Chapter Two: Raising the Alarm (Lichgate)

Mei and John decided to retire early. Their characters rode ahead of the party for a bit in an effort to track down Jim. They will rejoin the party in Lichgate.

The next morning the group sets out towards Lichgate, a town about six or so hours south of Bronce. The journey is uneventful as they pass through wooded hill country that gradually fades into more easy rolling hills and plains . . . perfect farmland.

On the outskirts of Lichgate the party hears cries for help and sees a farmer fleeing a great insectoid beast that is in his garden. As a group they manage to seriously wound the Ankheg with little challenge although Tilk, Alev and Neil did take a blast of acid from the beast. The creature flees through its underground burrow before it is killed.

Moments after the fight a halfling lady rides up on a pony. She heard the villager's cry and was coming to help. She is Apple Merrywind, the sheriff in the town of Lichgate. She listens to the heroes' tale about a dark dwarven army in disbelief, but they manage to convince her to gather the town elders.

The group procures rooms at the local inn, the Lichgate Arms, and waits a bit to meet Apple at the well. When she arrives she tells them that the elders have agreed to meet them at noon tomorrow to discuss the matter. This will not do. Alev, Neil and the Knife manage to convince Apple that they must meet now. She takes them to Harry Smith (better than Grandmaster Johnson) who is one of the ranking elders.

Harry seems most skeptical at first and has no desire to rouse his neighbors this late in the day. After Alev waves the duergar letter in his face and the group shouts a great deal about the danger he begins to believe. He and Apple set out to gather the elders together at the inn while the party waits for them.

Another half hour or so later the entire village council of elders is gathered . . . ten men and four women . . . all old, skeptical and not much for listening as each has to have his say every couple of minutes. Alev makes a stirring speech about the danger the duergar present and waves the letter around again. After a great deal of argument and convincing the council decides it would be best to evacuate to Saragost. Two of the men, Harry one of them, immediately begins giving orders and making preparations.

Having saved the town of Lichgate (hopefully), the party settles down for some well-needed rest . . . tomorrow they must face the road again and hopefully they can make it to Lower Scumsgrove, the next town on the road to Saragost.

XP Award: 229 each to all except Celegorm and Larien who were not present. Everyone should be 2nd level now.

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