Mother, Father,

News travels quickly, and I wanted to be sure you heard from me first so you wouldn’t worry.

My journey to Wolf’s Ear took me through Sandpoint, where I intended to stop only for a single night. As timing would have it this was a day or two before a church dedication ceremony, the details of which are a long story itself and that you will probably hear on your own, and I chose to stay the extra days for the company and the festivities. That turned out to be something of a mistake.

This town, it seems, has a long history skirmishing with goblins and there are many tribes located in the surrounding countryside. That anyone manages to travel safely along the Lost Coast Road given their numbers is probably because goblins seem to spend so much time fighting each other that there is little left to menace travelers. Every so often they manage to organize enough to harass Sandpoint, though, and there are a number of businesses and individuals here who have made light of the situation despite the threat. (I should point out that they do in fact take this matter very seriously, it is just how they have adapted to the reality of the situation).

The night of the church dedication, the night that you will no doubt soon hear about, was very different. I attended, in the company of some acquaintances- it is perhaps too early to call us friends- that I had met at the inn where I was staying, and it was fortunate that I chose to do so armed. While this decision did invite some expected attention from the town guard, it also came in handy when the town suddenly found itself literally infested with goblins. They came out of everywhere and nowhere, and the chaos that resulted was disorienting, but a few of us organized quickly enough to squash the threats immediately around us.

Let me say this: a single goblin is not a dangerous adversary to a trained soldier, but several dozen of them are a different story. They are small, they are fast, and they are dangerously stupid, pressing a fight past the point of hopelessness. It is this last one that was most distressing since they were almost eager to run to our blades long after they had been beaten, but in doing this they came close to overwhelming our defensive line. This would be a brilliant strategy if it didn’t cost so many of their own lives in the process.

I should also point out that, despite their feeble threat, I and the others fighting with me are still very inexperienced, and their numbers did take their toll on us. We were easy to wear down, but obviously we won or you would not be reading this letter now.

Unfortunately for Sandpoint, it was not just our place near the ceremony that was attacked, and we were not the only pocket of fighting. Fires burned throughout the city well into the night, as goblins had sprung out of every dark corner and simply run amok.

It is early morning now, and I am heading out to look for my horse who was spooked when goblins ransacked the stables next door. I never intended to keep this horse after arriving in Wolf’s Ear, but now I find myself very attached to him. That was my horse they threatened, and I want him back.

Nolin