Grassy Gnolls

The Lonely Street Irregulars stand on the ruined outskirts of ancient Beornshold. There, joined by Mr. Ted Gurdy and his youthful ward, Boy Hubbard, the Irregulars are assailed by black-fletched arrows from the nearby wood. Running down their attackers, they discover a curious tribe of Orcs calling themselves the Maguiren. The Maguiren leader, Colin, makes peace with the Irregulars and claims to have attacked only because he thought them allied with the Gnolls who now inhabit Beornshold. He invites the party back to his village, there to meet his clan’s leader, King Armstrong.

The Maguiren claim to be descendants of the original citizens of Beornshold. They live as men and take great pride in their civilized ways. They aver their fealty both to the god Beorn and to the High Throne in Peakshadow. Proof they say, lies in their carefully escrowed tribute payments (which are offered to and strangely refused by the Irregulars.)

King Armstrong admits that more than anything else, the Maguiren fear a return to the savage and uncivilized ways of their forebears. This fear keeps them from attacking the Gnolls in force. The Gnolls have a god named Grond which has been known to cause Maguiren to revert suddenly and irrevocably to their most savage state. This is a shame they cannot bear to chance.

When the Irregulars state that Grond is no longer with the Gnolls, they inspire the Maguiren warriors to take up their swords. King Armstrong offers to lend the Irregular’s captain (an apparently rotating position) 100 of his warriors for an assault on the Gnoll habitation. After a long night of war planning, the mid-morning is filled with a great battle. 70 Maguiren foot and 30 Maguiren archers are arrayed with the Irregulars against 110 hyena warriors.

Despite the numbers, the battle is over in less than fifteen minutes. The gnoll habitat is secured and the entrance to a underground complex is discovered. Just then, Pickens reveals that he has Grond in a sack and has had the idol since meeting someone named Seth Mallory in Wanderhalt.

The Maguiren flee in horror, leaving the Irregulars to debate in their usual vigorous fashion about what to do next.

Quote of the Day: “This is going too well. Ed is calm and collected… this is where he brings in Demogorgon.”