"Hi all. I really don't want this to continue as its obvious that we've defeated you. How about you surrender? I'll make sure you are treated fairly and are safe."
Lily's direct, matter-of-fact delivery seems to strike a chord with the Ironfang personnel. The inescapable reality of how badly their unit has been defeated, along with the offer of mercy, appears to the alchemist and engineers. Perhaps they are not quite as rigidly disciplined as their front-line comrades, but they agree to surrender.
The morlock miners, although they do not understand Lily, quickly surrender as soon as they see their Ironfang masters surrendering. With Daria's spells withdrawn, many more of the morlocks begin to climb out of the pit mine in the hopes of fleeing into the hills. If you stop them, they plead for mercy in Undercommon and beg to be allowed to flee back "to the goddess's side."
After the surrender, Daria makes sure to heal any injured morlocks before they leave. She then starts tending to the injured in her party.
Party Members:
Thorek:
vs DC 25 to heal 16 points damage plus healing
Esperanza:
vs DC 25 to heal 16 points damage plus healing
The morlocks are quite shocked when Daria tends their injuries. Aside from the lacerations from the thorny entanglement, most of their ailments are exhaustion and fatigue from their forced labor in the sulfur mine yawning open like a pox scar in the ground.
In Undercommon, you hear them reach a consensus that Daria must have been sent by their goddess, whom they describe as a sinewy mistress of the earth and tunnels.
Daria's flaming sphere ignited enough explosions to decimate whatever may have been stored inside the alchemy lab within the burned-out church. However, a one-room stone house adjacent to the lab remains standing, and it apparently served as weapons storage for the garrison.
Further removed from this is the well house occupying the southeastern corner of town. Previously guarded by the murderous elemental you dispatched, this reinforced stone building serves as munitions storage for the explosives crafted by the alchemist team.
Not understanding their speech in Undercommon, Daria focuses on healing and lets others converse as they wish. Scowling at the open wound in the earth, she considers if she yet has the powerful magic to mend the scar and close up the mine, but she does not.
"Heh, they think you're some sort of agent of their goddess, Daria! Don't suppose you met any weird Darklands deities during your time on the other side?" Thorek's mirth is short-lived as he considers the prisoners.
"The morlocks can go, I suppose. Poor bastards aren't here by choice it seems. The rest of you surrender your weapons and armor and lie face-down on the ground. You'll not be harmed, but neither are you free to leave." He hog-ties the hobgoblins if they comply, and then turns his attention to the reinforced storage rooms.
Thorek cannot find evidence of traps upon the storage houses' doors.
Before he can begin breaking down the sturdy doors, as the surviving Ironfangs surrender their arms, you notice that one of the engineers from the mine tries - but fails - to conceal a chunky iron key.
Esperanza inspects the body of the slain alchemist. Among his other gear, she finds another key, this one is slimmer and made of steel.
In addition to the keys to the two locked buildings, you recover the following items from the Ironfang personnel, captured or slain:
- 1 Wand of Cure Light Wounds (40 charges)
- 6 flasks of Acid
- 18 flasks of Alchemist's Fire
- 4 smokesticks
- 4 tanglefoot Bags
- 10 smoke pellets
- 48 tindertwigs
- 8 unstable accelerants
- 2 suits of +2 leather armor
- 4 bombchuckers
- 4 MWK shortswords
- 2 Eyes of the Eagle
- 2 Potions of Cure Serious Wounds
- 2 +1 chain shirts
- 2 heavy crossbows
- 2 cloaks of resistance +1
- 2 bandoliers
- 1 MWK thieves' tools
- 1 MWK siege engine tools
Esperanza hands the second key over to Thorek, allowing him to search the remaining buildings with his keen eyes while she watches over the prisoners.
The key that Esperanza recovers proves to unlock the superior padlock upon the munitions storage . Crates and barrels fill the entire southwestern edge of this circular stone building. A clean, acrid smell fills the room.
Many flasks of acid and alchemist's fire are stored inside this well building. These would provide a huge advantage to a force besieging a city, so denying the Legion access to these destructive tools would mitigate the threat posed to Longshadow, even if only slightly.
In addition, you discover four large breaching charges sitting among the munitions stockpile. These especially potent explosive devices were likely intended to punch through Longshadow's walls.
Daria continues to care for the morloks as the go, though she does perk up a bit at the mention of loot (and especially those Eyes of the Eagle—might she have one of those?). With her knowledge of alchemy, once the door is open and such items are found, she moves over to help.
(+5 more if wearing Eyes of the Eagle, but probably not quite yet)
(for identification of items and safe transport)
Daria is awed by the alchemical power assembled here, and considers to what effect such weapons could be used during an invasion…”There was another camp where they are making siege equipment, right? Perhaps some of these explosives could be put to good use there…” she muses.
Lily's starts to smile and replies,"Yeah turnabout is fair play... Let's collect it all and use it against them."
Daria notices, behind the munitions storage, a padded wagon the Ironfangs had on hand to deliver the breaching charges to the battlefield. With her alchemical knowledge, she is able to deduce how to safely transfer these volatile explosives to the wagon and safely transport them.
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"Transporting these weapons is one thing, but what are we to do with the prisoners?" Esperanza asks, when they're out of earshot. "Taking them back to Longshadow will be no easy feat."
”Ideally we could take the prisoners back for questioning and judgement, but I can only carry so much,” says Daria, looking at the wagonload of alchemical firepower. ”Perhaps we should leave the fate of their tormentors and slave drivers in the Morlock’s hands, then head back to town for some rest before taking on the next outpost,” suggests Daria.
She tries on the spectacles and is thrilled to learn it feels much like the vision she has while in Eagle form.
Standing here in the bones of Ecru, you are on the southern side of the Marideth River. This means you are technically in enemy territory, as your most recent intel indicates that the Legion's forces rove across the Nesmian Plains all but uncontested.
The town's stone walls offer the best sanctuary for miles, which is especially ironic because the Ironfangs were the ones to rebuild the walls after conquering the town. The ruined stone buildings also provide ready-made shelter, since the routed phalanx had already draped canvas tarps over the broken roofs to create field barracks.
”We could rest here, though we chance Ironfang troops approaching, thinking this is still one of their strongholds. There is time for us to return to Longshdow tonight and drop off these alchemical supplies, but we risk an encounter along the way. Risk exists either way, but we should decide now,” says Daria, as she works on some additional poultices.
"I think we should head back. At the very least if we meet resistance, it shouldn't be that dangerous even in our current state. "
"Let us be off, then."
The routed Ironfangs have left behind their field supplies and army rations. These may be the exact opposite of appealing, but they will ensure survival. What's more, after being subjected to forced labor in the sulfurous pit mine, the morlocks do not turn up their noses at the bounty left behind by their former masters.
”Let us allow the morlocks to take what provisions they desire as recompense for their enslavement. They can also judge their overseers as they see fit—as long as the Ironfangs do not rejoin the war effort. We can load up here and get back to Longshadow, before the sun sets” suggests Daria as she prepares to cast “Ant Haul” and transform into the giant Eagle.
"Aye, anything they want they're welcome to, but I'm going to burn this place before we leave. There's no sense in leaving an intact outpost behind for more Ironfangs to reclaim."
"I wonder how many more times we have to do this..." Lily says while throwing sorting through her backpack.
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The morlocks pillage the proffered Ironfang supplies with a speed to put any surface-dwelling looters to shame. They need no encouragement to make themselves scarce and flee into the surrounding hills before Thorek sets the place alight.
Daria again morphs into a giant eagle and allows you to climb aboard before she takes hold of the padded wagon, laden with the demolition charges and smaller munitions.
Thus, you venture back eastward, across the Marideth River, and return to Longshadow.
Lily works on getting the surrounding members of the town ready for the incoming attack. "All right Im pretty sure we've gone over the procedures to ensure that the safety of all the civilians during an attack. I don't want to see any children or elderly in harms way while Im defending the town," she says very apprehensively.
Daria spends time making sure the alchemical supplies are correctly stowed and best arranged for maximum effectiveness.
She then volunteers to help gather and store food for best use during the siege from the bounty of the surrounding woods.
Using what she's learned from their recent battle against the Ironfang's phalanx units, Esperanza runs Longshadow's reserve militia through a series of drills to teach them techniques useful against opponents using polearms.
Lily demonstrates uncanny leadership as she prepares the civilians of Longshadow to endure the coming storm of war. The residents hang upon her every word, heed her every command, and digest every lesson that she provides. Her efforts will likely ensure that many lives will be saved when the enemy is at the gates.
In fact, when you run into Gaius during the readiness lectures and drills, he suggests that - once the war is over - Lily could easily settle in Longshadow and become a town leader. Considering the Ironfang's doppelganger infiltrators managed to murder three of the town's most prominent citizens, the population is probably keen to see these voids filled by capable heroes.
...
Daria demonstrates acute professionalism when it comes to the logistics of the liberated munitions. However, hers is an uphill battle as she strives to keep the defenders' enthusiasm in check, lest there be any foolish accidents whilst handling the volatile compounds.
She is ultimately (and thankfully) successful. The alchemist's fire and acid flasks are strategically distributed among the town guard, the Hunter Bureau, and the other defenders of Longshadow.
Thorek takes charge of the breaching charges, selecting a handful of placements to maximize their damage against the most likely lines of assault. "The trick is to not put them in the most obvious attack lines--the enemy knows there will be defenses there and will be avoiding them or sending in cannon fodder. The second-most-obvious attack lines is where you put 'em! That way you're catching regular or even crack units instead of the chaff."
"Don't you run the risk of outsmarting yourself with such tactics?" Esperanza asks, accompanying Thorek as he surveys the likely battlefield.
"Nope!" Thorek rises, brushes the dirt from his hands and surveying his handiwork with satisfaction.
”We have done well today. Let us distribute what arms and armor we can repurpose from the captured loot to the defense of the city. I’d also like to seek healing from my recent…indisposition…if possible,” says Daria.
"Yeah its rough going but I feel optimistic that we are going to get protect the town."
Daria busies herself with distributing the items to those who desire them and selling the rest, taking a portion of the gold in her share to pay for a restoration spell. Though she does not appear fully healthy yet in her new form, the healing re-invigorates her and somehow anchors her more securely to the realm of the living.
Resting and recovering overnight, she rises with the sunrise to do her morning communion with nature and refresh her supply of tonics and balms. Refreshed, she joins the others for breakfast and discusses the plans for the day. "So, siege equipment next, then? I can fly us high over them if we want to use some of the alchemical bombs, but a stealthier ground approach would likely play more to our strengths. I can grant you all the ability to walk on the air for mobility's sake, if we wish to do that again," she suggests, eager to see what her friends consider the next best thing to do to get the city ready to repel the invasion.
"Don't forget, we might want to try and send some false orders with the captured information we have--it might just buy us a few more days to prepare if we move them out of position," she adds.
"Burn the siege engines, yes. That air-walking magic was extremely useful too, another casting of that wouldn't go amiss when the battle starts."
"Agreed," Esperanza says with a nod. "You're looking better, Daria. Glad to see things are improving for you."
"Im glad you've recovered from your injuries. Let's hope no one else has to go through the same thing.," Lily says with a warm smile.
"So should we try and send them some false orders? It's risky because I'd have to go in disguised but if it works, we'd have a big advantage. "
"Not sure who we'd hand 'em off to, but aye it can't hurt to have the option in our back pocket. Can you get it done before we leave to deal with the siege camp?"
"Maybe they could be delivered by messenger bird?" Esperanza asks with a shrug.
Properly crafting a set of convincing forgeries to fool not just the Ironfang officers but also the commander of the assault force will take a bit of time. Ergo, it might be best to wait until returning from your strike on the siege weapon encampment to accomplish this task.
”Perhaps there is someone here in town who could do the initial work on crafting false orders while we destroy the siege engines today,” suggests Daria.
"Many hands make light work," Thorek agrees. "We should get moving, we're losing daylight and every moment counts."
During a planning session before the break of dawn, Mayor Crawbert raises his hand and offers his assistance for the initial work on the forgeries.
"Prior to becoming mayor, I used the money I made traveling with Navah and the rest of Brunton's Raiders," he says, briefly grimacing as he mentions the name of his former adventuring company, "to establish a library and curio shop here in my hometown.
"It certainly was a surprise to find myself happily applying all those lessons on reading and writing that my old pa' heaped upon my brothers and me to keep us from a life in the mines, but I digress. I have some experience with letters, so if you entrust me with the official Ironfang documents, I can study them while you're away and lay the groundwork for the forgeries."
.....
Just as the first light peeks over the distant horizon, you set out to strike the Ironfang siege camp to the northwest.
You find the Ironfang siege weapons about 10 miles upriver from Longshadow, where the Marideth River feeds through some narrows among the Hollow Hills. However, the river remains quite deep, leaving you to wonder how the hobgoblins plan to get their siege weapons across the water, which is still about 120 feet wide even here at the narrows.
The campsite is erected around the four heavy catapults that forms the heart of this detachment. These weapons would decimate Longshadow's walls.
On the far side of the river, you can also spot signs of many marching feet leading away from the river.
Taken together, you interpret this to mean that the bulk of this detachment's troops were sent ahead to secure the next campsite in advance of the assault on Longshadow. This means that a mere skeleton crew has been left behind to defend the catapults.
As Daria in Giant Eagle form flies powerfully through the air, supporting her friends, she notes the evidence of the departed force and says, ”The bulk of their force from this camp has already left—likely to form another forward camp. Once we are done here, we should at least follow their tracks and see what other surprises they have in store for Longshadow.”
"Agreed--we'll scout 'em out when we've put their machines to the torch. Take us in, fast and lethal-like."
After all spells are cast, Daria says, ”Step off and walk on the air when you are ready to engage,” then she coasts in towards the siege towers, wings angled and not flapping to glide in quietly and quickly, but not so fast that stepping off at a run would cause a big stumble.
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As Daria swoops in to deliver the rest of the party, you have time to observe that the officer in charge of the remaining troops is standing by the river, rather than being among the camp itself. She appears to be negotiating or arguing with some manner of fey or water spirit at the Marideth's banks.
Heavy-duty yokes are hitched to each catapult, and those yokes are borne upon the shoulders of yzobus. These shaggy furred creatures, also called battle yaks, are the preferred beasts of burden for hobgoblins, and they resemble a bulky horse with a bovine head. A pair of thick, slightly curved horns protrude from the sides of its flat forehead and four smaller prongs jut from the top.
On approach, you notice what looks to be an animal pen on the periphery of the camp. However, drawing closer, you see that it contains almost two dozen humans of different ages, clothed in rags and bound by ropes. These are almost certainly Nirmathi who've been captured and taken as slaves.
The sight of a giant eagle swooping down towards their siege weapons sends the troops left at the camp into a frenzy of activity. Perhaps they've heard accounts of similar attacks on the Legion's camps being preceded by giant eagle sightings, or perhaps they know that such creatures are inherently dangerous. Either way, they ready their weapons and assemble into formation.
After dropping the people where they wish to be, Daria/Eagle lands on the tallest of the siege engines, hoping that any artillery headed her way might affect the weapon. As the troop forms, she drops a Burst of Radiance on the tightly-formed group.
rounds of blindness (or dazzle if save made),
Dropping to the ground, Thorek starts swinging up his dorn-dergar to build speed for the bloody work ahead.
"Oooo boy that's a lot of them.... Thorek. This should help get you closer to them."