Caerth nods as he understands that Lady Pendour intends to stay instead of run. To the half-orc, she looks frail and weak, but as a druid he also knows that sometimes those creatures that seem most helpless are actually ferocious.
And a mother bear protecting her cubs is a force almost unmatched.
Caerth does not bother to discuss her intentions, or the words of those who disagree.
"I've prepared the land as good as I can," he reports simply. "With luck other druids will come to our aid. Now is the time to prepare strategy. I can attempt to hold the troll or the giant eagle, so it will be vulnerable. Do we have enough bows and arrows?"
Phar comes from his rest looking restored, but there is still a haunted look in his eyes as he thinks of the terrible losses. "You have done well Caerth. I will prepare my spells to try and deal with the eagle. I am perhaps be suited to attack a flying foe with spell and bow. The battle will be hard, but it appears we have done what we can to prepare. At least we know they are coming."
Angus mentions to Phar in Centaurish, "I doubt you could draw my bow, but you may make free use of my arrows if you wish. The bow I have is mainly just a backup, for those odd occasions where a bow might prove useful. But in battle, I am much better on the ground, sword and board."
Quinn Sighs in resignation. He is her Knight, She the Lady and ruler of this land. Cruel Justice would have agreed, he feels, and so he remains silent to her words of diplomacy, false though they be.
When he feels Sir Gahl and he are dismissed, he says, "Come Sir Gahl, shall we see to the continuance of preparations? If you will check on the fortifications, I will look to the land for ambush points.
Mi' Lady, I would like about 40 arrows, but if you cannot spare that, I would accept as many as I can have."
"For any minor weapons you might need, I have told both Mabon and Kaeso to make their shops freely available to you and the militia. Mabon should have some arrows left, although he did distribute his best weapons and armor to the militia. Kaeso should have arrows and crossbow bolts if you need them."
She nods to Sir Ghal. "Take them to the storeroom." She looks back to Quinn. "My husband liked to collect magic weapons and other trinkets during his youth. While he sold most of them to gain enough wealth to refurnish this manor, I know there a few of his favorite things still left in there. I haven't had the heart to go through them." She smiles and pats her rapier. "He did give me some fine gifts over the years, and I treasure those, but I have no need for anything else. Whatever of his that is left is yours to claim, if you so choose, or you can give it to the militia."
Sir Ghal motions for Quinn and the others to follow him. "Gangrell will have the list of the storeroom. He's in the library gathering together records that can't be left behind."
"And if the catman does not know, I might be able to tell you," Cruel Justice says plainly.
OOC: Kaeso is the owner of the local trading post, which is near the inn. There will be enough normal gear there for the PCs to refill their quivers and pick one simple or martial weapon of your choice. The trading post doesn't have any exotic weapons or armor, however.
Maur listened to the options and he agrees with her knights. But unlike them, he is at no obligation to just blindly listen to the orders.
"My lady, please reconsider. Few hours of lead time is not enough to save your people moving in a slow caravan. The enemy has fliers and couple of ghouls, who can run tiresless, would catch them before the fort. And we could not do anything about it. Here we have a good position. And you'd be amazed at what people can do when defending their homes especially with caster support. I'm short on spells and have no time to rest, but Phar and Caerth are not. Non-combatants can carry messages, serve as lookouts, freeing combatants to prepare better or simply to be where they need to be.
Right now, slaughter is unavoidable. We're fighting for our very souls. And splitting families may result in divided attention, lower morale and deserting of the soldiers.
I will, of course, abide your decision, all I ask that you consider the fact we're not fighting human or even natural force. This one does not have to stop after combat, does not have to rest and recuperate, nothing. If they defeat us, they will be after you. Worse, they can avoid us and go after the caravan first...and we couldn't stop them."
Lady Pendour listens to Maur... her face passive. Yet, Maur can tell she is not used to be challenged once she's made up her mind. "I will not force children and old men and women to carry messages or act as lookouts." She crosses her arms and looks at the dwarf with a hint of annoyance. "I understand the risks if the people flee, as much as I understand what will happen to most of them if they stay. The rooks have been causing problems for us since before my husband inherited this manor from his uncle. This new attack has the villagers frightened beyond reason. I could order them to stay and help but many would refuse or run away into the wilderness without any protection at all. Giving them a destination will keep them on the trail, hopefully."
Lady Pendour sighs. "I do see the wisdom of your words. I don't want to split up families, but we do not have enough soldiers to protect the outlying farms and ranches. I suspect many of them would have fled and not come back all even if I hadn't sent word to them... despite my suggestion to head to Fort Symas." She motions to Caerth. "He knows this to be true. Several farms around Carnell have been abandoned over the years." She paces back and forth. "I am the lady of this village, and, yet, I am uncertain that Carnell can survive this attack even if you win. People might just move on to other places where life is a little safer." She pauses. "Ha! They think it will be safer."
Neurotic said:
He takes a deep breath.
"I have a suggestion for the lands depending on your local custom. One: marry formally sir Ghal or sir Quinn if the house has to be led by a man.
Sir Ghal's eyes go wide with that suggestion. He mouth stands agape. He is speechless.
Lady Pendour laughs. "I will not give my bed to just anyone, master dwarf. While I'm not a warrior, I am a Daughter of the Strand not some waifish puffed-up lady from Anoria or Pretensa. That is why I won't be going with the caravan, and if these undead bastards break into this manor, I will fight for my life as best as I am able. I will not just lie down and die!"
Neurotic said:
Second: gird for war, have your priestesses of war prepare you and join us. You're defending your life as well as the lands and people upon it. Let them see you. Make your own reputation as a warrior. Or leader. Sir Ghal is well known, he needs to lead separate from you or you will not be recognized. But having others such as sir <demoralized one> at your side will help the image."
Now with your permission, I'd like to get some prayer at the shrine of war. Maybe even rest at the shrine if your northern gods will accept me as a suitable candidate for their blessings."
She laughs again. "Ella and Samantha are neophyte Galas at best, although they have suggested as much as you. They are eager to fight... almost too eager. If I stride out onto the battlefield, they will go with me even if I order them not too. They swore an oath to my husband to fight for my life. It took all my authority just to convince them to go with the people and protect them. If I change my mind now, they will fight to the death for me without a second thought. Yes, they can fight, but they aren't powerful like yourself."
She throws her hands up in frustration. "At this point, I'm not prepared to force people to stay!" She sits down in the chapel's front pew and looks at the symbol of Inanna on the wall in front of her. "I will give the people a choice. They can stay and help or they can make for Fort Symas. I will not try to sway them either way and neither will any of you! Each person, each family will decide for themselves what they want to do."
She looks at Sir Ghal. "Take them to the storeroom. I will have Gala Ella go and tell the people that they choose their own Fate. I will not force them to leave. I feel that many will stay but not all."
"Yes, my lady." The knight cannot hide the crimson on his face.
She turns to Maur. "I will consider your suggestion to fight, but I will not promise you that I will ride out onto the field of battle like a seasoned general." She looks back at the symbol of Inanna. "I must pray for guidance. Leave me."
"No slight intended, lady. You are brave to think of so many and yet remain behind. I will do as you command. My hammer is yours."
Maur slams gauntleted hand on moradin symbol on his shield. "If we can win here you will have no further trouble from the rooks and you can develop Carnell safely. Good day to you."
Phar's eyes glitter at the prospect of the goodies in the storeroom. "I will refill my quiver and be ready. I can also send my trusted Hawk familiar aloft to scout the approach of the enemy to give us some warning, though I dare not send him too close."
OOC: Have the hawk scout the expected route of the enemy from on high, but stay well away.
He also tells him that they need to concentrate on taking out Tarrak above all, because his Troll (a more formidable opponent than even Tarrak himself) will not fight without him.
.. .. .. .. .. trying to be nonchalant he slips in the room in hopes of finding Gangrell .. .. .. .. [to be continued]
is the scribe in the room?
if yes, he will seek to verify the existence of the monks.
*if they do not exist, he will say thank you and go rest for an hour in the shrine.
*if they do exist he will ask the scribe, Gangrell if he a confidant that could go and find them.
"No slight intended, lady. You are brave to think of so many and yet remain behind. I will do as you command. My hammer is yours."
Maur slams gauntleted hand on moradin symbol on his shield.
"If we can win here you will have no further trouble from the rooks and you can develop Carnell safely. Good day to you."
Sir Ghal leads Caerth and Quinn to the library where they find Gangrell sorting through scrolls and old ledgers in preparation to leave with the caravan. Sir Ghal tells him that Lady Pendour has decided to let people stay and fight if they want. The catfolk scribe scoffs at the idea of him staying and helping in the battle.
"I'm not a warrior. I would just be in the way," Gangrell says.
"If that's your choice, so be it," Sir Ghal replies. "But before you leave, I need you to find your ledger of what is in the storeroom and provide Sir Quinn and Caerth a detailed list of Lord Pendour's old possessions. Lady Pendour is allowing them to claim these items for the battle ahead."
He turns to Quinn. "I will see you later on the battlefield. I must go check on Ailward and Master Bronzethegn. They have gathered the items you brought back with you. My young cohort has some magical talent and he might be able to identify anything that is magical. I will let you know what he discovers." Sir Ghal salutes his fellow knight and leave Quinn and Caerth with Gangrell.
"So, you're going to rummage through Lord Pendour's old treasures, are you? Well, I remember cataloging those items and already tel lyou that there are useful things that could help." He goes to an old desk and pulls a dusty old book from the bottom drawer. He heads towards the back of the library. "Come with me."
The catfolk scribe leads Caerth and Quinn out of the library and into a short hallway. This part of the manor has several rooms dedicated to the Pendour Family. You pass four ornate doors spaced evenly apart that likely lead into personal bedrooms. At the end of the hall is a nondescript door that looks like a linen closet. Indeed, when Gangrell opens it, you see shelves with a few linens on it. The catfolk scribe reaches into the closest and works a hidden mechanism. There is a click and the shelves swings open revealing a short set of stairs down to a locked iron door.
Gangrell produces a key from his neck, opens the lock, and ushers Caerth and Quinn inside. The catfolk scribe moves to the center of the room and moves his hand over a central globe. It shimmers and a magical light fills the room. Quinn can see the room is a bit disorganized but clean. There is a small workbench covered in a drop cloth and dozens of crates scattered around the room.
"Lord Ebal sometimes used this room for his arcane research," Gangrell says. "Although he rarely practiced his craft anymore." The catfolk sighs. "His loss was hard on all of us." He shakes his head. He moves to the workbench and pulls the cloth off. He goes through the book and looks through the room. "Hmm, yes, that crate there and that small chest over there, as well."
He finds an old prybar tucked away in a corner of the room and hands it to Quinn. "The chest has some potions and a few scrolls in it, but Master Taran took some of them with him when he went to the island to fight the rooks alongside Lord Pendour. None of them came back, of course. We really don't know what happened to them." He sighs and shakes his head. "Unfortunately, Master Taran has his spellbook with him, so that is lost as well."
"There should be three potions in there. In arcane terms, they are based on the spells known as barkskin, delay poison, and eagle's splendor. There are also three scrolls left in there and a wand." The scribe pulls a blank piece of parchment out of the back of the old book and uses a inkpen to write down the details of the scrolls. He marks it with his own personal seal and hands it to Caerth.
Cearth finds no wand in the chest.
"As for the items in the crate..." he pauses to wait for Quinn to open it. "There is a magic shield that Lord Pendour never used. His family shield was more powerful. There is a magical crossbow that he won from a rival. There is a scabbard that makes any blade razor sharp. The last item is something that Lord Pendour called a staff of defense. Neither Lord Ebal or Master Taran could figure out how to use it.
Quinn finds the shield wrapped in a protective cloth. It is a heavy shield and perfectly balanced. There is a griffon's head emblazoned on it. He finds all the other items in the crate, except the scabbard. Instead he finds a scroll tied up with a ribbon.
"Hmm, there shouldn't be any scrolls in there. He takes the document from Quinn and opens it. The catfolk eyes go wide with wonder as he reads it. "This is Lord Pendour's handwriting. He has given the scabbard and wand to Lady Melantha. Amazing! It seems he discovered that she was born with innate magical abilities." Gangrell pauses. "This explains why he was so insistent that she be his heir despite her lack of fighting skill. Hmm, he encouraged her but never told Lady Pendour. It says that Lord Ebal should not tell her. My lord obviously intended it for my dead mentor. I should really tell my lady about this. What should I do?"
Gangrell sits down at the workbench and rereads the scroll. At first, he doesn't hear Quinn's question about the monks. Eventually, Quinn gets his attention.
"Hmm, what?" He looks up and listens to Quinn's question. The catfolk scribe's face sinks and he blinks several times with a very odd look on his face. "Lady Pendour told you about them? Really?" He puts the scroll down. "I can confirm that they do exist and that Abbot Maximin is a horrible human being who I have had displeasure of meeting. Why do you want to know about the Brotherhood of the Spider?" He listens to Quinn's answer and Gangrell's eyes go wide. "You want to go find them! Are you mad! They are dangerous... they are not our allies!"
OOC: At this point, Angus, Aureus, and Phar are still resting. I'm assuming Maur will let the others go through the storeroom while he heads off to use the shrine since time is becoming a factor.
Caerth's spell takes the burden from Angus' chest, and the Centaur feels his lungs fill with air; he can breathe normally again. His eyes sparkle, and there is a spring in his step once more.
Angus then begins to meditate, trying to sense the spirits of the wood, all around him, but specifically near the shrine. After long hours of concentration, he feels something touch his mind; suddenly, he has the knowledge of a single spell, a spell which will prevent the sonic attacks of the cultists from hurting him. HE IS AMAZED! He has never felt such a sensation before! Then, suddenly, the voices speak to him inside his head, and he knows what must be done.
Angus notes that Phar is still meditating near the shrine. The centaur sees that Aureus has curled up into a ball under a tree near Angus and that Maur is kneeling silently in front of the Altar of the North Gods. There is a white light streaming from the altar to the dwarf's eyes and hammer. Did it do that for Angus too? The light isn't shining on Aureus or Phar.
Tellerian Hawke said:
The time for meditation is finished. Angus gets up, checks his gear, and trots back to the village at a cantor.
OOC:
NOTE: Just a double move, nothing that will exhaust him. But his double move is 140' every 6 seconds, or 1,400 ft. per minute. A sprightly and quick pace, to be sure.
Angus finds Sir Ghal, after hearing that the knight would speak to him.
He finds Sir Ghal at the the blacksmith shop, which is hive of activity. Mabon looks like he's preparing for war that could last a hundred years. The old dwarf is sharpening ever blade and axe he can get his hands on, as the members of the militia line up outside his forge. He yells out orders to his peers and soon dozens of them are rushing to their preplanned places.
"I have half a dozen of them already stationed at the barricade that the centaur suggested," he tells Sir Ghal. "There isn't time to get any more of them there before these bastards arrive. Wieland and Meridith are leading them. I have two on the Lord's Tower and and one on the Sea Tower. I doubt the enemy will come at us from that position.
"Good," Sir Ghal says. He notes Angus's arrival. "ah, you're here. Ailward is going through the items you all captured from the cultists. He thinks some of them might be magical, but he didn't want to just pick them at random to identify for you."
Speaking in Dhaoninian, Angus says, "Aem at yer disposal, m'laird. Thae Druid hailed me ailment; Ae've 'ad a vision et tha shrane, es wail. Thaes cult lader, tha woon thay cael Tarrak, hay as en oondade welf trail wit' em. Tha faerest lady saes thaet thang kin kale us ale. Boot ef way kin kale Tarrak, tha welf trail well flee back t'tha oonderwerld."
"I am at your disposal, my lord. The Druid healed my ailment. I've had a vision at the shrine, as well. This cult leader, the one they call Tarrak, he has an undead wolf troll with him. The Forest Lady (Meillikki) says that thing can kill us all. But if we can kill Tarrak, the wolf troll will flee back to the underworld."
Sir Ghal looks at Angus quizzically. He looks at Mabon. "Please tell me you understand what he just said?"
"Aye, I have the gist of it," Mabon replies and relates Angus's pledge and information about the wolftroll.
"What in Jalivier's Name is a wolftroll?" Sir Ghal wonders. "I've never heard of such a beast."
"I have," Mabon replies. "It is what northerners call a troll infected with wolven lycanthropy. It is commonplace among forest trolls but for a cave troll to be infected with it is... very frightening."
"But, if it's undead?"
"That doesn't mean it won't still have some of the protections of lycanthropy... and its vulnerabilities. That could be useful."
"Still, it sounds like we will need to take out this Tarrak as quickly as possible. I hope those Bowens are up for being at the front line of this fight."
"They have magical weapons, sir," Mabon notes. "They are the best choices to lead those soldiers."
Phar comes from his rest looking restored, but there is still a haunted look in his eyes as he thinks of the terrible losses. "You have done well Caerth. I will prepare my spells to try and deal with the eagle. I am perhaps be suited to attack a flying foe with spell and bow. The battle will be hard, but it appears we have done what we can to prepare. At least we know they are coming."
Phar finishes his meditation at the same time as Maur. Several members of the militia have been praying with them. Phar could sense that Aureus had been resting at the shrine, but she's no where in sight. The sun has been down for several hours and the shrine is dark and quiet.
He and Maur go to find Caerth and the others. It is only half and hour until the horde arrives at the exit of the sea cave. That is likely where Caerth has gone to use his spells to slow down the enemy.
The duo rushes back into the village to find Angus and Sir Ghal at the Mabon's forge. Aureus is there as well helping the militia hand out arrows. There seems to be some debate about identifying one of the items captured from the cultists.
Sir Ghal notes their arrival. "Angus is helping us pick a few of these for Ailward to identify. He only can cast the spell a few times today and he wants to be able to use his other magic in the fight, so which ones should he choose?"
"We should really do that later!" Aureus barks. "I'm taking a horse and heading for the sea cave. Theyre going to need our help and time is almost up."
"But there could be something here that could help us!" Sir Ghal insists.
"Then just pick some of them at random and get it over with!" Aureus mounts one of the riding horses and rides off towards the sea cave.
OOC: The entrance to the sea cave is several miles away. I forget the exact figure I came up with before, but I don't think it is more than five. (I'll doublecheck.) If it is five, then it will take the horde 2-1/2 hours to reach Carnell, if/once they get past the palisade and Caerth's spells. I'm assuming that is where Caerth and Quinn will rush to after their meeting with Gangrell. They have enough time to get there since those events happened hours before Aureus, Maur, and Phar finish resting at the shrine.
Maur can see that his speech to Lady Pendour has had an effect. Many of the villagers are working alongside the militia to prepare Carnell for the attack but not all of them. Sir Ghal telsl him that roughly half decided to stay but most of them are hiding in the manor's feasting hall. The others left hours ago while Maur was meditating at the shine.
"The patrol that I sent to try to find Sir Gareth and young Quinten came back more than half an hour ago. They didn't find them or their prisoner." The knight pauses. "But they did find this..." He motions to one of the militia. She brings him a torn tunic that is covered in blood and something sticky. "I have a bad feeling they fell prey to a pack of sand spiders."
"We found that with the lost launch," the young woman says. She looks awkward in her armor. "It was sunk in the water and covered in webs. There was no sign of them. Ol' Timmins had wanted to search longer but there wasn't time."
"I fear both of them are dead," Mabon adds. "Sand spiders are deadly creatures."
