The last remaining bugbear flees from the dock back to shore. You can see now that the sound of battle has drawn many more bugbears and other monsters towards the shore. "We're under attack!" the bugbear cries and urges them to overtake the boat, though few, seeing how three have already died, see reason to attack first and be the first to die. Goblins scream and throw rocks at you. It seems that in a minute or so they might get their confidence up to try storming the boat.
"Prepare to defend the Frosthamar!" Kargeld calls to you and his men. There is a quick scramble for swords and bows as the tense stand off continues.
Roughly 30 seconds later the throng is forcibly parted and the largest bugbear you have seen so far comes to the front. He is covered in black fur and stands 9ft. tall wielding a fiery greataxe. "What is the meaning of this?" he asks the wounded bugbear who had been guarding the dock.
"They attacked us General. Killed three of my best men and almost me, we are about to storm the ship."
"You will do no such thing," he commands the army and then points at you with his axe of flame, "Who sent you?"
Carnadine moves to meet the speaker and says in Talerian, "we have a delivery from Cardinal Thorn for Chieftain Sakkarot Fire-Axe. Are you Fire-Axe?"
Hearing that you are sent by Thorn he gives a toothy grin. "Then you are welcome here." He turns to the rather stunned throng gathered there on the beach.
"These humans are my guests. I will deal with anyone who harms them. They are our allies!"
He walks towards the boats and excusing himself, "Captain," tears open one of the crates revealing the finely made axes and weaponry within. He walks back onto the dock and calls over the wounded bugbear. [b]"Behold! Gifts of steel! We shall raid Talinguarde as I promised." This draws a terrifying chorus of growls and yells from the crowd. "This one is yours," he says to the bugbear he had called over, the last remaining who had fought with you. With a lightning quick swing the axe is embedded in the bugbear's chest and then kicked off into the water. A quick hush falls over the crowd before Sakkarot says with arm gestures pointing your way, "To our guests!" The cheers and roars start up again even louder.
He directs his lieutenants to organise the distribution of the weapons. Everything in the crates has the emblem of the fire axe engraved upon it. Within a short time where before was mostly clubs now steel flashes and the clash of shields ring. The camp of bugbears is a true army now thanks to you.
Carnadine stabilizes Cassus (with his new 0th level spell).
Sakkarot holds a feast in celebration of the weapons shipment. It is a brutal, savage affair with beasts fighting each other for entertainment and all manner of monsters in attendance that Sakkarot had managed to gather to his banner. The highlight of the party is when a great shaggy dire boar recently captured from the northern woods is brought in hackles. The angry pig is led in by a dozen bugbears who drag the beast before Sakkarot. Sakkarot beheads the already wounded animal in one mighty stroke with his fire axe. The beast is then spitted and roasted in a great open pit. You are invited to sit at Sakkarot's table giving you a front row seat to all the savagery.
Eventually as the raucous bestial festivities of the bugbear tribes die down, Sakkarot summons you into his private chambers and dismisses his many followers with a deep growl. None but a select few guards remain, the rest outside.
"You are traitors to your own kind. You must know that. When Balentyne falls and my horde pours through its shattered gates, we will slaughter the Talireans by the thousands. Yet I see no regret in your eyes. Tell me, how can this be?"
Marvin shakes his head. "We don't speak for each other—but I've been a traitor to Talinguarde for a long time. You'll find no love for the land or its people in my eyes, and I'd wager it's the same for all of us."
"And speaking of... the men who sailed our ship are profiteers, who lack the same commitment of our group. Now that we've arrived, we'll need to see them eliminated; and if your warriors want to help in that, we wouldn't mind."
Carnadine answers with a predatory smile, "we are visionaries. The leadership of Talinguarde has led the Talireans off the right path. The Talireans must be punished for their transgressions.
As to the sailors, we need to protect the element of surprise for the attack of Balentyne. After your shipment is off-loaded, the longship and crew must be destroyed."
Sakkarot nods at the talk of killing Kargeld, "Likely my soldiers would do it themselves before too long. It is not an easy thing to control such a horde for so long." He is definitely quite smart for a bugbear. Such cooperation between tribes and clans is no common thing. "But you must be across the lake tonight as soon as possible. No one that I command has the skill to navigate the lake at night, can you?"
"Why do we need to cross the lake tonight? And, how long will it take your horde to get to Balentyne if you cannot cross the lake?" Carnadine questions the smart bugbear.
"You must depart this camp. It will never be truly safe for you here. Over the next week, more tribes will rally to my banner. I will promise them blood and give them steel. Then at last I will be ready to march. A week after that, I will be poised to strike. I will move my horde to the valley just north of Balentyne. There we will wait for your signal. Fire this rocket into the air. Within the hour, we will attack. Make sure that the way is ready. After we gather, my horde will be idle and start to grow anxious. I can hold them together for another two weeks. After that, I expect desertions and squabbling. Get your work done before then. You have one month to infiltrate and destroy Balentyne."
Marvin is not quite done plotting. "So.. if we must sail with Kargeld across the lake, would it be possible to promise him an additional reward, should he return to your horde? And then have your men tear him and his ship to pieces? It might raise noise to kill him on the lake's southern shore."
"Sorry, Marvin. Cardinal Thorn was very explicit. Kargeld is our responsibility." Carnadine replies with sincerity not trusting Kargeld to leave his sight alive.
"Fair enough."
"Agreed. I don't think the cardinal would be understanding of us delegating this particular task. It may be that Kargeld is more resourceful than I am giving him credit for."
"It would not be wise to cross the Cardinal." If the talk about what to do about Kargeld is finished he brings out a carefully wrapped package. "This is the signal rocket. Fire it when you are ready and we will ruin Balentyne and Talinguarde."
"Thorn has faith in you. If you weren't his best he wouldn't have sent you. Breaking the Watch Wall is the single most important part of the plan. Are you sure you can do this? In one month can you break the watch wall?" He stares straight into your eyes.
"If Thorn has faith in us, then we will break the watch wall within one month. Hopefully before that, so we don't challenge your leadership skills too much holding your horde together." Carnadine replies.
"What can you tell us of Balentyne, the Watch Wall, and the current situation there? We cannot have too much information, in order to succeed." Carnadine asks Fireaxe.
"Yes. If you do this your names will be legend."
"Certainly a direct assault will fail miserably. The tower is manned by at least 100 well trained soldiers as well as the garrison in the nearby town of Aldencross. Beyond that I don't have much that will help you. You will have to discover the best way to weaken them on your own."
"My companions have certainly proven resourceful, and I've a few tricks as well. I suspect we will have no problem softening up the tower and its garrison. The Cardinal wouldn't have chosen us for the task had he not evaluated us as ready to carry it out."
Unless, of course, we are merely a distraction for another effort. But no reason to raise those doubts here...
"Then you best go and begin. Hail Asmodeus!"
Carnadine nods to the goblin chieftain in reply. After years of worshiping Asmodeus in secret, he was not ready to reveal his allegiance so casually. He did not trust Fire-Axe yet.
Tragershen merely smiles at Fireaxe's declaration. He says to the others "We should leave immediately, if our business here is concluded."
When you return to the boat everything is well unloaded and Kargeld is anxious to leave. Already bugbear warriors have begun eyeing his ship. It won't be long till they work up the courage to attack again. "That one's too smart. Look in his eyes, always plotting. Bugbears shouldn't be smart." he says of Sakkarot. He grumbles of not being payed enough and even threatens to leave without you if you do not come with him immediately.
Soon you are sailing across lake Tarik under cover of night and after several hours the coast is visible. The frosthamar quietly gets as close to the beach as it can. "This here will give you a short walk to Aldencross. Now off with ya, I intend to be far away from here come next nightfall." It won't be long before the sun is up again.
Carnadine heals himself during the voyage.