# Reedo's Journal

# Chapter 1 - Journey from Kestizar

## A fiery start

We managed to find accommodation at West Star for a day, then started marching South, toward Rantar's Keep. It all seemed quiet until in the heart of the second night, a great winged beast came from the woods and attacked us. Throwing a fire before it did naught, and in one swift strike of its tail it took the life of the blue-eyed warrior who had joined us in Kestizar. Poor man! But Alric and Richter then wounded the beast and it fled. Our relief didn't last long before another monster swooped down on us. We left the camp behind and ran for our lives.

## The hills

The temptation to go back to West Star was great, but we instead decided to push forward for the next four days — that's how long it took. We were not prepared to make camp so the journey was exhausting. Still close to the mountains, not long before Rantar's Keep we met a trio of giants who were smashing boulders. They seemed very busy doing that, and when they saw us we froze. I hesitated approaching them for I was at a loss for words. But it looks like we did well not disturbing them, because I was later told by Rantar that they had wrecked a crew of dwarves on that path not long ago.
Then again, right before approaching the Keep we spotted a ragtag band of what looked like mercenaries, or bandits. They were organizing against a certain "Hunchback", swearing to make him pay. Thankfully we remained unseen, so we left them to their own devices and with the last of our strengths we finally reached the Keep.

There I asked Rantar about the Hunchback and he told me that such was the nickname of the previous leader of the very crew of bandits we met before. I didn't tell him right away that we had seen them earlier, and that almost cost me his trust. Fortunately he seemed troubled enough to still ask us for help. Although he seems a competent leader, his fort is short on men and supplies. He asked us to take over a second, abandoned fort South of our current location, so that he may protect the region from the threats on that side. He deems the bandits unimportant. He also promised to have someone guide us through the forest if we take that path, and provide us with the minimum supplies we need to get through.
We have rested and helped out around the keep for five days now, and we will move out again soon, although I am not sure if the rest of the company will decide to go to the swamps first, against the Hunchback who's allegedly assembled a crew of goblins there.

# Chapter 2 - The Goblin Fort

## A Careful Watch

After a couple days of uneventful journey, we finally arrived to the abandoned fort that Rantar sent us to reclaim. We made camp not far from there. An ominous rumbling of stone came from the fort during our night's watch, but the air was otherwise still. Three of us, Myst and I and Saga-Bhoy, ventured close to the wall under the favor of darkness and made it into the building. There was no door left to bar the entrance and the place was in a dismal state. Soon we heard guttural voices from within, and decided to leave in a hurry before we'd draw unwanted attention. Goblins had taken the fort, indeed!

## Breaking in

With the light of day, the others joined our camp. As a full company we marched, but this time from the safer North wall, hoping that we'd find a weak spot in the decrepit masonry that we could make into an entrance. And we did find a way in: Saga-Bhoy climbed the lower wall of the fort, and he set up ropes for the rest of us. One by one, we made it up the wall. Everything looked quiet...

## Goblins!

Too quiet! Arrows flew at us from the high tower on the other end of the fort. The ugly muzzles of three goblins stared down at us from the roof of the barracks. We burst through the door. Arder is dead! The goblins dropped a rock on his head, before he made it in. Richter saw him die. He was devastated, and armed with revenge he went into mad pursuit of the monsters! There was a terrible fight. Through the arrow slits within and using the door we took down as cover, we took aim onto the foul goblins in the fog as the others went up the stairs. I've had a lucky shot on one creature myself — right between the eyes. The goblins screamed in the distance until only silence was still in the air. We made it over to the top of the barracks and the goblins pleaded for mercy once they found themselves overwhelmed. Richter took his revenge, and threw them off the high wall.

Then a blood-curdling scream came from below. Something had taken Myst while he was out of sight. The sound of a war-horn shook the air, and we decided to climb down and leave before more goblins came pouring in. I caught a glimpse of Myst's liquefied corpse as we descended. We mourn two good people today. The only bitter relief that was of getting Arder's corpse down the fort with us, so that Richter may give his friend a burial.

###### tags: `OSE` `Wilderlands` `Journal` `Reedo`