The fireball, Oriol's attacks, and Sootscale's bombs outright kill one troll, and knock the other one unconscious.
The house, lit on fire by Vincent's fireball, begins to burn more brightly as the fire spreads along the top, and the party hears coughing from inside.
One troll comes around from the south and tries to engage Dos.
The troll just west of Vincent moves to bite him.
But the nimble little fellow seems unlikely to be hit. The one near Mum doesn't bother attacking Dos, and instead turns his attention to Mum.
Another moves up to try and fight Oriol.
"Bother." Vincent says softly when he hears the noises coming from inside the house.
With few other options he incants fireball once again, engulfing himself and both trolls in a blast of potent fire.
Somehow the vampire emerges almost unscathed from the conflagration.
The flying swordswoman isn't surprised the troll didn't run. Getting all dressed up and tromping through the woods for days was a lot of work, so a few words wouldn't deter them.
Swords and blood is what is called for here.
Oriol hears another explosion behind him and sees yet another house on fire. "Stop burning houses!" He yells while he gives combat to the troll trying to hit him. "Vhat is point of prrotecting village if you burn it yourrself?"
Oriol looks around for the people he had ordered (here) to have barrels and buckets ready for fire. "Ve have firre herre!"
Seeing that the trolls were well in hand, Sootscale flies onto the roof to try and put out the fires!
Sootscale manages to roll around on the roof and smother some of the flames, though the thatching is still burning on the south.
The one in front of Chrysa dies to the second fireball, and she moves south to flank with Vincent, badly wounding the southern troll.
The only one still fighting Oriol drops dead with Oriol's final swing.
One of the remaining trolls, seeing every ally horribly killed, flees to the north.
The last troll shrugs and says in Giantish, "Eh, labi, es padodos."
"Fine, I give up."
He raises his hands above his head and sits down on the ground.
The doors to the houses that are burning remain closed, and there remains coughing coming from inside. A few of the folks that are elsewhere in town come rushing over at Oriol's request for help, but it may be a little while before they get here. Some of the people in the houses nearby crack open the door, and one looks like she's going to try to come out and help, but the people here are not the same ones that Oriol enlisted to help with fire supression.
Since Chrysa is being Good, she does not gut the surrendering Troll. Instead, she leaves him to his surrender and tries to put out the fires, flying to buckets and pouring them onto roofs.
Vincent goes to the doorway and calls out.
"Is there anyone in there? Can I come in to help?"
Oriol turns to the troll that just surrendered and points his sword, dripping with caustic blood.
"You vant to live? Zen you vill help put out firre! A single perrson dies burnt and you'll lose yourr head, and you know it vill not grrow back!" He barks at the troll, not caring if it understood his words or not.
He then asks the gods, not his own, for a blessing in the form of a cleansing rain.
Sootscale continues to roll over the fires!
After a short time, the fire on the northern house goes out, and Sootscale extinguishes the southern one.
The inhabitants of the northern house agree verbally that Vincent can get in, and he moves inside. Within he sees a young, bookish man and two children. He has his arms around them and they are coughing, "thank you."
The troll raises an eyebrow, "Aš nesuprantu, ką jis sako," pointing at Oriol. The fleeing troll moves into the woods quickly, back over the river.
The fighting to the west seems to be going well for the militia. The traps and various strategic advantages have put the attacking force severely on the defensive. The leader of the group, on the far edge of the bank, is gesturing wildly but it doesn't look like the militia or barbarians are paying much mind. Chrysa can tell that he seems to be on the verge of bolting away.
With the trolls taken care of, Mum goes after what she picked as her first target. With overconfidence Brimming, combined with the Justice of Doing Something Right written all over her face (or at least what Chrysa thinks that looks like), the sword-wielding warrior darts like an arrow through the sky at the leader.
Vincent holds out his hands to take the children, and shuttles them both to safety at quick, but not vampiric speeds. Then, with the fire situation extinguished he disappears out of sigh and shifts back into wolf form - no more than two minutes after he regained his normal shape.
Dos, seeing Mum hurtling across the sky dashes around the town in pursuit, although his longer path will slow him down. On the plus side it means he appears to be coming out of the woods, rather than popping up behind the defenses!
Oriol has seen Mum fight, so her trusts her to take care of the leader of the army. He flies after her nevertheless, but he instead lands on the middle of the enemy's troops grinning, his huge size slightly shocking the ground.
"Come you all, come meet my svorrd! I'm Orriol Arrgerich, ze Varr Dog of ze Land of Happy Bushes and Joyful Crritterrs!" He announces himself and taunt all around him, imagining Mum would be amused by his words. "May ze few of you who surrvive sprread vord of vhat it happens to fools who attack Gliocas... now COME ALL! For ze Blood Council is eagerr forr ze spectacle!"
Sootscale follows Chrysa. The fleeing leader indeed seemed like a priority to him, although he keeps his eyes peeled, assessing the situation for new threats.
Oriol moves over to the middle of the larger battle, but most of the mercenaries and barbarians are dispatched by this point, with the defense of the town being relatively effective. A handful of militia seem to be unconscious, but the remainder cheer as Oriol threatens the rest of the small army. The remaining mercenaries not near the crossing throw down their weapons and drop to the ground with their hands on their heads.
The leader of the troop begins to flee as well, but the fly spells make it easy to catch up to him. And he is intercepted along the way, and seeing the three somewhat formidable foes surrounding him, does the same thing grumbling.
The dark haired woman hovers down close to the surrendering man with his arms on his head while on his knees. The lovely woman leans in, her warmth against his skin almost intimately, as she whispers in his ear...
"coward"
Oriol turns to Soothscale. "So, do you have some vay to contact Sophiel? Vhat is norrm arround herre to deal vith prrisonerrs? Most places in Iobarria, norrm is to leave only one alive, to sprread ze tale of zeirr foolish assault."
"Good, good, Sootscale leave this one in your capable hands." The kobold viceroy leaves, not necessarily wanting to see what Chrysa and Vincent might do to the poor fellow. Instead, he returns to Oriol.
"Sootscale have no magics for speaking with the Administrator. She might want silly things like trial--have you not seen enough of that, Oriol? No, while Administrator away, her representative in charge here!" As he straightens up proudly, it's clear that Sootscale has in mind himself as he speaks.
He begins speaking to the troll in giant. "You idiot trolls, attacking mighty nation of Gliocas. Why? You not learn lesson from previous humiliation at our hands? Does Drelev pay you to fight us and die?"
Dos looks at Chrysa, the question clear in his too-intelligent eyes.
Shall I break him?
Kan's rule number 4 'defeat is temporary. Death, less so' you can take the rule many ways, but Chrysa choose the simple, never keep an enemy alive. She gives Vincent a generous curving of her lip and nods.
Dos shifts into his more usual form and lashes out at the man's mind.
There are a fair number of mercenaries that are still alive, including trolls, humans, and a dwarf, in addition to Aemon Trask. Everyone is gathered just outside of town, though a few militia have gone back into the town to tend to the partially-burned down homes and businesses.
***********************************
The militia that have been fighting are surprised when the wolf takes the form of the young teen, cloaked in a penumbra, and some draw their weapons, but others tell them to put them away. It's obvious that there is some uncertainty.
The man appears to be Vincent's mind slave now. His eyes grow vacant and unfocused.
"Eh, it was nothing personal. They paid us to fight - we knew that there would be mercy if we surrendered. Not too risky unless yer stupid, in my opinion."
He shrugs,
Sootscale grows extremely angry, responding in Giant. "Nothing personal? You wicked trolls out to kill townsfolk! Just like you trolls killed innocent kobolds not long ago! Queen -- er, Administrator Sophiel might be merciful, but Governor Sootscale not so foolish. Are your troll leaders behind this too? They'll face justice if they side with Drelev!"
Sootscale is tempted to roast some troll, but considers whether having hostages might be better if there were more trolls involved and they needed to negotiate troll neutrality.
"Why did you attack here?" Vincent asks the mercenary leader, his eyes cold. "Who sent you?"
”What? No? We don’t have any leaders. Our local leaders are all dead. We’re just mercenaries man, fighting for money. We were definitely going to eat anyone who we killed you know… waste not want not. We didn’t intend to kill any townsfolk unless they resisted. Drelev was going to rule this place. Can’t rule a place if everyone’s dead.”
He is one of the more chill trolls you have met, other than the bailiff at court who may or may not eat people (?).
Trask explains much. Drelev is a Brevic nobleman who founded of Fort Drelev some years ago, but Trask doesn’t know exactly when. He apparently had mercenaries investigating the tombs nearby, when a tribe of barbarians called the Tiger Lords attacked Drelev. Fort Drelev drove them back with some ease towards Pitax, an extensive settlement west of the slough. Apparently, the lord of Pitax, a person named Iorvetti, joined forces with the tiger lords and counterattacked, taking Drelev without any deaths as the lord of the settlement immediately surrendered instead of being overwhelmed by the far superior force. As part of the surrender, five of the settlers had to send their daughters as hostages to the tiger lords to assure compliance, until Drelev could prove his loyalty. One refused, Numasti, and for this, he was imprisoned and his daughter was given to the barbarians as a hostage forcibly.
Drelev is extremely jealous of Shadowfall and Gliocas, and though he is afraid of Shadowfall, he thinks that Gliocas is composed of faerie lovers that are weak and pathetic. He plots to take over both to simultaneously impress Iorvetti, while secretly trying to expand his personal power to eventually conquer Pitax, the Tiger Lords, and move back into Southern Brevoy.
Today, the remaining citizens of Fort Drelev are a downcast and desperate lot. There’s very little activity in the streets, and while shops and markets remain open and farmers and craftsmen continue to ply their trades, they do so quietly and without much noise. No one wants to draw attention to themselves in Fort Drelev, not with the surly and easily angered mercenary guards patrolling the streets and, increasingly, taking what they want from the citizens, be it food or gold or companionship. The fact that there’s little indication from the baron or his guards that things will be changing soon has many of the town’s citizens on the edge of revolt—but they lack the courage or conviction to rise up, especially in light of the cruelty often displayed by the guards. The town is under martial law, with a curfew running from an hour before sunset to an hour after sunrise. Those who break curfew are sent to Keep Drelev for punishment. Few have emerged, and whispers of what fate awaits those in the keep’s dungeons grow increasingly grim as more and more citizens vanish into them. Fort Drelev is a sizable town, but the baron has overbuilt. Most of the town’s buildings were empty or only partially completed even before he capitulated to Irovetti. Each week since then, the town’s population has decreased further as citizens succumb to illness or starvation, are imprisoned or beaten to death by unruly mercenary guards, or manage to build up enough courage to flee the town—those who escape without being noticed by the guards (who take delight in shooting down fleeing citizens) generally don’t live for long in the dangerous Slough.
Though Baron Drelev’s forces already consider themselves at war, they have orders not to restrict trade or travel, either by land or the river docks.
f the you want to avoid entering town in broad daylight, they actually run a great risk of discovery. The baron has instituted a nightly curfew, with hill giants patrolling the town’s streets and perimeter, keeping watch for anyone leaving or entering town.
The mercenary guards sent by Irovetti to aid Baron Drelev in keeping the town secure are numerous—in all, there are 36 guards assigned to the town itself, and many more up at Drelev Keep. At any one time, a dozen guards are posted at the watchtower and another dozen patrol the city streets in three groups of four. The remaining 12 guards are off-duty, either relaxing at the Velvet Corner, eating at Bellweather’s, or sleeping on the ground floor of the watchtower.
There are a number of businesses in Fort Drelev as well, as the settlement only has part of it as an actual “fort.”
Mum stretches, more for Chrysa's own comfort. A larger curvier form like the one she is wearing does help hide her growing belly but it still manages to be warmly uncomfortable at times. "So we for to this Fort, defeat all the guards and free the people of Drelev, allowing them the become citizens of this land of plenty?"
"Ugh, stupid mercenaries," says Sootscale dismissively, deciding that further questioning would just make his blood boil further and tempt him into summary execution. And he didn't want to make Sophiel mad. Maybe the locals would decide to execute them.
He leaves the troll prisoners to the local authorities and heads over to Vincent, who has conveniently gotten a lot of information from his own questioning. "Yes, time for counter-attack Drelev. If he can be defeated by barbarian tribes, he certainly no match for us!" Sootscale puffs his chest proudly, certain of their plan.
Mum nodes appreciatively at Chief Sootscale's plan. "A kingdom in the wrong hands is not in the right hands." Mum tries her hand at useless sayings. Inwardly she sighs, wishing she says things like A live enemy is Dumb instead, but that is not who she is playing at the moment. Mum is good.
Oriel nods in satisfaction at the job well done, and kicks Aemon Trask once in the leg for good measure. Sighing, he puts all the prisoners in shackles in short order, including the trolls, and gathers up some of the makeshift guard, "Verrrry good. Vell, I think we must take these scoundrels to the capitol as prisoners - they cannot be held here and we cannot speak to the Administrator remotely. I must have her send you all a message - I suppose this is goodbye..."
The big man nods morosely, and another, more feminine voice adds, "yes, thank you, it was a pleasure to meet you all." Oriol curtsies and then turns and marches away. He leaves Aemon Trask in your care.
Watching the party, and rushing over to tend to the wounded, the villagers take stock of the successful defense, including the mayor and his wife.
Frowning, Tanner wrings his hands as he looks towards the woods, obviously worried but Latricia calms him down, "we are safe enough - the governor and these mercenaries are still here - and isn't it better if the prisoners are elsewhere?"
Tanner nods, "I suppose, but our guard is gone. We need folks to come here - they could attack again at any time" Latricia nods towards Sootscale and Mum, "but they said they'd take the fight to Drelev - so we only need wait for some reinforcements, right?" Tanner looks glum, "alright - just - we need to repair the buildings and get to work on fortifying the barricades. We have space to put Trask at least." Letricia nods at him, and says to Chrysa, "I will send a messenger bird back to Gliocas and let them know our need."
Coren approaches, and the young man removes the magic gear and other treasures of note from the grumbling prisoner, and escorts him back to the center of town.
Since the commander is busy with the prisoners, and the governor is busy with the defenses, the well-padded Mum goes to find the wayward woman, Kisandra/
"Excuse me, Miss... Kisandra. The good defenders of Gliocous < mangled in pronunciation as well as spelling > will be off to Drelev, where your father and sister are held, yes? Would you like to come with us, giving us as much information as you can both now and on the trip?"
Vincent meanwhile finds a quiet place to flick through his magical spellbook, gifted by Auntie Sophie, and find one of his more recent spells. Once he's ready he casts and speaks clean across the miles between Tatzleford and Gliocas.
"Tatzleford safe. Attackers from Fort Drelev. Send reinforcements. Planning to counterattack quickly to take them by surprise. How long do you need?"
Sootscale bids farewell to another departing companion. "Good to meet you, Oriol. Gliocas need strong warriors like you."
He then turns to Tanner and Latricia, trying to hearten their mood. "Tatzlford built good defenses in short time. Can build stronger defenses now, with time. We had great victory today! And Administrator Sophiel will send help--she good leader."
He offers to help survey the damage and gives advice for repairs and fortification of the town. Aboveground construction was child's play as far as he was concerned.
Sootscale makes a lot of progress on the repairs, while Vincent sends a message to Sophiel. The reply is short, ”Have to muster many more forces, threat from northeast - a few days. Cut off the head. Two recruits coming to help sooner, thanks.”
**********
Mum moves to speak to Kisendra. The girl further explains about the recent developments in the Drelev Demesne, including the imprisonment of her father and the taking of her sister as a hostage by the chief of the Tiger lords, Armag.
She pleads for Mum’s help, praising their skill and renown for problem- solving while also urging them to overthrow Drelev and save her people from the Tiger Lords. She asks them to repay Drelev for his treachery by forcing him cede control of the kingdom—Baron Drelev is a craven bully who, if left in charge of the Drelev Demesne, will cause the death of hundreds.
Furthermore, she also asks the party to save her father (from the dungeons of Drelev Keep) and her sister (from the clutches of the Tiger Lords) if they can.
Kisandra has little in the way of personal wealth to offer in payment for these requests, but she does pledge her family’s loyalty to the Gliocas if they accept her quests. She also points out that if they can liberate Fort Drelev, its beleaguered citizens will certainly treat them as heroes and join their nation.
Kisandra is no heroine—she fears Baron Drelev, and despite how she worries for her father or sister, she has no desire to return to Fort Drelev. She can certainly sketch a map of the town for the party (though they have one already) but she doesn’t want to return there until the baron has been dealt with and her family rescued. She does, however, have one more thing to offer the party - the name of a possibly ally in the town: Satinder Morne, the proprietor of Fort Drelev’s gaming hall and brothel. Kisandra gives the party a jade ring worth 200 gp that can prove to Satinder they’re friends.
She tells the mum that Satinder is no friend of Baron Drelev despite the fact that the mercenary guards who now serve as the city watch are among her best customers. If they’re looking for a safe place to hide in Fort Drelev, they should mention Kisandra’s name to Satinder and give her the jade ring with a long-stemmed flower of any kind threaded through the ring itself.
Mum preens at the compliments since Mum likes to get praise as much as a cat likes milk. Chrysa, inside the padded body, finds the compliment about renown humourous since Mum hasn't existed for more than a few days. Still, she understood desperate pleading as well as the next person.
"We'll save them, we will, each and every one. I swear it on my name and my honor." she announces loudly, even dropping to her knee like some Knight while she gives her oath.
We will, will we? Vincent thinks, watching Auntie Chrysa putting on her performance with a smile. Still he doesn't contradict her, that would be rude and unhelpful so instead he settles into the shade of a nearby house to watch the fun. He'll report back on what the Administrator said when things are a little quieter.
Sootscale lets Mum handle the conversation--was always easier than him trying to talk with the humans. That said, he's listening and taking things in, and eventually interjects with a question.
"Sootscale is guessing that townsfolk suspicious of kobolds. What if Sootscale pretends to be gnome or halfling? Still suspicious?"
"Disguise yourself with magic?" Vincent suggests. "I have a spell that would help but you'd have to figure out how to cast it yourself."
As the three party members finish up discussing the approach, they make ready to leave for the slough. As they emerge from the town hall, they step out into the afternoon air to see Sophiel, of all people, approaching. She’s followed by a rough looking human, a handsome man who may be a priest of some sort, and a dinosaur.
”Got the job done pretty well, by my reckoning. Don’t have much time to chat, but these two have offered to help free Fort Drelev. This is Tikroch and Donovan, and that is Luca, Tikroch’s companion. I can’t stay for long, but I’ve asked them to work with you - be careful you three. I’ve only told them about the mission, not much about each of you Mum and Dos especially I’ve been circumspect about, so they won’t pry unless you want to let them know something, but as always, assume you are being watched.” She winks at the sky and nods at the newcomers briefly before taking a step, turning into an eagle, and flying away swiftly.
Mum perks up at seeing the great and wonderful head druidess herself. Dipping into a deep bow, she introduces herself with Much flare. Then sighs a heaping helping of despair when the lady leaves them again. "one might take those parting words as a threat. Do my bidding, 'cause I will be Watching" the dark-haired woman smiles briefly.
"Hello." the warrior lady and her boy/wolf move to Donovan and Tikroch. "I'm Mum, recently in the service of this good nation to do good things for good people. And this is my companion, Dos." she then points at the kobold "That's governor Sootscale, the boss, so be nice to him." her voice dips to a slight edge, letting them know that YES they should be nice to him.
"Greetings. I am Tikroch from the Wildwood Lodge." Tikroch gives Mum a short head nod. In order to enlist the aid of your Lady, I'm here to assist you all with this Fort Drelev problem. She spoke highly of all of you despite some... interesting complications you all may have. Your reasons for your circumstances isn't my concern at the moment so you'll have no trouble from me."
"Complications? I'm rather simple, I am. Dos is complicated and Sootscale here is an enigma, but no matter. No trouble is a great thing. And Thanks." the woman gives a wide smile that covers her face from cheek to cheek.
"Donovan, formerly of Restov," says the armored priest. He goes to the substantial trouble of removing his helm and holding it under one arm. Unlike many traveling priests, he's clad head-to-toe in adamantine armor, made with fine Gothic engraving.
"We've been told that there is a hostage situation and are keen to assist."
Surprised by Sophiel's sudden appearance, Sootscale can hardly say a word before Sophiel disappears. It feels like she might not have wanted her presence here known in the first place, so he makes no further mention of it.
"Sootscale--Governor of the Kobold provinces," reports the kobold festooned in tribal finery. "Sootscale here to fight off Drelev's mercenaries." He looks over the assembled--a druid, and some sort of rich warrior. But his eyes linger longest on the companion that travels with the druid. "Ah, a dinosaur! Good to bring such fearsome lizard to battle." Sootscale goes over to pet the creature.
"Governer of the... I'm starting to see why the First World is choosing this place. It's chaos even without their interference. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance governor. Luca will not attack unless commanded or provoked. I can see how your kind would appreciate such a fine creature. The similarities abound, besides size of course. I trained him myself. He is particularly good at finding invisible creatures." he cracks a grin, not at Sootscale's expense, but rather that another appreciates the armored Dino.