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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 3777182" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter 3, "The Fortress on the Hill", May 30th, 1005: The group discreetly checks out the town until about noon when the surviving guards from the crossroad battle wander into town. These survivors head immediately for a fortress on a hill in the center of town, housing twenty of Lord Kohlorahdooh's troops. Goodfellow also notices that the rod piece is tugging toward the same fortress, indicating that the next piece of the rod is somewhere inside. The group plans for an assault. This is also interrupted, as the innkeeper is again caught spying on them again. He is hauled into the room. He swears that he won't turn them in, and explains that he is a 1st level illusionist, who craves adventure. As a safety precaution the party keeps him in the room under close guard. [DM’s Note #4: All twelve months in the Aldornian calendar have thirty days. The calendar had been created by the elvan Lord Aldorn, the ruler of the elvan Lordholding bearing his name. Lord Aldorn also served as the continent’s second King.] June 1st, 1005 As the fighters plan the attack, Nimmy and Augustine work on finding transportation for the group's getaway. With the help of her "charm person" spell they manage to buy a boat for a fraction of what it is worth. At approximately 11:00 A.M. the attack is initiated. Since Serita and Goodfellow were not at the crossroad battle, and therefore would not be recognized, they approach the fort. They tell the guards at the gate that they found some dead soldiers outside of the town. Several troops head inside to go get their captain. Serita gives a signal and Adajia, Hherrmyie, Klaaze, and Silas ride their horses up the hill at full gallop, charging the doorway. Augustine runs up the steep side of the hill, and climbs the building. The innkeeper, Vilicus, casts an illusion of a duststorm to provide cover for D.C., Kharole and Timothy to approach the fort unseen. The paladin, druid, and four fighters make their way into the front hallway of the fort, killing many guards. Other guards fire arrows out into the courtyard at the other party members, who have to take cover to keep from being hit. Augustine and Silas charge at a group of soldiers coming in from the barracks rooms, but are not very successful as the Captain of the troops enters the room and pulls a lever, causing ten trapdoors in the floor to open up beneath them. Augustine manages to jump away, but Silas falls down a pit, impaling his face on a bed of spikes. Narg and Hherrmyie attack the Captain, a 4th level fighter. The man manages to wound both half-elves, but also takes a fair amount of damage himself. A magic-user wearing army colors enters the room and hits both Narg and Hherrmyie with magic-missiles. This gives the captain time to retreat. Adajia and Hherrmyie manage to kill the last of the enemy archers, allowing the spellcasters to get in closer. The captain returns, holding a scepter, which he points at Narg and says "begone". Narg then vanishes, appearing on the northside of town. Goodfellow and Klaaze then attack the captain before he can do anymore damage, and take the scepter. While searching his body they also find the next piece of the rod. Kharole, Serita and Timothy use up the last of their offensive spells on the remaining soldiers, only to see ten more soldiers charge into the room. The enemy magic-user returns and starts to "summon animals" as a bear appears in the room. Timothy says, “We got what we were after,” and then orders a retreat. Sir Goodfellow pulls Silas's unconscious body out the pit, and the group heads for the door, taking several arrows from behind. They all head for the docks, except for Vilicus who had chickened out and Narg who is presumed dead by those who saw him vanish. They soon discover that the boat that Nimmy obtained is too small for all eleven of them. Fortunately another boat that has just arrived in town, and on it are the two people who Toronas had hired that had missed joining the party in Halla, who assist the party in commandeering the second boat. The two newcomers introduce themselves as Tao, a human monk, and Annie a human fighter. They are disappointed in having missed the first real battle. Both boats are quickly sailed away, as the surviving soldiers arrive at the beach. A total of thirteen soldiers were killed. Back in Gelorynth Narg meets up with Vilicus. and the two ride out of town. They head east, the direction that the two boats were heading. They soon run into a half-elven ranger named Mark, who is traveling toward Gelorynth. He says that he is from the Aldorn Lordholding, and was sent to look for the daughter of a ranger friend of his, who is late in returning home. "She wouldn't by any chance be named Serita?" asks Narg. "Why yes," replies Mark. "Then come with us," is the response. By evening the group stops the two boats along the beach, approximately five miles from the walls of the City of Jawltorn, the Lordholding’s Capital and home to Lord Kohlorahdooh. They are also being tugged to the next piece of the rod, apparently somewhere within the city. Klaaze is starting to find Serita's dog to be rather annoying, and buys a vial of poison from Annie to use to get rid of it. As he tries to get near the dog it growls at him, so Klaaze changes his mind. D.C. mixes up some healing ointments to help the wounded. Silas requires a great deal of healing. D.C. does what he can for him, but the right eye appears to be permanently blind. Rather than being bothered by this Silas considers the wound to be “a badge of honor.” The rest of the party debates weather they should put the two pieces of the Rod together. They decide not to. June 2nd , 1005: At dawn a ship is sighted in the distance. As it nears shore four rowboats are cast off from it. The party decides to pack up. As the rowboats get closer they are seen to contain orc pirates, about twelve per boat. The group abandons their own boats, and climb the sand dunes in retreat. The orcs land their boats, and charge after them yelling "I see elves to kill."</blockquote>

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