Gromff stares at the city with a sour look. "We'll give em till noon tomorrow. Don't like how long its takin but don't want to make things worse if'n they're in a delicate situation. Might be followin a lead. Might not." He talks as if he is unsure of his own decision but he feels that it is the right call for now. Both have proven resourceful and wise when in danger, for the most part. He trusted them to come back.
Miro grins up at the 'old' woman, nodding. Curling up like a child, he keeps his keen eyes open for trouble.
|
Before they emerge in the road, Catcher will look around and see if there’s anyone watching them, however she knows that her eyes aren’t trained for those kind of things, then she’ll whisper to Miro ”Is there anyone watching us?”
Catcher takes Miro hat of disguise, putting it on her head, and using it to change her appearance once more.
The round, sunken woman gives place to a soon-to-be-adult, barely out-of-teenage male youngster, with short black her, black eyes, dressed in traveling clothes, to match his companion Halfling.
Catcher does nothing but keep walking down the dark alley. Eventually the illusion will fade and she’ll return to her blood smeared clothes and the glass cut on her arms and face.
As they reach the street, Catcher is unsure of what to do, if leaving is an option or if they should wait morning. However she stick to what was decided earlier, and go looking for an Inn, where they could rest for the night.
Assuming the mysterious benefactor doesn't make another appearance, Miro will graciously allow Catcher to borrow his hat of disguise, since no one in town has seen him 'as-is'. "Well that was exciting, eh? Ready to go pound some ales?"
Tessandriel looks skeptically at the city.
"I don't like cities. Too crowded for my taste, and it is harder for me to focus in such places. If it's all the same I'd rather stay here for now. I'm going to check the perimeter."
Keeping to a circular pattern, Tessandriel stealthily moves along the outer edge of the farm to make sure they are not surprised by anyone or anything.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Tessandriel goes for a long walk around this burnt farm in an attempt to stay one step ahead of possible dangers. Luckily the only suspicious findings are the large clawed footprints that surely belonged to the bearded devil, and the pair of boot prints that must belong to its companions seen earlier that day. A large portion of the farm's crops have been consumed by the blaze. The barn and farmhouse have crumbled into a heap of broken timber and embers.
Catcher and Miro find another inn a few blocks away called The Sword and Board. It isn't quite as bustling as the previous, but the ale is good and the food is adequate. Four town guards interrupt the pleasant atmosphere by rudely bursting through the doors and trying to intimidate everyone they rest eyes upon. They slowly cross the barroom floor, looking for ...someone. One of the guards asks the innkeep if she's see anyone that matches old-man Miro and Catcher's description. She shakes her head and before too long the guards move along, leaving the inn at peace once again.
The innkeep explains that all their rooms are full, but she'll let you stay on the common room floor for a gold piece, each. After the initial shock at the price for a dirty spot of floor, you realize that space must truly be at a premium.
To everyone, inside the city and out,
The next day dawns dark and cold. The smell of ashes and smoke hang thick in the air, and the morning sun is blocked by thick clouds. The late fall wind is prevalent and gives a chill down to your bones.
Miro yawns and rises with the new day. His nose wrinkles at the smell of ash, and he quickly gathers his things, shaking the wizard awake, as well. "Let's get out of here while we can." He whispers.
Roland didn't sleep well. He's got a bad impression about this, and it is related to the city. They are taking too long to come back, and he has made countless hypotheses on why hadn't they come back, yet. His favorite bet would be that they were not allowed to leave the inside of the city, which would be the reason why the farmer would be "smuggling" people out of town.
"Something is not right Tess... We will need to come inside, so don't disappear..."
Catcher and Miro make it back to the city gates where they entered the city. There are groups of guards (none of which look familiar from last night's excitement) who search and question those who are wanting to leave the city. They remove clothing from most of these folks, unflinchingly and without regard to modesty, looking for tattoos or possibly other marks. Other guards go through the bags, pouches and any carried items. A robed...woman...for lack of a better term, stands among the intrusive guards. She would appear to be human except for her scaly crimson skin--similar to Grolmgor's half-red face. She is a particularly homely plump woman, and her robes remind you of the priestess Karaxa back in Sojourn. (dark blood-red robe of fine quality, trimmed with silver thread and buttons...)
She seems to be using some benign magic over those people being searched by the guards. Catcher and Miro both recognize the spell as detect magic. Flanking the gates are two purplish-red bearded devils heavily armored in black mail.
The pair of you are far enough back from the gates that you haven't yet joined the queue of the departing. No one has paid particular attention to you, yet. ...as far as you know.
While you observe and weigh your next actions, your ears nearly split from a sudden burst of sound coming from beyond the city walls... some sort of roar. People all around you cover their ears and wear concerned, frightened visages. After the roar ceases, a bestial voice yells out...
Tess, Roland, Gromff,
It was a cold night but you all managed to get in a night's sleep. Your breakfast is finished and camp broken, and still Miro and Catcher haven't returned. It is still early though, close to 10 or 11 am.
The sky is dark with thick clouds and remnant smoke. In the distance farther upriver, an large ominous figure flies out of the clouds, seemingly approaching the city. Close behind it are nearly a dozen smaller winged companions of similar shape. As they draw nearer and after close observation, there can be no doubt that it is a green dragon of considerable size surrounded by a host of smaller drakes and/or possibly young dragons... the distance makes it hard to distinguish the smaller ones. The winged monsters land in a wheat field a few hundred yards from the sturdy stone bridge that links Sweetwaters to this side of the river.
The great green raises its maw to the sky and releases a staggering shout, ringing out across the farmlands like a dozen giant brass horns blown by a dozen giants. The creature ceases its roar, and yells out a single drawn out word...
"Crap, get down!" Roland gestures the others to get down in the tall grass, trying not to be seen in the distance. "Mother-freaking-Dragon!!"
Gromff can only utter a single word to describe the scene. A dwarven word that has no direct translation because even foul-mouthed dwarves think it a vile word. Rough though it means, "F&ck".
"Let's pull the wagon off the best we can and hide it. We need to get into that city now and we need to find the others. Let's go find that hidden tunnel." With speed not normally scene in a dwarf, Gromff races for the wagon and pulls it off the road to hide it. Using limbs or the tents and dirt, he tries to cover it quickly with the others help. Then he heads back to the barn to search for a way into the city.
Roland helps the clumsy dwarf in doing that, then tries to see what's happening at the gates. Who will they bring? Don't let it be Catcher!
"If the dragon is really fond of children, both Catcher and Miro are screwed!"
|
|
Catcher do not know why, but for some reason she is pissed off!
I am not a kid! she thinks, but don’t know why she thought of that.
Down in the line, she does her best, in her boyish disguise to don’t look as frightened as she is. At the sight of the mage, the first thing she remembers is the bull-sh$t-talking elf How dare him to suggest that she might like that brute of a barbarian? and she is glad, because even tho she don’t know the Halfling that well, she knows that he’ll not arrogantly joke with their enemy.
Then the roar and the tribute demanding yell, to what she does… nothing, but to wait and see how things unfold.
Miro is torn inside. He REALLY wants to see whatever that was up close. It was almost an obsessive pull. The small, rational part of his brain advises him against this for several reasons.
First of all, they were searching people at the gate, quite thoroughly and magically.
Second of all, whatever would come to a large city and demand tribute was probably not something he would like to encounter.
Lastly, he is curious as to what will happen next.
Unless Catcher strongly advises differently, he will take a wait and see approach, although he will take an opportunity to get through the gate if it seems to be less than adequately observed in the chaos sure to follow.
Aersensi covers hear ears and screams out loud when the dragon roars. Afterwards her tears don't stop coming for several minutes. From their position in the tall grass per Roland's suggestion, Walker stays near her. He pats her back and tries to comfort her, but meets with limited success.
Gromff makes an executive decision and calls for everyone to get up and going. He and his friends park the wagon behind an abandoned shed near the road, effectively covering it with tarp, tent and dirt, making it hard to distinguish from a distance. Heading back to the ruined farm with the intent of finding the tunnel in the barn, the group meets with the daunting task of removing the still-hot remains of the collapsed barn. With the dwarf's divine resistance to heat, he takes it upon himself to hand the most dangerous bits. Roland and Tessandriel and close at hand to bear the heavy loads not still made of hot coals. But the heroes are up to the task.
By the grace of Moradin the group started clearing debris from the closest side of the barn to the secret tunnel's entrance. After only about an hour, many splinters and more than a few burns for Roland and Tess, a thick wooden plank cellar-style door is found. Opening it reveals a dark but well designed passage way leading straight down for 25 feet. Iron rungs lining the wall make for a sturdy ladder.
A short bit of chaos erupts at the gates after the dragon arrived outside on the field. Dragon? Yes, Miro and Catcher hear people say the word when talking of this sudden noise and request for tribute. This must have happened before, based on their reactions. Several men, women and children begin screaming. Some run this way, some that way. The gate guards--human and devil alike--wear looks of unease and fear.
The chubby red priestess mounts a nearby horse and rides hard into the city. As she leaves she turns her head and barks to her men, "Hold the gate, let no one in or out!"
About ten minutes later a half a dozen large wagons pulled by oxen ride into the square where the exit-queue awaits. Several are laden with barrels and crates, while others hold live sheep and swine. More guards come onto the scene, pouring into the square from every visible lane. Some have squirming young children in tow, with hysterical sobbing parents close behind. A guards near to Catcher grabs a child from the family who waits in line with you. When the child's father tries to stop, he is clubbed and beaten into submission by more nearby thuggish guards. Similar scenes of snatch-and-grab occur before Catcher and Miro's eyes multiple times in the coming minutes.
The children's hands are tied, and are placed into the back of two empty wagons. Miro notices that each and every child is handled with care, and not a one is struck, beaten or abused.
When all of the dragon's tribute has been loaded, the gate hinges whine and open wide to make way for the wagon train.
Miro looks crestfallen at the scene unfolding before him. The scramble to appease the dragon with food he might even find amusing, under other circumstances, but the sight of the child-snatching wrenches at him. He is wise enough to understand that to resist at this point would result in a needless beating or death for himself and Catcher, so instead he takes the opportunity to slip through the crowd, away from the gate, tugging incessantly at Catcher as he does so.
Gromff notices the rings glow and the fact that his resistance to fire is still working he points this out to Roland as they work and Tessandriel when they meet up to watch the dragon. Maybe theirs have also changed. "Can ye tell what's going on?" he asks the half-elf.
Tessandriel watches intensely as the scene unfolds. Other than the obvious dragon, she tries to notice anything else that might get lost when such a creature shows up. She does this as stealthily as she can as she does not want everyone discovered.
Tessandriel positively identifies the winged creatures that accompany the dragon as drakes, not dragons. There are forest, fire, swamp, and even a frost drake among them. The only true dragon is the towering green, standing tall and proud. Their attention seems to be aimed squarely at the city itself, and they don't pay the slightest attention to the fleeing commonfolk on the road.
Tess also spots several laden wagons pouring out of the city. It is difficult to see what cargo they hold but there are 6 distinct wagons. They cross the bridges over the running river, then turn off the road into the field where the dragon stands waiting.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The dragon begins eating the sheep and pigs with gusto. In the end they amounted to a few mouthfuls, nothing more. It then begins to inspect the children closely, craning it neck at various angles to get every possible view. Suddenly the beast straightens up, and with a leap and a single mighty flap of its wings it glides over to the city gate. Its huge frame dwarfs the gate it stands near; its long neck mocks the security of the walls as it peers over with ease. Its angry voice carries for the entire party to hear, inside and outside of the city-- "You have been told not to harm the children or their parents. This does not please me. You will pay for your insolence!"
The green maw opens wide and releases a rush of green poisonous gas, flooding the gate area with death. Like a crane snatching a fish, it thrusts downward and comes up with a red devil in its jaws. With a snap of its neck it flings the devil's limp form a hundred yards or more, splashing into the river.
The dragon walks back to the wagons, slowly, confidently. The captured children must have been tied together in a particular manner, because the dragon manages to pick up two wagonloads full of them in its mouth, hanging by a rope latticework. With children dangling, it grabs another wagon in its giant claws, and lifts into the air. All of the drakes follow suit, and within minutes they're nearly gone into the morning clouds west of the city.
Tess, Gromff, Roland,
You see a nasty green cloud hovering around the city gate, slowly dissipating into the wind.
Miro and Catcher,
You see the gate contingent of guards and devils are completely wiped out. Several dozen corpses litter the area, surrounded by a dissipating green cloud of death. The city gates remain open.
"By the Nine Hells, what just happened?"
Miro does not waste time questioning his good fortune, reversing track and walking as quickly as possible for the gates, Catcher in tow. He will discretely cast detect magic on the guards as he passes, snatching any magical goodies if the opportunity presents itself.
"First it grabbed a devil and flung it into the river. I don't know if it is dead. Then it breathed something green at the gates and killed some people there, it looks like they were guards."
She looks back at the dragon.
"I don't like this, but at this point we are better served staying here and waiting for Catcher and Miro to return. We can't all die now. I'll keep watch in the meantime."
"Oh, and the large green one is a dragon while the rest are drakes of varying elements."
Miro and Catcher, among several other people with the same idea, make a break for the open gate. The ground is littered with sizzling corpses with very little flesh remaining, still emitting smoke and steam into the cold morning air. The guards' arrogant hateful looks have been replaced with silly macabre skull grins.
To Miro's surprise and delight, his detect magic spell highlights multiple glowing auras over the dead. Apparently some of the soldiers/guards were well equipped. Miro finds: 3 magic shortswords, 2 magic spears, and 1 magic set of chainmail. The items seemed to have escaped most of the damage received by their previous owners.
The chainmail took the longest to recover, but after a couple minutes the pair have magic arms and armor in hand, and have left the city behind them.
The long bridges seemed twice as long this time around. Adrenaline is pumping through your veins and your ears thrum with your heartbeats. The acrid smell of that dragon's breath is still prevalent in your nostrils, even as you arrive back to your friends up the road.
"There ye are!" Gromff cries as the two finally join back up. "What the devil happened in there? No. Nevermind. Back to the camp first."
Well satisfied with his and Catcher's looting, Miro pants as he muscles everything over the bridge to meet up with the others. He laughs at Catcher's comment, shrugging his shoulders.
"I agree with Gromff. Let us make haste. We can exchange stories later."
Miro walks quickly to keep pace with the others, saving his breath for a time when he can slow down. When they do, he starts speaking, "It was kind of crazy in there! They have this cool arena, and the champions were almost duplicates of you two, Gromff & Roland! They fought, and Gromff killed Roland. I mean fake Roland, not real Roland, since you are obviously still alive and perfectly fine. Then Catcher flashed some gold and some thugs tried to chase us and then we ran to the top of the Inn and leaped out a window! Then some little person helped us to safety. Oh yeah, I think there's an underground resistance in the city! Then we tried to get out, but they were searching everyone, so we were turning back, then the dragon killed all the guards, then we went back out again. What have you guys been doing?"
"Ye all look alike ta me too. And all that's real nice but what about transport across the river? Dinnea think I needed to tell ye to check for that. And did ye happen to get what I needed to make our weapons and armor better? Thought not. At least we found another way in. We'll show ye tomorrow. Best wait for things to cool off in there."
|
|
Yeah, I know Gromff, but the dwarf was named Gromk Hammerhand, does the name rings a bell? asks the mage, but before the dwarf can answer, she continues ”We can use that avenue to enter the city with our things. Say, we are a team adventure team, to compete in the arena.” she says removing the hat and turning to her normal appearance again.
Miro listens to Catcher, his brow furrowing in consternation. Did she not see the large man get his skull split open in the arena!? Competing at those stakes was certainly not Miro's idea of a good time.
"What's with all the smoke?"
"Cousin Gromkk? What's he doing here?" Gromff says, taking a pensive look. He shakes his head though and continues. "Bah. Nevermind. Ain't got nothing ta say ta that overzealous fool. If he's in the Arena we need ta stay as far away from there as possible. The smoke is from some summoned fire creature was runnin amok on a farm. Its where we found the tunnel into the city. Dragons, devils and me cousin. That town is crazier than a bearded gnome. Faster we get through it and away the better. Let's just give it a day and see what happens tomorrow." Even though it was early, all the weird happenings and overload of information was tiring.
If the others agree, Gromff heads back to where the wagon is hidden and begins to set up camp. At some point he will ask Catcher to check his and perhaps everyone's rings to see if they have changed as well as the new gear.
|
|
"We may be able to enter. But how are you planning to leave? They search everyone leaving, magic using included. " says the mage
-Posted with Wayfinder
"If there are secret ways in, there have to be secret ways out the other side. Or we can just wing it, again." Miro grins at the wizard.
"Personally, I'd like to investigate this 'consortium'. They seem as though they can be possible allies, and we can use all the allies we can get." The halfling looks at the others to gauge their reactions.
|
|
After hearing about the dwarf request, Catcher goes about trying to identify the magical properties from the items they got from the guards, and inspecting the rings to see if anything changed.
Meanwhile, he contemplates how to punish the Halfling, because punishment he earned. Again, unconsciously she finds herself petting the purple snake, that she was not able to give it a name. That certainly deserved some thought, but there are more important things to do.
”Hey, Miro, I think we forgot to tell you…, but we are part of the Consortium too. Our mission is to rescue the Walker, and take him somewhere safe…” she realizes then that, that is the answer! The consortium! ”Gromff, there are consortium agents in the city, one of them helped us escape capture by the city guards, If they are in, they must certainly know a way out!”
Gromff perks up at the mention of the Consortium. "Aye. That they might. Guess that'll be our first objective then."
Miro nods in approval.
Catcher,
You positively identify the permanent magical aura on one of the shortswords as a classic +1 enchantment. Though many of your other attempts at identification didn't yield the results you wanted, you can compare the auras on the other swords and spears and see that they're identical.
You positively identify the magical aura on the suit of chainmail also as the classic +1 and you believe the enchantment allows for automatic resizing to the owner
Miro is not interested in the weapons or armor, but is certain they will bring in quite a bit of coin or supplies if he can convince the hoarders of the group to relinquish them. A fine haul indeed, for hardly any work at all! It actually kept valuable equipment out of the hands of the enemy.
He feels more himself after a short rest, and is excited at the prospect of re-entering the city.