Demonsub is Five Leagues From The Borderlands

While camping outside of Tidemouth our party was not idle, roots and berries were found which helped subsidise the food needed for the week. Also an ironroot plant was discovered and harvested which could bolster one’s constitution when eaten before a battle.

More importantly, suspicious tracks were discovered, animal-like but as if walking on two feet, they went off in the direction of Shieldstown. 

Just as the party was getting ready to follow them a local fisherman waved them down. He said he’d lost an item somewhere and would be grateful if our heroes were to search for it, a small necklace stolen from him in the night. 

The journey and tracks were followed without incident and soon near a deserted guard tower outside of Shieldstown. There the party ran into the skirmishing pack of gnolls who had made those tracks. Their captain was meeting with what was known as a scheming heretic, a gnoll shaman of sorts, no doubt planning some evil scheme. One of the gnolls was spotted burying something near a rocky outcrop. 

It was time to fight and see what had been buried.

Quickly seizing the initiative our heroes let off a few arrows but all missed.

Kremmel then moved up to start searching the area for the buried item but didn’t find anything.

Bad luck hit as Gregnil discovered that he was yet again out of usable arrows.

The Heretic pointed a clawed finger at Kremmel who found himself acting against his will, turned and attacked Dar, who defended himself easily pushing Kremmel away.

Dar charged a group of gnolls around a rock followed by Hands. A gnoll with a bow soon died.

One of the gnolls seeing his fellow archer cut down decided to give up and run for the hills leaving its friends to their own fate.

Two gnolls charge Dar who swung his sword in a big arch cleaving both in two. A third then ran in and took Dar down. Hands nearby was knocked unconscious by a fourth gnoll.

Kremmel, feeling his old self again raised his arm and cast a frighten spell on the enemy causing another archer to run off.

Gregnil, over on the right side, suddenly found himself in combat with the Heretic before falling into unconsciousness by a blow to his head.

While Kiri was searching for the buried item she didn’t see the enemy captain come up from behind and she too was taken down.

Suddenly just like that the fight had gone ill. Only Kremmel and Petra were left standing, fighting frantically, surrounded by gnolls. Kremmel soon went down but Petra wasn’t about to give up without a fight. She leveled her bow and shot an arrow right through the eye of the gnoll captain killing him instantly. The Heretic upon seeing this raised his clawed finger once again, charming her. Unable to move Petra defended as best as she could but it was only a matter of time before the gnolls took her down.

When the party came too the gnolls and the Heretic were long gone, away to enact their vile plans. Whatever had been buried had been dug up and taken away.

Petra had taken a vicious wound and would be out for a good month, while Dar had taken many light cuts but would be back fighting fit in a week or so. The others were lucky. Two suits of light armour had done their job but were now unwearable until a blacksmith knocked them back into shape. Luckily Gregnil and Hands had only been knocked out and so were otherwise unhurt.

Through all that she’d been through Petra’s resolve and determination was hardened.

The party entered Shieldstown and kicked their wounds.