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Justicar's Bastion - Eagle Elf [Updated 5th Dec 06]
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<blockquote data-quote="PieAndDragon" data-source="post: 3185637" data-attributes="member: 18108"><p><strong>Gigantic Toads</strong></p><p></p><p>At times Sam missed the desert sands which he had called home for most of his years. There was a stark beauty to them, the promise of heat, thirst and starvation staved off by the occasional oasis or pocket of civilisation. But here he was in unfamiliar territory. The oppressive shadows of the forest had given way to smoke filled swampland, tree stumps showing where the woodlands had recently been. The Company of Rifter were resting here, on the edge of the what they presumed to be Wingclipper’s domain. They had found the corpse of a pixie, nailed by it’s hands to a wooden post. Layla had taken down the corpse as they made their decision to make camp here, ready for the next days foray into the watery dangers of the swamp.</p><p></p><p>Sam was proud of his companions and felt worthy of his place in the Company of Rifter. In recent times they had defeated a troglodyte tribe, retrieved the corpse of an honoured adventurer, joined the Enjant Adventurer’s Guild, put down a marauding bear and slain a dragon. Worthy deeds for any adventurer. He had lost companions along the way, but such dangers were to be expected in their line of work. The Company was working well, with Sam, Derris, Snarf and Burc forming a fighting core, supported by the magics of Ra and the enchantments of Layla. He had yet to see the full abilities of Laucien or Xarban, but no doubt they would prove worthy allies in time. The only concern Sam could think of was the mental state of the noble and druid. If a person didn’t remember what had come before, how could they be complete? It didn’t help that the enchantress had been tormenting Derris all of the afternoon, trying to persuade him he preferred males over females among similar ideas. </p><p></p><p>The next morning saw Sam high atop his horse, watching as his bedraggled companions trudged through mud and brackish water. They followed the satyr’s map for several hours, listening for sounds of danger from the mist-shrouded land around, guided around dangers by the berserker. Splashes alerted them of the patrol before they saw them, giving time to ready bows, slings and crossbow. Ahead of them appeared two hobgoblin warriors on foot with a third mounted upon a massive toad as large as a horse, each warrior sporting orange flames tattooed on arms and legs. Harsh words were exchanged, the hobgoblins ignoring the noble’s entreaties as they ordered the Sam and his companions away from the swamp. The violence that followed was brief, as the hobgoblins on foot were shot down and the last overwhelmed by warriors, the toad cut down by Snarf’s greatsword. Sam also noted that the berserker’s skill with a bow, much more apparent when wielding the composite bow bought with dragon’s treasure and altered to his great strength.</p><p></p><p>The hobgoblin’s cold-iron weapons made them likely allies of Wingclipper, confirmed two hours later when they reached a large fire by the ruined keep shown on their map. The four hobgoblins tending it proved no match, all falling into deep slumbers from a silently cast enchantment from Layla, their throats slit by noble, druid and berserker. They spotted more guards on an island among the swamp-water, guarding almost a dozen small tents surrounding a larger central one. Unnoticed by their foes, the Company of Rifter organised their ambush from afar. </p><p></p><p>The enchantress proved invaluable again, sending many to sleep as the others were picked off by arrows and bolts. More hobgoblins emerged from their tents, only to fall like their allies as they entered the murky water. One enemy archer, emerging from the central tent on another giant toad, fled toward the keep after firing a couple of arrows their way. One hobgoblin made it away with him on foot, crawling through muddy waters to avoid the arrows. When they reached the tents, Sam saw seven bodies, the four asleep given the same quick deaths as their allies by the fire. In the central hall they found food and tables in addition to the cold iron longswords they took for themselves. Sam was happy to see an enchanted ring alongside many coins and several potions from a wooden chest. Everyone knew that enchanted rings were valuable, prized for their powerful magics.</p><p></p><p>When they reached the keep, they found much of it had collapsed, sinking into the fetid muck around, covered in moss and debris. On one side large slabs of stone jutting from the water provided stepping stones to a pair of double doors and a separate watery entrance. Derris and Snarf crept toward the watery entrance, as Sam rode his horse through the waters, the enchantress mounted behind him as he headed for the double doors. The door burst open before they reached them, war-cries of hobgoblins mingling with noises of toads and spellcasting. Two hobgoblins mounted on toads lead the way, back up by three more on foot, covering their allies with arrows and javelins. One toad-rider leapt toward Derris while the second guided his amphibious mount to Sam, shouting orders to his underlings in the goblin tongue.</p><p></p><p>Sam’s troubles became apparent when a mass of grey emerged from the waters, trying to engulf his steeds’ legs in slime and acid. The warhorse, kicked at the creature, as the nomad fought off toad and sword-armed rider. A glance around saw the rest of his companions in trouble. The enchantress had leapt from behind the nomad, and now lay flat on a slab of stone as javelins and arrows flew over her, hurriedly mouthing spells from the ground. Derris fared no better, bleeding from arrows, beset by toad and rider as the berserker moved to aid him. Ra called on Sun from atop his horse, watching for where his healing would be needed most, as the druid fired arrows from firm ground, sending his eagle to aid Sam against his foes. </p><p></p><p>The nomad screamed as a the toad’s tongue wrapped around him, dragging him to it’s maw and after a brief struggle, swallowing him down into it’s gullet and engulfing him in darkness. Slime burnt him and the beast squeezed him as he punched and kicked from within the creature’s stomach. He heard the sounds of fighting continuing outside, the cries of hobgoblins growing fewer, as prayers and incantations filled the air. He felt the toad shudder under blows and could hear the whinnies of his steed, terrified but fighting on. As he grew weak the beast shuddered and a light appeared from a hole torn in the side of the beast. The leader of the hobgoblins had fled inside the keep, the rest were down, and the Company of Rifter had prevailed. Most importantly, Sam had survived another perilous battle.</p><p></p><p><strong>End of Session Five</strong></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="PieAndDragon, post: 3185637, member: 18108"] [B]Gigantic Toads[/B] At times Sam missed the desert sands which he had called home for most of his years. There was a stark beauty to them, the promise of heat, thirst and starvation staved off by the occasional oasis or pocket of civilisation. But here he was in unfamiliar territory. The oppressive shadows of the forest had given way to smoke filled swampland, tree stumps showing where the woodlands had recently been. The Company of Rifter were resting here, on the edge of the what they presumed to be Wingclipper’s domain. They had found the corpse of a pixie, nailed by it’s hands to a wooden post. Layla had taken down the corpse as they made their decision to make camp here, ready for the next days foray into the watery dangers of the swamp. Sam was proud of his companions and felt worthy of his place in the Company of Rifter. In recent times they had defeated a troglodyte tribe, retrieved the corpse of an honoured adventurer, joined the Enjant Adventurer’s Guild, put down a marauding bear and slain a dragon. Worthy deeds for any adventurer. He had lost companions along the way, but such dangers were to be expected in their line of work. The Company was working well, with Sam, Derris, Snarf and Burc forming a fighting core, supported by the magics of Ra and the enchantments of Layla. He had yet to see the full abilities of Laucien or Xarban, but no doubt they would prove worthy allies in time. The only concern Sam could think of was the mental state of the noble and druid. If a person didn’t remember what had come before, how could they be complete? It didn’t help that the enchantress had been tormenting Derris all of the afternoon, trying to persuade him he preferred males over females among similar ideas. The next morning saw Sam high atop his horse, watching as his bedraggled companions trudged through mud and brackish water. They followed the satyr’s map for several hours, listening for sounds of danger from the mist-shrouded land around, guided around dangers by the berserker. Splashes alerted them of the patrol before they saw them, giving time to ready bows, slings and crossbow. Ahead of them appeared two hobgoblin warriors on foot with a third mounted upon a massive toad as large as a horse, each warrior sporting orange flames tattooed on arms and legs. Harsh words were exchanged, the hobgoblins ignoring the noble’s entreaties as they ordered the Sam and his companions away from the swamp. The violence that followed was brief, as the hobgoblins on foot were shot down and the last overwhelmed by warriors, the toad cut down by Snarf’s greatsword. Sam also noted that the berserker’s skill with a bow, much more apparent when wielding the composite bow bought with dragon’s treasure and altered to his great strength. The hobgoblin’s cold-iron weapons made them likely allies of Wingclipper, confirmed two hours later when they reached a large fire by the ruined keep shown on their map. The four hobgoblins tending it proved no match, all falling into deep slumbers from a silently cast enchantment from Layla, their throats slit by noble, druid and berserker. They spotted more guards on an island among the swamp-water, guarding almost a dozen small tents surrounding a larger central one. Unnoticed by their foes, the Company of Rifter organised their ambush from afar. The enchantress proved invaluable again, sending many to sleep as the others were picked off by arrows and bolts. More hobgoblins emerged from their tents, only to fall like their allies as they entered the murky water. One enemy archer, emerging from the central tent on another giant toad, fled toward the keep after firing a couple of arrows their way. One hobgoblin made it away with him on foot, crawling through muddy waters to avoid the arrows. When they reached the tents, Sam saw seven bodies, the four asleep given the same quick deaths as their allies by the fire. In the central hall they found food and tables in addition to the cold iron longswords they took for themselves. Sam was happy to see an enchanted ring alongside many coins and several potions from a wooden chest. Everyone knew that enchanted rings were valuable, prized for their powerful magics. When they reached the keep, they found much of it had collapsed, sinking into the fetid muck around, covered in moss and debris. On one side large slabs of stone jutting from the water provided stepping stones to a pair of double doors and a separate watery entrance. Derris and Snarf crept toward the watery entrance, as Sam rode his horse through the waters, the enchantress mounted behind him as he headed for the double doors. The door burst open before they reached them, war-cries of hobgoblins mingling with noises of toads and spellcasting. Two hobgoblins mounted on toads lead the way, back up by three more on foot, covering their allies with arrows and javelins. One toad-rider leapt toward Derris while the second guided his amphibious mount to Sam, shouting orders to his underlings in the goblin tongue. Sam’s troubles became apparent when a mass of grey emerged from the waters, trying to engulf his steeds’ legs in slime and acid. The warhorse, kicked at the creature, as the nomad fought off toad and sword-armed rider. A glance around saw the rest of his companions in trouble. The enchantress had leapt from behind the nomad, and now lay flat on a slab of stone as javelins and arrows flew over her, hurriedly mouthing spells from the ground. Derris fared no better, bleeding from arrows, beset by toad and rider as the berserker moved to aid him. Ra called on Sun from atop his horse, watching for where his healing would be needed most, as the druid fired arrows from firm ground, sending his eagle to aid Sam against his foes. The nomad screamed as a the toad’s tongue wrapped around him, dragging him to it’s maw and after a brief struggle, swallowing him down into it’s gullet and engulfing him in darkness. Slime burnt him and the beast squeezed him as he punched and kicked from within the creature’s stomach. He heard the sounds of fighting continuing outside, the cries of hobgoblins growing fewer, as prayers and incantations filled the air. He felt the toad shudder under blows and could hear the whinnies of his steed, terrified but fighting on. As he grew weak the beast shuddered and a light appeared from a hole torn in the side of the beast. The leader of the hobgoblins had fled inside the keep, the rest were down, and the Company of Rifter had prevailed. Most importantly, Sam had survived another perilous battle. [B]End of Session Five[/B] [/QUOTE]
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