Junior adds, "We're marching to Vilareth anyway. We can accomplish both goals and prove our mettle to the Queen. We got this. We just have to work together."
Greta’s smile falters when she realizes Benedic’s wincing was at the sound of his title. She resolves not use it anymore and finds her grin returning with Junior’s pep talk. ”I’ll send word to the captains to pick up the pace, and to tell the troops to be on alert,” she reports very professionally. “I was talking to the soldiers before we left and getting to know them, and it seemed like kind of a lot of them can get rid of tiredness with their healing, so we could probably push the marching pretty hard and have them revive themselves or each other when they get too tired to keep up… of course, that’s going to leave them with less healing when the fighting starts, so we’d have to be careful not to overuse it…”
”Caliban, do you know how far ahead of us they are, or how fast they’re moving? Maybe we can figure out how long we’d have to hurry for, and that would help us figure out how long to push for and when?”
"Oh! I know all about it!" Nurah exclaims. "Well, what little there is." She takes a moment to collect herself before speaking again, with the rhythm and cadence of a practiced lecturer.
"Vilareth Ford, named for the crusader general who first held the ford against waves of demonspawn cultists, is the northernmost crossing point on the West Sellen River. The most recent census recorded a population of about one hundred and thirty, plus a small permanent garrison."
"Just so," Irabeth confirms, and Nurah beams. "It's about another day and a half of marching, though we could probably get it down to about a day if we follow Dame Gyllenhår's suggestion."
"Unless one of us has an unvoiced objection, let us proceed with Greta's plan," says Benedic. "I will instruct the paladins' sergeants to see that they moderate their fatigue while we make a forced march to the crossing." He sets about communicating these orders to the various cohorts and readying himself for the action.
Junior infuses a bit of magic into his marching songs and all of those near him feel light on their feet and feel as if they could jog all day long.
Tristan marches right next to Junior. The smiling Inquisitor singing along in the skald's ear!
I'ma Soldier.
Between the magical blessings of your army's paladins and Junior's invigorating music, your troops take what would have been nearly two days' journey in only six hours. You gradually grow more aware of a haze in the air, that resolves into clear smoke trails by the time the sun has begun to approach the horizon.
Just as you are about to come over a rise that, according to the maps, should give you a clear visual of Vilareth's Ford, Anevia and Selann come bounding over the hill on horseback.
The army's double-time pursuit of the demon army that sacked Valas's Gift has paid off, and your main force is now only an hour or so behind the enemy. Unfortunately, when you turned back to notify the others, they were preparing to attack Vilareth's Ford, whose garrison is outnumbered 10 to 1. You saw no sign that they have any knowledge of your force.
Seeing the army Selann scans for Benedic and/or Greta. He diverts his path to quickly get in range for a report.
Benedic quickly murmurs a soft prayer to Iomedae and waves to Selann. "Well done! Let us take our enemy from behind before they can destroy the village! Greta, will you direct the charge? To arms, to arms!"
Caliban loosens the black blade in its sheath, If we can take them unawares, let us be about it. Hopefully the defenders can hold an hour while we close with the enemy.
Greta nods to Benedic and begins moving forward at her full speed. “Selann, how far from the ridge is the back of their army?”
Junior dons his armor as quickly as possible while strapping on his weapons. He seems to be grinning ear to ear when he hears the odds, maybe he misunderstood what Selann said. He runs after Greta struggling to keep up as the woman outpaces him. He had thought about suggesting who could take out the demon first but sees that she will get there before him.
Before she can move out of range Junior casts a spell mixing his righteous rage with Greta's, and everyone else's too.
With that done he bolster himself as well.
"We can make it in time. Most of them were tieflings. Petty and disorganized. There was one goat-like demon with a flaming sword. I think I could take him but I'll defer to Benedic or Greta! Better for morale that way...."
Greta’s sweet, small voice begins barking out orders as she organizes the army for their impending assault. “Move quickly, if we’re not fast there won’t be anyone left to help. Clear a path to the demon and my team will take care of it. Remember, focus your attacks to take out enemies quickly—that’ll minimize how much damage they can do—but spread out your smiting, it won’t do any good to all smite the same enemy only for it to be dead seconds later.”
”Selann, Junior, Tristan, you’re with me and Caliban for this part. We’ll make straight for the demon and try to take it out before it causes any problems. Benedic, we could use a healer, unless your duties prevent you from coming with us?”
"I will come too, yes. I believe it will be better for morale if both armies see us fighting alongside them," Benedic says.
Tristan grins.
The Inquisitor hustles along side Junior. He watches his friend battling with his armor with a shake of his head.
Probably should have waited until after the battle for your shower.
Caliban nods at the orders from Greta about deployment. Fire you say, I suspect I have just the spell for that situation. A solid plan for us all to take the van and turn the tide of battle.
Also of note is their boiling blood, which tends to scald anyone unlucky to face a brimorak in melee combat.
Irabeth salutes smartly and heads off to relay your orders to the various units, and the army's pace quickens in anticipation of the coming battle. The stage is set for your troops to assault the enemy's rear flank, opening a path for your party to engage their command directly.
The time finally comes for your training, preparation, and planning to come to fruition. The air fills with the buzz of nervous anticipation as your troops comes over the rise, and you can see that you have arrived in the nick of time. Several of the outlying buildings are already ablaze, but the actual fighting seems to be around the town square, where the small force garrisoned in Vilareth's Ford has managed to set up some hasty defenses.
At your command, your army of paladins marches forward, accelerating to a charge as they crash into the undisciplined cultist forces, unprepared for the sudden appearance of enemy reinforcements. Your troops quickly pierce through the bulk of the enemy formation, separating the main force in two and clearing a path for you to the town square.
”For Kenabres!” Greta calls out, raising her hammer high in the air as the army charges forward.
Junior has a bad feeling about this but he psyches himself up, "We got this!"
With Gteta's organizing Selann calls out details on the demon. "The demon that looked to be in charge is a Brimorak. Immune to electric attacks like all, but also immune to fire. But it can be affected by poison.... Not by any of us I know. Oh, and it is weak to cold. And... it's blood burns so when it gets slashed the attacker gets sprayed with burning blood, kind of like burning oil. Best to hit it at range or have resistance to fire! Oh, and remember that most demons have resistance to magic and normal weapons."
Thinking about the spells that he has Selann wonders if he can get past a demon's natural Spell Resistance. He didn't have the best choice prepared, but a sneak attack with a snowball might work....
He stays with the group by Greta, planning on casting Vanish and moving with his mythic augmented speed to get around the demon. When he can get a good shot he will use Wild Arcana to cast the spell....
Tristan draws his +1 evil outsider bane longsword, as they approach the demon-loving freaks! The Inquisitor casts Shield of Faith.
He winks at Junior.
Whatcha wait'n fer?
Selann
Troop 1
Tristan
Caliban
Junior
Benedic
Greta
Troop 2
Greta's battle cry rings out through the din of battle, and a visible wave of shock passes over the mob of cultist soldiers assaulting the town square ahead of you. Their officers, such as they are, begin shouting orders to pull them back into formation, but Selann is one step ahead.
Scanning the area for the 'big' demon, Selann mutters the words to a spell before running over by a building for cover.
Scanning the area for the 'big' demon, Selann mutters the words to a spell before running over by a building for cover.
The cultist formation slowly wheels about and rumbles into motion, shouting jeers and insults the whole way. As they advance, they hurl rocks and other bits of debris at the heroes. What they lack in aim, they certainly make up for in the sheer volume of heavy objects raining down on your heads.
Red Troop
Tristan
Caliban
Junior
Benedic
Greta
Green Troop
Junior commands the commander in a strong voice, "HOLD! Steady steady." He's promptly pelted in the mouth with a rock.
A rock with sufficient velocity to tear off a lesser man’s lower jaw slams into Junior’s face, when he recovers it leaves merely a large bruise. He grins and winks at the cultist who tossed the expert throw as if to say, Good one, the first one’s free.
Junior raises his arm in the air and shouts ”Now!” His friends feel compelled to charge the enemy.
In the distance a guitar starts to strum and in perfect time Junior beats his drums while singing. Even a paladin trumpeter gets into it, ”I'm not feeling alright today
I'm not feeling that great
I'm not catching on fire today
Love has started to fade”
If an ally has her own rage class ability (such as barbarian's rage, bloodrager's bloodrage, or skald's inspired rage), she may use the Strength, Constitution, and Will saving throw bonuses, as well as AC penalties, based on her own ability and level instead of those from the skald (still suffering no fatigue afterward). Inspired rage does not allow an ally to activate abilities dependent on other rage class abilities, such as rage powers, blood casting, or bloodrager bloodlines; the ally must activate her own rage class ability in order to use these features.
Keeping pace with Greta and Caliban, and giving himself to the raging song, Benedic rushes toward the enemy in accordance with Junior's cry.
Benedic swings his longsword at the nearest enemy.
At Junior's beckoning, Greta shows off her speed by rushing forward to engage the enemy unit. When she arrives, she tries out the new technique she learned for generating more power with her swings as she brings her hammer whistling through the air at the enemy forces.
Tristan prays to Iomadae for her protection on the group just prior to everyone darting off!
The Inquisitor then freely moves forward to Flank with Greta.
Tactics. Tactics. Tactics.
Caliban gets pelted with stones from the tiefling horde, he quickly takes up position next to Greta, steeling himself for the impending charge of cultists. Channeling his imbued power, he summons a flurry of snowballs cutting through the tieflings.
Tristan just winks at Junior.
With resolve and applause!
He then frowns at the rocks being thrown at him.
Everyone is a critic!
The smiling Inquisitor begins humming
You can dance if you want to....you ain't no friend of mine...you can dance...
Where one, two, or even ten of the cultists might have been easily overcome by Benedic and Greta's swings, they manage to work well enough together to deflect Benedic's sword and Greta's first hammer blow. Unfortunately for them, her follow up comes lightning fast, sweeping them aside like so many kittens.
Before they can regroup, Caliban swoops in, blasting the survivors with his own powerful magic. In seconds, what had been dozens of bloodthirsty, semi-organized cultists is reduced to a handful of terrified individuals, fleeing for their lives.
From the far side of the square, you can hear the sound of more shouting voices, growing louder as they approach. To the west, you hear cries of alarm, and the day begins to feel noticeably hotter.
Selann
Tristan
Caliban
Junior
Benedic
Greta
Green Troop
Selann moves along behind the group, getting into position where he can spot the next group. He mutters the words to another spell and calls for a rain of stones onto the enemy group.
Junior moves up to the other onrushing horde drumming and singing as he goes.
Tristan double times it staying alongside Junior, Benedict, Caliban but probably not fast moving Greta...lol.
Benedic moves closer, huffing slightly in his heavy armor. He takes the opportunity between enemies to cast a spell upon himself.