Another letter home...

An excerpt from Balen's missives home (translated from Dwarven):

Mother & Father,

This is a very difficult letter for me to write, and while I have so much to relate to you, the subject is uncomfortable and I am in a lot of pain, both physically and emotionally.

After rescuing the girl we headed back towards the Skinned Minotaur Inn.  We were fortunate enough to come across the Cleric of the Eternal Lantern and his new guards.  We handed the girl over to their care and camped out in the rainy night.  We intended to resume our travels immediately and felt that the girl would be safer with the Cleric since we knew we might be heading into bandit lands.

We were wrong.  The next morning we came across the remains of a battle at the Inn.  There was but one survivor and it wasn’t the girl.  I cannot bear to relive the details.  While I prefer those of my own race, I cannot abide by the level of depredation and cruelty visited upon these victims even if they were not of our blood.

We didn’t tarry long, but returned to the ruined outpost, where we were told these butchers were hiding out.  We dispatched all agents of evil that came across our path, and we would have perished in the attempt if not for the assistance of a forest spirit.  We know that at least one evil human escaped North from the battle.  As we licked our wounds we were blessed by the forest spirit and healed partially from our wounds.  I also received a unique weapon to help in our efforts, a Great Warhammer made from a dark wood that is as hard as stone.

We thought we had rested for far too long with the spirit,but it was but an hour.  We regrouped and set to clear the ruins of any stragglers. Inside we found a cellar that was riddled with traps.  Our foes had left a group of Hobgoblins, led by an Ogre, to prevent our following them. The battle was fast and fierce and I was nearly mortally wounded by the Ogre.

After the battle, and after avoiding a series of traps, we discovered evidence that this foe honors the God of Strife, and that they intend to push North and kill Master Gorum. We make haste to catch up and put down this threat once and for all.

This may be my final letter. If it is, weep not for me.  Know that I have honored our clan and our name while striving to put down an evil menace.  Send word to Bolburd that he may choose to rejoin Meika at Karasta, or work his way back here to avenge my death.

May the Ancestors Watch Over You, as they have been watchingover me.

-Balen