Baern's Journal
It has been too long since I have had an opportunity to reflect on and organize my thoughts regarding recent events. Where is Savin when one needs to know the date, so that I might date this entry? I sit here contemplating the recent events in stunned silence. Some might even say dumbfounded. Only vaguely aware of my surroundings I will record the recent events. I can only wonder what the Mother has in mind for her servant...
We have infiltrated the infested dwarfish stronghold. The infestation if that of all manner of goblinoids. From little squishy ones to larger angry ones. I am surprised that any dwarfish refugees exist given the extent of the infestation.
Avoiding the roving patrols of these foul goblins we eventually stumbled upon a what appeared to be a dead end. Here we found an inactive magical portal in amongst what appeared to be a bunch of abandoned dwarfish mining supplies. After some investigation Savin and I figured the portal could be reactivated. I began work on reactivating the portal while the others started to secure the area.
We were ambushed through a secret door that we had not detected. The goblin horde fell upon us as we fought for our lives. I was had to maintain my concentrations on the on the magical portal as I had reached a very precarious point in the opening of the portal and had to continue or risk a a negative energy feedback loop that could blow us into the netherworld if it did not bring the mountain down on our heads.
I do not know how many waved of goblinoids the rest faced, but they were in a ragged state when I finally reached a point I could pause. Drained, Vos continued from where I left off. Yulia went to scout in the event we needed an escape path.
Hopeful we could avoid further detection, we began to shore up the defenses further. We reinforced the barrier we created to defend the main hall further, we barred the secret door, and we began creating additional traps with the barrel of pitch to surprise anymore attackers. Our preparation was not in vain.
While Savin was preparing the traps in the hallway I heard something odd and called Savin back. We continued waiting quietly and listening until I chose to light a torch in the coals we had lit in preparation of an attack. I then threw the torch down the hallway. The expression on the faces of those goblins was priceless when that torch was priceless. Surely, the mother was guiding that torch for us. A frantic battle ensued. Olen attempted to light the traps on fire unsuccessfully a couple of times before being forced to join the melee.
It was a frantic battle. Our saving grace was having braced the secret door it bought us enough time to finish off the initial wave as the foul goblins used axes to destroy the door. We then engaged them and dispatched them. Unfortunately, for us, some of the foul goblinoids escaped.
Vos continued to work on opening the portal while we shored up the defenses. There was still no sign of the dragonborn. I was concerned, but we had to attend to the task at hand. Savin, Olen, and I completed the booby trapping of the hallway and built a barricade in front of the destroyed secret door. I then took the remaining pitch and the barrel and threw it on the new barricade.
Shortly after that we heard the marching of feet from down the hall. We coordinated our efforts amongst us, so we would attempt to start the fires burning and join the defense. This time Olen was prepared to join the battle with his shield equipped.
We timed our efforts, and when we say the fiery eyes of the goblins we set the fires burning. Well, I set the fire burning at the secret door barricade, and I do not know what stopped Olen from lighting the fire. While Olen and Savin harried the attacked across the barricade I made two additional attempts to throw shovels full of burning coals down the hallway to no avail. I suspect the coals had gone out, but I was not permitted time to contemplate the failure further.
This time the goblin forces were much larger. Both in numbers and physical stature. There were still a bunch of the squishy ones and they brought some that were almost as large as ogres. These larger ones rushed our main barricade and smashed through it. We doubled our efforts to hold the line, but as they smashed through our other barricade and started coming from the ceiling of the room we were being over run.
Savin and then myself joined the effort to open the open the portal. Suddenly bodies bodies were falling from the ceiling and Yulia swung down from the ceiling. That girl has a knack for timing. Olen suddenly fell to the vicious goblin onslaught as the portal manifested. I called out for the others to go through as they were all barely standing. I summoned my inner reserved as only a devout dwarf can and rushed in to save Olen from the foul goblin horde. I grabbed Olen by the arm while the goblin horde attempted to stop me, but the were no match for dwarfish tenacity. I then dragged Olen through the portal before I remembered the odds and my dwarfish tenacity wore out.
It appears the goblins were not able the to follow us through the portal, of which I am thankful. I doubt we could have survived should we have been forced to continue the pitched battle. Reflecting back, I now realize that there was goblin magic being wielded. were this 100 years previous that would not have seemed unusual. In a world where magic has all but disappeared for more than 90 years this is unusual. I will have to point that out to Savin...
The battle was not the event that brought me pause. It was the journey through the portal once again. In the previous journey I met the Mother, and she gave me the holy symbol I still wear. To meet the gods once is a rather rare event, but to meet your god a second time...
I appeared in a surreal glade. The I am embarrassed to admit I almost did not recognize her as she had taken on a greenish hue to match the environment. I almost mistook her for a nymph. She had me walk with her from the glade to up the side of a mountain where we observed a herd of mountain sheep. There were three distinct groups. The majestic rams with their curled horns, the young barely able to fend for themselves, and the old ewe full of wisdom. Suddenly we see the mountain sheep beset by wolves on all sides. Mother Ellaselle turns to me and asks, "if you can only save one group, which would you save?"
Suddenly I am amongst the herd. My perspective has changed. It was as if I was one of the mountain sheep. I only had time to react before the wolves attacked. I rushed the ones threatening the young. Just as suddenly I was back in my body beside Mother Ellaselle. She seemed pleased with the decision, although I think she understood only being able to pick one group was not sitting well with me. She imparted these final words to me, "you will not be able to save them all."
Now I sit here contemplating these events. Majestic ram's horns have somehow become etched within my holy symbol, and once again I look to the Mother to bring meaning to the wisdom she has imparted to her faithful servant. I feel that I am blessed. I only hope I can properly represent Ellaselle in the trying days to come.
We have infiltrated the infested dwarfish stronghold. The infestation if that of all manner of goblinoids. From little squishy ones to larger angry ones. I am surprised that any dwarfish refugees exist given the extent of the infestation.
Avoiding the roving patrols of these foul goblins we eventually stumbled upon a what appeared to be a dead end. Here we found an inactive magical portal in amongst what appeared to be a bunch of abandoned dwarfish mining supplies. After some investigation Savin and I figured the portal could be reactivated. I began work on reactivating the portal while the others started to secure the area.
We were ambushed through a secret door that we had not detected. The goblin horde fell upon us as we fought for our lives. I was had to maintain my concentrations on the on the magical portal as I had reached a very precarious point in the opening of the portal and had to continue or risk a a negative energy feedback loop that could blow us into the netherworld if it did not bring the mountain down on our heads.
I do not know how many waved of goblinoids the rest faced, but they were in a ragged state when I finally reached a point I could pause. Drained, Vos continued from where I left off. Yulia went to scout in the event we needed an escape path.
Hopeful we could avoid further detection, we began to shore up the defenses further. We reinforced the barrier we created to defend the main hall further, we barred the secret door, and we began creating additional traps with the barrel of pitch to surprise anymore attackers. Our preparation was not in vain.
While Savin was preparing the traps in the hallway I heard something odd and called Savin back. We continued waiting quietly and listening until I chose to light a torch in the coals we had lit in preparation of an attack. I then threw the torch down the hallway. The expression on the faces of those goblins was priceless when that torch was priceless. Surely, the mother was guiding that torch for us. A frantic battle ensued. Olen attempted to light the traps on fire unsuccessfully a couple of times before being forced to join the melee.
It was a frantic battle. Our saving grace was having braced the secret door it bought us enough time to finish off the initial wave as the foul goblins used axes to destroy the door. We then engaged them and dispatched them. Unfortunately, for us, some of the foul goblinoids escaped.
Vos continued to work on opening the portal while we shored up the defenses. There was still no sign of the dragonborn. I was concerned, but we had to attend to the task at hand. Savin, Olen, and I completed the booby trapping of the hallway and built a barricade in front of the destroyed secret door. I then took the remaining pitch and the barrel and threw it on the new barricade.
Shortly after that we heard the marching of feet from down the hall. We coordinated our efforts amongst us, so we would attempt to start the fires burning and join the defense. This time Olen was prepared to join the battle with his shield equipped.
We timed our efforts, and when we say the fiery eyes of the goblins we set the fires burning. Well, I set the fire burning at the secret door barricade, and I do not know what stopped Olen from lighting the fire. While Olen and Savin harried the attacked across the barricade I made two additional attempts to throw shovels full of burning coals down the hallway to no avail. I suspect the coals had gone out, but I was not permitted time to contemplate the failure further.
This time the goblin forces were much larger. Both in numbers and physical stature. There were still a bunch of the squishy ones and they brought some that were almost as large as ogres. These larger ones rushed our main barricade and smashed through it. We doubled our efforts to hold the line, but as they smashed through our other barricade and started coming from the ceiling of the room we were being over run.
Savin and then myself joined the effort to open the open the portal. Suddenly bodies bodies were falling from the ceiling and Yulia swung down from the ceiling. That girl has a knack for timing. Olen suddenly fell to the vicious goblin onslaught as the portal manifested. I called out for the others to go through as they were all barely standing. I summoned my inner reserved as only a devout dwarf can and rushed in to save Olen from the foul goblin horde. I grabbed Olen by the arm while the goblin horde attempted to stop me, but the were no match for dwarfish tenacity. I then dragged Olen through the portal before I remembered the odds and my dwarfish tenacity wore out.
It appears the goblins were not able the to follow us through the portal, of which I am thankful. I doubt we could have survived should we have been forced to continue the pitched battle. Reflecting back, I now realize that there was goblin magic being wielded. were this 100 years previous that would not have seemed unusual. In a world where magic has all but disappeared for more than 90 years this is unusual. I will have to point that out to Savin...
The battle was not the event that brought me pause. It was the journey through the portal once again. In the previous journey I met the Mother, and she gave me the holy symbol I still wear. To meet the gods once is a rather rare event, but to meet your god a second time...
I appeared in a surreal glade. The I am embarrassed to admit I almost did not recognize her as she had taken on a greenish hue to match the environment. I almost mistook her for a nymph. She had me walk with her from the glade to up the side of a mountain where we observed a herd of mountain sheep. There were three distinct groups. The majestic rams with their curled horns, the young barely able to fend for themselves, and the old ewe full of wisdom. Suddenly we see the mountain sheep beset by wolves on all sides. Mother Ellaselle turns to me and asks, "if you can only save one group, which would you save?"
Suddenly I am amongst the herd. My perspective has changed. It was as if I was one of the mountain sheep. I only had time to react before the wolves attacked. I rushed the ones threatening the young. Just as suddenly I was back in my body beside Mother Ellaselle. She seemed pleased with the decision, although I think she understood only being able to pick one group was not sitting well with me. She imparted these final words to me, "you will not be able to save them all."
Now I sit here contemplating these events. Majestic ram's horns have somehow become etched within my holy symbol, and once again I look to the Mother to bring meaning to the wisdom she has imparted to her faithful servant. I feel that I am blessed. I only hope I can properly represent Ellaselle in the trying days to come.