Carilain attacks again, slashing with a two handed grip.
Eyes glowing with divine fury, Alorah strides into the chamber moving in behind Kelden extending her hand to send a brilliant stream of golden flame washing over Kyra's opponent.
Round 4________________________
Kyra Greenstar________
Kyra stumbles slightly from the weapon impact, but then immediately counterattacks with a powerful, upward slash of her scimitar into the torso of the cultist!
Kyra she will move into K10 to setup a flank position on Red H.
Kelden Sunblade_______
Shifting his shield to hopefully deflect any attack from the foe to his left (B7) He moved forward to stand beside Sir Thetin half turning to hack back into The doomed foe almost between He and Kankai. (B7 again)
(npc)Kankai______
Kankai tumbled evasively to flank the Brimorak, then attacked and hit, doing minor damage.
Thetin Dorvas______
Thetin, seeing Red C swinging in, fills himself with mythic power. This allows him swing around unnaturally fast, getting his shield into place Thetin activates sudden block.
Using this burst Thetin then retaliates with Radiance against Red C.
Now Thetin continues to pummel the Brimorak, laying into it with everything he's got.
Carilain Riveroak_______
Carilain attacks again, slashing with a two handed grip.
Alorah_______
Eyes glowing with divine fury, Alorah strides into the chamber moving in behind Kelden (F,7) extending her hand to send a brilliant stream of golden flame washing over Kyra's opponent.
These cultists all have the same thing; chain shirt, glaive, dagger, unholy symbol and 10gp each.
The Brimorak, despite his rank, only carried an ordinary longsword (whos flames extinguished when he fell) and a couple of gold forearm vembraces.
In the back rooms, in a former storage locker are the pitiful remnants of the soldiers who were guarding this ford before the demon hordes overran them. Only a handful of wounded survivors remain of the small contingent that once guarded the area.
Currently led by a sergeant named Kamilo Dann (LG female human fighter 3), the survivors number a dozen in all.
Thetin wipes the brimorak's gore off of Radiance. The last of his injuries fade within seconds as his mythic power continues to heal him. Seeing the rest of his comrades still up, but injured, Thetin volunteers to scout out the rest of the fort with anyone that wishes to join him. Upon finding the wounded survivors, Thetin wastes no time in tending to them. Waves of positive energy pours out of him, healing the survivors of their wounds.
After healing them, he then identifies the leader. "It is good to see some of you survived this fresh slice of hell. However before anything else, do you know where the sword of valor is being kept?" He asks the man.
"So you were part of the garrison here?" Carilain asks the survivors. "Tell us what happened."
Kyra lets out a sigh and glances over at Kelden with a wink before she sets about the grim task of ensure none of these foul beasts would ever walk this world again. With that done, she joins the others at the survivors.
The survivors fell to their knees and raised their arms as the positive energy washed over them, healing their physical injuries.
Standing up again, they saluted Thetin automatically.
”I’m sorry sir, but we were off duty. There was no alarm, they were just suddenly… there. Wearing our uniforms too. They just took us in our bunks.” She said sadly.
Kamilo puts on a brave face, and the rest of the survivors swear that her assurance and leadership kept the other soldiers from despair, even when some of them were taken away every few hours by Umestil (the Brimorak Commander) for sacrifice— or worse.
The dozen survivors are in no shape to keep the ford protected, but they do know that a greater army lies somewhere to the north in a place called “Keeper’s Canyon.”
Keeper’s Canyon is the one that contains the Ahari riverbed; knowing that a greater army lies in wait there will help you in that battle.
Kamilo volunteers to lead her survivors back south to Kenabres to report that the ford has fallen— Queen Galfrey will send more troops
to reoccupy it soon enough, allowing your army to continue on their northern march.
Outside, Company B executes a flawless charge attack and won an overwhelming victory over the enemy second company.
Company C also won handily, though it took longer.
Company A ran into some bad luck and took some casualties ( lost) before also achieving victory.
The battlefield is yours!.
Anevia returned to make her scouting report.
"Only two fled NorthEast, we got them both before they could report."
"Good. It means if we keep moving swiftly me might retain the element of surprise for a while longer." Alorah says in response. "I think letting Kamilo lead them back is our best move."
"We could offer those who wish to get retribution to fall in with Company A, they took some casulties. It wont take many to inform the Queen of this places... fall."
He offered adding his healing energies to any who needed it.
He moved of course to Kyra and let the healing of the Dawnflower tend her hurts.
" Are you well sis.... Are you Kyra. It would pain me greatly if you were to be too injured."
He began coloring more than a bit at the admittance outloud.
"That is an excellent suggestions, Kelden. We will make a general out of you one day." She smiles and closes her eyes as the warmth healing of Sarenrae heals her wounds. "That is much better, thank you." She puts her hand on his cheek. "I'm okay, Kelden. It would take more than a few tieflings to send me to The Dawnflower. I am no delicate desert flower, but thank you for your concern, dear." She stares into his eyes for a moment longer than she anticipated before clearing her throat.
She suddenly seemed to be aware of the wetness on her checks and wipes at it, staring at the strange discoloration. "What is this?"
"We should check the store rooms here. We might be able to resupply the army if we are lucky."
The survivors are deeply demoralized at the moment. If someone bard like or paladinish could exert an ability to modify morale, they would be able to sign up with your army.
"We should check the store rooms here. We might be able to resupply the army if we are lucky."
Sir Aron nodded his agreement and started issuing orders to that effect. The crusaders grumble loudly at this, and there are many upturned noses at the basic equipment of the tiefling cultists; they trudge reluctantly forward and obey nevertheless.
The army is able to recoup several units worth of supplies the tieflings won't be using anymore.Lord Horgus goes even further than that, having his crews take everything that isn't nailed down, and then pulling the nails and taking the material too.
"Thank the gods we recovered those supplies..." he is heard to mutter.
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Kyra notices that the survivors appear very despondent. "Perhaps a dance to cheer up the troops? Something to distract them from the horrors of the war? Gather everyone around, please." While the troops gather, she changes out of her blood-soaked armor. She then begins a very elegant, but invigorating dance from Sothis in hopes of raising the morale of the men and women that, up until today, had likely believed their deaths to be very imminent.
He had planned to go amongst the troops and continue to heal whom he could by channeling holy energies amongst them... and he even started to ...until he glanced over and caught Kyra's dance. Then he was enthralled and found himself staring watching every graceful turn and spin.
Thetin was getting ready to raise the survivors moral with a rousing speech, but was stopped cold by Kyra's dancing. Watching for a just a short time he realizes this nothing he could say could match the enthralling and uplifting nature of Kyra's dance. He turned to ask Kelden a question, but upon seeing his face decides to leave him undisturbed to watch. He decides he is no longer needed with the survivors anymore and heads off. "The light shines brightest in the darkest caves." he says with a grin on his face as soon as he's alone. He leaves the fort to find Irabeth and discuss the intel the survivors have about the greater army at Keeper's Canyon.
Taking in the captivating beauty of Kyra's dance, Alorah takes the opportunity to simply enjoy something positive amid all the chaos.
The entire army approves of Kyra's dance!
The survivors are emboldened enough to volunteer for your army!
General Irabeth listens to Thetin's report and nods.
"Very good!
"Forwarned, we should have the advantage at the Keeper's Canyon.
"And with any luck we stopped any word of our attack here from reaching the enemy there."
Stat wise, the survivors signing up with your army heals it of points of damage, regaining full power.
With all the equipment strewn about the battlefield, they are able to re-equip even better than what they started with.
Arabeth assigns them to the rearguard for the moment, to let them rest and regain morale in a relatively safe position.
The next day, you sanctify the graves of your dead in proper ceremony, gather your army in its serried ranks, then march north again. This time on the Western side of the river.
As you continue north along the western banks of the West Sellen River, you gradually realize that you’re skirting the edge of the true Worldwound itself.
The world around you becomes oppressive in ways you have never experienced before. Strange and alien things seem to exist on this side of the river—even though you are not really heading into the seriously blighted lands yet, the sky above seems darker and dimmer, and no vegetation grows on the desolate ground.
You see that no easy route inland exists once you start north—the cliffs of the gorge are steep, and impassible for an army like yours.
Two days of unopposed travel later, you come to the approaches of Keepers Canyon.
Putting together maps, eyewitness accounts and old Pathfinder journals about the area, you start to analyse the tactical situation here.
Keeper’s Canyon lies at the point at which the now-dry Ahari River once fed into the West Selen. It was once a holding of Drezen—a small town that helped to facilitate shipments to and from Drezen.
Today, only the shells of a few stone buildings remain, along with a half-dozen leaning pilings in the river from what was once an extensive
maze of piers.
And when Anevia's scouts report back, they reveal that the place is full of Tieflings.
Anevia finishes putting markings on the tactical map and stepped back to look it over.
"Well now. Look at all that.
"Scouts report another all Tiefling army.
"It's hard to tell, but we think they're about the same size as the last one. 800 to a thousand or so."
Irabeth calls everyone to order as they all shout out their advice to Arthas and gets them to go one at a time.
Sir Sosiel: "No way to outflank them here either. Except that enemy company over there on the left. That's got possibilities."
Lady Nurah: Demures.
Sir Mathis, Captain of Company C: "We attack! Enemy company 1 is exposed and out in the open! We combine forces and take them before they can reposition."
Lord Horgus: "We definitely need to scrounge up supplies here. We are running through them faster than I like."
Sir Freidrich, Captain of Company B: "I hate to agree with Sir Mathis, but yes. We should take the easy pickings before we assault the town. If we ignore them, they'll flank us for certain when we hit the town."
Sir Aron Kir, Tactition and Siege warfare engineer: "I don't understand why they haven't thrown up any obstacles...
"I think they're bait. If we attack, they'll retreat into the canyon and drop rubble and logs down on us from the canyon lips above.
"Or, while we hit them, the other enemy companies will hit us from behind."
Sir Arles, Captain of Company A: Demures, frowning
Master Aravashnial: "Of spellcasters I cannot say. I will stay ready just in case."
Madame Anevia: "We can't scout the town, they have skirmishers out."
She frowned.
"I don't understand why their headquarters is so far outside the town's built up area. It makes no sense."
"I agree with Sir Kir. It's a trap. We should hold A Company in reserve to counterattack their company 1 when they try to flank us.
B and C companies should smash their second company. Then we should be able to flank them."
"It depends on Company A to hold our flank so I will support them."
He frowned as everyone spoke. He was trying hard to understand military tactics but they just seemed right at the edge of his true understanding and comprehension.
"If thats the vital part of the plan than i will certainly be there as will Sarenrae's light."
He offered.
Kyra did not know much about armies and sieges, but those how did know things seemed at odds. She looks at the map for a few moments. "I agree that it does not make sense to have no barricades or obstacles out. Perhaps there is something more that we cannot see? Aravashnial, can you scout the battlefield with magic to see if there are any magical traps? Given what we know about the demons and their army, I would not believe anything that is too good to be true and this..." She gestures at Company 1 "appears to be just that. It is likely a trap."
She looks around. "Perhaps I could scout even more ahead. I can hide quite well and have another abilities at my disposal that I can use to lose any pursuing enemies. I could even get around these walls to get an eagle's eye view?"
As your army is held back around the bend and out of sight of the enemy, the command tent argues back and forth, but seems to be settling generally on Carilain's plan.
Thetin will lead B company into the thick of things
With the orders given, the companies assemble around the riverside bluff, then at a silent signal they file forward into the field of battle.
Both Carilain and Kelden group up with Company A. They are issued a lance if they desire and Captain Sir Arles gave them both a sharp professional nod. He then turned his eyes towards the enemy north flank and it’s delightfully exposed position. They are first to advance.
Thetin groups up with Company B. He is issued a lance if he desires and Captain Sir Friederich greets him with considerable (and somewhat embarrassing) ceremony. He and the whole company has all flags flying and pennants streaming. When Company A sets out and turns North, Company B turns North East and makes a line for the tiefling second Company camped just outside the ruins of the old town.
Irabeth keeps Company C with her out of sight as a reserve, to be committed as the battle develops. Alorah stays with her.
Kyra decides to risk levitating, relying on her dark clothing to keep her invisible against the dark red sky.
When she gets up to a significant height, she is able to see all the forces arrayed below her…
Kyra Only Tactical Overview
Something catches her eye on the bluffs to the north. An ancient paved stone roadway, broken up now, leads around on the crest of the bluff. Following it around, she sees a gigantic pile of stone boulders and rubble being held by a delicately held palisade of timbers. It is directly over the enemy north company. All they have to do is retreat up the canyon, and any pursuing cavalry, like your friends in Company A would be obliterated.
You can from your position six tieflings next to the rubble trap, one seems to be armed with an axe and standing next to a thick rope cable. No one below the bluff will be able to see them.
As Company A charges north, they see the tieflings spot the oncoming charge, get up and run away in disarray north into the canyon.
Cheering, the crusaders level their lances and get ready to run down the fleeing enemy.
You see Kyra has come down off to your left in front of the bluff and is waiving her hands frantically at you.
You're not sure what she's saying with all the noise... did she mouth 'trap'?
Company B (including Thetin) charged across the ancient riverbed to hit the tieflings encamped outside the old town walls.
As planned, the tieflings broke under the charge and fled back into the old town. Clouds of dust kicked up cut visibility to near zero as crusaders and tieflings fought in the confined spaces.
"Halt! Let them go!" Carilain is fairly furious that Iribeth had ignored his recommendations in the first place.
"Our job is to support Company B! If they turn back, then C can deal with them!"
He had accepted the lance not entirely sure how to use it properly but he assumed it was in a nature simular to a spear. The Pointy end went torwards the foe. He moved along with the company
He could barely see the teiflings fleeing and smiled a grim smile until Caralain's voice rang out. It held a tinge of anger to it.
He wasnt sure what was going on but.... He trusted Caralain.
"Advance to the right Do that flanking thing! and meet with company B!"
He called out loudly already turning his horse and kicking it to slide through the gap (left to right along the 9 line).
Thetin sees the Dretches and sends a runner to the bards to order the knights to dismount and pair up. The horses would only become hindrances while they push into the town on top of the stinking clouds. The pairing up would prevent any individual crusader from being blindsided. He is currently blinded to what company A is doing by the stink clouds unless they signal their arrival.
Startled by Kelden’s shout, Sir Arles barked his command and turned Company A East without even thinking.
Hurtling across the valley floor, Company A crashed into the scrum where Company B faced off against thrice their numbers in a cloud of Dretch stinking clouds. The enemy, which had been pushing back against the crusaders, was stopped in their tracks.
Then out of the southern buildings came another company of tiefling cultists! Charging up from the south, they crashed into the cruader flank, and suddenly the outcome was in doubt again.
And at this moment, Company C charged! Pennons flying, bugles blaring and Led by General Irabeth, the crusaders crashed into the enemy southern flank and suddenly the enemy broke into pieces. Some stayed and fought, some tried to maneuver, and even more started fleeing. By ones and twos, then entire squads, the cultists stopped fighting as a unit.
And with that, the battle is effectively over; despite the fighting that only true cult fanatics can bring, only pursuing them in detail and cleanup is left.
Once the fighting had stopped and the enemy routed, the crusaders stopped and rallied together as units to take stock of the dead and wounded.
Anevia and Aron slip into the surrounding regions to scout out the place and ensure no other enemies lie in wait. At the same time Irabeth, Sosiel, and Nurah set out separately to seek survivors to heal and rescue from the aftermath.
Of the demons there were none left on the battlefield but stinking puddles of noxious slime. Of the tiefling cultists, those who stood and fought died where they stood. The few who broke and fled across the river mostly drowned. The scouts said that they had seen a handful make the crossing and flee south out of sight.
Of the crusaders, the ability to cross-heal was telling, as only two died in Company A, four died in Company B and there were no fatalities in Company C.
More horses died than crusaders, leaving a few of them afoot until more could be procured.
Kyra came down from the Northwestern bluffs, she reported having neutralized the tieflings manning the giant deadfall trap there.
Searching through the tiefling camps turned up more supplies, greatly relieving Lord Horgus' concerns.
The army encamped well away from the old town and the smells there.
"Another battle well won. Good job men." Carilain tells the soldiers.
The Crusaders hailed Carilain in turn and continued the quiet jubilation of their victory.
But everyone could feel it. Underneath it all the crusaders were well aware that the next day, they were going to march into the Abyss.
Thetin helps heal up the wounded in Company B. He makes a point to praise those he is healing for their bravery and valor.
After the wounded were taken care of, Thetin heads to the river and systematically cleans his armor and Radiance. One of the many rules his father had taught him was to always clean up after battle. It would keep demon blood from pitting the metal, but it also keeps a leader from walking around smelling like a Dretch's armpit.
Seeing some of the trepidation coming from the men about the march tomorrow, Thetin goes from company to company to try and keep moral from waning. "Another victory over our enemies, driving their filth off our lands once again. Starting tomorrow however we march into the Abyss. For the first time in decades we are not defending what we have from our foes, but instead taking the fight to them and kicking their teeth in on their lands. Prepare, pray, sharpen your blades and get ready to crush our enemies and reclaim the sword of Valor." .
Thetin's speech is inspired, and the Crusaders leap to their feet cheering the name Thetin!, their morale definitely boosted.
The next day the army carefully skirted around the massive deadfall guarding the old riverbed leading to the interior of the Worldwound.
Beyond Keeper’s Canyon, the armys route finally takes them westward into the Worldwound itself. It doesn’t take long for the Crusaders and their allies to notice the difference even a few hundred yards into enemy territory makes, for the Worldwound is the very definition of “hostile territory.”
More than demons and monsters, the very environs of the Worldwound are dangerous. Infections, parasites, and diseases infest the water and game alike, making the idea of living off the land dangerous.
The weather can and does vary wildly—calm one day and blasted by hurricane-force winds the next.
The sun rises later and sets earlier than it should, and the skies are almost always overcast with black and red clouds. When they part, the sky seems dull in color at day, and at night the stars are all wrong, as if one were looking up at an alien realm above.
Navigation in the Worldwound is difficult as a result, but in this case the command staff have plotted a course following the ancient Ahari river gorge so navigation isn’t an issue. The banks of the Ahari riverbed protect the army forces, so they are not plagued by things like supernatural storms or the like.
The difficult terrain of the riverbed route to Drezen halves movement rates though—the army can only cover 18 miles a day here rather than 36 miles.
Looking around at the almost alien environment, Alorah shudders slightly with apprehension.
"The very air feels evil here, oppressive." she mutters quietly.
Carilain nods his head in agreement, his eyes shifting between the canyon walls on either side. "I understand the need to travel through this gorge, but I don't like it one bit. Every demon in the 'Wound could be just past the crest, and we would never know. This terrain does not suit the army's fighting style either. Open plains, that's what cavalry likes..."
