The Paladin Strength LG
The Publican Wisdom CG
As Gitana prepared for sleep, she feels more weary than she can ever remember. She dreads leaving the safety of the city, fearing the small band of noble defenders of an innocent child may finally fail to defeat the forces aligned against them and their ward.
As she sits on the bed, about to blow out the candle, she wishes she has a god or goddess she could pray to. Instead she had Fate, a fickle, inscrutable force with no help promised to the faithful. She could only hope she is attuned enough to the subtle currents of Fate to foresee doom before it is inescapable.
2) Conflict The Keep Strength NG
3) Aid The Lost Wisdom CE
4) Resolution The Desert Constitution CG
She has a nightmare near morning. In the dream, her three companions have all fallen to some enemy that has her and Will trapped in a crumbling tower. She finds a small chest and opens it to find a mirror that expands when removed from the box to appear as a door. Through the door she can see a desert extending toward the far horizon. She knows she and Will can escape the enemy by going though the mirror, a portal to another place. But she fears that without aid of stout companions, they cannot hope to survive. She wakes in a cold sweat, unable to decide whether to stay in the apparent safety of the tower or escape to an uncertain fate that must be faced alone.
She peeks out the window and sees the first glimmer of twilight, so she rises, does her celestial obedience and consults her harrow deck for portents of the day. She had already prepared spells for the road the morning before when she expected the group might depart the city, so she does not need to prepare spells. Instead, she checks her pack and watches Will sleep until the others rouse and begin the preparations to depart.
Hedrak took off his armor and weapons, laying down his spellbook on the table - it felt like armor, weapons and magic was all his life had been about for the past days...
"That and fighting for our lives" - he chuckled, looking over Raziel and Dog - the cat obviously curled up on the bed, while the dog was entitled only to the floor. They both lifted their heads sleepily to look at the half-orc for a few moments, but then went back to the more important business of sleeping.
Hedrak perused his spellbook once more - he had already made up his mind as to which spells would merit his attention in the morning, though there could be no harm in taking another look - "Fire... Why in the Nine Hells do I not possess more fire magic?" - he grunted, even if no one was listening.
Zordt's optimism cautiously grew at Will's reaction. Not a permanent solution, but it seemed to buy them more time.
Zordt frowned at the mention of the gray humanoids and the Sweetwater orcs. "It seems our troubles are not over." He said in a low voice to the others.
At Hedrak lamenting the contents of his spellbook Zordt couldn't help but snort in laughter. "Didn't you research and write that book yourself?"
The group resumed travel as the sun began to rise. Things were tense at first, would they be waiting for you just outside Burkesville? Perhaps they had all gathered together, and the moment you were out of eyesight of the walls dozens would come charging out of the woods from all sides. But nothing happened.
You walked on, and as the sun rose your spirits lifted. There were few clouds, and the sky might turn blue for an hour or two today. The air was still and a little warmer than it had been. Will stayed in the wagon, happy enough to not have to ride any longer, and occasionally peeked his head out to look at the countryside.
The woods were vast and endless, tree after tree, all snow covered and silent. You could see tracks before you, from numerous travelers who had made the ten mile journey to Lastwater over the past days. The road south of Burkesville had been comparatively empty, perhaps the villagers had been too afraid to travel. You saw no sign of bloodshed; clearly the greyskins weren't attacking every traveler they came across.
Before long, you reached Lastwater. The village was clearly visible from a hilltop as you approached. It had a tall keep set in the midst of walls of stone, a few dozen simple houses stretching down the side of the hill towards the river. You had heard that much fishing was done here. The river was more full of life than others so far north, and some whispered tales of great underground caverns hidden deep in the White Mountains where strange fish grew and swam downriver.
A few soldiers greeted you as you passed the town. "Hello, merchants. I see you're going to try the road, and we must warn you that others have come before you and been turned back." The speaker adjusted her helmet as she spoke, making her armor clank noisily. "It seems there are orcs along the Sweetwater who have a way of knowing when the road is being used, and it may be some days before the Burkesville forces arrive to help us see them off. And I have heard news of fouler things on the roads, though I suspect that is little more than the usual winter talk."
"Indeed, a deadly and horrific curse." Zordt glanced around and leaned in close, as if to whisper a terrible secret. "Loneliness."
Norde laughs his head off, a deep gut laugh, the likes of which you have not heard from him before.
When he finally catches his breath, he claps Zordt on the back, "now THAT is a funny one!"
"Mhmm...we appreciate the warning. May your own travel be blessed by kind strangers as ours is." Presumably.
Zordt shrugged wearily as they walked away. "So we go off the road for a while, try to avoid the obvious attack on the road ahead. Yes?"
Gitana scratched her head, pondering the options. "We could go back, rest another day, and head out tomorrow on foot, with the aid of Nature's Paths and Communal Mount spells, go off road, but then we lose a day's travel. Or we go off road here, move more slowly, but make steady progress, hopefully avoiding the orcs."
Then she added, "I wonder if we go down the road, surrendering if the orcs confront us, give them our goods but try to persuade them to let us by. If we could pull that off, it might make it harder for the greys to track us or follow us. Might be worth a shot?"
The soldier watched your conversation with a keen eye. "If you do need to rest another day, you would be safe enough here." After a moment, she added, "if you do go along beside the road, though I wouldn't recommend it, you might be ok so long as you avoid any major streams. They mostly run northeast to southwest, joining up with the Sirion." She gave you some more details about the location of larger streams that would have steep banks and be difficult to cross with your sleigh.
The group moved forward off the road, not going so far north as to run into the stream the soldier had described to you. Progress was slow, occasionally Hedrak had to walk forward and make sure you would be able to achieve passage. Once or twice you had to cross a small stream. They were frozen over, but you still had to unload the cart, ease the horse down one bank, and very slowly slide across. It would have been impossible in the summer. You left clear tracks, anyone who wanted to could follow you easily.
The day dragged on, and still you plodded on without ever reaching a landmark. Finally, as the last light of the sun faded from the sky, you reached an edge of the stream the soldier had described to you. You had gone perhaps ten miles, and must be near the Warm Summer's inn. After that, you wouldn't have to worry about the orcs any longer.
"Do we think we have passed those orcs? If so, I say we get back on the road and make some time."
"If we go by what the soldier said... These orcs 'have a way of knowing when the road is being used'" - Hedrak commented - "We are going slow, but so far we have been unmolested. So maybe it is preferable to simply stay offroad?"
"I am fine with that logic also."
"Once we are done escorting Will I am fine with climbing all over these mountains and solving all of their problems, but while we're on a time table, I'd rather avoid any backtracking or particularly lengthy side quests. Onwards I say!"
The group slept alongside the stream, setting the usual watch. Your horse munched away at his hay most of the night, occasionally sniffing at the ground and eating snow. It was nice to have the sleigh cover, which kept off the wind, though you couldn't all fit inside at the same time.
Will ate the same raw meat you had purchased in Burkesville, savoring every bite. "Truly, what could be more delicious?" He asked, dangling a long red slice before dropping it into his mouth. He seemed to have grown more energetic the past few days, but there was a wildness in his eyes that scared you.
Travel resumed in the morning, after you decided to remain off the road. Progress was slow, and several times you had to turn around after meeting impassable obstacles. After a few hours spent following the river, it eventually led you back onto the road. You were now past the region near the Sweetwater, beyond where the soldiers had warned you there would be orcs. It had taken you a long time, but you had avoided any danger. You still had seen no sign of the greyskins, perhaps your sleigh had fooled them.
You resumed travel along the road, now making much faster progress. The mountains loomed before you, now much closer than they had been a fortnight ago when you began your quest. There was a long stony ridge which ran down south and east from the mountains, eventually ending near the road. Atop it a well fortified village had been built, Pesht, which watched the road. Long ago, before you had set out on your journey, tidings had reached you that this place had been destroyed. Now it stood before high above you, walls ringed with orcish signs and stained here and there with blood. "Shall we camp up there, where things look to be very cheery?" Asked Will, smiling happily at the destruction. "Or should we sleep down here, by the road?"
Gitana tried hard to keep her mind clear of worry as they worked their way across the wilderness. She knew worry would only drain her of energy without providing any benefit. She kept herself distracted trying to remember the melody and words her caravan tribe would sing as they traveled.
Seeing the mountains ever closer gave her some hope they might succeed in getting Will to Khel Zhad in time to find a way to remove the horrid tattoo that seemed to be transforming his spirit before their eyes, little by little. She tried to keep him distracted with language lessons, story telling, and cheery songs.
At the end of the day's travel, she was encouraged that they had avoided the orcs and that no greys had bothered them.
Gitana looked up at the fort dubiously. "Every such ruin we've encountered so far has been occupied by trouble. I say was try to set up camp in a place that cannot be seen from that high vantage point, if such exists." She looked around, hoping they might settle on the far side of a hummock or small hill that would prevent firelight and other activities from being seen by anything that might be living in the ruins.
"Our luck has certainly been bad around such things. Let's see what we can find then."
The group found a suitable spot away from Pesht and settled down for the night. There was a small area in the lee of a large boulder where little snow had fallen, and your horse lay down on his side there. You set the usual watch and began your nightly rest. The moon was high above you as you ate dinner, nearly half full and shining with a pale radiance.
As you stood watch during the deepest part of the night, you heard some small noises from beside the sleigh. Not expecting anyone to be awake, you investigated, discovering Will. The boy was wrapped in his new cloak, which flapped gently in the wind. Something metal flashed in his hand. He stalked towards your horse with determination, eager steps drawing him closer to the huge and docile creature.
Hedrak moved quickly to interpose himself between the boy and the horse - "Will? Is everything ok? Did you see anything?"
The boy stopped short, glancing up at you for a moment with shiny eyes. "No, I've just come out for a breath of fresh air. You wouldn't believe it, but Zordt smells even worse than he did that one day back in Burkesville." The boy smiled at his own joke. "It is a long night, and I do enjoy the moon."
"He is probably the one smelling best from all of us" - Hedrak chuckled - "Come sit with me if you would like. You should not wander off alone, even if you are carrying... What is that you are carrying? Is it a weapon?"
"I suppose I could come sit with you." The boy followed your lead. He was quiet for a moment in response to your second question. "A weapon, perhaps, in the hands of another. But I am a mere child, so weak and harmless, can I truly hold a weapon?"
"Why a no, of course." Will smiled contentedly. You were certain he was lying.
"You are lying. Why?" - Hedrak asked without skipping a beat - "Do you not trust me?"
The boy drew back for a moment, hurt. He was quiet. Then, slowly, he slid a hand out from within the folds of his cloak. He was holding a knife. He didn't say anything.
"We have been through some rough moments during our travels" - Hedrak looked at Will, and not at the knife - "You do well in wanting to feel safer, and carry a weapon" - he added - "But you need to know how to use it - I can teach you, if that is what you want"
Will was quiet for a moment. "The truth is, Hedrak, I wasn't just carrying it for safety," confessed the boy. He took a deep breath. "The past few days have been a blur, but I'm feeling some clarity at this moment. I had the knife because..." he hesitated for a moment. "Because I kept hearing our horse's heartbeat in my ears. A slow, steady pulse, drawing me ever closer to madness."
The group resumed travel in the morning, as the light began to rise faint in the east. You saw a firelight glimmering from a tall structure within Pesht as you passed by. A little while later when the light was a bit brighter and you crested a hill, you could see humans outside the walls. Faint and far off, they seemed to be cleaning off the dried blood with buckets and sponges.
You made good progress as the day wore on, the road was straight and the snow not too deep. Will had seemed more pleasant at breakfast, talking to Gitana at length about a story she had told. However, after a few hours his spirits seemed to fall. The tattoo which trapped the demon in his body had begun to crawl across his chin, and would now be visible in town unless you took pains to cover it up with a scarf.
As you progressed, however, danger stalked. After a few hours of walking, Norde glanced over his shoulder and spotted movement behind you. A small band, just dots of movement in the distance. After a few moments, it became clear that it was the greyskins. One had wings, and there were three others. The were perhaps half a mile behind you, and closing fast.
"Let's get Will to a safe spot, and we can ambush these when they get closer."
"Agreed Norde. If we turn sharply and find cover they will lose sight of us, even if they are tracking, and we should be able to get the drop on them."
The group was able to find a deep brake of pines, and you stashed your sleigh before waiting in ambush. You waited, breath steaming in the cold air, weapons drawn. Nothing happened. A few minutes past. Had your pursuit slowed down? Suddenly, with a whoosh of air, you heard the sound of one flying overhead. A moment later and it crested over the trees, perhaps a hundred feet above you, cackling with laughter. The moment it got a clear sight of you, it turned and began to flee.
Zordt did not hesitate, raising his bow to the sky and firing off two arrows at it.
"And you felt like you wanted to silence him?"
As Zordt shot at the flying monstrosity, Hedrak kept watch in case there were more enemies on the ground.
He also made sure to observe Will's actions.
Gitana aimed her crossbow at the flyer and sent a bolt rising toward it. It was a rushed shot, and as she pulled the trigger and the bowstring twanged, she knew it would miss.
(Range = 80 ft)
"The rest will be here soon," she said glumly.
She fished in her pack and pulled out two small pellets. She put one in each ear, hoping it would prevent the flyer's screech from sending her fleeing again.
She handed one of the potions of Protection from Evil to Will, explaining, "If any of the grey skins is getting close to capturing you.
Drink this. It might help, at least for a short time. We're not far from Khel Zhad now. This may be their last chance to try to get you back. We'll die defending you, but if Fate is with us, we'll prevail."
One of Zordt's arrows stuck in the creature's flesh, hanging down from it and flapping in the wind. Then the monster was gone. Will had stayed inside your sleigh, and when Hedrak glanced inside he saw the boy curled into a ball with his hands on his ears.
A few more minutes passed, and nothing else happened. Perhaps they had turned back?
"I had to," the boy said softly, clutching at the edge of his cloak with bony fingers.
Gitana reloaded her crossbow and waited... and waited ....
"Move on or dig in? I'm not sure. But when in doubt, I think we may need to always choose to keep moving. Getting to Khel Zhad is the goal.
If they chase us, we stop and fight. Until then, let's move on."
"Next time come to one of us, instead of thinking of committing such an act" - the half-orc replied, trying to keep the conversation within the reasonable - "We can help you, and will do so. Like we promised"
"Agreed" - Hedrak replied to Gitana - "If we dig in, eventually they will overrun us"
"So, we're not going to make a stand here then?"
"There seems to be an endless number of them, so we might as well continue to make ground while we can. Although if we've finally gotten them behind us rather than in front of us...perhaps we can outrun them. Ditch the sled, get on horses, and keep a fast pace."
The boy looked at the ground and said nothing. After some time, he turned and walked back to the sleigh.
"Will we go THAT much faster by ditching the sled?" - Hedrak reasoned.
"I did not prepare horses in my spells this morning. All my spells are for combat. But we can make better time walking than in the sled."
"Than for today we fight. We move forward with the sled, covering what ground we can, and when Gitana can prepare the spells we set out at a hard pace tomorrow. I can only hope these monsters are behind us an in pursuit now instead of waiting in ambush."
After some deliberation, the group decided to keep the sled, moving forward as fast as they could. You saw no further sign of the greyskins.
Past Pesht, the land became rocky, full of high foothills and sharp stone cliffs. The road led you faithfully on, here and there passing across hills that had been smoothed or leading you over well maintained bridges. You would have no trouble finding a place to hide should you desire to do so. In the distance, the White Mountains loomed, closer than they had been at any time before.
Here and there you saw places where a path led away from the main road, perhaps towards settlements. You had no way of knowing if the people there had suffered the same fate as most of the inhabitants of Pesht unless you wanted to stop and investigate. From your travels through the region in the past and things you had learned, you knew that Khel Zhad was located at the western edge of a narrow valley that was well populated by herders. This region was guarded by an outlying fort near the head of the valley, and if you could gain entry into the valley you might be safe. But by the time night fell, you were still some distance away, perhaps ten miles. A light snow had begun to fall, and you could see neither moon nor star above you.
"Do we sleep, or do we go on?"
Zordt looked forward, face twisted in conflict. "If we press on we may reach the fort before they catch up. But we could also be caught in the dark, which would put you and Gitana at a serious disadvantage. Ten miles...how fast can we make that?"
"If we can make it to safety before they catch us that would be ideal, but if we push ourselves we may only be caught tired and in the dark..."
"Alright, I have an idea. We start pushing forward, and I will set up a magical alarm here in the middle of the trail. When it goes off, we will know exactly how far behind us our pursuers are, and we can plan accordingly. If they're pretty far back we can try to keep pushing, if it seems they're catching up we will turn and fight before we get exhausted. Sound good?"