Squash Stack Studio

Meanwhile, Smilax Ossifragus is rowing downriver toward the party’s rendezvous point in the forest outside the Halfling village.

Suddenly a patrol of Goblins spring from the brush! It’s an ambush!

Smilax is surrounded on all sides by Goblins! There are archers on the cliffs overhead and swordsmen rushing toward him from the trees.

One of the Goblins on the cliff screams “Get the gold and the weapons!”

Smilax beaches the canoe and leaps out, drawing his sais! The archers are out of reach, but at least he can engage the Goblins on the beach.

Suddenly an enraged crocodile bursts from the river and charges at one of the Goblins! Smilax and the crocodile engage the Goblins together.

Meanwhile Ingrid Stormhammer emerges on the ridge on her horse, taking the Goblin archers by surprise. Misako the Mononymous is right behind her, flanking the second Goblin archer.

The crocodile has no trouble dispatching the Goblin, and after a moments’ sparring, Smilax kills his foe too!

Ingrid surges forward on her mount, driving one of the Goblins off the edge of the cliff! It turns out Goblins can’t swim …

A swift casting of Burning Hands is all it takes for Misako to overpower her enemy. She flings the Goblin’s lifeless body over the edge and into the river!

That leaves one Goblin archer on an isolated rock pile across the river, out of reach of Ingrid and Misako.

The warrior raises her shield against the Goblin’s arrows and Misako prepares a spell of protection.

On the beach below, the crocodile transforms back into its true shape: the Druid Taddeo Oaksmith! Smilax draws his sling and aims for the Goblin archer. But Taddeo is too impatient for ranged combat; with a mighty leap he lands on the rock pile with the Goblin archer! With a swift blow from his club, the Goblin is unconscious. Taddeo tips the body into the river to join the rest.

After clearing away the last of the bodies, the party unites on the beach for a conference. Here Ingrid explains the situation with Ferdy Farebrother’s poisoned well. Taddeo and Smilax agree – the party should journey to Cowan’s Maze!