4 Arodus 4719, evening

Breachill

Qantrip had magically placed Dmiri the hobgoblin to sleep, which allowed us to bind her and question her. She confessed that she had been paid by Voz to guard the entrance to the cave. Voz had most recently arrived some days earlier with a retinue of a dozen skeletal warriors in tow and together they had entered the caverns.

We then discussed what to do with Dmiri (and the captured underling). Taking her stuff and letting her go was the popular option, but then someone, probably Iskaryn, recalled that there was a bounty for Dmiri and her band of rogues.

Oddly enough Aemi was against taking Dmiri’s things because she equated this with stealing. Hmm. I had to admit that I didn’t see it this way. Iskaryn chimed in at this point and unexpectedly supported confiscating the possessions from our defeated foes.

Qantrip pointed out that Voz was good with a bow and perhaps rather than turning her in she could work for us. None of the rest of us liked this idea because we felt she could not be trusted. Qantrip asked why we had earlier trusted Alek to assist us. This was a good question. Alek was a bigoted asshole, but he was focused on a specific task and by helping us he was helping himself: once he had what he wanted he left us. Dmiri was a known criminal who did things only for the money and if our foe offered her enough coin she would likely change her allegiance — probably at the most inopportune (for us) moment. That plus there was a 500 gold piece bounty on Dmiri.

I suspect we’ll be forced to make similar unpleasant alliances or compromises in the future.

In the end we brought Dmiri (and her “plus one”) back to town. We also thought to carve her gang’s tattoos from the fallen (I skillfully carved these out with a dagger), which worked in our favor because we were paid a (lesser) bounty for these in addition to the substantial bounty for Dmiri.

Better still after hearing of Voz’s involvement in necromancy — having a squad of skeletons may sound cool until you think about how they came to be — the town council will meet to decide if they will sponsor a bounty on her return. Sigh. What the hell is there to discuss?

In any event we return to Guardian’s Way in the morning to deal with Voz with or without council approval.

Qantrip went up to the citadel to spend the night with the goblins. I intended to join her, but then the notion of a bed in an inn and hot cooked food changed my mind. Oh yes, having money is nice.

5 Arodus 4719, evening

Breachill

The morning began with bacon and eggs and toast and tea taken at the inn. I am sure the future holds more spartan lodging and dining conditions for us and so I feel no anxiety over spending coin for creature comforts when they are available.

Qantrip arrived back in town after breakfast and around that time the council decided that Voz was enough of a threat to sanction our plan to capture her and to offer a bounty — oh how I am beginning to like that word: I’m sure if I had one I’d wag my tail whenever someone said it — for her return to Breachill.

The walk to Guardian’s Way was uneventful, however we did see fresh tracks in the dirt we had scattered across the cave entrance.

Qantrip and I entered the dark cave to scout. To the north was a dark passageway and to the southeast a glimmer of light flickered from a tunnel. I crept forward and peeked around the rock wall to find a large chamber filled with supplies and three skeletal warriors. One looked more formidable than his companions.

I made my way back to the others and the plan was to set up a kill box just outside the natural choke point of the tunnel. We positioned ourselves accordingly but the skeletons refused to advance even though we were making a great deal of noise and intentionally trying to goad an attack.

We heard Voz call out to her boney cohorts to “protect the treasure to the north,” but it sounded like a lame bluff even to me. The others weren’t buying it either and as Qantrip pointed out, we were at a standoff.

But our brave goblin companion is also clever and she cast Burning Sands in the chamber beyond, which caused the skeletons to scamper. The big one came at her and got in a hit before Tarsius could pull her back. But then the rest of us took over and reduced the skeleton to a pile of inert bones.

It was a good time to watch our team work together. Aemi was inspiring us with a chant. Tarsius and Kyira were poised for melee, Liberte was standing watch at the northern passageway. And behind us all Marcus stood alert and silent, gazing ahead and ready to lend assistance either with a well placed spell or arrow. And this sums up my current impression of Marcus: he offers input and advice when needed and provides steadfast support in combat, doing whatever is needed.

Knowing we had such a well integrated group is a comfort in times of stress, like when a necromancer and her skeleton crew want you dead and are actively scheming to make you so.

But then we were back to waiting. Tarsius moved into the chamber to directly engage the remaining skeletons and I followed in behind, wisely (although not so bravely) using him as a shield. More skeletons were moving in now, but we had the upper hand and were grinding them down.

From the north I heard a puzzling conversation between Liberte and… something that lived up there. The caves were its home and it wasn’t particularly interested in us or Voz, but it wasn’t attacking us, which in my book counts as “friendly” when in combat.

Voz didn’t like seeing us take out her guard and she soon joined the fray with spells (and no small amount of ineffectual taunting). Everybody likes a well placed Fireball until they become the target of one. Most of us were burned to some degree, but by this time we were pressing our attack directly against Voz and her spells either failed to hit or lacked the punch necessary to drive us back.

And like her skeletons she was soon a crumpled heap on the rocky floor, bleeding out into the dust. I was about to try and stabilize her with my minimal mundane healing skills when Qantrip stepped up and did so with magic.

A witch is wise.

We explored the supplies and relieved the skeletons and Voz of various valuable and useful items.

To the north Liberte had established a cordial relationship with the huge spider like creature that called itself Tixitog that lived there. I hope to hear more about it later.

We gathered up the loot and discovered some rather informative, albeit puzzling (like what the hell is a “Scarlet Triad”?), documents that would also incriminate Voz in a number of illegal activities. We made a travois and dragged Voz back to Beachill.

Wilford Lavendil was quite impressed with the speed at which we had found, overcome, and delivered Voz. We also received the promised reward.

I don’t want to give the impression that money has become a more important aspect of my life — in fact I think the opposite is true. Having spent so much of my life with little to no gold to my name and having lived frugally in a hut with a goblin it is just a pleasant change to now be able to occasionally afford nice things in a modest sort of way.

Having said that, I am saving up coins for some better equipment. A superior bow is at the top of my list: something I can use to better take advantage of my strength with some sort of magical enchantment to more effectively hit and do damage. As such not every night will be spent in a cushy bed. Tonight, for example, I will be back in my tent just outside of town.

But by all means I will be eating my meals in town whenever possible.