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(Cydra) The Year 271 Campaign (Low Magic experiment)
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<blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 2419666" data-attributes="member: 1210"><p><strong>Battle of the Bandits</strong></p><p></p><p>It is pure chaos as the party edges up towards the portcullis, under fire by a barrage of sling stones. Most of them flatten against the wall, out of direct sight. The sound of barking dogs coming closer sends a chill through our heroes. </p><p></p><p>Cedric moves up, crying, “Foul banditth! Thurrender and we will be merthiful!” </p><p></p><p>Otis, hanging back, cries out as a sling stone hits him in the arm. A bandit’s voice retorts, <em>“You</em> surrender and <em>we</em> will be merciful!”</p><p></p><p>The barking dogs- four of them- have stopped just on the other side of the portcullis. Cedric glares at them, but moving forward to engage them would expose him to sling shots through the portcullis. The dogs are well-trained, it seems; they remain on the far side of the partially-raised portcullis. Dahlia tries to charm one with her witchy ways, but the dog is loyal to its masters. Cedric whistles at one of the other dogs. “Here, boy!” he calls. “Come here, boy!” He coaxes it, and the dog starts towards him. As it passes beneath the portcullis, it suddenly drops, impaling the dog and killing it instantly! Worse, it now blocks passage. The sling stones still zing forth from the bandits in the courtyard beyond, and now they are moving up, trying to get a better angle.</p><p></p><p>“I knew it wath a trap!” Cedric chortles, “It wath too obviouth.” </p><p></p><p>Jorgen, meanwhile, has begun to scale the wall, pulling himself up along its rough surface hand over hand. Below him, he can hear Cedric starting to pull himself up after him. </p><p></p><p>Otis, still hanging back, finds himself the target of several sling stones. They whiz past at first, but eventually one strikes him hard in the temple. For a moment Otis sees stars; then he staggers away. <em>Got to get help,</em> he thinks, his head spinning. <em>The Lordship will help us... he will help his son.</em> Otis begins to jog away, heading towards the distant Whitewater estate. He rapidly disappeared in the distance. </p><p></p><p>Meanwhile, Cara Reed took up station before the fallen portcullis, her rapier at the ready, and began thrusting at the four bandits beyond, resulting in a duel through the portcullis. One of the bandits notes the climbing pair and cries, “To the wall!” Two of the bandits broke off their melee and rushed towards an outbuilding. Meanwhile, more sling bullets pounded down towards the party, smashing off the wall shielding them. Another of the bandits rushes to the mechanism used to raise the portcullis and begins slowly cranking the wheel. “Uh-oh,” Cara mutters to herself as her cover begins to rise. Then she cries out in pain and there is a blow she cannot parry and everything goes red and black.</p><p></p><p>Jorgen pulls himself onto the wall as two bandits rush out on top of the wall. He scrambles to his feet just in time, dodging a blow on the narrow walkway atop the wall. He turns his blade, hooks his leg around the ankle of one of the bandits, and trips him. His follow up blow cleaves through the man’s skull, slaying him instantly, and Jorgen feels his stomach lurch. <em>I’m a killer,</em> he thinks crazily, and then- “Whoof!”- he’s on his back, as the other bandit trips <em>him!</em></p><p></p><p>“Two can play at that game, lad!” the bandit cries wildly, bringing a massive bastard sword down at Jorgen’s face. “You should never have crossed Jared o’ the Highway!”</p><p></p><p>Cedric hurls himself forward and barely manages to parry the death blow. “Foul bandit!” he cries, as the sound of metal clashing on metal rings inches above Jorgen’s terrified eyes. “We will defeat you thoundly!”</p><p></p><p>Down below, Dahlia and her badger scuttle around the corner of the building towards the ruined wall, hoping for a more discrete way to enter, but they jerk to a stop. The section of the collapsed wall appears to be infested by ants the size of a- well. About the size of a badger. </p><p></p><p><em>I guess I’d better go back to the portcullis,</em> Dahlia thinks. She turns and she and her badger move back towards- Cara’s crumpled form?! She exclaims in Elven. <em>Oh no! Cara!</em> Dahlia’s heart palpitates with fear. She has never done anything like this before, and the terror and excitement are nearly overwhelming.</p><p></p><p>Only a single bandit is now at the portcullis, grinning wickedly. He stops grinning as a determined Dahlia, armed with a club, and her fierce badger both lunge to the attack. In an instant the bandit is retreating, step by step. Then he stabs the badger in the side and the badger goes <em>nuts,</em> tearing at the man until he is a bloody mess on the ground. </p><p></p><p>On the wall, Jorgen has managed to gain his feet. Cedric and he duel with Jared o’ the Highway, the obvious leader of these men. “We only want one of you!” cries Cedric. “But if you continue to rethitht, we will take you all and adminithter juthtithe to you all!”</p><p></p><p>“Bah!” sneers Jared. “You’ll never take us!” He flicks the tip of his bastard sword at Cedric’s face, then alters his blow as the young would-be knight moves to parry, and in an instant Cedric is disarmed. Before Jared o’ the Highway can fully take advantage of the situation, however, Jorgen beats him back. Even as Cedric scoops up his axe, Jorgen hacks at the bandit leader again- and Jared, off-balance, misses when he parries. </p><p></p><p><em>Schluck!</em></p><p></p><p>Jorgen quivers as his sword penetrates deep into the bandit’s head. With a scarlet gurgle, Jared o’ the Highway crumples to the ground. Jorgen stares at his body for a moment disbelievingly. <em>I... I have killed </em>two men, he thinks. His stomach is acting as if it were one of the Amazing Longleap Sisters.</p><p></p><p>“Foul mithcreantth!” screams Cedric. “Thurrender or be dethtroyed! We have already thlain your leader, Jared o’ the Highway, who we know hath mithled you badly. If you thurrender to uth, we promithe to enthure that the law treatth you gently!”</p><p></p><p>Cedric and Jorgen clamber down the wall into the courtyard, ready for more trouble. Immediately, Jorgen’s stomach gives way. He vomits as the realization that he is a killer goes round and round his head. Dahlia and her bloodied badger have slain the remaining bandit at the gates and the dogs rapidly fall to the combined fury of Cedric, Jorgen and Dahlia (and her badger). Then the three warily turn to face the main building across the courtyard. </p><p></p><p>A lone bandit comes out with his hands up.</p><p></p><p>“Hello!” he cries. “We- we don’t want any more trouble...”</p><p></p><p>“You had better not!” Cedric says sternly.</p><p></p><p>***</p><p></p><p>There are seven bandits left, and all surrender. The one they seek- named Bros- tries to flee once he realizes that he is the goal of the expedition, but he is brought down quickly and sternly. </p><p></p><p>Cedric, Dahlia and Jorgen bind their prisoners in a line and lead them back towards the estate. Soon they have imprisoned them save for Bros, who they take to Tumenore and his men. The sun is just going down on the last day of the festival. </p><p></p><p>Tumenore and his men, especially the fellow who fingered Bangus Redcoat as a bandit, are abashed. “Well, I’ll be,” Tumenore says laconically. “I guess you were right.” He apologizes to Bangus and gives him a gold piece as compensation for the rough treatment. </p><p></p><p>Then he leans in towards Bros. “But you,” he says with a feral grin, “are <em>ours.”</em></p><p></p><p><em><strong>Next Time:</strong></em> The party receives great rewards for their victory! Then they return to the ruins of Castle Laagos to investigate further!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="the Jester, post: 2419666, member: 1210"] [b]Battle of the Bandits[/b] It is pure chaos as the party edges up towards the portcullis, under fire by a barrage of sling stones. Most of them flatten against the wall, out of direct sight. The sound of barking dogs coming closer sends a chill through our heroes. Cedric moves up, crying, “Foul banditth! Thurrender and we will be merthiful!” Otis, hanging back, cries out as a sling stone hits him in the arm. A bandit’s voice retorts, [i]“You[/i] surrender and [i]we[/i] will be merciful!” The barking dogs- four of them- have stopped just on the other side of the portcullis. Cedric glares at them, but moving forward to engage them would expose him to sling shots through the portcullis. The dogs are well-trained, it seems; they remain on the far side of the partially-raised portcullis. Dahlia tries to charm one with her witchy ways, but the dog is loyal to its masters. Cedric whistles at one of the other dogs. “Here, boy!” he calls. “Come here, boy!” He coaxes it, and the dog starts towards him. As it passes beneath the portcullis, it suddenly drops, impaling the dog and killing it instantly! Worse, it now blocks passage. The sling stones still zing forth from the bandits in the courtyard beyond, and now they are moving up, trying to get a better angle. “I knew it wath a trap!” Cedric chortles, “It wath too obviouth.” Jorgen, meanwhile, has begun to scale the wall, pulling himself up along its rough surface hand over hand. Below him, he can hear Cedric starting to pull himself up after him. Otis, still hanging back, finds himself the target of several sling stones. They whiz past at first, but eventually one strikes him hard in the temple. For a moment Otis sees stars; then he staggers away. [i]Got to get help,[/i] he thinks, his head spinning. [i]The Lordship will help us... he will help his son.[/i] Otis begins to jog away, heading towards the distant Whitewater estate. He rapidly disappeared in the distance. Meanwhile, Cara Reed took up station before the fallen portcullis, her rapier at the ready, and began thrusting at the four bandits beyond, resulting in a duel through the portcullis. One of the bandits notes the climbing pair and cries, “To the wall!” Two of the bandits broke off their melee and rushed towards an outbuilding. Meanwhile, more sling bullets pounded down towards the party, smashing off the wall shielding them. Another of the bandits rushes to the mechanism used to raise the portcullis and begins slowly cranking the wheel. “Uh-oh,” Cara mutters to herself as her cover begins to rise. Then she cries out in pain and there is a blow she cannot parry and everything goes red and black. Jorgen pulls himself onto the wall as two bandits rush out on top of the wall. He scrambles to his feet just in time, dodging a blow on the narrow walkway atop the wall. He turns his blade, hooks his leg around the ankle of one of the bandits, and trips him. His follow up blow cleaves through the man’s skull, slaying him instantly, and Jorgen feels his stomach lurch. [i]I’m a killer,[/i] he thinks crazily, and then- “Whoof!”- he’s on his back, as the other bandit trips [i]him![/i] “Two can play at that game, lad!” the bandit cries wildly, bringing a massive bastard sword down at Jorgen’s face. “You should never have crossed Jared o’ the Highway!” Cedric hurls himself forward and barely manages to parry the death blow. “Foul bandit!” he cries, as the sound of metal clashing on metal rings inches above Jorgen’s terrified eyes. “We will defeat you thoundly!” Down below, Dahlia and her badger scuttle around the corner of the building towards the ruined wall, hoping for a more discrete way to enter, but they jerk to a stop. The section of the collapsed wall appears to be infested by ants the size of a- well. About the size of a badger. [i]I guess I’d better go back to the portcullis,[/i] Dahlia thinks. She turns and she and her badger move back towards- Cara’s crumpled form?! She exclaims in Elven. [i]Oh no! Cara![/i] Dahlia’s heart palpitates with fear. She has never done anything like this before, and the terror and excitement are nearly overwhelming. Only a single bandit is now at the portcullis, grinning wickedly. He stops grinning as a determined Dahlia, armed with a club, and her fierce badger both lunge to the attack. In an instant the bandit is retreating, step by step. Then he stabs the badger in the side and the badger goes [i]nuts,[/i] tearing at the man until he is a bloody mess on the ground. On the wall, Jorgen has managed to gain his feet. Cedric and he duel with Jared o’ the Highway, the obvious leader of these men. “We only want one of you!” cries Cedric. “But if you continue to rethitht, we will take you all and adminithter juthtithe to you all!” “Bah!” sneers Jared. “You’ll never take us!” He flicks the tip of his bastard sword at Cedric’s face, then alters his blow as the young would-be knight moves to parry, and in an instant Cedric is disarmed. Before Jared o’ the Highway can fully take advantage of the situation, however, Jorgen beats him back. Even as Cedric scoops up his axe, Jorgen hacks at the bandit leader again- and Jared, off-balance, misses when he parries. [i]Schluck![/i] Jorgen quivers as his sword penetrates deep into the bandit’s head. With a scarlet gurgle, Jared o’ the Highway crumples to the ground. Jorgen stares at his body for a moment disbelievingly. [i]I... I have killed [/i]two men, he thinks. His stomach is acting as if it were one of the Amazing Longleap Sisters. “Foul mithcreantth!” screams Cedric. “Thurrender or be dethtroyed! We have already thlain your leader, Jared o’ the Highway, who we know hath mithled you badly. If you thurrender to uth, we promithe to enthure that the law treatth you gently!” Cedric and Jorgen clamber down the wall into the courtyard, ready for more trouble. Immediately, Jorgen’s stomach gives way. He vomits as the realization that he is a killer goes round and round his head. Dahlia and her bloodied badger have slain the remaining bandit at the gates and the dogs rapidly fall to the combined fury of Cedric, Jorgen and Dahlia (and her badger). Then the three warily turn to face the main building across the courtyard. A lone bandit comes out with his hands up. “Hello!” he cries. “We- we don’t want any more trouble...” “You had better not!” Cedric says sternly. *** There are seven bandits left, and all surrender. The one they seek- named Bros- tries to flee once he realizes that he is the goal of the expedition, but he is brought down quickly and sternly. Cedric, Dahlia and Jorgen bind their prisoners in a line and lead them back towards the estate. Soon they have imprisoned them save for Bros, who they take to Tumenore and his men. The sun is just going down on the last day of the festival. Tumenore and his men, especially the fellow who fingered Bangus Redcoat as a bandit, are abashed. “Well, I’ll be,” Tumenore says laconically. “I guess you were right.” He apologizes to Bangus and gives him a gold piece as compensation for the rough treatment. Then he leans in towards Bros. “But you,” he says with a feral grin, “are [i]ours.”[/i] [i][b]Next Time:[/b][/i][b][/b] The party receives great rewards for their victory! Then they return to the ruins of Castle Laagos to investigate further! [/QUOTE]
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