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Maissen: Shades of Grey [UPDATE 12/12, post 199]
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<blockquote data-quote="Beale Knight" data-source="post: 2391526" data-attributes="member: 7033"><p><strong>8 - 2 Lizard-men</strong></p><p></p><p>The Maisseners and elves looked back and forth to one another at that strange declaration.</p><p></p><p>“You’ve been *expecting* us?” Bessie asked, finally.</p><p></p><p>The most venerable of the old men slowly got to his feet. “Indeed we have. You *are* heroes are you not?”</p><p></p><p>“We’ve had people call us that,” said Aneirin.</p><p></p><p>The old man smiled. “Then you are truly the answers to our prayers.”</p><p></p><p>“Well,” Ren said, “if we’ve answered your prayers, how about you answering some of our questions? Seems like a fair thing.”</p><p></p><p>Confusion showed on the old man’s face. “You don’t know what’s happened?”</p><p></p><p>“How would we? We only just arrived.”</p><p></p><p>“But – I –“ the old man stammered and looked at his fellows at the table for help. He sat back down and the men at the table put their heads together for a whispered conversation. </p><p></p><p>“Why would they think we know what’s happened here?” Bessie asked.</p><p></p><p>Ren shrugged. “Apparently as the answer to their prayers we should have come down from heaven itself, fully informed and with a plan ready to go.”</p><p></p><p>Just then the old man stood again. “Well…then, what are your questions – exactly?”</p><p></p><p>“Who exactly are you and where are we?” Aneirin asked.</p><p></p><p>“We are the Sons of Lastelle,” the old man said. </p><p></p><p>Bessie nodded. “That answers a fairly old historical mystery.”</p><p></p><p>“A mystery to us,” Ren said. “I’d wager our fair leaders know all about this place.”</p><p></p><p>The old man went on to explain that when the earthquake hit, most of their adult men were out in the fishing boats. Virtually none returned. And then the raids came. The raids, the Sons of Lastelle explained, were the work of The Drake of Legend, or The Legendary Drakemaster and his clan of lizards. These were either different aspects of the same legend or their telling depending on which old man was doing the talking at any given moment. Regardless, the raids every few hours were a cold hard fact. Pole arm wielding Lizard-Men, and their smaller counterparts, called Kobolds, had used Drakes, big lizard mounts (“That explains why the youths at the barricade were so angry when they saw me,” Ren muttered), to knock down the town gate, and had been coming down the mountain, raiding the town at their leisure. </p><p></p><p>“And now you have come to put an end to it,” the old man said. </p><p></p><p>“Because we are the answer to your prayers,” Aneirin said. “But that’s all you’ve done?”</p><p></p><p>The old man blinked at him. “What else should we have done? We’ve no warriors to speak of in town. We needed heroes. We prayed for them. And it worked. Here you are.”</p><p></p><p>“We are here,” Bessie said. “But we could use a moment to talk amongst ourselves, if you’ll excuse us.”</p><p></p><p>They stepped out into the hall and closed the door to the council chamber. “These people are mad,” Kane said. </p><p></p><p>Bessie nodded. “That doesn’t make their plight any less serious though.”</p><p></p><p>“Why haven’t they brought over that drunken hoard at the tonk, I’d like to know,” Ren said. “Once they sobered up they might be helpful.”</p><p></p><p>“We should at least investigate,” Aneirin said. “Determine the nature of the threat for ourselves. These people are obviously helpless, and if we can help them it would an act of good to do so.”</p><p></p><p>Kane translated for Dumb Bear, who grinned from ear to ear. “He’s been restless since catching his breath after the last fight,” the other elf explained.</p><p></p><p>Bessie stepped back into the council room to tell the old men the party’s decision, and soon afterward the Maisseners and elves were walking past the town’s broken gate. From there, a trail ran up into the mountains. The trail entered forest about 120’ feet from the gate. Some 600 yards beyond the tree line was a briar bush barricade, stretching fully across the trail. Ren dismounted and crept up to the barricade. He heard nothing beyond and dared to climb a little ways up a tree. Beyond the barricade the trail soon turned closer on toward the mountain. Ren followed it with his eyes, and just barely visible at the edge of sight was an opening into the mountain side. </p><p></p><p>An entry with sharp angles. No natural cave. </p><p></p><p>Ren returned and told the others of his finding. “It must be there they’re coming out from,” he said. </p><p></p><p>Aneirin nodded. “It’s too late to try an assault now,” he said. “Let’s get back to the town and get some sleep and see if they’ll feed us. We can come back in the morning refreshed.”</p><p></p><p>However, when they returned to town they were met by Jon, a sergeant of the guard and one of the town’s few surviving warriors. He was leading a team bringing debris to the town’s main street, hoping to slow the next wave of raiders.</p><p></p><p>“When was the last raid?” Aneirin asked. </p><p></p><p>“Several hours ago,” Jon answered. “I expect it won’t be long before the next one.”</p><p></p><p>The three Maisseners let out a sigh as one. </p><p></p><p>“So much for rest then,” Bessie said. “If they follow the trend the elders described, they’ll be back before we could even get in a good nap.”</p><p></p><p>Ren stifled a yawn. “I guess we ought to be waiting for them, don’t you?”</p><p></p><p>The others nodded. The party took a survey of the town just inside the gate, and took up positions. And then they waited. At some point during the waiting, Kane departed. He left word that a “source had come through with a lead,” the very thing he had warned the others might happen when they set off together. It was later when the others in the party learned this though. They were busy waiting for lizard-men to arrive. </p><p></p><p>Three long hours of rooftop and windowsill sitting later, they came. Two lizard-men and about eight kobolds. No riding drakes. When the first of them crossed into the town, the attack began. </p><p></p><p>Aneirin shouted and charged at them from a doorway. Dumb Bear jumped from a nearby rooftop and landed in their midst, swinging his flail wildly. Bessie and Ren shot from empty doorways with cross bow and short bow. </p><p></p><p>Caught by surprise, three kobolds fell dead before they knew they were under attack. A fourth was wounded almost to the point of death. But the others rushed in to join the fight. Dumb Bear was wounded by a pole-arm wielding lizard-man, and Aneirin scratched by a kobold’s short sword. Between them they took down the lizard-man as Bessie and Ren peppered the two nearest kobolds with bolts and arrows. </p><p></p><p>The three remaining kobolds and other lizard-man made a feeble attempt to press against the human and elf warrior, but when Dumb Bear sliced cleanly through a kobold the survivors turned and fled. Aneirin and Dumb Bear pursued, and Bessie came out from the shelter of the ruined building to follow. Ren climbed up to the roof of that same building. </p><p></p><p>Bessie shot one of the fleeing kobolds and Dumb Bear turned that wounded one into so much putty with a massive strike from his flail. Up on the rooftop, Ren made a masterful bowshot, sending an arrow through the head of the last kobold, more than one hundred feet away. Aneirin chased after the last lizard-man with all his might and breath, but could not manage to catch him. The warrior ran back to the town, frustrated and swearing. </p><p></p><p>“We’ll get them now, by gods” he said. </p><p></p><p>“Oil!” Ren cried as he came down from the roof. “and lanterns or torches. Jon! Get as much as you can.”</p><p></p><p>In minutes the sergeant and a handful of youths delivered thirty vials of oil, several lanterns, and an armload of torches to the Heroes. Soon after, the Maisseners and Dumb Bear were mounted and riding hard up the mountain trail. They soon were in sight of the briar barricade. Arrows flew toward harmlessly toward them from the other side. The surviving lizard-man had sounded the alarm. </p><p></p><p>“They aren’t ready for this I bet you,” Ren said. He lit and tossed two vial of oil to the barricade. It was dry, having been cut and placed days earlier, and caught fire easily. In a minute it was ashes. To Bessie’s great relief, the fire died out without spreading to the forest itself. </p><p></p><p>The minute it took for the fire to destroy the barricade was enough time for the kobolds and lizard-men behind it to panic, then calm down enough to retreat into the mountain. The Heroes from Maissen, and Dumb Bear, cautiously made their way over the ashes and up the trail. It led up to a clearing right at the mountain side; right up to the crafted entry leading inside. </p><p></p><p>It was a well made, fancy entry - cut at sharp right angles and using difficult architectural methods. The party wasted no time admiring it though. They lit a lantern and peered inside. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Next – The Mysterious Temple POST 147</p><p>Soon – Some Unexpected Revelations</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Beale Knight, post: 2391526, member: 7033"] [b]8 - 2 Lizard-men[/b] The Maisseners and elves looked back and forth to one another at that strange declaration. “You’ve been *expecting* us?” Bessie asked, finally. The most venerable of the old men slowly got to his feet. “Indeed we have. You *are* heroes are you not?” “We’ve had people call us that,” said Aneirin. The old man smiled. “Then you are truly the answers to our prayers.” “Well,” Ren said, “if we’ve answered your prayers, how about you answering some of our questions? Seems like a fair thing.” Confusion showed on the old man’s face. “You don’t know what’s happened?” “How would we? We only just arrived.” “But – I –“ the old man stammered and looked at his fellows at the table for help. He sat back down and the men at the table put their heads together for a whispered conversation. “Why would they think we know what’s happened here?” Bessie asked. Ren shrugged. “Apparently as the answer to their prayers we should have come down from heaven itself, fully informed and with a plan ready to go.” Just then the old man stood again. “Well…then, what are your questions – exactly?” “Who exactly are you and where are we?” Aneirin asked. “We are the Sons of Lastelle,” the old man said. Bessie nodded. “That answers a fairly old historical mystery.” “A mystery to us,” Ren said. “I’d wager our fair leaders know all about this place.” The old man went on to explain that when the earthquake hit, most of their adult men were out in the fishing boats. Virtually none returned. And then the raids came. The raids, the Sons of Lastelle explained, were the work of The Drake of Legend, or The Legendary Drakemaster and his clan of lizards. These were either different aspects of the same legend or their telling depending on which old man was doing the talking at any given moment. Regardless, the raids every few hours were a cold hard fact. Pole arm wielding Lizard-Men, and their smaller counterparts, called Kobolds, had used Drakes, big lizard mounts (“That explains why the youths at the barricade were so angry when they saw me,” Ren muttered), to knock down the town gate, and had been coming down the mountain, raiding the town at their leisure. “And now you have come to put an end to it,” the old man said. “Because we are the answer to your prayers,” Aneirin said. “But that’s all you’ve done?” The old man blinked at him. “What else should we have done? We’ve no warriors to speak of in town. We needed heroes. We prayed for them. And it worked. Here you are.” “We are here,” Bessie said. “But we could use a moment to talk amongst ourselves, if you’ll excuse us.” They stepped out into the hall and closed the door to the council chamber. “These people are mad,” Kane said. Bessie nodded. “That doesn’t make their plight any less serious though.” “Why haven’t they brought over that drunken hoard at the tonk, I’d like to know,” Ren said. “Once they sobered up they might be helpful.” “We should at least investigate,” Aneirin said. “Determine the nature of the threat for ourselves. These people are obviously helpless, and if we can help them it would an act of good to do so.” Kane translated for Dumb Bear, who grinned from ear to ear. “He’s been restless since catching his breath after the last fight,” the other elf explained. Bessie stepped back into the council room to tell the old men the party’s decision, and soon afterward the Maisseners and elves were walking past the town’s broken gate. From there, a trail ran up into the mountains. The trail entered forest about 120’ feet from the gate. Some 600 yards beyond the tree line was a briar bush barricade, stretching fully across the trail. Ren dismounted and crept up to the barricade. He heard nothing beyond and dared to climb a little ways up a tree. Beyond the barricade the trail soon turned closer on toward the mountain. Ren followed it with his eyes, and just barely visible at the edge of sight was an opening into the mountain side. An entry with sharp angles. No natural cave. Ren returned and told the others of his finding. “It must be there they’re coming out from,” he said. Aneirin nodded. “It’s too late to try an assault now,” he said. “Let’s get back to the town and get some sleep and see if they’ll feed us. We can come back in the morning refreshed.” However, when they returned to town they were met by Jon, a sergeant of the guard and one of the town’s few surviving warriors. He was leading a team bringing debris to the town’s main street, hoping to slow the next wave of raiders. “When was the last raid?” Aneirin asked. “Several hours ago,” Jon answered. “I expect it won’t be long before the next one.” The three Maisseners let out a sigh as one. “So much for rest then,” Bessie said. “If they follow the trend the elders described, they’ll be back before we could even get in a good nap.” Ren stifled a yawn. “I guess we ought to be waiting for them, don’t you?” The others nodded. The party took a survey of the town just inside the gate, and took up positions. And then they waited. At some point during the waiting, Kane departed. He left word that a “source had come through with a lead,” the very thing he had warned the others might happen when they set off together. It was later when the others in the party learned this though. They were busy waiting for lizard-men to arrive. Three long hours of rooftop and windowsill sitting later, they came. Two lizard-men and about eight kobolds. No riding drakes. When the first of them crossed into the town, the attack began. Aneirin shouted and charged at them from a doorway. Dumb Bear jumped from a nearby rooftop and landed in their midst, swinging his flail wildly. Bessie and Ren shot from empty doorways with cross bow and short bow. Caught by surprise, three kobolds fell dead before they knew they were under attack. A fourth was wounded almost to the point of death. But the others rushed in to join the fight. Dumb Bear was wounded by a pole-arm wielding lizard-man, and Aneirin scratched by a kobold’s short sword. Between them they took down the lizard-man as Bessie and Ren peppered the two nearest kobolds with bolts and arrows. The three remaining kobolds and other lizard-man made a feeble attempt to press against the human and elf warrior, but when Dumb Bear sliced cleanly through a kobold the survivors turned and fled. Aneirin and Dumb Bear pursued, and Bessie came out from the shelter of the ruined building to follow. Ren climbed up to the roof of that same building. Bessie shot one of the fleeing kobolds and Dumb Bear turned that wounded one into so much putty with a massive strike from his flail. Up on the rooftop, Ren made a masterful bowshot, sending an arrow through the head of the last kobold, more than one hundred feet away. Aneirin chased after the last lizard-man with all his might and breath, but could not manage to catch him. The warrior ran back to the town, frustrated and swearing. “We’ll get them now, by gods” he said. “Oil!” Ren cried as he came down from the roof. “and lanterns or torches. Jon! Get as much as you can.” In minutes the sergeant and a handful of youths delivered thirty vials of oil, several lanterns, and an armload of torches to the Heroes. Soon after, the Maisseners and Dumb Bear were mounted and riding hard up the mountain trail. They soon were in sight of the briar barricade. Arrows flew toward harmlessly toward them from the other side. The surviving lizard-man had sounded the alarm. “They aren’t ready for this I bet you,” Ren said. He lit and tossed two vial of oil to the barricade. It was dry, having been cut and placed days earlier, and caught fire easily. In a minute it was ashes. To Bessie’s great relief, the fire died out without spreading to the forest itself. The minute it took for the fire to destroy the barricade was enough time for the kobolds and lizard-men behind it to panic, then calm down enough to retreat into the mountain. The Heroes from Maissen, and Dumb Bear, cautiously made their way over the ashes and up the trail. It led up to a clearing right at the mountain side; right up to the crafted entry leading inside. It was a well made, fancy entry - cut at sharp right angles and using difficult architectural methods. The party wasted no time admiring it though. They lit a lantern and peered inside. Next – The Mysterious Temple POST 147 Soon – Some Unexpected Revelations [/QUOTE]
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