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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 2932009" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter Thirty-five, “The Hendry Family Escapes“, August 8th, 1018, 9:30 P.M. Back at Smiddle’s house, Aurora and Razou Sea Castle wake up. Approximately half of their magical items now appear to be functional, and the writing has reappeared in her Traveling Spell Book. Studying by candlelight in a closet (to keep the building dark) she memorizes an Invisibility spell. Since she does not have either of her team’s thieves with her, and since Hans is the one most familiar with the church building, she decides to send him to discretely scout out the church. She loans him her Bracers of Defense to replace his noisy armor, then casts the Invisibility spell on him, instructing him to be careful and take his time. She then instructs Billy Bob, Flashis and Torvald to get some sleep once Razou is finished praying for his spells. She then goes back to memorize more magic-user spells. At 11:00 P.M., Back at Fiona’s cabin Adrianna, Lono and Kale are woken up to take second watch, and those on first watch go to sleep. Blake and Jerry finally return, informing those on watch that the school buildings are occupied by the hundred or so enemies, as they saw bugbears, hobgoblins, giants, humans the centaur and a half-orc. They did not see the Balrog but also did not go out of their way looking for it. They reported that at least forty of the enemy were alert, awake and apparently expecting to be attacked during the night. The two get a quick bite to eat and then immediately fall asleep. August 9th, 1:00 A.M. Guice, Jaime and Kruk are woken up to take the third watch. They are told of the results of Blake and Jerry’s scouting mission. Those from second watch then go back to sleep. Back at Smiddle’s, Hans returns from the church, apologizing for taking so long, but explaining that he had to keep waiting by doorways until hobgoblin guards opened and closed doors to get in and out. He reports that there are ten hobgoblins guarding the front door and another six by each of the two back doors. Inside of the church, in the main sanctuary, are four more hobgoblin guards alert and guarding the room where four enemy adventurers, including both of their spellcasters, are sleeping on the church pews. She asks for detailed descriptions of these people, which he supplies. Hans continues, telling her that in one of the two rear rooms are another twelve hobgoblins, all sleeping. The other rear room, the one with the guards outside of the door, has three prisoners guarded by two enemy fighters, one awake and one asleep. He reports that their prisoners are three of the toughest members of the Silver Moon, Buella, Furynick and Silas, who should be strong enough to get out on their own once their bonds are cut. Aurora tells him that he did an excellent job scouting, and for him to get a few hours sleep. She says that they need to wait until everyone in their group is somewhat rested and for their last few magic items to become functional before mounting a rescue mission. Back at Fiona's, Hendry has waited patiently while pretending to be asleep. At the 3:00 A.M. shift change, those from third watch wake up Aradyn, Luekia and Mojo. While these Silver Moon characters briefly converse with each other Hendry softly casts his “Unseen Servant” spell. He then gives the servant an opened invisible vial, containing more of the same potion that had been used on Southpoint Island to keep their prisoners unconscious. The servant pours the contents of the vial into the beverages within Aradyn and Mojo's mugs. Hendry nudges his family awake. They then wait patiently for the next ten minutes waiting for Luekia to get herself something to drink, unaware that the stoic monk does nothing on guard duty except watch. Mojo falls asleep, followed shortly thereafter by Aradyn. Luekia soon notices this, forcing Hendry to shift to his back up plan. He casts a Otiluke's Resilient Sphere spell on her, which envelops her in a shimmering globe. She struggles inside of the sphere, but is unable to break it, with sound also not traveling out of the barrier. Whereas the sphere has only a seven minute duration the Hendry family quickly move it towards the door. Little Wisdonie, Jamie’s youngest, starts to stir but does not waken. Keeping the front door open as short a time as possible, they roll the sphere outside. Hendry casts a Haste spell on his brother Carl, who along with the monk Lisa, rapidly roll the sphere away from the building as far as they can before it dissolves. Avoiding being seen by the Lizardmen Lars and Spudnick, who are on guard duty outside, the other members of the Hendry family quickly join them. Weapons drawn and surrounding Luekia, they immediately tell her that they wish her no harm, but have no choice but to escape given that Mojo had threatened their lives. Luekia says "He is all talk, you would not have been harmed." Elaine answers "He seemed very serious to me, and the stakes are too high for us to take that risk. Come with us peacefully, and I promise that you will not be harmed. We will release you at the earliest opportunity." Luekia weighs all of her options, evaluating that with five-to-one odds she will is unlikely to defeat them in combat. She evaluates that their monk is probably at least as fast as her making escape unlikely. Yelling out from this distance, given the noise from the rain and strong winds, would also probably be futile. She therefore agrees to their terms and asks where they are planning to take her. They answer that there is a cabin a mile east that is one of their designated escape locations. Luekia accompanies them, choosing not inform them that Araby's cabin has already been breached by the party. During this journey she is surrounded, with the other monk walking directly beside her. Meanwhile, back at Smiddle’s house, the rest of the Sea Castle Adventurers are all woken up by Flashis. They have a quick breakfast, and review the assault plan in detail, as success will depend upon timing and watching for key signals. Their goal is to rescue all prisoners while taking little to no damage themselves. The fighters are reminded that killing the enemy is fine, but that is to be a secondary priority. Razou asks “What about damage to the church?” Aurora answers “Buildings can be replaced, people can’t. Besides, the storm will extinguish any small fires that might start.” Flashis whispers to Torvald “Mandize would object to damaging a Lawful Good church.” The Viking whispers back “Be quiet, he’s not here this time to limit our options.” At around 4:00 A.M., the Hendry family arrives at Araby's, quickly discovering the devastation from Kharole's earlier fireball as well a few of the dead goblins that the storm has knocked down from the treetop lofts. They find that the two rear rooms are still fairly dry, so Carl, Elaine and Lisa bring Luekia to one while Hendry and Rainville head into the other. Back at the Ukko church, the Sea Castle Adventurers initiate their attack, Aurora again uses her standard team strategy of paired teams with specific assignments. All three teams move into position. They then have to wait a painstaking half-hour until a hobgoblin guard change occurs for the team of Hans and Razou to invisibly enter the building. At Fiona's house, Cassie hears the voices of Hendry and Rainville in what appears to be a dream. She is back with them on the astral plane, although all three of their bodies are less solid than they were during her last encounter on this realm. "Cassie, we had to speak to you again," states Rainville. "Why" she asks, somewhat confused. Hendry speaks "We have gone. Our sister and brother felt that we could no longer trust your team, and feared for our safety." "Did you leave the wand?" Cassie asks. A brief pause follows. Rainville answers "No. Elaine feels that since your team failed to fulfill the second half of our bargain we were under no obligation to complete ours. Consider the fact that we freed all of our hostages as agreed and that you helped free us from being trapped in the caves to be sufficient." "But that was not the full agreement," says Cassie. Hendry speaks "Our agreement was tenuous at best. Members of both of our groups were reluctant, and untrusting of the others, regardless of how the three of us felt. As far as our sister and brother we concerned, the agreement ended the minute your fighter Mojo threatened to kill us, and to quote him ‘Take the wands from our cold, dead bodies‘." Cassie replies "Mojo was bluffing." They answer "We could not take that chance. Elaine and Carl both believed him, and others of your party appeared to be of the same frame of mind. You saw how Elaine and Narg almost came to blows. It is best that we left when we did." Rainville interjects "We do need to thank you for forcing us to go into your Bag of Holding. Apparently, when we were in there, the cleric Roger returned to the cave on Southpoint Island, and finding us gone, went looking for us. By being in another dimension, he was unable to find us." Hendry continues "Yes, thank you for agreeing to go into the bag with us. Until that point our sister would have been unwilling to, feeling that your friends would have just left us in the bag until the air ran out." "No," answers Cassie, thinking of a specific situation once with Milo "we only do that to our own party." Hendry continues "We ask that your party does not try to hunt us down. We wish to find a safe place to hide for the next two days until Morgarth comes to get us." "You feel that Morgarth will come for you?" Cassie asks. Hendry answers "Yes. Once the storm has passed, and the barrier comes down, he will come to designated locations to pick up whoever is waiting there. If we still have our wands, indicating that we have not lost, we should be able to convince him to help to resurrect our father. All that we ask is that you do not come after us. We were careful to do no permanent harm to those who were on watch when we escaped." Cassie asks "And who were they?" Hendry answers "The elvan archer, and the fighter Mojo. We exercised great restraint in doing no real harm to him, given his threats against us. Regrettably, we had to bring your female monk with us, but will release her as soon as we end this conversation with you. We are now at the cabin a mile to your east but we will leaving here shortly. We have more information for you as well. We have been in contact with Roger. When we returned to this plane he was partially here, still looking for us. Although we could not lie to him without his knowing it, we were careful of our words so as to not betray your current location. He asked what had happened. We told him of Etronne's attack on us on this plane. He was initially angry that I had not allowed the evil mage to take me over, saying that a fifteenth level mage was of far more use to him than a seventh. I reminded him that I, like all people, have a strong reflex towards self-preservation. Right now Roger has gone off on this plane to look for Etronne, which is why we felt it safe to contact you now, while they are both distracted." Rainville continues "We told him how Etronne attacked Hendry simultaneous to over a dozen of your team's top adventurers breaching the caves on Southpoint Island. Roger had seen the remains of the Minotaur and Jabberwock. We truthfully stated that the other three of our group engaged your team in battle, but how it was unrealistic to expect them to have won against such a great force. Thus, we implied that they had been defeated, without having to explain our agreement." Hendry continues "We went on to again truthfully explain how your team had us trapped in the Bag of Holding, but that we managed to escape after finally being let out. He asked where you were now. We said that your group traveled south from the cabin in the woods, with the planned destination of the school buildings on the west side of the lake. They then changed their minds once they found the giant tracks, and headed east from that point towards the mountain, with the city at its top. Based on that, he now thinks that that is where you have gone. Roger is afraid for his own safety, and has recalled the Balor Demon (the Balrog) to him at the cave on Southpoint Island. He apparently plans to stay there with his three bodyguards, the demon, dragon and chimera, until Morgarth returns." Rainville continues "All of his other troops will leave their present location early in the morning with the destination of the city. Roger has told us to wait for them here, to join their assault team. We will obviously be gone by then, to another location". Cassie starts to suggest a place, but Hendry interrupts "Thank you, but we have a place in mind. If Roger should find us again we will simply tell him the truth, to a point, that our location where we are now was found out by a monk in your party, forcing us to relocate. Be mindful, that the road this army will be traveling on takes them directly past your present location." "So we will have to leave," Cassie comments. "At least temporarily," Hendry answers. Hendry continues "Do us one favor. The mage leader of the army coming after you in the morning, clean his clock for us. It was he who ruined our father's initial attack plan, and who kept up the Wall of Force that you beat father into." "Sorry about that," answers Cassie. "We do not blame you," says Rainville, "we blame that mage. Please get revenge for us. Also, when talking to your party, please make them aware that we have told you all of this, and what we have kept your location from Roger. Perhaps that will keep them from hunting us down. Remind them that when we left your building we not only did no permanent harm to any of your group, but also that we did not take anything. Those backpacks filled with the magic items that you have obtained were stilling in plain sight for the taking, which our brother Carl clearly wished to, but we left them where they were. We even left you a present, the invisible vial that held the sleep potion in it. The tone of Hendry's voice changes "This is probably the last time we will ever speak. We will not be able to enter your thoughts once we are further apart. We would not have been able to do this now if you had been awake, or if you had been wearing that magical crown of yours." Cassie says "Well, you can always write. I would welcome either of you in my home." Hendry replies "Perhaps, but many of your party would be unlikely to ever allow us back." "Mojo, pay no attention to him," she answers. "I was thinking of the feisty Druid," answers Hendry. "Serita, she's just a bitch," comments Cassie. "But a possessive one," answers Rainville, "I am sure she would never allow us to return." "I truly wish that we had met under other circumstances," says Hendry, and he appears to be about to break into tears. The three say goodbye, and the three drift away from the astral plane. Back at Fiona's, Cassie still remains asleep.</blockquote>

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