The Stolenlands need settling. A group of adventurers have been sent by a Swordlord known only by the code name: Anvil. They have routed some of the bandits but they have not found the Stag Lorrd yet.
The Stag Lord has been dealt with and the fledgling kingdom begins. Many of the councilors have business to tend with, some more out and about. Many stay within the Stolenlands.
Serephina and her merry band move to the East by North East following the Eastern Sullen River back to her family's lands.
Sitting upon the pile of supplies she had made a throne of sorts. Using her knife to work on her nails. She sucks on her teeth making a squeak before stating in an aloof manner mimicking Abbey's earlier statement, "But I can handle any kind of transportation! Remember this is the fastest way to get there in our budget... now when Serephina can teleport, none of this will be needed!"
He continues watching the East and West sides, hoping for no interlopers. He walks over to the barge captain a portly fellow and asks, "When were you expecting to see bandits or was it dire pigeons again?"
The bald rotund man keeps his hands on the wheel and offers with a stutter, "Yes there should be bandits after the next bend. But there could be more pigeons at any time. Brutus watch the rock on the left." His four sons were at the front of the barge or sides to use their oars to help avoid the many rocks jutting from the river. Ole Bessie, the archelon, was the main source of the barges movement. The shell of this immense 'huge' turtle easily spans 12 feet in length. Its narrow head ends in a hooked beak.
Seraphina did what she could to comfort poor Abbey, cleaning the evidence away and cooling her shining copper scaled hand with prestidigitation and laying it soothingly across the halfling's brow. "I am sorry for your distress, dear Abbey. We are nearing the end of our journey. Remember we needed to come this way, not only for the speed, but to determine if the local bandits are accosting merchants traveling this route. The river route will be vital when having perishable foods brought in once we secure my father's lands. You know how you enjoy your delicacies!" She said encouragingly, though realized a moment too late that mentioning food to the nauseated halfling might have been a mistake.
Turning to her other female companion, she asked, "Eris, what do you know of these dire pigeons? Most pigeons I have had the opportunity to meet are quite docile. What makes these so dire?"
She turns her eyes to the treeline, happy to be looking on the southern boundary of the Gronzi Forest. She had played in these woods with her brothers and their friends. After so many long years away, she was coming home at last. If only she would find her family unbroken and living the peaceful lives of her youth. But alas, those who survived were all in Stoneclimb with her Uncle Gurev and his family. Well, she intended to restore the Medvyed name and presence to these lands once more.
As if she was reading it from a book, "The Dire Pigeon is a nickname for the Giant Vulture. It has a wickedly hooked beak and an immense bald head which draw attention from this enormous scavenger’s vast wingspan. Larger even than condors, giant vultures dwell only in regions where carrion is both large and plentiful, such as the primeval wildernesses where megafauna roam. They also flock to regions torn by war, feasting on the dead with no concern for allegiance or race. Giant vultures rarely wait for wounded creatures to finish dying before they feed, and are much braver than most wild animals. A giant vulture, for example, wouldn’t think twice about swooping down on a heavily armored column of soldiers just to snatch up a few wounded stragglers from the end of the line.
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A giant vulture stands more than 13 feet tall, has a wingspan of over 30 feet, and weighs 500 to 600 pounds.
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They carry disease worse even than most vermin. Their bite attacks carry many kinds of disease.
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Being just an animal it has no natural resistances or weaknesses."
• She pauses and then adds in her normal voice, "Even a flock of six of them should be easy to deal with."
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She prepares her bow and arrows:
The captain, Marius Pearl Seeker, offers up a suggestion, "Everyone should be prepared with shields or ranged weapons. For the bandits won't stop us. Terry get mage armor on Ole Bessie." He picks up his own heavy wooden shield before taking the wheel again.
Terry moves to the prow of the barge and touches the turtle's shell casting magic. The other boys get tower shields and javelins, storing their oars along the railing.
Seraphina gets out her Light Crossbow with a slight sigh and taps herself to cast her own Mage Armor. It was definitely not her preferred way to fight but she understood the necessity when dealing with flying opponents.
Kesten moved to her side, his shield at the ready. He had always been protective but since his appointment as her bodyguard, he was nearly always at hand. Not that she minded, as long as he smoked his cigars downwind.
She loaded the bolt and kept her eyes open for any approach.
Around the bend and you see a very thick rope across the river with several raft 'ferries' with some people on them. Seeing you barge them seem to get excited, collecting weapons and such. Those pulling on the ropes, pull faster, heading toward where your barge is likely to pass.
Marius asks Serafina, "What should we do? Straight through, around on the right or around on the left. There is likely even more bandits on the banks of the river."
Seraphina considers, "Straight through, they'll be trying to board or pin us down. No need to make things easy for them."
The barge is moving at about 10 feet per round. The bandit rafts are at least 320 feet away but they keep pulling on those ropes moving their rafts closer to the barge. The one on the right seems a bit farther off.
The barge will likely cross their line in about 14 rounds.
He quickly asks, "What are your orders? Do you want us to focus our aim at the right raft, left, or equally?"
Round 1
320 foot shot! She aims for one of the poor saps pulling the rope.
The arrow flies true and the man splashes into the river.
Round 2
Without added suggestions she continues.
"Master Seeker, would it do Bessie any good to have more speed at her disposal? Could she break through their line, for example?"
To Kesten, she says. "Can we target their ropes? Possibly with fire arrows?"
"Abbey, that might serve Eris or Kesten more at this range. I fear I must be closer before I can do much good with it. Though a boost to my casting would be appreciated."
Seraphina gave a regretful sigh. "Ah well, I suppose I'd better announce myself. I do have one spell that will travel the range." She raised her arms and waved her clawed hands in concentric circles as if concentrating her magical force into a sphere before flinging it out toward the ferries ahead. She focused the 40 ft wide fireball where it would encompass and destroy as many of their ferrying ropes as possible, not targeting the bandits directly, but not worrying over sparing them either.
He stows his shield and retrieves his bow. He responds to Sera in his normal serious voice, "If we had flaming arrows that might be good but we don't have time to tar and light them."
Round 2
He waits for Eris to fire and then fires at a different target than hers.
x3
x3
Round 2
Sera's fireball hits in front of the raft on the right. Snapping the line there and slowing their movement. Kesten's 2nd arrow grazes one of the bandits. Abbey crawls over to Eris. Eris wounds another one on the left raft. Their raft is slowing down too.
Two arrows shot at the groups lodge into the son's shields.
One arrow gets to Kesten but the armor deflects it.
A barrage of arrows and bolts from the shores all miss the barge for the most part.
Bessie moves forward 40 feet.
Round 3
"Yes, I suppose that's true. I do wish they would be dissuaded from attacking us. Their leader will likely be less amenable if we kill off too many of his men."
She used prestidigitation to create a funnel shaped megaphone to help convey her words across the distance.
The river is about 2,000 feet wide. The barge is roughly in the middle of the river. The barge was about 320 feet from both of the rafts. It moved forward 40 feet and the ferries moved likely 20 feet. Two Rafts on the same thick rope. There are about eight figures on each raft.
Now the barge is about 230 feet from the ferries. Here is a map to help!
Marius states, "That is all well but we are plowing through and they are moving out of the way or getting crushed. We are not pulling off to parley with them, you can jump off and catch back up with us."
Seraphina pats Marius reassuringly on the shoulder, "Don't worry, Captain. It is but a formality. A message to be conveyed and it may dissuade them from raiding your barge. If it does, all the better. If not, well, I have done my due diligence toward our diplomatic relations with the locals."
To her people, she says, "Hold fire for now. Resume if they attack again."
"Now let's see if we can move things along a bit faster." She says as she moves to the prow of the barge and casts Haste on the archelon as well as her companions, herself and the captain.
Round 3
Marius nods at Sera's words and raises his shield to block an incoming missile.
The bandits on the left raft are regrouping and trying to pull the wounded or dead from the water. The bandits on the right raft continue to assault the barge with those on either side of the river.
With the boost the turtle lurches forward dragging the barge along.
The volley comes in only with a lucky shot will they land.
confirm
confirm
Another arrow hits one of the brothers' shields as another hits flesh, the young man cries out in pain as he drops to the deck.
Sera, Eris, Marius and Kesten
Marius takes a bolt to the shoulder and he drops his shield. The other missiles are easily deflected or dodged.
Seraphina sighs heavily. "Well, it was worth a try. Abbey, would you see to the wounded, please? Eris, Kesten, fire at will. Don't forget your extra attack from my spell."
She aims her next fireball at the heart of the right raft, where the stubborn bandits were still attacking.
With the fireball and the barrage of ranged attacks the other raft is cleared.
The barge is riddled with arrows and bolts. Though only a few more scrapes as the barge gets out of range of the bandits.
The rest of the ride seems to have no more hiccups. Within the week you are at a dock.
The dock was where Seraphina’s party and the river barge’s crew parted ways. It was the last place the river was wide enough for the barge to reverse course back towards Lake Reykal and New Steven. Past the dock, the East Sellen River split off into the smaller streams and tributaries that fed it from the various lakes and ponds in the foothills, all of which were fed by the snowmelt flowing down out of the Icerime Mountains.
These were the outermost lands of Medvyed territory. Her people followed the Old Ways, making themselves a part of the natural environment rather than bending it to their own will. The forested path they followed now was more game trail than road. It wound through the dense wood of the Gronzi Forest, suitable for travel by foot or hoof, maybe a small cart, but not a wagon by any means.
Gradually, the wood became less dense as they approached the edges of the Gronzi and she began to crane her neck over every rise. Soon the rolling green hills that heralded the proximity of her ancestral home appeared before them and her pulse quickened as did her step to know that her long journey was nearly finished.
Sera topped the last rise and stopped in her tracks, brought up short by the desolate ruin of the warm and cozy ranch house that still stood, untouched, in the vision of her memory. She had known it would not be the same, her mother and brothers had told her as much. But she had been absent on that fateful day, staying with Uncle Gurev’s family in Stoneclimb to attend her cousin’s nameday celebration. But no description of the battle and the fires had succeeded in wiping the idyllic image of Home from her memory. She had not seen it with her own eyes until this very moment and the stark reality of the destruction hit her like a blow to the chest, stealing her breath away.
Kesten stood nearby, as always, and moved closer to offer his support. He placed a steadying hand on her shoulder, his strong arm braced against her back in case her knees buckled from the shock. Her eyes filled with tears, but they did not fall as her gaze swept back and forth, her mouth opening and closing in mute horror.
Only the stones still stood, blackened and skewed from the original structure. Some were missing entirely, likely carried away as raw materials for some other home. The roof and interior were simply gone, long since gutted by the terrible blaze. Finding her voice, she said softly, ”It’s all gone… even the sheep pens.”
Kesten gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. ”It’s only a building, my Lady, it can be replaced. It’s what we came here to do, yes?”
But then her eyes fell on that which could not be replaced, four small stones in a line, lying flat against the ground. She stumbled forward, out from Kesten’s steadying grasp and began to run down the slope to keep from tripping and tumbling down it. ”My Lady!” Kesten called out in alarm as she outpaced him. ”Dammit Sera, we haven’t secured the area!” He called after her, his formality slipping in his anger. He ran as fast as he could after her, slowed only by his armor.
Fortunately, she did not go far, falling to her knees as she reached the line of stones, brushing away the dust and overgrowth to reveal the simple carved initials upon each. G.M., V.M., N.M., and A.M. That was all. No names, no dates, no words of epitaph to commemorate their lives. Her mother and remaining brothers had fled this place for their lives, her eldest brother Kristof so badly wounded he almost hadn’t survived the trip to Stoneclimb. They had buried their dead, but only just. Troian and Bernard had done the work with the help of the few ranch hands who had not fled the Stag Lord and his band of brigands.
”They are hardly even marked!” Sera cried, her tears falling at last, dappling the stones as she traced the lines of the initials with a jade tipped claw. Her acidic tears hissed and bubbled, clearing away the organic grime that had accumulated on the stones.
The others quickly follow as well looking for any threats as they move quickly down the hill after Sera.
They are ready to help if they can and wait for her tears to dry up.
Once she appears consolable the halfling speaks up first.
Looking over at the halfling with understanding at her practical point, he states, "No we don't set up camp here. We are far too open. Let's move to the 'house' and see what we can possibly salvage. It might help us arrange our camp with defenses."
With her compound shortbow in hand with an arrow ready in her other hand she continues to watch for threats. She doesn't do well with emotions.
"You two go check it out, we will follow in a short while." He says as he rests a reassuring hand on her shoulder, likely kneeling beside her.
Eris nods in acknowledgement walking before the cleric. See keeps looking for threats or movement.