Oathday, Lamashan 10, 4707; Thistlestop; Late afternoon

We had left the road this morning and were marching through the area the locals call the Pauper’s Graves when the goblins struck. A small swarm of these little vermin ran screaming out from the Nettlewood on our right.

A little better organized than the goblin foes we’d already encountered, this force included a half a dozen archers who formed a line at the forest eaves as their the main force of fighters swept in and engaged us in melee.

Better organized or not, they were still goblins, and we swiftly killed the lot of them with minimal injury to ourselves.

We continued our hike to the coast, a little more warily than before, and soon came to a small bluff overlooking the deep blue waters of the Varisian Gulf. Scrambling down onto the beach we walked northward on the as the land began to rise upon our right.

After about an hour of pleasant walking, the beach became more pebbly than sandy and what had been a gentle rising bluff leading up to the east had become a rocky cliff, which soared ever higher.

The shore line bent around to the west and looking ahead above the hazy mist of sea spray we saw a great headland jutting out to the north and ending in a precipitous fall a hundred feet down to the water. A steep sided island abruptly rose up from the water to the same height, as if some giant among giants had taken his gargantuan axe and cleaved the great gash between island and headland.

We crept along the foot of the cliff for cover and were soon close enough to see that a long and narrow plank bridge suspended between ropes connected the top of the cliff to the island heights. Upon the island itself were vague forms of ancient stone structures, but these were overshadowed by a more recent wooden fortress. Before the fortress walls we could barely make out the shapes of goblins and their accursed goblin-dogs patrolling the perimeter.

Our way west was blocked by a finger of the sea that had flooded a large fissure in the cliff, some ten to twenty feet wide and perhaps a hundred feet deep. The steep walls of the cleft kept the water in perpetual shadow even in the the bright midday sun, but nestled into the far wall we could descry the entrance to a cave at the water’s edge.

Most of the cave was underwater, but because it was already low tide, this was the best time to explore where it might lead. Sabin and Trask volunteered, and after leaving their gear with us they plunged into the cold gulf water and swam over to the cave. A few feet in the cave was completely submerged, and it was dark within, but Sabin having the natural eyesight of his people dove beneath the water and swam in some sixty feet.

There the cave opened up into a natural grotto with a domed ceiling. In the center of the dome was a circular patch of blue from a great natural shaft that climbed straight up to daylight more than a hundred feet above. To the north was another cave that led out to light, and to the south was a ledge some fifteen feet long following the curve of the cavern wall just above water level.

Upon the ledge slept a large half shark and half seal monstrosity! Sabin quietly dove back through the cave and out to where Trask waited, and swam back to the relative safety of the beach.

We decided to back track south a ways to where the cliff was lower and easily scaled, and then make our way along the cliff top to investigate the bridge.

The Nettlewood. Now I know how it got its name. The trees that grow here are stunted, gnarled twisted things that struggle for survival against a vast thick blanket of scrub, thorn and bracken. Passage through the forest would have been impossible but for the animal tracks that meandered through even the densest thickets. These were terribly narrow with a ceiling of dense foliage that forced us to walk bent over.

Eventually we crossed a more substantial track: one that looked as if it were of goblin make that appeared to lead in the direction we wanted. A short while later the track opened onto a small clearing where a handful of other trails all met together.

The trees had thinned out here, finally yielding to the riot of vines and brambles that towered some 20 feet overhead. Set in the wall of thorn before us was a screen of brambles woven into a small barricade that, had it not been so crudely made, might have been intended to disguise the opening beyond.

A small tunnel led through the brambles. Rigel sneaked in and had been scouting about for a few minutes when we heard a tremendous roar echoing out from the thorny hedge followed by the shout of goblins. A moment later Rigel returned and described the forks and openings in the vegetation, but had no idea what might have made that bestial cry.

Sabin, Rigel and I formed a small exploratory party and slowly made our way to the first chamber of sorts to the right of the main tunnel. Peering around the tunnel wall we watched in horrid fascination as a group of goblin guards came into the chamber from an tunnel at the opposite end, dragging behind them a bound goblin who had a look of terror in his little, beady, rodent eyes.

Without a word of ceremony the guards flung there captive down a large hole that was in the center of the chamber. Another roar boomed up from the opening, but this one less demanding and more satisfied than the other.

The guards left and we scrambled forward to look down the hole. As we passed from the tunnel to the chamber we saw that the tunnel in fact led on east, but narrowed such that it was easy to miss. From beyond this thin gap I heard the distinctive growl of goblin dogs from beyond.

We quietly crept past this opening and looked down into the hole. In the darkness we could see the faint flicker of light on water and could hear the thrashing about of something large. Sabin thought that this was most likely the very shaft he had seen from the grotto below, and the great roaring had come from the shark-seal beast he had seen within.

We followed the tunnel back the way the guards had gone and found it ended at the cliff’s edge with a spectacular view of the island to the north, and the rocky shore far below.

To the west was a small side tunnel, and from there we heard the crackle of a fire and subdued goblin voices. We gave that passage a wide berth and returned to the original tunnel and took the left branch, which led to another lookout — this one to the west.

We returned to the rest of the party and hatched a plan to lure the goblin guards back to the hole, where we would be waiting in ambush. Sedjewick used his talents to project the sound of the roaring beast we had heard echoing up from the shaft.

Goblins are creatures of habit, and not known for the deductive reasoning. This worked to our advantage and a moment or two after Sedjewick imitated the roar a pair of goblin guards cautiously entered the chamber. But just as we were about to spring our trap, a large red colored cougar leaped out from the narrow gap before us and right onto me.

It is a good thing that Nolin and Sedjewick were with me, and together we slew the great cat. Just as the cat dropped dead, a scream of anguish came from the brambles to the east. And then the goblins were upon us and as we killed one, the other slipped in through the narrow gap.

The sound of battle wafted in from the northwest as our companions met with a small force of goblins. I raced over to help with those goblins leaving Nolin and Sedjewick to deal with the stray.

Nolin was first through the hedge, but in the room beyond was not one, but two goblins plus half a dozen goblin dogs tied to stakes some two dozen feet away. One of the goblins was crouching down near the dogs, and wielding a blade of flame. The other ran out through a southern passage. The crouching goblin stood and blasted Nolin with a ball of fire.

Meanwhile the rest of us were mopping up the last of the goblins, which freed Sabin to go check on Nolin and Sedjewick. Sabin entered the hedge just as the mage like goblin dropped him with another fire spell, but Nolin and Sedjewick had closed into melee by that time and quickly slew the little fire crazed freak.

A few minutes later and the other goblin was dead.

I healed Sabin and the others injured in the fight, while the goblin dogs were all killed still tied to their posts. We dumped most of the corpses down into the shaft.

On the spell caster we found a handful of interesting items, which Sabin identified.

[115] +1 leather armor (small: only a halfling or another goblin could make
use of it)
[116] +1 cloak of resistance (also small)
[117] potion of cure light wounds
[118] potion of speak with animals (Avia has this)
[119] 2 potions of tree shape (in my pack)
[120] A wand of flames (31 charges): golden metal with flames engraved on it
[121] small spear (in my pack)
[122] small sling (in my pack)

We followed the new tunnel as it bent around to the north, passed an outlook looking east, and ended in a wall of thorns. Unlike the last barrier we encountered, this one looked as if it had been grown here on the spot. No matter, using a hand axe we quickly cut it away and found that the tunnel led out to another overlook, only the rope suspension bridge led over to the island.

On the far side of the bridge was the wooden fort and a heavy double door. Wooden towers rose up from the east and west side of the fort.

We watched as a small knot of guards gathered around one of their companions who had caught a small bird. He tied a string to the bird’s leg and let it fly about while his comrades threw stones at the poor creature.

Must they make wanting to kill them so easy?

Using a silent image of a dog Sedjewick managed to lure the goblins from before the fortress wall across the bridge and into our awaiting arms.

A little more work with his happy puppy and the gates opened, sending another squad of four goblins to throw themselves upon our weapons.

Sabin and I then tied a goblin corpse to a stick, tied a small bow to that, and I made it dance about the northern facing lookout while Sabine shot arrows over at the tower. Arrows came back, and the more we made our meat puppet dance the more arrows came over, until some came back flaming.

That gave us another idea and we set a few arrows alight ourselves before sending them over. Trask joined in on the fun and launched a ball of flame from the wand at each tower, causing flames to burst on its wooden structure.

But other than irritating those in the fortress, we clearly weren’t making any progress on getting over to the island. And we were worried that there might be a secret entrance through which a small horde of goblins could at that very moment be issuing forth to confront us.

We still had one element of surprise on our side: so far all the people in the fort knew was that some rouge goblins have slain guards from the island, and have shot arrows and flames at the fort.

We are now discussing our options, as I make this journal entry. I’ve also sketched a crude drawing of our surroundings so we have it for a reference. I’m afraid the position of the island is a bit off (too far west), but I haven’t the time to correct that now because we have arrived upon a course of action.

Using the small barrier of brambles we hacked down to shield our identity we will move up to the suspension bridge and tie our ropes to it; then we will cut the suspension ropes and let the bridge drop from our side. If we need to we can haul the bridge back up and with a couple of mending spells repair the ropes.

Once we’ve closed off that means of escape from the island we will climb back down to the beach and search for some other way to access the island.