Session 13 (Part Four)
Battle Royale!
Quintus stood to the side as Captain Rook’s crew burst into the room. Within a few grains, flashing knives left pools of blood flowing from four still forms. Quintus felt a momentary pang of guilt at the killing of the four sleeping guards, but he pushed the thoughts aside. ‘Sextus is somewhere in this place and I must find him!’
The sailors spread out, carefully moving forward while looking for traps and other “suprises”. Their caution was warranted as several inadvertently sprung blade and bear traps. Howls of anger and salty curses echoed through the chamber and reverberated beyond. Captain Rook moved through his men, using a slender ivory wand to heal those injured while urging the others forward.
Quintus found himself caught up in a knot of ten or so crewman as they surged through the hallways and rooms of the hideout. They passed through several chambers – clearly living quarters and exercise rooms – before running headlong into a small group of men emerging from a side passage. The sailors recovered their wits first and leapt at the gray-cloaked men with blood-curdling howls. The fight was short and nasty.
One of their opponents broke contact immediately after blades were crossed and fled down a hallway. The remainder fell under the flashing blades of Rook’s crew, although several of the sailors reeled from serious wounds. Captain Rook arrived with the balance of his men and the entire band pushed forward. Quintus could hear the alarm being raised ahead of them as muffled shouts echoed through the corridors.
********************
Rowan awoke with a start as faint sounds wafted down into their pit. He concentrated on the sounds for a minute, but they faded away. Had he heard the sounds of battle? The ranger quietly called to his companions.
********************
Captain Rook had long since abandoned any pretense of stealth. He shouted commands, healed injured sailors with his magic wand and kept the crew moving through hideout. They soon entered a larger chamber – some manner of sitting room, with doors leading out in all directions. “Which way, Quintus?” The Captain thundered.
“Right!” The sorcerer responded, “Always right!”
Captain Rook motioned ahead with his blades and a clump of sailors, Quintus in their midst, surged down a short hallway and into the long side of a large, dining room with a vaulted ceiling – 20 paces across and twice as many wide. Quintus saw that half of the 10 heavy trestle tables in the room had been turned onto their sides and armed men, about half-a-dozen on each side, waited for them. He saw a man in dark green robes completing an arcane pass and crossbows being leveled.
The sorcerer took all of this in over the space of a grain or two before bolts sliced through his group, followed by a devastating blast of electrical energy!
Quintus managed to duck under part of crackling beam, but many of the sailors weren’t as lucky. Several caught the full brunt of the magic and dropped, blackened and smoking to the floor. Others reeled, crying out in pain and clutching at crossbow bolts protruding from their body. Even the partial impact left the sorcerer reeling, barely on his feet. He slumped against the wall as Rook’s crew charged into the room to engage their opponents.
********************
Rowan was sure that he heard the sounds of battle! He struggled to his feet and began shouting, “We’re in here! We’re in here!”
Lew, Sextus and Rosë found their feet as well and joined in the desperate chorus!
********************
A wild melee ensued in the dining chamber. Sailors and gray-cloaked men whirled, thrust and hacked at each other. Gladius thrusts, knife strokes and crossbow bolts all found their mark, felling bodies and slickening the stone floor with blood. To the right of the hallway they had entered from, the sailors with Quintus quickly pushed the gray-cloaked men back. Several fell and remainder formed a protective knot around the green clad mage.
On the left flank however, a large man, protected by lorica segmentata and wielding a spatha in both hands, chopped down several crewmen. In short order, he pushed the sailors back, allowing the gray-cloaks behind him room to ply their crossbows.
Quintus fished a healing draught from his pouch and drained the contents, then moved forward to help support the assault. Captain Rook arrived at the same moment with several more sailors bearing freshly healed wounds. He took a few grains to assess the situation, and then charged towards the enemy mage.
Quintus called upon his Sleep spell and felled several of the gray-cloaks, but the enemy spatha wielder and several others with him caved in the left side of the line, sending sailors flying. Quintus found himself caught in the gap and the subject of a flurry of blows which rapidly stripped all of the fresh healing (and then some) from the sorcerer. A couple of sailors flanked the burly fighter, but their blows failed to penetrate his heavy armor.
Captain Rook and his element made short work of the mage and his bodyguards. Soon all of them were writhing on the blood-soaked floor. He paused for a moment and listened. Then he motioned to one of his men, “I think our friends are behind this door!”
Two of the sailors with him flung open the door and passed through. Captain Rook turned in time to see another sailor fall to the blade of the heavily armored warrior. Infuriated, the Captain bellowed, “You there, sir. Stop picking on my henchmen and face me!”
**********************
“Look out below!” An unfamiliar voice called down.
The companions heard the sound of rope sliding into the pit, followed by light footfalls. “Let’s see what we can do for ye, gents!” A rather nasally and high-pitched voice spoke in clipped tones.
Sextus blinked as the canvas bag was drug roughly from his head. A wiry, weather-beaten man, stripped to the waist and even shorter than Sextus grinned a gap-toothed smile at the bard. “Just be a moment then, laddie, around you go an’ lemme have a look at that lock!”
*************************
Quintus, staggering once again, watched as Captain Rook moved forward and dispatched the enemy fighter with several well-placed blows. The few remaining grays broke and fled down a hallway directly opposite of the one they had entered through. Several sailors started to pursue, but Rook’s curt command halted them. “No, lads! Stand fast and secure this room. Stand by to repel boarders, see to your comrades and see what can be found.”
Captain Rook then moved among his men, using his wand to save those that could be saved and giving a quick pat to those that had passed beyond the Deathsgate. Quintus moved to the door on the right side of the chamber where several sailors where helping to free his friends. He paused for a moment when he spied a tangle of gear laying just beyond the fallen mage in the corner of the room. He waved off a couple of sailors who were heading for Rowan’s bow and Rosë’s axe. Momentary looks of disappointment crossed their faces, and then they turned and began to loot a fallen foe. Quintus paused to rifle through the robes of the fallen mage, coming away with pouch-laden belt and small tome. Glancing up, he saw Captain Rook’s crew stripping the enemy dead with practiced efficiency. ‘Like a pack of wolves worrying a fallen deer!’ Quintus thought wryly.
“Quickly, lads, I don’t want to overstay our welcome!”
As if to underscore Rook’s plea for speed, several crossbow bolts rattled down the hallway their last enemies had fled down and Quintus picked up a chant of arcane power. Two Magic Missiles flashed from the opening and struck one of the looters, who cursed and dove for cover.
***************************
Meanwhile, Rowan, Lew, Rosë and Sextus – their arms cramped from hours in the manacles – were having great difficulty climbing the rope out of the pit. After several bruising falls and shouted encouragement from the sailors, they finally began to crawl out of their prison!
(DM’s Note: I don’t know what it is about this group and pits! It took them forever to get out of it…climbing rolls of 2, 3 and 5 just don’t cut it, even with all the help
)
***************************
As the last of the party emerged from the pit, Captain Rook began issuing instructions for his crew to depart with all haste. Rosë and Sextus needed no prompting. The barbarian caught up his axe, hefted a wounded sailor over each shoulder and sped off down the indicated corridor. Sextus followed, along with the “walking wounded” from the raiding party. In the chamber behind them, pressure from the regrouping enemy grew.
Rowan and Lew, furious at their treatment, snatched up their weapons and began firing down the hallway towards the shadowy forms of their opponents. Quintus supported them by lobbing several spells and the enemy fire slackened for a moment. Then, several more magic missiles flashed out of the gloom and struck Rowan smartly!
“Time to be leaving now, lads!” Captain Rook called. When neither Rowan nor Lew heeded his command, he spoke again, irritation plainly evident in his voice. “Stow those weapons and shove off!”
Quintus, standing near the corridor they had entered from, saw the Captain pull a delicate necklace with several reddish gems from under his tunic and tug one of the gems free. Rook waited for another grain or two, sighed and flung the gem down the corridor whence the enemy missile and spell fire flew. “You were warned!”
Rowan saw a translucent red gem, about the size of his thumbnail, go sailing past him and impact on the wall of the corridor about 8 paces away. A roaring ball of flame erupted from the hall and the edges engulfed both Rowan and Lew with searing fire. The companions staggered back, bodies and pride singed and Quintus whistled under his breath, ‘Neat trick!’
The three friends followed the last of the sailors from the room and raced after Captain Rook.
At the head of the strung out column, Rosë and Sextus slowed and then halted. They had no idea where they were going! A gaggle of sailors broke past them and they fell in behind. Just as they passed through a chamber, a door flew open and several gray-cloaked men leapt out, blades flashing. Rosë, hampered by his unconscious charges, continued, but Sextus turned and gave battle.
Quintus, Lew and Rowan arrived just in time to give the hard-pressed bard succor and the gray-cloaks soon joined their fellows in death. Exhausted, singed and elated, the quartet followed the whooping sailors through the guardroom and into the sewers, exchanging huge grins and heartfelt thanks!
To Be Continued…
Next: Interlude – Decisions, Decisions
~ Old One
Battle Royale!
Quintus stood to the side as Captain Rook’s crew burst into the room. Within a few grains, flashing knives left pools of blood flowing from four still forms. Quintus felt a momentary pang of guilt at the killing of the four sleeping guards, but he pushed the thoughts aside. ‘Sextus is somewhere in this place and I must find him!’
The sailors spread out, carefully moving forward while looking for traps and other “suprises”. Their caution was warranted as several inadvertently sprung blade and bear traps. Howls of anger and salty curses echoed through the chamber and reverberated beyond. Captain Rook moved through his men, using a slender ivory wand to heal those injured while urging the others forward.
Quintus found himself caught up in a knot of ten or so crewman as they surged through the hallways and rooms of the hideout. They passed through several chambers – clearly living quarters and exercise rooms – before running headlong into a small group of men emerging from a side passage. The sailors recovered their wits first and leapt at the gray-cloaked men with blood-curdling howls. The fight was short and nasty.
One of their opponents broke contact immediately after blades were crossed and fled down a hallway. The remainder fell under the flashing blades of Rook’s crew, although several of the sailors reeled from serious wounds. Captain Rook arrived with the balance of his men and the entire band pushed forward. Quintus could hear the alarm being raised ahead of them as muffled shouts echoed through the corridors.
********************
Rowan awoke with a start as faint sounds wafted down into their pit. He concentrated on the sounds for a minute, but they faded away. Had he heard the sounds of battle? The ranger quietly called to his companions.
********************
Captain Rook had long since abandoned any pretense of stealth. He shouted commands, healed injured sailors with his magic wand and kept the crew moving through hideout. They soon entered a larger chamber – some manner of sitting room, with doors leading out in all directions. “Which way, Quintus?” The Captain thundered.
“Right!” The sorcerer responded, “Always right!”
Captain Rook motioned ahead with his blades and a clump of sailors, Quintus in their midst, surged down a short hallway and into the long side of a large, dining room with a vaulted ceiling – 20 paces across and twice as many wide. Quintus saw that half of the 10 heavy trestle tables in the room had been turned onto their sides and armed men, about half-a-dozen on each side, waited for them. He saw a man in dark green robes completing an arcane pass and crossbows being leveled.
The sorcerer took all of this in over the space of a grain or two before bolts sliced through his group, followed by a devastating blast of electrical energy!
Quintus managed to duck under part of crackling beam, but many of the sailors weren’t as lucky. Several caught the full brunt of the magic and dropped, blackened and smoking to the floor. Others reeled, crying out in pain and clutching at crossbow bolts protruding from their body. Even the partial impact left the sorcerer reeling, barely on his feet. He slumped against the wall as Rook’s crew charged into the room to engage their opponents.
********************
Rowan was sure that he heard the sounds of battle! He struggled to his feet and began shouting, “We’re in here! We’re in here!”
Lew, Sextus and Rosë found their feet as well and joined in the desperate chorus!
********************
A wild melee ensued in the dining chamber. Sailors and gray-cloaked men whirled, thrust and hacked at each other. Gladius thrusts, knife strokes and crossbow bolts all found their mark, felling bodies and slickening the stone floor with blood. To the right of the hallway they had entered from, the sailors with Quintus quickly pushed the gray-cloaked men back. Several fell and remainder formed a protective knot around the green clad mage.
On the left flank however, a large man, protected by lorica segmentata and wielding a spatha in both hands, chopped down several crewmen. In short order, he pushed the sailors back, allowing the gray-cloaks behind him room to ply their crossbows.
Quintus fished a healing draught from his pouch and drained the contents, then moved forward to help support the assault. Captain Rook arrived at the same moment with several more sailors bearing freshly healed wounds. He took a few grains to assess the situation, and then charged towards the enemy mage.
Quintus called upon his Sleep spell and felled several of the gray-cloaks, but the enemy spatha wielder and several others with him caved in the left side of the line, sending sailors flying. Quintus found himself caught in the gap and the subject of a flurry of blows which rapidly stripped all of the fresh healing (and then some) from the sorcerer. A couple of sailors flanked the burly fighter, but their blows failed to penetrate his heavy armor.
Captain Rook and his element made short work of the mage and his bodyguards. Soon all of them were writhing on the blood-soaked floor. He paused for a moment and listened. Then he motioned to one of his men, “I think our friends are behind this door!”
Two of the sailors with him flung open the door and passed through. Captain Rook turned in time to see another sailor fall to the blade of the heavily armored warrior. Infuriated, the Captain bellowed, “You there, sir. Stop picking on my henchmen and face me!”
**********************
“Look out below!” An unfamiliar voice called down.
The companions heard the sound of rope sliding into the pit, followed by light footfalls. “Let’s see what we can do for ye, gents!” A rather nasally and high-pitched voice spoke in clipped tones.
Sextus blinked as the canvas bag was drug roughly from his head. A wiry, weather-beaten man, stripped to the waist and even shorter than Sextus grinned a gap-toothed smile at the bard. “Just be a moment then, laddie, around you go an’ lemme have a look at that lock!”
*************************
Quintus, staggering once again, watched as Captain Rook moved forward and dispatched the enemy fighter with several well-placed blows. The few remaining grays broke and fled down a hallway directly opposite of the one they had entered through. Several sailors started to pursue, but Rook’s curt command halted them. “No, lads! Stand fast and secure this room. Stand by to repel boarders, see to your comrades and see what can be found.”
Captain Rook then moved among his men, using his wand to save those that could be saved and giving a quick pat to those that had passed beyond the Deathsgate. Quintus moved to the door on the right side of the chamber where several sailors where helping to free his friends. He paused for a moment when he spied a tangle of gear laying just beyond the fallen mage in the corner of the room. He waved off a couple of sailors who were heading for Rowan’s bow and Rosë’s axe. Momentary looks of disappointment crossed their faces, and then they turned and began to loot a fallen foe. Quintus paused to rifle through the robes of the fallen mage, coming away with pouch-laden belt and small tome. Glancing up, he saw Captain Rook’s crew stripping the enemy dead with practiced efficiency. ‘Like a pack of wolves worrying a fallen deer!’ Quintus thought wryly.
“Quickly, lads, I don’t want to overstay our welcome!”
As if to underscore Rook’s plea for speed, several crossbow bolts rattled down the hallway their last enemies had fled down and Quintus picked up a chant of arcane power. Two Magic Missiles flashed from the opening and struck one of the looters, who cursed and dove for cover.
***************************
Meanwhile, Rowan, Lew, Rosë and Sextus – their arms cramped from hours in the manacles – were having great difficulty climbing the rope out of the pit. After several bruising falls and shouted encouragement from the sailors, they finally began to crawl out of their prison!
(DM’s Note: I don’t know what it is about this group and pits! It took them forever to get out of it…climbing rolls of 2, 3 and 5 just don’t cut it, even with all the help
)***************************
As the last of the party emerged from the pit, Captain Rook began issuing instructions for his crew to depart with all haste. Rosë and Sextus needed no prompting. The barbarian caught up his axe, hefted a wounded sailor over each shoulder and sped off down the indicated corridor. Sextus followed, along with the “walking wounded” from the raiding party. In the chamber behind them, pressure from the regrouping enemy grew.
Rowan and Lew, furious at their treatment, snatched up their weapons and began firing down the hallway towards the shadowy forms of their opponents. Quintus supported them by lobbing several spells and the enemy fire slackened for a moment. Then, several more magic missiles flashed out of the gloom and struck Rowan smartly!
“Time to be leaving now, lads!” Captain Rook called. When neither Rowan nor Lew heeded his command, he spoke again, irritation plainly evident in his voice. “Stow those weapons and shove off!”
Quintus, standing near the corridor they had entered from, saw the Captain pull a delicate necklace with several reddish gems from under his tunic and tug one of the gems free. Rook waited for another grain or two, sighed and flung the gem down the corridor whence the enemy missile and spell fire flew. “You were warned!”
Rowan saw a translucent red gem, about the size of his thumbnail, go sailing past him and impact on the wall of the corridor about 8 paces away. A roaring ball of flame erupted from the hall and the edges engulfed both Rowan and Lew with searing fire. The companions staggered back, bodies and pride singed and Quintus whistled under his breath, ‘Neat trick!’
The three friends followed the last of the sailors from the room and raced after Captain Rook.
At the head of the strung out column, Rosë and Sextus slowed and then halted. They had no idea where they were going! A gaggle of sailors broke past them and they fell in behind. Just as they passed through a chamber, a door flew open and several gray-cloaked men leapt out, blades flashing. Rosë, hampered by his unconscious charges, continued, but Sextus turned and gave battle.
Quintus, Lew and Rowan arrived just in time to give the hard-pressed bard succor and the gray-cloaks soon joined their fellows in death. Exhausted, singed and elated, the quartet followed the whooping sailors through the guardroom and into the sewers, exchanging huge grins and heartfelt thanks!
To Be Continued…
Next: Interlude – Decisions, Decisions
~ Old One
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