Rather smelly .....

The party set off on their trip south and reached Daggerford without incident. Setting off from the town the following day, it was mid afternoon when they came across a wrecked carriage on the trail side and some bodies scattered around. A low moaning from a ditch further away alerted them and they discovered a guard, badly wounded, lying there.

Providing some aid to ensure he survived, they listened as he hastily explained the carriage belonged to Lord & Lady Cadmere of Daggerford and they'd been attacked by a troglodyte band; the guards had been killed except himself and he believed the Lord & Lady were still alive, when the troglodyte's carried them off to a nearby lair. Some ruins a short distance away, called Brigand's Hold, seemed the most likely refuge of the band and he begged the party to attempt a rescue.

The party agreed to assist and set off briskly to find the ruins; a rough track led about a mile, to grass covered mounds and some low walling, all that remained of the settlement that had stood in the past. At its centre were slightly taller walls, of some hall or main building; the party investigated here first and found a flagged floor, towards the rear of which a hole revealed a rough stair leading down into the ground. They descended carefully and found a short tunnel leading to a rough chamber of some size, three other tunnels led off from it - a low chanting issuing from the central passage ahead of them, they moved slowly towards the middle of the chamber in its direction.

When no nearer any one exit, troglodytes loped from the other three tunnels and moved towards the party, brandishing large clubs and spears. A couple hung back to throw javelins, whilst one muscled creature leapt forwards in a berserk manner. Their odour hampered the party some, but the troglodytes still proved no opposition to the readied heroes, even with a carrion crawler pushed into the fray by a goading troglodyte handler. When the sounds of the short fight ended, the party still hear the chanting and moved purposely forward, the passage descending downwards again after only 20-30 feet.

The rogue slipped forwards and saw another large chamber, here with more troglodytes, many facing the tunnel entrance, looking prepared; the passage ending in a steep ten foot slope down to the chamber floor. He reported back and they advanced promptly hoping to save any captives inside. Using strong light sources, the main fighters moved directly forwards, letting Faweh slip to the right attempting to pass the main line of opposition. The troglodytes here seemed even more brutish than earlier and swung about with their large clubs - the leader at the rear interrupted from his chanting threw a few spells into the fray, but once he was faced by party members, reverted to his lethal spear.

Vanquishing this last batch of troglodytes, the party released Lady Cadmere, who'd been draped over a rough altar, as well as a gnome who'd been bundled in a corner. Unfortunately Lord Cadmere had been sacrificed earlier and they could only recover his body. Lady Cadmere, once recovered, was most thankful for her rescue and promised rich rewards if the party would escort her back to her Daggerford estate. The day delay seemed a small price to pay and they returned to the road to collect the surviving guard, before making back to the town.