Vale and Jakardros seemed genuinely surpried by the love sonnets from their leader. "Didn't know he had a soft side." Jakardros growls as her reads through them. "We all knew he took what he called his 'communion walks' into the Shimmerglens every now and again, guess now we know why." He looks up at Vale. "Lucky bastard." He cracks the first grin you've seen on his face since you found him at the Graul farm.
Vale nods. "Hey. Didn't he take one of those walks the night of the attack?"
Jakardros' grin fades. "Damn. He did. What do you suppose the odds are of that? Someone tipped them ogres off, maybe?"
--------------------------------------------------------------
Now that you've had time to look, you wish you hadn't. Fort Rannick is indeed empty of ogres, but the cleanup from their reign of horror will take some time. The Black Arrows, along with Shalelu, volunteer to start the work while you return to Turtleback Ferry.
"Have the Mayor send some help. We 'll need it."
"With all due respect to your dead, I recommend fire. And lots of it! It'd be a beastly job to tell what belongs to whom, otherwise."
After this rather grim statement, Lym bids the Black Arrows goodbye and gets ready to head back to Turtleback Ferry.
Jakardros' grin fades. "Damn. He did. What do you suppose the odds are of that? Someone tipped them ogres off, maybe?"
"Makes me believe even more that Kaven was a traitor in your midst. If it's any sense of justice for ya...that he's in some gar's belly at the bottom the lake seems fitting given his hand in this.." he finishes with a sweep of the fort.
"Be careful until we get back, eh?" Kellen nods and gives a wave.
Praxis botes back the suggestion that perhaps their commander arranged to be out of the Fort when the ogres arrived, and says nothing, offering the Black Arrows a grim salute before leading the way back to Turtleback Ferry.
"And watch your backs, lads," Thordak tells the Arrows as his eyes rove at what's left of the fort. "The snake lady is still out there and she's a formidable one. Be wary." He nods, taking one last look before following the others back to Turtleback.
Tomaru gives Desna's blessing to the fort and the Black Arrows (Bit of Luck) before leaving with the others.
Jakardros nods his head at Vale's suggestion. "He was out on a walk that night! I lead the patrol into the hills, and he was out in the Shimmerglens...damn that Kaven!" He pauses for a moment. "You know, he may still be there...possibly hiding out. I don't know why, but it's worth checking out." The rough ranger looks to you.
"Check it out, if you would. We're going to need all the help we can get to put this back together."
Shalelu follows you out of the fort for a short way. "I wanted to speak to you before you left, but not in front of them." She pulls her cloak tighter over head to keep out the rain that continues to pour.
"First off...thanks. You saved us back there...from who knows what. Second, my fath...Jakardros," she corrects herself reluctantly, "looked up to his commander, he's mumbled about finding him. I've heard him say things when he thought I wasn't listening. Things like: 'where is Lamatar by the gods?' and such."
She puts her hand on Kellen's arm. "Please. For me." With a lasting look, she turns about and heads back into the fort.
"It seems we have a delay in our affairs," Lym says with clear reluctance. "Ts'cha! With our luck, the commander's squeeze was actually Lucretia in disguise, and she's been bleeding him dry over a long time. We might as well go and look."
Just after Shalelu departs there is a deep rumble from the northwest. It can be heard over the rain and constant peels of thunder.
"It seems we have a delay in our affairs," Lym says with clear reluctance.
Glancing at Shalelu as she departs, Kellen replies aloud to Lym's statement:"Hunting down men and beasts comes with the job - we'll find him or where he's gone to soon enough, you can be sure of that. Gods know, they could use the strength..."He shrugs and trails off.
"Sounds like we stop at Turtleback Ferry, then onto the Shimmerglens then."
As Thordak's attention is drawn to the northwest, "Hold a moment, all. Did ya hear that? By me britches that sounded like an avalanche. And a massive one at that. And if it's comin' from the northwest, where would it be headin'?"
Kellen cocks his head for a moment and responds: "Avalanche? Maybe from all this rain...it would head south - let's check the river. That will tell us if the rock slide is moving down the river or just somewhere in the mountains. We have to go that way anyhow."
It takes two hours of trudging through the mud of the path to reach the river. What you find when you reach it shocks you to the core. The river has crested above flood stage. Somewhere, somehow, a mass of water has been added to the flow of the Skull River. The road to the west has been swallowed by the water - it's at least knee-deep to your horses at its most traversible points. Worse, there are clear signs that a massive wave of water washed through here, headed in one direction...
Turtleback Ferry.
"We have to hurry," Lym says, her voice soft but intense. She shrugs, and the bat Limmerick goes flying ahead to scout.
Pointing in the direction of the sound and the water: "The Skull River's headwaters is that way; it get fed from the Storval Deep - the avalanche has spilled a flood down here somehow...," Kellen suddenly goes quiet and then looks angry.
"Cayden's Bloody Cup! Lucretia! You were right, Lym. She ain't done with those souls and we've forced her plans - she aims to drown the whole damn town! That's why we couldn't find her."
He starts spurring his mount hard and as safe as he can to get back to town.
Thordak's eyes go wide, before narrowing in anger. "Blast her! That snake lady is gonna pay for this!" Thordak snaps the reins on his own horse, hoping they can make it town before it's too late.
"Hold a minute...we can't beat the rushing flood back to Turtleback Ferry, but we know where Lucretia was a few moments ago. We should head northwest."
"Hold a minute...we can't beat the rushing flood back to Turtleback Ferry, but we know where Lucretia was a few moments ago. We should head northwest."
You can't make your way against the flow of the flooded river - not in any decent time anyway. Several attempts make it very obvious that not only are you battling the current, but also uprooted trees and other debris.
All the while your conscience nags at you: what has happened to the town and all of those Sihedron-marked folk there?
"Blow to this," Lym says. "I can't. Call me a fool if you must, but I cannot simply walk away."
The Wizard rises in the stirrups and chants a spell. As a result, she rises out of the saddle, and into the air.
"I can fly for nine hours," Lym declares. "I can probably carry one person, and I have another flight-spell that should last for about nine minutes. Who wants to come with me?"
"Not all of those folk were marked and if I can help even one of them. If I can keep just one from being killed, I'm going to try. If we don't, we doom them all to die. We have to try or Lucretia wins twice. Once in the deaths of those people and again with the darkness of our hearts."
"Come on, then," Lym says. "I know you can fly under your own power, so who else is coming with us?"
"Fine then Turtleback Ferry it is."
"To Turtleback we go! If ya give us flight, lass, can we carry another with us as well?"
You struggle along the road through the floodwaters of the Skull River. At times the water reaches up to the chest of your horse, but at least you have the current behind you. Fortunately, that current is slight along the road, because the center of the river swirls and eddies with the strong movement of the flood.
The village of Turtleback Ferry is drowning. The muddy, surging waters of the Skull River tear through the center of the community to fill Claybottom Lake with a terrible fury—many of the buildings that once sat comfortably on the river’s banks are already flooding and in danger of collapsing from the rushing water. A group of children and a woman huddle aboard one of the old turtleshell ferryboats, the tiny flood-bashed vessel lodged up against the general store and threatening to capsize at any moment. Beyond, the town’s church stands solid, its foundations already three feet deep in floodwaters. Frantic movement is visible in the upstairs windows as townsfolk trapped inside rush about in a desperate attempt to save scriptures, comfort the sick, and pray for deliverance.
"Thordak, you are strongest," Lym says. "Get that woman and the children out of that turtle shell and onto dry land. I'll join you in a moment."
Provided the Dwarven Barbarian agrees, Lym clasps hands with him and chants a brief spell. An unusual sense of buoyancy will fill Thordak's body and he finds himself able to fly.
"We need to find some way to dam up the flow," the Wizard continues. "Or else to divert it, even if only partially. Barring that, we need some way to get the survivors out of town and onto land.
{raxim, your eyesight is best. Can you see the best way to go, the place where we might strike or else where we can start ferrying people out?"
After Praxim has replied either way, Lym lifts up out of her saddle and flies after Thordak to help him with the woman and children.
Nodding, "On it!" The dwarf moves as quickly as possible toward the woman and children.
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Praxim looks about frantically. "Lym, I'm an archer. I shoot things. Altering the reality of the world is the wizard's job."
"I'll get you some help." Tomaru raises his hands to the sky. In one hand he holds his holy symbol, the other holds his starknife. Tomaru calls out to the sky, "Resplendent Goddess of Fortune hear my call. This town offered your faithful succor in his travels. He was hungry and they gave food. He was thirsty and they gave drink. He was weary and they gave rest. He was silent and they gave ears to hear his tales. Now this place is in need and I call for you. Allow me to be a vessel of your grace, your beauty, and your favor. Through me send for servants to aid this town so that they may remain a good place to visit. It is called Turtleback Ferry and you will know it by my mark." By the end of the prayer, Tomaru is levitating several inches off the ground and is surrounded by a butterfly shaped nimbus of energy.
Desna does answer him. A butterfly made of starlight flies down from the darkened sky to the raging flood waters. Where it touches, a massive dolphin (celestial killer whale) appears and swims to the ferry's aid.
Having kept quite during the debates, n his fury at the situation, Kellen has ridden hard and as quickly as his mount will take him by to the town.
When he sees the site of the town, without preamble, he goes towards the church, swimming as needed to get there and help them get out. If needed, he climbs to the second floor and smashes a window if need be to start moving people out of the building and towards higher ground.
"Praxim, Rhianni - supplies! We'll need them to help folks. See if you can find anything salvageable."
Before everyone starts to move across to the other side, Rhianni casts Haste to speed everyone on their tasks.
As Rhianni sees Kellen struggle through a rough patch of swirling river, she manipulates the water and pushes Kellen towards the other side.
The evening skies over Turtleback Ferry are dark with the storm. The rain pours down, the wind driving it into your faces, while the lightning crashes.
As Kellen struggles towards the church, Thordak, Lym, and the whale approach the ferry. The children and their schoolteacher huddle on top of the giant shell, smashed up against the wall of the store and ready to capsize.
Just as you begin to descend, a large black shape rears up out of the water. A nightbelly boa, fully 16 feet long, surges up onto the ferry and moves towards a little girl intent on eating her - pigtails and all.
"Oh no, you don't!" Lym hisses.
The Wizard thrusts out a hand - and an invisible barrier springs up between the serpent and the little girl.
"Everyone, hurry and grab hold!" she shouts to the people on the ferry. "We need to get you away from the water!"
For good measure, Lym shouts at the celestial whale in a beautiful, sing-song language:
"Ya better listen to the lass, snake!" Thordak yells over the storm as he draws the ogre hook as he moves, swinging at the oversized reptile when he nears.
With the elements working against him, Thordak misses horribly and manages to connect solidly with the water he finds himself wading in. "Blast!"
"Forget the snake, get the people out!" Lym roars at Thordak. "The snake is not important!"
The snake strikes - just as the wall of force pops up with a shimmer. The black arrow-shaped head of the huge beast slams into the wall, the thud audible even over the storm. Thordak, not aerial combat trained, tumbles head over heels with his missed swing and lands with a crash on his back on top of the turtle shell.
On the wrong side of the wall...
"Thordak, get over here!" Lym shouts as she lands near the frightened people. "I can't carry them all by myself, and the clock is ticking!"
The Wizard casts a quick spell, sweeps her hand at the snake - and golden-furred rats appear on its head, immediately attacking its eyes.
"Hand me some of the children!" Lym orders the teacher. "I can carry a few, at least! The Dwarf can take the rest, hurry!"
Caught off-guard by the spell, Kellen sputters and swallows water. He'll struggle along as best he can to adjust and make his way to the church - unaware right now of the attack taking place.
Rhianni sings a soothing song at the snake.
Praxim, too far away to help carry people, sends arrows through the driving rain to attack the snake.
Unfortunately, his fingers slip all over the wet bowstring, and the arrows fly everywhere but the snake.
As he manages to successfully find himself on the wrong side of the wall, "BLAST! Blast all this water! I'm a dwarf ya know! We weren't made for all this water! And for flying either!" he complains, irritated at his own failure. He then gives up on attacking the snake and attempts to make his way to the 'right' side of the boat.
Tomaru commands Gialla, the celestial killer whale, to keep the ferry from capsizing before engaging the snake.
He then turns his attention to the folk in the church. Tomaru begins casting another summons. This time seeking the aid of an air elemental.
The torrent of the flood and push from Rhianni's spell proves to be too much for Kellen. Now he is just struggling to keep his head above water. It occurs to Kellen just what the priests of Gozreh are talking about when they speak of the fury of nature.
The snake, infuriated by the unseen wall, turns on the dwarf and rears to strike. Suddenly it is engulfed by golden-furred rats! The big constrictor hisses and spits as it tries to bite one and get it into its crushing coils.
Tomaru's whale surfaces length-wise along the bottom of the ferry, using its bulk to right the ship, as it were. It's holding...for now.