TempusMUD

Date: The Year 370.

“Defended by hobgoblins, you say?” asked Renold.

After gaining as much information about the strange-looking man and his hobgoblin entourage, we set out to the northeastern forest in search of its lair. It was then when Renold shut his eyes and said a prayer. A blue column of light enveloped himself, Len and I. I felt…protected. It was my first experience with true magic. It was an experience I would never forget.

The evening wind picked up as the weather within the forest took a chilly turn. We seemed to be heading in the right direction, when Len discovered a set of skinny footprints mixed in with a batch of two pairs of shoes. We assumed this was the strange man and Gwen.

We followed this trail and ended up by a spectacularly large boulder in the middle of the forest. After investigating this strange rock, we found a doorway that led into an underground lair. Len lit two torches as we descended into the place.

“I know it sounds trite, but you would be doing two old men a huge favor…” I remembered, as I entered the lair. My instincts told me that I was close to a discovery for Professor Grange.

We were met with quite the resistance. However, my two cleric traveling mates were worth their salt in combat. Maces at the ready, they parried hobgoblin blows one after another. Renold and Len did not want to kill, but to merely subdue their opponents. I followed suit and decided to use the butt of my rifle in combat, rather than the rounds.

“Behind you!” cried Len. As I turned around, I quickly ran the stock of my gun into the mouth of an oncoming hobgoblin with a dagger readied for my back. He fell back into the ground with a wimper.

From a tunnel to the north, we could hear the screams of a woman and the muffled ramblings of another man. Following the noise, we ended up in some sort of ritualistic hobgoblin altar. “The blood of Guiharia’s servant starts this ritual,” said a man draped in red to a hobgoblin.

The hobgoblin pulled out a short, crude dagger and pointed it toward Gwen. “Alas, I will have my vial of silver’s blood.”

Len chanted a few quick words and held out his hand. A large silver, ethereal hammer appeared, and flew toward the dagger-wielding hobgoblin. It hit him with a thunderous crack, sending him into a pit in the center of the altar. Loud screaming and gurgling followed.

Renold began sweeping hobgoblins out of his way with his giant mace as we approached the man in red. Len began firing his spiritual hammers at the man, creating space between Gwen and her captor. I ran towards Gwen and stood between her and the man in red, rifle at the ready. “Get back!” I yelled.

“Ahh, you’re one of them too,” the man in red said to me. “Strange dress and savage weaponry. Why don’t you go back to where you belong?”

The man began to chant under his breath as a giant red ball of fire grew in front of him…