The Journey Home

Sorcha blabbed on a bit about how she was trying to help the entire free kingdoms, and how we had ruined her only chance for its salvation. I didn't believe too much of this of course. I suspected that once she had completed her task of revenge, she'd no doubt turn her efforts to back to reviving her race, probably at the expense of everyone else. We had to return the artifact, and fortunately for us, she hated the Medusan Lords more than us, and with the enemy of your enemies and all that, she decided that for the time being, we were better left alive. I made a note that once we prevailed against the Medusan Lords, wed have to begin watching our backs against her retaliation.

Even though Obegard had promised to not report back to our leaders that we had found a Medusan, I had made no such promise. However, I felt that the time wasn't quite yet right for me to let anyone else know. Any expedition to root out Sorcha would have to be done quickly, and letting Cassandra, the church elders or anyone else in a position of power know would do little for the time being other than to tip our hand.

On our way back to the Dragon keep, we encountered a strange fey-creature riding on top of a fell beast. During the fight, I was picked up by the mount and tossed to the side, but fortunately for all of us, Obegard was able to cast a spell that froze the fey in its steps, allowing me to cleanly separate his head from the rest of him.

After a few more days of travel on Obegard's mystical carriage, Erson reported that up ahead, he spied a group of goliaths surrounded by a number of trolls. Erson explained that goliaths were large, powerful, but friendly creatures that dwelled in the mountains, occasionally trading with humans. We agreed that we'd help, especially because Erson also saw a number of goliath children amongst them. We charged into battle without hesitation. I slashed a number of trolls while Obegard rushed in with his carriage to ferry the young ones out. In the end, it was a decisive victory for us, even though we were not able to save all of the goliaths . They expressed their gratitude, and told us that they were driven out by the trolls that had emerged recently. They also told us that several of their village had been captured by a woman on griffon-back. We knew that it must have been Borka, but what was she up to?

All my divinations were not able to reveal what she was up to, so for the time being, we had to continue back to the keep. Before we arrived, we encountered a human who had captured a Shade Lion. When confronted about it, he boasted that he was going to sell it to the Nothrog. Helping the enemy aside, I tried to explain that Shade Lions were intelligent beasts, no different than a human. However, he didn't seem to share my concern for intelligent life, and moved to attack as I was about to go to free the lion. Though he was a powerful skirmisher, he was foolish to try to take on five individuals. Erson soon had him completely grappled and helpless, he surrendered.

I promised that I'd let him free, with his equipment, though Obegard was disappointed that I had made such an agreement. I told Obegard that he wasn't bound to the agreement that I had made, though Obegard still wouldn't take the man's items, so I suspected that Obegard just wanted to complain a bit. The next day, I let the man go, though not without first placing a Mark of Justice upon him, in the hopes that he'll change his ways. Obegard still managed to walk off with a Staff, which we determined had originally belonged to an elf that the Shade Lion had killed.

Back at the keep, we learned that recently, several Dwarves had disappeared. I wondered if it was related to whatever Borka was up to now...