Shackled City Epic: "Vengeance" (story concluded)
- Thread starter Lazybones
- Start date
Lazybones
Adventurer
Thanks for the reminder; I will add Beorna's stats into the Rogues' Gallery, although technically she won't be joining the party for a while. Just getting back to Cauldron's not going to be easy, as our heroes are about to learn...Broccli_Head said:
I don't know if there's a 3.5 Templar, I just used the 3.0 version for creating Beorna.
We'll be seeing Shensen again. And technically she's a druid/monk/bard (mostly druid).Black Bard said:
If you mean Fario and Fellian, yes.
Both?Dungannon said:
* * * * *
Chapter 234
“We’re getting close, don’t you think, Zenna?” Mole asked. “I think some of these hills are starting to look familiar.”
Zenna, her head deep in her cowl to protect her from the sun, shrugged. To her eyes, the hills surrounding them looked the same as the hills they’d seen every day over the last tenday. And probably the hills over the next tenday would look the same, she grumbled inwardly. In all honesty she knew that Dannel was setting a brisk pace, but at times it felt as though they would never reach Cauldron.
At least this time they were traveling faster, and in more comfort, than the first time she and Mole had come alone along this long road, less than a year ago. They had horses, now; and a pony for Mole that the gnome found absolutely delightful. She’d mastered a potent new spell, and each night used it to conjure up a secure shelter to protect them from the elements and wandering creatures that made their way either down from the Alamirs or up from the Forest of Mir. Mole’s bag of holding contained ample foodstuffs, supplemented by Dannel’s hunting, and if both of those sources ran dry, she could always conjure up more supplies with her magic.
Yes, travel was much easier, now...
But she still felt a vague sense of unease that grew stronger with each league that they drew closer to Cauldron. A lot of time had passed; more than they’d realized, when they’d first reappeared on the soil of Faerûn, a little over two tendays past. Zenna’s mind wandered back to that arrival, and the tumultuous events that had followed...
* * * * *
At first, they had no idea where they were.
The mountains that surrounded them could have been anywhere on Faerûn; Zenna explained that the margin of error of a plane shift was anywhere from a few dozen to a few hundred miles from the intended destination.
“So realistically we’re looking at the Alamirs, or the Marching Mountains... maybe the Omlarandins,” Dannel had reported.
“It’s pretty warm,” Mole observed. “We’re probably not that high up. It’s still early summer, but some mountains keep snow on them year-round, in the higher elevations.”
“The Alamirs ain’t that high,” Hodge said. He looked around suspiciously, as if the land itself was hiding secrets. “Yer sure this be Faerûn?”
“Certain,” Zenna said. “Come on, let’s see if we can find a trail out of here.”
They started out in a broad ravine that didn’t give them much of a view, but by late afternoon they crested a ridge that gave them a good vista of the surrounding area. To their east they could see a broad sea, while to the north the mountains gave way to expansive plains. Dannel was the first to identify where they were.
“Were in the northern spur of the Alamirs,” he reported. “That’s the Lake of Steam to the east, and Tethyr to the west.”
“Long way from Cauldron,” Hodge said.
“Well, it’s not going to get any closer standing here,” Zenna said irritably.
“We’re not blaming you for the misfire,” Arun told her.
Zenna nodded. “I know. It’s just that... well, we’ve been away for a while now.”
“I’m sure Cauldron has managed to get by without us,” Dannel said. “I don’t know if there are any settlements around here, but if we head northwest, we should exit the range and enter the plains of Tethyr in a few days. The best road to Cauldron from here is the one that leads down from Saradush, but may be a few tendays, walking.”
They discussed many things on the walk; Cauldron, their adventures both here and at Occipitus, and myriad other random topics that companions share on long journeys. The first day they did not cover much ground, all of them still tired from their trials in the Abyss, but that night they got a good rest, and with the morning’s sun and the cool wind blowing across the peaks they felt restored. Zenna conjured more food to sustain them, and Arun began treating the cursed wound Hodge had suffered in the battle with the clay golem. The injury resisted treatment, but Arun was persistent, and eventually the paladin’s dedication overcame the injury.
The next day they found trouble; or rather, it found them.
It was still early, maybe an hour short of noon. They were moving gradually down through a maze of twisting canyons and ravines, covering perhaps two miles of actual distance for every mile they drew closer to the plain. But without Dannel to guide them, it probably would have been closer to three or four miles per mile of progress. The sun was shining, the breeze was cool, and there was plenty of water at the streams they passed to drink and wash, so there were little complaints. In hindsight, they were perhaps lulled a bit by the ease and beauty of it all, after a tenday in the harsh landscape of Occipitus.
Actually, they could be considered lucky, in that the orcs were just as surprised as the adventurers were, when each side rounded the bend in a canyon to find the other just a few dozen yards away.
Arrows and spears filled the air, accompanied by the sound of battle cries. There were over twenty orcs in the hunting party, and they attacked fearlessly, confident in their overwhelming numbers.
That sentiment wavered somewhat when they ran into the charging front of Arun and Hodge.
Less than a minute later, the surviving orcs were retreating back into the mountains. Only about a half-dozen made it, but the companions knew that even one would have been enough to bring help. In all, they’d suffered only a few minor wounds, which Zenna quickly healed.
Dannel rose from an orc corpse, slinging the dead creature’s quiver over his shoulder, and taking up its bow. His own custom-made bow had taken too much of a beating in their long trek through the jungles of the Demonskar and the fiery expanse of Occipitus, and he’d discarded it soon after running out of ammunition there.
“We’d better find someplace defensible,” he said.
SolidSnake
First Post
Lazybones said:
Check the Complete Divine. I think they updated all the clerical/paladin prestige classes to 3.5.
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Broccli_Head
Explorer
Nice geography ! makes me really want to start a new FR campaign with lowbies, but I know my current campaign will have none of it. 
Lazybones
Adventurer
Since I'm not currently in a "live" game, I'm no longer buying new d20 stuff (I actually only have the 3.5 PH, and I use the SRD for everything else). But if I see it at a store I'll make some notes in my PDA. Or maybe one of my helpful readers can point out the gist of it...SolidSnake said:
* * * * *
Chapter 235
Kavorek had been enjoying a pair of wenches when the scout returned. Every warrior in the tribe knew that interrupting his interludes was a risky prospect, so he knew immediately that the matter was urgent. He let the scout get off with a cuff that broke a few teeth, then tossed the wenches out and grabbed his breastplate and axe before stepping out into his antechamber to receive the report.
It was brief and to the point. Kavorek might have suspected exaggeration, but he accurately read the fear in the survivors of the clash, and he was far too canny to make the mistake of underestimating travelers that would brave the northern Alamirs, even in summer.
Well, no matter. Now that the intrusion had been made, and his warriors killed, a response was necessary. And even if these flatlanders were tough; well, his troops needed a bit of a blooding, before the raiding season began.
And just maybe, these travelers might have a bit of loot themselves, to make it worthwhile.
“The fists have assembled, Great One,” his second, Av’chek, said with a bow. The action was a bit above himself, Kavorek thought; the assembly was his to call, not the province of a subordinate. But he let it go, already feeling his blood begin to surge at the approach of the hunt.
Taking up his axe, he left the cave to stand upon the ledge at the end of the canyon.
Before him the canyon stretched like a dagger thrust into the mountains. The mouths of a hundred caves were visible, some screened by tacked furs, here or there the faded colors of woven cloth stolen from some flatland merchant or farmer. But the war-leader’s attention was focused on the gathered warriors that filled the canyon. Not a great host, but all one hundred and seventy seven orcs were fierce, skilled hunters. As he appeared, they lifted their weapons in salute; morningstars, war axes, clubs, swords, spears, bows. And at the forefront, the hammer of his army: six huge ogres, clad in breastplates of dull black metal, their visages masked by great black helms fashioned in the shape of a tusked skull. They were tough even for their kind, barbarians he’d recruited from the Omlarandins to the north.
Kavorek shifted his attention briefly to the shamans gathered to his left. The leader of them was a scarred old witchdoctor named Uk’bek, who nodded deferentially, dipping his sacred totem staff. Kavorek knew that the shamans resented his leadership over them, but he also knew that they feared his power, and the sheer might of his ogres.
The huge orog stepped forward to the very lip of the edge. “Enemies have entered our lands, brothers!” he cried, his booming voice filling the canyon and reverberating off its walls. “It is time for the hunt!”
As the orcs and ogres uttered a cry that shook the stones of the canyon, Kavorek lifted his huge axe above his head. The blade caught the sunlight and blazed brightly, and suddenly erupted into actual flames, their ruddy light forming an unholy nimbus around the figure of the armored orog, driving his warriors into an even greater frenzy that promised death and blood to come.
Lazybones
Adventurer
Ah, never mind, found it here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20040418a&page=2. Looks like the changes are minimal, but having the whole paladin spell list to choose from is pretty nice.SolidSnake said:
SolidSnake
First Post
Polynike said:ps can zenna have and axe blade or two through her skull pls![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
Man! I didn't realize that there was such hatred for Zenna out there. Admittedly, I get irritated at her decisions some of the time, but she has grown on me. Can't we all just get along?
Lazybones
Adventurer
Chapter 236
“They’re coming,” Mole said, jumping down from the house-sized boulder where she’d been looking out over the trail behind them.
“Damn,” Dannel said. “How many?”
“I only saw a few, but it sounds like a lot of them.”
“Bah,” Hodge said, turning and hefting his spear. “Let ‘em come, they’re just rabble. Kill a few, and the rest will turn tail and run, sure enough.”
“We’re too exposed here,” Dannel said. “Orcs are stupid and not known for their discipline, but they’ll circle around us and overwhelm our flanks here, sure enough.”
“So yer sayin’ that we should tuck our tails and run from them? Good strategy for elves, mebbe, but dwarves don’t be runnin’ from no blasted bloomin’ orcs!”
“This isn’t the time for a stupid argument!” Zenna said. She looked at Arun.
The paladin nodded. “I’m sure there will be plenty of orcs to go around,” he said. “Find us a good spot, Dannel, but you’d better make it quick.”
Dannel led them quickly down a trail that was little more than an old animal path. Soon they could all hear the sounds of pursuit; the orcs were not bothering to hide their approach, and the noise behind them drew steadily louder.
Finally the trail passed through a low defile that narrowed to maybe four paces across before opening onto a broad plateau. The dominating feature here was a rocky outcropping perhaps eighty paces across, its summit a good thirty feet above the surrounding terrain. Only one side was sheer enough to actually be called a cliff, but the other slopes were steep enough to offer a real hindrance to anyone seeking its summit, and rocky enough to provide good cover. A ring of maybe fifteen huge boulders formed a circle at the top of the tor, like a jeweled crown on the brow of some great king.
“A respectable fortress,” Arun offered.
“Why not just fight here?” Hodge asked, pointing to the defile. “Arun and me could hold a hunnert orcs here, while the rest of you cast yer spells and fire yer bows over our heads.”
Dannel pointed up, to the cliffs to either side, their tops about fifty feet up. “It would only take a few up there to roll boulders down on you, and that would be that. There’s too many approaches, and I’d bet that these orcs know every back trail and hidden path in these mountains. They can surround us there, but at least we can see every approach, they can’t get above us, and we can defend from all directions.”
“Of course, that doesn’t mean we need to just let them walk through this nice narrow space unopposed,” Mole said, darting into the rocks, gone in a flash.
“Be careful!” Zenna cried after her, knowing it was useless; Mole was Mole, that’s all there was to it.
“I’ll keep an eye out for them as well,” Dannel said, pulling out his magical slippers and putting them on. “The rest of you had better get over there and get into position.”
“Why don’t we all wait ‘ere, take a few down before fallin’ back?” Hodge suggested.
“Because they’d run us down before we reached the outcropping,” Arun answered for him. “Come on, let’s get going.”
No sooner had they reached the outcropping, and started up its surface, than they heard Dannel’s cry of alarm. The elf had descended the cliff and was running toward them at great speed, augmented by an expeditious retreat.
“What is it?” Arun yelled.
“There’s a big party coming along a trail that runs up along the tops of the cliffs!” he said. “And more approaching by the defile... they’ll be here in five minutes!”
“Mole!” Zenna yelled. “Get back here!”
“I tried to warn her, but she didn’t show herself,” Dannel said.
“Blasted fool gnome,” Hodge grumbled.
“She can handle herself,” Arun said. “We’d better get into position.”
The four companions scaled the rocky slope, all too aware of the growing intensity of the cries that sounded throughout the mountains behind them.
“They’re coming,” Mole said, jumping down from the house-sized boulder where she’d been looking out over the trail behind them.
“Damn,” Dannel said. “How many?”
“I only saw a few, but it sounds like a lot of them.”
“Bah,” Hodge said, turning and hefting his spear. “Let ‘em come, they’re just rabble. Kill a few, and the rest will turn tail and run, sure enough.”
“We’re too exposed here,” Dannel said. “Orcs are stupid and not known for their discipline, but they’ll circle around us and overwhelm our flanks here, sure enough.”
“So yer sayin’ that we should tuck our tails and run from them? Good strategy for elves, mebbe, but dwarves don’t be runnin’ from no blasted bloomin’ orcs!”
“This isn’t the time for a stupid argument!” Zenna said. She looked at Arun.
The paladin nodded. “I’m sure there will be plenty of orcs to go around,” he said. “Find us a good spot, Dannel, but you’d better make it quick.”
Dannel led them quickly down a trail that was little more than an old animal path. Soon they could all hear the sounds of pursuit; the orcs were not bothering to hide their approach, and the noise behind them drew steadily louder.
Finally the trail passed through a low defile that narrowed to maybe four paces across before opening onto a broad plateau. The dominating feature here was a rocky outcropping perhaps eighty paces across, its summit a good thirty feet above the surrounding terrain. Only one side was sheer enough to actually be called a cliff, but the other slopes were steep enough to offer a real hindrance to anyone seeking its summit, and rocky enough to provide good cover. A ring of maybe fifteen huge boulders formed a circle at the top of the tor, like a jeweled crown on the brow of some great king.
“A respectable fortress,” Arun offered.
“Why not just fight here?” Hodge asked, pointing to the defile. “Arun and me could hold a hunnert orcs here, while the rest of you cast yer spells and fire yer bows over our heads.”
Dannel pointed up, to the cliffs to either side, their tops about fifty feet up. “It would only take a few up there to roll boulders down on you, and that would be that. There’s too many approaches, and I’d bet that these orcs know every back trail and hidden path in these mountains. They can surround us there, but at least we can see every approach, they can’t get above us, and we can defend from all directions.”
“Of course, that doesn’t mean we need to just let them walk through this nice narrow space unopposed,” Mole said, darting into the rocks, gone in a flash.
“Be careful!” Zenna cried after her, knowing it was useless; Mole was Mole, that’s all there was to it.
“I’ll keep an eye out for them as well,” Dannel said, pulling out his magical slippers and putting them on. “The rest of you had better get over there and get into position.”
“Why don’t we all wait ‘ere, take a few down before fallin’ back?” Hodge suggested.
“Because they’d run us down before we reached the outcropping,” Arun answered for him. “Come on, let’s get going.”
No sooner had they reached the outcropping, and started up its surface, than they heard Dannel’s cry of alarm. The elf had descended the cliff and was running toward them at great speed, augmented by an expeditious retreat.
“What is it?” Arun yelled.
“There’s a big party coming along a trail that runs up along the tops of the cliffs!” he said. “And more approaching by the defile... they’ll be here in five minutes!”
“Mole!” Zenna yelled. “Get back here!”
“I tried to warn her, but she didn’t show herself,” Dannel said.
“Blasted fool gnome,” Hodge grumbled.
“She can handle herself,” Arun said. “We’d better get into position.”
The four companions scaled the rocky slope, all too aware of the growing intensity of the cries that sounded throughout the mountains behind them.
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