Blood River, Ep. 4

The Newcomers were in Arrowford, determined to recover Gorthax’s stolen silver greatsword. Their investigation began by retracing the hobgoblin’s steps, which led them to a lone goblin footprint baked into the mud—a strange clue in a town where goblins are supposedly killed on sight. Seeking information, Mira consulted a criminal contact, a smuggler named One-Eyed Jim, who revealed the sword was likely in a place called Goblin Town, far up the Blood River.

Accepting an offer from the Drayman’s Guild, the party took a boat upriver, serving as guards for passage to the town of Agnes. Along the way, they passed under the magnificent, ancient dwarven bridge known as the Brass Strait. From Agnes, they trekked overland, finding a dwarven sigil stone pointing towards a landmark called Agraza’s Forge before finally spotting their destination: a crumbling stone fort atop a steep hill, alive with the sounds of a goblin party.

While scouting, the party witnessed the arrival of a massive, 20-foot-tall stone giant named Feldspar, who delivered a huge sack of precious ore to the fort’s inhabitants. Deciding on a more subtle approach than a frontal assault, the adventurers infiltrated the fort, finding a raucous tavern on the ground floor. In a wild turn of events, Edwin and Mira joined a blindfolded pit fight against an ogre named Slark, emerging victorious.

Their celebration was cut short when they went upstairs and ran afoul of a group of hostile Duergar. A chaotic brawl ensued, with the gray dwarves magically enlarging themselves to giant size. The party fought fiercely, with Gorthax hurling two of them into the pit below and Egret cleaving another in two. After a brutal fight, they emerged victorious, finally earning an audience with the goblin leader, Yee.

On the fort’s rooftop, they found Yee in a tense negotiation with a hulking orc, who had Gorthax’s greatsword resting on the table beside him. When the orc claimed the sword as his own, combat erupted. Edwin heroically snatched the sword and tossed it to Gorthax, who flew into a rage. The ensuing battle against the orc and his eight goat-men guards was desperate, with Edwin being knocked unconscious multiple times. Ultimately, the party triumphed, slaying the orc and sending his minions fleeing. After recovering the sword, they listened to Yee’s sinister plan to ambush the Drayman’s Guild, only to promptly return to Agnes and betray her to the guild for a handsome reward.

OUTLINE:

The Investigation in Araford

The party began their quest to find Gorthax’s stolen silver greatsword.
They investigated the scene of the crime, finding a goblin footprint.
Mira used a criminal contact, One-Eyed Jim, who directed them to a ‘Goblin Town’ upriver.

Journey to Goblin Town

The party contracted with the Drayman’s Guild for passage on a boat to the town of Agnes.
During the trip, they passed under the ancient dwarven bridge, the Brass Strait.
From Agnes, they traveled overland and discovered a sigil stone for Agraza’s Forge.
They located Goblin Town, a crumbling stone fort, and scouted it from a distance.
The party witnessed a stone giant named Feldspar deliver a large sack of ore to the goblins.

Infiltration and Tavern Brawls

The party decided to infiltrate the fort rather than launch a frontal assault.
Inside, they found a raucous goblin tavern and a pit fight in progress.
Edwin and Mira joined a blindfolded pit fight against an ogre, Slark, and won.
On the second floor, they were confronted by hostile Duergar.
A fight broke out, during which the Duergar magically enlarged themselves, but the party was ultimately victorious.

Confronting the Orc

The party met the goblin boss, Yee, on the rooftop.
They discovered a large orc, Bile Lord Reuven, had Gorthax’s stolen sword.
When the orc refused to return the sword, combat began.
Edwin bravely snatched the sword and returned it to Gorthax.
The party fought the orc and his eight goat-men guards in a climactic battle.

Victory and Betrayal

The goat-men guards fled in terror from the party’s onslaught.
Edwin was knocked unconscious multiple times but was repeatedly healed and stabilized.
Brother Jones delivered the final blow to the orc, ending the fight.
Yee proposed a plan to ambush the Drayman’s Guild, which the party pretended to accept.
The party returned to Agnes, revealed Yee’s plan to the guild, and collected a reward, successfully completing their quest.

NPCs:

Bile Lord Reuven: A large, powerful Uruk-hai style orc who was in possession of Gorthax’s sword. He led a band of goat-men and was the final adversary of the session.
Feldspar: A 20-foot-tall, lean stone giant who delivered a large sack of precious ore to Goblin Town, accompanied by two griffins.
Heidemark Brothers: A pair of identical, red-bearded dwarven twins who are influential members of the Drayman’s Guild in Araford.
One-Eyed Jim: A smuggler and criminal contact of Mira’s in Araford. He provided the information that Gorthax’s sword was in Goblin Town.
Sam: The goblin bartender in Goblin Town’s tavern. He served drinks and managed the bets for the pit fights.
Slark: A large, flabby ogre who serves as the ‘champion’ of the goblins’ blindfolded pit fights.
Yee: The female goblin leader of Goblin Town, identified by her necklace of teeth and giant rat pelt robe. She is treacherous and cruel, plotting to ambush the Drayman’s Guild.

ITEMS:

Duergar Chainmail: Sets of black, dwarf-sized chainmail looted from the defeated Duergar. The party planned to have it refitted.
Duergar Morning Star: Barbed maces wielded by the Duergar and looted by the party after the fight.
Gorthax’s Silver Greatsword: A valuable and well-crafted greatsword belonging to Gorthax. Its theft was the central motivation for the session’s quest.
Necklace of Teeth: A grisly necklace worn by the goblin leader, Yee. She added the orc’s teeth to her collection after the battle.

LOCATIONS:

Agnes: A small, riverside village built atop old dwarven ruins, further upriver from Araford. It serves as a port for the Drayman’s Guild.
Agraza’s Forge: An old dwarven landmark indicated by a sigil stone found by Egret on the way to Goblin Town.
Araford: A town of about a thousand people on the west side of the Blood River Valleys where the adventure began.
Blood River: A major river with reddish, silty water that flows through the region. The party traveled upriver to reach Agnes.
Brass Strait: A remarkable ancient dwarven stone bridge that crosses a ravine over the Blood River, supported by massive dwarf statues.
Goblin Town: A crumbling old stone fort on a steep hill that serves as the headquarters for Yee and her goblin tribe.

FACTIONS:

Drayman’s Guild: The primary merchant house and teamsters’ guild operating in the region, with guildhalls in Araford and Agnes. They control shipping along the Blood River.

QUESTS:

Deal with the Goblin Infestation: A potential job offered by the Araford town guard to clear out goblins upriver.
Recover Gorthax’s Stolen Sword: Find and retrieve Gorthax’s silver greatsword, which was stolen from him in Araford.
Yee’s Ambush: A plan proposed by the goblin leader Yee to ambush, rob, and torture the Drayman’s Guild at the Brass Strait.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Brother Jones: An uptight Samusarren who worships Madeira. A former choir musician, he now serves as the party’s healer, though his actual medical knowledge is questionable. He proved crucial in the final fight, calling on Madeira’s wrath to deliver the killing blow to the orc.
Edwin the Blue: A daring and reckless Catfolk Swashbuckler with a wisdom of six. He lives life on the edge, fearlessly infiltrating the goblin fort, joining a blindfolded pit fight, and repeatedly getting knocked unconscious in the final battle. His audacious maneuver to retrieve Gorthax’s sword was pivotal to the party’s success.
Egret: A Dwarven Skald with a keen eye for his people’s history and craftsmanship. He was the first to recognize the Duergar and was particularly offended by their hostility. He wields his dwarven war axe with deadly proficiency, splitting one of the enlarged Duergar’s faces in two.
Gorthax: A Hobgoblin Barbarian whose stolen silver greatsword is the catalyst for the session’s adventure. Though his reputation makes interactions with townsfolk tense, his fury in battle is unmatched. He demonstrated immense strength, tossing Duergar around and fighting relentlessly even after sustaining massive injuries.
Mira: A Bullman Blood Rager with a criminal background. Her underworld connections provided the crucial lead to finding the sword. In combat, she is a fierce warrior, imbuing her spear strikes with thunderous power and earning the moniker ‘One-Eyed Jim’ from the goblins.
Sisyphus Daisy: A Half-Triaxian Bard with a noble backstory. Daisy provides support and inspiration from the sidelines with her trombone, motivating an ogre to fight on the party’s behalf. She showed a surprisingly dark and intrigued side when listening to the goblin leader’s plans for torture.