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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Orichalcum" data-source="post: 877968" data-attributes="member: 3722">First Session: Eagle's Flight Ninth Post: Run away! Run away!After a debate as to whether stealth or speed is best, we decide to take the Roman road and hope for aid at Trimontium. Just as we reach the gates of Trimontium, only a few seconds before sundown, a pack of wolves led by an enormous wolf with glowing green eyes attack them. Metellus and Heilyn fight a rearguard action, with Metellus slicing the enormous leader in twain. Meanwhile, Heilyn's small setter savages the throats of two of the smaller wolves, much to Heilyn's pride. (I resolve to be even more wary of the setter; if it can take down something that much larger than it, what could it do to me???)        Meanwhile, Marcus and Cornelia and Wena race back to the dais, where Cornelia prepares the funeral offerings to the dead, and Marcus unveils the Eagle. Just as the last of the Wolves die, the last ray of sun sinks below the horizon, and the ghosts appear, surrounding the dais. Marcus, aided by the funeral offerings, speaks to them and rebinds them to their Eagle. Heorders them to guard the camp this night, and be prepared to march in themorning. The largest wolf upon death turns into a Druid wearing a wolf mask, which the humans promptly loot, although they do not put it on.        The party gets an uneasy sleep, surrounded by the spirits of the lost Ninth. At dawn, the ghosts vanish to everyone's sight but Heilyn's, who complains of their loud trumpet noises. As the party rides onward, Heilyn can see that the ghosts of the Ninth march behind them, having no trouble maintaining their speed. About midday, a group of warriors, led by another Druid, come charging down the road towards the party, through the spirits who are powerless by day. Given the distance, however, the party has the chance to get off several devastating shots with the ballista and javelins before the warriors attack, and the Druid is almost dead by the time she reaches them. She does cause spikes to grow out of the road around the horses' hooves, however, which injures several of them. It is a quick and dirty fight, and once again Metellus swings mightily, and the small dog does much damage. The humans take a fox mask from this Druid, just as they found a wolfen mask on the other Druid. I have a theory about the relationship of animal mask and abilities of the Druid, but no one wants to listen to me.            That night, the party continues, at a walk, with the ghosts of the Ninth guarding their rear. While they hear the deep hoots of an enormous owl, nothing attacks them. I panic, however, and decide that I am going to spend the rest of my life in a warm bath if we ever make it home.           We are not so lucky the next morning, only a few hours away fromthe Wall, when from the sky eagles begin swarming down, pecking at themand then darting upwards again out of our reach.  They are led by a Giant Eagle, who nearly pecks out Marcus's eyes on her first swoop down.       However, the humans have prepared well, anticipating this fight. Heilyn can bless arrows against a specific target, and has enchanted one ballista bolt to be particularly effective against “the Eagle Druid.” On her second swoop,  Llyr impales her with the one-man- ballista on a critical hit, and the eagle drops from the sky, turning halfway down into the crumpled corpse of a woman wearing an eagle mask, with the wings of the Ninth’s Eagle strapped to her back.      The humans add the damaged mask to its collection of wolf and fox masks, and rides on, reaching Hadrian's Wall safely later that afternoon. As they pass through the hurriedly opened gates of the Wall, holding the Eagle up high, Heilyn sees the ghosts of the Ninth slowly fade from his spirit vision, finally able to release their charge and find some sort of peace.           [End First Session]</blockquote>

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