RuneQuest - Cayuga's Tale - Guardians of Highmead [Upd 29th Sept]

[PieAndDragon]

Cayuga Muskovy "Lightstep"

Human (Sartarite) Female, 20 Years of Age
STR 12 CON 15 SIZ 14 INT 14 POW 3 DEX 21 CHA 6
Hit Points: 15
Skills: Blade Venom II, Camouflage 40, Climbing 35, Defence 20, Evaluate Treasure 10, Hide in Cover 75, Hide Item 25, Jumping 40, Listen 30, Lock Picking 20, Map Making 30, Move Silently 80, Oratory 0, Pick Pockets 25, Read Sartarite 15, Riding(Horse) 40, Speak Balazaring 35, Speak Firespeech 5, Speak Sartarite 70, Spot Hidden Item 35, Spot Trap 10, Swimming 35, Taste Analysis 15, Tracking 20, Trap Set / Disarm 40
Weapons: Bastard Sword LH (Att 25), Self Bow (Att 45), Dart LH (Att 25), Javelin (Att 85), Kick (Att 40, Parry 35), Longspear 2H (Att 75, Parry 75)
Spells: Disruption, Heal I, Invisibility, Speed Dart
Items: Silver bracelet with Strength Matrix, Attuned Regenerating Power Storage Crystal (6 POW) [Party Item], Orville, Spirit-bound Hawk

 

[PieAndDragon]

To Highmead

Our peace has not lasted long in Jonstown. My companions and I were summoned by the Cult of Humakt, and told that Hoisin and his companions had been assigned to defend the village of Highmead. Lacking Drake, that made just the four of us. There would be no reward for this task, it was simply our duty as members of the warrior cults of Jonstown.

We were to be part of a larger operation, an alliance between the cults of Humakt, Yelmalio and Savanka to counter a chaos army coming out of a pit of corruption known as Snakepipe Hollow. The forces of chaos are fortifying there, under the leadership of the Cult of Thanatar, one of the chaos gods. Our group would be one of several sent to the towns of villages within striking distance of the chaos hordes, to lead any resistance and guard against these falling to the enemy.

Leaving within the day, we were all in the saddle and riding toward Highmead in good order. Except for Liverpate that was. I had noticed several changes to my companion since his acceptance into the ranks of the Humakt priesthood. He spoke with conviction of his hatred of the races of troll and dwarf, bore no armour on one of his arms, changed his eating habits and refused to ride any horse. Therefore we were slowed down by his insistence on using a cart instead.

We took the time to assess our artefacts of power and who carried which. The crystals we possessed as a form of energy storage, we spread between all of us, along with the spear which could enchant itself with magical sharpness to Saxony, a flaming shortsword to Hoisin, and a variety of minor items scattered as we saw fit. Our two most powerful items, stones capable of holding powerful rune magic, were both empty, and of no use on our current quest.

After two peaceful weeks on the trail, markers on the road told us we were within a few miles of Highmead, and our road-weary mounts would have a needed rest. But as we grew nearer, smoke on the horizon, distant screams and the acrid scent told us something was wrong. Preparing weapons and saying quick prayers, we crested the last hill to be met by a scene of disorder and mayhem.

Parts of the village were on fire, and axe-wielding humans were present among the buildings, clearly not belonging to what should be a peaceful farming community. Screams of pain came from a group of prisoners uphill from the village, held by axemen and archers. human raiders could be seen looting in the central buildings, acting as they wished, but the worst was to be found by one of two stone buildings in the village. A giant, standing two and a half times my own height, lead an assorted band of gigantic snails, archers and axemen against villagers holed up in what looked to be the town hall.

The forces of chaos had reached Highmead before us.

 

[PieAndDragon]

Rescue of Highmead

With my faithful hawk’s aerial assistance, we quickly assessed the situation, looking for the best place to start are attack on the forces of chaos. The thought of retreat did not even cross our minds. With Liverpate’s support, I convinced the other two that the archers and axemen guarding the prisoners should be our priority, overcoming Hoisin’s fear of arrows and archers. I wanted to avoid being caught between the archers and another group of warriors, and thought there was a chance of the prisoners being able to aid our battle efforts.

In all we counted around two score enemies in the village, odds of around ten to one stacked against us. As I crept toward our targets under a cloak of invisibility, eight foes could be made out protecting the prisoners. The screams of the bound townsfolk had mostly ceased by the time we were ready to attack, with the exception of one particularly vocal prisoner. Taking position among the short grass a short way from the human worshippers of chaos, a few seconds went by before the sounds of hooves and Liverpate’s running steps heralded the arrival of my allies.

Feeling the gaze of the Sun Lord upon me, I was the first to attack, hurling a poison-coated javelin into the nearest archer, it’s impact into his leg reduced by bronze plate. Seeing that I had their attention, I ran to engage another archer, drawing out a second javelin as I went. My second throw was also true, but layers of bronze and leather protected the life of this foe too. Clutching my spear in both hands, I fended off the charge of an axe-wielding raider, only to be outnumbered seconds later as he was joined by the archer, who flung aside his bow in favour of a two-handed hammer.

Up close, it was apparent that these were not the peaceful folk of Johnstown or the surrounding farming communities. These were once human, but now mutated by the marks of chaos, some missing digits, others marked by strange discolouration and twisted limbs. All were dressed in heavy armour of bronze and leather, well-armed with several weapons. Most wore coarse beards, with unkempt hair and carrying a strong odour of sweat, blood and urine.

Glancing over my shoulder I saw my allies entering into fray, Liverpate heading straight for the enemy leader, to be joined moments later by an enemy axeman who had been lying down among the prisoners. Hoisin and Liverpate were also heavily pressed, fending off the attentions of two hammer-toting archers and a pair of axemen while one other archer stood apart, seeking any target he could shoot. It was soon apparent that these were not green troops, but veteran warriors, experienced in the arts of dealing death.

My attention soon switched from attempting to kill my foes to trying my utmost to stay alive. A hammer-blow to my sword arm almost knocked my spear from my hands, but I replied by smashing the hammer-haft with my own, taking a quick respite as one foe paused to draw an axe and the other pressed me with a flurry of short swings with his axe. A moment’s glance and I found my friends doing little better. Liverpate still faced two foes, and although Hoisin had slain one raider, the lone archer had joined his allies in hand-to-hand.

Switching my attention between my two opponents, I pressed one, then the other, but inevitably dodged one mace, blow too late, a cry escaping my lips as a mace blow crushed a bone in my leg and I was forced to defend desperately from the ground. The leering grins of the axeman and archer soon changed however, as I lashed out with my spear, giving one of them a deep belly wound, which would leave a scar to remember me by. Falling to the ground, it left me one foe and another chance to survey the rest of the battle.

One opponent was mirroring Saxony’s actions, caught under a magical enchantment, and another was using his feet and fists, no doubt having lost the rest of his weapon to Hoisin’s destructive blades. Liverpate had dispatched one axeman and now pressed their leader with his axe, soon joined by our twin-bladed Sword-Brother. I was forced to turn my attention back to battling two foes, as the axeman used magic to stabilize his wounds and stand against me once more.

At a cry of victory from Hoisin, I saw that the leader of our foe was down, and the battle was ours. With Liverpate’s aid, I overcame my two injured foes, and managed to drag myself to the help destroy the last few foes who stood before us. Battered and injured, we had beaten the first group of raiders, and although the only one prisoner was still alive, we were ready to press on against the warriors of chaos.

And so only thirty of our foes remained.

 

[PieAndDragon]

Battle of Highmead

Leaving an injured and fatigued to look after our battle spoils and now-freed prisoner, Drake joined us as we made our way into the ruins of Highmead, our path covered by smoke and shouts from the raiders. Heading for the town hall, where there were signs of some resistance still, we avoided the warriors massed in the buildings around the inn, skirting the edge of the still-burning homes.

We caught glimpses of the giant lumbering past us to our former position, and hurried on toward the hall, finding two groups still defending it, one group of warriors at the front and a smaller group at the back, both accompanied by a giant two-headed snail. With time against us, we crept as near as we could and ran to engage the smaller group.

My first arrow flew true, striking the snail beast in one of its heads, arousing its’ ire, and Hoisin charged it alone, leaving Drake and Liverpate to engage four raiders. Our foes’ arrows had little effect against my ally’s armour, and bows were quickly forsaken for two-handed hammers. Two became three as I followed my friends into the fray, driving my spear with both hands through a raider’s armour and deep into his groin, evening up the numbers as he collapsed from the pain.

Hoisin matched two heads with two blades, scoring bloody slashes one face and leaving the already injured head lolling helplessly. Judging the beast to be little danger, he left it to trail slowly behind as he joined the three of us. Four skilled warriors easily outmatched three archers and they soon became bloodied corpses upon the ground, quickly followed by the two-headed snail. One lucky hammer blow caused one of my knees to give, but some Humakti battle healing restored it enough for me to stand on.

We looked for any easy way into the back of the hall, but found none, the windows having been blocked from within. With no responses from our shouts, we proceeded around the building to give battle before our enemies had time to regroup and prepare, giving quick prayers to the Lord of Blades and Father of Suns.

We were too late, as the giant and a row of archers awaited us.

 

[PieAndDragon]

Last Stand of the Humakti

As Liverpate shouted about the giant, I felt the warmth of Yelmalio about me and the haze of battle descended. Clutching a javelin coated in blade venom, I rushed around the corner of the hall, to find our foes massed there. Behind the second of the giant chaos snails gathered ten archers and a trio of armoured priests. One, taller than the others, appeared to be shouting orders in the chaos tongue.

Time slowed as my attention was shifted to the giant beside the hall, standing almost three times my height and again I felt the gaze of Lord Yelmalio upon me, giving me strength to my sword arm. Overcoming the fear in my heart as the creature turned toward me, I cast my javelin high, aiming for its right eye, enchanting it with magical speed as I did so. With the Sun Lord guiding it’s path, four feet of wood and bronze went low, catching the beast in the cheek, the force of the throw driving it further into the giant’s head.

There was a stunned silence as the beast lurched to one side, and collapsed to the ground, shaking the buildings around us. I had slain the creature in one blow.

It took only a moment to notice ten bows trained toward me, and I quickly fled back around the stone corner. The archers wasted their arrows against Liverpate’s form, his armour reinforced once more by his protection magic. It took us little time to slay the two-headed snail which slithered to the edge of the hall we were defending. With our battle magic ready, we made ready to take on over triple our number in battle.

Drake and Liverpate lead the way, with Hoisin two paces behind them, and myself with javelin at the ready once again. The archers had split into two groups, and the Humakti charged into the first group. Shouting for the villagers within the hall to aid us, one of my javelin’s felled another archer, and my second wounded their leader. Using rune magics unknown to us, the priest grew in height before us, almost doubling in size as he moved to engage Hoisin. With my allies already sorely outnumbered, I had little choice but to abandon bow for spear and make one more quick prayer to the Sun Lord.

For a short time, the fates were with us once more, as Drake, Hoisin, Liverpate and myself not only held back twice our number, but inflicted deep losses among them, leaving two archers and an armoured raider bleeding on the ground. Two archers from the hall even tried to aid us, but soon fell back into their building when the second group of archers sent arrows to keep them off. The day was almost with us when the door at the front of the hall opened and an armoured figure bearing a flaming sword emerged.

But our new ally was alone, and although we welcomed any aid in our desperate struggle, he was soon countered when the rest of the archers joined the fray with hammers drawn, and the odds were once more twice against us.

Standing side by side with Liverpate, we concentrated our attacks where we could, holding off five foes, while Hoisin and our new ally battled against the oversized leader and several archers. One-armed Drake was almost ignored, struggling against one foe, having impaled one sword, and then a second in the same warrior, who still battle on. My axe-wielding ally had extended his protection magics to me, and without them I would have soon perished from the blows raining down upon me. The numbers against us started to tell, as Liverpate fell from a mass of injuries to his legs and arms,

Then I felt the fires of Yelmalio upon me again, and a great anger enveloped me. I almost took the head off of one enemy, and tore through the leg of another. Hoisin must have felt something too, as we destroyed one after another of their giant leader’s weapons, leaving him almost defenceless except for his shield When another fell to Hoisin’s blade and two others to our ally’s flaming blade, there was almost a glimmer of hope once more. It was when I felt a strange surge of heat, and saw fire streaming from the leader’s gaping mouth, that we found he wasn’t defenceless after all.

From the corner of my eye, I saw several gouts of flame, and Hoisin avoided most, fending off the leader and giving us the time to avenge Liverpate three more times. But the last jet of flame caught Hoisin fully in the thigh, enveloping him in fire and sending his charred body to the ground. Cutting down my last foe, Drake joined our erstwhile ally against the fire-breathing giant and two archers, now leaving our two greatest warriors motionless on the floor. I waited for more flames to come, but the giant’s fire appeared to have run its course.

His shield arm now limp, the giant leader resorted to kicks and punches. Reaching for a javelin, I cast it true again, and he was forced down to one knee, before collapsing from the attentions of our ally’s blade. The last two allies battled on, but through all three of us were injured, we made short work of them.

The battle was won, but the cost was already too high.

 

[PieAndDragon]

Guardians of Highmead

Over the next two weeks we did what we could for the remains of Highmead. Barely twenty of the population survived, most of their houses had been destroyed, and their families lost. Many who made it through were barely more than children, and already a haunted look appeared in their gaunt eyes.

Drake, Saxony and I said our goodbyes to Hoisin and Liverpate, burning them in a pyre alongside the fallen villagers. We had been through much together, and although the Swordpriest of Humakt drove me to distraction with his tunnel-vision views, he would still be missed. Liverpate had been as reliable as one could hope, a brave and strong warrior, and a steadfast companion.

We piled the Chaos dead on a different fire, and burnt them without ceremony.

Falcor was the name of the man who had aided us in the battle, the town blacksmith. He was much help in the days to come, sometimes leading other villagers. Two others from outside the village made known to us were Anatra Kuwack, a healer of the Chalana Arroy, and Antis Aves, a scholar of one of the knowledge cults. They were visiting family here and offered their aid in protecting the village.

In the days which followed the initial battle, folk from nearby farms and hamlets drifted in, alone or in small groups. They told tales of giants, mutated men, giant snails and worse wandering in the hills around. We organised basic patrols and watch duties, although the villagers were unwilling to leave the confines of the buildings. Instead we put them to work repairing what they could of the inn and town hall, gathering there to sleep and make it easier to defend should we be disturbed.

Drake accompanied me out to one of the farms nobody had heard about, and we found some folk still alive there. Once we had convinced them we meant no harm, and told them that Highmead had survived, they agreed to return with us. One of the farm lads was injured, having helped to drive away raiders, but with the aid of our horses, we made the journey back without a problem. Two giants watched from a distance, but luckily didn’t come to investigate.

In the days to come, we did encounter the giants, as they came into the village. These we dealt with, as well as several large green slime creatures and a large tentacle-headed creature. The slime creatures we burnt in the outlying houses they were inhabiting, and the others were dealt with by the healer Anatra, who had a powerful spell which put creatures into a deep slumber. He also had a strict sense of principles, which prevented him from slaying them while they were asleep, or when they awoke.

Instead we dragged our hapless victims miles outside of the village, where I would watch them till they awoke and wandered away. The tentacled creature did return, while Drake and I were out looking for it again, but the healer dealt with it again, and took it even further away.

Two peaceful weeks passed by after that, in which I gave lessons on balance and co-ordination to Anatra, who seemed to have no natural ability in that direction at all. The villagers kept to themselves, and Drake and Saxony kept guard for any more unwelcome visitors into Highmead.

Our stay was eventually ended, when a troop of heavily armoured horsemen bearing the Humakti symbol came, looking for Hoisin. Finding our companion no longer around, they settled for Drake instead, telling us that our vigil here was at an end. The chaos armies had been contained, the area was now mostly safe and we were free to leave.

Saying a few more days to say our goodbyes, we left Highmead along with Anatra and Antis, making our peaceful way back to Jonstown, seeing few on the road along our journey. Our duties done, we reported back to our temples.

Highmead had survived, as had I.

 

[PieAndDragon]

Cayuga Muskovy "Lightstep"

Human (Sartarite) Female, 20 Years of Age
STR 12 CON 15 SIZ 14 INT 14 POW 9 DEX 21 CHA 6
Hit Points: 16
Skills: Blade Venom II, Camouflage 35, Climbing 40, Defence 25, Evaluate Treasure 15, Hide in Cover 70, Hide Item 30, Jumping 45, Listen 35, Lock Picking 25, Map Making 40, Move Silently 75, Oratory 5, Pick Pockets 20, Read Sartarite 20, Riding(Horse) 50, Speak Balazaring 35, Speak Firespeech 5, Speak Sartarite 70, Spot Hidden Item 35, Spot Trap 15, Swimming 40, Taste Analysis 15, Tracking 25, Trap Set / Disarm 45
Weapons: Bastard Sword LH (Att 35, Parry 25), Self Bow (Att 55), Dart LH (Att 30), Javelin (Att 90), Kick (Att 45, Parry 40), Longspear 2H (Att 80, Parry 85)
Spells: Disruption, Farsee, Fire Arrow, Healing II, Invisibility, Light, Repair, Speed Dart
Items: Silver bracelet with Strength Matrix, Orville, Spirit-bound Hawk, Attuned Half-Damage Falling Crystal [Party Item], Pow 7 Storage Crystal, Pow 5 Storage Crystal with Pow 21, Int 10 Bound Spirit, Bladesharp II Matrix

 

[PieAndDragon]

Cayuga's tale has come to a rest, for the moment, as the campaign takes a hiatus. Hopefully she'll be back for more