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Message: <blockquote data-quote="mikeawmids" data-source="post: 7952207" data-attributes="member: 6776411">Chapter Twenty Four:  Fields of Battle - Part TwoThe heroes return to their lodgings, weary and reeking of smoke. Despite the lateness of the hour, there is a visitor waiting for them; a bespectacled half-elf who introduces himself as H'kul Mushain."Late night?" Mushain asks, eyeballing their bloodied weapons and armour, "I hear the Clarion farm was raided a few hours back. You could see the flames from the edge of town. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?""Clarion? As in Oslynn Clarion?" Nadiyya asks, "Haha... do we look that stupid?""You look like you just lost a fight you were ill prepared for," Mushain states, "Let's not waste any more time. The farm you so recklessly assaulted is owned by Lord Clarion's uncle Calvin. Fortunately, for you, the two of them don't get on.You can't stay here. Calvin won't call on the Zephyr Guard, but he has allies among the Stonespine gnolls and they will be tracking you. Burning the pesh fields was smart, that will slow them down, but they will be coming.""Why should we trust you?" Misfar asks."You don't have to trust me, but I believe we can help each other," Mushain answers, "I can take you somewhere safe, or you can stay here and wait for Calvin's dogs to pick up your scent. It's entirely your choice, but choose quickly. I can't jeopardise my own mission and I'm already taking too great a risk being seen with you.""Wait! Are you with the Steel Falcons?" Nadiyya asks."We can't talk here," Mushain says, "I have a ship. Come with me and I'll tell you all I can."The party follow the half-elf vigilante to his ship; the Cloud Dancer. Mushain introduces them to the rest of the Falcons, a rag-tag crew of Andoran freedom fighters and escaped slaves."We've been watching the farm for some time," Mushain explains, "We were working on a convoluted scheme to masquerade as mandingo trainers, but your actions last night suggest a straightforward assault could succeed, if we work together.""We didn't come here to assassinate Calvin Clarion," Zain states, "My mother is being forced to work in the pesh fields. We came to Okeno to free her.""Your mother is one of six hundred slaves being worked to death on Calvin's farm," Mushain answers, "We plan to free all of them, but Calvin will just buy more if we leave him alive."Are you with us?"The heroes decide to stand with the Steel Falcons. Calvin Clarion had thirty mercenaries guarding the farm; the heroes killed six and several more were injured fighting the fire in the burning fields. Gnoll reinforcements have been summoned, but are not suffered to enter the farmhouse. Zain and Misfar will lead a squad of eight Falcons in a diversionary assault on the bunk houses, while Nadiyya, Fuk and Mushain infiltrate the farmhouse to kill Calvin.Rather than run a huge, drawn-out tactical combat, I treated this scene as a Quick Encounter.Misfar causes a distraction with magic (Spellcasting, success), firing off multi-coloured fireworks to draw the guards away from the farmhouse. About half of Calvin's men mount up to investigate. Zain and the Steel Falcons engage the mercenaries (Fighting, Raise). Even outnumbered, the freedom fighters hold their ground. More guards are drawn away from the farmhouse to join the battle, leaving the way clear for Nadiyya and Fuk to get inside. Fuk sneaks ahead (Stealth, success) and reaches Calvin's study undetected. The slave owner is left with only a handful of bodyguards. Even wounded, Nadiyya is able to best them in combat (Fighting, success). Calvin Clarion sits behind his desk, reaching for a box of fine Cheliaxian cigars as Nadiyya cuts down the last of his men."Any of you sons of bitches got a light?" he asks.Nadiyya holds out her bloody sword. The blade glows brightly then burst into flame. Calvin leans forward and holds his cigar over the burning blade."Calvin Clarion," Mushain says, raising his crossbow to point at the slave owner's chest, "You are found guilty of perpetuating a system of unwilful servitude. On the authority of His Excellency Codwin of - ""If you're planning to kill me, just get it done," Calvin growls, blowing smoke into the half-elf's face, "Don't bore me with your Andoran politics.""So be it." Mushain says, pulling the trigger. Calvin grunts as the crossbolt knocks him out of his chair. A pair of legs stick up from behind the desk, twitching feebly as the life leaves the slaver's body."Bad man has nice shoes!" Fuk observes.Calvin may be dead, but the mercenaries who took his coin are still fighting around the bunk houses. Zain and the Falcons drew the majority of the slaver's men away, but now they are grossly outnumbered and surrounded by enemies."We've got to go help the others," Nadiyya says urgently."Fuk coming!" the goblin cries, struggling with the laces on Calvin's boots. They're a bit too big, but he'll grow into them, maybe. Fuk follows Nadiyya and Mushain out of the room. A moment later, he returns to snatch the box of cigars from Calvin's desk.The sellswords are caught fighting on two fronts and the tide of battle turns against them. Some flee into the mountains, but most are slain. The Steel Falcons don't extend mercy to those who profit from slavery. One of the dead mercenaries was carrying the keys needed to unlock the bunk houses and release the slaves.Zain moves among the throng, desperately searching for his mother. He can't remember her face, but he does spot one woman bearing a familial resemblance to his Aunt Zari. Zain feels his stomach lurch. Somehow - he doesn't understand how, but somehow - he knows that his long search is over."Mother?"The small, dark-skinned woman looks to him, recognition coming slowly to eyes dulled by decades of hardship."Zain? My little lion. Is it really you?""It is me, mother. By the grace of Sarenrae, I have  finally found you."For the first time since he was a child, Zain Al-Sahli embraces his mother. Fuk stumbles around in Calvin's oversized boots, handing out cigars to celebrate this momentous occasion."We must go!" Mushain cries, cutting short their joyous reunion, "The Cloud Dancer is waiting to carry these good people to their new lives in Andoran."The heroes escort the freed slaves to the ship and guard the docks as they are all bought aboard. It seems cruel to Zain that he and his mother must part ways so soon after finding each other, but she cannot remain in Katapesh. As an escaped slave, she would be hunted, until someone else put another collar around her neck."You could have gone with them," Nadiyya says, as she and Zain stand together on the dockside, watching the Cloud Dancer cast off, "To Andoran, I mean. You could have been a family again.""When all this is over, perhaps I will do that." Zain says, "But my work here is not yet done. The slave trade is abhorrent to Sarenrae and it runs through Katapesh like a poison in the blood. My mother is free, but what of the others who still bear the yoke of slavery? My work will not be done until every last chain has been broken and all the peoples of this sacred land stand together, free and united against evil.""You set yourself an impossible task." Nadiyya says sadly, "You would sooner soak up all the oceans of the Inner Sea with a sponge.""Have faith, my friend." Zain says, turning his face to the glorious sunrise, "Sometimes, faith is all we have."TBC</blockquote>

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