After a few days pass, Alek begins to study under an old templar knight named Allister from a kingdom called Rhyggarde, hoping to become worthy to joining the order of the emerald knights. It’s not long before he discovers that in joining the order he would forfeit any right to a landed title, thusly he pauses to consider this decision.
Allister’s purpose for arriving at Harting is to advise the lord Baron Varant on its recent bowar troubles. Allister’s homeland of Rhyggarde has historically been plagued by the by the extremely war-like brutes and Allister has fought them many a times. Allister informs the Baron & heroes that the bowar will continue to attack in increasing numbers until the one who has defiled the cairn is slain or the cairn is rebuilt by the offender or he challenges the ancestor of the cairn to a final duel to settle the matter.
Meanwhile, while on a border patrol Jeb is contacted by feywynns from Rhanelm who warns him that a hundred bowar are marching through the forest towards Harting & that it is unsafe to come to Rhanelm any longer.
Having no choice in the matter the heroes prepare themselves for battle & head off north to stop the bowar from attacking Harting. They travel a day north to the cairn to find the remains shattered, thus making rebuilding it pointless. They begin to ride off towards the elves for two days but realize they do not know exactly where the bowar are & choose to return towards Harting to ensure its safety. As luck would have it they encounter the brutes within hours of arriving at the town. Ra’jinn breaks from the group and shouts out a challenge to the amassed bowar, confessing his guilt. A towering skirmisher steps forward and accepts his challenge. The duel only lasts a few minutes & at first appeared as if Ra’jinn were doomed but with luck, preparation & vigilance he defeats the mighty foe. Badly wounded & fatigued he and his companions await the response of the remaining bowar army, for as Allister warned them, ”Should you do what needs to be done to appease the bowar ancestor, there remains a 50/50 chance as to whether or not they’ll attack anyway”. An intimidating, heavily armored shield warrior approaches & snorts, “It is done” and with that the bowar withdraw back from which they came.
Within days of the Bowar’s withdraw the town of Harting found its self assaulted by concealed archers under cover of the woods adjacent to its northern walls. Upon investigation the heroes discover assailants to be goblins intent upon drawing the baronies troops away from its farm lands to kidnap peasant maidens to breed hobgoblins. Unfortunately the ruse succeeded to some degree and the heroes had to give chase to the retreating goblin force. With little chance to assault the goblins directly, the heroes lure manticores from the northern woods into the goblin ranks and with help from the town’s garrison save most of the captives, sending the raiders fleeing.
Interrogation of captive goblins and consultation with the elves of Rhanelm reveal that a clan of goblins are amassing an army of brood & hobgoblins and a sorcerer near Beving pass is using manticores to drive the feywynn into hiding. The heroes decide to travel towards Beving to find & slay the sorcerer whom they suspect is behind the mysterious plot against the western lands of the Ormaden Vale. And so the hoboes travelled east, then north toward Alek’s ancestral lands, through the cities of Rasont & Lenbrook to put an end to the dangers facing Harting & its neighbors. The session ended with the heroes defeating a brigand raid enroute to Kerswick from Lenbrook.
