KINGMAKER:
The Wardens of the Greenbelt
Entry 16.
A Strange Menagerie
Whilst conducting their duties in Wardenholme the Wardens receive a letter from Father Dousek of Varn's Hall requesting that they visit him urgently. The Wardens quickly assemble their party, including Ione, T'lef, Havrik and Clint, a fighter that had arrived in town to offer his services.
When they arrived at Varn's Hall they were welcomed warmly but it was obvious that the priests were angry and upset. Bollun, a woodsman and carver that they knew well, had arrived in Varn's Hall a few days earlier. He had been beaten and left for dead but had managed to reach the safety of the priests. They were tending to his wounds in the infirmary and had managed to ascertain what had befallen him. He had come upon a band of kobolds led by a human. They were hunting widely in the forest and gathering much more game than just their own needs. Bollun had decided to watch them but in the end had been spotted and attacked. He had also seen them setting some strange traps; obviously intended to capture certain creatures rather than just trapping for food. What prey they were after Bollun had been unable to discover.
In private Father Dousek adds that he has heard of exotic and fey creatures were being sought and generous bounties were offered. Some of those offering the bounties were known bandits, perhaps left overs from the Stag Lord's gangs. They were rumoured to have sought sanctuary with a tribe of kobolds from the mountains to the south, on the border with Varnhold.
The Wardens were introduced to Maari Cloverfield, a cleric of Torag, who had recently arrived from Rostov. As she is an excellent healer, Father Dousek suggests she should accompany the Wardens in their quest to secure answers to the hunters' activities.
The Wardens soon find themselves close to the area where Bollun was attacked. Ione in eagle form flies around the area to see what she can discover. She reports back that three groups of kobolds are in the surrounding hills and forests, there is also a small camp further away containing traps, cages, wagons and general supplies. The kobolds seem to be well organised and equipped and each group seems to be led by a human or two.
The Wardens move in cautiously to observe the nearest group. There are five kobolds and a human who seems to be directing them. They are carrying a deer between them and some unused traps. When confronted by the Wardens the leader admits to being one of the Stag Lord's bandits but is angry that he is not allowed to carry on a new life as a hunter without being hounded by the Wardens. He also seems to know something about Bollun's injuries. As temper flare it becomes obvious that the hunting party are intent on attacking the Wardens. Weapons are drawn but the Wardens act quickly. Clint shoots one of the kobolds before he can fire and the other Wardens engage in the melee. The kobolds are easily beaten and the bandit dies under a flurry of blows. Three of the kobolds manage to flee into the forest. The Wardens collect up the discarded weapons and armour which include the bandit's strong composite bow. They disarm some of the nearby traps including one for deer and one which has a trace of a grig upon it.
The Wardens then head to the camp and await the other hunting parties. Later that afternoon the other two groups appear. The Wardens explain that they are hoping to buy some of the traps and provisions and might be interested in buying any captured animals. The hunters are not suspicious and seem unsurprised that the other hunting party has not returned as its leader was not trusted. They spend the evening with the hunters and the next day the hunters break camp. Their leader Argurt Thrag suggests that the Wardens can visit their base in an abandoned watch tower to the south of their current position. The road leading away from the camp will take them there in about six hours. The hunters then bid farewell and head down the road towards the watch tower.
The Wardens made their own way to the watchtower where Ione flew over to see what was happening and how many kobolds and men were around. The building itself was ruined but the keep and one of the rooms adjoining the walls was in good repair. There seemed to be a great deal of kobolds manning the walls, working on the game brought in with others relaxing whilst off duty. Most approaches were being watched, two chained-up trolls guarded the main way in and the hunting parties seemed to be preparing to set out again.
Using stealth the Wardens approached from the trees near the main keep of the tower and opened fire on the guards at top the walls. Havrik, Clint and T'lef then charged the keep where they fought their way in, confronting the leaders of the gang inside the walls. Ione and Sidhe meanwhile moved towards the bailey of the fortress. Using her powers Ione cleared out the kobolds in the makeshift barracks. Those not killed ran from the attack and headed into the forest. Inside the keep Clint, T'lef and Havrik were fighting their way through the humans and kobolds they found there. The kobold leader was easily dispatched but the shaman put up more of a stance. The two human leaders, Vashin Lorque & Larin Fisk, had managed to escape through a small opening beneath the remains of a staircase. Soon all that remained were the Wardens, the dead bandits and kobolds at their feet, and two angry trolls who remained chained to the walls near the entrance. These were killed from a distance even T'lef was convinced not to risk hand to hand combat with them but he did remember to extract the troll blood he needed for an earlier quest.
Patched up with the help of Maari, the Wardens then followed the two escapees down the stairway and into the dungeons below. From the smell it was clear that the cells here were holding the captured animals that had been collected. The Wardens made their way through the passage ways discovering cells containing a bear, a wolfman, gorillas and a giant scorpion. In a guard-room were two kobolds who seemed surprised to see them and handed over a caged grig without being asked. Ione released the grig which was grateful and perched on her shoulder. T'lef and Havrik were then confronted by the two human traders they had seen in the keep above. One of the traders Vashin Lorque, tried to fight them off but failed and was badly wounded. Larin Fisk offered to cut the Wardens in to any deal they could make in selling the animals. But the Wardens refused. He warned them that they were dealing with a power they could not hope to overcome. He then seemed to cower in fear of something not visible to the Wardens. He screamed that she was here, seemed to beg for mercy and his final words were
“I would never tell.... No, no, Ny...”
Then his whole body seemed to decay as T'lef watched and the animal trader collapsed to the floor of the dungeon.
Vashin Lorque was bandaged and secured. The Wardens then searched the remaining dungeon finding a dead unicorn in one cell with its foal standing over her. In another was a giant eagle. The wall of the dungeon nearby comprised a large folding door which led outside. It was through here that the animals must have been brought in. It was hidden by undergrowth and bushes along the hillside and by an overhanging rock outcrop.
The Wardens released the wild animals and watched them run free into the surrounding hills and forest. The grig wished them well and also left. Ione took the unicorn foal and discussed with the others what they should do with it. The giant eagle spoke to Ione in her eagle form, thanking her for her help and promising the gift of friendship for the future. The Wardens also discussed whether or not they should garrison the watchtower or not. But that was a decision for the future. They gathered up what booty they could and headed back to Varn's Hall.
