Kellen makes a search of Dorella and the room she fell into; sword still tensed in case anyone else is about.
On Jaagrath: 2 potions, his hook, armor and belt.
On Dorella: 1 potion, a wand, her amulet, headband, and ring.
On Hookmaw: his hook and armor.
In the room where Dorella came from:
The walls of this room are decorated with finely crafted longswords, stuffed animal heads, and a map of the Hook Mountain environs. A large oak table surrounded by several chairs has been smashed to splinters, and an immense bed has similarly been ruined. An open cabinet that once contained several bottles of wine has been crushed as well, and broken bottles and the faint scent of wine lingers around its ruins.
Tomaru taps folk with the Wand of Cure Light Wounds
Lym 5 times
Rhianni once it might help keep her calm by letting her know she is being taken care of.
Self 5 times
Can we tell how things are going outside with the Black Arrows from here?
"There's something off about that wine cabinet in the corner. Going to check it out." He pauses briefly to check with others - mostly looking at Rhinanni - before he makes his way over to the cabinet.
Praxis keeps his guard up and an arrow knocked. He continuously sweeps the room and hallway for evil auras, so snake woman doesn't sneak in invisibly.
Seeing how they seem to have found a small moments peace, Thordak's curiosity is peaked and he follows the rogue over to the cabinet. "What's so off about it, lad? Looks fine ta me," he says, shrugging.
"Hard to explain," he replies and continues. "Spend enough time around Thassilonian ruins, and you get a sense of it or you get dead real quick. Course, I'm in a ogre-filled keep right now, so maybe it's just an old habit." He shrugs with a mild grin, and proceeds.
Nodding in complete understanding, "Good habit."
In their haste to destroy the furniture of the room, the ogres did not notice a hidden compartment in the wine cabinet. The broken bottom just reveals the compartment to Kellen. Inside the compartment are a flat wooden coffer, a pair of soft green boots, and a tiny jewelry box.
Carefully, Kellen removes the items to a flat surface and examines the coffer and jewelry box to see what's in them. "Unless someone was ashamed of their green boots, my guess is that they have some value or power."
He pauses and looks quizzically at Thordak. "How's Rhianni doing? Anymore ogres?"
Looking a bit discouraged, "Well that wasn't very interesting." Thordak shrugs at the rogue's question. "About as well as to be expected for one who's suddenly blind and deaf. I'm sure hopin' it's not permanent. And no more ogres as of yet, but I'm on the look out." Thordak then moves back over near the others. "What are we to do about the lass? Anythin' I need ta do ta help out with her just let me know. 'Cause we've still got the snake woman to deal with and who knows how many more of the oversized dumb ones left, and that means we're gonna have to be a might protective of her."
Kellen examines the items found hidden in the commanders wine cabinet. The coffer contains dozens and dozens of parchment sheets, all containing beautifully-written love sonnets to someone named “Myriana,” who (if the sonnets are to be believed) is so beautiful that the moon itself was “blinded when it spied her dancing on the tarn,” and who
is “the truest grace to know Whitewillow’s soft embrace.”
The jewelry box contains a silver locket on a chain; inside the locket is a lock of silky golden hair.
Kellen says aloud at the discovery. "Seems the Black Arrow's commander had a lover and kept a memento. If anyone has some insight into someone named Myriana or Whitewillow, I'm curious. Maybe Jakardros or Vale know what this is all about."
He returns to the rest of the group and places the green boots with the other materials for Lym's examination. "Maybe sort out this gear later; best check on the courtyard from up here if we can find a balcony and see what's going on?"
"I'll examine all the magical gear when we get back to town," Lym promises while continuing to guide Rhianni. "But Rhianni can't fight like this, and I don't have any of the spells needed to cure her. If we go up against Lucretia with her in tow, she'll be a sitting duck."
"Then let see if the way is clear below and get out of here." Kellen moves towards the last door at the end of the hall to see if it leads outside.
"I will pray tonight for Desna's blessings to heal her tomorrow."
You look out over the battlements of the keep to see the Black Arrows and Shalelu battling for their lives on the walls. Vale and Jakardros each hold the narrow battlement with sword and axe, while Shalelu fires arrows in whichever direction seems to have the most threat. As you watch, the ogres make a final push over the wall. It is only a matter of time until they are overrun, maybe only minutes. They are too far to reach in time.
Kellen stares at the scene below: "They're not going to make it...," he starts to explain. But then a wicked grin crosses his face and he dashes back like a man possessed towards the old chapel and Jaagrath's body. "Thordak! Praxim! Give me a hand here - we have to help them and I think I know what will work. Lym! Give me that ogre hook."
"Ogres tend to be like gangs...they'll follow whoever's the big man. Let's see what they'll do when they see him in this state. Fellas - give me a hand chopping his head off!" Kellen works furiously to hack the ogre's head off - either with his own sword or the ogre hook if it works better.
Thordak will be enough to help there. Praxim dashes over to the ogress and hacks her head off with his curve blade.
He runs back to the wall holding it by the hair in one hand and his bloodied sword in the other. When Kellen and Thordak are ready, he holds them both up high and lets out a wordless howl of triumph.
"It'll be me pleasure, lad," Thordak says with a wicked smile as he assists in removing the head.
As Praxim holds the heads up high, Kellen bellows out to the courtyard below: "Kreegs! Jaagrath is dead! Yer witch is dead! Less you want to join them dancin' on the pike wall, git out of here! Now!"
Lym stands tall next to Praxim and Kellen, and repeats the Rogue's words in Giantish - just in case the Kreegs are a little too... emotional right now to puzzle out the words in Common.
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The Black Arrows fight with a desperation only those who are about die can muster. Vale wields his two axes like a man possessed. Two ogres rush in with hooks slashing. Vale blocks one high, slicing open the ogre's belly with his second axe. That ogre crumples to his knees, trying to hold in his spilling guts, when Vale kicks him off of the wall. The second ogre though, scores a hit on the ranger, driving him to his knees. The beast's overhand chop is blocked by Vale's axes crossed over his head in an 'x'. Slowly, the ogre drives the man's defense down, until his axes are nearly resting on his head. Two more ogres finish their scramble over the wall, and rush in to toward the defenseless man...
On the other side Jakardros works to defend Shalelu as she shoots a barrage of arrows at the attacking ogres. He dodges and parries with his sword, the providing the shield for her assault. Suddenly, an ogre appears on the battlement behind Jakardros. He hefts a heavy spear and heaves it at Shalelu. The spear enters into her chest, and she screams in agony. The half-elf slumps against the wall, the bloody tip protruding from her back. At her scream Shalelu's long-lost father turns about and stabs the ogre in the back, piercing its heart. But now his defense is down, and the two behind him tear viciously into the man with their hooks.
"Noooooooooo!!!!" Shalelu screams as the ogres cut down her father. Ignoring Jakardros, they step over his prone form to finish her....
Praxim's howl of victory sounds over the walls, echoing amidst the stone of the fort. The ogres pause, looking out at the sound. Their eyes take in the sight of the paladin with the heads of their leader and their sorceress, and their faces go white with fear. They fall over each other as they flee, some even jumping from the wall to the ground on the far side.
Within seconds, Fort Rannick is clear of ogres. Vale struggles to his feet, turning to look at the carnage. Shalelu begins dragging herself along the battlement towards her fallen father, spear still in her side, leaving a bloody trail along the stone.
The rain continues to fall...Fort Rannick is yours.
Tomaru casts Fly and rushes to the downed man. Once he arrives, without checking for signs of life, and even if it is obvious there are none, he casts a cure spell.
Lym stands with the blinded, deafened Rhianni, eyes scanning the fortress and its surroundings as she mutters a cantrip; Lucretia might still be lurking about, after all...
Kellen ties the rope in his pack to the nearest battlement or door, then makes his way down the wall to the courtyard. Gonna go check on the priest and make sure no one gets ambushed down there. Yer free to follow..."
Shalelu grabs the spear by the haft and takes a deep breath. Then she yanks it free.
'Aaaaauuuugggghh' she screams, nearly swooning from the pain. She crawls over to the downed Black Arrow, cradling Jakardros' head in her lap.
'It'll be okay, It'll be okay,' she says over and over as tears stream down her face.
When Tomaru lands, she looks up at him with worry and hope. Tomaru's spell goes off just in time. The gruff ranger's face goes from deathly pale to flush, and he appears to be peacefully sleeping. Vale stands over them all, axes limp in his hands as he surveys the abattoir that is the grounds of the fort.
'my god...' he whispers.
Lym mutters a spell under her breath, takes a firm hold of Rhianni -- and flies over to where Tomaru, Shalelu and the Black Arrows are, all while carrying the Sorceress with her.
"Good," the Wizard says when she sees Jakardros stir. "Suggest we all get out of here and to a more defensible position. Lucretia is still unaccounted for, and she is more dangerous than any Ogre."
Tomaru let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding. "Black Arrows are as hard as adamantine and scarier than a hag in heat. Get up soldier boy. We got to get moving." He makes sure that all the ogres in the area are actually dead then
"We should go back to the caves."
Catching up behind the wizard and the cleric. "Looks like we're clear...let's get inside for now. Tend to matters there."
If Jakardros or Shalelu need help due to their wounds, he barks at Vale: "Soldier, quit your gawking and give me a hand with these two - we need to get some cover for now."
The night in the secret armory is cramped, and sweaty, but safe. There are no sounds outside, and no signs of any life about the fort as you rest. Shalelu and Jakardros sleep deeply, while Vale tosses and turns in a fitful slumber.
Lym, with time to spend, manages to identify the items you looted from Jaargrath, Dorella, and Hookmaw.
The coffer contains dozens and dozens of parchment sheets, all containing beautifully-written love sonnets to someone named “Myriana,” who (if the sonnets are to be believed) is so beautiful that the moon itself was “blinded when it spied her dancing on the tarn,” and who is “the truest grace to know Whitewillow’s soft embrace.”
The boots are a pair of boots of the mire. The jewelry box contains a silver locket on a chain; inside the locket is a lock of silky golden hair.
When Jakardos, Shalelu, and Vale are awake and able, Kellen will take time to ask them about the parchments to see if this Myriana is at all familiar (mentioning it was in their command post office, if it helps) and if know they anything about Whitewillow.
Being no healer, he leaves Tomaru and Lym to see if they can help Rhianni. It's obvious he's hovering inquisitively more than usual to see if she is OK despite trying to stay busy.
Tomaru casts Remove Blindness/Deafness on Rhianni.
Don't know if it was said before, but I will have used up my last channels to get everyone to full, if needed.
Do a more thorough search of the fort and area to make sure that the ogres are scattered and ascertain the extent of the damage to the fort. We should make a report to Magnimar.
After making sure that Rhianni is okay, Lym spends some quality time with her spellbooks. That done, she starts to agree with Tomaru - then frowns.
"Lucretia still has an interest in Turtleback Ferry," she says. "All those marked souls. You don't think that when we forced her to leave the fortress...?"
The Half-Orc's voice trails away.
A couple of things:
I agree with Tomaru - let's do a search and check of the Fortress to make sure we are generally clear of the ogres and or Lucretia
Assuming that goes unimpeded, did anyone of our Black Arrow comrades have any feedback on the letters we found at some point?
Lastly, and I guess this depends on the reaction of the Black Arrows - are we abandoning the Fort and heading back to town? While I don't know that it has to be played out in detail, there's a feeling that the place may need to be cleaned up at some point. Between the massacres and the bodies, the place has potential to be a wild monster magnet or undead beacon otherwise. Just thinking out loud here.