Looking aroung in the area where the group had fought the fire giants reveals that the giants had been tracking a humanoid. The party follows the tracks and find where the creature explored a Roc nest and apparently looted it. The group eventually catch up to the humanoid via fly and parley with the "hobgoblin" ranger. The hobgoblin knew nothing of his pursuers and thanks the party for the assistance. During the conversation Swiftwind mentions to Herunaro that the hobgoblin is a lot like Uncle Gulthias. Herunaro instantly disintegrates the form leaving behind a silver annealed spear with nasty spikes and hooks for impaling enemies and dragging out their intestines. From the workmanship of the previously concealed spear the group surmize that the enemy must have been a Gelugon spy. Qualintal gives the spear a new home and plays with it a lot. The party is worn out from the giants earlier so Herunaro conjures a defensible iron building for the night. Qualintalote goes to scout for trouble. While Qualintal is riding circuit noting the numerous formian and humanoid tracks the rest of the party relaxes in their defensible fortress. Suddenly without warning the fortress's door is slammed inward. Warriors pour into the interior and people are forced into a furious magically silenced battle. Theringil (fast on his toes) grabs Herunaro and gets out of the building and into artillery position, but not before Herunaro takes a severe pounding from the guardsmen. Outside the casters are confronted with a enormous female directing the attack. She turns and banishes the spellcasters, but fast thinking by Herunaro and Theringil allow them to resist her magics. Meanwhile inside the hut the battle has turned in the party's favor. The guardsmen were capable of taking down spellcasters but against heavy fighters they last seconds. Berrik and Swiftwind take some damage but nowhere near the devastating amounts they dish out. Herunaro discovers that the leader of the strike force is able to shrug off spells. Theringil makes up for it in missile fire. Eventually the leader dissipates as if she were a soul damned to Acheron. The party cleans up and heals the worst of wounds before Qualintal returns with news of Formian warriors in the area. Qualintal is disappointed he missed the battle but before he can get too upset a Formian patrol stumbles upon the camp. The formians attempt to absorb party members by infecting them with the hive mentality. Luckily several people are magically protected from the previous battle and the Formians and their slaves last very little time. The ants are defeated to a last and Qualintal takes care to dispose of the bodies so that more ants won't be drawn by the smell. While ferrying bodies Qualintal finds the main formian camp and decides to clear it out. Charging in Qualintal devastates the formian to catch his lance. The formians try mental attacks but Qualintal shrugs them off and tears through the guards. One guard manages to slip through the air to get past the centaur's defenses but didn't realize that Qualintal's back was covered with metal spines. Qualintal throws off the attacker and another of the slaves sprouts a huge black scorpion tail. Worried about the scorpion tail Qualintal concentrates on taking out the scorpion man giving the formian slavers an opportunity to flee. Qualintal defeats the scorpion and tracks down the ants one by one. One of the slaves (the man who slipped through his defenses) managed to completely hide his tracks. Qualintalote finally gives up tracking down the renegade and heads back to the others not seeing the unnatural patch of shadows hovering a few hundred feet overhead. January 10 Proceed next day using windwalk to move more rapidly. (A trick learned from the "Toll of Doom" guardmen) SESSION END January 10th 217B NEXT TIME : Dragon it out. EXPERIENCE TOTALS (Session 49) ----------------- Herun. Swift.Berrik Quelin.Therin. 108463 106841 107216 106841 106841