The Library Book Pt. 3 : A Game Using The Quests of Brin The Barbarian

When we last left Our Hero, it seemed he had met his end at the hand of a roving band of goblins. But as it turned out, his story was not over.

Though it stretches the bounds of credulity, and though he had most surely had at least one foot in the Great Void, Our Hero was happened upon by a barbarian of the great expanse called 'The Northlands', who had been wandering in search of fortune and adventure. Finding the battered magician amid the signs of a great struggle, the Northerner bound Our Heroe's wounds and applied medicinal salves which he prepared from memory, as taught to him by his mother and passed down from before the dawn of recorded time.

A most miraculous and rapid recovery then occurred - as if to break the bonds of credulity for good. But all was not rainbows and unicorns.

To Our Heroe's great misfortune the overdue book which he had endeavored to return to the Library at Stahlhelm, along with his coin purse, filled to pay the fine which awaited him had been taken by the goblins. Though he had no money on his person, he easily convinced the Northerner, by way of demonstrations of his ability to control the unseen forces of the world, that he would be good for it, should the barbarian accompany him on his quest to regain the overdue book.

And so it was that the two joined together and set forth into the Dark Woods.

 It was not long before the Northerner, trained in the ways of hunting as well as fighting, uncovered the goblin trail and  the pair followed it to a great rocky protrusion with a great maw opening into the earth itself, deep in the forest. Several goblins stood guard to challenge any who approached.

Every sinew in the barbarian's body coiled and unsprung in an instant as he launched forward towards the humanoids, emitting a thunderous war cry as he charged.

To their credit, the goblins moved to engage the wild man charging towards them. Meanwhile, from the rocky outcropping, an archer fired at the Northerner hoping to keep him distracted.  Our Hero, lest you think he had decided to leave the difficult work to the brawn of the warrior,  called upon the powers known only to those so initiated and paralyzed a nearby goblin, before bringing his own staff to bear upon it.

One goblin fell. And then another. But the archer rained down arrows with alarming accuracy. Even the mighty barbarian could not last forever against the onslaught. Our Hero attempted to call upon magic to heal the warrior but perhaps in his rush, the spell did not succeed. The Gods smiled upon the pair though, as the goblin, having seen two of his comrades ensorcelled and felled, the last goblin ran when the Northener charged his position.

With the barbarian seriously wounded, and Our Hero drained from his summoning of forces beyond the realm of most human understanding, they paused at the entrance to the cave. They would spend a few hours resting and tending to the Northerner's wounds and then begin their assault on whatever was inside.