Session 14: Retreat from Thistletop

Session Date: 21 September 2011

[Game Date: Thu 15 September 4711]

[Note: The game picked up immediately following the events of the previous session.]

After defeating the goblins in the Thistletop throne room, including the goblin shaman and Ripnugget the chieftain, the Sandpoint Heroes began to systematically examine the bodies of the fallen goblins, and to check the room for treasure and any clues about Nualia. A detect magic spell cast my Ted revealed that the chieftain and shaman had a few magic items, including the chieftain's halberd (or "horsechopper" as it's called in Goblin) and breastplate, and several potions. Ted found Ripnuget's ring of keys. McGregor also noticed that a few of the goblins were still breathing, and he used a dagger to put a stop to that. Larissa assumed that the goblin who'd ran out the back door was going for help, and spiked the door shut.

Without warning, two side doors burst open and six more goblins ran in, brandishing dogslicers! The unexpected attack caught the entire party off-guard, and several of the goblins managed to slash party members. Following the goblins were a bugbear wielding a two-handed heavy flail, and an armored human(!) with a hand-and-a-half sword and shield. The bugbear charged Larissa and smashed her squarely with its flail, knocking her aside. She staggered back behind Halfred for support, who used his ranseur to keep the bugbear at bay. Meanwhile, the goblins swarmed Charrone and Declan, who held them back with their swords. Charrone managed to take down a goblin, but he managed to cut her again before he fell. The wizards were down to using their cantrips, but, between McGregor's ray of frost and Ted's acid splah, managed to take out another goblin.

The bugbear evaded Halfred's ranseur and smashed him on the shoulder with its flail. The human mainly seemed to defend himself, but drew some fire from Larissa, who managed to drop back and get out her bow. Halfred thrust his polearm at the bugbear again, and connected, but at the same moment, felt a stabbing pain in his back. Wheeling, he saw a female half-orc dressed all in black with a black face veil pulling back a dagger dripping with both his own blood and a foul-looking green oil. He felt a chill course through his veins, but managed to shake it off.

"Fall back!" shouted Ted, and the wizards and Larissa backed into the corridor from which they had entered the room, and Larissa hid in the shadows, trying to make herself inconspicuous. Charrone and Halfred held the enemies at bay, and Larissa, firing from the shadows, targeted the veiled half-orc woman, and let fly an arrow. The arrow caught the green-skinned woman in the neck, spraying crimson blood across the room, and she collapsed to the floor gurgling. At that, Halfred, Charrone and Declan fell back through the doors, and Ted used magic to pull the doors shut behind them. Larissa quickly jammed the lock, and the group ran back for the main entrance. Seeing no pursuit, the party ran back across the rope bridge and into the tunnels through the thicket. Exiting the thicket, Charrone found her warhorse safely grazing next to the tree she'd tied it to earlier. Declan summoned the healing power of the Dawnflower for the last time of the day, and the Sandpoint Heroes quickly retreated from Nettlewood. They then followed the Lost Coast Road back to Sandpoint, making it back by late afternoon without further incident.

The party returned to the Rusty Dragon for drinks and a hot meal. After their early dinner, the group did a bit of shopping to replenish their supplies. They then retired for the night, planning to return to Thistletop again tomorrow morning to finish the job.