Devil's Plow - Leaving Ironcraig

[PsYcHoTiC]

Thraxus smirks at this, never trying to hide his disdain. It was people like you that lost this war for us, perhaps if you had spent less time praying to gods that were more concerned about morals that the survival of their kind, and actually fought with your heart...but I guess this union will make strange bedfellows after all."

"I fight with me heart and me heart tells me that ye have little faith! Me heart tells me to trust Heironeous and do as he would. And ye know what he would do? Whats durned best for all the goodly folk." Jonath replies proudly, keeping his calm and resolve. "Now let us stop this worthless quarrel. Our energy is better spent at the task at hand."

 

[PsYcHoTiC]

Tobe looks his Duke in the eye when he responds, "My liege... I will follow you to the ends of the world and come back to tell the tale. Lead on and we shall be behind you every step of the way."

With a grunt and a laugh, the dark-haired figure continues on, "It shall be just like the stories of old. The goblinoids will fear our wrath and we shall bring down mighty retribution on whoever stands in our way. It shall be glorious - something to tell the grandchildren about when we are old and gray-haired."

"Oy! That be the spirit lad!" Jonath encourages the man.

 

[Ringmereth]

"Your task would be more clear with some explanation," begins the Duke as he reaches into a sack next to his seat and pulls from it a large scroll of parchment, which he unrolls to reveal a map of Devil's Plow and the surrounding area. "Two weeks ago, a scout from the settlement of Neven's Valley-" he points to a dot on the map between two mountains, perhaps 20 miles south of Ironcraig "-came here. We gave him food and shelter, and he told us of a brigade of well-armed orcs and their allies in the plains to the west. He told us that they were marching in the direction of Ironcraig, and beyond this advice, he gave us a gift of a hobgoblin he had captured, alive. The beast is in a cave outside the city, under heavy guard. A few militiamen have interrogated him, and under... duress... he revealed that his band was one of exiles, hoping to carve a piece of the Plow for themselves out of human holdings. We are the target of this band, and with or without our number, Ironcraig cannot likely defeat this horde. It is my decision, then, that you four and I should set out for Morrkeep, here." Ghenthar puts his finger on another settlement to the northeast. "If they refuse to aid us, then we shall make our way to Spirefound and hope the clergy and warriors of Kord come to our rescue before it is too late. What say you to such a plan?" asks the Duke.

 

[PsYcHoTiC]

"Oy. How long do we have before these hobbies' come?" Jonath questions, his mind trying to organize and order everything that he can.

 

[Phoenix]

"Your task would be more clear with some explanation," begins the Duke as he reaches into a sack next to his seat and pulls from it a large scroll of parchment, which he unrolls to reveal a map of Devil's Plow and the surrounding area. "Two weeks ago, a scout from the settlement of Neven's Valley-" he points to a dot on the map between two mountains, perhaps 20 miles south of Ironcraig "-came here. We gave him food and shelter, and he told us of a brigade of well-armed orcs and their allies in the plains to the west. He told us that they were marching in the direction of Ironcraig, and beyond this advice, he gave us a gift of a hobgoblin he had captured, alive. The beast is in a cave outside the city, under heavy guard. A few militiamen have interrogated him, and under... duress... he revealed that his band was one of exiles, hoping to carve a piece of the Plow for themselves out of human holdings. We are the target of this band, and with or without our number, Ironcraig cannot likely defeat this horde. It is my decision, then, that you four and I should set out for Morrkeep, here." Ghenthar puts his finger on another settlement to the northeast. "If they refuse to aid us, then we shall make our way to Spirefound and hope the clergy and warriors of Kord come to our rescue before it is too late. What say you to such a plan?" asks the Duke.

Thraxus nods his head gently as if thinking for moment before commenting.
"I see little else we can do except for seek assistance. If they have superior numbers we can ill afford a siege here, for none will come to our rescue. The warriors of Kord are poorly disciplined, but easily manipulated into fighting for a cause that is not their own, though it is a shame that they are so far away."

"It seems that we must put a very good case to Ghenthar to convince them to help us, especially if they are under duress also. What do we have to offer them in case they are too ignorant to understand that if we are to fall than they will be the next to follow?"

 

[Ringmereth]

"Our time is short, but we should have the time, at least, to reach Morrkeep. The scout estimated that we have no less than a week, and no more than three. They are a large force, and the Plow is a harsh and unfamiliar land to them. It will take several days for us to reach Morrkeep-at best, we could bring reinforcements here in a week," replies Ghenthar to the dwarven paladin. "It is unfortunate, though, that we have little gold to offer to those who would aid us. We can offer shares of the spoils of battle, but there is little else."

 

[Kerrz]

Tobe nods at the plan coming to shape, but stops short to add something himself, "My liege, I only wonder why we head to the northeast. You say the hobgoblin was captured to the south. Would it not be advantageous to find assistance in that direction then, so that Ironcraig does not have to be the first line of defense?"

 

[Phoenix]

Tobe nods at the plan coming to shape, but stops short to add something himself, "My liege, I only wonder why we head to the northeast. You say the hobgoblin was captured to the south. Would it not be advantageous to find assistance in that direction then, so that Ironcraig does not have to be the first line of defense?"

"Did you think that there would be anyone left in the south? With that many men marching on us from that direction, if there are any fortifications left then they can serve us by buying us time to get allies. Let them fend for themselves, we cannot spare a man at the moment, and more powerful potential allies lie elsewhere."

Thraxus thinks for a moment.

"I am loath to sacrifice any fighting man to these beasts, but they would serve us better where they are at the moment, if truly there are any more men between us."

 

[Ringmereth]

"I have already asked those in the south to come to Ironcraig," replies the Duke. "They are unwilling to leave their homes abandoned to the goblinkind, and rightly so. They will fend for themselves, and hope the marauders continue on their present course towards this fortress. Why they bypass the other villages and keeps, I do not know, but they seem to have an interest in this region."

 

[Kerrz]

"Well my lord. If there is nothing we can do here, and nothing we can do to the south, then for the sake of us all we must speed off to Morrkeep to raise the alarm. Not a moment can be spared," Tobe concluded while rising slowly from his chair, looking for a sign that action would be taken.