Lightning corcuscates around the ogres.
One of them survives.
Kaven fails to dodge Array's strike.
Wyam wheeled about in a moment of confusion as Kaven shouted his warning to the encroaching Ogre horde. He had planned to wait for the others to strike first but this changed everything.
"Wait, what?! No!" What happened? Was he mentally controlled and I missed it? Maybe he was too --
Wyam shook himself from his thoughts as he was interrupted by Glimmers mental shout to them all. Feeling a surge of determination to finish things, Wyam instinctively urged Fearghus to move forward.
"Fearghus, let's finish this quickly!"
Wyam runs through another of the ogres in short order.
Furious, the ogres charge in, swinging.
[/ooc]Go everyone[/ooc]
Spectrum floated up over the stones and above the path out onto the path. He tossed a handful of pebbles into the air. Boulders rained down.
Glimmer drew a tiny wand from her vest.
Sting him! she said to Array
With a twisting aileron roll to avoid being attacked, Array swooped past Kaven and snapped his barbed tail towards the man's neck before pulling up and flapping clear again.
Isme looked at the ogres with condescension, deciding they weren't worth her time as the others continue their one-sided massacre.
She flaps her wings and flies out from a tree, deciding her time was better spent hunting down the traitor, quickly catching up to Array and Glimmer as she moved full-speed in the sky.
Seeing the other flyers handling the traitor, Gwen takes wing toward the Ogres, careful not to get too close (lest she catch a stray fireball).
Jogging forward from his hidden position, Reynard focuses his thoughts on an explosion of searing flame, and sends a pea-sized ball of fire shooting from his hand. It explodes in the midst of the three leftmost ogres.
Even in his enraged state, Wyam could almost not believe the literal raining destruction on their foes as first the golden explosion of electricity, followed by raining stones, and a fireball exploded amid the quickly diminished horde of Ogres.
Wyam knew that he would be able to quickly dispatch most foes with Fearghus but this would have likely spelled his doom if he'd fought against so many enemies at once.
Without room to back up and with the field covered in rocks he knew it would be difficult to move about. Instead he would just fell the foe next to him.
"Fearghus, attack!!"
A whirlwind of pebbles and gravel whirls around the battlefield.
Followed by a blaze of fire.
Three ogres are consumed by the blaze and the battering rocks.
Working together with his trusty steed, Wyam downs another.
The remaining ogre, dazed and grinning like a loon, stands there heedless of the carnage surrounding him.
Kaven gasps as Array's blow lands.
He drops to the ground mid-stride, struck low, snoring.
After the final ogre is dealt with, Jakardros and Vale rise from their ambush-spots. The one-eyed captain nods grimly. "Just like the old campaigns... lure 'em out from their slaughtering-caves, then rain hell down on them... though a few more pyrotechnics this time."
"Kill the last one, or question him?" Spectrum asked calmly, drifting down to hover closer to the ground.
Array landed on Kaven and stung him one more time for good measure.
"I doubt this one would know much. We already know where we're doing next. No, the one I'm most interested in talking to now is Kaven. Why did he out us before the ambush? Was it some sort of enchantment that we'd missed? I hadn't considered the possibility, especially given the state we'd found them in.
Spectrum nods and fires a small bolt of frozen energy at the stunned ogre, motioning for the Black Arrows to follow suit.
The ogre is swiftly dispatched by Spectrum, the Black Arrows and Shalelu.
Soon enough, you are all standing grimly over the recumbant sleeping body of Kaven.
Wyam pulled out his waterskin and kicked Kaven's boot before emptying a good portion of its contents onto his face.
"Kaven, wake up!"
Before Wyam wakes him up, Vale and Jakardros secure him in a practiced fashion- stripping him carefully of weapons, searching his clothing and binding his hands and feet.
Amid the search, you spy a sihedron rune tattoo on his left wrist beneath his clothes, similar to that of the passer-by back at the town. The pair of Black Arrows seem to pay it no mind.
The man staggers himself back to unconscious. "W-wha..." he looks around and gulps, quickly white-faced. "I... I'm sorry. The fight, the capture- I've lost my nerve." He looks shame-facedly to the ground. "I'm no good to any of you I guess..."
"Do you remember getting this tattoo." Spectrum asked in a hard, but carefully neutral tone.
Wyam stared down at the man. He stepped forward and took a knee right in front of the man and slowly shook his head.
"Losing your nerve. Staying hidden and not fighting with us at all, sure. I can forgive fear, Kaven. Abandoning the fight, giving the excuse that you might have been going to find a better ambush position and then slinking off into the forest, I can also understand weakness. But this..." he let out a breath, "This is just pathetic. Your words are nihilistic. You were worse than no good to us, you betrayed us, the ones who saved you. You betrayed your comrades. Why? Does it have something to do with the mark on your arm?"
Jakardros blinks in surprise. "That star?"
Kaven goes to speak then pauses, looking away. "I-i-it's nothing important. Just a tattoo."
Vale nods in agreement with Wyam. "Desertion, and further you broke our ambush, Kaven... this is the stuff that loses men their heads."
In an instant, a blade of ethereal energy is in Reynard's hand, pointed at Kaven. "Where I come from, traitors get a quick trip to meet their infernal masters in person." the dark-haired man says.
Isme remains behind Kaven, silently wearing down his will and mind as the others have their interrogation. If they fail, she could always take over.
Realizing that both Jakardos and Reynard were likely to kill Kaven, Wyam acted quickly.
"Kaven, I'm your only friend here." Wyam's eyes glowed with a white light.
Wyam stepped forward and grabbed the front of the mans shirt.
"Stop evading the questions and no more lies. You have nowhere else to go. I want to believe you didn't do this of your own volition. We know about the gambling barge. We know about the Sihedron symbol! Were you enchanted by that witch, Lucrezia!?"
He gulps, his eyes widen... and a circle of harsh faces wear him down.
He spills his guts.
Once a well-serving member of the Arrows, he started attending the gambling hall since about a year ago... and he and its mistress, Lucrecia, fell in love.
...and then he started stealing from the Black Arrows to fund his gambling binges.
...and then Lucrecia started showing an inordinate interest in the operations of the Black Arrows.
...and he supplied her with patrol and route information that were likely crucial to the fort's takeover by the ogres.
He just didn't expect to get caught by the Graug family.
Jakardros and Vale need to be physically restrained from gutting the traitor.
"You stole from the Black Arrows. You gave information about them to their enemies. Then you were captured and tortured by those enemies."
"And now, when you had the chance to get out from under this mess you have created for yourself, you instead decide to try to help them kill the rest of us, and run."
"Before today, you were a victim of blackmail and your own poor judgement. Today, you were not a victim. You were loyal."
Specturn drifted into the air to keep watch. "Do with him what you will. It will be better than what he deserves." he said to Wyam as he left.
Reynard remains silent, but pointedly steps away from Jakardos and Vale. He won't stop them if they act.
Steamed, Jakardros moves away to control himself. Vale steps up to you. "When you've got all you need from him... we'll handle it."
Wyam looked pointedly at Jakardos, then at Vale before turning to Kaven. He was pained by the man.
"You are a fool in so many ways, Kaven! You didn't even try to be smart about it. You were so afraid of the Ogres... you could have just left... You should have just left!" Wyam began pacing never removing his gaze from him.
"Your heart is not that of an evil man but your actions are condemnable. Death is a suitable punishment and your former comrades are willing, no, they're eager to deliver it. I should let them have you... " he took a deep breath.
"I will be temperate in my actions and moderate in my behavior. When in doubt, I may force my enemies to surrender but I am responsible for their lives."
"You leave me in a simple position, Kaven. Repent your actions. Surrender yourself to Iomadaes judgment and you may yet live. Or do not and die. Do not give falsehoods, Iomadae will see the truth and I will know what to do next.
Now, I ask you, are you willing to repent for your actions?!"
He tries to repent- to declare willingness to cast his old life to the fire, to throw everything away and be reborn.
But Wyam's magic stills his tongue as he tries to falsely forswear his old drives, his old loves, his old sins.
Repentance is not for everyone.
"Iomadae sees the truth in your heart. The words you cannot speak are proof enough. There is no need for either Jakardos or Vale to stain their hands with the blood of one of their former brothers in arms. I will be your executioner instead."
Drawing his blade, Wyam readies the blade above the man.
"If you believe in any gods, now is your time to pray to them."
Whether the man prayed, cried, or shouted curses, the blade stroke would fall.
He whispers for his mother.
Jakardros and Vale join Wyam in burying the body.
The fort awaits.
"What an unfortunate turn of events. At least now you know who the traitor was. Still that leaves us with the rest of Fort Rannick to clear out. That was hopefully a good chunk of their forces, it should be considerably easier to assault.
If anyone was hurt let me know now. If not then we'll move to attack again. If there's any Ogres guarding the gate Fearghus and I can strike them down like we did the first time. After that we can secure the bridge and the rest of you can follow in. Then we'll begin scouring the Fort until we find them all. Does everyone agree?"
Reynard checks himself over and then shakes his head. "I'm fine. Let's do this."
"Do we have need to keep the fort intact?" Spectrum asked. "Do we suspect more victims within?"
[ooc]Any other planning to do?
Jakardros shrugs. "Ogres haven't taken prisoners before... and we saw many of our brothers fall in the battle."
"I can block both the gates to prevent escape. We can enter through one of the other passages. The aerie would be my choice."
Wyam nodded. "In that case, Spectrum, let's do it your way."
"Another charge then? Taking care of that force we lured here was easy enough but I would still advise being careful. After all, they've felled an entire fortress so they must have more than those dumb brutes in store."
"Of course we'll be careful but when they attacked the fort they had surprise on their side. With the group of strong wizards like this they won't be able to use their numbers very effectively. Also if it comes to one on one combat, I should be able to handle most things.
"Remember the clock tower. Overconfidence had us nearly undone. We need more information about what we will be facing. Isme, can you reconnoiter the fort, please?"
"Certainly." Isme bows, one wing held over her chest, the gesture a playful mocking that retains a sharp edge. "Reynard, you're a rogue as well. Would you accompany me to the edge of the fort as a spotter? It would be good practice in working together. I can also turn invisible and scout the insides through the aerie if I can't get enough information outside."
Spectrum drifted down and touched ground on the road. "We shall wait nearby."
He handed Reynard an elven signal horn. "If there is unexpected trouble, let us know."
The trick to understand Fort Rannick is in the name; it's a fort. Not some wizardly sealed necropolis, not a tomb-pyramid of some long-dead king. It's a simple collection of stone walls and iron bars in a strategically promising section of the country, manned by men who'd lay down their lives rather than let invaders move past and harm their families.
In essence- it proves as hard to get into as a grandmother's old lockbox for the quick-eyed intelligent raven.
With Reynard watching for moving ogres, Isme speeds around the complex on ebony wings. Most of the buildings haven't fared well during and after the attack- cracks are everywhere, windows still open, chimneys abandoned in favor of outdoor cooking fires. The raven is almost never spotted, and when she is, a few seconds of pecking at the dirt is enough to distract any attention other than an annoyed wave for her to 'git.' She's unable to examine the waterfall cave- the rushing water proves too strong for her small frame.
Eventually, she spies her entrance- beyond the courtyard wall, an inner door left open by the brutish ogres. A few others doors block her way but, listening for patrols, she easily makes her way past them.
Peering into rooms through keyholes where she can and avoiding trouble, she eventually makes her escape, returning to the party.
Reynard nods to Isme. "Certainly." Following the raven, Reynard approaches close enough to see the Fort, but not close enough to run real risk of detection.
Isme arrives back with Reynard to the others and goes in-depth with what she saw, using Prestidigitation to make crude maps to support her point before ending with, "There's only appearance to go on unless you'd like me to go for a deeper probe. The individuals that look different enough should be treated with caution. I didn't see any prisoners but they may be deeper in a door I didn't open."