The Skies thus Far…

When last we left the intrepid crew of the Olic Haversham, they had made there way to the isle of Freedom, as misnamed as any place in the skies. Under the watchful eye of the elves, the glowborn toil in veiled slavery. The crew had landed their vessel for trade and refit following a chance encounter with orcish raiders, common in these skies looking to unload their troublesome goblins and pick up fresh rowers where they can be found.

Rather than risk dealing with the elves, given their previous encounters and the questionable safety of Master Gunner Blendin, the crew took a risky flight inland, landing among a friendly tribe of human farmers in the village of old Jorvan. As the original inhabitants of Freedom, they live a meager life under the rule of their Reeve, growing food in the verdant elven soil, imported at great cost over the past few decades, while tending the native trees and plants of this island, some of which having unique properties the crew is only beginning to discover.

No sooner had they introduced themselves than a band of maddened goblins invaders struck the town in force, with oaken giants and fearsome ragers. The crew was able to defend the town with few losses, and the goblins broke into the hill country they call their home.

The crew was given citizenship in the village, a great honor to be asked to join this cloistered people, and were so moved they chose to look into the goblin problem. The shareholders traveled overland, led by a farmer and a strange wizard who draws his power from the Void itself, to the goblin lair, while Taz and the paid crew stayed to make repairs for departure from this island.

Arriving at the goblin lair, they found it surrounded by mostly barren soil, trampled by the feet of dozens of goblins over the years. Cut rock from the digging marred the ground and treestumps made for treacherous traveling. The farmer Alfons, the young mate fairfield, and the Orange Wizard all decided to watch the main entrance to the cave, while the rest ventured within though a small side entrance hidden up the rock face.

The goblin hovel looked to have been peaceful until recently, but something had changed the goblins, causing them to kill their own children in the crib and abandon their crude but careful work. A foul stench below them indicated the main warren was in no better shape. Xisco, the apprentice wizard, chose to peer beyond the veil, and look for forces unknown. He was abruptly faced with a terrifying yet familiar purple glow, like those first witnessed on the mysterious island many months before. The glow formed a figure, distorted and unfocused, and peered back at him. He and the crew then heard the thunder of goblin footfalls, as the army below them awakened to their presence.

The crew bursts out into the Voidlight, carefully skirting the rockfall trap they disabled on entering the cave, and are now overlooking the surrounding countryside. Behind them, they hear the footfalls of goblins, but this is not what gains their immediate attention.

Over a score of goblins are pouring from the entrance below and to their left like bloodflies from a nest. They are armed with crude weapons, largely naked, and clearly in poor health even by goblin standards, but enraged beyond reason. The crew spies no ragers or other larger threats, but the flow does not appear to be staunched. The goblins seem directionless and unaware of either the crew or their allies hiding in a copse of trees a few hundred meters from the cave entrance.

ooc: welcome back crew. I hope that you’re feeling as rejuvenated as I am to play. Game on. Oh, renewing bennies. Blendin and Harmony gain an extra for their prompty posts in the last thread. square grid references are on the order of 20 m, not a battlemap.