The group began their various plans for the next stage of the fight.  Dok went around collecting ears while several others took on the less savory task of collecting the bodies.  The river actually made this less difficult than expected as quite a few of the goblins had died midstream and floated off to points unknown downstream.  The group would have some work to do if they wanted to get those bodies - either to burn or for the bounty.  Soon a large fire had been built and another pyre was sending a tower of greasy black smoke skyward.  

Thaoran went into the entrance to the cave (All the way up the gulley - it will put you well out of sight and hearing from the rest of the party.  Clarify if needed.) to bond with his weapons.  The group watched him move up the gulley.

When plans to get the twins back to Botkinburg were discussed, SIlver spoke up.  "I have had enough of goblins.  And this little venture has lasted longer than I had hoped.  I have pressing matters to deal with.  So I will be heading back to town.  I would be happy to escort the twins back."

The twins looked at her and nodded.  "We have no desire to go back in the cave.  We would if we had to, but back to town seems good - but there are still goblins out there."  Here they looked around at the woods and river.  "They scattered and didn'st seem to all go North.  If we cross the river and go North there we likely wouldn't meet many.  Or hopefully any."

General Comment

Since Tann elected to make a new character, Silver is going away.  This provides an easy escort for the twins back into town.  You are free to argue against this if you wish.  If the twins do go with you into the cave should anything dangerous be found they would not fight unless personally attacked.

Only one person mentioned the pyre, so if others wish to offer an alternative solution we can back that part of the post up.  I'm just trying to keep things moving.

Introductions are good but don't forget to post something actionable.  What do you want to do?  Do you have any further questions?  Standing around post-battle could take us a month of posts or it could be done in one or two.  But for that to happen I need something more specific.  And remember that you can talk to each other here in the Q&A thread or by sending each other messages.  If you all just post, "we should clean up" and "what do you want to do?" in the game thread we will never get anywhere.  So talk here and then post actions there. (Not that the intorductions are bad, but we do want to keep things moving as well.) 

Keeper - two things are important here:

1.  Technically only Soledad sees the glow from the detect magic spell.  I didn't make that clear in the post, but that is how the spell works.  So she would need to tell you about it and then you could try to get it.  If she chooses to do so it would only be a delay of a couple of seconds.

2.  The gnoll is in midstream.  Swimming is something you can do and if it was just an easy swim in a lake I wouldn't worry about it.  This is a river with a reasonably swift (Not crazy fast, but not lazy either) current.  The gnoll is midstream and moving away from you.  You can run down the shore and catch up to it, (Difficult terrain doesn't quite start immediately.)  or reasonably close, and then swim out to it as it continues down stream.  You are wearing leather armor which isn't a big deal but isn't nothing - and you are also carrying other goods as well.  In other words, you are moderately encumbered.  So if you choose to go after the glowing object I woild do the following:

A.  Allow you to reach the gnoll with no major issues.  But exactly how far downstream it is by the time you get there is harder to tell.

B. You would then have to either drag the gnoll to shore or try and acquire the glowing object - which would no longer be glowing FYI.  Either of these would require an athletics check to keep swimming.  Possibly more than one depending on which choice you make and what you are trying to get.  (Soledad only saw a generalized glow.)

C.  Getting back to shore would also require an athletics check - you would be fighting the current to some degree.  

It is also worth noting that there is a bend in the river coming and it is reasonably possible that you won't get to the gnoll and back before going around the bend.  That doesn't mean anything beyond being out of sight of the rest of the party at the moment, but it is worth mentioning.  

Successfully doing this is reasonably likely, but not guaranteed.  The exact consequences of a failed athletics check might not automatically be drowning, but obviously it wouldn't be great for you.  Let me know what you wish to do.

Weapon bond last forever - or at least it never expires.  You can be bonded with up to two weapons.  If you try to bond a third one of the first two goes away.  (Your choice.)  But if you never try to bod a third than it lasts forever.  It is simply a class ability - you always get to be bonded to your two top weapons.  It is a pretty cool ability.

The party can do whatever it wants to do.  Right now it is standing around on the battlefield outside the gulley.  How long it lasts  . . . .I will need to look that up.  

The chaos of the battle resolved itself into the chaos of the battlefield.  Dead goblins littered the ground and both goblin and gnoll corpses were being tugged by the current downstream.  Whatever lived in the river would feast on goblin flesh tonight – if they could stomach it. 

               Various members of the party turned to different tasks of post-battle cleanup.   Dok started to collect the ears for a bounty and seemed concerned with dealing with the bodies.  (Nothing said about those in the river, most of which have flowed out of easy reach.)

               Hornet called out to the ex-prisoner who had joined the fight and burned several goblins with spells.  The ½ elf responded by returning Thaoran’s dagger and introducing himself as Fenris Kaine.

               After receiving his dagger back, Thaoran spoke to the twins who had remained hidden in the brush.   He spoke of the mission from Botkinburg and asked for information about the goblins, the cave and  . . . elves.  The two were obviously a bit overwhelmed by the battle but held their goblin-spears at the ready as they watched the nearby woods for more of the evil creatures.  When they heard the name of Botkinburg they seemed relieved, even pleased that their home had not forgotten them. 

               “Yes, we are the Malkin brothers.  We were taken out of the meadow days ago.  It is hard to remember how long – over a week.  We were taken to the cave by the goblins.”  Hearing the concern in Thaoran’s voice they shook their heads.  “No, no elves that we saw.  But they clearly were looking for prisoners and I had the impression we weren’t the first.  But we don’t speak goblin.  They kept asking us about the village and traders who came through the area.  But the other guy . . . “  Here they paused and looked around.  “No, not Fenris.  The other guy, the fourth prisoner.  Where is he?  I think he spoke goblin.  He only arrived recently, and he seemed angry with the goblins.  Not like we were, we were horrified and defiant, but he seemed to expect something.  He never spoke in front of us, but as he was leaving the cell  . . . some time ago,  time really loses its meaning in a cave . . . I thought I heard him speak goblin.  I cold be wrong, but where did he go?”

               When asked about the caves themselves the two had little to say.  They were dragged there at night and put in a cell.  They were fed, the food was actually not bad – it probably came from caravans or our own herds!  But they really only saw their cell, a hallway and an interrogation room.  They did see a big pile of crates and boxes, plundered loot by the look of it, on the way in.  The hallways were all stone that they saw, but fairly well carved out – not raw cave walls.  But it smelled badly of goblin. 

               As the group scavenged through the various goods that the fleeing goblins left behind you found:

100 gp total (in various denominations) on the various corpses.

Various weapons – mostly spears, shortswords and shortbows and arrows of goblin quality.  Usable, but nothing great.

Some of the sacks included what looked like trade goods – bolts of cloth, pots and pans, and in some fairly decent food stuff.  None of it is of great value but there is a modestly sized pile of it. 

The chest that Fenris had been carrying holds 500 sp, 100 gp, and 10 small pieces of jewelry worth about 250 gp total.  There is also one potion bottle that glows in response to Soledad’s detect magic spell.

Fenris’ does not recognize his gear among the stuff found. 

The only other object that seems to glow in response to the spell is something on one of the gnolls – but you barely notice that as the current takes it and begins to drag it away down-river.  It is now in midstream (50’ out and 50’ downstream in deep water).  You can’t tell what it was.

The twins do tell you that the leader of the goblins does not appear to be among the dead. 

You are welcome to ask more questions – these were answers to some vague starting questions. 

6 posts up - new post coming on Sunday.

Azax listened to the King's responses to all of the questions.

"Thank you for all of the information.  If any of those rumors and stories you spoke of mentioned the inside of the fortress I would be interested in hearing or reading those as well.  We know so little, that any grain of information, mixed as it may be with the chaff of lies, would be helpful."

Here the Owlin looked around at the others.  "It seems that I have agreed to this quest - and so, perhaps, have these others.  I look forward to meeting your sorceror and getting supplies so that we may begin as quickly as possible."

Gear Azax will want:

A horse - I'm assuming the others will ride so he would also.

A horse to carry gear - one or two for the whole party probably.

Warm clothes sound good.

torches and food.  Basic camping gear.

Mountaineers packs  - for the others make sense, but Azax doesn't need them.

Several animal traps (think bear traps) to put around the camp at night.

A normal quiver holds 20 arrows.  

Certainly Azax could carry arrows for others in his quiver.

That was impressive.  Goblin parts flying every which way.  And at most one of them wasn't holding a weapon for those wondering about that.  

Since I am unsure if you are continuing the fight or not and the goblins are all running in different directions there will be no map to start with.  What comes next?  This can be both continued fighting if desired or also what you want to do post battle.  

The battle had reached a point of almost total chaos.  Some goblins were still standing and fighting, but many more were simply running for it.  The Kender clearly didn’t like the idea of killing those that were trying to flee and shouted, “Let them go!” But the reactions of the rest of the party were mixed.  In the mean time she backed away from the entrance to the gulley a bit and kept shouting and making noise to try and encourage the retreat.  Although it was impossible to tell if her yelling had any additional effect, the retreat continued in a rush. 

               Hornet clearly didn’t want to see the gnoll return to the fight.  He lined up his crossbow and fired a bolt straight at its eye – at 60’ that was a pretty tricky shot but the bolt flew straight and true and took the creature as it tried to turn back towards the fight.  The bolt when in its eye exactly as the elf had envisioned it and the gnoll crumpled into the water.  (Nat. 20 for another crit – 15 points of damage.) 

               Soledad thought that conscious goblins were a waste and decided to put more of them to sleep.  As her hex flew towards the line of goblins near the shore preparing to shoot at the party the 4 closest to shore collapsed into the water asleep.  Uthal was also targeting those goblins and formed an ice knife out of river water and threw it at the last part of the line remaining upright.  The knife struck the creatures armor and didn’t pierce it.  But an ice knife being what it was it then exploded like an ice grenade.  The last two goblins in the line and another one unlucky enough to be running by at just that moment were blasted.  All died quickly. 

               Thaoran moved closer to the river and was lining up his shot at the gnoll when he saw Hornet’s bolt take the creature down.  There was no sense wasting his arrow there, so he shifted his aim slightly to the right at one of the goblin archers still standing in the water and let the shaft fly.  The arrow struck square in the creature’s chest and knocked it backwards into the river.  It didn’t rise again.  (-7hp)

               Fenris Kaine continued his retreat into the shelter of the brush but stayed in the fight.  His likely targets were all falling before he could hurl fire at them, but there were still a few archers left.  A firebolt took one of those that had been near the line of six and blasted it full in the chest.  Collapsing backwards into the water of the river seemed to put the flames out, but it was too late to do the goblin any good as it was already dead.  (-8 hp)

               Dok was next.  He moved his spiritual weapon towards the twins to protect them in case anything should threaten them, but nothing did.  The two hunkered down behind a tree and watched the chaos, holding goblin spears at the ready and watching the approaching glowing axe warily.  The last prisoner was now out of sight running north along the river.  Dok used the weapon in his hand to cut down a goblin that came running at him with a short sword.  (-7hp)

               Gerdar was not willing to let goblins get away and saw one with a spear running his way.  However just as he was prepared to split the beast in two it swerved behind a tree and dodged the attack and kept running.  The dwarf shouted at the coward and spun around and met him on the other side of the tree and this time did not miss.  The creature fell to the ground in two parts.  (Missed first attack, but that put them in melee so when the goblin continued to flee Gerdar got an attack of opportunity which did not miss.  (-10 hp) 

               All around the battlefield the party was blasting any goblin that held a weapon and the goblins seem to have noticed.  There were several others that had been fighting the previous turn but seeing almost every other fighter go down the fight went out of them.  Some threw down their weapons while a few kept hold of them, but all turned and ran.  About 8 of so of them reached the far shore of the river, another 10 or so were past midriver and another group was about at midriver.  Another group of about 8 were at various distances running North along the river and a half dozen ran South past the two dwarves.  Several goblins are quite a way downstream in the grip of the river and 4 are now sleeping and being pulled at by the current right in front of you.  Nobody seemed to be continuing the fight. 

Overview:

Dead goblins:  17

Dead Gnolls:  2

Sleeping goblins:  4

Running goblins:  35??  Not all are visible anymore.   No goblins are within melee range of anyone anymore.  

**I will not be doing another map unless it is necessary.  I can certainly provide details upon request.  

I am working on the post and will likely get it updated today.

However, I do want to make sure the situation is clear.  The majority of the goblins are simply fleeing and yes, there are women and children amongst them.  But there are also some that are fighting - whether just to cover the retreat or in an attempt to win the battle is unclear, but they are fighting.  This includes the line of goblins just a ways into the water and about 4 more scattered out in the river. (The original vanguard.)  Plus one still on land.  Presumably the gnoll was only running last turn due to the effects of the spell cast by Soledad. So around 11 or 12 goblins appear to still be in the fight as well as a gnoll.  

That is 5 posts.  I hope to get a post up soon.

Dragon-Soul  -  Not sure if it changes your move at all, but the second gnoll started last turn next to the now-dead gnoll, but it did not end there.  Soledad scared it with a spell and it now stands 60' away in the middle of the river.  The spell is no longer in effect, but the gnoll is not right next to Hornet and Uthal anymore.  

The Map

Party Members (Plus the Twins) are circled.  

And goblin with an arrow can be assumed to be running away and doesn't currently appear to be trying to fight at the moment. 

There should be about 6 more goblins further out into the river - I forgot to add those that had already made the river.  All of those are running.  

Note that this shows more than the other images and the gulley entrance (which is right by Lily) is no longer quite in the center to accomodate the distance those to the right have gone.  

Those on the far right are getting out of sight - both goblins and the prisoner who ran that way.  

If you want a sense of distance - from Hornet to the gnoll in the middle of the river is about 60'.  

The scribbly, cloudy looking things are trees or bushes.  The shaded bits are large boulders.  

If you have questions, please ask.

Azax watched the King and his companion come down and speak.  Looking at the banners and the winged creature whose image was emblazoned on them Azax couldn't help but think the lily of peace held by a huge predator.  Peace through Strength.  May have believed this necessary and many have fallen prey to a belief that anything is acceptable if it defends their image of peace.  Lets hope this peace is worth it.  Sometimes strength is needed - was I not just on such a journey?  

With such ideas already rolling through his mind he listened to the King's speach.  Like the quest he had just finished, here again, was a quest that aimed at children harmed.  It seemed worth doing. 

He listened to the shaman with the odd voice ask some questions and then added his own.  

"Sir.I am Azax of Clan Strix.  I am willing to look into this mission but there are more questions.   How far are these mountains and what is the best way to get there?  How shall we travel?"

(He would not necessarily shoot all of these questions off machine gun style but would listen for one answer before asking another.  Overall, these are the questions he would ask.)

"What does this potion look like?  How will we know it when we find it?"

"Do the orcs interact with other groups?  If buying it is possible, do they sometimes intearact with merchants and others?  Would that be a way into their fortress?  Or should we expect to have to sneak or break in?"

"How do you know the orcs took it?  Have they offered to sell it yet or is that a guess?"

"Is there a chance that the princess' injury and the simultaneous theft of the only known cure is not simply an unlucky coincidence?    

"Do you have any other information about this stronghold?  Not location as you have already indicated that, but of its appearance, size or inhabitants?"  

"Most importantly, how long do we have?  Some paths may seem more likely to succeed in acquiring the potion, but require more time than your daughter has."  

"Given what you and your advisors know of the orcs and the western mountains, do you have any suggestions on our route or what gear we should bring?"

Hornet is fine.  

He has taken 9 damage, but as he has 30 HP he is still at 21.  

Sorry for the confusion.

As noted on the game post - a map will be forthcoming, but might be a bit.  You don't necessarily need it for posting so don't wait for it if you know what you want to do.

Also, please remember all of you characters abilities.  For example, rogues get sneak attacks and cunning actions.  All classes get some special things.  Don't forget them.  If you have questions about anything, ask.

The area along the River Hreusen by the ford was pure chaos.  The party launched attacks and a few goblins and a couple of gnolls stood and fought.  But beyond that it seemed to be a goblin free-for-all, with goblins running every which way.  Meanwhile the gulley seemed to continue to vomit forth more of the little beasts, although not all of them were fighters it seemed. 

               The first to act, as before, was the little but noisy Kender.  Lily silenced her hoopak and instead attempted to put it to a more mundane use – poking a goblin with the sharp end of it.  She moved quickly up to the edge of the brush in front of the gulley and attacked the goblin running out.  But she hadn’t planned on a creature in full flight and missed badly.  Frustrated, she peaked into the gulley to see what was coming.  Goblins.  More goblins.  She wasn’t sure how many as she ducked back behind the brush, but they cave the others had mentioned seemed to be emptying out.

               Hornet suddenly found himself confronted by two very large gnolls and decided the time had come for a blade.  Pulling his rapier from his scabbard he then slid it easily into the side of the gnoll in front of him.  If blood was his goal, it was a success and the creature started leaking profusely from the hole.  (-7HP)

               Soledad, freed from the terrible sound of the Kender’s hoopak, again sought to target a bugbear with a spell – sending dissonant whispers into the head of the nearest gnolls causing to it feel extreme pain and horror.  Even as the creature raised its spear to strike at Uthal it suddenly let out a massive shriek of pain (-12hp) and turned to run.  All it wanted was to get away from whatever was causing it such a pain.  But Uthal, seeing it desperate and trying to run, reached out and smacked it with his quarterstaff.  It hit with a meaty thunk on the creature’s side and staggered it as it turned to run.  (-9 hp, attack of opportunity as a creature you were engaged with attempted to move out of combat.)  Still feeling the effects of the witch’s magic the gnoll fled 60’ into the river.  Uthal than moved up to the other gnoll and swing his staff again.  (His regular attack) But his attack seemed to rebound from the creature’s armor with no real effect. 

               Thaoran moved forward quickly in the chaos and handed the half-elf prisoner a dagger.  The prisoner took the knife and Thaoran turned quickly around to try and take out the biggest threat to the party – the gnolls.  He drew and arrow, took careful aim, and fired – aiming for the chest of the large beast.  A brief second later a massive red burst blossomed on the creature’s chest as the arrow buried itself in its chest.  It staggered backwards a step stunned, its eyes rolled up into its head, and it toppled backwards into the water.  The corpse started to float downriver.  (A nat 20 for a crit and -20 hp!  Now that is a shot!)

               This left the prisoners to react.  The ½ elf at the back of the group was offered a dagger by Thaoran and happily took the blade.  Seeing two goblins near his potential-rescuer he let go with a firebolt and blasted one of them into a living torch.  Even as the creature died Fenris Kaine was taking his shot at escape and moved quickly 30’ South along the river back towards the trees Thaoran had come from, dagger in hand. 

               One of the twins in the middle had escaped his goblin holder but the other had not.  The one still held by a rope grabbed onto the rope again and tried to yank it out of the hands of the much smaller goblin.  But the creature was stubborn.  He seemed still shaken by the Kender’s noise and only vaguely aware of what was going on around it, but the evil little creature hung onto that rope like a lifeline, even as the well-muscled farm lad yanked him around.   His twin, seeing his brother again fail to escape, reached down and grabbed a spear dropped by one of the other goblins and plunged it into the back of the one still holding the rope.  Skewered on a goblin-spear, the creature finally let go of the rope and sagged to the ground.  The twins glanced around and seemed to decide that South along the river seemed to be their best be and started moving in that direction, ducking down as if it would help them remain unseen.  The human that had been in the lead and was dressed a bit nicer had already moved 60’ north along the river.  By now he had reached some more difficult terrain but continued to move northward as quickly as he could.  Around him were several goblins fleeing in that direction as well.  They will quickly be lost from consistent sight in the brush, trees and rocks of the ridgeline. 

               Numerous goblins were already out in the river.  Three had been captured by the current and were being carried downstream.  Two of the these were awake and the third, at least the last time anyone looked at him, was asleep, but all continued to be dragged away from the battle.  Two other goblins had managed to wake up and stood up in the ford.  They grabbed their bows and fired on Hornet and Uthal.  Two of the advance guard also stood in the river still and fired back at the two had been engaged with the gnolls.  Of the four arrows two were too high and flew off into the heights of the ridge.  But two found their mark.  One struck Uthal (-5 hp, a crit, but very bad rolls from the goblins perspective.) and one struck Hornet.  (-6hp, he is at -9 overall.)  Another goblin, hiding behind a tree to the North took a shot at Thaoran, but failed to hit. 

               The goblins continued to flee and as they did so Gerdar remained solidly in position and swung his axe at what came at him.  Pulling his axe from the gore that was all that remained of his first target he swung again at another goblin.  Again his axe struck the creature’s torso and the large blade lit up with radiant light.  Blade and light crushed its chest and another ex-goblin pile o fmuch fell at the feet of the dwarven paladin.               

               Dok used his spiritual weapon to crush one of the goblins trying to flee South.  He swung his weapon at another as it ran, but missed.  Not many, but some were getting past the group and into the woods beyond.  

               The goblins continued to flee.  There were goblins running everywhere.  Some were male and some were female.  Had few were dragging younger ones.  Some carried goods, others carried weapons.  All those that had filled the area between the gulley and the river continued to dash out into the water.  More poured out of the gulley.  A group of 6 or 7 ran out into the water about 20’ where they spun around and stood with bows ready.  (They dashed and so don’t get an action this turn but appear to be positioned to protect the ford.)  10 more followed this group out and now filled the area between the gulley and the river.  Lily, near the entrance and watching the entire parade race right past her nose, looked into the gully and saw only an empty path leading back up the ridge.  The gully that to the Vargolg appeared to have finally run out of goblins. 

Ovewview

Dead goblins so far:  11  (1 gnoll)

There are 5 goblins out there that have shot at you so far. 

There are another 6 that are lined up in the water to shoot next turn.

There is one gnoll (injured badly) in the middle of the river.

There are another 10-20 goblins running around that seem more interested in fleeing than fighting.

Of the 4 prisoners, Fenris has joined the fight, the twins killed a goblin and are running South, and the other human is running North. 

Some goblins are reaching the far side of the river or reaching a spot along the shore (North or South) where they are almost out of sight. 

There will be a map, but it will take a bit. 

Yeah, the post didn't happen on Thursday.  But it is in process right now!

I can work with whatever you do.  On this site I have a hard time doing more than one a week.  On D&D Beyond I'm in a game that posts a lot more.  I'd be happy to do a couple times a week, but can work with whatever.

time to get posts in - I will be posting tomorrow - Thursday!

Welcome back Hammer!

I assume you mean Guiding Bolt?  As a cleric Dok does not have a lightning bolt.  Different spell, different class and higher level spell.

You are a bit over 40' from those directly in front of you.  Add some distance if you are looking at angles or ones further back.  

Guiding bolt - range of 120'  Easily within range of anyone you can see except the furthest out archers in the river. FYI - Guiding bolt does 4d6 damage and gives advantage to the next attack on them.  It is serious overkill on a normal goblin.  

Spiritual weapon - you can have the magical weapon appear anywhere within 60' of your location - so you can get to several targets.  Plus, as a bonus action, you can move it 20' per turn and still attack with it.  So you could cast it and then move it.  You have targets.  Remember that once cast it sticks around for 10 rounds.  It takes your action on the first turn to cast it, but on subsequent round you can attack (and do the move 20') as a bonus action leaving you your action to do other things like attack normally.  

To everyone - I don't normally offer advice (like Guiding bolt is overkill on a goblin) but if you are unsure of anything please do not hesitate to ask.  I'm more than happy to let you know the details of how a spell or ability will work.  

Azax arrived in Vangar unsure of what to do next.  He had been drawn out of his families nest and his clan’s land by urgent need.  Young owlin hatchlings and other young humanoids from the woodlands had been kidnapped. He had made it his task to rescue them.  On the way he had made a great friend – a young squirrelkin (Think half human/half squirrel humanoid) sorcerer named Borborybodbodynock.  Bory and he had discovered that there was a group of bandits capturing various kin of lesser known races to use in a menagerie as entertainment.  Horrified, Bory and Azax had rescued the young ones and returned them to their respective people’s. 

               But that wasn’t the end of it.  These slavers were part of a larger group seeking to kidnap and use the young for various evil purposes.  In their first encounter the two young heroes discovered information about how the group had connections in various towns.  Not willing to leave others to such a fate the two had set out to disrupt as much of the slaver’s plans as possible.  The combination of Bory’s magic and nimbleness and Azax’s arrows and ability to dominate the night sky enabled them to track their enemy and take out several cells of slavers in several mid-sized cities around the region.  The rest seemed to pack up and leave in the face of the mysterious assault. 

               It was at this point that Bory decided that it was time to go home.  His sorcerous patron was the Lady of the Critters, a spirit that looked after the smaller creatures of the forests and had desired an end to those who would imprison the weak.  But his place was in the woods.  Azax wanted to go with his friend, but he had never been beyond the woods and hills of his homeland before and wanted to learn more about the places he had previously only seen on maps.  He wasn’t ready o return to the nest and listen to his father’s words again.  Someday he would, but not yet.

               And so the youngish owlin waved goodbye to the squirrelkin as Bory headed back home.  Instead, Azax headed towards Vangar, one of the great cities of the region.  Owlin did not live in cities and he had been surprised by the size of small towns and amazed at the sheer number of people in the smaller cities he and Bory had entered.  He felt drawn towards Vangar, almost like a moth toward a light.  (He was sure that was how his father would describe it with all of the implications of doom that implied.)  He wanted to see such a city.  Plus, based on their findings in the last slaver nest they invaded, it seemed there might be a cell here as well.  That was uncertain and he had little idea of where to look, but it gave him a reason to go where he wanted to go. 

               So, the countryboy went to the big city.  It wasn’t as overwhelming as he had feared – he had experienced enough of cities that while it took things to a scale he had never imagined it was just a bigger version of what he had seen before.  Not surprisingly, he was a bit of a nightowl and he spent part of the nights frequenting taverns looking for signs of a slaver group, but found nothing he could act upon.  He spent the rest of the night soaring the skies at night and peering into the dark alleyways of the city looking for action that should not be there.  He found some (and stopped several robberies and other crimes) but never what he was looking for.  After a couple of weeks he began to wonder what he should do next.  Being a flying vigilante really wasn’t a long-term proposition.

               And it was in such a mood of uncertainty and indecision that he saw the Royal Decree.  A matter of utmost urgency?  Well, that sounded like something worth doing.  And if not, well, he could always turn it down and return to  . . . randomly flying around the city.  It seemed worth checking on.  Brave adventurers?   Azax wasn’t sure he was an adventurer but looking back on the past six months made it seem like others might consider him such.                  

               And so the young Owlin archer decided to look into working for the King of Vangar.  At the appointed time he headed towards the castle to see what this urgent matte would be.  He didn’t fly directly into the courtyard as he had the sense that castle guards would not like the idea of someone simply flying over their defenses and guard posts.  (Guards on the walls of previous towns had never noticed him as he always made sure to fly in high and at night.)  So he arrived at the castle on foot and made his way to the courtyard to see if this would provide the answer to what came next. 

Where did you want to backstory posted?

And I will get a game post up some time today.