Post by Bruce on Jul 1, 2017 20:47:37 GMT
GM’s Observations - Part 1
- The war for Bloodstone pass continues to hot up. As mentioned previously, this adventure is drawn from the old TSR module H1 - Bloodstone Pass, however it is seeded with additional elements from Lords of Gossamer. Our biggest challenge here given that this adventure was during the 10 year time compress was what to do after Bloodstone Pass - we decided that some of subsequent adventures would be ‘hand-waved’ (i.e.: run in point form rather than blow by blow). Session 113 was the second last session of this story arc. The story arc concludes in Session 114.
- Regarding Aelfwynn’s relationship with Ethan, I’ll comment further on this at the end of Session 114. For now, I’ll hold you in suspense.
- A longer update because there are two battles fought in this update.
Part 1 - Farms on Fire (Day 23)
- Early the next morning there is the smell of smoke in the air. Some of the outlying farms are burning, set on fire by the bandits. This upsets some of the villagers but there are many more who are strong and offer support to those in distress.
- Rook decides to continue with drills for the day to keep the villagers occupied, but he keeps the duties light, conscious that they will probably need to fight a battle tomorrow. Maintaining watch on the battlements during the day, he uses Umbral Sight very slightly to see what the enemy is doing, but does not wish to give too much away to the enemy by using it.
- Meanwhile, the dwarves of Orothiar are *running* to Bloodstone. Sped on by a judicious use of Eidolon, the dwarves run tirelessly down from the mountains. The village of Bloodstone rejoices to see sixty fully armed and armoured dwarves sprinting towards the village. Captain Gailan is quickly introduced to Rook, Baron Tranth and the rest of the council. He is a seasoned warrior and he immediately wants to see the state of ‘these walls that mortal men have built’.
- Griffin himself seems to have struck up another friendship with one of the dwarves - a ginger-haired fellow named Tamal who is the son of the chieftain. Griffin seems totally oblivious to the fact that there is an army a few miles to the north. He chats comfortably away with Tamal and Vikos (whilst keeping his maul nearby) until finally Rook pulls him aside to discuss tactics for the next day.
- Rook asks Griffin for another divination but the reading is inconclusive. Griffin doesn’t believe that the bandits will attack today. He thinks that they’re trying to damage the villagers’ morale first by burning the outlying farms. Rook agrees. They talk about whether Griffin should create an illusion over the village to confuse the bandits. Griffin thinks on this and declines - he’d rather save his strength for the battle ahead. Besides, Griffin reasons that seeing the hill walls must surely affect the enemy’s morale too. Rook sees his point and leaves him be.
- Later in the day, Griffin spies Lady Aelfwynn with her command. He thinks on her for a few minutes, and then remembers that he was going to offer his services to her father, Baron Tranth. He’s been so busy that he forgot all about it. Griffin seeks out the Baron and explains to him that he cannot just repair walls, but he can also heal the Baron’s weak leg. He explains that he did not offer this previously because he feared that he would not believed. The Baron gratefully accepts and Griffin uses Eidolon to restore him to his prime, healing his leg in the process. Tranth’s grey hair is gone - he is a man twenty years younger, much to the astonishment of his daughter and the rest of the council.
- The dwarves grudgingly admit that the humans have done a good job with the walls, but they have a few ideas for improvements. Rook pulls Griffin into the conversation, they discuss the suggestions but it is decided that most will be done after the next battle.
- As day gives way to night, Rook sends three quarters of the Bloodstone garrison to rest whilst the other quarter remain on the walls. Griffin uses sorcery to help the defenders to remain calm, rest and sleep. Rook spends the night on the wall, as does Griffin. Tamal joins Rook on the wall with a small barrel of beer and some mugs - they chat through the night.
* Image sourced from Google Images
- Aelfwynn pays a visit to Griffin in the late evening. She thanks him for what he did for her father, and he explains simply that the Barony needs its Baron to be in peak health tomorrow. He suggests that she get some rest, and she asks ‘what about you?’ Griffin smiles and says that he’ll rest tomorrow night, after the battle. She pauses and he tells her that she’ll fight bravely tomorrow, and her father will be very proud of her. She gives a brief nod to acknowledge his faith in her and leaves.
Part 2 - The Second Battle (Day 24)
- The bandit army start forming up early, using the mist off the lake as cover. Rook and Griffin split up, taking opposite flanks. Griffin takes the left flank, whilst Rook will hold the gate and the right flank. They know full well that the enemy will send in giants to breach the walls - they need to do if they want the cavalry to be effective.
- Out of the fog comes the enemy. In formation, they look prepared for a straight fight, not a siege. They don’t appear to carry any breaching equipment which makes Rook very suspicious. Both Rook and Griffin spot the army commander - a formidable looking figure whom Griffin recognises as a Son of Saul. (GM’s note - the Sons of Saul are superhuman with all of the basic powers of Superman) The commander is protected by four Black Ogres wearing tough looking armour plates. At the front of the army are the six rock giants, spread out evenly. The warg riders and archers are following the main infantry force.
- A horn sounds and the enemy force advances. This time it doesn’t seem like the bandits have any interest in negotiating, and Rook doesn’t believe he has any opportunity to take out the army commander with a single shot. A second horn blares and the rock giants burst into umbral flame but they are somehow protected. They charge the walls and Rook decides to jump the wall and counter-attack, leaving Baron Tranth in command of the right flank.
- Wielding Gorgorin, Grant brings down one of the rock giants, and then cripples a second. Three of the giants hit the wall and the umbral flames leap into the wall itself. The giants try to breach the western wall but for all of their pummelling, Griffin is able to reinforce the wall and prevent any serious damage from being inflicted. He holds back on going toe-to-toe with the giants.
- The rest of the army follows in their wake, falling prey to the occasional pit trap that has been dug which serves to break up the enemy lines. But Rook also notices that there are now numerous black-skinned demons within the army that weren’t there before. Each is over nine feet tall, has powerful looking horns and is carrying a flaming blade. Rook curses - there must be a summoner amongst them.
- Meanwhile on the western flank, the giants are continuing to have difficulty breaching the walls and the Orothiar dwarves are going to work on the walls, attempting to slay the giants. It seems to be a stalemate until one of the bandits’ umbral mages reveals herself. It is dark-eyed Lyra (GM’s note - last seen in Session 66).
* Image of Lyra by Sirtiefling on DeviantArt
- She unleashes raw Umbra on the western flank, blasting a huge hole in the defences - a breach large enough to allow the warg riders entry into the village. Rook sees the wall fall but can do nothing to help on that flank - he simply has to trust that Griffin can handle it.
- Rook takes down the last of the rock giants on the eastern flank, and then charges the bandits. He cuts his way through their shield wall, throwing them into disarray and opening them up to bow-fire from Olwen’s huntsmen. Then he leaps in one huge bound out of the battle zone so as to appraise the enemy formation from the rear. Spotting the summoner (who looks very wizard-like) amongst a number of summoned demons, Rook leaps back into the fray.
- The monstrous demons leap to their master’s defence but Rook still manages to cut two of them down before killing the summoner himself. The act of slaying their demonic master drives them mad and they all turn to pursue Rook. Rook kills another but then decides he can make use of this, and he charges into the bandits forcing the demons to pursue him and further disorganise the enemy army.
- The warg riders head for the breach in the Bloodstone defences but they don’t get very far beyond the wall as Griffin quickly fabricates a large ditch on the other wall to serve as a second obstacle, pinning them down in a confined area and making easy targets for Olwen’s huntsmen. Griffin is then further distracted as the Bloodstone gates are smashed in by the Son of Saul (Superman punches the gates in) and the enemy starts funnelling into the village itself, followed by the Black Ogres and the bandits.
* Image of the Son of Saul by Gessygero on DeviantArt. Clearly the Sons of Saul are based on the Viltrumites from Invincible (the comic book)
- Stephan’s command raises their spears to hold back the attackers but the Son of Saul smashes their spears like they are matchwood. With Rook in the field on the other side of the wall, Griffin goes to engage the Son of Saul with his elven sword and dragon shield. Both warriors cleave their way to one another, but the Son of Saul quickly proves that he is much stronger. A single blow from the Son of Saul’s enchanted axe sends Griffin flying through buildings, and Griffin is quickly forced to use a flight spell in order to quickly re-enter the fight.
- Meanwhile in the field, Rook and the demons pursuing him are wreaking havoc across the enemy lines. They are quick and cruel, and he is forced to defend himself from time to time, but between bow-fire from the Bloodstone walls, his swordsmanship with Gorgorin and the damage which the demons themselves are doing, the bandit army is quickly being cut to shreds. Even the goblin archers are being cut to pieces by Olwen’s huntsmen who are better shots and have longer ranged bows. Fighting his way along the western flank, Rook comes face to face with Lyra, the other Umbral mage. They use raw Umbral magic against one another, which results in umbral pyrotechnics that sees Rook blasted off his feet, but in return he quickly counter-attacks, sets her on fire and casts her into the depths of Lake Midai. With the threat dealt with, he goes looking for the warg riders but finds that they have been wholly ineffective in breaching the walls. Stopped cold by the additional defences improvised by Griffin, peppered by arrow from above, the warg riders are then counter-attacked by Aelfwynn’s command who meet them with a shield wall and spears, The survivors attempt to flee and reorganise. Many are felled by Olwen’s huntsmen who continue to shoot from the walls, but pursuit by the Royal Dragoons results in the enemy’s destruction.
- Behind the shattered gate, Baron Tranth’s command and Stephan’s command continue to do battle against the Black Ogres and those who made it through the breach. The Son of Saul is no longer in command of his army as he is now completely engaged by Griffin. This particular Son of Saul has recognised Griffin as Ethan, the Warden of the Stair who fought him years before and threw him into a nameless realm. (GM’s note - way back in Session 48) so they are going at one another with some ferocity. Their battle causes a great deal of collateral damage, and Griffin’s blade is quickly shattered (GM’s note - bye bye 1 point sword).
- Rook decides that the battle outside the wall is all but won. He’s killed or crippled all of the giants and the remaining demons, so he runs to check on the battle inside the perimeter. Attacking the bandits from behind, he quickly carves his way through those attackers as well, and what is left of the bandit army collapses. Only the Son of Saul continues to fight, and Rook finds a way to pass Gorgorin to Griffin for him to continue fighting. (as every other weapon he uses in combat is quickly broken against the Son of Saul’s Eidolon-enhanced axe). Griffin reluctantly takes the weapon (as he is pretty sure that Gorgorin will try to kill him) but he needs something to tip the balance.
- The battle between the Son of Saul and Griffin continues in the city and then outside the city as the ferocity of the blows drives the combat further away. Griffin is bloodied and bruised, but so is the Son of Saul. Griffin is cutting loose with Gorgorin and his sorcerous array of Force Push and other fast-effect spells but the Son of Saul seems able to weather it. The Son of Saul’s weapon does not break when struck by Gorgorin, and every blow that the Son of Saul strikes with such force that Griffin is literally thrown backwards like a rag-doll. After an hour of brutal battle, the Son of Saul finally staggers and falls to his knees. He is exhausted (GM’s note - Griffin wins the battle on Endurance - he has First Rank and this the only area where the Son of Saul is significantly weaker) and unable to fight further. Griffin uses his opponent’s moment of weakness to put him to ’Sleep’ and the Son of Saul crumples on a hillside almost five miles away. Barely able to stand himself, Griffin sits down and tries to heal the worst of his injuries, but the Eidolon-enchanted axe’s wounds are difficult to heal.
- He decides to get some help. Claiming the Son of Saul’s Eidolon-enchanted axe as a trophy, he contacts Rook via Icon and is brought back to Bloodstone, carrying the conquered Son of Saul. After putting the Son of Saul into an even deeper sleep, he sinks down and allows himself to be tended by Rook, and then Quillan and Abbot Aldric. Rook uses some healing salve to assist with Griffin’s recovery. He has no broken bones but he has been severely beaten and has sustained numerous deep wounds inflicted by the Eidolon-enchanted axe. To Griffin’s surprise, the Bloodstone losses have been comparatively light - only nine dead - and relatively few injuries. Rook is pleased that the battle went so well - but he himself is covered in blood and guts from heavy fighting. The kids are raving about his prowess in battle, and he overhears the Abbot telling people that this was clearly ‘meant to be’ (which pleases Rook).
- On the battlefield there are hundreds of dead bodies. At Rook’s request, Stephan takes charge of the situation and a group of villagers begin inspecting the fallen and stripping the bodies of any useful materials. In the meantime, Griffin’s wounds are cleaned and bandaged, but the healing magic used by the Abbot doesn’t seem to properly heal the wounds. Quillan suggests that Griffin will need to heal ‘the old fashioned way’, and he offers him some herbal medicine to chew to at least help him to deal with the pain. Aelfwynn pays Griffin a visit, bringing some food with her, but also thanking him for his encouragement the previous night. She acknowledges that she did fight bravely. Griffin admits that he didn’t see it, but he is sure that she did. He admits to being in pain, and admits that it was stupid of him to fight the Son of Saul as he did. He confesses that Rook is a better fighter than he is, and Rook wouldn’t have been as badly hurt as he has been. Aelfwynn shrugs and says that he will heal and that Rook wasn’t there at the time, but he was. She tells him that he fought bravely, but advises him to rest. She leaves.
- The mood in the village becomes more positive as the day progresses. The villagers have won not just one battle but two. The dwarves start the celebrations with ale and close-harmony singing which brightens everyone’s spirits. Baron Tranth gives another speech to the villagers to praise them for their victory.
Part 3 - A Rainy Interlude (Days 25-27)
- The next three days are very wet. It pours and it pours and it pours. The Royal Dragoons are brought in and given temporary lodgings in the Baronial manor house. Rook goes to find the remains of the Lake Midai monster and makes sure that it is still where he left it (at the bottom of the lake).
- Griffin’s strength returns and he repairs the walls once more, even though his wounds are still healing. He incorporates the suggestions from Captain Gailan into the defences and spends time talking further with Vikos. Meanwhile Tamal has become a good drinking buddy of Rook. Valon and Shinar (the centaurs) are completely convinced and Valon returns to his people to gather more warriors.
- One afternoon, while Rook is visiting Griffin and they are talking over a goblet of wine, Lady Aelfwynn comes to visit. Rook praises Aelfwynn for her role in the last battle and then politely excuses himself, leaving Griffin to talk to her. In their conversations, Griffin inadvertently makes two mistakes. Firstly he reveals enough information for Aelfwynn to conclude that Rook is actually Prince Grant, which wasn’t obvious to her (because of how different they look - more on that later). Secondly, Griffin attempts to pay her a complement, calling her beautiful, but this surprises her and embarrasses him. He also learns from her that the axe that he recovered from the Son of Saul was actually fabricated by this realm’s Prince Grant. That night, he wonders whether staying in this place is affecting how he feels about Abbie. He wonders if she is okay.
Part 4 - Connections Made (Day 28)
- The rain begins to clear and Rook heads back to the enemy encampment, trying to assess whether they are mobilising again or not and how badly they have been depleted. He is extremely careful when approaching the bandits’ base, and he finds that their army is depleted but they don’t seem to be mobilising for a fresh attack yet.
- Returning back to Bloodstone, Rook seeks out Aelfwynn to seek her counsel. He knows from talking with Griffin that she now believes him to be Prince Grant, but is not the same as the one she knows. Rook asks Aelfwynn about the axe that Griffin is now carrying and more about Prince Grant. Aelfwynn describes Prince Grant as a big man, kind, wonderful, clean shaven and a fine craftsman. When asked if there might be any portraits of him, she says that her family does not have any. Rook does not pry further but he wonders why Ethan is recognised here and he is not.
- Rook tries to wayfind for Prince Grant finds that there is no sign of him here, but when he tries to wayfind for this realm’s Ethan, he distinctly senses that this realm’s Ethan is able to look back at him. Given that there is the possibility that this realm’s Ethan is actually the northern Witch King, he stops looking very quickly.
- After much deliberation, Rook decides to meet with Quillan, the sage. It is clear that Quillan does recognise Rook as Prince Grant, so he asks why Quillan recognises him but others do not. Quillan explains that he does remember Grant and Ethan. Ethan was fiery and impetuous whereas Grant was a strong and confident leader. They enjoyed travelling together. Quillan is able to describe Prince Ethan as being ‘tainted’ (or touched by darkness) - he doesn’t know how this happened, but whereas Prince Grant was a craftsman, builder and healer, it was Prince Ethan who was the dynamic drive behind the two of them. Based on Quillan’s description, Rook assumes that in this realm, Prince Ethan is an Umbra Master and Prince Grant is an Eidolon Master. This would explain why the Prince Grant of this world is bigger and stronger than he is. Quillan admits that it was easier to recognise Ethan as Prince Ethan because they are physically almost identical, but in Grant’s case, he recognised Grant’s voice (in particular his laughter) but was only certain when he saw Grant take command of the army. Prince Grant was an excellent organiser and leader of men. Physically, they are different. Rook is shorter and does not have the same stature as Prince Grant.
- Meanwhile, Griffin continues to perform a number of divinations. He concludes that the centaurs and the halflings will arrive in two days, but the timing of the next bandit attack appears to be uncertain, perhaps even veiled somehow.
- That evening, Rook fills in Griffin as to what he has learnt about this realm’s Grant and Ethan. It is not a complete surprise to Griffin as he already had some ideas. They talk a little about what they will do after the bandit threat is no more. Griffin is torn - he would quite like to get to know Aelfwynn better, but for all he knows, Abbie is no longer with Marc and she’s waiting for him to return. Again, Rook chuckles at this and says he is overthinking things. They have a war to fight - it is not the time for such thoughts. He tells Griffin to worry about Aelfwynn after the bandits are gone.
- The conversation shifts to what they will do after the bandits are defeated. Rook wants to return to Marindar and Griffin wants to return to Realm 0 - but both of them would like to come back, but perhaps not immediately. Rook is also left with the impression that Griffin wants to come back much sooner.
Part 5 - Another Interlude (Day 29)
- Another day passes with preparations for more battles, and more dwarven improvements made to the fortifications. Lady Aelfwynn also seeks out Griffin and explains that she thinks she can help him remove his ‘taint’ (making reference to the affliction which was affecting this realm’s Ethan). Griffin pleasantly agrees to this, and she tells him that they will leave the village just before sundown the following day. Griffin reports this to Rook, who is surprised that he’d be willing to leave with such little information. Griffin explains that they will be armed - if there is any trouble, he thinks he can deal with it. Rook points out that Griffin is still not fully healed - he urges Griffin to be careful.
Part 6 - Alliances and Failed Divinations (Day 30)
- The next day, one hundred and sixty centaurs arrive in town, led by their chief, Valon. One hundred and twenty halflings also arrive with Mayor Fredegast at the head of the formation. The rest of the dwarven warriors of the Orothiar clan also arrive. The village of Bloodstone has never had so many defenders and a council of war is held once more so that all of the leaders are clear on the order of battle and their defensive battle plans.
- Griffin continues to cast divination spells as to when the bandits will return but the results continue to be inconclusive. This worries Rook and he decides to fly north to locate the bandit army - but he cannot find it within a day’s march. He returns to Bloodstone and decides to go to bed early with Raquel and Carlotta.
- Meanwhile, Aelfwynn and Ethan (Griffin) leave the village and head east. They leave fully armed and armoured, just in case there is trouble on the way.
* Image for Aelfwynn by Magali Villeneuve. I was after an alternative Eowyn portrait and found one by Magali that seemed to fit my mental image of her
- They travel for three hours through the twilight and then night before reaching the edge of a forest. There, Aelfwynn takes him to a place that she considers to be sacred. A grove of trees with a pool of clear deep water, filled by a small brook. It is cool here, but not as cold as it should be. Ethan can sense a level of natural power here - Eidolon is strong here. She explains to him simply that here she will be able to remove the taint that has afflicted him for so long. She didn’t know how to do this when he asked, years ago - but she does now. Ethan can see that she is trying to help but he isn’t the person who had that taint. He isn’t that man, and he reasons that if he says nothing, he’s effectively lying to her.
- So Ethan tells her the truth. He’s happy to go through with what she has planned, but he isn’t the Prince Ethan that she remembers. He’s Ethan, from another place. He even offers to show her where he comes from if she would like. To his surprise, Aelfwynn says that she already knows he isn’t the same person, but she doesn’t know whether he has the same affliction that drove her Ethan away - and this is a way of being sure. She explains simply that if he doesn’t care about money or titles, there is precious little that the people of Bloodstone can do to repay him - but this is her way of trying to do something to thank him. Ethan also wonders if offering this gives her a small measure of peace, but he says nothing of this to her.
- Aelfwynn offers him a herbal remedy that she has prepared, made of leaves and crushed herbs, and she sets about brewing a type of tea made from flowering nettles. Ethan accepts the medicine that she offers - it makes his body tingle a little and relaxes him. He feels a little odd but she says that this is normal. He sips the tea and tries to make some small talk, saying that he knows almost nothing about her. But Aelfwynn isn’t interested in talking about herself - she gives him a haughty look and tells him that he should bathe in the waters when he has finished his tea. Ethan gives her an odd look, unsure as to whether she expects him to disrobe and enter the pool naked, or go in fully clothed. Picking herself up, she says that she’ll wait for him on the edge of the grove.
- Ethan strips off and heads into the pool, and is surprised to find that the pool is warm. Very warm. There is an energy in the pool, but Ethan also wonders if there is something in the herbs that is altering his perception of the place. He finds that he is comfortable, relaxed and at peace here. He feels himself drifting.
Part 7 - Assassins and the Graveyard (Day 30)
- That night, Rook is woken suddenly. There is no obvious trigger but he is nonetheless aware of the two assassins in his room before they strike, He has no idea how they came to be there, but he leaps into action, firing a wrist crossbow (yes, this is what the golden snake transforms into) at one. The impact pins the killer to the wall and instantly the body bursts into fire, setting alight the timber wall. Before the other can strike, he shifts Gorgorin into a sword form and cuts the other one down. Again, the body bursts into fire. Astonished, he looks around for any other targets whilst using Umbra to quell the fire. Raquel and Carlotta are awake and frightened. Rook realises this cannot be an isolated attack, and he immediately heads out to find out where else has been targeted.
- He makes his way to the village gates and finds that two assassins there have killed the sentries. The gates are wide open and in the distance he can hear the sound of what sounds like hoofbeats. They are almost certainly under attack and it appears to be coordinated. Rook raises the alarm and hunts down the two assassins, killing them with bowshots. Before orcs mounted on giant boars can charge through the gates, Rook shuts them and bolts them once more. He quickly mobilises archers on the walls, and confirms that the perimeter is intact except for the gate. Apart from Griffin and Aelfwynn, only Baron Tranth is unaccounted for. The Baron is missing.
- Whilst the huntsmen man the walls and the boar-riders reorganise now that they have found that the gates are not open, Rook hears screams coming from the western side of the village by the lake. Once he is sure that the boar-riders cannot breach the gates, he heads to the west, only to find that the great kraken that he slew weeks ago is now ‘alive’ with Umbral energy and it is crawling its way out of the water into the town, destroying buildings as it moves. Rook recognises the Umbra Master who is controlling it - this is Saturn Black (GM’s note - whom Rook last fought in Session 66) and he goes to work facing off against the corpse-creature.
* Image by Janiceduke on DeviantArt
- The cloud above is very low and there is a strange mist pouring off the lake but it also seems to be coming from other directions as well. It makes it very difficult for Rook to fight and control the army at the same time, especially when he hears cries from the eastern side of the village. People are starting to fight back, but there is some panicking as well. Rook can’t understand how the bandits could have gotten an army this close without detection.
- Rook presses the attack against Saturn Black and his Umbra-animated kraken, chopping off limbs and eventually slaying both it and Black himself. The kraken has destroyed multiple buildings in its rampage, but it and Black seemed to be on their own on the lakeside of the village.
- Heading to the eastern front, he finds that a horde of fleshy zombies and fleshless skeletons have penetrated the eastern defences - they are inside the perimeter. Stephan and Captain Olric are leading the defenders as best they can, but the source of the animated corpses seems to be the town graveyard and the defenders are being slowly driven back as the umbra-infused undead can’t be killed with normal weapons. Within the fog, Rook can detect another spell caster tapping into dark magics to bring the dead back to life. As Rook joins the defenders and tries to contain the undead from marauding throughout the entire village, he decides that he needs Griffin back - he can’t reach the enemy spell caster by himself without the defenders collapsing.
Part 8 - The Pool and the Hill of Demons (Day 30)
- Ethan (Griffin) relaxes in the pool for some time, letting the warmth fill him. His thoughts drift from place to place, but at last the warmth of the waters begins to fade and he leaves the pool to dry and dress himself. To his surprise, his wounds from the battle against the Son of Saul have healed significantly and some of his lesser wounds are completely healed. As he finds Aelfwynn on the edge of the grove, he realises that his mind feels sharp, his thoughts clear. He thanks her, admitting that he was skeptical but he does feel much improved. She explains simply that it is a cleansing and healing place - and there are few that would not benefit from such healing. If he was suffering from any curse or taint, it should have been removed.
- Sitting down beside her, Ethan tries a simple sorcerous spell and a flame forms just above his index finger. As he wills it, the flame jumps from one finger tip to the next. At last, satisfied, the flame winks out and he thanks her for the gift of clarity. He says that when the bandits are gone, he still plans to leave, but he says that he will come back even if Grant doesn’t want to. Aelfwynn gives a thin-lipped smile, and she starts to say something. However, Ethan receives an urgent Icon contact from Rook (Grant) and he tells her that the village is under attack. Cutting the contact, Ethan explains that the enemy is on top of the graveyard hill, and that he’s going to perform a sorcerous teleport to reach there (he placed a marker on the way out in case they needed to return quickly).
- Ethan doesn’t even need to ask Aelfwynn whether she’s coming or not. Her stony face tells him that she’s ready, even as she checks her weapon and shield. Ethan begins the spell, and suddenly they are gone.
- Aelfwynn and Ethan (Griffin) appear a few hundred metres from the hill. There are shadows moving in the fog - massive misshapen creatures.
- As they take in the scene, Griffin casts another of his favourite spells to mask them from normal sight. Drawing sword (Aelfwynn) and axe (Ethan), the two of them make their way up the clouded hill. It is not long before they are confronted by the unquiet dead who are still digging themselves out of their graves. Griffin motions for Aelfwynn to avoid them, and they hurry further up the hill. Through the mists they see unearthly flames surrounding the peak. But before they can reach the flames, they are detected by a monstrous black-bodied shape with bull-like horns, who quickly summons reinforcements, conjuring them out of infernal flames that erupt from the ground. Aelfwynn grimly goes to work, following Griffin’s lead as he charges into them. The Eidolon-enchanted axe is an effective weapon against the demons, cutting deeply, but Aelfwynn’s blade melts when she first strikes one, and a demon shatters her shield with a single blow from a fiery sword before Griffin can drive it off with a Force Push.
- The subsequent battle is brutal. More demons charge at them through the fiery barrier near the peak. Griffin throws his lightsaber to the weaponless Aelfwynn, and a blade of blue fire erupts from the hilt as soon as she holds it. This weapon proves effective against the creatures, but Griffin finds himself pressed on multiple fronts as he attempts to force his way through. It is only with gratuitous use of Sorcery that they manage to breach the wall of fire, hurling the majority of the foul creatures away from them so that they only have to deal with a few, and then using an Eidolon-reinforced sorcerous shield to create a breach in the wall that they can pass through.
- Behind the wall is the Dark Priest Banak - a strange garbed man wearing a horned helmet that makes him look oddly like a Dwimmerlaik witch. He is protected by more demons, including a huge monstrosity which glows hot as if its core is made of magma. With Aelfwynn guarding Griffin’s right flank and rear, Griffin tries a desperate move to cut short the battle and hurls his battle axe at the Dark Priest. The axe flies true and Banak’s eyes go wide as the axe strikes him. At the moment of impact there is a shimmer as the Dark Priest is thrown back under the force of the impact and he is suddenly gone. Vanished. The axe falls to the ground where he was standing, its edge covered in red blood but there is no body.
- The fiery wall is snuffed out. With no Dark Priest to control them, the undead turn around and tiredly plod back to their graves. A few of the demons give cries of dismay before they are pulled back into the nether realms where they came from, but many fight on, howling with unearthly shrieks as they fight against the magics that are seeking to return them whence they came.
- One by one, the demons either fall or are pulled screaming into sucking pin-points of darkness. Griffin and Aelfwynn continue to fight for their lives as the demons seek to overwhelm them before they are banished. The largest demon, the strongest by far, wades into their midst, striking at them with a massive iron-wrought mace wreathed in fire and separates Griffin from Aelfwynn. A single blow from its mace sends Griffin flying and he is unable to recover his axe. Aelfwynn fights alone against two of the remaining demons, trying to deal with one quickly before she is overpowered by both. But with only half a shield for defence, she is hard pressed.
- Judging that Aelfwynn will be overwhelmed before he can deal with the larger demon, Griffin flees and switches targets, using his shield as a weapon to bring one of the demons facing Aelfwynn down. Tackling the demon’s muscular leg, the demon staggers and falls. Griffin bashes it the head but he is unable to retrieve its flaming sword before it winks out, banished back from where it came from. (GM’s note - Bad Stuff) The distraction gives Aelfwynn the opportunity to plunge her own sword into the other creature, badly wounding it and breaking its concentration. As a sucking pin-point of darkness forms behind it, it claws at her, pulling her off her feet and threatening to drag her into the abyss.
- Again, Griffin’s trusty shield comes in handy and he slams it down on the demon’s arm, cutting it off just in time. With the largest demon bearing down on them both, Griffin grabs the fiery blade but it winks out as soon as he takes it from the demon’s hand. (GM’s note - more Bad Stuff) As Griffin and Aelfwynn back off, playing for time, the monstrous demon lumbers forward to strike again. Then suddenly something dark flashes by, and the demon falls, its massive leg suddenly severed by something incredibly sharp. Rook has joined the battle.
- The trio go to work on the fallen demon, butchering it even as a large singularity forms to pull the demon away. Finally Rook drives Gorgorin deep into its body and Umbral energy begins to consume it as the body collapses and disappears. Griffin and Aelfwynn thank Rook for his timely assistance. The demons are gone, and the undead around them are slowly and silently returning to their graves. Everything is eerily quiet in the fog.
- The Eidolon-enchanted axe lies embedded into the ground where the demon had trodden on it. Griffin retrieves it, and checks on Aelfwynn. She is shaking from adrenaline, but her eyes are piercing and bright as she searches the mist for any other creatures that could threaten them. Rook comments that he didn’t know that Umbra could be used to animate and control corpses like this - the magic that the Dark Priest was using was necromantic, but certainly drew upon Umbral energy at some level. He asks why Griffin didn’t simply counter it with Eidolon to restore the natural order. Griffin blinks - he admits that he didn’t think of it. Rook frowns, turns away and says that he needs to find out how many have been hurt. He asks Griffin to help.
- Leaving the fog-covered hill, they find that many are dead, and many more have been injured. The town was invaded, the defences bypassed and worse, Baron Tranth is missing. Rook assumes that the assassins must have taken him. This means that Aelfwynn is now the ruler of the barony.
Part 9 - Aftermath (Day 31)
- As dawn breaks, the extent of the damage becomes evident. It is not as bad as they feared. One house was destroyed and three more damaged by the kraken. Elsewhere there is no structural damage. But there are more than forty dead, and twice that number injured. The villagers morale has been affected because the defences were almost completely ineffective, but they have bigger problems. The bandit army has returned.
- The bandit army which includes many ogres, giants and even two wyverns can clearly be seen by the Bloodstone defenders on the wall. Rook observes that it appears to be all of their forces that were encamped, suggesting that ‘Grandfather’ himself has taken the field.
- Stephan, Aelfwynn, Olric, Olwen, Griffin, Gailan, Fredegast and Valon are all grim-faced and resolute for the next battle. They all understand that this will decide the fate of Bloodstone and for the entire barony …..
GM’s Observations - Part 2
- Regarding the Dark Priest Banak, yes, he’s a dark priest of *Mowbray*. In the Legendary Realm, Banak is trying to bring back the Dwimmerlaik Lord (whom he views as a god) back from the dead. But didn’t Grant kill Mowbray in Session 101? Well, yes he did - but when did death actually end a cool NPC…. is it conceivable that Mowbray could come back? We’ll see.
- The war for Bloodstone pass continues to hot up. As mentioned previously, this adventure is drawn from the old TSR module H1 - Bloodstone Pass, however it is seeded with additional elements from Lords of Gossamer. Our biggest challenge here given that this adventure was during the 10 year time compress was what to do after Bloodstone Pass - we decided that some of subsequent adventures would be ‘hand-waved’ (i.e.: run in point form rather than blow by blow). Session 113 was the second last session of this story arc. The story arc concludes in Session 114.
- Regarding Aelfwynn’s relationship with Ethan, I’ll comment further on this at the end of Session 114. For now, I’ll hold you in suspense.
- A longer update because there are two battles fought in this update.
Part 1 - Farms on Fire (Day 23)
- Early the next morning there is the smell of smoke in the air. Some of the outlying farms are burning, set on fire by the bandits. This upsets some of the villagers but there are many more who are strong and offer support to those in distress.
- Rook decides to continue with drills for the day to keep the villagers occupied, but he keeps the duties light, conscious that they will probably need to fight a battle tomorrow. Maintaining watch on the battlements during the day, he uses Umbral Sight very slightly to see what the enemy is doing, but does not wish to give too much away to the enemy by using it.
- Meanwhile, the dwarves of Orothiar are *running* to Bloodstone. Sped on by a judicious use of Eidolon, the dwarves run tirelessly down from the mountains. The village of Bloodstone rejoices to see sixty fully armed and armoured dwarves sprinting towards the village. Captain Gailan is quickly introduced to Rook, Baron Tranth and the rest of the council. He is a seasoned warrior and he immediately wants to see the state of ‘these walls that mortal men have built’.
- Griffin himself seems to have struck up another friendship with one of the dwarves - a ginger-haired fellow named Tamal who is the son of the chieftain. Griffin seems totally oblivious to the fact that there is an army a few miles to the north. He chats comfortably away with Tamal and Vikos (whilst keeping his maul nearby) until finally Rook pulls him aside to discuss tactics for the next day.
- Rook asks Griffin for another divination but the reading is inconclusive. Griffin doesn’t believe that the bandits will attack today. He thinks that they’re trying to damage the villagers’ morale first by burning the outlying farms. Rook agrees. They talk about whether Griffin should create an illusion over the village to confuse the bandits. Griffin thinks on this and declines - he’d rather save his strength for the battle ahead. Besides, Griffin reasons that seeing the hill walls must surely affect the enemy’s morale too. Rook sees his point and leaves him be.
- Later in the day, Griffin spies Lady Aelfwynn with her command. He thinks on her for a few minutes, and then remembers that he was going to offer his services to her father, Baron Tranth. He’s been so busy that he forgot all about it. Griffin seeks out the Baron and explains to him that he cannot just repair walls, but he can also heal the Baron’s weak leg. He explains that he did not offer this previously because he feared that he would not believed. The Baron gratefully accepts and Griffin uses Eidolon to restore him to his prime, healing his leg in the process. Tranth’s grey hair is gone - he is a man twenty years younger, much to the astonishment of his daughter and the rest of the council.
- The dwarves grudgingly admit that the humans have done a good job with the walls, but they have a few ideas for improvements. Rook pulls Griffin into the conversation, they discuss the suggestions but it is decided that most will be done after the next battle.
- As day gives way to night, Rook sends three quarters of the Bloodstone garrison to rest whilst the other quarter remain on the walls. Griffin uses sorcery to help the defenders to remain calm, rest and sleep. Rook spends the night on the wall, as does Griffin. Tamal joins Rook on the wall with a small barrel of beer and some mugs - they chat through the night.
* Image sourced from Google Images
- Aelfwynn pays a visit to Griffin in the late evening. She thanks him for what he did for her father, and he explains simply that the Barony needs its Baron to be in peak health tomorrow. He suggests that she get some rest, and she asks ‘what about you?’ Griffin smiles and says that he’ll rest tomorrow night, after the battle. She pauses and he tells her that she’ll fight bravely tomorrow, and her father will be very proud of her. She gives a brief nod to acknowledge his faith in her and leaves.
Part 2 - The Second Battle (Day 24)
- The bandit army start forming up early, using the mist off the lake as cover. Rook and Griffin split up, taking opposite flanks. Griffin takes the left flank, whilst Rook will hold the gate and the right flank. They know full well that the enemy will send in giants to breach the walls - they need to do if they want the cavalry to be effective.
- Out of the fog comes the enemy. In formation, they look prepared for a straight fight, not a siege. They don’t appear to carry any breaching equipment which makes Rook very suspicious. Both Rook and Griffin spot the army commander - a formidable looking figure whom Griffin recognises as a Son of Saul. (GM’s note - the Sons of Saul are superhuman with all of the basic powers of Superman) The commander is protected by four Black Ogres wearing tough looking armour plates. At the front of the army are the six rock giants, spread out evenly. The warg riders and archers are following the main infantry force.
- A horn sounds and the enemy force advances. This time it doesn’t seem like the bandits have any interest in negotiating, and Rook doesn’t believe he has any opportunity to take out the army commander with a single shot. A second horn blares and the rock giants burst into umbral flame but they are somehow protected. They charge the walls and Rook decides to jump the wall and counter-attack, leaving Baron Tranth in command of the right flank.
- Wielding Gorgorin, Grant brings down one of the rock giants, and then cripples a second. Three of the giants hit the wall and the umbral flames leap into the wall itself. The giants try to breach the western wall but for all of their pummelling, Griffin is able to reinforce the wall and prevent any serious damage from being inflicted. He holds back on going toe-to-toe with the giants.
- The rest of the army follows in their wake, falling prey to the occasional pit trap that has been dug which serves to break up the enemy lines. But Rook also notices that there are now numerous black-skinned demons within the army that weren’t there before. Each is over nine feet tall, has powerful looking horns and is carrying a flaming blade. Rook curses - there must be a summoner amongst them.
- Meanwhile on the western flank, the giants are continuing to have difficulty breaching the walls and the Orothiar dwarves are going to work on the walls, attempting to slay the giants. It seems to be a stalemate until one of the bandits’ umbral mages reveals herself. It is dark-eyed Lyra (GM’s note - last seen in Session 66).
* Image of Lyra by Sirtiefling on DeviantArt
- She unleashes raw Umbra on the western flank, blasting a huge hole in the defences - a breach large enough to allow the warg riders entry into the village. Rook sees the wall fall but can do nothing to help on that flank - he simply has to trust that Griffin can handle it.
- Rook takes down the last of the rock giants on the eastern flank, and then charges the bandits. He cuts his way through their shield wall, throwing them into disarray and opening them up to bow-fire from Olwen’s huntsmen. Then he leaps in one huge bound out of the battle zone so as to appraise the enemy formation from the rear. Spotting the summoner (who looks very wizard-like) amongst a number of summoned demons, Rook leaps back into the fray.
- The monstrous demons leap to their master’s defence but Rook still manages to cut two of them down before killing the summoner himself. The act of slaying their demonic master drives them mad and they all turn to pursue Rook. Rook kills another but then decides he can make use of this, and he charges into the bandits forcing the demons to pursue him and further disorganise the enemy army.
- The warg riders head for the breach in the Bloodstone defences but they don’t get very far beyond the wall as Griffin quickly fabricates a large ditch on the other wall to serve as a second obstacle, pinning them down in a confined area and making easy targets for Olwen’s huntsmen. Griffin is then further distracted as the Bloodstone gates are smashed in by the Son of Saul (Superman punches the gates in) and the enemy starts funnelling into the village itself, followed by the Black Ogres and the bandits.
* Image of the Son of Saul by Gessygero on DeviantArt. Clearly the Sons of Saul are based on the Viltrumites from Invincible (the comic book)
- Stephan’s command raises their spears to hold back the attackers but the Son of Saul smashes their spears like they are matchwood. With Rook in the field on the other side of the wall, Griffin goes to engage the Son of Saul with his elven sword and dragon shield. Both warriors cleave their way to one another, but the Son of Saul quickly proves that he is much stronger. A single blow from the Son of Saul’s enchanted axe sends Griffin flying through buildings, and Griffin is quickly forced to use a flight spell in order to quickly re-enter the fight.
- Meanwhile in the field, Rook and the demons pursuing him are wreaking havoc across the enemy lines. They are quick and cruel, and he is forced to defend himself from time to time, but between bow-fire from the Bloodstone walls, his swordsmanship with Gorgorin and the damage which the demons themselves are doing, the bandit army is quickly being cut to shreds. Even the goblin archers are being cut to pieces by Olwen’s huntsmen who are better shots and have longer ranged bows. Fighting his way along the western flank, Rook comes face to face with Lyra, the other Umbral mage. They use raw Umbral magic against one another, which results in umbral pyrotechnics that sees Rook blasted off his feet, but in return he quickly counter-attacks, sets her on fire and casts her into the depths of Lake Midai. With the threat dealt with, he goes looking for the warg riders but finds that they have been wholly ineffective in breaching the walls. Stopped cold by the additional defences improvised by Griffin, peppered by arrow from above, the warg riders are then counter-attacked by Aelfwynn’s command who meet them with a shield wall and spears, The survivors attempt to flee and reorganise. Many are felled by Olwen’s huntsmen who continue to shoot from the walls, but pursuit by the Royal Dragoons results in the enemy’s destruction.
- Behind the shattered gate, Baron Tranth’s command and Stephan’s command continue to do battle against the Black Ogres and those who made it through the breach. The Son of Saul is no longer in command of his army as he is now completely engaged by Griffin. This particular Son of Saul has recognised Griffin as Ethan, the Warden of the Stair who fought him years before and threw him into a nameless realm. (GM’s note - way back in Session 48) so they are going at one another with some ferocity. Their battle causes a great deal of collateral damage, and Griffin’s blade is quickly shattered (GM’s note - bye bye 1 point sword).
- Rook decides that the battle outside the wall is all but won. He’s killed or crippled all of the giants and the remaining demons, so he runs to check on the battle inside the perimeter. Attacking the bandits from behind, he quickly carves his way through those attackers as well, and what is left of the bandit army collapses. Only the Son of Saul continues to fight, and Rook finds a way to pass Gorgorin to Griffin for him to continue fighting. (as every other weapon he uses in combat is quickly broken against the Son of Saul’s Eidolon-enhanced axe). Griffin reluctantly takes the weapon (as he is pretty sure that Gorgorin will try to kill him) but he needs something to tip the balance.
- The battle between the Son of Saul and Griffin continues in the city and then outside the city as the ferocity of the blows drives the combat further away. Griffin is bloodied and bruised, but so is the Son of Saul. Griffin is cutting loose with Gorgorin and his sorcerous array of Force Push and other fast-effect spells but the Son of Saul seems able to weather it. The Son of Saul’s weapon does not break when struck by Gorgorin, and every blow that the Son of Saul strikes with such force that Griffin is literally thrown backwards like a rag-doll. After an hour of brutal battle, the Son of Saul finally staggers and falls to his knees. He is exhausted (GM’s note - Griffin wins the battle on Endurance - he has First Rank and this the only area where the Son of Saul is significantly weaker) and unable to fight further. Griffin uses his opponent’s moment of weakness to put him to ’Sleep’ and the Son of Saul crumples on a hillside almost five miles away. Barely able to stand himself, Griffin sits down and tries to heal the worst of his injuries, but the Eidolon-enchanted axe’s wounds are difficult to heal.
- He decides to get some help. Claiming the Son of Saul’s Eidolon-enchanted axe as a trophy, he contacts Rook via Icon and is brought back to Bloodstone, carrying the conquered Son of Saul. After putting the Son of Saul into an even deeper sleep, he sinks down and allows himself to be tended by Rook, and then Quillan and Abbot Aldric. Rook uses some healing salve to assist with Griffin’s recovery. He has no broken bones but he has been severely beaten and has sustained numerous deep wounds inflicted by the Eidolon-enchanted axe. To Griffin’s surprise, the Bloodstone losses have been comparatively light - only nine dead - and relatively few injuries. Rook is pleased that the battle went so well - but he himself is covered in blood and guts from heavy fighting. The kids are raving about his prowess in battle, and he overhears the Abbot telling people that this was clearly ‘meant to be’ (which pleases Rook).
- On the battlefield there are hundreds of dead bodies. At Rook’s request, Stephan takes charge of the situation and a group of villagers begin inspecting the fallen and stripping the bodies of any useful materials. In the meantime, Griffin’s wounds are cleaned and bandaged, but the healing magic used by the Abbot doesn’t seem to properly heal the wounds. Quillan suggests that Griffin will need to heal ‘the old fashioned way’, and he offers him some herbal medicine to chew to at least help him to deal with the pain. Aelfwynn pays Griffin a visit, bringing some food with her, but also thanking him for his encouragement the previous night. She acknowledges that she did fight bravely. Griffin admits that he didn’t see it, but he is sure that she did. He admits to being in pain, and admits that it was stupid of him to fight the Son of Saul as he did. He confesses that Rook is a better fighter than he is, and Rook wouldn’t have been as badly hurt as he has been. Aelfwynn shrugs and says that he will heal and that Rook wasn’t there at the time, but he was. She tells him that he fought bravely, but advises him to rest. She leaves.
- The mood in the village becomes more positive as the day progresses. The villagers have won not just one battle but two. The dwarves start the celebrations with ale and close-harmony singing which brightens everyone’s spirits. Baron Tranth gives another speech to the villagers to praise them for their victory.
Part 3 - A Rainy Interlude (Days 25-27)
- The next three days are very wet. It pours and it pours and it pours. The Royal Dragoons are brought in and given temporary lodgings in the Baronial manor house. Rook goes to find the remains of the Lake Midai monster and makes sure that it is still where he left it (at the bottom of the lake).
- Griffin’s strength returns and he repairs the walls once more, even though his wounds are still healing. He incorporates the suggestions from Captain Gailan into the defences and spends time talking further with Vikos. Meanwhile Tamal has become a good drinking buddy of Rook. Valon and Shinar (the centaurs) are completely convinced and Valon returns to his people to gather more warriors.
- One afternoon, while Rook is visiting Griffin and they are talking over a goblet of wine, Lady Aelfwynn comes to visit. Rook praises Aelfwynn for her role in the last battle and then politely excuses himself, leaving Griffin to talk to her. In their conversations, Griffin inadvertently makes two mistakes. Firstly he reveals enough information for Aelfwynn to conclude that Rook is actually Prince Grant, which wasn’t obvious to her (because of how different they look - more on that later). Secondly, Griffin attempts to pay her a complement, calling her beautiful, but this surprises her and embarrasses him. He also learns from her that the axe that he recovered from the Son of Saul was actually fabricated by this realm’s Prince Grant. That night, he wonders whether staying in this place is affecting how he feels about Abbie. He wonders if she is okay.
Part 4 - Connections Made (Day 28)
- The rain begins to clear and Rook heads back to the enemy encampment, trying to assess whether they are mobilising again or not and how badly they have been depleted. He is extremely careful when approaching the bandits’ base, and he finds that their army is depleted but they don’t seem to be mobilising for a fresh attack yet.
- Returning back to Bloodstone, Rook seeks out Aelfwynn to seek her counsel. He knows from talking with Griffin that she now believes him to be Prince Grant, but is not the same as the one she knows. Rook asks Aelfwynn about the axe that Griffin is now carrying and more about Prince Grant. Aelfwynn describes Prince Grant as a big man, kind, wonderful, clean shaven and a fine craftsman. When asked if there might be any portraits of him, she says that her family does not have any. Rook does not pry further but he wonders why Ethan is recognised here and he is not.
- Rook tries to wayfind for Prince Grant finds that there is no sign of him here, but when he tries to wayfind for this realm’s Ethan, he distinctly senses that this realm’s Ethan is able to look back at him. Given that there is the possibility that this realm’s Ethan is actually the northern Witch King, he stops looking very quickly.
- After much deliberation, Rook decides to meet with Quillan, the sage. It is clear that Quillan does recognise Rook as Prince Grant, so he asks why Quillan recognises him but others do not. Quillan explains that he does remember Grant and Ethan. Ethan was fiery and impetuous whereas Grant was a strong and confident leader. They enjoyed travelling together. Quillan is able to describe Prince Ethan as being ‘tainted’ (or touched by darkness) - he doesn’t know how this happened, but whereas Prince Grant was a craftsman, builder and healer, it was Prince Ethan who was the dynamic drive behind the two of them. Based on Quillan’s description, Rook assumes that in this realm, Prince Ethan is an Umbra Master and Prince Grant is an Eidolon Master. This would explain why the Prince Grant of this world is bigger and stronger than he is. Quillan admits that it was easier to recognise Ethan as Prince Ethan because they are physically almost identical, but in Grant’s case, he recognised Grant’s voice (in particular his laughter) but was only certain when he saw Grant take command of the army. Prince Grant was an excellent organiser and leader of men. Physically, they are different. Rook is shorter and does not have the same stature as Prince Grant.
- Meanwhile, Griffin continues to perform a number of divinations. He concludes that the centaurs and the halflings will arrive in two days, but the timing of the next bandit attack appears to be uncertain, perhaps even veiled somehow.
- That evening, Rook fills in Griffin as to what he has learnt about this realm’s Grant and Ethan. It is not a complete surprise to Griffin as he already had some ideas. They talk a little about what they will do after the bandit threat is no more. Griffin is torn - he would quite like to get to know Aelfwynn better, but for all he knows, Abbie is no longer with Marc and she’s waiting for him to return. Again, Rook chuckles at this and says he is overthinking things. They have a war to fight - it is not the time for such thoughts. He tells Griffin to worry about Aelfwynn after the bandits are gone.
- The conversation shifts to what they will do after the bandits are defeated. Rook wants to return to Marindar and Griffin wants to return to Realm 0 - but both of them would like to come back, but perhaps not immediately. Rook is also left with the impression that Griffin wants to come back much sooner.
Part 5 - Another Interlude (Day 29)
- Another day passes with preparations for more battles, and more dwarven improvements made to the fortifications. Lady Aelfwynn also seeks out Griffin and explains that she thinks she can help him remove his ‘taint’ (making reference to the affliction which was affecting this realm’s Ethan). Griffin pleasantly agrees to this, and she tells him that they will leave the village just before sundown the following day. Griffin reports this to Rook, who is surprised that he’d be willing to leave with such little information. Griffin explains that they will be armed - if there is any trouble, he thinks he can deal with it. Rook points out that Griffin is still not fully healed - he urges Griffin to be careful.
Part 6 - Alliances and Failed Divinations (Day 30)
- The next day, one hundred and sixty centaurs arrive in town, led by their chief, Valon. One hundred and twenty halflings also arrive with Mayor Fredegast at the head of the formation. The rest of the dwarven warriors of the Orothiar clan also arrive. The village of Bloodstone has never had so many defenders and a council of war is held once more so that all of the leaders are clear on the order of battle and their defensive battle plans.
- Griffin continues to cast divination spells as to when the bandits will return but the results continue to be inconclusive. This worries Rook and he decides to fly north to locate the bandit army - but he cannot find it within a day’s march. He returns to Bloodstone and decides to go to bed early with Raquel and Carlotta.
- Meanwhile, Aelfwynn and Ethan (Griffin) leave the village and head east. They leave fully armed and armoured, just in case there is trouble on the way.
* Image for Aelfwynn by Magali Villeneuve. I was after an alternative Eowyn portrait and found one by Magali that seemed to fit my mental image of her
- They travel for three hours through the twilight and then night before reaching the edge of a forest. There, Aelfwynn takes him to a place that she considers to be sacred. A grove of trees with a pool of clear deep water, filled by a small brook. It is cool here, but not as cold as it should be. Ethan can sense a level of natural power here - Eidolon is strong here. She explains to him simply that here she will be able to remove the taint that has afflicted him for so long. She didn’t know how to do this when he asked, years ago - but she does now. Ethan can see that she is trying to help but he isn’t the person who had that taint. He isn’t that man, and he reasons that if he says nothing, he’s effectively lying to her.
- So Ethan tells her the truth. He’s happy to go through with what she has planned, but he isn’t the Prince Ethan that she remembers. He’s Ethan, from another place. He even offers to show her where he comes from if she would like. To his surprise, Aelfwynn says that she already knows he isn’t the same person, but she doesn’t know whether he has the same affliction that drove her Ethan away - and this is a way of being sure. She explains simply that if he doesn’t care about money or titles, there is precious little that the people of Bloodstone can do to repay him - but this is her way of trying to do something to thank him. Ethan also wonders if offering this gives her a small measure of peace, but he says nothing of this to her.
- Aelfwynn offers him a herbal remedy that she has prepared, made of leaves and crushed herbs, and she sets about brewing a type of tea made from flowering nettles. Ethan accepts the medicine that she offers - it makes his body tingle a little and relaxes him. He feels a little odd but she says that this is normal. He sips the tea and tries to make some small talk, saying that he knows almost nothing about her. But Aelfwynn isn’t interested in talking about herself - she gives him a haughty look and tells him that he should bathe in the waters when he has finished his tea. Ethan gives her an odd look, unsure as to whether she expects him to disrobe and enter the pool naked, or go in fully clothed. Picking herself up, she says that she’ll wait for him on the edge of the grove.
- Ethan strips off and heads into the pool, and is surprised to find that the pool is warm. Very warm. There is an energy in the pool, but Ethan also wonders if there is something in the herbs that is altering his perception of the place. He finds that he is comfortable, relaxed and at peace here. He feels himself drifting.
Part 7 - Assassins and the Graveyard (Day 30)
- That night, Rook is woken suddenly. There is no obvious trigger but he is nonetheless aware of the two assassins in his room before they strike, He has no idea how they came to be there, but he leaps into action, firing a wrist crossbow (yes, this is what the golden snake transforms into) at one. The impact pins the killer to the wall and instantly the body bursts into fire, setting alight the timber wall. Before the other can strike, he shifts Gorgorin into a sword form and cuts the other one down. Again, the body bursts into fire. Astonished, he looks around for any other targets whilst using Umbra to quell the fire. Raquel and Carlotta are awake and frightened. Rook realises this cannot be an isolated attack, and he immediately heads out to find out where else has been targeted.
- He makes his way to the village gates and finds that two assassins there have killed the sentries. The gates are wide open and in the distance he can hear the sound of what sounds like hoofbeats. They are almost certainly under attack and it appears to be coordinated. Rook raises the alarm and hunts down the two assassins, killing them with bowshots. Before orcs mounted on giant boars can charge through the gates, Rook shuts them and bolts them once more. He quickly mobilises archers on the walls, and confirms that the perimeter is intact except for the gate. Apart from Griffin and Aelfwynn, only Baron Tranth is unaccounted for. The Baron is missing.
- Whilst the huntsmen man the walls and the boar-riders reorganise now that they have found that the gates are not open, Rook hears screams coming from the western side of the village by the lake. Once he is sure that the boar-riders cannot breach the gates, he heads to the west, only to find that the great kraken that he slew weeks ago is now ‘alive’ with Umbral energy and it is crawling its way out of the water into the town, destroying buildings as it moves. Rook recognises the Umbra Master who is controlling it - this is Saturn Black (GM’s note - whom Rook last fought in Session 66) and he goes to work facing off against the corpse-creature.
* Image by Janiceduke on DeviantArt
- The cloud above is very low and there is a strange mist pouring off the lake but it also seems to be coming from other directions as well. It makes it very difficult for Rook to fight and control the army at the same time, especially when he hears cries from the eastern side of the village. People are starting to fight back, but there is some panicking as well. Rook can’t understand how the bandits could have gotten an army this close without detection.
- Rook presses the attack against Saturn Black and his Umbra-animated kraken, chopping off limbs and eventually slaying both it and Black himself. The kraken has destroyed multiple buildings in its rampage, but it and Black seemed to be on their own on the lakeside of the village.
- Heading to the eastern front, he finds that a horde of fleshy zombies and fleshless skeletons have penetrated the eastern defences - they are inside the perimeter. Stephan and Captain Olric are leading the defenders as best they can, but the source of the animated corpses seems to be the town graveyard and the defenders are being slowly driven back as the umbra-infused undead can’t be killed with normal weapons. Within the fog, Rook can detect another spell caster tapping into dark magics to bring the dead back to life. As Rook joins the defenders and tries to contain the undead from marauding throughout the entire village, he decides that he needs Griffin back - he can’t reach the enemy spell caster by himself without the defenders collapsing.
Part 8 - The Pool and the Hill of Demons (Day 30)
- Ethan (Griffin) relaxes in the pool for some time, letting the warmth fill him. His thoughts drift from place to place, but at last the warmth of the waters begins to fade and he leaves the pool to dry and dress himself. To his surprise, his wounds from the battle against the Son of Saul have healed significantly and some of his lesser wounds are completely healed. As he finds Aelfwynn on the edge of the grove, he realises that his mind feels sharp, his thoughts clear. He thanks her, admitting that he was skeptical but he does feel much improved. She explains simply that it is a cleansing and healing place - and there are few that would not benefit from such healing. If he was suffering from any curse or taint, it should have been removed.
- Sitting down beside her, Ethan tries a simple sorcerous spell and a flame forms just above his index finger. As he wills it, the flame jumps from one finger tip to the next. At last, satisfied, the flame winks out and he thanks her for the gift of clarity. He says that when the bandits are gone, he still plans to leave, but he says that he will come back even if Grant doesn’t want to. Aelfwynn gives a thin-lipped smile, and she starts to say something. However, Ethan receives an urgent Icon contact from Rook (Grant) and he tells her that the village is under attack. Cutting the contact, Ethan explains that the enemy is on top of the graveyard hill, and that he’s going to perform a sorcerous teleport to reach there (he placed a marker on the way out in case they needed to return quickly).
- Ethan doesn’t even need to ask Aelfwynn whether she’s coming or not. Her stony face tells him that she’s ready, even as she checks her weapon and shield. Ethan begins the spell, and suddenly they are gone.
- Aelfwynn and Ethan (Griffin) appear a few hundred metres from the hill. There are shadows moving in the fog - massive misshapen creatures.
- As they take in the scene, Griffin casts another of his favourite spells to mask them from normal sight. Drawing sword (Aelfwynn) and axe (Ethan), the two of them make their way up the clouded hill. It is not long before they are confronted by the unquiet dead who are still digging themselves out of their graves. Griffin motions for Aelfwynn to avoid them, and they hurry further up the hill. Through the mists they see unearthly flames surrounding the peak. But before they can reach the flames, they are detected by a monstrous black-bodied shape with bull-like horns, who quickly summons reinforcements, conjuring them out of infernal flames that erupt from the ground. Aelfwynn grimly goes to work, following Griffin’s lead as he charges into them. The Eidolon-enchanted axe is an effective weapon against the demons, cutting deeply, but Aelfwynn’s blade melts when she first strikes one, and a demon shatters her shield with a single blow from a fiery sword before Griffin can drive it off with a Force Push.
- The subsequent battle is brutal. More demons charge at them through the fiery barrier near the peak. Griffin throws his lightsaber to the weaponless Aelfwynn, and a blade of blue fire erupts from the hilt as soon as she holds it. This weapon proves effective against the creatures, but Griffin finds himself pressed on multiple fronts as he attempts to force his way through. It is only with gratuitous use of Sorcery that they manage to breach the wall of fire, hurling the majority of the foul creatures away from them so that they only have to deal with a few, and then using an Eidolon-reinforced sorcerous shield to create a breach in the wall that they can pass through.
- Behind the wall is the Dark Priest Banak - a strange garbed man wearing a horned helmet that makes him look oddly like a Dwimmerlaik witch. He is protected by more demons, including a huge monstrosity which glows hot as if its core is made of magma. With Aelfwynn guarding Griffin’s right flank and rear, Griffin tries a desperate move to cut short the battle and hurls his battle axe at the Dark Priest. The axe flies true and Banak’s eyes go wide as the axe strikes him. At the moment of impact there is a shimmer as the Dark Priest is thrown back under the force of the impact and he is suddenly gone. Vanished. The axe falls to the ground where he was standing, its edge covered in red blood but there is no body.
- The fiery wall is snuffed out. With no Dark Priest to control them, the undead turn around and tiredly plod back to their graves. A few of the demons give cries of dismay before they are pulled back into the nether realms where they came from, but many fight on, howling with unearthly shrieks as they fight against the magics that are seeking to return them whence they came.
- One by one, the demons either fall or are pulled screaming into sucking pin-points of darkness. Griffin and Aelfwynn continue to fight for their lives as the demons seek to overwhelm them before they are banished. The largest demon, the strongest by far, wades into their midst, striking at them with a massive iron-wrought mace wreathed in fire and separates Griffin from Aelfwynn. A single blow from its mace sends Griffin flying and he is unable to recover his axe. Aelfwynn fights alone against two of the remaining demons, trying to deal with one quickly before she is overpowered by both. But with only half a shield for defence, she is hard pressed.
- Judging that Aelfwynn will be overwhelmed before he can deal with the larger demon, Griffin flees and switches targets, using his shield as a weapon to bring one of the demons facing Aelfwynn down. Tackling the demon’s muscular leg, the demon staggers and falls. Griffin bashes it the head but he is unable to retrieve its flaming sword before it winks out, banished back from where it came from. (GM’s note - Bad Stuff) The distraction gives Aelfwynn the opportunity to plunge her own sword into the other creature, badly wounding it and breaking its concentration. As a sucking pin-point of darkness forms behind it, it claws at her, pulling her off her feet and threatening to drag her into the abyss.
- Again, Griffin’s trusty shield comes in handy and he slams it down on the demon’s arm, cutting it off just in time. With the largest demon bearing down on them both, Griffin grabs the fiery blade but it winks out as soon as he takes it from the demon’s hand. (GM’s note - more Bad Stuff) As Griffin and Aelfwynn back off, playing for time, the monstrous demon lumbers forward to strike again. Then suddenly something dark flashes by, and the demon falls, its massive leg suddenly severed by something incredibly sharp. Rook has joined the battle.
- The trio go to work on the fallen demon, butchering it even as a large singularity forms to pull the demon away. Finally Rook drives Gorgorin deep into its body and Umbral energy begins to consume it as the body collapses and disappears. Griffin and Aelfwynn thank Rook for his timely assistance. The demons are gone, and the undead around them are slowly and silently returning to their graves. Everything is eerily quiet in the fog.
- The Eidolon-enchanted axe lies embedded into the ground where the demon had trodden on it. Griffin retrieves it, and checks on Aelfwynn. She is shaking from adrenaline, but her eyes are piercing and bright as she searches the mist for any other creatures that could threaten them. Rook comments that he didn’t know that Umbra could be used to animate and control corpses like this - the magic that the Dark Priest was using was necromantic, but certainly drew upon Umbral energy at some level. He asks why Griffin didn’t simply counter it with Eidolon to restore the natural order. Griffin blinks - he admits that he didn’t think of it. Rook frowns, turns away and says that he needs to find out how many have been hurt. He asks Griffin to help.
- Leaving the fog-covered hill, they find that many are dead, and many more have been injured. The town was invaded, the defences bypassed and worse, Baron Tranth is missing. Rook assumes that the assassins must have taken him. This means that Aelfwynn is now the ruler of the barony.
Part 9 - Aftermath (Day 31)
- As dawn breaks, the extent of the damage becomes evident. It is not as bad as they feared. One house was destroyed and three more damaged by the kraken. Elsewhere there is no structural damage. But there are more than forty dead, and twice that number injured. The villagers morale has been affected because the defences were almost completely ineffective, but they have bigger problems. The bandit army has returned.
- The bandit army which includes many ogres, giants and even two wyverns can clearly be seen by the Bloodstone defenders on the wall. Rook observes that it appears to be all of their forces that were encamped, suggesting that ‘Grandfather’ himself has taken the field.
- Stephan, Aelfwynn, Olric, Olwen, Griffin, Gailan, Fredegast and Valon are all grim-faced and resolute for the next battle. They all understand that this will decide the fate of Bloodstone and for the entire barony …..
GM’s Observations - Part 2
- Regarding the Dark Priest Banak, yes, he’s a dark priest of *Mowbray*. In the Legendary Realm, Banak is trying to bring back the Dwimmerlaik Lord (whom he views as a god) back from the dead. But didn’t Grant kill Mowbray in Session 101? Well, yes he did - but when did death actually end a cool NPC…. is it conceivable that Mowbray could come back? We’ll see.