"Thank you for the concern. Let's get the shipment unloaded and stored upstairs. I'll be fine until the castle sends my resupply tomorrow." Calrianne starts to be in better humor as she feels mothered.
"This way station has been secure for years by one knight. Normally, it takes siege engines or magic to affect it. They just raided in daylight and caught me in the stables. That's unusual but survivable."
Arlan = 46/52 HP & AC 19* Fatigued = -2 Strength and Dexterity
Beltzer = 40/40 HP & AC 15* Fatigued = -2 Strength and Dexterity
Lys = 44/44 HP & AC 18
Nerak = 32 HP & AC 13* Fatigued = -2 Strength and Dexterity
Varin = 49/51 HP & AC 23 with shield* Fatigued = -2 Strength and Dexterity
"I understand that they're good steel, Varin. I just don't know why you're wearing all of it.", she grins back, tapping the thick breastplate.
Lys looks at the knight, and then Nerak. "What do you think, Grand Marshal? I'd wait, and the horrible rotten floating coffin can sink for all I care, but it's faster than walking, or riding. If we try to make the captain do anything else, though, he might assault the waystation himself, just to spite our demanding asses."
"Thank you for the concern. Let's get the shipment unloaded and stored upstairs. I'll be fine until the castle sends my resupply tomorrow." Calrianne starts to be in better humor as she feels mothered.
"This way station has been secure for years by one knight. Normally, it takes siege engines or magic to affect it. They just raided in daylight and caught me in the stables. That's unusual but survivable."
The orcs are getting bolder, raiding by day. And if they asked you about the castle's defenses, they may have greater numbers than you can withstand alone, Arlan muses to the knight. He then looks at his companions in turn: Her goals align with ours--I don't like the thought of bands of orcs attacking settlements. We should ally with the castle defenders and help them repel the upcoming attack. If they overrun the castle, Trunau could be next, and she can't withstand another assault.
"Maybe you have forgotten your history, Lastwall does not need our help, their a nation with armies. They haven't helped Trunau sense they abandoned the region. No offense."
He says to the knight before getting back on point.
"We have our own mission and objectives. We were not rushed to leave our, recently attacked and invaded, home. To waste time side tracking about a country full of trained knights that have dealt with orc armies for generations. This one already said that tomorrow will see reinforcements, they can handle it themselves. If you can convince the captain to stay for a day then you can watch over the knight, but that will be one less day we have to address the threat to our home and people. I will not support that, we have killed some orcs and freed the knight. That was more good fortune then intention and enough done in my opinion. As such if their is some new development that I have missed, we are still pressed for time concerning our own problems are we not?"
It wasn't that he was against helping people, but that only went for when one was in a position to help others. What good would supplying one of many castles in Lastwall do, more so for their home. They were nearly overrun a week ago and no Lastwall army came, no garrison of knights was stationed in Trunau by Lastwall. That nation had given up the land and all her peoples, they had done so many times, to the orcs. They were owed nothing and nothing would be gained by helping them at the cost of their own.
"Fair point, Nerak.", Lys blurts, rolling her eyes. "You're a dick when you're right, though. Which is more often than not, you great tit."
"If you think you can handle it, good luck, knight.", she waves. "If you need a horse, we can give you one. Not usually trading a horse for a saddle, but in the current situation...", she chuckles, nodding at the magical saddle. "I'm sure it's an exception."
"None taken." Calrianne doesn't take offense from Nerak's dig in Lastwall.
"What mission are you on to protect Trunau?" The knight senses duty and honor.
Arlan = 46/52 HP & AC 19* Fatigued = -2 Strength and Dexterity
Beltzer = 40/40 HP & AC 15* Fatigued = -2 Strength and Dexterity
Lys = 44/44 HP & AC 18
Nerak = 32 HP & AC 13* Fatigued = -2 Strength and Dexterity
Varin = 49/51 HP & AC 23 with shield* Fatigued = -2 Strength and Dexterity
"Oh, you know.", she mentions with a smile. "The usual going somewhere to assassinate a political and military leader in order to throw the enemy into disarray, giving us the time to solidify your holdings on frontier soil.", she blurts. "Or, to put it in simpler terms, kill an orc chieftain before they organise another assault and kill everyone we hold dear." She grins. Vague enough, and she seems to hold her tongue.
"None taken." Calrianne doesn't take offense from Nerak's dig in Lastwall.
"What mission are you on to protect Trunau?" The knight senses duty and honor.
The orcs attacked Trunau--they were looking for something beneath the town. We repelled them but with heavy losses, now we look to pay them back on their turf. It's time they learned fear.
"What are you going to do?" Calrianne asks Arlan.
Arlan = 46/52 HP & AC 19* Fatigued = -2 Strength and Dexterity
Beltzer = 40/40 HP & AC 15* Fatigued = -2 Strength and Dexterity
Lys = 44/44 HP & AC 18
Nerak = 32 HP & AC 13* Fatigued = -2 Strength and Dexterity
Varin = 49/51 HP & AC 23 with shield* Fatigued = -2 Strength and Dexterity
Arlan debates divulging the details of their plan, but acquiesces in the end. We make for Redlake Fort to slay the giant Grenseldek and her orc tribe. Time is of the essence, so if you say you can hold this fort on your own until reinforcements arrive, we'd best deliver the weapons to you and be on our way.
"Redlake Fort? Stay there." Calrianne grows visibly excited and runs upstairs to her personal gear to retrieve a map of the abandoned border fort.
"My great-great-grandfather, Fabian Blix, was the fort’s cleric. He died during the final siege of the fort, but one of his sons, my great-grandfather escaped through a hidden sewer tunnel, here." Calrianne points on the map that shows the majority of Redlake Fort, including the sewer tunnel, which she believes is submerged. "I would be interested in learning the fate of Fabian while you are there."
Arlan = 46/52 HP & AC 19* Fatigued = -2 Strength and Dexterity
Beltzer = 40/40 HP & AC 15* Fatigued = -2 Strength and Dexterity
Lys = 44/44 HP & AC 18
Nerak = 32 HP & AC 13* Fatigued = -2 Strength and Dexterity
Varin = 49/51 HP & AC 23 with shield* Fatigued = -2 Strength and Dexterity
"I commend your sense of duty to stay near to where many of your family stood in defence and died for it." Recognizing the similar sense of duty the group has to defend Trunau. "Thank you for the map, it'll serve us greatly in the time ahead."
"What's bothering you?" Beltzer asks. "Do you think the map has mistakes?" He continues, trying to allude to something else so not to seem insensitive about her ancestors.
Calrianne reluctantly replies to Beltzer, "my great-grandfather rarely spoke of his time at the fort. However, there were stories passed down in my family in regard to the fort’s castellan. He was a despicable and vile man. The mere mention of the fort or that castellan caused my great-grandfather to go pale and visibly tremble." Calrianne doesn’t know any more details.
Arlan = 46/52 HP & AC 19* Fatigued = -2 Strength and Dexterity
Beltzer = 40/40 HP & AC 15* Fatigued = -2 Strength and Dexterity
Lys = 44/44 HP & AC 18
Nerak = 32 HP & AC 13* Fatigued = -2 Strength and Dexterity
Varin = 49/51 HP & AC 23 with shield* Fatigued = -2 Strength and Dexterity
"Great!", Lys exclaims with a chuckle as she takes the map and studies it. "It's less likely to be giant shit now, but we have to take a refreshing swim in it. Out of the pot and into the sewers."
Hearing more about the castellan, Lys harumphs. "Being a massive cunt isn't a new thing. But having stories about the size of said cuntishness is something new entirely. If we have time from all the giant and orc ass-kicking, we'll be sure to find out what really happened there. If only to get our names in your family stories!", she grins.
"So, uh, we'd love to help you clean up this,", she points out towards the battered keep. "But we're horrible at cleaning up blood. Cleaning stuff WITH blood is more our forte. Wish you best of luck, Knight Calrianne. The Wall will hold.", she says, giving the traditional Lastwall farewell, and a slightly less formal salute.
"Hmm, I hope it was just his vileness that caused him to go pale and.. not.." Beltzer shakes his head stopping himself from finishing the thought out loud. There has to be something more to that story. I doubt she knows but to make a follower of Lastwall go pale at the mere mention of a name. Must've been something that the great-grandfather saw...we should be wary inside of that fort and not just because of the Giants. Something deeper might be at play here.
"Thank you once more Calrianne, stay safe. We'll forward what happened here to Bloodtusk. Hopefully, future shipments aren't as eventful as this." Beltzer nods at the Knight and smiles. He waves and joins the others on their way out.
If we can discover what happened to this castellan, we will send word. Thank you for your your help, and may your blade always find its mark, Arlan says, turning to leave.
You get the shipment of weapons and armor shifted upstairs into the waystation and bid farewell to Calrianne. Bloodtusk drops anchor and spends the evening providing over watch for his good customer. In the morning, instead of rowing, the horses are shifted to the narrowing river to pull the ship upriver.
After several hours, you find yourselves with a dam problem. The captain who commands from the forecastle calls a halt to the two teams of horses to survey the scene. Coxwain Halrex holds the tiller. The rest of the crew are at their stations.
Atop a newly built dam across the river, you see peeking out from behind some large rocks, a pale green giant with scaled skin and large, webbed hands and feet.
Merrow AC 25 touch 21
Arlan = 52/52 HP & AC 21
Beltzer = 40/40 HP & AC 16
Lys = 44/44 HP & AC 18
Nerak = 32 HP & AC 14
Varin = 51/51 HP & AC 20
"What in the world are those things?" Beltzer muses trying to get a better look.
"They don't look like beavers, too scaly!" He chuckles. "Though they are blocking the way forward and I doubt they'd enjoy it if we start digging up their dam. Any ideas other than shooting them or scaring them off? Beltzer asks the group.
I can negotiate with diplomacy and patience, Arlan says, holding up one fist when he says "diplomacy" and the other when he says "patience".
If you're looking to avoid a fight, maybe we can have the horses pull the boat a good distance away from the dam?
Varin moves up to the front of the boat, Aggrimosh in its large size. He glared out towards the green creatures and the Dam.
"I'll tear it down with my hammer here if I can get close to it."
Lys sees the giant and barely resists waving at it cheerfully, crossbow in the other hand. "Well, it's either trying to ambush us, or it's afraid of us. Either case, we should probably see to fix that. I can translate, if need be, though I'm pretty sure Nerak is much more fluent in Giant than I am. But the question is, who'd do the talking if it would occur." Lys puts her hand on her waist. "Hey, Nerak!", she shouts to the wizard. "You think that river giants and hill giants are natural enemies or something?", she says, readying her crossbow.
Nerak comes up shaking his head.
"Oh yes shouting is most wise, the giant won't react badly to that all of a sudden."
He tries to get a good look at what type of giant.
"I speak giant but I tend to do more reading with it. Few giants talk much when they prefer to crush you in my experience. But I've hardly met every type."
"It looks like 3 votes to attack or that it will attack. Though some possible talking?" Beltzer muses, though the three warrior-types appear to be readying themselves. No surprise, we've been assailed 3 times on this river already.
"Should we just show a threatening show of force then and attack if they decide to come at us? I presume it built the dam to block would be passers-by, or it's its home though I'm unsure about that." Beltzer looks around to see if they haven't missed something obvious.
Nerak thinks the creature is a merrow, which is kind of like an aquatic ogre.
They are particularly rare, so he's not certain.
The captain creatively curses and yells, "It'll take days to dig a way through that dam!"
"Not if I use my magic to turn a group of men into giants and empower their strength. Wouldn't last long but could clear alot of wood before the spells expire. As for the giant, it's a merrow. Their water based and a bit rare so I don't know much more then that."
He says offhandedly.
Creatures tend to defend their homes with tooth and nail--the orcs learned that the hard way from us in Trunau. What if you use your magic to grow us, but instead we help the horses pull the boat on land around the dam? It might let us be if it sees we're leaving its dam untouched.
"If Neraks magic makes us as big as She" he pats Aggrimosh fondly, "makes me, then we are in no way going to be able to take this boat on land. No we go through the Dam sadly. River Troll gonna have to move."
Two a pale green giants with scaled skin and large, webbed hands and feet climb on board the keelboat. One misses a half-orc crewmen with a javelin and closes on the mast.
The second merrow scales the stairs to the forecastle and closes on Varin. The merrow towers 12 feet tall and weighs about 500 pounds. It carries a couple of javelin when it cannot rend its victims with its massive claws.
While the crew start screaming with terror at the boarders, you watch the third merrow on the dam jump and disappear into the river heading toward the boat.
Merrow AC 17 touch 13
Arlan = 52/52 HP & AC 21
Beltzer = 40/40 HP & AC 16
Lys = 44/44 HP & AC 18
Nerak = 32 HP & AC 14
Varin = 51/51 HP & AC 20
No surprise considering how long they were standing around talking, even brutes would take the chance to ambush.
"Do make yourself useful."
With that he cast a spell on Varin, causing him to grow larger and stronger. He then takes out his crossbow and backs away.
Arlan runs over to support the crew, dropping down to the main level of the ship.
Hey ugly! Over here!
"Oh jeez" Beltzer quickly turns around to see the two big fellas fighting behind him. He blasts the one not on his side with a small storm.
Varin cracked his neck and grinned, staring down a little on the Merrow now, and probably outweighing him by a bit and all. He grabbed Aggrimosh and swung it round his head in a tight arc, before slamming it down in to the forehead of the large giant.
The hammer connects, slamming full force in to the creatures forehead.
"Lead em this way, I've got plenty more for them!"
Lys aims her crossbow at the giant engaged with Varin. She pulls the trigger twice with a sigh. "We'd be accepting of your peaceful surrender!", she shouts out in between bolts.
The two bolts slam in the softer skin of the merrow, drawing blood. "At least those don't fly, right?", she sends a smile to the rest.
One merrow swipes at Varin when he exits the stairs for the forecastle. Then Varin drops the merrow with one shot between the eyes.
Lys moves aft on the forecastle to get a line of sight for one shot on the merrow by the mast.
The merrow by the mast turns on Arlan and slashes with its claws which tear into Arlan but can't grab him.
A third merrow climbs on deck behind Arlan.
Merrow AC 17 touch 13
Arlan = 36/52 HP & AC 21
Beltzer = 40/40 HP & AC 16
Lys = 44/44 HP & AC 18
Nerak = 32 HP & AC 14
Varin = 51/51 HP & AC 20
Beltzer seeing the merrow drops moves forward to support the group with the next one.
If he can see the merrow from his position he'll cast another storm. If not he'll move around the north side of the boat to go towards the sailors.
As a standard action, the shaman causes a small storm of swirling wind and rain to form around one creature within 30 feet. This storm causes the target to treat all foes as if they had concealment, suffering a 20% miss chance for 1 round plus 1 round for every 4 shaman levels she possesses.
Nerak fires into the back of the merrow.
But misses, annoyed he reloads.
Arlan retreats a step along the rail, engaging one merrow. He yells and drives his knee up toward the creature's groin, wondering if it'll have any effect.
Lys lets out another cackle at Arlan's reaction. "Very gentlemanly, Ward!", as another barrage flies towards his other attacker.
Two bolts fly in the attacker's hide as the crossbow whirrs once more, ready to fire again.
Varin dashed forward, well squeezed really, straining to reach the enemy.
Arlan retreats a step along the rail, engaging one merrow. He yells and drives his knee up toward the creature's groin, wondering if it'll have any effect.
Lys lets out another cackle at Arlan's reaction. "Very gentlemanly, Ward!", as another barrage flies towards his other attacker.
The crew all start cheering. They come up to you and give you the equivalent of high-fives. The captain personally thanks to the two on the forecastle: Nerak and Lys. Then, Bloodtusk goes to the aft rail to lead the crew in a cheer for you. Needless to say, they were quite scared of the merrows that you finished handily.
Varin dashed forward, well squeezed really, straining to reach the enemy.
Arlan = 36/52 HP & AC 21
Merrow AC 17 touch 13
Beltzer = 40/40 HP & AC 16
Lys = 44/44 HP & AC 18
Nerak = 32 HP & AC 14
Varin = 51/51 HP & AC 20
Arlan smiles when the crew approach and asks the nearest one: Are all of your trips this eventful? I always thought the life of a sailor would be boring--maybe I should've taken up the life...
The crew member nods yes to Arlan's question and laughs.
Varin stood there awkwardly, all 13+ feet of him, scratching his head and yawning slightly.
"I really could get used to being this size. It is nice and clear up here. Dunno why giants are so cranky all the time."
"Anyone see where the Merrow came from? A lair to plunder, I doubt they have anything of value. I don't remember Merrows being of any use themselves ether. We should also remember we have a dam to rid ourselves of if we wish to continue."
Lys sighs at Varin. "It's because not everyone enjoys staring at crotches, Varin." She reloads the crossbow and sheaths it on her back. "You never know until you dig in, Nerak. Clearing the place needs to happen anyway, so we might find something we like.", she states, going over to inspect the bodies.
"Wooah!", she waves her hand in front of her nose. "And I thought barracks smelled bad."
"Well hopefully we aren't in for too many more surprises while getting rid of the dam. I hope there isn't more lying in wait." Beltzer says as he approaches Arlan healing him.
"Nerak do you have anything prepared today to help move things?" Beltzer asks. "Oh and how long does that last big guy?" He asks Varin. "You could like haul quite a lot of dirt as big as you are right now.
"I do not, I only prepared one enlargement. I have a spell to make one stronger for a time but other then that I do not think any of my other spells are of use for this. Tomorrow I can grant an assortment of both enlargement and strength enhancement to a group. I doubt we will be moving today."