Ogre Battle: The Ovis Rebellion (Inactive)

Game Master Darkfire142

Backstory

Five years have passed since the island of Ovis was annexed into the Holy Lodissian empire. While Ovis had been politically influenced by Lodis for decades and given a good deal of autonomy, the events provoked the Shaher incident drove a military intervention from Lodis into the island. While the fallen archangel was defeated, Ovis was in shambles. The bitter king of Felis, a province in the Lodissian empire lost his son Richter during the conflict and held bitter contempt towards the Ovissians in the aftermath of the conflict.

Ivanna Ronway, the last of the noble Ronway family became the Baroness of Ovis in the wake of the incident and the nation was slowly on the path to recovery. But the bitter king of Felis wanted to take the island as his own. Ten years after the conflict there was a brutal assassination that slew Ivanna and her husband Edwin. Their two children were fortunately ferried away but went into hiding in the wake of the conflict. Without a clear ruler there was an internal power struggle on the island, giving Lodis a legitimate reason to step in. Lodissian troops mainly from Felis invaded the island and in a brief conflict conquered Ovis.

The occupation of the island was not a kind one. The noble family holdings were seized and their positions replaced by Lodissian nobles. The Lodis church sought to expand the worship of Filarhh and suppress the old religions. Most of all, they were intolerant of demihumans and monsters leading a purge of lizardmen, faries, lamia, orcs, merfolk and other creatures. The winged folk were tolerated as there was some who were citizens of Lodis but were oppressed more than the average citizen.

The occupation of Ovis led to massive exploitation of its natural resources. A sizeable amount of materials from mines and produce from farms were tithed to Lodis and shipped back to the mainland. This only added to the hardship of the people and Ovis would endure.

But there was some who would held onto hope that once day, Ovis would know freedom once again and the Lodissians would be driven back to their mainland. Indeed, there was word from the mainland that Lodis had lost two major attempts conquest attempts in the Valerian Isles and the nation of Palatinus. This proved that the Holy Lodissian Empire was not invincible and could be defeated.

And thus the Ovis Liberation front was born and now is preparing its plans to drive the Lodissians from the shores of Ovis. Indeed, this would be a conflict that would be remembered throughout history.

Our story begins in the town of Blete in the Ovis province of Anser. Blete is a newer town built on top of the ruins of a previous town that burned in a conflagration of fire 30 years prior. The buildings are constructed of solid stone and are well resistant to the elements. It is a port town but its trade pales in comparison to Scabellum, which is the most prominent port in the region.

This town is the home of the Resistance for several reasons. First of all, the presence of Lodissian authorities is light, mainly due to the town being in a day's travel the Gryllus forest, a forest corrupted by dark magics that occasionally cause undead and spirits to rise in the forest. Secondly, the town's relative isolation has made it less militarily significant to the occupiers. This also means however that the town is a place where crime and corruption run rampant as the laws are less strictly enforced.

The members of the Ovis liberation front find themselves in the underground headquarters of the liberation front beneath the Iron Griffin inn and tavern. There they have been called to meet with Tobais Gerard, a ranking officer in the resistance.

Any pets however are forced to remain in the pens however as the main offices of the resistance, thus the dragon tamer does not have his dragon with him for this meeting.

Tobais Gerard is an aging gentleman in his mid forties. He has brown hair and hazel eyes and bears a prominent scar on the right side of his cheek. Indeed from what you heard he was once a solider who worked under Ivanna Ronway during the Shathar incident and served in the Ovis military afterwards so you know he has seen his share of battle.

He looks up to the group and addresses them, "Welcome recruits. As you know, we are in a dangerous conflict with the Lodissians and with their tight hold over the island, supplies of weapons and provisions have become scarce. The Lodissians are wary of putting weapons into the hands of the citizens of Ovis and thus acquiring the materials to arm our troops has become difficult."

He looks down at his papers for a moment before continuing, "Intelligence reports from our spies in Scabellum have mentioned a shipment of weapons and supplies have arrived will be transported along the main road towards the City of Formido on the morrow. This is an opportunity we cannot pass up. The resistance must claim this shipment."

Tobias lets the information sink in and then says, "The problem is that if evidence that the resistance is behind the attack is left, it could threaten our secrecy. To make sure that we are not discovered, there are two possible avenues of approach we could take. We could arrange the party to be disguised as bandits and have this attack fall under the illusion of a bandit raid. The problem with this approach is that if the local ruffians found out we were involved, we would have to give them a share of the goods we procure in order to avoid a conflict. The second option... is one that I hesitate to mention."

Indeed his face seems to show a bit of disgust at the option but he continues. "As you know the Gryllus Forest is a home to the restless dead. A Necromancer could seek out some of the undead and bind them to his control and then unleash them on the caravan. It is a horrible option, but in the context of this war if we can put the blame on the undead of the Gryllus forest for this attack it will keep the attention of Lodis on them rather than on the resistance."

He looks to the group, "Now if you can think of any other strategies that would allow the resistance to claim the cargo while keeping its involvement secret, I am all ears."

If you have a necromancer who's friendly, by all means take that option. But methinks a necromancer powerful enough to bind that many undead to his will will have his own agenda. We're just as likely to end up as shambling foot-soldiers in his army as we are to come out with the cargo intact.

Ezekias glances around to check for agreement. And for any pretty ladies to share his bed this evening.

And I like not the idea of sharing our spoils with the local highwaymen. But perhaps we can use the undead without using the undead, for our purposes, if you catch my meaning?

Seeing that no one, in fact, did catch his meaning, he continues.

Mayhaps someone here has some skill with disguises? If so, we can dress the part of some of the nastier denizens of the forest to scare the drivers into racing away. That's when they run into the pit (it doesn't need to be deep, nor wide, just big enough to damage the wheels) just up the road and camouflaged with canvas and dirt.

With the wagon broken and the "undead" following them relentlessly, the guards may choose to run rather than face them. Us. The undead. Which is us. Well, you see what I mean.

What say you all?

Narkus smiles at the hesitant option.

"I like the second option. I like it a lot. My own personal army sounds nice for a change. It's also nice to see that in times of war people actually find out how useful the undead are. I can gather a following of around eight of those creatures, and they will obey me. Then we will sweep down on the fools who worship some sun god."

Masha remains quite. She does not really like the idea that the undeads steals the glory of the fight but still, that idea is reasonable enough. She will go with whatever the others decide.

Well, I certainly stepped in that one, didn't I?

I appears that we do have our own mighty Necromancer on staff. I trust, sir, that my previous comments will in no way alter my chances of involuntarily "joining" your army?, Ezekias says with a smile.

Do we have any knowledge of the type and number of undead we may encounter?, he inquires of Tobias.

And are you sure that you can control them?, he asks pointedly of Narkus.

Tobias says to Ezakias, "Indeed, Narkus is a Necromancer but we are not in any position to refuse what help is given to us. As for the Undead of Gryllus forest, they typically are of the Skeleton and Zombie variety. But be careful as there may also be wraiths and more powerful forms of Undead in the deeper parts of the forest. These may be beyond what Narkus can control or you can handle in a fight."

I always say, "better a Necromancer friend than a Necromancer enemy". It's true. You can ask my friend...oh, that's right. He's still back at the tavern. Ezekias smiles sheepishly.

Very well. Perhaps I can help with such minor magicks as I know to make ghostly sounds and mysteriously moving objects.

We need to make sure our quarry doesn't simply run away faster than the skeletons can chase.

"Yes, when you are on the last of your luck you do fins yourself considering options that seemed so wrong before. May I just say that I'm glad that you have seen the light in offering us that choice Commander."

"We don't have to worry about them running faster than my creatures. If they have a shipment of weapons coming though then they won't be able to run without dropping the cargo which will mean we succeed either way."

Narkus directs his next words to Ezekias.

"Oh, and don't worry about yourself I only raise people who are already dead."

Narkus chuckles and adds under his breath.

"Of course I sometimes have to make them dead first."

Despite his broad shoulders, height and fine clothes he had otherwise gone unnoticed, completely still and quiet as he assessed the options laid out before them. He was unconcerned with the Necromancer in there midst, you didn't question your assets no matter how questionable they may be. He had been put off leaving Delphyne behind and had reminded the attendants kindly that if she was mistreated in anyway they would be having an unpleasant chat.

"I have no qualms in our tactics, utilizing the restless dead is more useful then allowing them to wander in the wood. However I would like to avoid unnecessary casualties if there are innocent people traveling with this shipment. I can cause the road to become slick if needed, cause the guards to trip or make it so their lead horse has no footing."

He regarded Narkus with his lone eye assessing the odd necromancer before speaking. "If I may ask, just how many can you control? And can you animate freshly fallen ones?"

My corpse-crafting friend, they won't drop the cargo if it's in a cart. It may be that a flick of the reins is all they need to outrun us.

Tobias, do we know how they will be traveling? With carts or wagons? How many? Horse drawn, ox drawn, or pulled by hand? And how many guards?

Add on after Tobias answers Ezekias... Also just wanted to post it so it was one and done ahead of time. :D This is gonna be fun!

Haar gets Tobias's attention momentarily as he asks. "What would it take to placate the Ruffian's into staying quiet? I am assuming a hefty sum but would it be unwise to hire them initially to aid in the acquiring of the materials we need or will we have men on hand when the caravan falls?"

The woman had caught his lone eye but since she remained silent he'd not press for details. Patience was key right now and besides he wanted to get back to Delphyene as soon as he could.

"I can control as many undead as are needed, but I most protest the hiring of brigands to do the job. They are an undisciplined lot who decided to prey upon their fellows instead of helping fight the empire. Besides if we hire brigands then they are likely going to slaughter any innocents that they find. They cannot be control like my undead. My undead will obey me to the letter. They will not loot, they will not murder, they will not demand a share of the wealth. They are the perfect soldier."

Tobais says to Haar's question, "On the bandit question, it could vary depending on what can be negotiated. The brigands might be more on our side of the conflict as they also have no love for the Lodissians. But neither would they throw their lot in completely with the Resistance unless we can buy their loyalty, well as little as such profiteers can give. The brigands would abandon our cause in an instant if the risk became too great."

He looks to Narkus, "You do make some points Narkus. But I have seen my share of necromancy during the Shaher incident."

He pauses straining on a memory and continues "A powerful lich named Mycale allied himself with the Fallen One. He rose an army of undead monsters during the war. Such evil I hoped to never see again in these lands. You can understand my hesitation on this course of action. Nevertheless our leader has ordered the resistance take whatever ends are needed to achieve victory and thus the option must be considered."

As for Ezekais's question, Tobias says, "This is a military shipment of supplies so we do not expect any civilians being involved. From what my intelligence says there will be two wagons heavy with weapons and provisions. Each wagon will be accompanied by at least four Soldiers on foot and two in the wagon to drive the wagon and guard the goods. There will likely be a low ranking officer leading the wagon as well. Of course your group will not be facing an armed caravan like this on your own. Five others of the resistance will also aid you in this endeavor. They will be responsible for attacking the rear wagon, while you will face the front wagon and the commander."

Very well. So if we can arrange our undead minions ahead of the wagons, they will not be able to race away. Now, I think the question is: how can we blame the undead for the attack, when there will be ten or so of us nearby? We must either stay hidden, disguise ourselves as zombies, or let no one leave alive.

Haar didn't grimace or frown, he was calm, despite how much he disliked killing it was necessary in times of war. If the rebellion was meant to succeed then they had to do whatever it took to ensure victory. He mumbles quietly, more to himself then anyone in particular. "I can fight with my all then..." He looks to Ezekias then. "The third option will be best, leave no survivors. We can use the dead to cover all sign of our passage while we make off with the supplies. Depending on luck we should be able to wrap this up quickly."

So it is decided. Speak now or hold your tongue forever.

For a moment masha was sad, the undeads doing all the work would have been incredibly unfun. But it sounds that the wagons will have enough defenders, there will be plenty of opportunities to fight and kill.

A plan is a plan - say the woman with an strange accent. When do we start the recruitment?

Tobias says, "I shall leave the option up to you. As for your additional troops they are currently on a scouting mission near the crossroads to the north-west. You will join up with them there and either head into the forest and gather the Undead, or head to the main highway and prepare your ambush. Once the wagons are secured we will bring the goods to our external encampment and from there we shall do an accounting of what is in the wagons and arrange the proper distributions."

He raised an eyebrow at Ezekias overly commanding tone, he ignores it however, whether the mans bravado was true would be seen soon enough.

Haar nods as Tobias officially brings their briefing to a close, now he had to decide if he should involve Delphyene in this matter. The look on the woman's face interested him as her accent betrayed little of what she was actually feeling. Time would tell when they fought together in the coming conflict. "Sounds good Captain."

I am not overly comfortable in using restless souls in such a way. I do, however, see the usefulness of such a tactic. I propose we pose as bandits, or even bring in some local bandits as aid. A share of the goods in better than no goods at all. Honestly, other than tales and rumor I have heard nothing of the bandits hear abouts. Mayhaps we can enlist some to our aid?

I share the pretty lady's - (Ezekias nods flirtatiously to Astrid) - ambivalence to the undead. We must remember, however, that we are not creating them, only using them for our purposes. If any are destroyed in the process, perhaps they will gain a peace that was denied to them previously.

And our cause is a just one, yes? We fight for the freedom of all Ovissians. We will need every weapon we can get if we are to cast the Lodissians back to their own home.

I value your opinion, pretty lady - (another nod and a wink to Astrid) - but I fear I must vote against allying with bandits.

At least with the restless dead, we are sure of their agenda. Either our friend Narkus controls them, or they want to eat our brains. But they will never lie to us about which one it is.

Haar stands at this point. He approaches each of them and offers them his shield hand in greeting. Firmly shaking the hands of the two men, even being respectful to the necromancer of course. While treating the ladies in a more delicate and polite fashion giving each a deep bow as he introduced himself. "Haar Rámalóce, pleasure to meet you all. I look forward to our continued fight for independence. Delphyene will most certainly enjoy meeting you all as well."

He favors Astrid for a moment having considered her opinion as well. "Moments ago I thought it would be prudent to ally with some of the ruffians as well. However their points are valid and perhaps we can reassess when we are able to come from a position of strength. Sadly however, even then they will be shaky at best I assume. Ready to abandon us to the highest bidder so to speak."

Tobias says to Astrid, "Perhaps in the future we may be able to get recruits from bandits to reinforce the numbers of the resistance. But to do so the bandits must perceive the resistance as a force to be reckoned with. To strengthen our position we need weapons and thus that shipment must be claimed. You will have to make do with with yourselves and the five other resistance members that are being provided. If we bring the bandits on this they will demand a sizeable share of the spoils."

I bow to the will of party. As I said I have little experience in dealing with bandits. I only pointed out the opposite opinion as to cover all points of view. If it is to be undead then I shall simply have to prepare correctly ahead of time. Astrid replies. Her only response to each subtle, or not so subtle, flirtation is the raising of a single eyebrow over her storm colored eyes.

I fear my manners may have deserted me. I am Astrid Ne'Sulne, priestess of the storms. I bear some skill in the healing arts and know my way around a blade should the need arise.

Ezekias Silverthane, at your service. Ezekias makes an exaggerated bow.

It is my honor and pleasure to make the acquaintance of such beauty and power. I hope we can work closely together.

So it is decided? lets go then

Yes, I must prepare the proper magicks.

Do we need to ask Tobias how we're getting to the location, or is it assumed we know?

Narkus shakes hands with Haar, but only gingerly like he can't wait to let go. Afterwords he seems fine until Astrid mentions she is a celric. Glaring at the woman Narkus stays close to Masha as she is the only one he feels comfortable around.

"You know my name, and you know my profession, so before the shipment gets away let's head to the forest."

Haar nods politely to those who acknowledge his introduction for Masha he still remains polite yet guarded around the woman. At least for now. However he was not one to pass judgment on anyone for wanting to remain anonymous. "Well Met Lady Ne'Sulune, Narkus and Sir Silerthane. I am prepared, just have to go and get my companion."

He recovers Delphyene and meets the others at the proposed spot. Delphyene, being the shy creature she was, coiled around his broad shoulders and stared wide eyed at Haar's new associates. Haar didn't press her to introduce herself, instead he let her get accustomed to their presence as he had already explained to her what they would be doing. It would take some time for his silver scaled companion to get used to fighting alongside the independence.

Tobias says, "The shipment will depart tomorrow from Scabellum and will take four days of travel to reach Formido. I advise you intercept it somewhere away from a populated area. I wish you the best of luck on your mission. You are dismissed."

With that you depart from the office and enter the main chambers of the headquarters. You know that it will be a days travel to reach Gryllus from the town. From the town it will take roughly 2 days of travel if you go around the forest to reach the main travel highway or a day and a half if you go through the forest itself. You are free to before your requisition supplies from the quartermaster or purchase them in the town proper if you need any other goods.

Dumb newbie question: are we requisitioning/buying horses for this travel, or walking? Are pack animals available?

Ezekias considers.

If we leave tomorrow we can be in position a day before the shipment. I judge that enough time to scout the area, recruit our "helpers", and prepare any traps we desire. I see no need to go through the forest to save only half a day.

If available, Ezekias will requisition a tent and sufficient rations and water for seven days.

K-Geography- Any noteworthy paths for horse travel through the forest to speed up our travel?: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

Haar trades in his Parade Armor for something more fitting the mission, better to appear as an unknown then to be wearing his insignia.

Parade Armor for Temporary use of Studded leather. Same stats and costs if that is alright.

When he emerged he was wearing a Bandana that covered his head and obscured his hair color, his eye patch and a brown studded leather armor. His silver companion was actively looking him over from his shoulders for a few minutes before wrinkling her muzzle in displeasure. "You look absolutely savage..."

"That was the point my dear..." Haar barely restrained a chuckle at her modest assessment.

"That cloth smells funny as well." Haar grimaced as she scrambled about his shoulders. "Was it used to clean gutters..." "Oh look my new companion's..." His interruption caused her to quiet down considerably. He chuckled lightly and took the responding tail slap with ease as he tried to avoid flustering his small companion further.

A man in the prime of life enters the room. He is tall and thin, with dark short cropped hair and an long immaculately styled beard. His clothes are quite fashionable, trimmed with cloth of gold, and he wears a wide brimmed hat.

He rushes into the room and seems crestfallen that he's missed the meeting. "My apologies, I've only just arrived in Blete, and got lost on the way here. Can anyone bring me up to speed?"

By the hells, more competition for the attention of the ladies!

Welcome. Ezekias introduces himself and the others present. Our task is to intercept and "liberate" a shipment of weapons and supplies en route from Scabellum to Formido. As the options are limited, we elected to conscript some of the restless dead in Gryllus Forest to help us take the shipment, and they can take the blame. Ezekias smiles at the thought.

Our friend Narkus here assures us he can control the undead, and we have a secondary squad of five resistance fighters to deal with the second wagon. We will be in charge of stopping the caravan and taking the first wagon.

If we are to blame the undead for the attack, there must be no survivors to tell of our presence there.

We leave tomorrow. Gather your supplies. We can fill you in on the gritty details while we travel. I would assume you can just read the whole thread so far, given that we have more than two days to tell you all that was said.

Are we able to requisition gear from a quartermaster for free or do we still have to pay for it? I agree with the above question regarding mounts, specifically horses.

You approach the quartermaster, a grizzed individual built like a tank and with various battle scars. Grant Heldon listens to your various requests and says, "Yea we got some horses but they ain't for green recruits like you. If ya want a horse ya got to buy em yourself. Rations, I'll give ya all a week of em for the trip. As for a tent, ya can very well sleep outside. Ya want a tent go to Timmon's Provisions in town. As for that parade armor I'll trade it for yer studded leather."

You can exchange the Parade Armor for a studded leather if you want Haar.

Narkus doesn't even glance at the quartermaster as they wait there.

"Let's just get going. Walking won't kill you."

Narkus can't help but chuckle at his own joke.

"Oh, how foolish of me!" Tarias exclaims, "I didn't think to introduce myself. I am Tarias Malasir, student of history and the arcane, as well as a devotee of Philaha."

After hearing the plan, Tarias frowns. "I do not relish the thought of working with the undead, or of killing the enemy forces to a man." He pauses and then continues, half musing to himself. "I was not here to decide, and this is a war."

He pauses once more, almost visibly turning it over in his mind. Finally, he speaks again. "I will go along this time, however, I believe we must be better than the Lodissians for our victory to mean anything. I sincerely hope that next time we will achieve our goals in a more noble manner."

I didn't know if K-Geography was going to be the right skill for planning a quicker route of travel Zaitherin. Let me know if you prefer me to do K-Checks differently. Thanks! :)

Haar's face hardened's momentarily at Tarias's words. However Delphyene grounded him with a small shift of her weight across his shoulders, her tail twitching ever so slightly, and reminding him to let go of his anger. Not quite so angry he approaches the newcomer looking like a brigand in his studded armor, bandana and black eye patch. He offered the man his shield hand in greeting. "Haar Rámalóce allow me to welcome you to the resistance. Although our first mission seems dubious in nature, I can assure you that we have to do what is necessary. Lest this independent movement die in its infancy and besides..." He taps the side of the eye patch. "... my experience with the Lodissian's is that they are merciless. An' not just to people like ourselves but children and anyone else who they think are interfering with their plans."

Delphyene nodded at Tarias before rankling her nose in disgust at Haar's dreadful attire again. Ignoring his companion's tsking Haar looks to the others once more. "So tomorrow we set out then. Taking the woodland path could prove useful and the half-day can be used to contact our allies prior to setting traps. But should we split up so as not to attract attention to ourselves?

I've no problem with splitting up to avoid attention. I have very little knowledge of the lands around here and may need a guide to make sure can still find my way.

Kn local: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15 - For whatever information that could help to the travel

We are six, we could go in two groups of 3, although I do not really care

"Okay, Ezekias, mysterious lady, and I shall be one group. This way we can keep each group ready for any attack from bandits or undead."

"Precisely why we must be better than them, good sir," Tarias says to Haar. "That is my opinion at least, I do not wish to cause strife among our group. I too have seen the damage that Lodis's tyranny causes, in their own lands, no less. It is the one thing I hate more than any other, and I would not wish to see it from the men of Ovis."

At this he pauses and collects himself, then resumes, "But again, I do not wish to cause strife when this goal must be accomplished. We can speak of it the next time we plan. I sincerely apologize for any offense."

We are better than they. It was not we who tore babies from their mother's arms to be sent to the churches of Filarhh as eunuchs and "servants". My own nephew was such a victim. I never even got the chance to meet him.

It was not we who drove the dwarves deep into the mountains with brutal treachery. Or the Little Folk. We don't even know where they are hiding, but so many died in the purges I fear they are gone from our land forever.

His voice drew to grim whisper. Or have you forgotten how our children go hungry on thin gruel so that the Lodissian "nobles" can throw the half-eaten remains of yet another feast into the garbage pit to rot?

These men are soldiers growing fat on the labors of your fathers, your mothers, your brothers and sisters and nephews and aunts and uncles and friends and neighbors.

And I will gleefully kill every last one of them until we throw them back into the sea where they came from, or I take my last breath in the attempt.

Ok so it seems you have a plan. Who is heading to the forest to look for the Undead and who is going to meet up with your extra recruits?

BTW there is no Dwarves, Elves and Halflings in this setting. The major Demihuman races are Winged Folk, Lizardmen, Lamia, Orcs, Faries and Merfolk. Not to say there aren't other races though. There are Giants, Dragons, Griffins and numerous other monsters in the world.

Please retconn the appropriate races into my previous statement. Sorry for the confusion.

I think it would be unwise for the group scouting undead to not have our resident undead expert, Narkus. So that group would be Narkus, Ezekias, and Masha, unless anyone disagrees vehemently.

No disagreement here. ;)

Haar, with the help of his scaled companion keeps from relating his own history in the matter and waits until the others had cooled their tempers before nodding to Ezekias suggestion.

"Tarius, Astrid and I will take the main road then and meet you all in town later."

Looking to his two companions then. "Shall we set off today or on the morrow? Matters not to me either way." Delphyene watched the many conversations wide eyed as the flurry of activity was more then what she was used to.

Tarias is visibly flustered by his allies reactions to his suggestion. "It seems that some are looking for a fight with even their allies," he thinks. "This level of unchecked rage could be dangerous to the resistance, or lead to something even worse than Lodis. I will have to be particularly delicate to steer this on course."

"I apologize for having apparently offended you, and will let the matter lie." Tarias says, having calmed himself considerably. "Let us be on with it."