Uriel looks south to see Alexa engaged with the caster and, apparently, coming out worse for wear. He dashes across the rocky riverbed and comes to a stop in front of the tiefling, Radiance at the ready.
Telerin moves out from underneath the bridge deck and takes stock of her surroundings. She sees the tiefling caster, as well, works a quick spell, and sends bolts of force crashing into him.
The caster's expression changes as he finds himself backed up against the hillside with no easy routes back. He cautiously retreats, eyeing both Alexa and Uriel carefully, placing the rough and uneven ground between them and himself.
Not wanting the caster to escape, Alexa pursues and stabs at him...
As her companions move to support Alexa, Darya explodes into action, racing through the ravine in a deadly rush to stand beside Alexa and Uriel, eyes flashing with a blaze of protective fury as she glares up at the retreating caster.
After quickly healing himself, Uriel charges forward to strike the tiefling.
Alexa and Uriel move up to press the attack on the caster.
Both lash at the shifting images of the spell caster, and two images are destroyed leaving just a single one left.
Arloric rushes to try and keep pace with the others, beginning his song anew.
Telerin comes up even with Arloric, gesturing with one hand as she casts a spell.
A ball of packed ice shoots forth from her outstretched hand and smashes into the tiefling spellcaster.
Looking beaten up, and obviously at a disadvantage, he steps back onto one of the few spots of level ground, grabbing a wand that is strapped to his belt.
"So you have taken the bridge," he says curtly. And with a single word, disappears from sight accompanied by a soft popping of displaced air.
As the mage raises his wand, Alexa suddenly lunges forward, her gladius flashing!
Alexa steps up to meet the caster as he concentrates on the wand. She slashes out at him, destroying hist last mirror image just as he disappears.
"AAAAAAAARRRRGGGHHHHHH!" Alexa screams as she stumbles and falls. Her hair blazes a burning bright orange.
As Alexa's target flickers into non-existence and the tiefling caster begins to disappear, Darya raises her hand, her eyes flashing white as she unleashes a searing blast of brilliant light at the spot where the caster just vanished.
A quick look at a couple of the fallen tieflings shows they did not carry much in the way of equipment: each had a short sword, a crossbow, and about 20 bolts for the latter, all of which appear to be of identical and unremarkable construction.
As you climb up the banks of the riverbed to the bridge level, you become aware again of the sound of fighting to the east.
Bonuses:
Kinghts - Battlefield Advantage due to PC party taking the bridge (+2 OM, +2 DV)
Tieflings and Humans - Advantageous Terrain due to the riverbed at their backs, preventing effective flanking (+2 DV)
Tieflings and Humans - Battlefield Advantage due to familiarity with the battlefield (+2 OM, +2 DV)
Irabeth opts for the tiefling army first, since it has a ranged capability. She chooses standard tactics, and Smite Evil since the tieflings are evil; outsiders, boosting the army's OM by +4 instead of +2.
Battle 1: Tactics
Knights: Standard
Tieflings: Standard
Battle 1: Ranged phase
Knights of Kenabres: HP 19; DV 22; OM 18 (smite evil, horn of assured victory)
Tiefling army: HP 11; DV 18; OM 6
Result: Tiefling army destroyed in ranged phase, no damage to Knights of Kenabres
The human army can't mobilize in time, and instead digs in and makes the Knights come to them.
This counts as a separate battle, and the Knights lose their smite evil and horn of assured victory bonuses, but they gain the ranged phase.
Battle 2: Tactics
Knights: Standard
Humans: Dirty Fighters
Battle 2: Ranged phase
Knights of Kenabres: HP 19; DV 22; OM 12
Human army: HP 16; DV 18; OM 11
Result: Human army takes 10hp of damage
Battle 2: Melee 1
Knights strategy: Standard
Human strategy: Aggressive (-2 DV, +2 OM, +3 damage)
Knights of Kenabres: HP 19; DV 22; OM 12
Human army: HP 6; DV 16; OM 13; dmg +3
Result: Human army destroyed, Knights take 3 hp of damage
"...we'll see him again. We're bound to." Alexa growls before struggling to her feet, gasping for breath.
"Let's... let's... report in. Say we've... taken the bridge."
Arloric rushes to help Alexa up, despite his own injuries probably being worse.
"And when we do, he won't be able to pull that trick a second time!" he says confidently.
Uriel cleans and sheathes Radiance, looking grimly toward the sounds of war.
Nodding, Darya goes to Alexa, taking her other hand to helo her up, and gently slipping her arm around the other aasimar's waist in support. With a deep breath, she calls upon Ragathiel's divine gift, Alexa feeling the warmth of a crackling fireplace against her skin, as the paladin sends a flow of healing energy into her.
Giving her a warm smile, she takes a moment, before noting Arloric's condition as well and resting a hand on his shoulder
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Feeling dazed, exhausted and more than a little frustrated at the mage's escape, Darya's healing comes as a surprising relief. She needed someplace quiet and warm right now... preferably with someone to share that quiet with.
Of course, the best she'd likely get would be a Crusader infirmary tent, but at the moment she's quite happy the battle is over.
"...thanks..."
"Anytime." Darya replies quietly, as they move to report on their mission, gathering up her crossbow in the process.
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Alexa watches Darya gather up her crossbow before following her to the main Crusader camp.
...does she really like me?
Hells, she's probably got a dozen girlfriends along the Sellen River... and that's before Azura and Luciana. How am I supposed to measure up to them?
You carefully work your way east towards the sounds of fighting. The main street has been poorly maintained over the years, with large patches of broken and crumbled stone overtaken by dirt which seems infertile to all but the hardiest of weeds. You catch more faces looking out at you from buildings as you pass. Most are expressionless, but a few seem anxious with anticipation.
Between the buildings to the south, you see the remnants of the tiefling army: bodies strewn on the ground, most of them felled by multiple arrows. The current action is a little further to the east, and you come to a stop before you reach the battle line. Irabeth and her retinue are standing back, watching the skirmish. One of her aides notifies her of your approach and she looks over to you and nods, then quickly returns her attention to the battle--but not before giving orders to another aide. They approach you, confirm that you have taken the bridge, and dispatch a small unit of irregulars to hold the bridge until it can be properly garrisoned.
With that out of the way, you turn your attention to the battle as well. The mounted paladins have lined up for what appears to be a second or third charge at the mostly-human army. Unlike the other actions they have been in, this one has taken a toll, albeit a small one: there are three dead horses, at least two dead soldiers, and several of the others are injured.
The human army they are facing has suffered greater injury--more dead, more wounded--but they have been prepared for a cavalry charge. You see caltrops along the ground and pole-arms at the ready, and their lines are holding firm. They have, however, pulled back into the city, proper, making it more difficult for your forces to use their mounts to their greatest effect.
The fight is slow, and calculated. The paladins make a charge at the line, but it's a probe only, trying to find weak points in the defenses, or to wear them down. They quickly pull back when none is found, and adjust their positions, occasionally taking a few minutes to rest, and try again. Occasionally, they shift the line east or west, forcing the defenders to do the same. Three more charges, each a few minutes part, and finally the defensive line breaks. The paladins surge through the gap, dividing the army into unequal halves which are quickly encircled.
From that point, it's just a matter of time.
In all, it takes maybe a half an hour from start to finish. It's grim business: fully encircled, the army is completely destroyed, down to the last man.
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Alexa observes from a distance as the paladin army breaks the ranks of the enemy and begins their grisly task in earnest.
...Did I have something to eat for lunch today?
It was strange how the most dire of circumstances could provoke someone into thinking about more mundane concerns. Perhaps it was an unspoken longing for the comforts of home that spurred such thoughts into being; perhaps it was an attempt, however futile, to escape from the horrific reality playing out before their eyes.
Whatever the case, Alexa finds herself unable to look away as their army crushes the enemy. Her expression is stony, but her eyes are beginning to water.
Uriel watches the battle, arms crossed and a grim expression on his face. "We need archers. A few volleys of arrows would be just the thing to break up a shield wall like that, make the cavalry's job easier." he says, looking at Darya. Then he notices Alexa, just past her. He catches Darya's eye and indicates the other aasimar, then quietly eases over to her.
"Are you alright?"
Alexa sighs, revealing a profound weariness. She doesn't take her eyes off the battlefield.
Watching the cavalry face the enemy, Darya keeps her mind on the tactics. Despite the fact that the loss of life was tragic, those that they fought against had not only actively chosen evil, but made the decision to defend the forces of evil to the death.
Nodding at Uriel's assessment, she turns toward her brother-in-arms, following his eyes as he draws her attention to Alexa, eyes brimming as she watches the battle in stoic silence.
Her expression softens, the hardened warrior giving way to compassion, concern...and no small amount of rapidly growing affection. Moving to take Alexa's hand in hers, she replies softly.
It's clear that she's searching for the right words to try to comfort Alexa.
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Alexa leans into Darya, the tears beginning to gently roll down her cheeks.
She takes a shuddering breath, taking Darya's hand in one of hers and letting her free arm slip around Darya's back.
"I'm no soldier, Darya."
She closes her eyes, choosing to focus on the warmth of Darya's presence instead of the carnage below.
Irabeth turns her horse around and trots over to you. Nurah follows closely behind, and she, in turn, is flanked by two guards that are keeping a close watch on her.
"They bloodied our nose," Irabeth says. "Our losses are small, thankfully, but they are losses nonetheless.
"I had our scouts keep an eye out behind us, as well as on your progress. Congratulations on your success at the bridge; you have made it easier for us to hold this part of the city, and given us a direct path to the citadel.
"For now, though, we need to worry about the schur encamped on the hill to the northeast, just across the riverbed."
"Paradise Hill," Nurah offers. "Originally warehouses and food stores."
Irabeth nods. "Take that ground, and we take most of the city with it. I have Aaron keeping an eye on them."
Alexa turns a weary expression towards Irabeth & Nurah as they approach.
"...how soon do you need it taken?" She asks, her tone resigned to further bloodshed.
Alexa leans into Darya, the tears beginning to gently roll down her cheeks.
** spoiler omitted **
She takes a shuddering breath, taking Darya's hand in one of hers and letting her free arm slip around Darya's back.
** spoiler omitted **
She closes her eyes, choosing to focus on the warmth of Darya's presence instead of the carnage below.
Darya slips her arm around Alexa, as she holds her hand.
"There are plenty of soldiers, Alexa, and they're vital. But what we need, above all else, are good people, willing to do what is needed, to help make things safer for everyone else." she says comfortingly.
"You make a difference. Every soldier we take down on the battlefield, is one less rolling over an innocent village or taking someone's parents from them."
She looks up, Seeing Irabeth approaching with Nurah, under guard, squeezing Alexa's hand as they all turn to face their next orders.
"If they still store food and supplies, it'll be something important to take hold of."
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Alexa doesn't let go of Darya as Irabeth and Nurah inform them of Paradise Hill.
"There's too many of them for your team, which makes it my problem, not yours. But likely we'll move on them tomorrow. They have no reason to come to us, and every day we sit is a day for them to prepare. The only reason I am waiting is that I want to learn more about what we are up against."
She looks off into the distance, and moves her horse forward at a slow pace, one that you can easily keep up with.
"And I have a feeling we're about to learn quite a bit."
Up ahead you see people have from homes and buildings to watch you cautiously. Most are dressed shabbily, and have the look of people who spend their days at hard labor. There's a small group talking urgently among themselves, and one of the group breaks away at their urging to approach Irabeth, hands out with their palms up.
He's human, just shy of 6' tall with dark hair. While he is in better condition than the others, he is still deassed in threadbare clothes. He stops short of the horses, staying at a safe distance. "By the gods, the rumors were true. I thought I would never see a Crusader standard in this city. I am Haresk, and you will find that most of us are happy to see you here."
Alexa's eyes soften when she sees Haresk. "I'd certainly hope so."
Even with her stressed, exhausted state, she takes a bit to get a read on Haresk...
...only for her tiredness to force its way to the forefront. She yawns.
Alexa blinks. "Oh... right, almost forgot."
She introduces each member of the party.
As Alexa speaks, drawing attention to herself, Darya takes a moment to shift her vision, calling upon Ragathiel's divine gift to peer into the souls of others. It was something she tried not to make a habit of, but in a war with enemies who thrived upon subterfuge and betrayal, it was often necessary.
At the thought, she resists the urge to glance over at Nurah.
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Arloric joins the others in watching their army go forth to its bloody business...like the others, his thoughts are a swirl, but slightly different. Part of him wondered if this was how his ancestors felt at Storasta...the battle immortalized in the Song of Sarkoris, their last defiant cry before the demons tore their throats out...now the tables had turned, at least for a brief moment, and he wondered if the demons themselves would fight like cornered animals. Another part of him felt a kind of grim satisfaction at the carnage their own forces had wrought on them...now THEY knew how it had felt. Now THEY got to quail in terror as their cries for mercy went unheeded and they died gurgling blood at the end of a paladin's blade! His mind lingers on the image for a moment before he shakes his head. No. That's how THEY thought...THEY took pleasure in that kind of spectacle. This was war...it wasn't supposed to be pretty or glamorous, no matter how many songs he knew that said otherwise.
He watches the aasimars talk, but even though he can understand their words, he only says one thing in Celestial.
Then he turns and listens to Beth's debriefing, to avoid wearing out his welcome in the conversation.
Once Haresk arrives and makes himself known, Arloric's eyebrow rises. An aasimar like Alexa, Darya and Uriel, but somewhat like himself in a way: a man who had to hide himself and appear ordinary so the eyes of those in power did not fall on him, but where he was a witch-boy in a city of paladins and inquisitors, Haresk seemed a child of Heaven in a city ruled by demons and their whims. It felt almost poetic, like a song, and he wonders if this was a song of solidarity or a song of warning.
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Alexa sighs and gives Arloric an exhausted '...smile'.
Irabeth also introduces herself and her aides, including Nurah, to Haresk.
He says, "You are not the first crusaders we have seen in the city, though you are the first to not be brought here in chains."
This earns a pointed look from Irabeth.
"Paradise Hill," he says, "is home to a makeshift prison. And to most of the demonkind and their allies. Many of the crusaders that are captured by the latter are taken there. Several dozen were brought in over the last few weeks, alone."
Irabeth looks over to you for a long pause before returning her attention to Haresk. "Do you know how many there are, in all?" she asks.
"I don't have an exact count, but I'd venture between one and two hundred."
This earns you another long look. "Would you be willing to come to our command tent? I think I have a lot to ask you, and we can get you properly fed while we're at it. Don't feel obligated; I know that will put you at risk."
He bows and says, "I am happy to help however I can. And I took that risk when I first spoke with you. There is no point in backing away from it now, even if my conscience would let me."
Uriel hesitates a moment while Darya comforts Alexa, unsure of what to do. He'd spent his life since boyhood among crusaders. Dealing with, in effect, civilians on a batlefield was far from his expertise. He put a hand on each woman's shoulder and says
"Friends, if I can do anything, just ask. I want to help you any way I can."
then steps away.
_______________________________
Uriel scans he newcomer with Detect Evil and senses nothing. He joins the others at the tent, but has little more to say.
Arloric follows Uriel and the others back to the tent. He wanted to hear more of Haresk's story.
What you learn from Haresk is that Drezen is, surprisingly, a fairly functional city, just not a particularly nice one to live in. There are essentially only two social classes: those aligned with the demonic overseers, and those who aren't. The former is a small group--two or three dozen--that makes up the city's power structure and wealth, and the latter are the working poor. They have few rights, and laws are enforced arbitrarily. There is no middle class.
There is trade with other cities outside of the Worldwound, but mostly that goes through black markets to the east in Mendev, away from the crusader cities. And those traders tend to be people with ties to the city's leaders--which more or less guarantees safe passage.
Most of the people living there now descend from ancestors that were essentially trapped here after the city fell, or came here as supporters of the abyssal forces--cultists and the like. Though all citizens of Drezen are free to come and go, "It's hundreds of miles of the Worldwound in all directions," Haresk points out, "which is all but a death sentence to those who try."
There are a little over 2,000 people living here, the vast majority of them human. The next largest group is dwarves at maybe a couple of hundred. The are over a dozen aasimars, and all of them take care to hide their nature because they are easy targets for torment, otherwise. The rest is a smattering of elves, half-elves, halflings, and a sprinkling of other races.
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Alexa listens to Haresk's explanation of Drezen.
"...their reign will not last much longer." She says once he's concluded.
Darya can't help the hint of a smile at the simplicity of Alexa's statement...and the truth of it. "Where do those loyal to the city's leaders centered? I assume they tend to live among themselves rather than in the midst of those they oppress."
Arloric gives an enthusiastic nod to Alexa's words, and continues to listen.
Alexa finds herself leaning on Darya as the debriefing goes on, her weariness settling into her bones.