Chapter 2: Slaark The Goblin King

Typically, one would hope that over a days worth of trekking across open road with scarcely a place to hide from the heat of the sun would be uneventful. A boring journey is a safe journey after all. As long as you bring good company, the trip might not even feel like it takes a day at all.

Typically, an uneventful journey is what you would get when walking through the Pleasant Valley. Farms and plains dot the lands beside the road from the village of Point Pleasant to the town of Ostlen. And contradictory to the cities, here, beauty and poverty coexist across large swaths of open fields and gentle rolling green hills, beautiful blue open skies, and some of the best sunsets in Stormholde.

Typically, you can be as certain the roads will be safe as you are certain the sun will rise the next morning.

Typically.

As our heroes continue their journey after their battle with the beer merchant, they soon find themselves at a shabby toll booth under construction by two goblins. Twitch approaches and tries to proclaim he is one of them. When the toll booth gobo's lift up their shirts to show a distinct brand, Twitch gets flustered and tries to argue that he in fact controls this territory. The toll booth gobos laugh it off and demand a toll be paid for using their road. 5 gold pieces for the luxury of passing through. The party tries to haggle. Seven, being colossal by comparison, threatens to kick down the booth, and is able to haggle to only pay 3 gold instead. Twitch offers a green fake emerald, which the goblin toll booth leader appraises and cannot see that it is a normal rock, and pockets it willing to let both Cyrell and Twitch pass, calling Twitch an idiot for making such a deal.

It is only a few more hours before they pass by a series of huts and farms beside the road not even large enough to be a hamlet. Outside one of them, the party overhears bits and pieces of how they are on their way to pay a tribute. Inquiring about it, the party learns that a new goblin has proclaimed himself king, and is demanding payment from his 'subjects.' The party offers to rid the farmers of this goblin king, and in return the farmers say that they can claim the fort for their own, since the empire is seemingly nowhere to be found to use it as they claimed they would. Twitch draws the brand symbol in the dirt and asks if it would be possible for the farmers to make this. They say they can with a horseshoe in their crudely made forge and will have it ready tomorrow morning.

The farmers allow the heroes to stay in the hut of one of the farmers who have been taken by the goblin king for the night, and all head off to an early rest. Twitch tries to showcase love for one of the farmhands, who rejects his proposition.

The party follows Barris to the place where they were supposed to bring their offering. Passing back to the toll booth, which now has been considerably upgraded complete with a saloon style door. Because of these improvements the price has now increased to 10 gold for passage. Twitch, Seven, and Cyrell all try to haggle, offering a wide variety of deals ranging from not breaking down the toll booth to offering them the opportunity to chase their dreams. They learn that the goblins names are Crutch and Fastsnap. Cyrell offers employment under the command of Twitch with a higher salary than the 8 silver pieces they get per day working for Slaark.

Even with these deals, they are afraid of the repercussions from their boss Slaark if they fail to collect the tolls. Seven says they will 'take care' of Slaark, and therefore will be free to work for the party. In the end, they aren't willing to let the adventurers pass for free, but are tempted by the offer. They agree to take 50% of the tolls cost and will return a portion of it after confirming Slaark's death when the heroes return. On the other side of the gate - The party finds Davina who is arguing with a third goblin toll guard. Cyrell settles things saying she isn't using the road, so she doesn't need to pay. Seven, Twitch, Davina, Barris, and Cyrell continue on to the fort.

As they approach the camp, they see wooden palisade walls atop a gentle hill reinforced with tree logs. It looks like a wooden crown perched upon a grassy head. Outside they have Odin scout the camp. Two wolf riding goblins, one larger creature, and some more wolves that are hidden within shoddy made stables. Easy. The plan is simple - Twitch brands himself with the horseshoe sculpted the night before, Davina turns into a wolf and tries to convince the other wolves that they can be free to eat whatever they want and sets them free. In the chaos, the remaining Barris, Cyrell, and Seven attack catching the rest off guard.

Twitch brands himself and it burns....BAD. Nearly knocking him unconscious from the pain. He approaches the gate riding Davina. A gate guard opens the front and asks to see the brand which is absolutely revolting since it is still fresh. He calls over the larger creature, named paulie, to investigate. Paulie is convinced that he is a new recruit and leads him inside. As he's talking to Twitch, complaining about how the branding guy really needs to clean up his act, Twitch is able to slip away to try and sneak around. One of the wolf riding goblins sees Twitch playing with the firepit, and gets suspicious, then begins to lead him away to hang out with the other new recruits.

Meanwhile, Davina is able to convince the wolves that they could have all the food they want AND be completely free from the cage. They get excited at the prospect, but one goblin wonders why a wolf is unattended outside the pen. He goes to lock her up, when she lets out a howl which signals the other wolves to strike. Once the gate opens the two wolves inside the pen dart for the main gate to freedom. Pandemonium spreads, the goblin who was opening the gate shouts out "AYY OOHH Slaark is gonna have my head over this!" He goes to smack Davina the wolf in anger and Davina bites at his hand. Combat is initiated.

Every single guard in the camp is critically caught by surprise and they all fumble as they try to process what is happening. Cyrell, Barris, and Seven charge in to assist.

With two less wolves to deal with, the battle is much easier to manage. Several good blows by the heroes are thrown into the mix. Seven slices right into the Achilles heel of one of the knocked down goblins and Davina sprints forward in her wolf form chomping down into the neck of the same goblin, ripping its head off and throwing it over the palisade wall. Blood drips from the mouth and fangs of the feral Davina.

Paulie comes from around one of the structures in the camp with a greatbow the size of Twitch, loads an arrow the size of Twitches body, and fires it with so much force it lifts Twitch off the ground and pins him to the palisade wall 30 feet back. Twitch dangles, bleeding from the wound losing his grip on life as one wolf runs over to chomp at the Twitch's limp feet. He is able to get one good bite in bringing Twitch closer to death.

Davina charges Paulie biting him in the nuts while Barris sprints into the camp and slices at the first goblin he sees. Seven is able to slay the wolf biting at Twitch's feet and Cyrell, now inspired and with a clear head after the walk here, channels all his might. Energy circles around him and his eyes begin to glow as he reaches a critical amount of power unleashing an all powerful and mighty....light breeze upon Paulie.

Everyone fumbles their attacks as Paulie is the last remaining enemy. Davina bites at Pualies crotch guard, Cyrells witch bolt does little more than tickle, and Seven is just barely able to pierce through Paulies armor. After a long winded bit of nonesense, Paulie falls dead with his comrades.

Weary, the party marches quickly through the fort, ignoring side passages and spare rooms alike to reach their final objective: King Slaark. The party finds oil dripping from the ceiling, and a series of skeleton bones at the bottom of a winding staircase. Odin blasts the skelton piles hoping to prematurely beat anything waiting to animate, but all he does is make a mess.

They get to a final hallway with a portcullis. Twitch walks through and it slams behind him separating Twitch and the rest of the party. Slaark speaks from the other end of the chamber, calling him to come closer, which Twitch reluctantly does.

Twitch learns the goblin kings full name, Slaark the Slow, who tells Twitch that he they are brothers, and reveals similar birthmarks they have on their waist. He calls Twitch by his "real" name...Kryll and invites him back into the family. Slaark gives Twitch an opportunity to come back home - all he needs to do is dispatch his friends, and once again Twitch can join his clan. Or so Slaark claims. Twitch bluffs and invites the rest of the party in opening the gate and takes his place by Slaarks side. Slaark then invites Twitch to push a button on his throne, but Twitch refuses. The party, not leaving anything up to debate, attack Slaark who is too slow to defend himself. When the chance finally does arrive, he uses his opportunity to try to convince Twitch they are on the same side - that he can rejoin his brother and rule this region, together. He begins to reach for something inside his cloak.

But Twitch has a family with his new traveling companions and doesn't need this nobody who came out of nowhere whom Twitch knows nothing about. Barris, fueled with anger charges to Slaark and stabs him repeatedly with his greatsword yelling in honor of his sister, and his eyes faintly glow as he channels into an inner rage he never knew he had before. Twitch deals the finishing blow, stabbing him in the chest, twisting the knife, and beheading Slaark showing no remorse, leaving the body to fall off the throne and limp to the floor.