Hello All
Well, I also play in SHARK'S campaign. It's good to see Laird Ruari has updated everyone on the opening battle for the fortress. Of course, in typical Vallorean style, he tells the story leaving out all the contributions made by someone other than himself and his troops.
Ruari joined the fun in time for this excursion. He was given command of a small detachment of recruits by his temple. Ruari fought well and contributed to the sucess of the fight against the Dragon and went on to lead an attack against the gathering horde of Beastmen.
Other members of the group contributed sigificantly to the defeat of the Dragon. Several powerful wizards and clerics were launching chain lightning, cone of cold, flame strike and Otiluke's Freezing Sphere spells at the Dragon. At least 15 other Paladins and Fighters were a sigificant part of the fighting. More than a few of the party members and numerous cohorts died in this combat alone.
I believe that we surprised SHARK by landing our forces on the uppermost tier of the fortress. Instead of starting off with the weaker defenders, we went straight to the top to hit the big players first.
Almost immediately upon landing, gates opened and a dozen Tyrannosaurus Rexs came through to wreak havoc. Thank you if you suggested this. I was able to cast Dominate Monster on one and now am considering casting Awaken on it. Just imagine the looks on the towns folk's faces when I bring this bad boy home! I can just picture him with specticles, reading a book and talking philosophy.
After a very hard, intense fight we have a toe hold on the upper tier of the fortress. With luck we will not lose our grip and are beginning to make assaults against the rest of the defenders on the upper tier. In game time, our attack is less than 24 hours old so I know much more fun awaits us.
Rhiannon is the daughter of a half Elf/Vallorean and an Elf. She was not raised within the Vallorean Empire and has a number of conflicting ideas and beliefs. I began to play Rhiannon when she was a teen and still in training (about 6 years ago in real time). She was raised on the outskirts of an Elven Kingdom and the only Vallorean that she knew was her father. She and He had numerous heated conflicts and at different times he locked her in a tower, locked her in her room, made her clean out the stables, serve him like a servant and tied her out in the courtyard to be whipped by the Captain of the Guard. Needless to say there was not much love lost for Vallorea or Valloreans by Rhiannon. Rhiannon is most often the character that starts debates with the Valloreans just to get under their skin. Fanatical, patriarchal, strict Puritannical Valloreans and their crones (namely Dwarves) sent Rhiannon to the moon. It is difficult for her to pass up opportunities to pick at them. So not everyone in SHARK'S campaign is a Vallorean sycophant.
The really ironic thing is that Rhiannon married a Vallorean and not just any Vallorean, she married a Vallorean Prince! Now she can no longer complain about how Vallorea is trying to take over the world and import their culture and beliefs to the older and more developed cultures, she must participate in it. So now she is leading legions in a back water all in the name of the glory of Vallorea!
Well, I know that SHARK will keep you posted on the happenings in the battle for the wilderness. Ruari will no doubt stop by to relive moments of Vallorean glory. Perhaps I can come by to tell you how the rest of us helped.
Thanks for reading this and if you have any suggestions of how to attack a mountain fortress, I'm all ears!
Rhiannon
