(G119 19/08/11 BG - AP, ON(GM), GF)

DAY 24 (5th Tarsakh) continued...

Dear Kitty,

To continue then, with our adventures in the environs of Rayneford. On reaching the town's only hostelry,
the 'Restless Rake' the others arranged rooms, food and the like, then sat down to sort out a way of non-violent
conflict resolution.

(Incidentally, notable personages of this little town include Blarik Jaffery, a cleric of Tyr. The young innkeeper
is a man called Castril Leeward. The old squire is called Nirrle Haickswill. There is also a young woman, a bard
called Hester Sheakspear who entertained us with her comic acting.)

After a short rest, I wanted to find the owner of the poor little pussy though and asked around a bit. Raya helped
trace the cat to a gel named Vera who had a room in a nearby farmhouse so off we went.

In her room I found a book on herbalism that had pages on mushrooms thumbed over. Cave mushrooms in particular.
Well, we took these findings back to the tavern and when I told Corum about it, it set his investigative juices
going and off we all went, scenting a new adventure I suppose.

It didn't take too long before we found word of a cave about two hours down the coast. We could get no-one to
guide us there and the halfling sheriff was useless. Fenrir and Raya wanted to wait a day, but as my cousin pointed
out, the gel could be in peril even as we spoke so he hustled everyone one along in much haste and alarums.

It was dark though, when we set off, but between all of us using whatever wits we had we found the cave eventually.

We spied a light and spider-boy went to see what he could see by sneaking along the top of the cliffs to the cave
entrance.

When we arrived cautiously at the entrance we espied three small figures lurking in the gloomy darkness of the cave.
They had not seen us so we crept slowly forward. I'm not sure who attacked first, I think it was Nes, but suddenly
combat was joined.

Corum went for the main group, Raya and myself hanging back a bit with our bows. Knepp saw more goblins, for such
they were, to the left and went to attack them. Spider boy was somewhere up on the ceiling blasting away from
behind stalactites.

As the fighting continued, goblins fell dead, but more came to take their place, even one riding a wolf, although
both the goblin and the wolf were quickly killed.

I healed Corum and Knepp a time or so with my clerical magic and the battle was going our way until the witch that
ruled the goblins made her appearance. Corum was greatly weakened by some withering spell she cast, but I used
a Bull's Strength spell to get him back on his feet somewhat.

Nothing seemed to harm her, no weapon or magic and she laughed and taunted us. I summed a large snake in the
hope of catching her in its coils but by then Spider-boy had landed some devastating blasts of ethereal magic
on her and she fell.

The cave was ours, it appeared, and we set to exploring it. We found a goblin servant, guarding the witch's spoils.
His name was Bog and no one seemed to want to kill him. We gathered up the loot then found some fresh bones.
I took a close look and saw that they were of a young gel, so I think we may have found Vera a victim then of a very
ill-advised mushroom picking expedition.

Cousin Corum and the other ruffian Knepp had been weakened by the witch so I would have to get some restoration spells
prepared for the next day. Apart from that though it had all been tremendous fun! We'd bagged a witch and ten of
the little green blighters.