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An Adventure in Five Acts (AD&D 2E) (Final Update 25 Feb 2023)
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<blockquote data-quote="ilgatto" data-source="post: 8913846" data-attributes="member: 86051"><p style="text-align: center"><strong><span style="font-size: 22px">An Adventure in Five Acts, Act V, Part II: Assault on the Castle of the Slave Lords</span></strong></p><p></p><p><strong>Day 20, just after midnight</strong>: With the noble duo thus occupied, Scaralat de Sarazin is looking at the sky, where dark clouds are gathering. When a fierce wind starts to blow, he huddles deep into his cloak and laments his failure to stand up to the sorcerer. <em>Pardieu!</em> What was the buffoon thinking, ordering him around like that! He is <em>chevalier!</em></p><p>Suddenly, lightning strikes the third tower. Much to his delight, he clearly sees the bolt directly hit one of the guards on the roof before arcing to the three others, killing all of them outright. In his excitement, he throws all caution into the wind as usual.</p><p>“Friendly fire!,” he hollers, to no one in particular. “Friendly fire! Hurrah! Where does it come from?”</p><p>He starts running around in an excited manner, frantically trying to see where the lightning bolt came from. Unfortunately for him, he rolls a “1” for yet another ‘observation check’, which seems to mean that he sees nothing.</p><p>Then Sir Oengus appears on the battlements, his eyes as big as saucers.</p><p>“It’s a giant eagle!,” he yells to the <em>chevalier</em> and pointing to the hubward sky. “There! Up in the sky! It’s praying!”</p><p></p><p>Sir Eber and Sir Suvali have just made their way back to the dead chancellor’s room in the second tower when the lightning bolt strikes. The ranger climbs to the roof, where he finds Sir Oengus right next to the trapdoor.</p><p>“Lightning strike!,” the <em>chevalier</em> yells, approaching fast. “Four guards dead! Coincidence? Witchcraft!”</p><p>Sir Oengus is already halfway down to the steps to the chancellor’s room, where Sir Suvali is busily gathering books and papers and stuffing them in a bag.</p><p>“It’s a bird!,” Sir Oengus yells. “A BIG bird!”</p><p>“Mmm?,” the sorcerer mumbles, without looking up from what he is doing.</p><p>“In the sky!,” Sir Oengus yells, before heading back up the ladder again. “It’s calling down lightning!”</p><p>The sorcerer seems to consider this for a moment and then places the bag around the neck of the dead chancellor. He procures his magical wand and touches the dead chancellor with it in the hopes that he can shrink both the corpse and the bag. When nothing happens, he curses softly and looks up to see the <em>chevalier</em> stepping down from the ladder.</p><p>“<em>Mais c’est un boudoir!,”</em> the <em>chevalier</em> says, quickly scanning the room for valuables.</p><p>“A bird?,” Sir Suvali asks.</p><p>The <em>chevalier</em> startles.</p><p>“<em>Une pie?,”</em> he exclaims, flushing. <em>“Moi? Pas du tout! Je…”</em></p><p>“I meant the big bird and the lightning bolt,” the sorcerer says.</p><p>“Ah!,” the <em>chevalier</em> exclaims, presently dashing to the stairs in the corner. “The bird! <em>Suivez-moi!</em> A friendly darkness! Terrible forces! <em>Aux armes!”</em></p><p>When Sir Eber has also made it back to the room again, the noble trio start climbing down the stairs.</p><p></p><p>Back in the armory, Navarre sees Sir Eber and Sir Suvali emerge from the giant’s quarters alive and get back to the second tower unchallenged. Assuming that the mission to kill the giant was a success, he breathes a sigh of relief and turns to look down into the old courtyard under the darkening sky to re-evaluate his chances to get to the barracks where his kinsmen are kept.</p><p>Then lightning strikes the second tower. Startled, our noble hero turns around and then the <em>chevalier</em> starts screaming his head off. He turns around again to see the guards on the wall below him look up to the tower. He shakes his head and retreats into the armory to prepare for what is to come.</p><p>“What was that?,” Sir Oerknal hisses.</p><p>“I think the giant is dead,” Navarre says. “We’d better get to our kinsmen before Sarazin has alerted the whole castle.”</p><p>“Okay,” Sir Oerknal says. “We opening the door?”</p><p>“Good idea,” Navarre says. “Maybe then I can finally see something in this damned room.”</p><p></p><p>But they find the duskward door locked and it takes them some time to open it – to find that the wall they know to be there is some eight feet below them, something they somehow to have missed when they were looking at it from their vantage point earlier that day. About halfway down the wall, the two guards are now looking down into the courtyard of the old castle.</p><p>“What the hell?,” Sir Oerknal says, looking into the courtyard from the doorway. “The slaves are escaping!”</p><p>And sure enough, although the noble duo cannot make out any details, it does seem that people have started fighting in the courtyard across the bridge.</p><p>“It’s soldiers against slaves,” Sir Oerknal resumes.</p><p>“What?!,” Navarre exclaims. “We must get to them!”</p><p>“I’ll charge the guards,” Sir Oerknal says. “Lower me onto the wall and cover me.”</p><p>When Sir Oerknal is on the wall, Navarre loads his crossbow and starts firing at the guards. When he misses his first shot, his noble companion has reached the first guard, who deftly parries his charge.</p><p></p><p>Down in the courtyard of the new castle, Sir Eber, Sir Suvali, and the <em>chevalier</em> have already reached the gate to the old castle. Although they, too, cannot be sure what is going on, it seems obvious that people are fighting across the river.</p><p>“<em>Parbleu!,”</em> the <em>chevalier</em> cries, taking a few steps back. <em>“Qu’est-ce qu’y se passe?”</em></p><p>“It’s a fight!,” Sir Eber yells. “They’re killing our families!”</p><p>Without another thought, the ranger charges into the courtyard and to the bridge, screaming for his dad.</p><p></p><p>The <em>chevalier</em> shifts uneasily when he sees his noble companion depart in this manner and it takes him some time to regain his composure. He lights a torch and assumes a gallant stance and, now, in the light of the torch, things become a little clearer. Across the river, at the other end of the bridge, large numbers of unarmed nobles are fighting numbers of soldiers. More and more nobles and soldiers are emerging from their respective barracks, the latter hastily donning armors. Already, several of the nobles and at least one soldier are on the ground.</p><p>“Weald!,” Sir Eber shouts, when he gets to the bridge. “To the castle! Fall back to the castle! We killed the giant! Weald!”</p><p>Far behind him, the <em>chevalier</em> also rises to the occasion.</p><p>“<em>Sarazin!,”</em> he cries, without moving an inch and with his voice only barely audible over the shouts and screams in the courtyard. <em>“Sarazin aussi!” </em></p><p></p><p>Some time before this, on the roof of the second tower, Sir Oengus is watching the giant eagle approach the castle. He climbs back into the dead chancellor’s room and opens the door to the hubward wall to see that the giant eagle has landed on it. He runs to the creature and falls to one knee as if it were a King.</p><p>“How can I help?,” he asks.</p><p>The giant eagle casts him a regal glance.</p><p>“I seek the <em>Kettle of the Coven,”</em> it says. “Where is it?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” Sir Oengus says. “Maybe the witch has it.”</p><p>“Where is this witch?,” the giant eagle asks, glancing at the third tower.</p><p>“I think she must be in one of the two towers down there,” Sir Oengus says, rising to his feet and nodding to the third and fourth tower. “Allow me to help.”</p><p>“I will not stop you,” the giant eagle says.</p><p>Sir Oengus tentatively moves past the giant eagle.</p><p>“Thank you, Lady,” he says. “Thank you for your help!”</p><p>“Drink from the <em>Chalice of the Tree,”</em> the creature says, spreading its wings. “Use the wand liberally.”</p><p>“Wait!,” Sir Oengus says, turning around before the eagle has taken to the air. “My Lady! Your name!”</p><p>“My name is Bandolo,” the giant eagle says, after a moment’s hesitation. “Wandering Bandolo.”</p><p>“I am Oengus Moon of Nisibis!,” Sir Oengus says.</p><p>The giant eagle throws him an amused glance.</p><p>“I know,” it says, gracefully taking to the air. “I have been following you for a week.”</p><p></p><p>Back in the old courtyard, the <em>chevalier</em> is jumping from one foot to another.</p><p>“To me! To me!,” he cries. “House Sarazin is here!”</p><p>Next to him, Sir Suvali, obviously clairaudient, gulps down some of the novice’s potion. Instantly, he feels ready to take on the world, the blood pumping through his veins.</p><p></p><p>Across the river, Sir Eber has reached the end of the bridge and he has already driven back some of the soldiers, allowing some of the nobles to slip onto the bridge and start running.</p><p>When they reach the <em>chevalier</em> and the sorcerer at the gatehouse, the <em>chevalier</em> starts gesturing to the armory.</p><p>“<em>À gauche!,”</em> he cries. <em>“À gauche!</em> Weapons to the left!”</p><p>Then, finally, he starts running to the bridge himself, Sir Suvali right behind him with the novice’s potion in his hand. When the noble duo get to the other end of the bridge, the <em>chevalier</em> executes a few flourishes with his sword, allowing Sir Suvali some time to hand the potion to Sir Eber.</p><p>“Drink!,” the sorcerer yells. “Drink and follow me!”</p><p>Sir Eber gulps down some of the potion, hands it to the <em>chevalier</em> and charges back into the fray.</p><p>“We must get the leaders!,” Sir Suvali yells. “Follow me!”</p><p>When the sorcerer starts running back to the gatehouse, the <em>chevalier</em> is right behind him.</p><p>“Sarazin!,” he cries. “Sarazin!”</p><p>“Nisibis!,” numerous voices come from the crowd. “Nisibis!”</p><p></p><p>And so poor Sir Eber is left to face the ever-growing horde of halberdiers in plate armor alone. Not that he seems to be in need of any help at the moment, mind you: when Sir Suvali and the <em>chevalier</em> reach the gatehouse, he has already killed two soldiers and wounded another so badly that the man can barely remain standing.</p><p></p><p>Lightning strikes again just when Sir Suvali and the <em>chevalier</em> enter the new courtyard, this time hitting and killing the two guards on the roof of the fourth tower. Then, they hear someone shout their names from the third tower. Looking up, they see Sir Oengus climbing to the roof of the third tower on a rope looped around one of the battlements.</p><p>“Where are we going?,” the <em>chevalier</em> asks.</p><p>“Hold on,” the sorcerer says, unfolding the wings of his flying apparatus. “We’re going to kill the leaders.”</p><p>And with that, he takes the <em>chevalier</em> up into the air and to the roof of the third tower. When they get there, Sir Oengus has already opened a trapdoor and revealed some steps leading into a dark room below. He climbs down the steps and ends up in a small room with many wardrobes, chests, coffers, and a large mirror. Piles of clothes are all over the floor and there are two doors: one in the hubward wall next to the stairs and another in the dawnward wall.</p><p>“Damn’!,” he says to the <em>chevalier</em> coming down the steps. “Someone’s been dressing for the occasion!”</p><p></p><p>On the roof, Sir Suvali takes to the air again and heads for the roof of the fourth tower. When he gets there, he notices a trapdoor in the floor and opens it – to be missed by two arrows coming from the darkness below. Muttering a curse, he kicks the trapdoor back in place. Deciding that two men with bows are a little too much for him, he flies back to the old courtyard.</p><p>Just when he crosses the gatehouse wall, he hears Sir Eber bellow his name and call for medical aid.</p><p></p><p>In the armory, Navarre realizes that he will risk hitting Sir Oerknal if he continues firing at the guards and so he drops onto the wall below and charges into the fray. He manages to hit his target, just – albeit hard enough to send the guard off-balance and allow Sir Oerknal to finish him off. The second guard turns out to be a bit harder to kill, even though Navarre initially manages to inflict some serious damage. The man parries everything the noble duo throw at him for far too long until Sir Oerknal can finally deliver the killing blow.</p><p>Free to move at last, the noble duo turn their attention to the fray below, where the fighting has only intensified. More and more nobles and soldiers are coming from their respective barracks and it is hard to see who’s who. What they do see, is that several nobles have reached the gate below them and that some of them are now opening it to the loud cheers of others.</p><p>“Back to the armory!,” Navarre yells to his noble companion. “We must arm them!”</p><p>With this, he runs back along the wall and hoists himself into the armory, where he finds the room lit by torches and full of unkempt nobles, some of whom have already armed themselves. He has a quick look around but doesn’t see any of his kinsmen.</p><p>“Form a line!,” he yells. “Form a line! To the wall! We must arm our kinsmen! Get these weapons to the courtyard!”</p><p>The nobles take their time to react but Navarre and Sir Oerknal eventually manage to get them to form a line on the wall and start handing down weapons so the noble duo can throw them to the nobles below.</p><p>“Dauberval!,” Navarre yells, when the weapons are received to loud hurrahs. “Dauberval! This way! Weapons! This way!”</p><p></p><p>But the whole operation has taken far too long and, now, Sir Oerknal stirs.</p><p>“When is enough enough?,” he growls to Navarre.</p><p>“Keep at it!,” Navarre cries. “There’s much more!”</p><p>At that moment, the noble duo hear Sir Eber calling from somewhere down in the courtyard: “Dauberval! To me! Suvali! Medic! … They are falling like flies!”</p><p>“That’s Eber!,” Sir Oerknal yells. “Where is he?”</p><p>“Dauberval! Suvali!,” Sir Eber’s voice sounds again. “To me!”</p><p>“That’s it!,” Sir Oerknal yells, dropping the weapons he is holding. “I’m outta here!”</p><p>And with that, he takes a great leap off the wall, landing quite badly. But he doesn’t seem to bother and he gets to his feet without so much as a grunt. He picks up his double-bladed axe and charges into the fray.</p><p>“Out of my way!,” he roars. “Lemme through!”</p><p>Back on the wall, Navarre has decided to take a more careful approach and presently lowers himself into the courtyard.</p><p>“Dauberval!”, he shouts, when he gets to his feet again and charges after his noble companion. “Dauberval!”</p><p></p><p>At the bridge, Sir Eber has been wreaking havoc among the enemy soldiers ever since Sir Suvali and the <em>chevalier</em> left him there. He has noticed that the front line, although moving back and forth from time to time, is actually preventing the women and children from getting to the bridge safely. Furious and fully pumped up by the novice’s potion, he continues to swing his sword and axe with deadly accuracy, cutting down soldier after soldier and slowly making his way forward until he and some other nobles finally manage to push the soldiers back far enough to allow some of the weaker nobles to get to the bridge.</p><p>“To the castle!,” he shouts, planting his axe in another soldier. “To the castle!”</p><p>More and more soldiers are coming from the barracks, hastily donning armors and joining the fray. Clad in their iron armors and wielding halberds, they are cutting down nobles like flies – even though these are fighting with vigor and panache.</p><p>Fuming, Sir Eber seems to double his efforts. But, although he has already killed at least five and wounded many more, there seems to be no end to the soldiers for the time being. Worse, with more and more nobles now starting to cross the bridge and he is proving himself to be a force to be reckoned with, the enemy increase their efforts against him, and he has already suffered severe damage. But he continues to fight like a lion, cutting down two more soldiers and wounding a third in the next couple of rounds until, finally, after taking a couple of serious blows, he feels his luck may be about to run out.</p><p>“Dauberval!,” he bellows. “To me! Suvali! Medic! … They are falling like flies!”</p><p>He cuts down another soldier and repeats his call for backup. He is hit again and cuts down another soldier, who is quickly replaced by another soldier.</p><p>Just when he has parried a particularly vicious series of attacks, he notices Sir Suvali right behind him. The sorcerer is trying to smear some of the novice’s ointment onto him but has to give up when he is told that things don’t work that way. Then Sir Oerknal arrives on the scene, hurling himself into the melee, swinging his axe at one of the soldiers attacking the ranger and delivering a tremendous blow that sends the man reeling.</p><p>“Drink this!,” Sir Suvali yells, handing Sir Oerknal the novice’s potion just when Navarre arrives moments later and takes up a position on the ranger’s right flank.</p><p>“<em>There</em> you are, Dauberval!,” Sir Eber roars, cutting down his tenth soldier. “Ten!”</p><p></p><p>The noble trio now face perhaps a score of soldiers, with about ten more tending to the wounded behind the lines. The bodies of many, many dead nobles lie scattered in the courtyard. Furious at the sight, Navarre takes a swing at an advancing soldier, who deftly parries his attack.</p><p>“Eleven!”, Sir Eber roars, working another soldier to the ground.</p><p>“Drink this!,” Navarre hears Sir Suvali yell next to him. He accepts the novice’s option handed to him, takes a step back and gulps down some of the concoction. He instantly feels its magic take effect and charges back into the fray.</p><p>“Dauberval!,” he roars to the soldiers in front of him. “Dauberval! Surrender or die!”</p><p>“Piece of cake now!,” Sir Eber yells next to him, cutting down yet another soldier. “Next!”</p><p></p><p>To his left, Sir Oerknal’s axe bites deep into the shoulder of another soldier and, now, with the noble trio advancing slowly, ever more nobles are getting a secure access to the bridge. Cheering loudly, whole groups of them start running across the bridge and then out of the castle through the open gate in the rimward wall – the momentum inspiring the armed nobles returning from the new castle to start running for the gate as well. Indeed, only very few of them actually join the noble trio in the front line.</p><p></p><p>“Surrender!,” Navarre yells, when he fails to harm his opponent. “Stand down and be judged!”</p><p>Next to him, both Sir Eber and Sir Oerknal are faring a lot better, inflicting great wounds on their opponents. The fight continues like this for some time and it doesn’t seem to be Navarre’s day – his opponents parry, evade, dodge, and even blunder their way out of most of his attacks. Fortunately, he doesn’t suffer much damage himself. Sir Eber and Sir Oerknal do suffer considerable damage but they continue to cut down soldier after soldier in the process.</p><p>Then, after what seems like an age, the enemy, greatly reduced in number, finally start retreating.</p><p>“Victory!,” Navarre yells. “Dauberval! Victory!”</p><p>At the other end of the courtyard, the few remaining fighting nobles break through the enemy line, which sends the medics and the wounded running.</p><p>“After them!,” the nobles roar. “Kill them all!”</p><p>Navarre executes another fruitless attack and, then, when his noble companions cut down a soldier each, the enemy has finally had enough. Only a handful of soldiers remain, many heavily wounded, and now all of them start running.</p><p>“To me!,” Navarre yells, still attempting to rally the nobles for an assault on the new castle. “Dauberval! To me! To me!”</p><p>“To the castle!,” Sir Eber roars, turning around and charging back across the bridge, Sir Oerknal right behind him. “After me! To the castle!”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="ilgatto, post: 8913846, member: 86051"] [CENTER][B][SIZE=6]An Adventure in Five Acts, Act V, Part II: Assault on the Castle of the Slave Lords[/SIZE][/B][/CENTER] [B]Day 20, just after midnight[/B]: With the noble duo thus occupied, Scaralat de Sarazin is looking at the sky, where dark clouds are gathering. When a fierce wind starts to blow, he huddles deep into his cloak and laments his failure to stand up to the sorcerer. [I]Pardieu![/I] What was the buffoon thinking, ordering him around like that! He is [I]chevalier![/I] Suddenly, lightning strikes the third tower. Much to his delight, he clearly sees the bolt directly hit one of the guards on the roof before arcing to the three others, killing all of them outright. In his excitement, he throws all caution into the wind as usual. “Friendly fire!,” he hollers, to no one in particular. “Friendly fire! Hurrah! Where does it come from?” He starts running around in an excited manner, frantically trying to see where the lightning bolt came from. Unfortunately for him, he rolls a “1” for yet another ‘observation check’, which seems to mean that he sees nothing. Then Sir Oengus appears on the battlements, his eyes as big as saucers. “It’s a giant eagle!,” he yells to the [I]chevalier[/I] and pointing to the hubward sky. “There! Up in the sky! It’s praying!” Sir Eber and Sir Suvali have just made their way back to the dead chancellor’s room in the second tower when the lightning bolt strikes. The ranger climbs to the roof, where he finds Sir Oengus right next to the trapdoor. “Lightning strike!,” the [I]chevalier[/I] yells, approaching fast. “Four guards dead! Coincidence? Witchcraft!” Sir Oengus is already halfway down to the steps to the chancellor’s room, where Sir Suvali is busily gathering books and papers and stuffing them in a bag. “It’s a bird!,” Sir Oengus yells. “A BIG bird!” “Mmm?,” the sorcerer mumbles, without looking up from what he is doing. “In the sky!,” Sir Oengus yells, before heading back up the ladder again. “It’s calling down lightning!” The sorcerer seems to consider this for a moment and then places the bag around the neck of the dead chancellor. He procures his magical wand and touches the dead chancellor with it in the hopes that he can shrink both the corpse and the bag. When nothing happens, he curses softly and looks up to see the [I]chevalier[/I] stepping down from the ladder. “[I]Mais c’est un boudoir!,”[/I] the [I]chevalier[/I] says, quickly scanning the room for valuables. “A bird?,” Sir Suvali asks. The [I]chevalier[/I] startles. “[I]Une pie?,”[/I] he exclaims, flushing. [I]“Moi? Pas du tout! Je…”[/I] “I meant the big bird and the lightning bolt,” the sorcerer says. “Ah!,” the [I]chevalier[/I] exclaims, presently dashing to the stairs in the corner. “The bird! [I]Suivez-moi![/I] A friendly darkness! Terrible forces! [I]Aux armes!”[/I] When Sir Eber has also made it back to the room again, the noble trio start climbing down the stairs. Back in the armory, Navarre sees Sir Eber and Sir Suvali emerge from the giant’s quarters alive and get back to the second tower unchallenged. Assuming that the mission to kill the giant was a success, he breathes a sigh of relief and turns to look down into the old courtyard under the darkening sky to re-evaluate his chances to get to the barracks where his kinsmen are kept. Then lightning strikes the second tower. Startled, our noble hero turns around and then the [I]chevalier[/I] starts screaming his head off. He turns around again to see the guards on the wall below him look up to the tower. He shakes his head and retreats into the armory to prepare for what is to come. “What was that?,” Sir Oerknal hisses. “I think the giant is dead,” Navarre says. “We’d better get to our kinsmen before Sarazin has alerted the whole castle.” “Okay,” Sir Oerknal says. “We opening the door?” “Good idea,” Navarre says. “Maybe then I can finally see something in this damned room.” But they find the duskward door locked and it takes them some time to open it – to find that the wall they know to be there is some eight feet below them, something they somehow to have missed when they were looking at it from their vantage point earlier that day. About halfway down the wall, the two guards are now looking down into the courtyard of the old castle. “What the hell?,” Sir Oerknal says, looking into the courtyard from the doorway. “The slaves are escaping!” And sure enough, although the noble duo cannot make out any details, it does seem that people have started fighting in the courtyard across the bridge. “It’s soldiers against slaves,” Sir Oerknal resumes. “What?!,” Navarre exclaims. “We must get to them!” “I’ll charge the guards,” Sir Oerknal says. “Lower me onto the wall and cover me.” When Sir Oerknal is on the wall, Navarre loads his crossbow and starts firing at the guards. When he misses his first shot, his noble companion has reached the first guard, who deftly parries his charge. Down in the courtyard of the new castle, Sir Eber, Sir Suvali, and the [I]chevalier[/I] have already reached the gate to the old castle. Although they, too, cannot be sure what is going on, it seems obvious that people are fighting across the river. “[I]Parbleu!,”[/I] the [I]chevalier[/I] cries, taking a few steps back. [I]“Qu’est-ce qu’y se passe?”[/I] “It’s a fight!,” Sir Eber yells. “They’re killing our families!” Without another thought, the ranger charges into the courtyard and to the bridge, screaming for his dad. The [I]chevalier[/I] shifts uneasily when he sees his noble companion depart in this manner and it takes him some time to regain his composure. He lights a torch and assumes a gallant stance and, now, in the light of the torch, things become a little clearer. Across the river, at the other end of the bridge, large numbers of unarmed nobles are fighting numbers of soldiers. More and more nobles and soldiers are emerging from their respective barracks, the latter hastily donning armors. Already, several of the nobles and at least one soldier are on the ground. “Weald!,” Sir Eber shouts, when he gets to the bridge. “To the castle! Fall back to the castle! We killed the giant! Weald!” Far behind him, the [I]chevalier[/I] also rises to the occasion. “[I]Sarazin!,”[/I] he cries, without moving an inch and with his voice only barely audible over the shouts and screams in the courtyard. [I]“Sarazin aussi!” [/I] Some time before this, on the roof of the second tower, Sir Oengus is watching the giant eagle approach the castle. He climbs back into the dead chancellor’s room and opens the door to the hubward wall to see that the giant eagle has landed on it. He runs to the creature and falls to one knee as if it were a King. “How can I help?,” he asks. The giant eagle casts him a regal glance. “I seek the [I]Kettle of the Coven,”[/I] it says. “Where is it?” “I don’t know,” Sir Oengus says. “Maybe the witch has it.” “Where is this witch?,” the giant eagle asks, glancing at the third tower. “I think she must be in one of the two towers down there,” Sir Oengus says, rising to his feet and nodding to the third and fourth tower. “Allow me to help.” “I will not stop you,” the giant eagle says. Sir Oengus tentatively moves past the giant eagle. “Thank you, Lady,” he says. “Thank you for your help!” “Drink from the [I]Chalice of the Tree,”[/I] the creature says, spreading its wings. “Use the wand liberally.” “Wait!,” Sir Oengus says, turning around before the eagle has taken to the air. “My Lady! Your name!” “My name is Bandolo,” the giant eagle says, after a moment’s hesitation. “Wandering Bandolo.” “I am Oengus Moon of Nisibis!,” Sir Oengus says. The giant eagle throws him an amused glance. “I know,” it says, gracefully taking to the air. “I have been following you for a week.” Back in the old courtyard, the [I]chevalier[/I] is jumping from one foot to another. “To me! To me!,” he cries. “House Sarazin is here!” Next to him, Sir Suvali, obviously clairaudient, gulps down some of the novice’s potion. Instantly, he feels ready to take on the world, the blood pumping through his veins. Across the river, Sir Eber has reached the end of the bridge and he has already driven back some of the soldiers, allowing some of the nobles to slip onto the bridge and start running. When they reach the [I]chevalier[/I] and the sorcerer at the gatehouse, the [I]chevalier[/I] starts gesturing to the armory. “[I]À gauche!,”[/I] he cries. [I]“À gauche![/I] Weapons to the left!” Then, finally, he starts running to the bridge himself, Sir Suvali right behind him with the novice’s potion in his hand. When the noble duo get to the other end of the bridge, the [I]chevalier[/I] executes a few flourishes with his sword, allowing Sir Suvali some time to hand the potion to Sir Eber. “Drink!,” the sorcerer yells. “Drink and follow me!” Sir Eber gulps down some of the potion, hands it to the [I]chevalier[/I] and charges back into the fray. “We must get the leaders!,” Sir Suvali yells. “Follow me!” When the sorcerer starts running back to the gatehouse, the [I]chevalier[/I] is right behind him. “Sarazin!,” he cries. “Sarazin!” “Nisibis!,” numerous voices come from the crowd. “Nisibis!” And so poor Sir Eber is left to face the ever-growing horde of halberdiers in plate armor alone. Not that he seems to be in need of any help at the moment, mind you: when Sir Suvali and the [I]chevalier[/I] reach the gatehouse, he has already killed two soldiers and wounded another so badly that the man can barely remain standing. Lightning strikes again just when Sir Suvali and the [I]chevalier[/I] enter the new courtyard, this time hitting and killing the two guards on the roof of the fourth tower. Then, they hear someone shout their names from the third tower. Looking up, they see Sir Oengus climbing to the roof of the third tower on a rope looped around one of the battlements. “Where are we going?,” the [I]chevalier[/I] asks. “Hold on,” the sorcerer says, unfolding the wings of his flying apparatus. “We’re going to kill the leaders.” And with that, he takes the [I]chevalier[/I] up into the air and to the roof of the third tower. When they get there, Sir Oengus has already opened a trapdoor and revealed some steps leading into a dark room below. He climbs down the steps and ends up in a small room with many wardrobes, chests, coffers, and a large mirror. Piles of clothes are all over the floor and there are two doors: one in the hubward wall next to the stairs and another in the dawnward wall. “Damn’!,” he says to the [I]chevalier[/I] coming down the steps. “Someone’s been dressing for the occasion!” On the roof, Sir Suvali takes to the air again and heads for the roof of the fourth tower. When he gets there, he notices a trapdoor in the floor and opens it – to be missed by two arrows coming from the darkness below. Muttering a curse, he kicks the trapdoor back in place. Deciding that two men with bows are a little too much for him, he flies back to the old courtyard. Just when he crosses the gatehouse wall, he hears Sir Eber bellow his name and call for medical aid. In the armory, Navarre realizes that he will risk hitting Sir Oerknal if he continues firing at the guards and so he drops onto the wall below and charges into the fray. He manages to hit his target, just – albeit hard enough to send the guard off-balance and allow Sir Oerknal to finish him off. The second guard turns out to be a bit harder to kill, even though Navarre initially manages to inflict some serious damage. The man parries everything the noble duo throw at him for far too long until Sir Oerknal can finally deliver the killing blow. Free to move at last, the noble duo turn their attention to the fray below, where the fighting has only intensified. More and more nobles and soldiers are coming from their respective barracks and it is hard to see who’s who. What they do see, is that several nobles have reached the gate below them and that some of them are now opening it to the loud cheers of others. “Back to the armory!,” Navarre yells to his noble companion. “We must arm them!” With this, he runs back along the wall and hoists himself into the armory, where he finds the room lit by torches and full of unkempt nobles, some of whom have already armed themselves. He has a quick look around but doesn’t see any of his kinsmen. “Form a line!,” he yells. “Form a line! To the wall! We must arm our kinsmen! Get these weapons to the courtyard!” The nobles take their time to react but Navarre and Sir Oerknal eventually manage to get them to form a line on the wall and start handing down weapons so the noble duo can throw them to the nobles below. “Dauberval!,” Navarre yells, when the weapons are received to loud hurrahs. “Dauberval! This way! Weapons! This way!” But the whole operation has taken far too long and, now, Sir Oerknal stirs. “When is enough enough?,” he growls to Navarre. “Keep at it!,” Navarre cries. “There’s much more!” At that moment, the noble duo hear Sir Eber calling from somewhere down in the courtyard: “Dauberval! To me! Suvali! Medic! … They are falling like flies!” “That’s Eber!,” Sir Oerknal yells. “Where is he?” “Dauberval! Suvali!,” Sir Eber’s voice sounds again. “To me!” “That’s it!,” Sir Oerknal yells, dropping the weapons he is holding. “I’m outta here!” And with that, he takes a great leap off the wall, landing quite badly. But he doesn’t seem to bother and he gets to his feet without so much as a grunt. He picks up his double-bladed axe and charges into the fray. “Out of my way!,” he roars. “Lemme through!” Back on the wall, Navarre has decided to take a more careful approach and presently lowers himself into the courtyard. “Dauberval!”, he shouts, when he gets to his feet again and charges after his noble companion. “Dauberval!” At the bridge, Sir Eber has been wreaking havoc among the enemy soldiers ever since Sir Suvali and the [I]chevalier[/I] left him there. He has noticed that the front line, although moving back and forth from time to time, is actually preventing the women and children from getting to the bridge safely. Furious and fully pumped up by the novice’s potion, he continues to swing his sword and axe with deadly accuracy, cutting down soldier after soldier and slowly making his way forward until he and some other nobles finally manage to push the soldiers back far enough to allow some of the weaker nobles to get to the bridge. “To the castle!,” he shouts, planting his axe in another soldier. “To the castle!” More and more soldiers are coming from the barracks, hastily donning armors and joining the fray. Clad in their iron armors and wielding halberds, they are cutting down nobles like flies – even though these are fighting with vigor and panache. Fuming, Sir Eber seems to double his efforts. But, although he has already killed at least five and wounded many more, there seems to be no end to the soldiers for the time being. Worse, with more and more nobles now starting to cross the bridge and he is proving himself to be a force to be reckoned with, the enemy increase their efforts against him, and he has already suffered severe damage. But he continues to fight like a lion, cutting down two more soldiers and wounding a third in the next couple of rounds until, finally, after taking a couple of serious blows, he feels his luck may be about to run out. “Dauberval!,” he bellows. “To me! Suvali! Medic! … They are falling like flies!” He cuts down another soldier and repeats his call for backup. He is hit again and cuts down another soldier, who is quickly replaced by another soldier. Just when he has parried a particularly vicious series of attacks, he notices Sir Suvali right behind him. The sorcerer is trying to smear some of the novice’s ointment onto him but has to give up when he is told that things don’t work that way. Then Sir Oerknal arrives on the scene, hurling himself into the melee, swinging his axe at one of the soldiers attacking the ranger and delivering a tremendous blow that sends the man reeling. “Drink this!,” Sir Suvali yells, handing Sir Oerknal the novice’s potion just when Navarre arrives moments later and takes up a position on the ranger’s right flank. “[I]There[/I] you are, Dauberval!,” Sir Eber roars, cutting down his tenth soldier. “Ten!” The noble trio now face perhaps a score of soldiers, with about ten more tending to the wounded behind the lines. The bodies of many, many dead nobles lie scattered in the courtyard. Furious at the sight, Navarre takes a swing at an advancing soldier, who deftly parries his attack. “Eleven!”, Sir Eber roars, working another soldier to the ground. “Drink this!,” Navarre hears Sir Suvali yell next to him. He accepts the novice’s option handed to him, takes a step back and gulps down some of the concoction. He instantly feels its magic take effect and charges back into the fray. “Dauberval!,” he roars to the soldiers in front of him. “Dauberval! Surrender or die!” “Piece of cake now!,” Sir Eber yells next to him, cutting down yet another soldier. “Next!” To his left, Sir Oerknal’s axe bites deep into the shoulder of another soldier and, now, with the noble trio advancing slowly, ever more nobles are getting a secure access to the bridge. Cheering loudly, whole groups of them start running across the bridge and then out of the castle through the open gate in the rimward wall – the momentum inspiring the armed nobles returning from the new castle to start running for the gate as well. Indeed, only very few of them actually join the noble trio in the front line. “Surrender!,” Navarre yells, when he fails to harm his opponent. “Stand down and be judged!” Next to him, both Sir Eber and Sir Oerknal are faring a lot better, inflicting great wounds on their opponents. The fight continues like this for some time and it doesn’t seem to be Navarre’s day – his opponents parry, evade, dodge, and even blunder their way out of most of his attacks. Fortunately, he doesn’t suffer much damage himself. Sir Eber and Sir Oerknal do suffer considerable damage but they continue to cut down soldier after soldier in the process. Then, after what seems like an age, the enemy, greatly reduced in number, finally start retreating. “Victory!,” Navarre yells. “Dauberval! Victory!” At the other end of the courtyard, the few remaining fighting nobles break through the enemy line, which sends the medics and the wounded running. “After them!,” the nobles roar. “Kill them all!” Navarre executes another fruitless attack and, then, when his noble companions cut down a soldier each, the enemy has finally had enough. Only a handful of soldiers remain, many heavily wounded, and now all of them start running. “To me!,” Navarre yells, still attempting to rally the nobles for an assault on the new castle. “Dauberval! To me! To me!” “To the castle!,” Sir Eber roars, turning around and charging back across the bridge, Sir Oerknal right behind him. “After me! To the castle!” [/QUOTE]
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An Adventure in Five Acts (AD&D 2E) (Final Update 25 Feb 2023)
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