ragath1

Jacen, Xendra, and Dagmar met at the Smelle Inn in the town of Dirole run by Smelle, the non-smelly half-orc. Smelle suggested that the group could make some coin by guarding caravans and suggested they talk to Handek the merchant.

Handek hired them for the price of 100gp each for a successful trip as he was desperate to get his caravan up to Pesca Beach in time for the festivals, not to mention to get more armaments to the town since merchants were frequently being attacked on the roads around the town.

While in town the party outfitted itself at the Dragon's Sword Magic Shop, run by Math, a retired gold dragon of some reputation. The small shop (on the outside anyway), was Math's office as well when he was grading homework from the College of Mages next door since it was fairly well protected from magical accidents. After declining to buy some ungraded homework assignments (all that the party could really afford), Jacen asked about the large sword above his doorway.

"That is a souvenir from a different age" he said scratching his golden beard, "Its name is Antadore The Dragon Slayer and it is definitely not for sale!", he winked.

After determining their purses were not heavy enough for the Magic Shop, the party went drinking at the Dead Dog's Eye near the docks and met Tollis, a friend of Handek, that told them about Hygg the Hobgoblin. Hygg was leading a band of dull-witted orcs and robbing merchants along the north road on the way to Pesca Beach. Hygg was a fairly intelligent hobgoblin in that he only killed the caravan guards. He always let the merchants live and only took half of their wares figuring that if he let them live and didn't put them out of business, he would be much more likely to be able to rob them again!

"Unfortunately for Hygg," Tollis said, "there is a reward of 1,000gp for his head and every merchant from here to Deeptown knows his face!"

After a night of rest, the party woke up early and met the caravan at Handek's warehouse. The rest of the caravan guards: Tollis, Meven, Binkley, and Ropp were waiting for them. Finally Handek and his brother Mardek arrived and they rode the four wagons out the north gate.

A few hours after leaving Dirole, two wagons met them on the road. The merchant was alone except for a wounded barbarian named Grelj. The merchant explained Grelj single-handedly almost fought off Hygg and his band of orc before being finally overcome. The merchant, Boris Leaffoot, was a very fat halfling from Dirole and had four barrels of fish. He said that Hygg was so mad that he lost four orcs attacking him, that he took all his cargo and left him with only the fish heads!

"Just my luck," he said, "all I do is sell fish. Stinking fish! And what do I get? Robbed on the highway. I mean, look at my horse, look at my cart, what do you think I'm carrying, platinum ingots?"

Mardek said that he had a healing potion and would be glad to give it to Grelj if he would join the caravan. Grelj happily agreed and left Boris' empty wagons.

"Fine, I'm sure twenty orcs will rob me now!" Boris said as he rode south to town.

The next day, having camped beside the road, Xendra noticed a strange wavering in the air near Grelj but it was gone in an instant. No one was sure what it was, but the area radiated very weak magic.

On the last day of travel to Pesca Beach, Hygg and his bandits attacked from their hiding places behind boulders in the canyon pass. Hygg saunted out with two orcs with greataxes at his side and asked the caravan to surrender. Handek replied with a one fingered salute and battle ensued. Thanks to the cover of the boulders, the orcs were able to fire at the party with impunity until Jacen threw a rope up with a grappling hook and climbed to the top of the canyon walls and pelted them with flaming oil. They they charged the caravan with their great axes and Xendra struck four orcs down with a sleep spell. With the numbers more to the parties favor, the fired their bows and crossbows and took out two more leaving Hygg and four orc companions which faught valiantly and slew Meven, Binkley, and Ropp with their heavy axes. Grelj with a well aimed shot brought down Hygg and demoralized the orcs which tried to flee, but another sleep spell stopped three and Jacen's bow the fourth.

Hygg's body was relieved of his infamous head and the party, after a few healing potions, made there way to Pesca Beach. When they arrived the entire party was treated to drinks and Pevvik, the head of the guard and jolly Paladin, invited them to join him for dinner that night.

Before dinner, the party went to the local magic shop run by Wating, but there was very little there. They then determined that they might need their own healing potions and sought out Hevvik the Apothecary. Hevvik sold them a few potions and berated them for following such a trivial career as adventurers and tried to convince them that the path of the healer was the one true way. While Dagmar had some sympathy, being a cleric of Moradin, the rest rolled their eyes and paid their gold.

The dinner at Pevvik's home was a lavish affair featuring local seafood and elven wines. He commended them all of ridding the roads of Hygg and awarded them 1000gp. He also invited them to join the festival in Pesca Beach as the festival in Deeptown was far too rowdy and full of unseemly types doing vile things for pleasure. It was hoped that Pesca's Festival would be enjoyed by those of good hearts and devotion to Pelor and of course, it would be inoffensive to followers of other beliefs he said hastily looking at Dagmar.

After much drinking in moderation, the party retired to Flegril's Inn and slept the sleep of the dead.