Still slow to feel entirely comfortable with simply walking through the air, Esperanza's first steps are hesitant. After a moment, though, she regains her confidence and swoops down upon the Ironfang officer.
Thanks to Lily, Thorek vanishes from sight as he begins marching towards the regiment of hobgoblin grenadiers.
The Ironfang soldiers in the front of the formation kneel down, allowing the ranks behind them to see as the regiment winches and aims their heavy crossbows. They fire volleys towards Esperanza and Lily, with many of the bolts whizzing just past Thorek's armored head.
- halved
- halved
- halved
Their bolts prove to be enhanced with alchemical infusions, and as they strike near you or break upon your armor, they explode into bursts of caustic acids. Despite being invisible, some of these bolts also catch upon the invisible Thorek's armor, showering him with acid and shrapnel.
As the regiment's volleys finish, Daria strikes them with her spell, burning the first ranks and leaving most of the soldiers blinded.
Just before Esperanza can close the distance with her and get her within reach of her glaive, the engineer officer throws down a smoke pellet and retreats around Esperanza, back into the camp to regroup with the soldiers left under her command.
From her position on the siege engine, Daria calls forth a column of divine flame on the troop, trying to soften them up just before her allies crash into them.
With a chanted prayer that builds into a war-cry, Thorek charges towards the formation of hobgoblin engineers.
Esperanza maneuvers around the officer as well, trying to interpose herself between the officer and the blinded troops. She sprints the last two paces, converting the energy into a twirling slash of her glaive.
Lily from behind lets out a hail of arrows against the crowd of enemies Thorek hit. "Sigh.... More crowds.... I really shouldn't be surprised," she yells out.
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Lily bides her time until Thorek emerges from invisibility. When he does, his dorn-dergar smashes through the ranks of the hobgoblin grenadiers, sending a couple crashing back into their fellows with broken bones. With the regiment taken by surprise, Lily unleashes her arrows and fells at least one of the troops.
The engineers stumble back and retrieve bombs from their satchels and bandoliers. They blindly hurl the explosives behind Thorek, hoping the blast will catch him, Lily, and Esperanza. With their aim compromised by Daria's burst of radiance, the bombs fall short and only Thorek feels the burning conflagration upon his back.
Daria's next spell strikes powerfully upon the heart of the regiment. Holy fire explodes with even greater force than their own munitions, scattering the grenadiers with deadly burns. The handful of hobgoblins still standing find their morale broken and flee, blindly, towards their tents.
The engineer officer, despite finding herself the last member of her unit standing, refuses to surrender. She endures the first painful, bloody slash of Esperanza's glaive before lunging, futilely, with her own short sword at her. She fights to the death, which does not take long to find her.
You now have free rein of the siege weapon encampment. Cheers rise up from the nearby slave pen, its occupants happy to see their captors and tormentors brought to justice. The only other living being left nearby is the fey woman standing by the river's edge, looking apparently amused by the bloody spectacle that has unfolded.
"Lily, check for keys on the officers or their tents. If you can't find 'em just charm the locks if'n you can." Once certain that the hobgoblin engineers wouldn't be rallying, the dwarf cautiously approaches the fey woman.
"I trust you're no friend of the Ironfangs or we'd be locked in battle, but something tells me you're not their foe either. So what does that make us?"
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[dice=Perception in Giant Eagle form]1d20+26
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.”
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Esperanza flicks the blood from her glaive and to the ground before moving to help Lily free the captives. If keys, picks, or magic are insufficient, she knows she can break their chains the hard way.
Esperanza flicks the blood from her glaive and to the ground before moving to help Lily free the captives. If keys, picks, or magic are insufficient, she knows she can break their chains the hard way.
The fey woman stands in the river water up to her waist. A robe or cloak of gray cloth clings wetly to her red skin.
"I'm Magdava, and I'm but a spectator to your fine display of slaughter," she says with an amused smile. "The soldiers were attempting to purchase my help to get their weapons across my river. We were haggling over the price when you arrived. If it's all the same to you, I would be keen to collect my fee and simply leave you to your business."
Investigating the tents left behind by the routed troops, you find the spartan personal effects that the legionnaires are allowed: grooming tools, lucky charms, war trophies, and the like. Likewise, the officer's tent contains only her personal effects and extra gear. If there was a payroll chest or similar treasure provided to this unit, it was likely taken to the advance camp by the troops that marched ahead.
However, you do find keys to open the slaves' shackles upon the felled officer.
After helping free the prisoners from their bonds, Esperanza makes her way over to join Thorek and Magdava.
"If I may ask, what were you to be paid with?"
Lily after grabbing the keys stands their looking awkwardly the fey women. "Do you need help with anything? Are you safe? Why are you standing in the middle of the river.... And yeah what was the payment," she says in a rapid manner.
Daria watches quietly from the top of one of the siege engines, trying to figure out what kind of fey creature this might be who controls the river.
"Were you hoping to take payment in skins? You seem to've misplaced your own," Thorek observes darkly, his suspicions ratcheted up another notch by the woman's bizarre and unsettling appearance. "We have no desire to see these weapons moved anywhere, and any agreement made the Ironfangs does not bind us. Move along and leave us be, and we'll do the same for you."
From her vantage point, Daria is unable to identify what Magdava is. However, she has a firm suspicion that she is not one of the more wholesome varieties of fey.
When asked about her payment, Magdava points towards the slaves that Lily and Esperanza are freeing.
"We were nearing an agreement upon 20 of them as my fee. If I could just take them away in my currents, you could take those big wooden toys, and we'll all come away happy. I was promised payment, and regardless of whether the agreement involved you, I take promises very seriously."
"We made you no promises, creature, you are owed nothing. If you leave now all you'll suffer is disappointment--press me on this matter and I'll give you far worse."
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Esperanza frowns, her grip on her glaive tightens, and she widens her stance. She then takes a deep breath and speaks in a clear, commanding voice.
"Go in peace, Magdava. Our quarrel is with the Ironfang alone, but these are people, not things to be bartered with. They are not yours to take, nor are they ours to give. Enough blood has been spilled here today. There is no need to spill more. Go in peace."
Daria claws powerfully at her perch, damaging the catapult as she does. As the conversation with the fey drags on, she summons a Flaming Sphere one one of the other catapults, setting it on fire.
"Very soon there will be no weapons left here to cross the river, regardless..." she says dangerously.
"I could cause the river to surge and simply drown you," Magdava muses. As she does, she rises up from the water and reveals her full form. From the waist down, her body is merged with that of skull-headed horse, devoid of skin and fur, its exposed muscles slick with a blend of river water and ichor.
"However, those feeble prisoners do not look worth shedding any of my own blood. Perhaps I will simply wait for more of the hobgoblins to come. They'll make much better sacrifices for my river."
Sparing no more words, the horrific fey woman slips back down into the river, vanishing from sight. You are left uncontested with the camp and the freed slaves, with the smoke from the burning catapults coiling overhead.
As the malevolent creature slinks back under the river's surface Thorek sighs. "Thank you for your help there, Esperanza. I've many talents, but a silver tongue isn't one--without your intervention she'd have decided to test our mettle." With one last lingering glance at the river, the dwarf turns to free the captives and pilfer the camp while Daria finishes burning the siege engines.
"That went more smoothly than last time. Should we pursue their forward units?"
Esperanza watches the creature go, only relaxing once she seems to be well and truly gone. She acknowledges Thorek's compliment with a nod.
"With luck, she will take out her displeasure on the Ironfang. I believe we are overdue for such a thing."
"Why does everyone have to be so evil? Outside of Flopsie the only fey we've met were blood thirsty creatures that act as if they were going to drown all the prisoners we've met. Something odd is going on with them and I'd really like to know."
Flying down to the others, Daria says, ”Mount up—let’s follow the path of the others as Thorek suggests.”. Using her sharp eagle eyes to lock in on the tracks, Daria takes to the air once everyone is ready and tracks the path from the air.
"Those Korreds didn't seem so bad. Fey just don't have much respect for mortal life, unfortunately." Thorek clambers up onto the eagle-druid and keeps a lookout for threats on the ground or in the air.
"Fey are closer to nature than any other creature, I think, and nature is often a cruel thing."
As you leave behind the burned remains of the catapults, you find that the size of the enemy company that marched ahead is simply too large for its trail to be missed. However, there are a few complications involved in following them.
First, the sheer number of soldiers in the forward unit gives you pause when you consider taking them on as well. Second, depending on how far ahead they've marched, you might be sacrificing time needed for preparing Longshadow. Lastly, there is the matter of getting the freed prisoners to safety. With nothing but the ragged clothes on their back, they would likely not survive out in the Hollow Hills with so many enemy soldiers and native monsters on the loose.
"Daria, hold up. Even I can spot this trail with ease--dozens, possibly hundreds, with wagons and pack beasts. That's a bigger bite than we can chew through right now." He glances back at the prisoners, huddled and with nothing but the rags on their backs.
"And we can't leave these poor souls to find their way back on their own, they'd never make it. We might have to call it a day. 'Sides, that's all three camps we'd targeted now accounted for. Let's check back in with Longshadow and see about those false orders, ey?"
The final tally of freed prisoners sits at 42. The nearest allies are the people of Longshadow, being the only safe haven for many leagues. Hidden Hope lies about two and a half days east, as the giant eagle flies; the Rangers are en route to join the defense of Longshadow, so their current location is unknown.
Their mistreatment has not broken the freed prisoners' will, but rather steeled it. United, they promise that if you can escort them to Longshadow where they can get some food, rest, and proper care, they will fight to defend town in order to avenge themselves upon the Ironfangs.
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Daria transforms into her elven form and responds, ”Fair enough, Thorek,” as she takes off her cloak and summons an owl. Speaking to it, she orders it to follow the trail of the army for five minutes and then come back and report.
”Let’s see to our rescued friends and then get back to Longshadow, shall we?” she adds, breaking out her Healer’s kit and poultices.
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Thorek leaves no stone unturned as he pillages the captured camp, seeking anything that could aid the war effort. The lion's share of supplies seem to have been taken by the advance units. Nevertheless, he uncovers stocks of food, waterskins, rope, mallets, stakes, flasks of grease and oil, animal feed, nails and shoes for the yzobus, and other sundry supplies.
The troops attending to the siege weapons were apparently well paid, as Thorek's search turns up a total of 226gp that was left behind by the routed soldiers.
The felled officer also possessed some interesting items.
Potion of Cure Serious Wounds
Alchemist's Fire x10
Fuse Grenade x8
Smoke Pellet x4
+1 Chain Shirt
Heavy Crossbow
MWK Short Sword
Cloak of Resistance +1
Bandolier
Bombchucker
MWK Thieves' Tools
MWK Siege Engine Tools
Tindertwigs x25
Esperanza helps organize the line of freed prisoners waiting to be seen by Daria, prioritizing those who seem to be in the worst shape. She recruits some of the stronger ones to assist any who are struggling or may have trouble on the trip back to Longshadow. Once that's all in order, she goes to assist with any other work needed to get the newly expanded party on the move again.
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Hardened by their experiences, the freed Nirmathi show no weakness as they rein the yzobu, making it clear that they will accept no nonsense from the battle yaks. In very short order, the draft beasts are yoked to the commandeered carts, and your makeshift caravan is ready to roll.
Someone among the freed Nirmathi suggests traveling along the southern banks of the Marideth and crossing the river once you reach Longshadow, lest the fey Magdava attempt to drown you all when you try to cross here at the narrows.
"Hmm, my concern is that there may be heightened patrols along the river and our little convoy will be hemmed in. I suppose we must trust in Daria's keen eyes to steer us safely."
"Very well," says Daria, transforming into a tiny hawk, "If there are enemies along our path, I will light them up."
"Then our course is set. Let's be about it."
"Yeah Im pretty confident we'll be able to keep everyone safe. Just as long as we get enough warning from Daria."
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As you march along the southern banks of the Marideth, Daria observes signs that Ironfang scouts have been roving across this flatter terrain stretching between the river and the mountains to the west. Thankfully, the freshest of the tracks are still a couple days old, meaning that there aren't any of them nearby right now.
In fact, with the destruction of both the siege weapon camp and the munitions camp further to the southwest, it looks to Daria like you have all but eliminated the Legion's activity on this side of the river. The vast majority of their forces in this region are probably mustering in the Hollow Hills north of the river.
In a couple hours, your makeshift caravan is opposite Longshadow, and in short order you have signaled to friendly forces in the town, who send ferries to pick up you and the freed prisoners.
Lily helps provide aide to the prisoners and ensures that they are all feed a decent meal and provided a set of clothes.
"Well.... What's next? I feel like they are going to retaliate pretty hard for all that we've done," Lily says to the rest of the party with a concerned look on her face.
As Lily raises her concerns, the ferries return with another load of passengers, bringing more of the freed prisoners into the comparative safety of Longshadow. They look for friends and family among the residents, but even where they find only strangers, there are open arms and offers of shelter at the ready.
The first among those who welcome you back is the jovial halfling scout, Meriam Kems, from the Hunter Bureau. She excitedly congratulates you on completing the mission and freeing so many poor folks.
"Don't worry about retaliation," Kems says, having heard Lily's concern. "They're already going to besiege the town. What more can they do?"
After somehow delivering this joke with sincere optimism, Kems also reminds you of the plan to deliver falsified orders to the Legion forces mustering for the pending attack. Mayor Crawbert reached out to the members of the Hunter Bureau for infiltrators to deliver the falsified orders, and Kems was the first to volunteer.
"Aye, it's a war on--and they already infiltrated and massacred the temple. We're the one's retaliating." Thorek helps the last few freed Nirmathi ashore and turns to survey the drilling militia and the frantic repairs to the walls. "I'll leave planting the orders to the rest of you, that's not really my forte."
"Really? That surprises me, Thorek, as you usually have such a subtle way of doing things," Esperanza teases.
"Aye that's me, master of subterfuge," Thorek guffaws before moving off to join Longshadow's motley engineering corps, directing the further placement of traps, killing fields, rally points, and overlapping fields of fire. In particular he focuses on the deployment of plank-bridges to move from rooftop to rooftop without needing to descend to street level, allowing archers to reposition or withdraw while always staying above the Ironfang invaders on the street.
Base: 50
Gaius and Flopsy: +5
Eurydicia: +5
Siege Supplies (1 of 2): +5
Militia Drills (1 of 3): +10
Townsfolk Readiness (1 of 2): +5
Internal Defenses (2 of 3): +10
Liberated Munitions +5
Current Readiness: 95 pts
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Defense Points:
Base: 50
Gaius and Flopsy: +5
Eurydicia: +5
Siege Supplies (1 of 2): +5
Militia Drills (1 of 3): +10
Townsfolk Readiness (2 of 2): +10
Internal Defenses (3 of 3): +15
Liberated Munitions +5
Freed Nirmathi slaves +5
Current Readiness: 110 pts
”Who would like to join me in gathering some supplies to be prepared in case of a siege?” asks Daria as she passes out some poultices and berries to the rescued prisoners while they disperse (Herbalism for disease or just extra healing and Goodberry do nourishment).
Casting a nature spell (Deadeye’s Lore), she heads out to hunt and gather accompanied by whomever wishes to aid.
+ any aids