The Barghest seeing the resilience and tenacity of the Dwarves knows that it is running out of time and options! The creature unleashes a flurry of claws and a bite at Rao!
,
,
,
The Barghest slips in a pool of its own blood!
ROUND 8
Bower 14/20
Uk 28/28
Tailwind 20/20
Rao 22/22
Oren 22/22
Gyrdwald 21/21
Craag 28/28
Barghest -52
Bower attacks the Barghest with a flurry of blows!
Rao hefts his Axe over his head in an attempt to decapitate the Barghest!
Stroud calls upon what he knows is his greater destiny, and allows the depth of his blood to flow!
,
The Bloodrager's Great Axe slams down on the Barghest's head severing it from it's body!
"Ironfist Clan Fool!!!" Rao screams to the Barghest's severed head, as he tears the ancient axe free from the blood soaking ground.
As Rao calms himself, you all collect yourselves. Oren returns to the group, and you all stand over the Barghest's broken body.
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Gyrdwald kneels and offers a prayer of thanks to his God. When he stands he looks to the corpse, then to the cave it came from when alive. "Let us search both the body and the lair."
Bower helps to search the bodies & lair.
Bower stands the only one of the clan injured by the Barghest.
A quick search of the monster produces a large gem, a horn, and a bag of what seems to be gold pieces.
The lip of the cavern stands ominously before you all.
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"Ah dunnae kinn whit cam ower me." Oren says ashamedly.
Oren walks over and picks up his short sword from where he dropped it and quickly conceals it.
"If we're gonnae in, at leest lit me scit aheid an' make sure there's nae traps. Oren nods toward the cave.
Can anyone appraise the gem or whatever type of horn this is?
Bower cautiously enters into the dark cave.
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Gyrdwald heals Bower.
He then passes his hand over the items with a prayer to his God.
"Let us rest before exploring this." Gyrdwald suggests.
Bower exclaims,"The cave looks fairly small, lets explore it and rest inside tonight."
Rao steps in front of the cave entrance, blocking the way before Bower and Oren.
"You heard Gyrdwald, Brothers. We'll wait and rest. Then check it out. I trust our Warpriest's judgement."
The Bloodrager's tone is filled with finality.
You set up camp and sit round the fire to a well earned meal and pints of free flowing ale. The weariness of the last few days melts away with some well earned merriment, recollection, and laughter.
You all reminisce about the adventures of your youth together, and bask once again in the glories of days long past. The Iron Bond begins to reforge, and it is as it was. You are family again. Family with a deep care and connection towards one another devoid of all wounds, or pressures.
You speak of the Ironfist Clan, and the legend of Brawn Ironfist who fought with the Bloodstone Brothers to tame a wild Tharin generations ago. You speak of the long decline of the greater Dwarven Kingdom into the 4 Dwarven nations that exist now, Thax, Thar, Brom, and Depthalan. You discuss how finding the Hammer of Brawn Ironfist would inevitably unite the Dwarven Kingdoms under one ruler, and how war would erupt if the one who wielded it was not strong enough. You speak of the founding of the Half Orc city of Hurc to the north, and the ramifications to the land if a nation of the fierce breed continues to form. You speak of the weakening alliance between the Elves of Nelethas and the Humans of Galadan, and how a war amongst the two would likely set all of Tharin ablaze.
The conversation is long and covers a range of topics that would normally spark debate, but not so with the six of you. You are once again close, joined in brotherhood by blood and battle. The Ironfist Clan tradition of the 'Iron Bonding' continues as each of you begin to speak of things important to yourselves and your ultimate destinations...
The next morning, you all wake ready to explore the cave.
"Who's going first?" Rao says as he gestures to the cave entrance.
"It can't be Oren. Apparently King Oren sent word in the night, and sent him on a mission of dire import." Rao says nonchalantly. The Bloodrager picks his teeth clean of the mornings breakfast, not even realizing or caring about anyone elses shock on the matter.
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Around the campfire...
No one would ever accuse Gyrdwald of being fun. While his battle brothers had spent time their youth playing pets, or weapons of wood, or breaking wood with their fists, or stealing ale, he spent his in the church, first as an altar boy, then as part of the marching choir, then a helmet-bearer, followed by a shield-bearer, and eventually as an axe-wielding priest. The faith is all he knows, and his personal additions to the evening conversation consist almost entirely of parables about the Father of Battle, Clangeddin.
Everything considered, he's the stoic kind of priest that makes one want to sneak a stiff drink into church.
The next morning...
"I will follow Craag." Gyrdwald says, standing from his morning prayers. "Stay within reach my brothers so that I may protect you with my shield or heal you with Clangeddin's grace."
Your swift strikes ward off enemies attacking nearby allies.
Prerequisite: Combat Reflexes .
Benefit: When an adjacent ally is attacked, you may use an attack of opportunity to attempt the aid another action to improve your ally's AC (by +4 due to Gyrdwald's kin guardian trait). You may not use the aid another action to improve your ally's attack roll with this attack.
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Bower shuffles in behind his brother Craag. "Lead on my brother!"
While Uk and Tailwind guard the cave entrance, Craag, Gyrdwald, Bower, and Rao enter quietly.
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Bower carefully moves as quiet as the wind.
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At camp, Uk adds to the campfire stories.
Of a long lineage of warrior caste, Ûk was born on the battlefield. His father, Èk, fell dead while defending the family during a frost giants’ raid. His grandfather, Åk, fell dead while defending the family during a fire giants’ raid. His great-grandfather, Õk, fell dead while defending the family during a stone giants’ raid. His great-great-grandfather, Ïk, fell dead while defending the family during a hill giants’ raid. Needless to surmise, like his forefathers, Ûk was meant for even bigger giants, maybe even a giant hiding in these caves...
Unfortunately, like his forefathers, Ûk inherited their poor communication skills which got them all killed on the battlefield in a similar manner, when the command to retreat was mistaken to charge. For his close comrades who’ve come to know Ûk, they can easily translate his staccato of grunts and groans, "UUMPH!- TEHH!?- HMM!...AHH..!...", truly meant, Look at here at this map, that’s where the orcs will be, should we attack there? Yes, I agree.
At day break...
Watching from inside the lip on the cavern, once he was certain there was no hind threat, "Uk this... Come on Tailwind, they're gonna have all the fun." Uk doesn't make any efforts for silence as he follows the others. "Sniff out the rear, pup", Uk orders his wolf, to which Tailwind sniffed out Gyrdwald's breeches. "No! The other rear! Watch our backs!"
Apparently, balls sniffing is a bigger priority.
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Gyrdwald cares nothing for stealth and marches ahead.
You enter the cave. From that moment, you know something is awry. The hairs on the backs of your necks bristle as you enter and you immediately know that something dark is hidden here...
You enter the cave. From that moment, you know something is awry. The hairs on the backs of your necks bristle as you enter and you immediately know that something dark is hidden here...
All but Uk hear the unmistakable sounds of whistling coming from much further down the cave.
As you move further along you begin noticing the rows and rows of weapons leaning and lying along the cavern walls.
"What in Moradin's name is this?!"
Uk inspects the weapons, seeing if dwarven made.
The weapons are of Orc make.
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"It appears we've found a garbage chute." Gyrdwald snorts at the orc-made weapons. Hefting his battleaxe, he moves on. "Let's see who the collector is and give them a close-up look at true craftsmanship."
As you all progress further down the cave, you see more and more weapons. It becomes hard to ignore the fact that there are literally thousands of Orc made swords, bows, and sets of armor lining the walls.
You all begin to easily realize that this is a weapon cache.
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We should destroy these weapons so they can no longer be used. Bower says.
"It would take us forever to destroy them all. We could probably collapse the cave though."
Uk nods at Wise-Eye's suggestion and peers down the darken tunnel. Then hearing Bower and Rao's plans, "We'll burn and bury it - after we find the quartermaster of this kitchen set! Now come!.
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First how far are we from the nearest Dwarven outpost or friendly human one. Someone we can trust. the is quite a cache and while not weapons i would like to see anyone wield they could be melted down and reforged and put to better use. If we bury them then the possibility arises that they can be dug up by their owners.
Gyrdwald nods to Rao. "You echo my thoughts. Burying them seems a more reasonable course." To Craag he adds. "Digging them out would take a lot of time. Hopefully we could send a report to others about this cache, and perhaps they could do something more permanent, but let us see what lies below before we test the engineering strength of this cave."
You all proceed further into the cave.
It descends into a deeper tunnel with even more weapons lining the walls. You proceed forward down the tunnel until you come to an intersection joining the entrances of two separate caverns. One goes to the right, the other to the left.
You all hear the unmistakable sound of jovial whistling coming from the cavern to your left. There is nothing coming from the cavern to your right.