Little Keep on the Borderlands Session Reports

Session reports from the past 2 weeks of my 5E game at The Brooklyn Strategist.

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To Her Grace, Canoness Iseult of the Anchorage on the Bluffs, Blessed of Bachontoi,

Dearest Sister,

I hope this letter finds you well. I'm sure word has gotten to you that I've been deputized and sent into the Borderlands; have no fear, I am still in one piece. My companions and I have been using diplomacy and discretion as much as valor in our endeavors here.

There has been use for our sword arms however, as we have come in contact with a large number of hobgoblins. We noticed them scouting farms and followed a group back to their lair, thanks to the tracking skills of the elf Wolfsbane. The hobgoblin lair turned 9ut to be a sturdy and quickly built fort, supporting around 100 soldiers. When we captured a scout and Marceline the bard charmed him, we learned that this company was the vanguard of a force he referred to as "the Legion." We also learned their plan was to raid the surrounding farms, force the people into the keep, then crack it with siege weapons. Sure enough, we fought off a raiding party later that night. We regrouped in the keep to make a plan and confer with our allies. The goblins offered to guide us to the Hobs' supply route and we intend to lay an ambush tomorrow morning.

I beseech you sister, use whatever influence you have to get support for us out here. Father will ignore any letters I send, Garth hates me more than Father does, and Kay does not have the political clout necessary to get troops up here. Till then we will do what we can.

Your loving brother,

Tristan.
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To the Count Eoghan DuKaine, defender of the Eastern Marches, Keeper of the Key of the Moon, Lord of Highmark.

Father,

I doubt that you will read this, but perhaps Valda will do so before letting you throw it in the fire. The hobgoblin situation has become more dire. The supply wagons and reinforcements indicate a much larger force is supporting them. Their siege weapons have turned out to be giants. Giants. While we manged to plunder two wagons, I feel we may be flies stinging a lion.

Dont feel you are doing this for me, our lands lie not far from the border. Or are you not still the "Defender of the East?"

While I live I shall remain, your loving son,

Tristan.

P.S. I still love her, and will marry her.

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And then a report from last week...

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Entry of Wolfsbane’s Journal

So I was still breathing.

Today’s start was certainly worse than what I expected. After the Kenku disappeared a barbarian sort of teleported in his place. He was Lorenzo’s friend, though how he appeared and the Kenku disappeared was beyond my understanding. Just as we all got our attention drawn to this interesting event, the Dragonborn escaped the fight and we had 5 only people.

Soon two outriders arrived, and we quickly dispatched them without a scratch. All looked well, until the main body of the caravan came. Ten Hobgoblins were coming at us. Each of our frontline fighters was fighting against 4 of them. They must be super lucky as they managed to survive for a while.

Unfortunately, we did not realize that Hobgoblins brought a silly Hill giant with them. At first, Roland was struck down. The Gnome helped him up, only to get clubbed down shortly afterwards. Our only hope was the raging barbarian who might get a chance to fight him and do some damage. Sadly, he got a club right into his face, and became a dead body shortly afterwards.

At that point I totally abandoned my initial thought of kiting the giant to death. It is doable, but too risky. A dead giant is not worth it anymore. I lured the thing into the woods and lost him, almost got hit by a log he threw at me. Meanwhile Roland and Lorenzo managed to collect the bodies and escaped with Hobgoblin’s wagon.

Overall, it was either a bitter victory or a not so bad defeat. We have the Hobgoblins’ supplies, and they lost way more men than we did. On the other hand, as their numbers keep increasing, it is only a matter of time we are overrun by them. The reinforcements from the capital better be hurry.