DavesGaming

Our trip from Candlekeep was the stuff of nightmares. As dusk approached, a large armored warrior in company with a couple of ogres and ruffians appeared in front of us. Gorion told me to run and I heard the large man say something about “only wanting me”. What?! I heard the sound of a battle start as I ran right into Bull and Imoen. I was terrified like I’ve never been before, we had to get back to my father!

We cautiously set back the way I’d come. I wanted to run ahead, but Bull held me back. He said we were not charging back into an ambush, and he needed me to get my head on straight.
It took us 20 minutes or so. The battle was over. There were several dead here, including my father. I felt my legs collapse.

In the morning I felt a little better. We went back to the site of the battle. I led a prayer for Gorion. I was more aware of my weeping this time. I guess I finally got my head on straight. Then we resumed the trek for the Friendly Arms Inn. We were supposed to meet with “Khalid and Jaheira”, so Gorion said. I did not know these names.

Along the way we fought a mangy looking Gibberling. What a nasty and pathetic beast. I would laugh the whole thing off, but the scruffy looking thing broke my armor! What the heck! It was brand new. We had an extra suit of leather armor with us that we’d picked up back at the battle site, so I put that on. Its not a very solid feeling sort of defense, I think my own quickness will be better protection.

We made it to the Inn, and encountered a furious older woman. She said a couple of hobgoblins just outside the wall had taken some family heirloom ring from her. Bull really hates this sort of bullying, and I saw the look of the righteous guardsman come over his face. “We will get it for you ma’am.”

As we set back out around the gate I could see Bull looking at the two young women with him and maybe regretting his haste. I assured him “you trained us for this stuff Bull, we can handle it.”

They mourned Gorion with us that evening. Jaheira suggested, a foe who could take down Gorion was cause for concern. We could travel with them for now, we would all be stronger together. They were heading down south, to the border area with Amn, to investigate an iron mine that recently been puting out corrupted ore. I thought of the new armor that had just failed me. This could obviously be a big issue.

We got some new gear, hopefully a better suit of armor, and set out the next day.

We had a few combats that day, a battle with an ogre seemed the highlight. With four warriors now, and Imoen shooting arrows, we seem to be a much stronger group.

We entered the town of Beregost towards dusk. It is not quite half-way to our destination.

As it turned out, “good mage” may have been optimistic. Neera was a Wild Mage. She always teetered on the edge of being out of control. Not to mention, I’ve rarely worked with a person with a weaker moral center. She was friendly, and good company, but I’m uneasy about trusting her too far.

There were some other fights for us in town. A scheming evil bard, a house full of spiders and a dwarven bounty hunter all demanded our attention. The bounty hunter is the most worrisome. He had a bounty note, specifically targeting me.

We set out again in the morning, heading for Neshkel. We had several fights along the way. More hobgoblins, gibberlings, xvarts, some bandits. Ghasts were the worst. I’m already feeling more comfortable in combat. We all are, as a team. And except for Neera this seems like a trustworthy and steady crew. Well, Khalid worries me a little. He’ll be loyal to his wife and to us, but he is plainly nervous in battle.

When we got to town we checked in with the mayor and got information about the iron problem. When we got a room at the small Inn we were attacked by another bounty hunter! This is getting tiresome.

I agreed this seemed urgent and we would help. Jaheira was more concerned about her mission. We decided she and her husband would search the area while we accompanied Minsc on his mission.
This led us to an archaic sort of mud-brick fortress. That was over run by gnolls.

Bull assured me it was a clean wound, we could get her back to town and she would likely be fine. But we had to accomplish our rescue quickly.

The lower parts of the fort only had a few guards in small groups, but as we came to the roof we were attacked by a large group, twenty of so gnolls en masse. That was an intense fight for a few minutes, and the gnoll leaders all concentrated their attacks on Bull. He was battered around some.

“This is new Gabby. I know you’ve been studying the works of Lathander’s clergy, but you can’t be a cleric already?”
I told him about my dream.
“Well that is interesting, tell us if you have any more. I’ve not encountered anything quite like that before.”

We needed to get back to Neshkel fast.

This we did, we met up with Khalid and Jaheira again, and got Neera raised at the temple in town. We thought it best to get Neera back to the Friendly Arms Inn where we could put her up for a longer rest. We rested a few days there, and left Neera, Khalid and Minsc as a fixed base of operations.

Leaving the Inn, we met another warrior on the road.

I met Ajantis, a Paladin from the Amnish city of Athkatla. Well, I’ve never met anyone from Athkatla before! “Join with us while we sort out this iron crisis.”

Bull looked concerned, I’ll need to ask him why later…

*****

A pretty good start I think. Gabby is right on the verge of third level. Bull and Imoen are 4th, the rest in between.

I’ve said before I’m a little tired of doing full write ups. It surprised me how much I had to say here. We’ll just see how this goes.