The town of Faroth and the outlaying ruins of the ancient city lie amidst shallow rolling granite hills, a slightly peach colored rocky plain with patches of soils and lots of stiff weedy grass. Occasionally there are crags of weathered, spiky, gray, limestone that hold less soil but whose cracks foster rock roses among their sprouts of weeds. It is impressive that there is any ranching economy on the island, but Drafter Crushton proves it’s possible.

Drafter’s rangers, Nillaffin and Hadreus are in the ruins with the party. Nillaffin leads Ofric, Lebranon, Manga and the Alchemist from the library building, north across the old coliseum. As they’ve been walking, they notice that the well weathered lettering on the stone is mostly in dwarven runes, but there are also plaques written in giant and draconic. Did dragons once attend gladiatorial battles in this coliseum?

They pass north through a rent in the 30′ tall coliseum wall. From their left a bugbear rears from atop a pile of rubble and hurtles a javelin. Before them, in the mound that covered the gaolers pit, another bugbear rears and throws. Nillaffin charges forward and the Oferic, Lebranon and Manja attack the bugbear to the south. Oferic charges and collides with the bugbear and flips over backwards, confusing the bugbear for a moment. Nillaffin gets pummeled with an add-hoc mourning star that’s more of a heavy spiked club. Rocks are thrown. Oferic tries to topple and grapple and gets smashed. Nillaffin has drawn out the northern bugbear but is getting punished, and heads towards his horse. Manja, who distrusts Nillaffin’s intentions, rummages the saddle bags of the horse and finds no weapons, just a hatchet and some woodworking hand-tools. Manja throws the hatchet and misses.

Nillaffin returns to his horse, slaps Manja away and tells the group to retreat. Oferic has been killed and the northern bugbear runs up the southern rockpile to eat. Manja, in his desperate anger, climbs after the bugbear and breaths poison on the hunched over, eating foes. Now these bugbears are mad and coughing. Manja runs away into the rent, leaving Nillaffin on his horse to defend the party. He rears the horse and attacks, retreats a bit, fires his bow, trades out for his longsword and attacks on horseback again. The strikes from the hooves are powerful enough to finish off both bugbears.

Nillaffin’s party returns to the library and Hadreus helps him heal with some potions. The group goes back to town and visits McGinty’s general store and sells the reclaimed javelins. To establish a party credit line, they adopt the name, “The Singing Dragon Scales.” Maybe they can make some money making soap from the charcoal common in the ground. They pass through the Axe and Sparrow, Ansty Thinbone’s pub, and earn some drink credit with a song.

Tune in next time as the party continues their adventure!