Chapter 5: Battle for the Battle Market
With a bit of GM prompting, the party remember they have heard the names Vardishal and Kardswann before. Misfar pulls his copy of Courts of Stone and Flame from his pack and flips forward to the bit about the Genie War. Both Vardishal and Kardswann were Templars of the Five Winds, along with three others: Davashuum, Pazhvann and Zayifid. All five templars were powerful jann in the service of a djinni princess called Nefeshti.
"Why would a powerful jann be leading a pack of degenerate gnolls?" Misfar muses.
"At the monastery, I spoke to a spirit calling himself Vardishal." Zain adds, "He told me where to find this sweet magic hammer."
"These Templars have been in-active for centuries," Misfar says, "Yet we have crossed paths with two of them in the space of as many days. It is most peculiar indeed!"
Peculiarities aside, the party still have a job to do! It's about 3pm and the party are only lightly wounded. According to Narg, Kardswann can be found in the Battle Market, a large, domed structure in the centre of Kelmarane. If the gnoll can be trusted (lol), they should be able to swan in through the front door.
The heroes advance up the main thoroughfare toward the Battle Market. The front doors are wide open and a colorfully costumed goblin waits to greet them.
"Be welcome travellers! Welcome to the Kelmarane Battle Market!" the strange creature simpers, prancing this way and that as though in dire need of a lavatory, "Kardsw - sorry, Ugruk, master of the Kullid tribe welcomes you! Come in! Come in!"
Q: "Ugruk? We heard Kardswann was in charge here."
A: "Ugruk is new-new chieftain."
Q: "So what happened to the old-new chieftain?"
A: "Old-new chieftain is indisposed right now."
"Indisposed is a pretty big word," Zain rumbles, menacingly, "How about you explain a little more clearly, for those of us with only d4 Smarts."
The goblin greeter explains that about an hour ago, Kardswann fell into a deep sleep and Ugruk, his second in command, seized his chance to take control of the tribe. The party realise that Kardswann's incapacitation must have occured around the same time that they were finishing up with Xulthos the Defiler. Could the two incidents be connected?
The heroes enter the Battle Market. The centre of the building is dominated by a raised, blood-stained stage, overlooked by balconies on the higher levels. A crowd of gnolls, orcs and human brigands gather around the battle stage, baying for the next death-match to begin. Several seedy looking smugglers are seated at a long counter, where a one-eyed gnoll bartender is serving drinks.
The heroes sidle up to the bar and order drinks. Meanwhile, two human prisoners are being dragged up onto the battle stage.
"New in Kelmarane?" one of the smugglers enquires, "Must be, if I've not seen you before. If you need weapons or armour and have the coin to pay for quality, then I'm your man. Gorundal's the name."
"Nadiyya Emberstorm." Nadiyya replies, "What's going on over there?"
"Savages!" the merchant mutters, quietly enough that he wont be overheard, "The Kulldis captured a group of adventurers several days back. They've been making them fight in the arena. They call it spirt, but it's a death sentence. Oh, look, here we go again."
"Hurvank!! Hurvank!!" chant the crowd.
"Who or what is Hurvank?" Misfar asks.
"Arena champion," Gorundal answers, "Big bastard. Nasty too. I don't think I can watch...."
A large, brutish ogre stomps onto the stage, dragging a studded greatclub.
At the same time, a tough-looking gnoll warrior with grey streaks in his fur appears on the balcony overlooking the arena.
"That's Chief Ugruk," Gorundal explains, following Nadiyya's gaze, "The top dog. He calls the shots, for now at least."
Nadiyya does not like the odds stacked against the two unarmed prisoners. Misfar does not like the odds stacked against the party if they aggro the entire Battle Market all at once. Unable to sit drinking while two defenceless men get smashed into jelly, Nadiyya vaults onto the battle stage. She swings her flaming sword and severs Hurvank's arm above the elbow! The crowd are shocked into silence as blood gushes from the wound! Hurvank gawps at his severed arm, flopping around at his feet like some kind of horrible fish.
Chief Ugruk is the first to recover his wits.
"One thousand gold to whoever brings me her corpse!"
The gnolls and orcs and human brigands clustered around the battle stage exchange looks. That's a lot of gold and no-one wants to share! Misfar off-loads a Burst spell into the tightly-packed crowd, obliterating two gnolls and a human mercenary. The surviving bad guys look pissed, so he takes cover behind the bar. The one-eyed gnoll bartender smashes a bottle against the counter and menaces Misfar with the jagged end. Misfar cracks the gnoll bartender over the head with his staff, knocking him out cold.
Zain charges into the crowd and starts swinging Tempest, taking advantage of his new Sweep edge. Chief Ugruk makes a Support/Intimidation roll to motivate Hurvank (+1). The wounded ogre retrieves his greatclub and swings it clumsily in his left hand. Nadiyya ducks and rolls under the attack. Three gnolls gang up on Zain, three more climb onto the battle stage to claim the bounty on Nadiyya's corpse.
The two prisoners are not as helpless as first thought, the smaller man screams encouragement (Boost Trait) and the larger man bravely grapples one of Nadiyya's assailants in a vice-like headlock.
"Who are you guys?" Nadiyya asks.
"I'm Felliped - you can call me Fel." the little guy answers, "The big guy is Ox."
"Less talking, more fighting!" Ox grunts, breaking the gnolls neck for emphasis and kicking its sword over to Fel.
The bard scoops up the weapon. He's not much of a fighter, but his incompetent flailing does take some of the pressure off Nadiyya.
Hurvank makes another clumsy sweep with his greatclub, heedless of his gnoll 'allies' on the battle stage. Nadiyya and Fel continue hacking at the ogre champion, but cannot seem to put him down for good.
Fuk hears a crazed shout and turns to see the goblin greeter from the main entrance bearing down on him with a knife raised! Fuk buries his axe in the goblins' skull and leaves it there, switching back to his bow.
Chief Ugruk summons his personal bodyguards onto the balcony. A few of them have bows.
Zain spends his last Benny soaking damage from the three gnolls ganging up on him.
Misfar grabs a bottle of liqueur from behind the bar. He takes a swig to steady his nerves, then throws the bottle at the ogre. It shatters against Hurvank's broad back, drenching the ogre in alcohol. Nadiyya snaps her fingers (re: Elemental Manipulation) and ignites the ogre's alcohol soaked loincloth. Hurvank goes up like a bonfire (and starts taking on-going fire damage every round). Hurvank stops, drops and rolls to extinguish the flames.
Chief Ugruk barks a command and the gnoll archers on the balcony open fire. Nadiyya is shot twice, but has no Bennies left to soak. Oxvard is shot in the spine, he convulses and falls prone, the arrow protruding from his back.
Fell scrambles over to his dying companion and tells him (tearfully) that everything is going to be OK.
"Won't you sing for me, Fel?" Ox whispers, blood tricking from the corners of his mouth, "Just this one last time...."
Nadiyya crawls away, wincing at the two arrows in her side. Behind her, Hurvank has beaten out the last of the flames and regained his feet, a mask of dull witted fury twisting his burnt-ass face. Being a vindictive sort, Chieft Ugruk holds up a paw - ordering his retinue to hold fire (they are essentially on Hold). Hurvank looms over the wounded woman. Understanding Nadiyya's predicament, but unable to reach her, Zain hurls Tempest at the ogre. The hammer hits Hurvank in the face! The ogre is shaken! The GM awards Zain a Benny for heroism and he immediately uses it to re-roll his damage. The new total is enough to explode Hurvank's thick skull like an over-ripe melon!! The ogre goes down in a shower of bone fragments and matted hair! Chief Ugruk is so stunned he forgets to give his bodyguards the order to fire.
Nadiyya takes cover behind Hurvank's slumped corpse, shielding her from the archers on the balcony. Arrows thud into the dead ogre's back. Chief Ugruk leaves two archers to provide cover and leads his other two bodyguards down to join the battle. Felliped applies pressure to Oxvard's wound, sobbing as the light fades from his old friends eyes. Zain vaults up onto the battle stage, big hands glowing with the healing power of his goddess.
"No!" Nadiyya cries, pointing to Oxvard, "Help him!"
Unfortunately, Zain rolls a Critical Failure on his Faith roll. Sarenrae rejects his prayer to save Ox. The light in Zain's hands abruptly dies.
"He's gone!" Felliped cries, cradling his dead friend, "Oxvard is gone!"
"But why?!" Zain stammers, his faith in Sarenrae shaken to the bedrock.
A red mist descends on the bereaved bard. Fell grabs his sword and charges Chief Ugruk. One of the gnoll bodyguards gets in the way and the raging bard cuts him down!
Zain tries to heal Nadiyya. She is healed! Several arrows thud into the cleric's back and he is driven to his knees. Fuk shoots and kills one of the archers. Misfar crit fails his Spellcasting roll and is Fatigued. He starts peering around suspiciously, expecting to see a pugwampi.
Felliped kills the second bodyguard! Wow, he sure is mad about his dead friend! Only Ugruk is left standing. Nadiyya stabs the chieftain in the back, then decapitates him on the back-swing.
After eight (exhausting) combat rounds, the battle for Kelmarane is won!
TBC