Campaign VI: Chapter One, Mission Eleven

Recap
XP
DM Notes

Recap
18th of Davor, 1329 Avard: Zap smacked the horse's rump a blow that would have splintered wood. The horse felt the message, and spurred itself on to greater speed. The trees and the road were a green and brown blur, with shafts of sunlight appearing so fast on the old, overgrown road that the world flickered oddly.

Ta'Crae barely held on to his horse, hunched low over the saddle with his face along-side the horse's neck, knees locked to the heaving sides of the spare mount with all his strength. The world had changed for the huge desert elf.

Zap's horse sped around a corner at its unnaturally fast gallop, and suddenly a small, rain-swollen river was before them. Zap smacked his horse on the rump, again, before it could think of slowing down. The horse responded by lengthening its stride, and inside of a split second was airborne. For several long, terrifying seconds, the warrior watched the river below in awe as he flew above it.

Over fifty yards later, the horse hit the shallow water, and continued its incredibly fast sprint through the water. Ta'Crae's mount landed a moment later, and then it followed its herd leader.

They had already run the horses at a straight gallop for over half a mark, and still the incredible mounts showed no signs of slowing or stopping. Their only source of refuge -- their only source of hope -- was their goal: the Temple of the Trees in Takanal.

Behind them, something ephemeral chased them. It was the memory of Rell, and the memory of Kaisume; it was the memory of cowardice and determination; it was the memory of survival and death.

* * *

Drausk the orc reined in his roc-hawke, and waved frantically for the other orc driver to take control of his mount. Neither of the great roc-hawkes had seemed interested in chasing off after the human warrior and the desert elf, and Drausk was having trouble controlling both hawkes with the reins or pressure from his legs on the saddle.

The roc-hawke froze in mid-step, and then its head was blown off by a concussive explosion that flung Drausk into the air deaf and blind from the feathers that had flayed his exposed eyes. His last thought, before he struck the ground, was that Doom Rex would be very irritated with him, if her survived.

A slender figure in a camouflaged cape and hooded robe stepped through the layer of giblets, congealing blood, and stomach acid that lay across the ground. A quick hand found a fleeting and fleeing pulse in Rell's neck.

Rell moaned softly, and then passed out as greenish-white energies rolled through him.

The camouflaged figure glanced at the other figure, and shook his head, figuring him for dead. Only half of the man remained -- his hips and legs were gone. The man's chest raised ever so slightly, and gills -- gills! -- slid open very slowly along the man's neck.

The slender figure asked of the air, "What in Agincoth's name...?"

He turned quickly to the remaining roc-hawke, who looked at him with curious eyes.

The man said, "Well? Don't just stand there! I need a ride -- for me, and these two."

The roc-hawke leapt forward, eager to obey.

* * *

Darkness had befallen Takanal. And so had chaos.

The entire town had been rallied by the warning bell at the baron's manor tolled out its warning, and every able-bodied man and woman had filled into the town square to hear the news, whatever it might be.

Twin drow -- dark elves with skin so dark that it was true black -- raced through the shadows. One drow leapt for the baron's balcony overlooking the square, and though nearly sixteen feet up, managed to lock his strong fingers around the ballistrade. His twin brother raced through the shadows, leapt, grabbed his brother's legs, and then scrambled up him like a rope. At the top, he turned and helped his brother up, and the two were within the manor.

Their movement had taken no more time than it took to draw a breath, and in the darkness of the night and the shadows of the flickering torches, none had seen.

The two dark elves drew the shadows about themselves such that even their hair was black -- but their keen, silver eyes shone. And they waited, listened, and observed.

The baron, Father Tomalis of the Temple of the Trees at his side, along with a fair-sized human warrior in enchanted full-plate, addressed the crowd. War was coming. The orcs had already begun to fortify the Grand Maul Pass up in the mountains. Their great roc-hawkes had already been seen hauling in artillery, and even war-mounts like minotaur lizards.

A council of war had been called for the city, and it should prepare to defend itself against the orcs.

The baron, his guard, and the other two turned back into the manor from the balcony. They were greeted by magic.

Duke Henrik Kamus -- a mage of some power -- tore through the veil of space and time to appear inside the baron's manor. After calling for beer to fuel his spent reserves, he informed the baron and his assorted leaders that war was coming.

The duke was quickly caught up to speed on Takanal's situation by the baron and Father Tomalis. Duke Henrik said that he would take the information back to the king immediately, and see what he could do to help.

He ripped through space and time again, leaving behind an empty cask of beer.

The baron set about organizing the town as best he could, and preparing the defenses of the city. As Takanal was a town of hunters and trappers, miners and marblers, farmers and bargemen, the organization was difficult to enforce -- save in the dwarven quarter. The hill dwarves of Takanal organized under their own militia in relatively short time, and helped the rest of the militia organize, as well.

Before too long, the duke returned through his violent teleportation. This time, Ta'Crae was there to realize it for what it was -- and a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach made him aware that he had the talent for magery, especially after the duke confirmed it.

The duke had a sealed scroll for the baron, from the king himself. The duke also signalled the twin drow from the shadows, somewhat to their surprise.

From the baron, the duke learned that Zap and Ta'Crae were the ones to discover the threat in the Grand Maul Pass. Father Tomalis vouch-safed for Zap's character, and that was enough for the duke.

Duke Henrik Camus knighted Zachory 'Zap' Cantor into the service of the King of Rakore. The duke's first instructions to the knight were to take Ta'Crae and the twins, and continue to investigate the advance of the ogran forces. The duke and the king needed to know whether it was the main army, an advance army, how many rocs were in the area, and more.

The duke suspected that a doom was in the area, and was able to use the information that they had all already gathered, to piece together more. The news did not bode well for Takanal -- or for any of Rakore. The war was already raging in the mountains of the Stonehelms, far to the east and south. The war had been enjoined at Loregard, the traditional keep against the incursions of the orcs.

With that, the duke had to leave -- having drained another cask of beer -- and continue in alerting the kingdom to the whole of the threat.

Zap barely had time to talk with Ta'Crae and say good-byes to Father Tomalis, before leaving with the strange twins. The warrior ignored the twinge of a new scar in his back as best he could, but he kept a sharp eye out for his would-be assassin as they left the town together.

Before the duke's second appearance, the same assassin that had tried to kill Zap and Xennith in the ruins of Grunden had managed to track Zap to Takanal -- and get a good shot in before disappearing into the crowds. As usual, the arrow had been poisoned, but Zap's repeated healings and dealings with the poisoned arrows was making him nearly immune the venom of the scorpions.

Though the night was late, the drow twins had no trouble leading Zap and Ta'Crae through the darkness.

Zap's assassin found him, again, and engaged the whole of their party. The sneaky sniper evaded both the twin drow, Ta'Crae, and Zap -- but not before scaring off all but one of their horses with well-placed arrows to the rumps.

Midnight left the four frustrated at how easily they had been un-horsed, and eager for vengeance against their would-be assassin.

So ends the 18th of Davor, 1329.

XP Awarded
3,000.   (total character XP to date is 28,950)

DM's Notes
The irony of Zap being horse-jacked...

We had a chance for Ian and Ron to create some new characters, even as Rell and Kaisume were brought back from the dead by a Disciple of Agincoth. This let me flesh out Rial Mhenace's spy network a bit better, and show how the nobility worked in Takanal.

Brent wasn't quite in the right mind-set about the horses, and managed to lose the pair of horses with the magical horse-shoes, even before setting out from Takanal on his mission from Prat -- but he was glad to be knighted. Brent said he never saw that coming, and that's what I like to hear.

I didn't have time to write as much of a detailed recap as I might have liked, due to Real World military missions and the like, but it will have to hold.

Last Mission
Next Mission

| Campaign VI (Chapter One) | Gaeleth |