By the time everything is ready, it is near nightfall, and the group decides to set out early in the morning, and retires for the night at the Sword and Satchel.
Early the next morning, the foursome sets out on foot through the Furrier’s Gate, following the old sled tracks as best it can, considering the meltdown of the previous day. Arriving at the old rendezvous point where the nails had been buried, Enkidu finds signs of more snowshoed prints, and a little ways off, the party discovers that the sled wolf had apparently recovered sufficiently from the previous day’s ordeal to head off toward the forest, with sled apparently still in tow. As the party follows the sled tracks, Theobald tries makes the case that they should proceed to the main goblin village deeper in the forest, but it is unclear where exactly the village is located, and whether the goblins there are aware of the nail scheme. The hunting encampment is in any case on the way, and will have to be skirted if the party proceeds to the village. As they approach the line of the forest, the adventurers catch scent of a cooking fire – the encampment must be somewhere nearby. Soon, they find a rough fence of sharpened stakes, some topped with skulls, surrounding a small goblin roundhouse. The compound has no gate, and no one appears to be out and about. The group advances toward the fence, but Theobald gets caught in a snare, and lets out a yell as he is lifted off the ground. Arrows come whizzing from a treehouse platform above the roundhouse. Miletus advances toward the opening in the fence, and barely avoids falling into a pit. Enkidu closely follows him, with both of them returning fire. Glitterstem, trying to free Theobald from the snare, announces that they come in peace, but as Miletus enters the compound, two wolves (one looking a little bedraggled and quite familiar) charge out of the roundhouse and attack. One delivers a frightening wound to Miletus’ shoulder, but the experienced soldier shakes it off, and with Enkidu, makes short work of the wolves. Theobald, freed by Glitterstem, casts a sleep spell at the treehouse and roundhouse, whilst Miletus climbs the tree to engage the shooter (who, as it turns out, is now blissfully asleep). A voice from inside the roundhouse inquires, in common, as to what the intruders want, and a parlay begins.
The goblin voice first asks Theobald to pull back his thugs, especially the “stupid orc”, but Enkidu answers that the human does not own him. Theobald opens by indicating that the party had indicated their peaceful intentions at the outset, but the goblin negotiator claims that his comrades invaded the encampment and killed their wolves; in return for a parlay, he demands to be allowed to try to save their lives. Glitterstem replies that as a gesture of goodwill he will try to assist the wolves himself. One of the wolves has expired, but Glitterstem manages to staunch the bleeding of the smaller one. A group of four goblins, including the diminutive Nugast, with face painted yellow and astride the hobgoblin Dradauf, exit the roundhouse, and proceed to pull the still breathing wolf inside. The goblin negotiator, apparently speaking for Nugast, demands restitution for the slain wolf. Theobald offers a bottle of brandy; the goblin demands two, but does not press the point. Theobald then offers that they have come to trade, but the goblin seems clearly aware that the four were involved in waylaying the wolf sled two nights hence, and wants to know the reason, demanding that the nails be returned. The party members counter by saying the nails were their property, and ask who is misleading the goblins into trying to procure iron weapons in violation of the treaty. The goblin, for his part, answers that it is very convenient for humans to recall the treaty when they are crossing the line of Neverwinter Wood and disturbing the goblin’s daytime rest in their own encampment. He further says that the goblins are acting in their own self-interest, and aren’t being misled by anyone, though in passing he names Elias Amando as the goblin’s partner in Claymore. Theobald asks why goblins require iron weapons when it is clearly against their interests, and the goblin responds by saying that they have no interest in weapons, but that they may be willing to share information in exchange for the adventurers helping them to sneak into the arsenal in Claymore. He adds that they would be willing to trade for pelts, but already have sufficient liquor, and are only interested in nails. Theobald says that he needs to confer with his confederates, leaves the promised bottle of brandy, and the party steps outside the compound for consultation.

Report Date

21 Feb 2015