At the start of today's session the party found themselves recuperating from the battle they had with the entire Cragmaw tribe last session. Luckily for you the party decided to take a short rest before trying to make their way back to the wagon and Phandalin. Upon exiting from the castles main gate, Rook and Sir William and Brydon spotted movement in the distance to the West. Just before a barrage of arrows rained down upon you from behind trees and boulders in that direction. A battle ensued between a returning hunting party of Hobgoblins with Dire wolves and you. The high point was undoubtedly when Bryndon tried to cast suggestion on the Hobgoblin Leader and was given a chance to leave without conflict. Bryndon declined the offer, preferring to enter into "Kuxuk," or ritual one on one combat. A duel if you will, to decide who should be the new leader of what remained of the Cragmaw tribe of Goblinoids. Bryndon ran away often, causing his opponent to mock him for being a cowardly elf, but in the end he vanquished his foe. Undoubtedly due to the powerful staff he obtained from Iarno Albrek. Seeing his master killed in front of his eyes, Shredder the Dire wolf could hold back no longer and leaped at Bryndon ripping out his throat for 24 points of damage. Bryndon lay their dying until Beulah decided to avenge him, firing a Fire arrow at the enemy for the first time. Unfortunately, she didn't know that a fire arrow has a AOE just like a fireball and the 20 foot radius included Bryndon and half the party. So Bryn took another death save fail, but was soon stabilized by Glanbir. After the "Kuxuk at the Gates," as it will always be remembered in Goblin lore, the party made its uneventful way back to Phandalin. Arriving late in the evening, they left the extra weapons in the townmaster's hall and spoke briefly to Sildar, accepting the 500 GP reward and his personal thanks for retrieving his sword and chainmail. Then the party slept the sleep of the dead as they recovered from their wounds. Next morning Scarlet went off into the woods to perform an ancient ritual to gain forbidden arcane knowledge from an inscrutable other worldly patron: " The Dark Powers of Ravenloft. " Wha ha ha ah! But before she could finish the visit with her aunt and cousin, Beulah showed up at the door of her aunts house demanding to speak to Carp. Both Scarlet and Carp's mother were suspicious of Beulah's intentions, if perhaps for different reasons. Eventually Beulah got the information she desired from Carp and went to investigate the cave and found that it led into the underground cavern where the party fought the Nothic and the undead in the crevasse. After her spelunking she made her way back to the Inn and was approached by the Elven beauty, Sister Garaele. Taking her for someone else, she grabed her wrist and twisted until the poor sister fell to the floor crying. After having straightened out the mistake she had a drink with the receptive sister and got a new mission for the party. An ivory comb and a banshee to bargain with. Bryndon read his book, while Glanbir did the same. Scarlet finally finished her ritual and came into the tavern, but not without Rook noticing a small plume of thick black oily smoke rising from her right shoulder. Rooks arcana roll led him to believe this the work of a pact with the devil or some other sort of powerful being. But he kept this knowledge to himself. Bryndon didn't get quite as good a look as Rook did, but he came to a similar, if less interested, opinion. Sir William had a chance for some RP with Sildar before this, but we wanted to wait on Nich to do the RP. The party took one more night to recuperate and play with the Handy Haversacks, then set out bright and early the next morning for Conyberry with a very grumpy and sometimes irate Dwarf telling his Cousin Glanbir that you are all wasting time, that his brother's lives are in peril while you play patty cakes and read books. He even offered 25 gp each and a 10% share in the profits from the mine if the party would leave now to save his brothers. After an entire day on the Triboar Trail you spot good place to make camp. The party rested without incident and contiued their journey to the west. After only a couple of hours, the road started to narrow and was flanked by ever more and more trees. Finally Beulah pulled the horses to a halt and Glanbir spotted movement up ahead where the road takes a sharp turn to the right. That is where we called it because Peter had to go. Next week we will pick it from up there. Peter I hope you contact me this week so we can talk about your spell choices and your Patron. Loot: 500 gp reward from Sildar for clearing out the Cragmaw goblins. Targor and his Sergeant both carry Heward's Handy Haversacks. One of the sacks contains a copy of TOME OF TRANSLATING TERRIBLE TONGUES AND TALES - (A Tremendous Traveler's guide to Troubling and Terrifying Troglodyte Tongues). Both contain severed Elf heads. But very unlike Bryndon's own head, these have dark Raven black hair and their skin speaks of ages under the Sun. Ivory Comb to be used to convince Agatha the Banshee to reveal the location of Bowgentle's spell book. Sister Garaele offered to provide the party with a few healing potions and salves to aid you in your efforts to find the location of the spell book. We will say that you remembered to go by her home the next morning for them. (She was pretty drunk the night before. Good thing Beulah likes hairy dudes or we might have seen the Sister taken advantage of.) 3 Potions of Healing, 1 Potion of Greater Healing and 1 Healing Salve that can if applied as an action can give both the effects of a Lesser Restoration spell and heal 3d6 points of damage. Xp : 1100 XP - Dire Wolf fight, or as it will be known in Goblinoid lore, "Kuxuk at the Gates." 100 XP - Beulah found the cave in the Woods that leads into the underground cavern under the Manor. 100 XP - Scarlet successfully finishing her ritual. 1300 XP - Total divided by 6 = 216 XP each. Well Gentlemen, it won't be long before your at 4th level. Then it is just a matter of finishing up your business here in the Hill Country and then setting out Slay the Dragon, the vile green wrym. But you must hurry, because word has reached you that the dragon in Thundertree has been molting. This can only mean that it is about to transition from "Young" to "Adult." This tidbit was mentioned in passing by Queline Alderleaf, Scarlet's aunt. Scarlet didn't understand the importance of it then, and if she doesn't start getting along better with Beulah, she might only find out too late. Scarlet's aunt has a male "friend" that comes to visit her occasionally that is a woodsman of Neverwinterwoods. Some even say he is a Ranger, a member of the Emerald Enclave and a servant of the Circle of Druids, all wood elves, who inhabit the Wood. See you next week, Andy