The Chief Defender listens with interest to the halfling's tale. At the conclusion, she sits silent for a minute processing all she has heard. "No worries, Falric, I would not let my racial makeup prejudice my ability to keep this town safe. On the other hand, Trunau is a town of 780 souls, with about 10% of them half-orcs. I cannot stir a racial war against my kind to find 5-7 souls hiding in town. At least I cannot do so in good conscience just on your word. It seems this Daktani is the key to uncovering this conspiracy you have laid out. As you said, High Priestess Tyrari Varvatos can glean information from the traitor with her divine magic, but she will need to pray for it, so we may not have answers until tomorrow. I will send word for her to be ready tomorrow. Until then, I will put the militia on higher alert than we are already on, due to the fog that has covered the region since the night of the Hopeknife Ceremony. They will also be on the lookout for suspicious half-orcs as well. We can hold Daktani on the kidnapping charge, an offense punishable by death, until we can interrogate him thoroughly tomorrow. As for the threat of invasion, every Trunauan lives with that fear every day of our lives but we will be ready for it if and when it comes. I thank you and your band for your efforts in investigating Rodrik's death. Though not sanctioned by me, I can see you have uncovered much and we gladly welcome your efforts should the invasion you describe come to pass."
Halgra listens to any other comments you may have and then excuses herself as she needs to be present for Rodrik's funeral, which is in a couple of hours at sundown. You are also free to attend the funeral.
"Does the High Priestess have a regiment of guards? Something makes me worry for her safety. Something strange is going on here and I'd be sure she is kept safe from any possible attacks this evening."
"We kin offer t' stay at th' temple this night if Tyrari desires. Tho' she's got 'er paladins, so may be we do more good keepin' our ears open somewhere else."
Morti also suggests continuing to ask around about the white markings--now that Daktani has suggested something of interest to the orcs may be hidden in one of those places, one of the town's dignitaries may have an idea of what?
The Chief Defender smiles, "I would not worry about Tyrari, she can handle herself. Plus, she has her acolytes in the Church to protect her."
Unfortunately, Elisen cannot recall anything of significant importance about the town of Trunau that would warrant such special treatment, but she is eager to learn about it. The Chief Defender also has no clue what the half-orcs could be searching for. She invites you the following morning to be present for the questioning of the prisoner given your assistance in capturing him.
She escorts you out of your home, where you head off to the Ramblehouse to the rest your tired bones. Before you do so, you stop by Brinya's home and give her Rodrik's true Hopeknife. Tears flow as she thanks you. A few hours later, feeling refreshed, you gather for the solemn ceremony of burying Patrol Captain Rodrik Grath. Kurst is there, as is Brinya, who looks stronger with Rodrik's Hopeknife and her own hanging together on her neck. Rodrik and the Chief Defender say good things about the type of Captain and brother he was. Kurst especially acknowledges the party's role in solving his brother's murder. When a small crowd is gathered, Rodrik is given a Viking funeral and burned in a pyre.
After the solemn ceremony, you retire to the Church or the Ramblehouse, wherever you are staying for the night. Tyrari welcomes you there if that is your choice. You rest and recover spells and feel stronger as the night progresses until you lay your head on the pillow, taking precautions that no other assassins try to claim your lives in the middle of the night. Your eyes close and you dream...
Until your peaceful sleep is shattered by the brazen calls of signal horns! Shouts and screams from the town’s lower quarter join the clamor. You quickly hurry outside as do other citizens from the nearby buildings, worried looks on their faces, just in time to witness a crash as an airborne boulder smashes into one of the guard towers. The screaming deaths of militia falling to their deaths from the heights of the Tower can be heard through the night! Trunau is under attack!
Eli wakes with a start, having no idea about what was happening. Once she got her bearings, she quickly cast Mage Armor on Falric and herself. "Is this the attack we were warned about? We have to save the town!"
"One thing tha' Daktani wasn' lyin' about--th' invasion bein' soon!" Morti grumbles, grabbing his mail with one hand while rubbing his eyes with the other. "Can anybody see 'em? Which way're they comin' from?"
"Thanks for the buff, Elly. Seems like this is the attack Daktani mentioned. Guess they're attacking in the middle of the night where their darkvision gives the orcs the advantage." Falric peers through the night with his low-light vision. "The Towers are all in the lower quarter, so that must be where the attack is." Falric looks back at his companions donning their armor and smiles. "Why can't you all be unarmored like me and Elly? Elly help Cabe, while I help Morti here don his armor." We try to flag down an acolyte to help Barundar as well.
"Trus' me, ahm as sorry t' be late t' th' battle as ye are, my friend. But if we're t' be dancin' wi' trolls all night, I wan' t' make sure ahm properly dresst."
Two minutes later, the party fully armored steps into the streets on Trunau. The tension on your fellow citizens' faces is evident as they all have unlatched their hopeknives from their necks and appear ready to use them on orcs or on themselves if the situation calls for it.
You suddenly see a mounted Kurst Grath gallop toward your location. He calls out to you, "My friends, you are honorary members of the militia. We need your help! My father is rallying the soldiers. The orcs have used the cover of the fog and have mounted a surprise attack on the front gates. I am rushing there now to help repel the invaders. But some of them have broken through. If we are going to have any hope in this battle, we're going to need lights in order to see. In the dark, the orcs have all the advantage. Here's where you come in. Light the three beacons set up across town: at the Commons, the Inner gates, and the Hopespring beacon. The fires from those beacons will aid us during this dark night. If you see local villagers in trouble in the Upper Quarter, tell them to seek refuge at the Longhouse to rally with the other defenders. If you come across any orcs, kill them and try to save as many people as you can. We're counting on you!" Unless stopped, Kurst rides off toward the front gates.
Morti loads his crossbow, to be ready for a shot at any orcs that approach. "Eli, Cabe, ye need light, but best t' put it on somethin' ye can hide if need be. We probably need haste mor'n stealth if we're t' help the militia, though. Barundar 'n I can take the lead; Falric might escape notice if he brings up our tail?"
Unless any dissent is heard, the dwarf will set out at a trot towards the first beacon.
Cabe casts Light on a coin that can be palmed if necessary and sets off.
Eli follows the group to the closest beacon, worried about their ability to hold the town against gods know how many enemies.
You head to the Commons, the amphitheater well known to you by now. You see the beacon in the center that you have to light: a 10-foot-wide pyramid of wood and kindling. However, your attention is drawn to another matter, as you see a mob of villagers with torches and clubs surrounding a woman. As you approach, you hear the leader yell, "This is all your fault, you and yer mangy kind. The orc blood in you rots your soul, Abadar says! All you have done is brought war and death, you filthy half-breed bi*ch! Maybe it is time yer kind is put to suffer so the orcs know we means bizness!" He looks to the crowd of about 10 angry villagers for affirmation and they scream "Yeah!" As you approach the crowd, you recognize the woman in the center of the mob is none other than Brinya! The man accosting her is dressed in priestly robes and wears a holy symbol of Abadar. He and the crowd are all humans and it looks like the situation can escalate to violence quickly!
Falric sees the look of fear in Brinya's face and he rushes in to halt the crowd. "Wait a second, people. You're freaking out here, control yourselves. Fear makes you do strange things, but the enemies are at our gate, not here. Brinya is one of you, she has toiled and suffered will all of you. She runs a boarding house for the less fortunate. The enemy is outside the gates trying to kill you. Focus on that! Defend against that! And you priest, you should be healing the militia on the front lines not terrorizing young women. You should be ashamed. Leave and go make Abadar proud!"
It seems the crowd is not impressed with the halfling's words. "You know nothing, munchkin! We saw you and your friends hanging around this half-breed's place of business! You are all just orc lovers!" The crowd starts chanting "ORC LOVERS! ORC LOVERS! PUT THEM ALL DOWN!" The human priest also chastises Falric, "How dare you question me, Baseil? You do not know the will of Abadar! And he wishes for me to cleanse Trunau of all orc blood, starting with her!" Baseil threateningly waves his club and his torch at Brinya. Her look of terror is apparent, as the mob surrounds her.
Eli starts casting a Hypnotism spell, hoping to avoid any violence. "Hey, look over here. Foget her....tell me how neat this trick is!"
Total hit dice affected
As some of the villagers turn away in response to Elisen's spell, Morti slings his crossbow to his back and marches up to Baseil.
"P'raps ye misunderstand. We been deputized by th' Chief Defender an' given two orders. T' light th' beacons so th' milita can fight, but first tha' no citizens be harmed fer reason o' their parentage. If ye threaten this woman, ye interfere with the defense of the town."
Dropping to a low growl and bumping his chest up against the other man, he continues, "So unless ye mean to be committin' treason--an' losin' your life--ye'd best take these people an' make yerself scarce." Hopin' only he heard the direct threat. Give him a chance to act like he made the decision to back down himself -- last thing we need is bloodshed amongst ourselves before the orcs even get in th' gate!
"I'd be listenin' to me brother if I were ye! Ye've got bigger problems coming down the pipe and Brinya's been no part of any of your problems! I dinnae which Abadar ye be followin' but I dinnae think 'e condones murder by mob! Now BACK OFF, THE LOT O' YE!" he suddenly shouts loudly, lifting the chain of his weapon as if ready to defend Brinya with violence if it was needed!
Baseil looks into Morti's cold eyes close up and sees the seriousness and intent of the inquisitor before him and he feels fear like he never has in his life before. He stutters and stammers, as tears flow, "I...I........I.....I'm sorry, so sorry...no problem with half-orcs... please don't hurt me. Abadar, please save me!" Baseil nods his head at Morti and runs for his life!
Eight of the ten villagers are entranced by Elly's show. Two strong willed individuals want to cause trouble, but after seeing Baseil flee for his life and Barundar's show of force, they run for the hills as well! When Elly's hypnotism wears off, the remaining villagers, a little confused, remember the invasion, forget about Brinya and head for safety.
Brinya thanks you all once again for interceding and saving her life, especially Morti. She looks at the dwarf and unclasps Rodrik's blade from around her neck. With tears in her eyes, she speaks from the heart. "I know that I will carry Rodrik's love in my heart always and I think this blade will serve you better in the upcoming battle better than it could me. I put the blade on his pyre at Rodrik's funeral but I sensed it called me after the fire's embers died down. I believe the blade now carries a part of Rodrik's spirit bonded in love. Please use it and save Trunau." She hands over the blade to Morti and the party. You can now see that the fire-blackened blade of this hopeknife bears the inscription “my love” in stark silver and glows with light. Elly and any of the spellcasters in the party can tell the blade detects as magical.
"Ahm glad ye were no' harmed here, nor any else - there'll be enough pain this night as is." Morti takes a knee and bows his head, accepting the knife. "Miz Brinya, ahm honored t' accept this trust from ye. Rodrik gave 'is life t' fight this invasion, an' I will see tha' task complete."
While we wait for Elly to identify the dagger, Falric borrows one of the villager's torches and lights the beacon and then returns it. "One down, two to go."
Elisen scans the dagger and determines the following about it:
With the beacon lit, where do you head? The Inner Gates are the closest.
"That Dagger is really powerful. Rodrik's spirit is in there, and he means for that to be used to get revenge! Take it, and let's get out of here. We still have two beacons to fire up."
Brinya bids you farewell and rushes off to safety, while you all have a job to do. You head off to the Inner Gates, where you find a contingent of guards, about 8 in total, who raise the portcullis allowing you to enter the Inner Quarter through the Eastern Gate, shutting it after you enter. The guards there look tired from battle, with blood and grime covering their faces and weapons. One of the men addresses you, "Name's Drummond. It looks there were saboteurs hiding in the building in the Inner Quarter that ambushed the guards and allowed the orcs into the quarter through the western gates. We've been ordered to hold this point and not let any orc pass further into the town. If you're going in there, be careful. The enemy is afoot and we have civilians in there, and my men have wanted to rush in when we hear screams to help, but we have to think of the bigger picture. We can't let the enemy get past here. Do the best you can." You sense conflicting frustration and sense of duty in the guard captain. There are clear signs of buildings on fire, smoke in the air choking you a little, and dead bodies on the ground. It looks like war and it looks like you're on your own.
Falric sees the fear and concern in the guards' eyes. "Stand your post, men. We will clear this Quarter out and put to death any saboteurs/orcs we find and save as many as we can." He conjures Dancing Lights and leads the party through the Quarter, scimitar in hand.
As you wind your way through the war-torn district, you navigate through burning rubble, obstructed pathways, and half-destroyed buildings. About a block from Drummond's guards, you find a make-shift barricade covered in the spilled blood of raiders and innocents alike, and several victims of the bloody fight are strewn about the ground north of the barricade. You hear noise and bustle coming from inside, where you see acolytes from Sanctuary have set up a small medical station behind the barricade here. The clerics are busily tending to injured militia members, most young men less than 20 years, and townsfolk, and appear to have no time to talk with you, other than to tell you that if you find any injured townsfolk in the inner quarter, you should bring the wounded back here to receive medical attention.
Eli nods at the medical station. "Good to know! Let's get it on with it then," she calls out to her friends, waiting for one of them to take the lead.
"We might look t' move them inside th' upper gate once we finish wi' th' beacons. Can't imagine they're safe fer too much longer out here." comments Morti as he jogs after Falric.
"Aye, good an idea as ony! I think we wull see plenty o' action tonight, regardless!" Barundar answers, following closely behind.
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You forge on ahead further into the Quarter. The stench of death hangs over a small square in Trunau’s inner quarter. Bodies of all kinds—orcs and humans, men and women, children and the elderly—lie scattered across the cobblestones where they fell. Veins of watery blood crawl from the base of the well in the center of the square, spreading from the limp body of a slain Trunauan guard draped over the side of the well.
From the east, you hear a woman's screams of help from a burning building. Long flames lick the walls of this sizeable house, and burning beams crumble to the ground beneath the weight of the sagging roof. Though the front entrance remains accessible for now, the conflagration rages beyond control, threatening the lives of the residents that might be trapped inside.
Cabe recognizes the house as that belonging to Sara Morninghawk!
Cabe throws caution to the wind and rushes into the burning building.
"Cabe, that's not the best plan," Eli calls out, not at all surprised that her words had no effect on the man. She looked around, wanting to be sure this was not a trap, while the others decided whether or not to follow Cabe.
Perception
His companion rushing by, heedless of the danger, Barundar curses in the dwarven tongue. "I dinnae think there was a plan, but noo 'e needs our hulp!" he answers, moving into the building after Cabe.
"Eli, ye an' Falric keep a watch out 'ere, mebbe? Don' wan' any sneakin' up on us," says Morti, rushing after Cabe and Barundar. we need t' get on t' th' beacons--but no way we could expect th' man t' do otherwise. Best just make sure we all make it back out.
With the screams, crackling cinders, and smoke from the fire, you are oblivious to the events outside.
Meanwhile, as Falric and Elise watch the cleric and two dwarves brave the fire, the halfling's keen senses detect danger as three orcs armed with greataxes step into the halfling's low-light view, about 30' away, well within charging distance.
"We got company, Elly. Try to Daze one of them and I will distract them." With that, Falric strides toward the flat-footed orcs until he reaches the closest one and strikes at it, fighting defensively. "Bad move invading my auntie's town!"
Eli casts Daze, much as the halfling had requested her to do. She targets the closest, one, hoping to provide Falric some cover for the round.
Unprepared for a gust of smoke that catches him in the face, Morti is overcome by a coughing fit and stumbles back outside, becoming vaguely aware of the hulking shapes of the orcs as his vision clears.
The closest orc is completely mesmerized by Elisen's spell and loses his train of thought, as he just stands there drooling.
Falric's blow scratches but fails to penetrate the orcs' leather armor. They smile deviously, revealing their sharpened tusks! "Death to ya little freak!" They bring their greataxes down on the "freak", but the halfling dodges their telegraphed swings with such ease, it only angers the orcs more.
Morti stumbles out of the burning house, his face flushed while he suffers from a coughing fit.
Cabe is overcome by the smoke and stumbles out of the building.
Barundar's dwarven senses are too tough even for the fire and he is able to resist the effects of the smoke.
Falric continues to fight defensively and strikes out with his scimitar:
Eli picks out another of the orcs and Dazes yet again.
Falric's blow is true and draws blood and would have killed a normal soldier, but due to the orc's ferocity, it still stands, though it is staggered.
Barundar resists the effects of the smoke and sees a human woman screaming for help, tears in her eyes, as she tries to pull an unconscious Sara Morninghawk who is trapped under a beam that fell on her. "Please help! She is unconscious and dying. Help me with this beam!" The fire is getting hotter and threatens to engulf the house in minutes, so you must act quickly to save her. The woman is trying to lift the heavy beam by herself but it is apparent that she will not succeed without help.
round 2
Catching his breath, Morti looks up at the orcs, grunting, "awful timin'"" before charging at one with his axe.
Morti rushes up and unleashes a terrible blow that would have killed a lesser creature, but the orc still stands!