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Raiders of Oakhurst - A memoir of Erais Gunterson
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<blockquote data-quote="Colmarr" data-source="post: 4408272" data-attributes="member: 59182"><p>“Where’s Meepo?” I asked, and Tira and Skamos both shrugged.</p><p> </p><p>The half-elf waved towards the main cave entrance. “I let go of his tether when those creatures attacked. He got loose somehow and ran off,” she said. “I had more important things to deal with.” She reached out and ran two fingers along my neck and I impulsively brushed them away. The memory of the choker’s strangling grip was still raw. As much as it annoyed me that Meepo had escaped, I could not fault Tira’s decision.</p><p> </p><p>We settled down into the northern end of the cavern and caught our breath, keeping a watchful eye on the entrance in case Meepo attempted to return and complete his treachery. When he did not return, we took a few moments to search the blocked corridor to the northwest. Amidst the rubble and shattered and rusted armour, we uncovered the skeletal remains of a dwarf dressed in leather armour. The corpse was wrapped in a crimson cloak that embroidered in thread-of-gold. The cloak was in noticeably better condition than any of the other items in the pile, and Skamos agreed with me when I suggested that it could be magical.</p><p> </p><p>“The garment’s excellent state of repair despite its surrounding, together with its above-average quality, is strongly indicative of magical work. And if the cloak is indeed magical, it is highly likely that the garment is enchanted to provide its wearer with additional protection against assault.”</p><p> </p><p>I ran my hand across the cloth before uttering a short prayer over the dwarf’s body, then undid the clasps fixing the cloak to the leather armour. I lifted the crimson cloth and held it up in front of me. “What do we do with it?”</p><p> </p><p>Tira laughed. “It might stop you from getting strangled next time. Oh, don’t give me that look. I was only joking. Actually, I think Corrin should have it. For such a small man, he finds himself in big trouble with alarming regularity.” The warlock flicked her hair and flashed a disarming smile at the paladin, which Corrin returned without any hint of ill-feeling. The halfling reached out and took the cloak from my hands. He swirled it around him grandiosely and then fastened it to his armour. I couldn’t help but smile. The flashy garment suited him.</p><p> </p><p>Having reassured ourselves that Meepo was gone, we made our way back out into the main cavern. The only remaining unexplored tunnel sloped gently upwards, filled almost entirely by the icy stream into which Meepo and I had fallen when he first attempted to escape. We quickly checked the surrounding caverns to make sure that the kobolds had not returned while we were resting the night before, and then stood at the base of the stream discussing what to do next. Clearly we had driven off the kobold raiders, but we knew from the captive at Cragg’s Keep that hobgoblins were involved, and we had so far not encountered any here. We knew that it would do no good if the kobolds were dispersed but the hobgoblins remained, so we drew our weapons and began to make our way up the tunnel, heading ever upwards into the heart of the Stone Table.</p><p> </p><p>The water of the stream was frigid when it splashed against my legs, and once it was inside my boots a deep chill set in that even the exertion of the steady climb could not dispel. The tunnel wound back into the mountain until eventually opening into a chamber graced by a thunderous waterfall. The glowing tip of Skamos’ wand lit the room like a midsummer evening, making the cascading droplets of water sparkle like crystal. It would have been a breathtakingly beautiful sight, were it not for the fact that the passage wound under the falls. I must admit that I groaned audibly when I realized that. Wet boots would soon be the least of my worries.</p><p> </p><p>We made our way under the falls as quickly as we could, attempting to minimise our exposure to the freezing water. Even so, we were soaked to the skin by the time we reached the far side of the cavern, and the links of my chainmail felt like ice against my skin. As we moved onwards, I would occasionally relax, only to feel a rivulets of icy water run down my spine from some unknown catchment in my hair or on my shoulders. </p><p> </p><p>In retrospect, it makes me smile that I could be so distraught by cold water having just overcome the reanimated dead, bloodthirsty kobolds and most recently the stranglers. Humans have a strange ability to focus on their present woes to the exclusion of all else. In many ways that is a survival mechanism. It allows us to move on in life after traumatic experiences. In other ways, it is a hindrance. I must make a point one day to discuss this trait with members of the other sentient races. I am curious to know whether this foible is unique to humans.</p><p> </p><p>We eventually emerged from the tunnel into a small cavern split by a gaping split in the floor. A rotted and unsound-looking rope bridge spanned the gap. When Skamos shone his light into the chasm, we could not see the bottom. The cavern showed signs of recent habitation, but it had clearly been emptied in a hurry. We searched the area quickly, and noticed some booted footprints in a pile of straw bedding. Nearby we found some broken spear shafts and a dented tin cup.</p><p> </p><p>“This is where the hobgoblins camped,” Skamos said.</p><p> </p><p>Corrin looked up from inspecting the chasm. “How do you know?”</p><p> </p><p>“The footprint is of a boot. Kobolds don’t wear boots. The spear shaft is too thick to be of Kobold manufacture, and the cup shows a level of sophistication that seems beyond the dog-men. It’s a logical deduction.” He shrugged, almost as if to say that anyone could have, perhaps even should have, reached the same conclusion. I smiled at his unintentional arrogance.</p><p> </p><p>Corrin nodded without gusto. “Fair enough”. He picked up the tin cup and tossed it into the chasm. It bounced once or twice on the sides, and then fell for a distressingly long time before we heard it strike the bottom. “They clearly didn’t leave that way”, he quipped.</p><p> </p><p>“Whichever way they went, they’re gone now,” Tira replied. “And judging from the fact that they took all their possessions with them, I don’t think they plan on coming back”.</p><p> </p><p>Skamos nodded his agreement and pointed his light back into the tunnel. “Shall we continue on?”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Colmarr, post: 4408272, member: 59182"] “Where’s Meepo?” I asked, and Tira and Skamos both shrugged. The half-elf waved towards the main cave entrance. “I let go of his tether when those creatures attacked. He got loose somehow and ran off,” she said. “I had more important things to deal with.” She reached out and ran two fingers along my neck and I impulsively brushed them away. The memory of the choker’s strangling grip was still raw. As much as it annoyed me that Meepo had escaped, I could not fault Tira’s decision. We settled down into the northern end of the cavern and caught our breath, keeping a watchful eye on the entrance in case Meepo attempted to return and complete his treachery. When he did not return, we took a few moments to search the blocked corridor to the northwest. Amidst the rubble and shattered and rusted armour, we uncovered the skeletal remains of a dwarf dressed in leather armour. The corpse was wrapped in a crimson cloak that embroidered in thread-of-gold. The cloak was in noticeably better condition than any of the other items in the pile, and Skamos agreed with me when I suggested that it could be magical. “The garment’s excellent state of repair despite its surrounding, together with its above-average quality, is strongly indicative of magical work. And if the cloak is indeed magical, it is highly likely that the garment is enchanted to provide its wearer with additional protection against assault.” I ran my hand across the cloth before uttering a short prayer over the dwarf’s body, then undid the clasps fixing the cloak to the leather armour. I lifted the crimson cloth and held it up in front of me. “What do we do with it?” Tira laughed. “It might stop you from getting strangled next time. Oh, don’t give me that look. I was only joking. Actually, I think Corrin should have it. For such a small man, he finds himself in big trouble with alarming regularity.” The warlock flicked her hair and flashed a disarming smile at the paladin, which Corrin returned without any hint of ill-feeling. The halfling reached out and took the cloak from my hands. He swirled it around him grandiosely and then fastened it to his armour. I couldn’t help but smile. The flashy garment suited him. Having reassured ourselves that Meepo was gone, we made our way back out into the main cavern. The only remaining unexplored tunnel sloped gently upwards, filled almost entirely by the icy stream into which Meepo and I had fallen when he first attempted to escape. We quickly checked the surrounding caverns to make sure that the kobolds had not returned while we were resting the night before, and then stood at the base of the stream discussing what to do next. Clearly we had driven off the kobold raiders, but we knew from the captive at Cragg’s Keep that hobgoblins were involved, and we had so far not encountered any here. We knew that it would do no good if the kobolds were dispersed but the hobgoblins remained, so we drew our weapons and began to make our way up the tunnel, heading ever upwards into the heart of the Stone Table. The water of the stream was frigid when it splashed against my legs, and once it was inside my boots a deep chill set in that even the exertion of the steady climb could not dispel. The tunnel wound back into the mountain until eventually opening into a chamber graced by a thunderous waterfall. The glowing tip of Skamos’ wand lit the room like a midsummer evening, making the cascading droplets of water sparkle like crystal. It would have been a breathtakingly beautiful sight, were it not for the fact that the passage wound under the falls. I must admit that I groaned audibly when I realized that. Wet boots would soon be the least of my worries. We made our way under the falls as quickly as we could, attempting to minimise our exposure to the freezing water. Even so, we were soaked to the skin by the time we reached the far side of the cavern, and the links of my chainmail felt like ice against my skin. As we moved onwards, I would occasionally relax, only to feel a rivulets of icy water run down my spine from some unknown catchment in my hair or on my shoulders. In retrospect, it makes me smile that I could be so distraught by cold water having just overcome the reanimated dead, bloodthirsty kobolds and most recently the stranglers. Humans have a strange ability to focus on their present woes to the exclusion of all else. In many ways that is a survival mechanism. It allows us to move on in life after traumatic experiences. In other ways, it is a hindrance. I must make a point one day to discuss this trait with members of the other sentient races. I am curious to know whether this foible is unique to humans. We eventually emerged from the tunnel into a small cavern split by a gaping split in the floor. A rotted and unsound-looking rope bridge spanned the gap. When Skamos shone his light into the chasm, we could not see the bottom. The cavern showed signs of recent habitation, but it had clearly been emptied in a hurry. We searched the area quickly, and noticed some booted footprints in a pile of straw bedding. Nearby we found some broken spear shafts and a dented tin cup. “This is where the hobgoblins camped,” Skamos said. Corrin looked up from inspecting the chasm. “How do you know?” “The footprint is of a boot. Kobolds don’t wear boots. The spear shaft is too thick to be of Kobold manufacture, and the cup shows a level of sophistication that seems beyond the dog-men. It’s a logical deduction.” He shrugged, almost as if to say that anyone could have, perhaps even should have, reached the same conclusion. I smiled at his unintentional arrogance. Corrin nodded without gusto. “Fair enough”. He picked up the tin cup and tossed it into the chasm. It bounced once or twice on the sides, and then fell for a distressingly long time before we heard it strike the bottom. “They clearly didn’t leave that way”, he quipped. “Whichever way they went, they’re gone now,” Tira replied. “And judging from the fact that they took all their possessions with them, I don’t think they plan on coming back”. Skamos nodded his agreement and pointed his light back into the tunnel. “Shall we continue on?” [/QUOTE]
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