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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Milo Windby" data-source="post: 1716" data-attributes="member: 202">Temple of Elemental Evil - part 1 (session 7)Milo and the others stayed at the Keep for a few days, resting and recuperating from their ordeals in the cursed caves. They spent much time poring over the notes and missives they had found in the robed man's inner sanctum. There were clues aplenty and hints at vast conspiracies. Milo felt right at home among them."So, we've got this guy waiting for us in the Black Mountains, which are here," Milo said, stabbing a finger at the map they borrowed from the priest. The Black Mountains were a far distance west and slightly south of Darokin. "We know from his note to the robed one that he's interested in you, Mazi." Mazi looked none too pleased at the idea that anyone was taking notice of her."Whoever he is, I don't like it. He knows too much about me for my liking. I say we track him down and find out what he has to do with the rest of this." Mazi said as she gestured to the other notes collected on the table in their room at the inn."Sounds like a good plan to me. We can follow the Highreach River to Kelvin then head north to Darokin before striking west to the Black Mountains." Milo suggested. "I have some business in Darokin anyway. I think some people would be very interested to find out what's happening down south.""That'd be fine except your route would take us right by the forests I'm trying to avoid," said Mazi. "I think you can understand why I wouldn't want to travel that route.""Aye, 'sides that I wanna find out if that bastard in tha other note has my sister!" spoke up Brigit. "Luln be to tha south, an' I wanna check out that 'fore we head into those Black Mountains. I canna pass up the chance to find her.""Hmm," Milo said pensively, studying the map. "Hang on, this might work for all of us." He spent a few more seconds peering at the map before speaking again. "If we follow the river all the way down to the capital, Specularum, we can head west to Luln through Radlebb Keep. Once we're done there we can head further west, cut north to Darokin, then west again to the Black Mountains. Going this route we may even pass by your lands in the plateaus, Jeremiah." The barbarian only nodded in reply."I suppose that would work, at least then we won't have to travel the forest road the whole way." Mazi said thoughtfully."Aye! Luln ain't gettin closer wi' us gabbin over a map!" Brigit said excitedly."Sorry Brig, we won't be leaving today. I've still got some scrolls to scribe." Milo said."That will give me enough time to call for my familiar!" Mazi said. When she noticed her friends giving her strange looks she replied, "Well a girl's got to keep her mysteries about her." Milo shrugged and turned to pick up his parchments and quill."Ach, fine then, the two O ya can sit round up here all day wi' yer heads in yer books, Jer an me will go find our own entertainment. C'mon Jer, let's see what's goin' on downstairs." With that Brigit tromped out of the room with Jeremiah trailing behind.--------------------The next day Duke Stefan's reinforcements arrived, days late to aid in the battle. They would help to fortify the defenses of the weakened Keep. A messenger arrived with them. Milo and his friends were summoned to the priest's office later that day. The priest sat behind his desk and the messenger stood nearby."It appears that you are not only to be congratulated by the folk of the Keep, but that your fame will reach a bit wider." The priest said enigmatically. He nodded to the messenger who then lifted four scrolls he had been holding. He presented one to each of the adventurers.Milo broke the ducal seal and unfurled his scroll."Hear Ye, Hear YeLet it be Known to All in the Duchy, both Far and Wyde,that His Highness, Duke Stephan Karameikos, has DeemedMilo Windby Worthy of the Tytle of Court Lord ofKarameikos and does Hereby grant to Milo all Rights andPrivileges of said Tytle.Stephen KarameikosDuke of KarameikosMilo flushed with excitement. "Lord Windby, I like the ring of that!" The priest looked on with an amused expression. Milo glanced over Brigit's scroll and saw that it read much the same as his. "Lady Deeperdown, may I present to you Lord Windby" Milo said in a lordly tone as he bowed to the dwarf. Brigit guffawed and slapped him on the back. After Milo had regained his balance he stood up and looked over at his other friends. Jeremiah was beaming after Brigit read his scroll to him. Mazi had a dark look to her face as she stared at the scroll. It seemed she would burn a hole through it with her intent gaze."Be wary, friends. Fame is a two-edged sword. Travel cautiously. I know that you are preparing to leave. There are those about that may take notice of famous heroes." The old priest told them with a meaningful glance at Mazithra.The willowy elf practically stormed out of the chapel after Milo bid the priest and the messenger farewell. She wouldn't tell the others anything besides "These people know way too much about my history. Even the duke!"Two days later Milo announced that he was done scribing his scrolls and was ready to set out. The friends busied themselves with plans for departure. Milo went to the chapel to take his leave of the priest and thank him for the help he'd given. The old priest had arranged for a barge to take them down river to the capital. He wished Milo and his friends luck on their journey and gave a prayer before they left.Jeremiah and Brigit were more than ready to leave as they gathered their belongings and made their way to the gates. A few people gathered to see the heroes off. They cheered as they walked under the repaired arch of the gates. The captain of the guard was there with his men. As they walked by the guards snapped to attention and saluted the adventurers. Mazi looked slightly embarrassed and put out, but Milo was soaking in the attention. He waved and beamed a great smile out to the guard and the watching citizens. He puffed out his chest and drew himself up to his full 36 inches. Brigit just laughed at the comical halfling as they made their way down the road to the river.They had figured that it would take four days to make their way to the capital city, Specularum by river. Then another three days to the small town of Luln if they purchased mounts in the city.The small barge waited for them where the road ran by the river Castellan that would take them to the Highreach River. It was anchored in the shallow water of the bank. A large, rotund man waited for them upon the flat planks of the riverboat. He wore a bushy brown beard and welcomed them heartily when they announced who they were. The man introduced himself as Yomann as he heaved their heavy packs onto the barge. He seemed to be a jolly sort of fellow to Milo. Honest, with a hearty sense of humor, but not too intelligent. They started down the river right after their belongings were stowed. Each of them kept their adventuring gear on hand though, in case of trouble on the water. The first day passed by uneventfully. They glided by rocky shores, moving faster than they could on foot, but not rocketing down the river at full speed. Milo admired the steep cliffs that raised in the distance, their strata marking passage of time far before the dawn of civilization.By the second day they were in the foothills of the Castellan Mountains. The rocky slopes and cliffs gave way to rough hills and dales. There were few trees along that stretch of the river, mostly bush and brush cluttered the landscape. As the day waned they spied trees in the distance. A forest appeared on the east bank, curving farther eastward to leave the further part of the banks in green marshy land. Before they emerged from the wooded area into the marsh the barge lurched to a stop. Jeremiah almost fell flat on his face as the barge hung in place. Milo ran to the fore immediately, his sharp eyes scanning the water for anything amiss. He found a rope, strung across the river. Just then he spied movement on the shore, within the trees. Slowly, the barge moved sideways across the current. The rope was pulling it closer and closer to the bank."Get ready guys, I don't think they're friendly!" Milo warned. Just as the barge touched the bank a huge man jumped out from behind some brush."Gimme me axe, dwarf wench!" He shouted. It was the mountain man they rescued from the bugbear's cavern! With a shout he charged at the group. Six more burly men jumped from the bushes with him. "Fer tha Brotherhood of the Axe!" They shouted.Jeremiah was ready for the charge, he swung at the mountain man as he crossed the bank to the barge. Unfortunately he swung too soon, his sword whistled in the air before the huge warrior. Brigit stepped forward to fill the gap, her dwarven waraxe cleaved the air as is sped towards the burly mountain man."It's my axe!" She said as it sliced into his armor. The magical axe blade hewed through the leather armor and sunk into his flesh. He let out an enraged roar and swung his own mundane axe at her. His axe bit deep as well, wounding Brigit almost as much as she had wounded him.Milo turned from their skirmish to see the other six men rushing onto the barge. He stowed his crossbow and pulled out Reft and Rend, ready to use the deadly handaxes for the first time. Mazi knocked an arrow to her bow with blinding speed and loosed it on the first axe wielder she could see. The arrow sunk just to the side of his shoulder. He let out a hoarse shout but did not falter in his mad dash for the barge.The Brotherhood of the Axe boarded the barge in a rush, their booted feet tapping out a harsh, hollow sound on the wood of the boat. They clashed with the combatants. Two flanked their master and attacked Brigit and Jeremiah. They were not as expert in wielding the axes as the mountain man and found no purchase with their blades.The remaining four streamed past the dwarf and human to attack Mazi and Milo. The axe man with an arrow bristling from his shoulder reached Mazi first. He swung his axe down in a vicious arc that grazed along Mazi's arm, drawing a streamer of blood after it. She winced at the pain, momentarily distracted as the other axe wielder attacked her. His blow did not inflict as great a wound, but his axe drew blood nonetheless.Two men beset Milo as well. All the more huge from his perspective. He jumped to the side to avoid one blow from an axe man. The axe whistled by, barely missing his shoulder. His comrade followed up the near miss with a telling blow. Milo's shoulder ached from the wound and he saw a bit of blood limn the edge of the axe. He shifted his eyes back to the face of his attacker and gave him a feral grin. He wielded his handaxes against his foe, slashing the air with one then the other. He closed in on the large man, making an almost comical scene as his fierce offense forced the axe man back. He landed a blow with both of the enchanted axes, first one diagonal slash from hip to knee, and then a devastating hack into the man's sternum. He yanked his axe back out before the human fell to the deck, dead.Ahead of him he watched as Jeremiah swung his sword again, this time almost losing his footing as he slipped on the slick planks that made up the barge. He regained his balance before he fell but his attack was foiled. The mountain man ignored the barbarian, focusing all of his attention on the dwarf and her axe. Brigit fended off the two blows from the experienced axe wielder. One glancing off her shield and the other she turned into a startling riposte with her own axe. The head sunk into the mountain man again. The wound was great, blood immediately welling and dripping from the gash in his chest. He kept fighting, seemingly ignorant of the pain.Mazi was busy fending off her two attackers while she stowed her bow and readied her sword. One axe man came at her and was bewildered as he slashed at air. The lithe elf was already a foot to the side of his attack. The other axe wielder watched closely and swooped in for the attack when he thought Mazithra was vulnerable. She spun to meet his offense, kicking out with her booted foot. Her kick caught the man unawares, knocking the wind out of him. He dropped his axe to the deck and clutched his stomach.Jeremiah moved to surer footing and planted his feet. He took aim at the mountain man and heaved his sword at his enemy. The blow never landed, the bearded hulk had already moved. He was nimble for his size and wounds he had received. Jeremiah's attack left him open to one of the brotherhood and he winced as the man's axe cut into him. On the other side of the mountain man another bearded giant of a human hacked at Brigit. She calmly deflected his blow with her shield and readied herself against the real threat of the mountain man.Behind the beleaguered fighters Milo and Mazi strived against their foes. Milo's one remaining enemy was more cautious of the diminutive halfling, jumping back from his swift handaxes. He was no more able to hit Milo than the halfling was able to land a blow on him though. Mazi had only one of the brotherhood to deal with for a moment. The other was stooped over a few feet away, recovering his axe and his breath. She focused on the warrior before her and dodged his axe as it chopped air. Her sword snaked out at her attacker, nicking his tunic and traveling through his beard. It trailed nothing but unkempt hair behind it, leaving the axe man wide-eyed and wary.Brigit and the mountain man were locked in a vicious struggle. They traded blows as if each were engaged in a log splitting contest. Brigit's arm vibrated from the two blows she took on her shield. She traded the blows with no less vigor but was met with likewise resistance. The mountain man blocked her axe with the haft of his own, catching Brigit's waraxe under the head. They stood for a moment in that pose, two fierce warriors striving against one another, before Brigit broke the hold and pulled back her axe. "I tole ya already, daft human, it's MY axe!"The other two men flanking the mountain man attacked Brigit and Jeremiah. Both axes slid off of the full plate armor the dwarf and barbarian wore. Jer's armor glowed from the impact of the axe, a sharp point diffusing to a dim glow before it faded. The man that attacked Jeremiah stared in bewilderment at the sight.He was so bewildered he didn't see the next attack coming. Jeremiah activated the whirlwind spell embedded in his Windsword of Sharda. He let loose a blinding flurry of blows. His sword cleaved clean through the axe man hounding him to the left. He continued his startling round of attacks against the mountain man. The big man staggered under the force of Jeremiah's greatsword. Jer was breathing heavily as he withdrew his blade, tainted with the mountain man's blood.Mazithra noticed that her other adversary had recovered his axe and was preparing to enter the battle once again. She focused again on her current threat, analyzed his stance and found a weakness. She thrust her longsword past the axe wielder's guard and pierced his armor. The strike was enough to fell him and he toppled to the deck, causing the barge to shift slightly.The shift was just enough to throw Milo's attack off as he pressed in on his foe. Reft fell from his right hand to clatter on the wooden planks. He ignored the fumble and pressed his attack with Rend. The axe cut a minor wound in the axe man's arm and caused the man to hop back out of range. Milo turned to recover his axe.The other member of the brotherhood hefted his axe and started for Mazithra. She was just getting her footing on the shifting boards of the barge when he attacked. The slight disorientation cost her as the axe sliced through her armor to draw blood. She glared at the grinning axe man and prepared to fight.Back at the fore of the barge Brigit fended off another blow from the mountain man. Her shield rang from the impact but couldn't stop the second attack from sneaking through. She grunted as the axe worked past her plate mail and slice through her skin. The attack made her nearly loose grip on her own axe. She caught the grip just as it was about to slip from her hand, too late to return the attack. She brought up her shield just in time to deflect the mountain man's lackey. The axe slid off the enchanted metal to reveal the frustrated face of the axe man.Jeremiah was free to concentrate wholly on the mountain man. He planted his feet once again and sized up his opponent. His sword shined in the light of day as it arced towards the bearded man. He raised his axe to fend off the blow but couldn't overcome the immense power behind Jeremiah's swing. He staggered as the sword cut through his shoulder.Milo hopped back from the axe man and grabbed at his handaxe. The swaying of the barge made it more difficult to get a grip on the handle. He dodged a swing from the axe man as he crouched to retrieve the weapon.The other member of the brotherhood near him attacked Mazithra. The ring of steel could be heard as she deftly blocked the axe with her sword. The axe slide off the burnished wood of the Sylvanglade. She attempted to riposte but was foiled as the axe wielder jumped backwards with startling speed.Meanwhile Brigit had grown tired of the mountain man's endless attacks. She roared a dwarven battlecry, "Baruk khazad ai-menu!" Her axe swung in an inexorable arc towards the mountain man. Her cry disheartened the giant human and he could only offer a weak block with his axe. The head of Brigit's axe split the haft of the mountain man's weapon and continued through. A split second later his head bounced from the wooden planks of the deck. Brigit's mighty swing didn't stop with the death of the mountain man. The deadly axe bit into the shoulder of the other axe man, severing his jugular. She wrenched her axe from his dead form and spit on the mountain man's slumped body.Seeing all the enemies at the fore dead, Jeremiah turned to fight the threat to Milo and Mazithra. He came up behind the axe man threatening Milo and chopped straight down with his sword. The magic blade split the muscle-bound brute almost in two. Jeremiah gave a growl and scanned around for another foe.Freed from his opponent, Milo sprang to aid Mazithra. He hurried behind the last axe man and hacked away with his axes. The astonished human felt the sting of one of Milo's handaxes before hopping to the side. He was hard pressed to face this new threat. While Milo distracted him on one side Mazi closed in for the kill on the other. She slashed at the axe wielder's exposed back, cutting clean through his armor and severing his ties with life.Milo noticed that all four of them were breathing heavy, but otherwise living. There were a few wounds to tend to, but nothing life threatening. He turned to find what had become of the barge master, Yomann. He found him cowering behind their gear near the aft of the barge. He chuckled and called him out. The poor barge master had not seen much battle, that was certain. His faced turned a bit green as he looked out on the deck of his barge."Well you're a lively bunch, urp, that's for sure." he said weakly, holding a hand to his mouth.</blockquote>

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