Chapter 2 - The Journey Upriver
Days 1 to 5
The next morning found the party down at the river, rested and eager to commence their journey. But first there was the small matter of procuring supplies and passage upstream.
Encountering a helpful goblin sergeant named Taj at the gate to the Legion's docks and warehouses, the Governor's letter gained them access to an obviously very busy hobgoblin quartermaster, Dakarai. While he was quick to see them off with authorization for traveling supplies, he first granted Blixhaven's request that a healer's kit be added to the standard equipment. Quartermasters are known for their thrifty use of supplies, and Dakarai was no exception. The party would be traveling upstream with about 200lbs of supplies for the tower garrison.
In short order, the party had procured supplies and filled out the accompanying forms. Passage was secured in a small boat piloted by Emre Benedek, a local human boatman who was happy at the prospect of earning Empire gold. Quickly stowing the party's gear, along with two wheelbarrow-loads of supplies, the party was headed upriver under cloudy skies, propelled by a moderate wind. By nightfall, they had started up the Huladek River, stopping for the night at a the dock of a small hamlet.
The second day of their travels saw the party continue their travels upstream. The day was largely uneventful, except for an encounter with a Legion centuria returning from a battle in the borderlands with a powerful elemental monster. The Centurion, a hobgoblin named Omari, told the party of their recent confrontation and upon hearing of their destination sent tidings to a goblin named Taj who was in charge of the campgroup protecting the docks near the tower.
The following night was slightly more eventful. While Blixhaven and Jrak kept watch, a splash alerted them to movement on the river. Eventually, they witnessed a glittering patch on the water's surface, and it was headed straight towards them. Swiftly taking action, they alerted Emre to the potential threat and Jrak secured the mirror package, carrying it to shore. His action proved to be prescient, as the boat shuddered with the impact of a creature emerging from the water, a humanoid aberration seemingly made of solid ice. Undaunted, the steady Blixhaven moved to an advantageous position and loosed an arrow that shattered what appeared to be the creature's neck, and it toppled back into the water, floating downstream with the current.
As the party traveled upriver on the third day, it was becoming increasingly apparent that they were leaving the civilized lands of the Empire behind them. Signs of habitation on the north bank were rare, and settlements on the south bank were infrequent and well-protected. As evening approached, they found themselves in a swampy landscape. When they jumped from the boat to haul it onto the shore, they soon found that this area of the river was inhabited by leaches of a particularly fearsome size. Jrak and Neela both suffered blood loss before finding and removing the parasites, and Blixhaven and Trykaar were quick to leap for the safety of shore. After treating the wounds of the wounded partymembers, they passed a quiet night.
The final day of river travel was again largely uneventful, the monotony being broken by a Dwarven trader who was piloting a barge downstream, laden with Elven goods. By midday, the party arrived at the docks from whence they would begin their short overland journey to the tower. They were greeted by Sargeant Taj and half of his men, the other half being off on a hunting expedition. Laden with not only the mirror, but also 200lbs of supplies, the party decided to await the return of the hunters, so that some of the goblins might accompany them with a cart to carry the supplies.
When the next day arrived before the overdue hunting party, the adventurers decided to make for the tower with the mirror, leaving the supplies with the goblins. The journey to the tower, which was located on a high hill eight miles north of the river, would take them half a day with the half-ogre encumbered by the case containing the magic mirror. About 4 hours into their journey, while scouting ahead of the party, Blixhaven was alerted by the sound of approaching wagon wheels. After he alerted the rest of the party, it was decided that Blixhaven would set up in ambush while the other three waited on the road.
Blixhaven hid himself behind a tree, but seemed to underestimate the stockiness of his frame. The peasants on the seat of the approaching wagon pulled up short, apparently alarmed by the armed bowman behind the sapling. After pleading for safe passage, and telling the likely robber that they had nothing of any value, they were slowly convinced that Blixhaven and his comrades meant no harm. They claimed to be local peasants traveling to safer regions, fleeing an apparent increase in strange activity in the area. Convinced that the peasants were not a threat, the party allowed them to pass and continued on their mission.
As they turned off the road, onto a pathway that led 1/4 mile uphill to the tower, Blixhaven was the first to notice that there was no sign of the garrison. Normally, someone would be keeping watch from the roof, but today the roof was empty. Choosing a cautious approach, Blixhaven and Neela decided to scout the woods near the tower. As he crept around the base of the hill, Blixhaven spotted a flash of blue fabric in a shallow swale. Creeping to a better vantage spot, he spied a small pile of human bodies, clad in the uniform of the garrison. Something was definitely amiss.
The party continued their approach to the tower, covered by Blixhaven who moved forward stealthily through the forest. Approaching the open portcullis, they hailed the tower occupants, who shortly returned the greeting. The occupants invited the party inside, but their ignorance of the party's mission gave more clues that all was not right. When the defenders refused to emerge from the tower, the party charged in. They made short work of the four defenders, all human but with odd features, but were alerted to a chanting elven voice and an arrow fired through murder holes from the floor above. Shrugging off a hit from a battleaxe, Jrak charged bravely up the stairs, only to encounter a fifth human defender and the expected elf. The elf cast a spell that put both Jrak and Trykaar into an enchanted sleep, then fled for the roof. Blixhaven and Neela quicly followed, after dispatching the final human. Chasing the elf to the roof, Blixhaven pierced him with an arrow before he could make use of a length of rope to escape down the side of the tower. Neela healed the elf, stopping his bleeding and taking him prisoner.
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