Illyana watches the ruddy glow.
"They've started already. Umboth must not have been well liked. Perhaps the castle will be gone in the morning. Hopefully they will be dumb enough to destroy their sanctuary."
Illyana looks back at Farad. "Do you think the castle would
withstand
a fireball or lightning bolt? Perhaps we could slip in during the
confusion and destroy the castle."
"My guess is that it would take quite a few to destroy it." says Farad.
You hear Raz's voice with a sad tone to it..."I'm sorry...I feel
for these
people...I really do...but I am not about to go into that firestorm just
to
destroy a castle that will probably be destroyed anyway."
Humphrey looks towards the apparent destruction of Brach Pol.
"Well it seems if we had stayed, we would be witness, to a rather
large
display of death and destruction. Hopefully, we can find some more
magical
weapons be able to hold our own."
Afer a bit he goes back to sleep.
The rest of the night passes quietly. Towards dawn the fires fade, though
you see clouds of black smoke rising into the sky.
You hurry on your way. It is a sunny and warm morning, though a strong
breeze blows out of the east, sweeping away the smoke.
You continue overland to the southeast...making for the road. Again
it is
slow going.
Suddenly at around midmorning as you pass by a scraggily patch of hawthorns
you are almost taken off guard when some 15 ogres come charging out of
it...bearing down on you. Evidently they saw you approaching and lay in
wait...
They are wearing the livery of the garrison of Brach Prol, and look
more
than a little scorched around the edges.
They are 30' away and closing fast.
Illyana fires her bow. "Raz, Aldarin, wanna blast them?"
She only has time to get off one arrow before they are on you. But the
arrow flies true and nicks the leader, who bellows and closes with her
as
she draws her blade.
The ogre's club bounces off of Illyana's plate mail.
Immediately a burst of colors appears over and around the Ogres, as
Aldarin
stands with his hands in the air seemingly causing them to swirl in the
air.
Four of the oncoming ogres stop and stand there, transfixed...including
one
who was about to clobber the elf over the head.
You hear Raz chanting words of arcane power...
"Letskill!" shouts McTavish, as he jumps off his wagon, flame
tongue
ablaze. His first swing connects easily.
Humphrey attacks with his short swords.
He connects handily with both weapons and an ogre drops dead.
Raz's fireball blossoms among the ogres at the back, catching six of
them.
Four of them are badly torched and nearly dead...two more dodge the worst
of the blast.
Farad waits for any spells Raz or Aldarin might cast, and if any ogres
survive, he'll send a magic missile towards one and engage it with his
sword.
He pings two missiles off of an approaching monster, then draws his sword.
Raz gets off one spell before he turns and flees to safer territory.
That
one spell knocks off three of the injured ogres, though.
Britan charges forward and nails an ogre with his lance, before jumping
off
his horse and facing it with his sword.
Eight functioning ogres remain.
Once Raz is outside of the range of combat he waits to see how the
warriors fare...if anyone is in trouble he will launch a magic missile
spell
that the offending creature.
Banqou swears, "Boreas save me from heroes." Charges
in and slashes the
ogre who was about to nail Aldarin, and is now transfixed, across the
throat and then stabs him with his sword. After that ogre falls Banquo
stands in protection of the occupied Aldarin.
The ogre drops dead.
McTavish laughs as he cuts down his ogre in flames.
Illyana swings her sword.
Landing a deadly cut with her two-handed sword, the fighter easily
sidesteps the ogre's reply, before connecting again.
Humphrey attacks another ogre as a second one charges him. He misses
badly
with his glowing shortsword, dodges a swinging club, then drives his second
blade into the ogre's thigh.
The second ogre fans.
An injured ogre jumps McTavish from behind...but the dwarf hears him
coming
and jumps aside.
Farad moves against another monster. He easily kills it with one blow.
Britan confronts the ogre he lanced a moment ago, now with his sword.
He
misses badly...but the ogre lands a perfect bop on the cavalier's head,
for
4 hit points.
Humphrey circles his ogre. Seeing an opening he lunges forward...sticking
his glowing shortsword into the belly of the monster...who then falls.
Banquo sticks another mesmermized ogre.
McTavish easily cuts down another ogre, before turning on a third, but
not
quickly enough as he is nicked for 1 hit point.
Illyana takes a hit for 5 hit points before killing the ogre leader.
Farad leaps at the second ogre on Humphrey, and succeeds in badly wounding it.
Britan misses again while narrowly dodges a club aimed at his cranium,
then
plunges his sword into the ogre's lower gut...all but killing him.
McTavish nails a wounded ogre and it drops.
Humphrey and Farad kill another one...as does Banquo, while Britan and
Illyana do likewise with the last one.
Searching the bodies, you come up with 800gp.
You continue on your merry way.
An hour later you reach Interstate
Seveny Five. It is another Great
Road...running from Brach Prol (where the smoke still rises) to the
southern lands.
You turn south and make haste.
At noon the road crosses a small river via an ancient span. On the other
side it continues south, while a trail winds its way off into the
scrublands westward, following the river upstream. There is a signpost
here -
Interstate Seveny Five: N: To Brach Prol and Castle Ford.
South: To the Nameless
Ruin.
West: To Castle Rigarth.
"How about the Nameless Ruin?"
"Might as well unless its too dangerous." says Illyana in reply to Farad.
Banquo says, "Don't have any details, I've never been there and
I've never
met anyone who came back. Not sure if that means much."
You hear Raz comment, "What kind of person would name something Nameless Ruin?"
"I've heard of many gods being called 'Nameless'. Perhaps
this ruin holds
an Avatar of such a one." Farad says with a smirk.
Banquo smiles and says, "I know of at least two Demons that go
by the
moniker of "The Nameless". I've never really had a yen
to ask them why.
One obvious reason is that the ruins are associated with some deity or
demon and some of them tend to show up if you use their name. Sounds
like
a fun place, let's go."
You stay on the main road and continue south.
A short time later you see a crowd of peasants hurrying down the road
ahead
of you on foot. They are also heading south.
"Lets see what the news of Brach Pol is." Farad says.
You move forward.
To McTavish, Aldarin asks, "What do you know about this Castle Rigarth?"
"Not a damned thing," replies the dwarf to Aldarin.
The peasants notice you...and suddenly they panic, scattering, and fleeing
into the scrublands to either side of the road.
The only person who remains is an old lady in a wheelchair, who is unable
to make her escape.
You approach her.
She faces you defiantly.
Humphrey gives her an encouraging smile and says "Good day to you
friend. Any
troubles?"
"Go ahead and take me!" she snaps back, shaking her fist at
him. "Rape me,
kill me and rape me again! You'll never break me!"
She squints at you.
"Oh...you're not the Patrol, are you? Never mind, then."
Banquo groans and says, "The Patrol is Nolthen's special army,
usually
charged with internal security. They are under the direct command of the
Black Wizard Imrimil. They take a special joy in torturing the
peasants...or anyone else for that matter. Old one, have you seen
the
patrol recently?"
"No...but after last night they're bound to show up, sonny! Umboth
is
vanished and the undead are feasting! EEEEEE!" she wails.
"Oh great. How big are these guys?" asks Illyana.
Banquo says, "They usually travel in small groups or squads. The
commanders
normally consist of a magic user, a cleric and two fighters. They usually
have humanoids (ogres or giants) as grunts. Sometimes they will be accompanied
by devils or other demonic types.
"It is not uncommon for several squads to operate together, if
need be. In
general they are pains in the rear."
"I take it they are the attack without provocation type considering
how
you are describing them. How powerful are the mages and clerics?
How
likely are they to use detection spells?"
Banquo answers,"They are fairly powerful...perhaps moreso than
this
party...I would worry about spell detection."
Illyana frowns. "This is what we'll do. If we see them,
we cut a clear
and wide path and hide out. We'll use illusion and invisibility if
we
have to. The larger the group, the more drastic our measures.
If we
can't get around them and if they usually attack without provocation,
then we have to ambush them first. The ambush should distract them
so we
can get away.. I don't want more of them hunting us for decimating a
squad."
"Well here is an idea lets just not run into any of them,"
suggests Kelar
with a grin.
"That sounds reasonable to me", says Raz.
Banquo stares at Kelar, then Raz, then Kelar etc, his heading disappearring
in a blur as the disbelief mounts. He clasps his head with his hands
and
stops this motion, then says, "Boreas save me but for a brief second
there
that actually made sense. Maybe it was just vertigo."
"Those boys is smart!" says the old woman.
You ride off and leave her be. A few moments later you look back and
see
that her companions have rejoined her...clustered around her wheelchair.
You continue riding into the early evening, making good time. Finally,
you
stop and make camp a short distance from the road.
The night passes uneventfully.