pneumatik's WotBS 1 - The Scouring of Gate Pass
pneumatik
The 8th Evil Sage
"He said his name was Flaganus Mortus, from the Scourge," the father says to Hollister. "He broke into the house in the middle of last night, I guess an hour after the fighting quieted down. He grabbed our son Millard before I could do anything and, well ... uh, he had my tie up the family, and then he tied me up and went to sleep in our bed. When he woke up had untied us and moved us all downstairs so he could eat. He said when he was done he wanted clothes that fit him so that he could go find collaborators. I'm pretty sure before he left was going to, uh ..." he looks at his wife and kids. "Thanks. Just thanks." He swallows hard and wipes his eyes. "I'm Duroc. I'll never be able to repay you for today."
When Korrin examines the dead soldier he doesn't find much beyond his obvious equipment. The soldier's full plate is perfectly serviceable. He originally wore a tabard that likely served as a uniform, but between the fire and the swordcuts now it's just a handful of fabric scraps. He carried a silvered but otherwise simple shortsword, likely as a back-up weapon to his falchion.
The falchion is different story. It's well made, with a stylized flame motif etched into the bode of the blade. The edge of the blade has a visible rippled grain pattern that gives a reddish tinge to the light it reflects. When Korrin picks it up he experiences a warm breeze reminiscent of the hot gusts from burning buildings he felt last night.
Observing everyone's activities, Torrent says, "Okay, Duroc, we're going to take him outside," pointing at the dead soldier. "We're all going to go in the kitchen to clean up a little and just get ready to head back outside. I'm sure your family wants to wash and change and whatnot, so why don't you all go upstairs and do that? We'll make sure no one else gets inside for a little bit."
She looks at the party and gestures towards the kitchen door. Duroc's family slowly make their way upstairs, the parents carrying the kids. It's obvious from their faces and clumsy movements that they're all exhausted. Once in the kitchen she explains that she wanted to let Duroc's family try to get their collective life back to normal as soon as possible.
After everyone finishes rolling the dead soldier Liiros carries him outside and down the alley. He pauses at the alley mouth to gather his breath, then hustles over to where the wyvern crashed. There's no cover between the alley mouth and crash site, and his plan only works if no Scourge collaborators report him moving the body. Hollister follows behind him, obscuring their tracks with judicious magical fire when they both head back to the house. "We should probably leave out the front when we go," he suggests.
When Korrin examines the dead soldier he doesn't find much beyond his obvious equipment. The soldier's full plate is perfectly serviceable. He originally wore a tabard that likely served as a uniform, but between the fire and the swordcuts now it's just a handful of fabric scraps. He carried a silvered but otherwise simple shortsword, likely as a back-up weapon to his falchion.
The falchion is different story. It's well made, with a stylized flame motif etched into the bode of the blade. The edge of the blade has a visible rippled grain pattern that gives a reddish tinge to the light it reflects. When Korrin picks it up he experiences a warm breeze reminiscent of the hot gusts from burning buildings he felt last night.
Observing everyone's activities, Torrent says, "Okay, Duroc, we're going to take him outside," pointing at the dead soldier. "We're all going to go in the kitchen to clean up a little and just get ready to head back outside. I'm sure your family wants to wash and change and whatnot, so why don't you all go upstairs and do that? We'll make sure no one else gets inside for a little bit."
She looks at the party and gestures towards the kitchen door. Duroc's family slowly make their way upstairs, the parents carrying the kids. It's obvious from their faces and clumsy movements that they're all exhausted. Once in the kitchen she explains that she wanted to let Duroc's family try to get their collective life back to normal as soon as possible.
After everyone finishes rolling the dead soldier Liiros carries him outside and down the alley. He pauses at the alley mouth to gather his breath, then hustles over to where the wyvern crashed. There's no cover between the alley mouth and crash site, and his plan only works if no Scourge collaborators report him moving the body. Hollister follows behind him, obscuring their tracks with judicious magical fire when they both head back to the house. "We should probably leave out the front when we go," he suggests.
pneumatik
The 8th Evil Sage
Off to Gabal's school
The party leaves Duroc's house and continue on their way to Gabal's school. It's two city gates away to the east and takes a little under half an hour to get there. The cold winter air in Gate Pass is full of charcoal and smoke. The snow in the streets is melted from fire and trampled, yet the streets are almost empty.
It's difficult to believe it's been less than 24 hours since your adventure started. It sounded simple - meet a spy for the Resistance, take a hand-off from him, and get it out of the city. First you're jumped right at the start of the mission (when the Scourge invades Gate City), then you find the spy has also been jumped and the hand-off (a black scroll-case) taken from him. And so you're off to find the people who jumped the spy somewhere at Gabal's school, and hopefully you can get the scroll-case from them. Somehow.
Gabal’s school consists of a small campus with four 50-ft. towers and several smaller buildings, surrounded by a moat and an iron fence. One of the towers is cracked, likely from a Ragesian bomb. It is mockingly called The Castle by those in Gate Pass who don’t like the school’s pompous headmaster. You see over forty angry people around the school's front gate. Listening carefully, it sounds like they're protesting about Gabal's lack of participation in the defense of the city.
As a student, Hollister knows that the only ways into the school are either through the front gate or swimming the moat and climbing the walls.l
The party leaves Duroc's house and continue on their way to Gabal's school. It's two city gates away to the east and takes a little under half an hour to get there. The cold winter air in Gate Pass is full of charcoal and smoke. The snow in the streets is melted from fire and trampled, yet the streets are almost empty.
It's difficult to believe it's been less than 24 hours since your adventure started. It sounded simple - meet a spy for the Resistance, take a hand-off from him, and get it out of the city. First you're jumped right at the start of the mission (when the Scourge invades Gate City), then you find the spy has also been jumped and the hand-off (a black scroll-case) taken from him. And so you're off to find the people who jumped the spy somewhere at Gabal's school, and hopefully you can get the scroll-case from them. Somehow.
Gabal’s school consists of a small campus with four 50-ft. towers and several smaller buildings, surrounded by a moat and an iron fence. One of the towers is cracked, likely from a Ragesian bomb. It is mockingly called The Castle by those in Gate Pass who don’t like the school’s pompous headmaster. You see over forty angry people around the school's front gate. Listening carefully, it sounds like they're protesting about Gabal's lack of participation in the defense of the city.
As a student, Hollister knows that the only ways into the school are either through the front gate or swimming the moat and climbing the walls.l
Rhun
First Post
"Through the front gate," says Hollister confidently. "If there are secret ways into the school, I have not yet learned of them. Come, let us proceed."
With that, the wizard takes the lead, motioning the others to follow as he moves toward the front gate.
pneumatik
The 8th Evil Sage
The party approaches the front gate to Gabal's school cautiously, with Hollister in the lead. When you step out into the open, one of the protesters points at you and shouts, "There's another one!" The crowd turns and looks at the party. They look angry.
"Why didn't you help?" another protester shouts.
"Yeah! The city fell and you wizards didn't do anything," shouts a third.
"Don't think you can hide in there forever," the first one says. "When the Scourge moves into the city, we'll show them right where you are! Good men died fighting the Scourge, and all you wizards did was hide in you *castle*."
"Why didn't you help?" another protester shouts.
"Yeah! The city fell and you wizards didn't do anything," shouts a third.
"Don't think you can hide in there forever," the first one says. "When the Scourge moves into the city, we'll show them right where you are! Good men died fighting the Scourge, and all you wizards did was hide in you *castle*."
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