Niadroub Kliip steps through a dimensional crack in reality, appearing near the fleeing soldier. He raises the wand in his hand and blasts the soldier with a lightning bolt.
As the good turns tail, Vibenia sends a trio of shots weaving through the forest, her bolts veering around trees to strike their target.
Marten uses the brief lull to accept an infusion of cure moderate wounds from Yala.
The party quickly ends the fleeing man.
.
Loot:
+1 longsword (3),
+1 Greatsword (6),
+1 Hide armor (6),
+1 Breastplate (3),
Ring of Protection +1 (6),
Potion of Cure light wounds (12),
Potion of cure serious wounds (3),
Potion of barkskin (6),
617GP.
What are you doing?
Waffles calls down to the prisoners in the pit, switching to telepathy if they can't understand him.
"Hello! If you'd like me to remove this spiked grate," he pauses to suppress a snicker, "before my arcanist returns you to ground level, you'll need to remove any weapons and drop them on the ground! Thank you!"
Niadroub Kliip clarifies their position, "End eef you hed eny weapoons, we'll keel you when we fend them!"
Once the prisoners have divested themselves of weapons, he and Niadroub Kliip will haul the weapons out of the pit with mage hand spells before the pit spell ends and the prisoners (and the charred troll corpses they've been trapped with) are returned to the surface.
Marten wipes down Falling Leaf and says, "If this was just the advance party, the army is going to be a tough nut to crack."
Vibenia maintains her vantage point, crouching silently and surveying the battlefield as they await whatever comes next.
The Prisoners are finally released from the pit once someone translates Niadroub's language to them.
Both are shaken by the experience and look at you warily. The sudden, overwhelming ambush having shocked them.
You hear shouting from the main body back in the forest as they realize something has gone wrong and seem to be forming up to advance as a group.
.
What are you doing now?
"Zel, get Marten patched up. I'm gonna need him watching my back for what I've got in mind. Let's see if the same trick we pulled on those spriggans will work on these sots, too.
Everyone else, get into the surrounding trees and be ready to unleash your usual tricks, but forget stealth. I want you to be as loud and disruptive as possible. We gotta trick these oafs into thinking there's a whole army of us out here."
Colwyn steels his nerve, readying his silver tongue to convince the approaching soldiers that the baron could only have decimated their trolls and vanguard so quickly if he had a sizeable force of troops already positioned between them and Tatzlford.
.
It was a relief that they had successfully taken down the vanguard but the rest of the army was still to come and they did not have the time or the money for her to lay more symbol traps around the area. As the bodies were looted Zelera pulled out a wand and began to heal the injured with it first to conserve badly needed magic fore later.
With the loot distributed and the healing down Valeria assumed a position behind the front line where she could provide support.
The baron places himself out in the open for a change, standing on the opposite side of the stream from the enemies' approach. He wants to give himself some measure of barrier should his plan fail.
Once the next wave of hostile soldiers arrives, Colwyn lays it on thick and attempts to convince the enemies that he has an entire platoon of his own troops strategically positioned among the trees, just waiting to festoon them with deadly arrows.
As the others establish visibility in a show of force, Vibenia maintains her vantage point, maintaining the concealment of her spell as a contingency should the only option be violence.
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Niadroub Kliip stands just behind Colwyn, where he can teleport him to safety should the need arise.
Waffles flits into the trees behind Colwyn. He casts silent image to create the illusion of a long row of archers among the trees, bows drawn and training their weapons on the enemy. While Colwyn bluffs the enemy, he amuses himself by naming each illusion with a ridiculous name, alphabetically.
"Aleutius, Beauchamp, Colwyn, Drivonyal, Ezekiel-- ooh, no, Evanzekiel!, Frank, Garritrude...."
Marten takes up position on Colwyn's right, ready to step in front of the baron and shield him bodily if needed. Yala stays behind him, close to a tree where she can duck for cover if ranged attacks start happening.
A large force emerges warily from the trees, looking at the ambush site with some trepidation. The elimination of the Trolls is a major setback to their attack.
The Mercenaries in particular look ready to withdraw. An attack on a prepared position is not their favorite job.
The Barbarians look angry at the deaths of some of their fellows, but also wary. You've shown you're strong.
The leader, better dressed than the others, but still looking like a porker in finery struts forward, trying to look impressive. .
"What do you think you are doing fool? You dare to stand in the way of the forces of Drelev with your meager militia. Surrender now!"
He's bought your Bluff and is trying to find a way to retreat without looking as if he's chickened out. Also he's hoping to get some information on your troops so he can return without looking like a complete failure.
What are you saying now? The Merc's want to back off. The Barbs would fight, but will leave if ordered. The Bossman is posturing.
Waffles' telepathic and not-at-all-annoying voice resonates in Colwyn's mind.
"My arcanist is pretty sure that guy is ready to poop his pants and run, but he's more afraid of what he'll look like if he's running away. My arcanist thinks you should try and give him an out."
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Colwyn stifles a wolfish grin when he hears Waffles' voice in his mind - a rare case where he's happy for her unsolicited telepathic input.
"You don't have to die, too," Colwyn replies, launching into the second phase of his strategem. "It's not your fault that your master, the lord of Drelev, was fed bad information. Someone deceived him, telling him that his forces would only find a 'meager militia' rather than our professional troops. They wanted him to feed his own forces, you and your dedicated men, into a meat grinder!
"You've lost your vanguard and these trolls - although I think you and I can both agree that those ugly brutes are no terrible loss - but you now have a chance to spare the rest of your force," Colwyn says, gesturing towards the soldiers looking to him for leadership to drive his point home.
"Fall back. Return and tell your master that you discovered how he was deceived before the bulk of his forces were committed and lost. For saving the lion's share of his might and uncovering the treachery at his ear, I am sure you will be rewarded, maybe even honored as one of the few lieutenants he can rely upon."
Zelera was quite content to let the others talk while she looked for opportunities to cause more trouble if diplomacy failed them.
Concealed in her elevated position, Vibenia keeps a sharp eye on the enemy, ready to fire at the first sign of treachery.
The Barbarians mutter among themselves as the man in charge sweats in dread. Finally they glower at the party and retreat. From the looks the mercenaries are giving the Barbarians they are not happy with their authority.
The leader scurries away the moment he sees the Barbarians are leaving. Not even trying to save face with a few boasts or threats.
.
Back in Tazlford Kisandra can further explain about the recent developments in the Drelev Demesne, including the imprisonment of her father and the taking of her sister as a hostage by Armag.
She pleads for your help, praising your skill and renown for problem-solving while also urging you to overthrow Drelev and save her people from the Tiger Lords.
She asks you to repay Drelev for his treachery by forcing him cede control of the kingdom—Baron Drelev is a craven bully who, if left in charge of the Drelev Demesne, will cause the death of hundreds. Furthermore, she asks you to save her father (from the dungeons of Drelev Keep) and her sister
(from the clutches of the Tiger Lords) if you can.
What are you doing now?
"We would do well to topple Drelev, and end his rule rather than keep an enemy, albeit a weak one, on our western border." Vibenia points out, once they have returned to Tazlford.
"Mebbe, boot we've beeen seeing sens of these Teeger Lords for moonths now. Ef we atteck oone threat, will the oother atteck us?"
"Of our troops, we'll keep one unit at Thornholme and move the other to Tatzlford," Colwyn says after deeply considering the situation.
"By coming to Tatzlford's defense, we've already committed ourselves to this conflict. Besides, I have no doubt that Drelev or these barbarians would have pressed forward and marched on our lands right after they rolled over this village."
"Do we have any halfway-reliable maps of the Slough to the west? I believe it's nothing but swamps and rivers, so it'd be foolish to march our own troops through. We'll travel on our own as a strike team to seize the opportunity while their forces are scattered.
"We make for Drelev first. We take down that craven lord, rescue Kisandra's father, and then we can use the fort as a forward base as we next move against the barbarians."
"Would the lizardfolk by Candlemere possibly know anything more of the Slough? Or have ties to other lizardfolk living in that region? The terrain is favorable to them," suggests Marten.
Zelera considered the issues they began to discuss herself after the barbarians and mercenaries retreated. Finding more information about the Slough was important and Zelera wondered aloud, "Perhaps we can find some fey in the area that would be willing to help us as well, as guides or with information."
.
What are you doing now?
"Let's return to Tatzlford for a spell. We'll hire some of the locals to bury the dead and bind the survivors. Meanwhile, we have some missives to dispatch.
"I'll contact Miss Melianse," Colwyn says, still reflexively referring to his bride rather formally. "Marten, can you send a message to General Reknar to get the troops moving? Niadroub, I need you to send instructions to the rest of the council for them to follow in our absence."
"Meesages? I ken teelepoort oos there and beck!"
Anything else you wish to find out or set up before you set off?
While the Baron delegates arrangements to deal with the current situation, Vibenia takes the opportunity to speak with Latricia Evanore, working to help establish a network of those who spend more time in the wilderness, to develop a means of early warning for any observed threats.
"Can you take me with you, Niadroub? Otherwise I'll draft instructions for the military deployments that you can take back."
As they divided up their assignments Valeria considered and then added, "I will plan to stay here in Tatzlford. While you get a message to Melianse I will see if I cannot contact any fae that may be around here for information. They may or may not be willing to help but I will do what I can."
Marten absorbs the strategic information that reports and intelligence bring back, then carefully says, "I wonder if it's possible to cut the head from the serpent. Decapitate Pitax and then knock over the house of cards."
Then he shakes his head. "No... Drelev's too ambitious, we'd still have to stop him, as he'd just turn around and use this whole operation for his own purposes. We need to climb this ladder one step at a time."
"Yes. I think infiltrating the fort, and eliminating Drelev and those who support him is what we need to do, to eliminate that threat." Vibenia agrees.
Niadroub Kliip agrees with that plan and is eager to get moving!
"We should gather as much information as we can about the area." the ranger suggests to her companions.
"All right, so lets fill our canteens with fresh water, double wrap our food against swamp rot, and ready ourselves for a very foul hike through the swamp," Colwyn says, vindicated to hear his comrades supporting his pitch to target Drelev first.
He adds to Vibenia, "A good idea, but I'm not sure if we have time to summon and dispatch scouts then wait for their return from the swamps. We need to head off this threat before the next, larger army comes marching our way.
"Once my message reaches my bride, we'll see if she can point out any particular landmarks in the swamp for us."
In terms of governance, Colwyn agrees to Rezbin's request for a road toward Wyvernstone Bridge. Of course, he cautions that he may have to wait a few weeks until after the present danger has been neutralized.
"I was actually suggesting we do so ourselves. Passing through the Hooktongue slough, or the fringes of the swamp, would h\give us a better layout of the area, should it come to war, while also looking into the rumors of Bog Mummies and other dangers in the region." Vibenia explains. "I stand ready to go wherever you decide we are needed." she adds, pretty much always packed for travel.
Niadroub Kliip suggests heading west through the woods they're in through the point as far west as it goes, and then head west by northwest from there through the swamp to the southern tip of Lake Hooktongue. Then circle the lake around to Fort Drelev.
"That's as direct a route as we'll find," Colwyn grumbles. "Unless we can summon some boats to cross the lake, that is the route we should take.
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"Alright, then let's get moving shall we?" Vibenia says, with focus.
You make your preparations, leave orders for your staff and set off for the fetid, stinking swamp. The first area you reach is a noted landmark.
Q. The Swamp Scar
An immense mound of fallen trees and logs lie in a jagged line here, forming a scar of decaying plant matter created over the course of decades by various river currents.
Nearly 500 feet long and 40 feet high, this swath is known locally as the Swamp Scar. The mound of vegetation is riddled with burrows and nooks.
Party order as you struggle through the swamp please. What else are you doing as you travel?
Zelera was unsure if they should rush this so much and said, "I agree that being this is urgent but are you sure we should be acting with such haste. To all things there is a time, and we will do little good if we act hastily and walk into a situation we cannot handle." Since it seemed to Zelera that they were rushing ahead regardless she sighed and went along with it. Maybe they would take a path that would at least let them check a few of the things they had learned about.
As they made their way through the swamp Zelera had tied a perfumed handkerchief about her lower face to help deal with the odor. She kept her eyes moving, wary as they went in case of any trouble.