Session 3

During a night camp on the south bank, the sentries experience a sudden drastic drop in temperature — hoar frost forms on everything, and even out on to the surface of the river. Karlof spied a group of people on foot in archaic garb walking downstream along the opposite bank. Kaeli became concerned to find that she couldn't see anything under the trees in spite of the bright moon; she noticed a shadow of a man crossing the clearing, but no visible man to go with it. She attacked where she thought the man should be with a burning brand, whereupon everything went black for everyone and Kaeli's arm went numb up to the elbow. Rudolf the Bargee tried to get to the barge and fell in the river, Kaeli tried to jump on to the barge and fell in the river. Eventually the darkness subsided and the temperature raised to normal levels; no further sign of any shadows or anything, leaving everyone puzzled.

Party continues downstream for several days, eventually spotting smoke ahead. Pandora flies up and sees a riverside town (presumably Rath Catriana) under attack.

Tallis urges Rudolf to superhuman efforts, and by almost killing himself with the strain he oars the barge as quickly as humanly possible downstream. His reward: filled full of arrows by goblins lying in wait. He dies, declaimimg his love for the oblivious Tallis with his last breath. (Note: two of the horses also shot in this barrage, one fatally. Kaeli's horse is OK.)

Party returns fire from the now unguided barge, but the weight of numbers on the goblin side is overwhelming. Karlof gets shot as full of arrows as a porcupine has quills.

Mephisto casts an astoundingly effective illusion of a huge fire-breathing dragon — an illusion that works primarily because of the GM's unfamiliarity with Mental Powers :)

Virtually all of the goblins, as well as Kaeli and her horse, flee for their lives. Most of the goblins try to swim the river, many drown. Pandora heals Karlof, who doesn't even say thankyou — Pandor is a bit miffed.

Pandora helps by emptying all of Mephisto's stuff out of his pack into the bilges of the barge and getting Karlof to fling it out over the swimming goblins; as it passes she turns it into a weighted net. Yet more of the goblins drown.

The barge continues to float unguided downstream, the party's attempts to steer it being completely unsuccessful. Pandora helps again by flying over the burning town (now empty, all the townsfol having fled the illusionary dragon) and turning air into water. Alas, the fire was too well established and she returned, covered in soot and wearing a tiny fireman's helmet.

Kaeli eventually made it to the far bank with her horse (well ahead of the surviving goblins) and made her way eastwards, hopefully to link up with the others when the barge finally drifted ashore.