New Frontiers #24

[GM Mad]

New Frontiers #24


Tower Commanders:

Stepping up to the two chained men, Kharyna invokes one of the extra powers afforded her by Mystra: the detection of magic. Examining the two men, Kharyna can tell that they are under the effects of Enchantment & Alteration magic.

(Only one casting of the spell is required. Its duration is long enough to examine both men.)

With there being magic present, Sherwood attempts to remove it. He asks that everyone else move a safe distance away before attempting the Dispel. No need to accidentally ruin other active magicks on group members.

The attempt meets mixed results. The Commander does appear to be reacting to the spell and acts as if coming out of a deep, deep sleep. Then once fully aware, the trauma from his ordeal begins to show. He immediately repents his past misdeeds, only desiring to make things right once more. The other man, the artillerist of the ballista, remains unaffected and hostile.

Kharyna can determine that the Commander is now free of enchantment, but the spell still holds the artillerist

Once calmed down enough, the tower commander relates his tale on what happened in Beleme Swamp last summer.

"There were growing signs and reports of undead activity originating from Beleme Swamp over the summer. All who live in this area know that the swamp is an evil place and folks tend to avoid it. However, something malevolent was stirring there and we moved in to clean it up. Lord Cavius and a squad of his best men set out on this task."

"Things turned strange when we stopped for the evening, camping out less than a half-day's ride from the swamp. Large and strange creatures came forth and charged into our camp. As big as a warhorse they were! Lizard-like, but with eight legs."

"Sounds like a basilisk", Sherwood notes. "Those must be the 'enchanted creatures' we've been hearing about."

"Aye!", the Commander agrees. "That's what Lord Cavius thought too. But these beasts didn't change men into stone. No, it somehow drained their will! Those men who had looked into the eyes of the lizards made for the swamp as if the fires of the abyss were right behind them!"

"I fell under the vile influence of these things and made for the swamp. I couldn't stop myself. It was like I had no control of my legs. I and those also controlled entered the swamp. The place was a miserable mess. Trails going haphazardly about the place. Dismal, horrible place."

"But somehow we knew where we were going. We encountered some form of undead along the way. What had once been men, but with their flesh rotting away. The creatures simply ignored us. There were other living men there as well, but they ignored us too."

"Finally we reached some sort of shrine deep in the swamp. It was a place that stank with the stench of evil. We were told that it was the stronghold of Vryxnr, the Lord of Corruption. He appeared before us and claimed that we would be enthralled to him forever. That our miserable lives would be lived in pain and suffering as we did the things our evil master would require."

"Each of us were forced up to the altar. There was a pool there with some blackish liquid in it. Each of us was compelled to drink from it. That liquid did something to us. We were feverish for several days before coming out of it and were as I was before. We were sent back to Rennydale to prepare for the Lord of Corruption's arrival. Lord Cavius was to coerce others into consuming black liquid, thus causing them to be enthralled to the Lord of Corruption."

"I was sent to the tower to prevent any from escaping Rennydale to tell outsiders of what was transpiring. Others were dispatched to carry out tasks for the Lord of Corruption. Where they were sent, I do not know."

[GM Mad]

Private Robensen:

"I am certain that you did what you could to help those who passed by escape the evil of these men."

"Nay, milord. We should have rebelled sooner. Much more could have been done and lives spared."

"We will destroy these evil priests and the undead that plague these lands. The Beleme Swamp will be cleared before we depart Rennydale. Any who have sided with the Cult of the Blackflame will be destroyed. "

"Then it will be a joyous time for Rennydale, Lord Validar. We will all pray for your success in defeating this evil."

"Do not underestimate the value that you and your men may be in this war. Already you have helped all the people who have passed this place to escape the land. The fate of all other refugees who pass is in your hands. I implore you all to not allow anyone in the control of Lord Cavius to take leadership of this tower and the bridge. I entrust you to make certain that no one even enters this tower or proceeds across the bridge if they are flying Rennydale colors. We will fly a blue pinion from the flag mast instead of Rennydale green to indicate that this tower is no longer under the control of the evil forces. Your task is to control this tower until Rennydale is returned to its former glory. If you complete this task and assist any refugees to pass, temporarily encamping in Ansimont or some other nearby place, then all of you shall be greatly rewarded in honor and in coin."

"We will hold the tower, milord, or perish in the attempt. This I give you my word. I do not seek glory or gold, milord, merely the return of our homeland from evil hands. Let the enemies of Rennydale dwell beyond our towns instead of within."

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:


Bodies in the ravine:

The bodies seem to be mostly human. The most recent, and the most still intact, seem to belong to peasants. None appear to have been well dressed or in good physical condition. Much like the peasants you encountered, the bodies are either female or very old and young males.


Alter Self:

It takes 1 round to assume the new form and to return to your original form. The description to Alter Self does not give a time limit to it, but Polyself does have a 1 round delay in changing forms. Since Alter Self is a less powerful version of Polyself, it stands to reason that it takes at least as long as 1 round, if not longer. I choose to keep it at 1 round. Yes, I really need to get a Spell Commentary page put together!

Lantern Oil & Cloth:

They have an extra flask of lamp oil to spare and some cloth can be scrounged up.

Now what?

[Validar]

VALIDAR -

Kharyna and Sherwood cast their magicks on the combative prisoners and the Commander comes out of his induced-trance. After dealing with the shock of his actions under the influence of the foul magicks, the Commander tells his tale.

The Tower Commander confirms that a black liquid was introdiced to them to bring them under the control of this Lord of Corruption. "It seems that what has introduced to Lord Cavius and his men was the same that was attempted on the Baron of Pyris. Fortunately, Elspeth was able to counter the effects of that foul potion," Validar will comment when the commander has completed his tale. "So now we seem to have both a black flame and a black WATER to contend with. Interesting."

"It is clear to me that we must first attempt to deal with the situation in Rennyale and the affects of the potion on the noble house and Cavius' followers. Then when the effects on Rennydale have been abated, then we can concentrate our attention on this self-proclaimed Lord of Corruption. We owe it to the people of Rennydale to destroy all of the evil monsters that exist in their midst."

"Then we can move on the vile undead and the soulless slug who calls himself Vryxnr. You can be certain Ivy that the Guardians of the Light will not rest until these undead are erradicated. We will cleanse this land of the foul blackness that infests it and continues to fester. It is no longer unchallenged."

"We must put an end to this potion of control, as it could have been dispatched to any number of locations. I would suggest that we have as many Dispel Magic spells available as possible and also to be very prepared to destroy these eight-legged lizards as quickly as we see them. I would not wish to have any of this group affected by their mind-control. Do any of our clerics have spells which would help us resist these affects?"

Validar will turn to the commander and ask, "Does this Lord of Corruption now sit in rule on Rennydale or elsewere? What seems to be Lord Cavius' task in this evil plan that has enthralled these lands? Are there many patrols about or is the might of soldiers concentrated in the city?"


"I am certain that you did what you could to help those who passed by escape the evil of these men."

"Nay, milord. We should have rebelled sooner. Much more could have been done and lives spared."

"Keep that in your mind in the future and always strive to do what is right, not what is easy." Validar gives the man a consoling clap on the shoulder.

"We will hold the tower, milord, or perish in the attempt. This I give you my word. I do not seek glory or gold, milord, merely the return of our homeland from evil hands. Let the enemies of Rennydale dwell beyond our towns instead of within."

"I agree with your sentiment, Robensen. With your commander now returned to you, I am even more confident of your success. Assist those who require it that pass by the tower and do not allow any others to pass. If we do our job as expected, then you should not have much to contend with and certainly not for long."


Addressing those of his group, Validar will say, "I have the basis for a plan formed now. I am curious what each of you think about the situation and what we should do to recover Rennydale, end the influence of this Lord of Corruption, destroy his vile monsters and undead and rip his putrid shrine from the swamp and destroy him for all time."

[Sherwood]

Sherwood:

"As any who are familiar with the ways of Mystra would know, Detection Magic is a special gift that the Lady of Mysteries bestows upon her followers. I can Detect Magic multiple times per day without memorization of the spell. I also have a Dispel Magic spell in memory for use."

"Indeed, I am familiar with the gifts of Mystra, Kharyna, however I prefer not to speak for others or assume that you had one available. I welcome your assistance in this matter."

"Could it also not be the lure or promise of power for loyalty in such a coup? Many are swayed to gain power, rank, prestige or wealth. Kingdoms have risen and fallen because of it. Men and others of evil or selfish hearts could easily be ones like those who were in command here, wishing to do well for their masters so they may be elevated themselves."

"What you speak is true, Songstress. Given the state of the kingdom and the dissatisfaction some have with our rulers, such a thing is very possible. Especially here in the far reaches of the outer kingdom, far away from the safety of the capital."

Kylie listens to Sherwood's lecture, though with a bit of a puzzled look on her delicate features. When he finishes, she responds with several questions and comments. "This is a new spell for me, so my understanding may be poor. However, I was under the impression that the spell would last a minimum of 10 minutes, and perhaps as many as 20. I wouldn't have thought it would take that long to fly across the ravine over there.

"I understand that it is a new spell for you, Kylie. I was just attempting to point out some of the finer points of the spell that you may not have been aware of is all. Indeed, 10 to 20 minutes seems like the proper time frame for the magic to function. As Kharyna kindly noted, the spell limits the forms you can take to those that are vaguely man shaped and you can only reduce your mass by half. So you wouldn't be able to turn into a crow and deceive a viewer close up, but far away it should be fine. The spell also only gives you a fraction of the full speed of the real bird. I'd estimate that you could fly in crow form only about as fast as you could walk. Given that you'd need to fly away from the tower so as not to be spotted as something out of the ordinary and the slower flight rate, the spell might expire while you were still in mid-flight. That is the concern I was trying to address."

"So how long does it take to revert to my usual body? I had assumed it would only take a few seconds. Hardly long enough to leave myself particularly vulnerable. I knew I wouldn't be able to cast spells as a bird, but thought I could change quickly - particularly if they aren't paying much attention to me - and then catch them with a quick spell. Sleep, for example, is very fast, and Web takes only slightly longer."

"On average, about a minute. Much longer than you suspected. And more than enough time for an enemy to react to your presence."

"I don't either," Kylie replies to Sherwood. "However, like Kharyna, I have some ability to detect enchantments - though not as often as she."

"Very good. Stand ready in case additional Detect Magic spells are needed."


Kharyna detects the presence of magic and then Sherwood moves in to dispel it. He is mildly surprised that he only negates the magic on one of the men and not both. Most peculiar.

"This is not normal magic we are dealing with here. It was far more difficult to remove than a normal spell should be. I would have expected to remove the enchantments from both men or from neither, but not from only one. Very unusual. Of course, this enchantment might be of sterner stuff than regular magic. It would have to be if it caused Elspeth so much trouble in her treatment of the Baron."

Sherwood listens to the man's tale with interest. "Beleme Swamp has long been a source of evil. Many times has it been raided during our kingdom's history, but it has yet to be eradicated. I have not personally been there myself, but those are the tales I have heard. Whatever evil does flourish there lives like a weed in dire need of being plucked."

"I agree that we should deal with the situation with Lord Cavius here in Rennydale first before moving on to the swamp. It's on the path of our journey anyway and Cavius might be able to provide us with more information on what we are dealing with."

"If it is as difficult to remove this magic as I suspect, I may have to have Jallarzi join us since she is a greater mage than I. If I'm having difficultly dispelling it, then everyone else here would have an even greater challenge. But, we'll come to that when the time comes. First we capture Cavius and try to remove his enchantment."

"Basilisks can be deadly creatures to the unwary. Their gaze does turn one into stone, but they do have their limits. They are not fast creatures, in spite of the number of legs they have. Furthermore, they possess only an animal level of intelligence."

"Assuming these Basilisks of Compulsion are similar to the stoning variety, then there is a safe range of 30 paces where you can stand and not be affected by their gaze. Those mages who have Gaze Reflection should have it ready to cast it for protection. The duration of the spell is only a few minutes, but enough time to slay the creatures with the force we have assembled here. Otherwise, keep your distance and attack from range."

[Kharyna]

KHARYNA -

"Indeed, I am familiar with the gifts of Mystra, Kharyna, however I prefer not to speak for others or assume that you had one available. I welcome your assistance in this matter."

Kharyna gives the older mage a strange look, then shakes it away. "That's what I am here for."

Kharyna detects the presence of magic and then Sherwood moves in to dispel it. He is mildly surprised that he only negates the magic on one of the men and not both. Most peculiar.

"This is not normal magic we are dealing with here. It was far more difficult to remove than a normal spell should be. I would have expected to remove the enchantments from both men or from neither, but not from only one. Very unusual. Of course, this enchantment might be of sterner stuff than regular magic. It would have to be if it caused Elspeth so much trouble in her treatment of the Baron."

"Well, it can't hurt for me to try on the other guy. I still have one in my ring if we really need another." Kharyna will cast her memorized Dispel Magic on the other man, after everyone else has moved away. She will then see if he is still under influence of magic, casting another Detect if necessary.

Kharyna will change her memorized spell list as noted in the proper thread.

[Validar]

VALIDAR -

"We need to have a plan prepared in advance should we encounter the trolls or especially these lizards. There could be an ambush situation or perhaps a quick encounter in these rolling hills of Rennydale."

"Our best bet with such a foe is a 3-pronged attack commonly referred to as the Bull's Horns. This will be a variation of that idea. A main core of the force will remain behind and attack by range, even retreating slightly as necessary to keep the attackers from entering melee or in this case Gaze range. That group will be: Chareos, Grondar, Kharyna, Kylie, Lara, Laucian, Arocken, Lilia, Lyonessa, Sherra, Sherwood, and Talia. Those with any hand to hand combat skill should comprise the first rank with the others spead out behind them. Most combat should be ranged or spells."

"Meanwhile, Acerion, Aswansea and Ivy will sweep in from the left flank and Corley, Po and myself will sweep in from the right. This action will allow area affect spells to be cast without fear of hitting the fighters as well as giving the ranged combatants a clear view. The flank attacks also help to protect against the vile gaze attack as their attention should be directed to the front and the main group rather than a few stragglers breaking off."

"Then as the enemy advances to close with those attacking them from range, the fighters have less distance to travel and a open target from the flanks."

"Finally, there should be some sort of coordination among the mages so that everyone does not target the same area or waste fireballs and lightning bolts. I am sure that Sherwood can handle those details. Any questions?"

[Lyonessa]

Lyonessa:

Listening to this disheartening tale of the freed commander, Lyonessa is glad no lives had to be taken to cross the bridge. Enough turmoil lives in these lands. More than she could have dreamed back in crowded Kingsport.

"I fell under the vile influence of these things and made for the swamp. I couldn't stop myself. It was like I had no control of my legs. I and those also controlled entered the swamp. The place was a miserable mess. Trails going haphazardly about the place. Dismal, horrible place."

This statement makes Lyonessa wonder. "Were there elves with you? I ask because it sounds like a powerful charm. If no elves are under these beasts sway then perhaps the high resistances could play to our favor."

When Validar puts forth the plan of attack it sounds good. Something brings a question to her lips however.

"We need to have a plan prepared in advance should we encounter the trolls or especially these lizards. There could be an ambush situation or perhaps a quick encounter in these rolling hills of Rennydale."

"So am I to understand we would travel in such a pattern as you described, this 'bull's horns' from here out? If we were ambushed we could hardly prepare such a formation after the fact. What if they attack at night while camped like the commander told in his tale? I know the dwellings are magical but what happens if we walk out in the morning into the waiting gaze of stalking basilisks?"

[Validar]

VALIDAR -

"So am I to understand we would travel in such a pattern as you described, this 'bull's horns' from here out? If we were ambushed we could hardly prepare such a formation after the fact. What if they attack at night while camped like the commander told in his tale? I know the dwellings are magical but what happens if we walk out in the morning into the waiting gaze of stalking basilisks?"

"That would not be the plan to travel in such a formation, Lyonessa of Mystra," Validar explains. The group is in a double column when travelling on these roads and the bulk of the group would be in the main group, which would not have to adjust formation at all other than breaking column."

"Only the six of us are required to act in an initially indirect manner, so that should be one of the simplest plans to complete in an emergency or a short time. Should we be attacked from surprise, then we must follow some sort of plan and this is very easy."

"If the attack at night, we are inside the magickal protective dwellings, so we can be prepared should something be waiting for us in the morning. We can see out of the dwellings and they are magickally locked. Sherwood's cannot even be detected easily I believe, so there is little likelihood of such an issue, a long as we are prepared for it. It is not like the Rod of Security that the Seekers used and ran into an ambush as you describe."

"I am not worried about a direct ambush as we are a large group and we have many capable rangers in our midst. The idea is more to be prepared on what to do rather than be concerned about it happening. We have a very powerful assemblage here that only the most foolish would attempt to attack. Unless they were even larger and then the odds of them ambushing us are much less."

[Kylie]

Kylie:

"I understand that it is a new spell for you, Kylie. I was just attempting to point out some of the finer points of the spell that you may not have been aware of is all. Indeed, 10 to 20 minutes seems like the proper time frame for the magic to function. As Kharyna kindly noted, the spell limits the forms you can take to those that are vaguely man shaped and you can only reduce your mass by half. So you wouldn't be able to turn into a crow and deceive a viewer close up, but far away it should be fine. The spell also only gives you a fraction of the full speed of the real bird. I'd estimate that you could fly in crow form only about as fast as you could walk. Given that you'd need to fly away from the tower so as not to be spotted as something out of the ordinary and the slower flight rate, the spell might expire while you were still in mid-flight. That is the concern I was trying to address."

"On average, about a minute. Much longer than you suspected. And more than enough time for an enemy to react to your presence."

"It seems there is still much for me to learn," Kylie replies, a note of disappointment in her voice. "I will have to study more to get a better feel for the limits and uses of this spell. It certainly appears to be of less use than I had hoped."

Kylie watches as Kharyna first, and then Sherwood, work their talents on the 2 men. Their efforts appear to pay off, at least with the former leader of this post. The tale he has to tell is less than pleasant, and Kylie isn't particularly liking the thought of following in their steps. Of course, she can't remember hearing of a basilisk before, but the discussion tells her as much as she really wants to know. Kylie hopes to be able to just avoid them, either way.

Validar, Lyonessa and Sherwood speak their peace in turn. They certainly seem confident of their ability to deal with all aspects this threat, whatever they may turn out to be. Kylie feels less confident, particularly considering her lack of mastery of even her own abilities. Still, she cannot deny that what they propose needs doing.

"While I am not so confident as you of the outcome of this effort, I believe we must make the attempt, though it may cost lives even from among us. I will do what I can to help and support the effort. As for the strategy, I have little to add in that regard as it is not something that I have a knowledge of."

She turns to Sherwood. "I will make certain to keep a couple of Gaze Reflection spells in my arsenal."
_____________________________________________________
It seems I will be learning right along with Kylie in regards to what spells can do and how they work. Not necessarily a bad thing, in my opinion.

[Grondar]

Grondar:

Grondar listens carefully as the tower commander relates his tale. There is much in it he doesn't like the sound of. In particular, the temple of Vryxnr in the swamp. There are few gods known to him that are as vile, and its presence in the area can bode nothing good.

He turns to Validar. "I agree that we must stamp out the undead in the swamp and tear down the temple of that unholy god. I doubt we can actually destroy Vryxnr, but destroying the shrine should set him back a bit and lessen his influence in this area. Our best approach would seem to be one step at a time, starting with the town of Rennydale. We must discover the situation with Lord Cavius and see what we can do to help him, as well as removing those wicked priests from the city."

Validar's plan for dealing with the basilisk's draws a grunt of acknowledgement from Grondar. "I'm not much inclined to fighting from the rear, but your tactics have merit. I will do as you say and strive to protect those who may be more vulnerable." Grondar's eyes stray over to Kylie and Talia for a moment before returning to Validar.

[Validar]

VALIDAR -

"While I am not so confident as you of the outcome of this effort, I believe we must make the attempt, though it may cost lives even from among us. I will do what I can to help and support the effort. As for the strategy, I have little to add in that regard as it is not something that I have a knowledge of."

"You are among many talented individuals here, young Kylie, and you should not downplay your own considerable talents. There is no doubt that many of us may die in this glorious cause, but the sacrifice will be remembered by many for decades to come. We lost many good people in the Seekers just on the attack to free Gateway from the seige. Many more fell in the Frontier. But this war must be taken up. Many lives and perhaps the very kingdom depends on it. We welcome your support and your talents, Kylie of Elcadan."


Validar's plan for dealing with the basilisk's draws a grunt of acknowledgement from Grondar. "I'm not much inclined to fighting from the rear, but your tactics have merit. I will do as you say and strive to protect those who may be more vulnerable." Grondar's eyes stray over to Kylie and Talia for a moment before returning to Validar.

"Thank you Grondar. Your flexibility with your crossbow made you more valuable in the main group and also give the ability to hold your ground should some of the basilisks reach the group. Rest assured, your place will not always be in such a position, but is best for this tactic."

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

Validar will turn to the commander and ask, "Does this Lord of Corruption now sit in rule on Rennydale or elsewhere? What seems to be Lord Cavius' task in this evil plan that has enthralled these lands? Are there many patrols about or is the might of soldiers concentrated in the city?"

The last the commander knew, the Lord of Corruption ruled from his shrine in the depths of the Beleme Swamp. While not completely sure, Lord Cavius' role was to ensnare other nobles and bring them under the thrall of the Lord of Corruption. With Rennydale now under this total rule, Lord Cavius has become lax in his security efforts. Organized patrols do not roam the countryside. Security at his small castle is only half-heartedly carried out. However, the more rowdy of the guards are known to raid nearby towns and have some fun terrorizing the peasants. Furthermore, the enchanted trolls and basilisks summoned by the Brazier are known to patrol the castle.

Lord Cavius' forces consist of around 120 men, most of which were impressed into the military on pain of death. Perhaps only a third of those men are really loyal to the baron. There is also four priests sent by Vryxnr to keep an eye on things and advise the baron. Lastly, there are over fifty prisoners in the Baron's dungeons and perhaps twice as many enslaved servants. Far more servants than a castle the size of Lord Cavius' would really need.


Kharyna casts Dispel Magic on the artillerist and it has the desired effect. He comes out from the Lord of Corruption's spell much the same way the tower commander did. The artillerist will pretty much echo the commander's story and have nothing significant to add.

Also, mages and priests can only change their spells after resting. So until the group stops and rests for the night, Kharyna and everyone else is stuck with their current spell lists.

This statement makes Lyonessa wonder. "Were there elves with you? I ask because it sounds like a powerful charm. If no elves are under these beasts sway then perhaps the high resistances could play to our favor."

The commander and the artillerist will consider for a few moments. "No, there were no elfin folk among us."


You may want to decide what your next move is going to be too.

Chareos and Laucian emailed me there abbreviated moves a while back as he didn't have time to post them. Here they are now:

Chareos would like to suggest to Sherwood and Validar to subdivide the mages/archers into smaller groups maybe 2 groups of 6 or 3 groups of four(two mages, 2 archers{counting Laucian and Grondar as archers.} Also he will want to ask if they are staying the night if they do I want to put all Chareos first level spells into his Ioun stone minus the gust of wind so that should be 6 spells total plus the gust of wind. If they stay the night at the post he will study gaze reflections for morning.

As for Laucian take a few arrows apply the cloth to the arrow tip, in essence making torch arrows as or the lantern oil he will merely hold on to that and place them in his saddle bags. If most of the archers do not wish to stand and be on the front line as Validar suggests Laucian will fight with sword and dagger towards the front forgoing his bow.

Feel free to change/update/expand on these, Dave.

[Kharyna]

KHARYNA -

Kharyna manages to successfully Dispel the effects on the other man and a bright smile comes to her face as her magick succeeds in its function.

She listens to the Commander's explanation of the forces at Lord Cavius' command. "This may turn out to be easier than we expected, other than the monsters," she will offer confidently. "I wonder what kind of magickal treasures this Lord of Corruption might have captured. Not that I'd want any of his own artifacts from the sounds of it."

Also, mages and priests can only change their spells after resting. So until the group stops and rests for the night, Kharyna and everyone else is stuck with their current spell lists.

Yes, I knew this and was assuming that the change would be made after the next stop. Just wanted to address it while thinking of it, especially with the delay. Should have been clearer perhaps.

[Validar]

VALIDAR -

Validar listens intently to the information provided by the Tower Commander. When the explanation is completed, Validar will speak up again. "Lord Cavius appears to be little more than a lightly valued pawn in the plans of this vile Lord of Corruption. While I am certain that there is the expectation of success in avius' plans, this Vryxnr has only seemed to provide Cavius with 4 advisors and these enchanted monsters. Perhaps he has desires to distance himself from Cavius should this plan fail."

"In any case, unless the situation has changed since the commander here was aware, we have the advantage of forces not being conentrated between the two. Perhaps this Lord of Corruption is not even ale to leave his putrid swamp."

"Our first mission therefore cannot be argued to ride to Rennydale and deal with Lord Cavius. His overconfidence now that Rennydale is in a fist of terror gives us an advantage in that we should not have to fight our way to the Castle. We may encounter some small random patrols, but this is easier to deal with and gives us the chance to move more quickly than we otherwise might. Our goals are to capture Cavius, free the prisoners, kill or capture the priests and destroy the monsters in the castle and any in the surrounding countryside we encounter."

Validar will turn to the mages and ask, "Is there any chance that destruction of this brazier will destroy the existing monsters or will those summoned by necessity need to be destroyed individually?"


Kharyna - "This may turn out to be easier than we expected, other than the monsters," she will offer confidently.

Validar turns to the mage. "I hope you are correct, Kharyna of Mystra. We certainly have a fine assemblage of powerful individuals here. Cavius seems overconfident, which gives us a further advantage. And we have information about the Lord of Corruption. I also think that based on our current information we should succeed quite easily. However, things are not always as they appear on the surface."


Chareos would like to suggest to Sherwood and Validar to subdivide the mages/archers into smaller groups maybe 2 groups of 6 or 3 groups of four (two mages, 2 archers{counting Laucian and Grondar as archers.} Also he will want to ask if they are staying the night.

Validar listens to Chareos' suggestion. "The idea was to have a simple plan in an emergency. If find a patrol and decide to attack, then your plan is the one we will go with. However, most everyone in one group is simpler and faster to deploy quickly, and we will not have to change our riding order."

"As for continuing on or camping here for the night, I think there are advantages to both. We can move closer to our next task or we can assure that this tower is established as our ally and perhaps get more information from passing villagers. My choice however would be to move on."

Validar looks to the others for their comments.

[Chareos]

Chareos

The young mage begins to listen to the plans made by Lord Validar to use a "bulls horns" maneuver if they are encountered in the open. Thinking how the main group should be compromised he offers a few suggestions along with a question.

" This Bulls horns of which you speak, wouldn't it be wise to subdivide the main group, perhaps in three groups of Four giving us in essence 5 different mixes of combatants. The groups that would make up the horns would be compromised of the fighters; the next interior groups a mixture of two fighters(archers) and a mage and a cleric and the last as more or less a mixture of those who are left. This middle group could sway between the the two out side groups giving aid as they saw fit. Perhaps Master Sherwood would lead this group."

"Forgive me for asking but where would I be best suited for such a formation? As far as I understand it, Sherwood's Stone Skin spell he bestowed on me is still in effect and would compensate for my lack of armor though my spell work might be lacking. I'll leave the choice to you."


Soon Lyonessa voices her opinion,

"So am I to understand we would travel in such a pattern as you described, this 'bull's horns' from here out? If we were ambushed we could hardly prepare such a formation after the fact. What if they attack at night while camped like the commander told in his tale? I know the dwellings are magical but what happens if we walk out in the morning into the waiting gaze of stalking basilisks?"

"We must simply not make the same mistakes as our predecessors, camping out in the open or on the crown of a ridge, given the terrain of course, we could have ample warning to not fall under the same predicament."

" I for one would rather be safe than sorry and remain here for the remainder of the night. Given now that we know more clearly what lies ahead I believe it would be folly to act rashly and confront such an enemy unprepared."

[Laucian]

Laucian

Laucian thanks the private for the flask of oil and cloth and proceeds to sit and listen to the others as they determine their fate. As he listens to Validar's wishes for the use of Bull horns tactic if we are indeed attacked he begins to cut strips of cloth and proceeds to take 5 of his arrows and wrap the arrowheads with cloth.

He soon will speak his mind when the time presents itself. "If it were up to me I would ride to Rennydale this very moment, This vile evil that has plagued this land has planted a seed over 6 months ago and slowly it grows, even now...... There are those of us that may say wait the forthcoming night. I disagree. The people of these lands have long suffered the wrath of this Lord of Corruption and I for one do not wish to see them in this purgatory any longer. I say we ride with the utmost haste."


"I am not worried about a direct ambush as we are a large group and we have many capable rangers in our midst. The idea is more to be prepared on what to do rather than be concerned about it happening. We have a very powerful assemblage here that only the most foolish would attempt to attack. Unless they were even larger and then the odds of them ambushing us are much less."

Lyonessa and Validar begin to speak of ambushes, and the conversation catches his ear. Rising to his feet and joining the conversation, "Lady Lyonessa I would not worry too much about such things. As Lord Validar says we do have a powerful and well diverse group here that would rival many a beast and men alike. But first these beasts must find what they are looking for. There are tactics for such things: Doubling back, cross a stream to lose our scents as well as tracks. If Arocken and myself do what is asked of us to the letter then there is little to fear."

[Sherwood]

Sherwood:

Kharyna gives the older mage a strange look, then shakes it away. "That's what I am here for."

Sensing the young Mystran's confusion, Sherwood will add, "While the ability to Detect Magic is a common gift among your priesthood, not all priests have that ability, receiving other gifts instead. I merely didn't wish to assume you had that particular talent."

"Well, it can't hurt for me to try on the other guy. I still have one in my ring if we really need another." Kharyna will cast her memorized Dispel Magic on the other man, after everyone else has moved away. She will then see if he is still under influence of magic, casting another Detect if necessary.

"No, give it a try by all means." Sherwood will be pleased when Kharyna meets with success. "Very good. Perhaps my fears were misplaced and this will not be as difficult as I suspected."

"It seems there is still much for me to learn," Kylie replies, a note of disappointment in her voice. "I will have to study more to get a better feel for the limits and uses of this spell. It certainly appears to be of less use than I had hoped."

Sherwood will reach out and give Kylie a reassuring grasp on the shoulder. "I too have much to learn Kylie. One can spend many lifetimes trying to master all of Mystra's gifts. Alter Self is just one of a series of spells mages can use to change their appearance. The first is Change Self where you can make yourself look like another humanoid race. Then with Alter Self you can make changes that move you away from the standard humanoid appearance. With Polyself you can take on forms radically different from our normal shape and also make multiple changes. Finally with Shape Change you can actually gain some of the abilities of the creatures you change into. Each spell gives you a little more variety as you advanced in levels. There are also some specialized spells that allow a mage to change into a specific form only, but those four are the main form altering spells. As you grow more powerful, some spells will be discarded for better versions. Why just use Change Shape, when you can use the more powerful Alter Self? Or in my case, why use Alter Self when the even more powerful Polyself is available? It's all part of the learning process."


When the talk turns to strategy, Sherwood doesn’t have much to add. Validar's plan to deal with ambushes is fine with him.

"While I am not so confident as you of the outcome of this effort, I believe we must make the attempt, though it may cost lives even from among us. I will do what I can to help and support the effort. As for the strategy, I have little to add in that regard as it is not something that I have a knowledge of."

"Yes, we must definitely stop what is transpiring here. This is potentially a threat to the entire kingdom and must be dealt with. There is always the risk of comrades falling in battle. It’s a hazard of this profession. However, such risks can be lessened by scouting out what we are getting into. Analyzing the situation and devising a strategy to maximize our efforts at a minimal risk."

"To that end, it seems to me that we must be pushing onward. My Polyself spell still has a few hours left to it. I can turn back into an eagle once more and scout on ahead. While I'm doing that, push on towards Rennydale in our standard riding formation. Perhaps send Laucian and Arocken a bit ahead to scout out potential dangers. I'll alert you if I see anything in your path."

"This operation will not be completed in one day. For one thing we mages will need to retool our spell lists to deal with the specifics of this situation. More Dispel Magics and Gaze Reflections will be needed. It seems to me that the rest of this day should be spend moving closer to Rennydale, eliminating any trolls and basilisk we come across. Scout out Cavius' castle and devious a strategy to take it with a minimal of bloodshed."

"Unfortunately, it seems to me that traditional strategies of war will not win the battle quickly this day. Rennydale has dealt with humanoid invasions over the years and are accustomed to siege style of warfare. No, other less direct methods are going to be needed. We need to move in and strike fast before they know we are upon them. Bypass as much of their defenses as possible before engaging the enemy. As Validar stated, our ultimate goal is to free Cavius from the influence he is under and either capture and remove the priests aiding him."

"To that end, the best method would be to use magic and skills of our group to enter Cavius' castle and strike from within. Stealth is going to win this conflict, not a direct battle against the castle guards. At any rate, we can plan better once we know the situation at the castle."

"Once Rennydale is secure, then we push on and deal with Vryxnr and his minions. One step at a time."

Validar will turn to the mages and ask, "Is there any chance that destruction of this brazier will destroy the existing monsters or will those summoned by necessity need to be destroyed individually?"

"Either case is equally possible, Validar. It depends on just how the brazier was enchanted and the mechanics that went with it. In fact, the brazier itself may not even be a malevolent artifact itself. Magic is merely a tool, much like your longsword. It's how it is used that tells if it is good or evil. The monsters summoned by this brazier may only be a menace because the man summoning them wishes them to be. I can't be more exact until I can examine the brazier."

[Ivy]

Ivy:

"While your enthusiasm is well appreciated, Ivy of Azrella, we should determine much more truths before we rush off with revenge in our eyes and hearts. The telltale word in your own voice is 'perhaps'. We not only need to deal with the results of Cavius and the evil priests and whichever other nobles and minions are controlled by the Blackflame, but also the source of this evil. We will either cure those afflicted or distribute swift justice upon them. Then we shall deal with the source of the vile evil as well."

Ivy's excitement starts to wane just a bit. "You are correct, of course, Lord Validar. I've been trained to combat undead, so it is only natural that I seek to destroy them. From the sound of it, these undead are merely zombies. Perhaps serving as only guards to this evil priest. That being the case, they are not much of a danger. I can destroy them with just a word of power from Blue Lady. Likewise, the other priests can at the very least repel them."

Ivy is relieved that whatever evil had hold of the two men can be removed. Perhaps they were just controlled pawns in this evil plot.

"Then we can move on the vile undead and the soulless slug who calls himself Vryxnr. You can be certain Ivy that the Guardians of the Light will not rest until these undead are eradicated. We will cleanse this land of the foul blackness that infests it and continues to fester. It is no longer unchallenged."

Ivy will quickly agree. "Yes, this must be done once and for all and the sooner the better. I will also memorize more Dispel Magics when I pray for new spells. I also have another spell that I can make use of that may be helpful. It is called 'Iron Mind' and with it I can render someone immune from Charm and Hold spells for one hour. Furthermore, they will be able to see through minor illusions as well."

Otherwise, Ivy doesn’t have much to add at the moment. She is in favor of moving on and closer to the real enemy.

[Validar]

VALIDAR -

Chareos - " This Bulls horns of which you speak, wouldn't it be wise to subdivide the main group, perhaps in three groups of Four giving us in essence 5 different mixes of combatants. The groups that would make up the horns would be compromised of the fighters; the next interior groups a mixture of two fighters(archers) and a mage and a cleric and the last as more or less a mixture of those who are left. This middle group could sway between the the two out side groups giving aid as they saw fit. Perhaps Master Sherwood would lead this group."

"A sound plan, Chareos. Is this formation easily attainable from a column in the case of being attacked? We may be dealing with a foe that needs to be dealt with in the fastest and most direct manner."

"Forgive me for asking but where would I be best suited for such a formation? As far as I understand it, Sherwood's Stone Skin spell he bestowed on me is still in effect and would compensate for my lack of armor though my spell work might be lacking. I'll leave the choice to you."

"In our current plan, you should be to the front of the main group, along with Grondar, Lara, Arocken and the others with close combat skills. All of the main group has ranged attacks either of the missile variety or magick and therefore can attack without being engaged. This is the desired goal. No engagement at all from the main group as they slowly retreat, pulling the enemy closer and into the dual flanking manuevers. Perhaps the missile barrage will even be enough destroy our foe of itself."

" I for one would rather be safe than sorry and remain here for the remainder of the night. Given now that we know more clearly what lies ahead I believe it would be folly to act rashly and confront such an enemy unprepared."

"I do not think we are talking of making contact with Rennydale forces this day, but moving closer to our main target. I still stand with the idea to continue on. This tower should be well defended now. We are in control of it and refugees can pass by without molestation. Our tasks here are done for the moment."


Laucian soon will speak his mind when the time presents itself. "If it were up to me I would ride to Rennydale this very moment, This vile evil that has plagued this land has planted a seed over 6 months ago and slowly it grows, even now...... There are those of us that may say wait the forthcoming night. I disagree. The people of these lands have long suffered the wrath of this Lord of Corruption and I for one do not wish to see them in this purgatory any longer. I say we ride with the utmost haste."

"It seems that we are all in agreement that this vile attack on the Kingdom must be repulsed with all haste. However, a more prudent process may be somewhere between Laucian and Chareos' suggestions to move on and prepare for a battle tomorrow or the next days. We can take advantage of the lax attitude of the ruler and his undisciplined guards. That will make our task easier to complete and with less bloodshed."

Lyonessa and Validar begin to speak of ambushes, and the conversation catches his ear. Rising to his feet and joining the conversation, "Lady Lyonessa I would not worry too much about such things. As Lord Validar says we do have a powerful and well diverse group here that would rival many a beast and men alike. But first these beasts must find what they are looking for. There are tactics for such things: Doubling back, cross a stream to lose our scents as well as tracks. If Arocken and myself do what is asked of us to the letter then there is little to fear."

"I am confident that with proper scouting ahead, we should avoid anything but a fluke, random encounter without our knowledge in advance. The lack of organized patrols will help us in moving more quickly through the territory as well."


Sherwood - "To that end, it seems to me that we must be pushing onward. My Polyself spell still has a few hours left to it. I can turn back into an eagle once more and scout on ahead. While I'm doing that, push on towards Rennydale in our standard riding formation. Perhaps send Laucian and Arocken a bit ahead to scout out potential dangers. I'll alert you if I see anything in your path."

"Excellent," Validar will interject. "It is settled then. We will continue on from here, with Sherwood in advance searching ahead and with Arocken and Laucian as point scouts. Aswansea and Lara will have the rear guard and we will travel as before with myself taking the head of the column with Lord Acerion. Our task will be to try to avoid patrols, but to attack and deal with all roaming monsters. We cannot allow them to kill any more of citizens of Rennydale."

"I agree that we must close on Rennydale Castle and use our talents for scouting and learning all that we can of the situation. Many of you have skills perfect for that very task. Since we cannot assume that the simple destruction of the magickal Brazier will remove the threats of the trolls and basilisks, then we must destroy them all until we determine that destroying the brazier would be successful. We should not miss any opportunity to remove these threats."

"If we can reach Rennydale tomorrow, then we can locate a suitable place to encamp on the outskirts of the city and certainly away from that vile haze and begin the scouting process. We should be able to take enough time to learn all that we can and then complete our plans for attack the following evening. That means that if we are successful in our plans, then Rennydale could be free within 4 or 5 days at most. Then we move on to the Swamp and the soulless slug known as Vryxnr."

"Which of you would prefer to scout as lone individuals and which would prefer small groups?"


Ivy's excitement starts to wane just a bit. "You are correct, of course, Lord Validar. I've been trained to combat undead, so it is only natural that I seek to destroy them. From the sound of it, these undead are merely zombies. Perhaps serving as only guards to this evil priest. That being the case, they are not much of a danger. I can destroy them with just a word of power from Blue Lady. Likewise, the other priests can at the very least repel them."

"Your skills will put you at the vanguard of the combat when we strike at this Lord of Corruption, along with Grondar and Acerion. However, as Sherwood mentioned, one task at a time. Your exhuberance will be fed in due time, milady."

Ivy will quickly agree. "Yes, this must be done once and for all and the sooner the better. I will also memorize more Dispel Magics when I pray for new spells. I also have another spell that I can make use of that may be helpful. It is called 'Iron Mind' and with it I can render someone immune from Charm and Hold spells for one hour. Furthermore, they will be able to see through minor illusions as well."

"That is a fine addition to the abilities we would have. I leave it to you to best determine the recipient of such magick."


Validar will say goodbyes to the men at the tower and thank them for their assistance in the liberation of their barony and toward the Kingdom's safety. As the group heads out, Sherwood changes magickally into an eagle once more and takes flight. Laucian and Arocken move out ahead of the column. Some minutes later, Validar looks on as the tower soldiers mount a blue pinion on top of the tower. The first steps toward winning this war have been completed. Validar considers the scene and smiles widely to himself. Taking the lead of the column, his own dark blue pinion flying majestically from the tip of his upraised lance, Validar leads the Guardians of the Light closer to their next conflict and ultimately to battle with the dread Lord of Corruption.

[Sherra]

Sherra:

Sherra definitely agrees we should put more time in to close the gap to Rennydale and begin the next stages of freeing all imprisoned. She's not one adept at ground-based warfare, but listens closely to the agreed upon plans so she knows her role should any encounter occur. One thing that Sherwood mentions does bear comment from her:

"Unfortunately, it seems to me that traditional strategies of war will not win the battle quickly this day. Rennydale has dealt with humanoid invasions over the years and are accustomed to siege style of warfare. No, other less direct methods are going to be needed. We need to move in and strike fast before they know we are upon them. Bypass as much of their defenses as possible before engaging the enemy. As Validar stated, our ultimate goal is to free Cavius from the influence he is under and either capture and remove the priests aiding him."

"Depending on what we face, there may be opportunities for several of us possessing more of the 'infiltrating' type skills to be put to use. If we capture or kill individuals that could easily move into Rennydale because they are under the sway of these beasts or other magics, several of us could assume their roles with disguise and magic, giving us a surprise attack from within."

"A bolder and riskier move would be to enter in disguise and with 'prisoners' from our own group to gain audience possibly with Cavius and those priests," Sherra will also offer. "We would have to be ready to strike at that moment though for I would not want any of our group to be locked away in the dungeons for that would hamper our efforts too greatly."

Sherra will collect her horse from Grondar, thanking him for his effort while she had been down in the ravine. Saddling up, she will wait for the others to be ready to head off once more.

"Which of you would prefer to scout as lone individuals and which would prefer small groups?"

"It makes no real difference to me Validar," Sherra replies, smiling easily. "I can work easily on my own or in a small group."

[Validar]

VALIDAR -

In speaking with the guards at the tower, Validar learns that we are a mere half-day's ride from Rennydale. Therefore in about two hours time, we will meet back up all together and then plan our place to approach. Sherwood will need to scout the city more closely during this time and look for the best place for our camp.

Then we will split off Kylie, Sherwood, Arocken, Laucian, Lilia, Sherra and Talia. This will be our scouting group. The others will proceed to the area where we will encamp, hopefully taking out a few monsters on the way. Do any of the mages have particularly stealthy abilities prepared?"

[Acerion]

Acerion:

Discussion of the need to press on brings agreeance from Acerion. "I completely agree that this has gone on far too long. We must push forward, especially since we are so close to Rennydale now."

Acerion can not fathom how vile minds ever consider themselves to be securely in control through fear or terror alone. It is a definite weakness this group will exploit to its advantages. Not even regular patrolling, Acerion thinks in disbelief, hard to imagine such arrogance.

Acerion moves up to the front of the column with Validar, nodding to the noble as we head out. He glances back to find Ivy and turns smiling to himself. The hells themselves will tremble if you ever find undead to fell before your wrath my lady, he thinks.

[Aswansea]

Swanny

Swanny has little to add as the bridge is taken without a fight. At least with talk of this Lord of Corruption, charming basilisks and trolls, things are promising to become much more exciting!

"The good thing about trolls is that they have the same weakness as Frost Bottom's goons-- fire! My sword will make sure work of those loathsome creatures! So let's get moving and see some excitement!"

"I wonder what kind of magickal treasures this Lord of Corruption might have captured. Not that I'd want any of his own artifacts from the sounds of it."

"Now that's the Kharyna I know", Swanny says with a grin. "Always wonder what goodies these guys have before we even defeat them. Given their whole black motif, I imagine what they have would clash horribly with your outfit."

[Lara Spellsword]

Lara

Lara is content to listen as others talk and ask questions. Then Validar asks:

"Do any of the mages have particularly stealthy abilities prepared?"

"I have an Invisibility spell in memory. It will remain active for a very long time as long as I do not engage in combat. Coupled with my elven boots and cloak, I could move among the city virtually unnoticed."

"As my eager companion here noted, spells that are good against cold creatures are also the bane of trolls. I have several fire-based spells in memory that should make short work of them."

Lara has to admit that she's feeling much like Swanny. A little excitement would be nice right about now.

[Lilia]

Lilia

The Elf Maiden is pleased to be among the scouts to be sent in to investigate this human city. After hearing what Lara Spellsword has to say, Lilia will add:

"I too have fire magic at my command. I also have the same items as Lara Spellsword. Perhaps we can investigate this human town together? While I can move silently and without notice, I am not skilled in such things like our regular scouts. So, having a partner does seem prudent."

[Talia]

Talia

Using the magic in her cloak, Talia walks down the cliff face and into the ravine below. The sight awaiting them at the bottom is grim indeed. These were simple people needlessly murdered. A horrible fate!

Talia keeps watch while Sherra examines the bodies closer. Once her companion is ready, Talia begins the climb back up the cliff face. Fortunately, the situation at the top has changed during their absence. Battle has been averted.

The black haired scout simply listens while the men are freed from their enchantments and questioned. What they say chills Talia to the bone. How could such great evil flourish like this?

When the talk turns to stealthfully entering the castle, Talia speaks up after Sherra.

"Another option would be for us to sneak into the castle and open the way for the others to ride in unmolested. Perhaps even sneak into the dungeon and set free the prisoners. Give the guards more then they can handle and then overwhelm them. Sow the seeds of confusion and then use the situation to our advantage."

[Ivy]

Ivy

"Your skills will put you at the vanguard of the combat when we strike at this Lord of Corruption, along with Grondar and Acerion. However, as Sherwood mentioned, one task at a time. Your exuberance will be fed in due time, milady."

"Thank you, Lord Validar", Ivy will respond. "Hopefully I can control myself and be patient."

"That is a fine addition to the abilities we would have. I leave it to you to best determine the recipient of such magick."

"Unfortunately, the spell is the peak of my meager casting ability. I can only memorize Iron Mind or a Dispel Magic. Not both. Since others are able to remove enchantments, I will pray for Iron Mind after we rest for the evening."

Once we are on the move, Ivy will ride beside Acerion a look of determination locked on her lovely face. Combat against the hated undead will be coming soon!

[Corley]

Corley

"Oh, I can assure you, having sisters would have changed your life more than you suspect." Kylie smiles mischievously. "You'd be an awful lot more familiar with women, for one thing."

Corley grins at Kylie's comments. "Perhaps that would be true, Lady Kylie. However, my own personal code demands courteous to all ladies and to protect all who require such protection. So I would have treated any sisters with all the courteous due to them."

"Yes, indeed," Kylie replies. "I would say that your mother did a fine job, based on the evidence I see before me."

"You are most kind, Lady Kylie." A measure of pride does swell in Corley at Kylie's statement.


Like many of the others, Lord Corley is eager to move on and engage our enemy in battle.

"Lord Validar, based on the fair Ivy's description of the Iron Mind spell, a strategy does come to mind. Cast the magic upon me so that I may engage these enchanted creatures in combat! If the magic is true, then they shall not affect me. Alas, the same cannot be said for them! Aided by my enchanted ring, I say I can slay several of the beasts and emerge unscathed!"

After hearing Sherwood's statement that the general tactics of warfare will not win this day, Corley will say with a chuckle, "For your sake, Lord Sherwood, do not let my father hear that! Otherwise, you'd be faced with a most stern counter-argument!"

[Validar]

VALIDAR -


Sherra - "Depending on what we face, there may be opportunities for several of us possessing more of the 'infiltrating' type skills to be put to use. If we capture or kill individuals that could easily move into Rennydale because they are under the sway of these beasts or other magics, several of us could assume their roles with disguise and magic, giving us a surprise attack from within."

"Would you propose that anyone with such an opportunity take it when presented or should they wait until the rest of us can be informed? I am only concerned with knowing what each person is doing and whether someone may be in a tough situation or captured. We would not know if such were the case or someone was able to infiltrate."

"A bolder and riskier move would be to enter in disguise and with 'prisoners' from our own group to gain audience possibly with Cavius and those priests," Sherra will also offer. "We would have to be ready to strike at that moment though for I would not want any of our group to be locked away in the dungeons for that would hamper our efforts too greatly."

"This does seem to be a riskier move, one which does not guarantee an audience with Cavius or the priests. It seems to me that we could have some individuals take over select areas of the castle and allow the rest of us easier passage. More direct, but perhaps less risky."


"It makes no real difference to me Validar," Sherra replies, smiling easily. "I can work easily on my own or in a small group."

"I prefer the idea of teams for anyone who does not feel elsewise. That way one can look out for the other and vice-versa. Therefore, you and Talia will be one team. Once we have our initial scouting out of the way, then we should be able to define tasks for each group. For now, it is reconnaissance."


Discussion of the need to press on brings agreeance from Acerion. "I completely agree that this has gone on far too long. We must push forward, especially since we are so close to Rennydale now."

"Once we complete this task and that of eradicating Vryxnr, then we can move on to addressing your own concerns, Lord Acerion. Stone Ridge is not far behind Rennydale in its recovery."

Acerion moves up to the front of the column with Validar, nodding to the noble as we head out.

"Rennydale should once again become a fine and reliable ally to both Pyris and Stone Ridge once we free it from the cluthces of villainy," Validar will say as they ride at the head of the column. "Your involvement in this quest will bring much good to the people of Stone Ridge once all is righted in this part of the Kingdom."


Aswansea - "The good thing about trolls is that they have the same weakness as Frost Bottom's goons-- fire! My sword will make sure work of those loathsome creatures! So let's get moving and see some excitement!"

"Very good, milady. Therefore, you shall be at the head of any direct attacks on the trolls. While travelling we need a strong rear guard as well, but once the attacks begin, I look forward to covering your flank as we strike down these vile trolls."


"I have an Invisibility spell in memory. It will remain active for a very long time as long as I do not engage in combat. Coupled with my elven boots and cloak, I could move among the city virtually unnoticed."

"As my eager companion here noted, spells that are good against cold creatures are also the bane of trolls. I have several fire-based spells in memory that should make short work of them."

Lilia - "I too have fire magic at my command. I also have the same items as Lara Spellsword. Perhaps we can investigate this human town together? While I can move silently and without notice, I am not skilled in such things like our regular scouts. So, having a partner does seem prudent."

"Very good. Lara and Lilia would make an excellent team then. The two of you will work together in this mission. With your magickal abilities you should be able to penetrate deep into the castle or observe the priests perhaps. Just remember to be careful. Information is not worth the risk of capture. Should we need to we could take the castle by force."

"The remaining teams will be Laucian and Arocken with similar skills and Sherwood with Kylie."


When the talk turns to stealthfully entering the castle, Talia speaks up after Sherra.

"Another option would be for us to sneak into the castle and open the way for the others to ride in unmolested. Perhaps even sneak into the dungeon and set free the prisoners. Give the guards more then they can handle and then overwhelm them. Sow the seeds of confusion and then use the situation to our advantage."

"You are thinking much as I was, Talia. I thought that we could have some of the scouts secure select towers along the way, but helping us to gain direct entrance would be even better. You and Sherra will cooperate on this mission. I am not certain that the prisoners would be much help to us, but as a diversion along with the gates being opened and an attack from without and within, we may in fact be able to overwhelm the guards, especially if we can show those not fully supporting Cavius that Rennydale will be free." Validar will make a point to take a flag of Rennydale from the tower for future use before they leave.


Ivy - "Unfortunately, the spell is the peak of my meager casting ability. I can only memorize Iron Mind or a Dispel Magic. Not both. Since others are able to remove enchantments, I will pray for Iron Mind after we rest for the evening."

Corley - "Lord Validar, based on the fair Ivy's description of the Iron Mind spell, a strategy does come to mind. Cast the magic upon me so that I may engage these enchanted creatures in combat! If the magic is true, then they shall not affect me. Alas, the same cannot be said for them! Aided by my enchanted ring, I say I can slay several of the beasts and emerge unscathed!"

"A fine stratagem, Lord Corley. And a bold action, which we have come to expect from you. Very well. Yourself and Aswansea shall be the lead in an organized assault on these monsters. We shall surely see glory and honor in the coming days, my friends."


After hearing Sherwood's statement that the general tactics of warfare will not win this day, Corley will say with a chuckle, "For your sake, Lord Sherwood, do not let my father hear that! Otherwise, you'd be faced with a most stern counter-argument!"

"Indeed. There is no one single way to succeed in war. The importance is to have a plan that will survive contact with the enemy, to have belief in the mission and the plan and to have the ability to eact to the inevitable changes that exist on the field of combat. It is the same whether using direct or indirect methods. In this case, we shall use both to free Rennydale."

[Kylie]

Kylie:

"You are among many talented individuals here, young Kylie, and you should not downplay your own considerable talents. There is no doubt that many of us may die in this glorious cause, but the sacrifice will be remembered by many for decades to come. We lost many good people in the Seekers just on the attack to free Gateway from the seige. Many more fell in the Frontier. But this war must be taken up. Many lives and perhaps the very kingdom depends on it. We welcome your support and your talents, Kylie of Elcadan."

Kylie grimaces. "To be honest, I've never seen anything particularly glorious about death. In my experience, it's ugly, unpleasant and horribly final. Still, I shall do what I can."

As they talk with the commander, Kylie finds it interesting to note the status of the troops. It seems most are not particularly loyal, having been "pressed into service on pain of death." Not especially motivating in terms of loyalty; perhaps they can use that to their advantage.

Validar will turn to the mages and ask, "Is there any chance that destruction of this brazier will destroy the existing monsters or will those summoned by necessity need to be destroyed individually?"

Kylie merely shrugs in response to the question.

Sherwood will reach out and give Kylie a reassuring grasp on the shoulder. "I too have much to learn Kylie. One can spend many lifetimes trying to master all of Mystra's gifts. Alter Self is just one of a series of spells mages can use to change their appearance. The first is Change Self where you can make yourself look like another humanoid race. Then with Alter Self you can make changes that move you away from the standard humanoid appearance. With Polyself you can take on forms radically different from our normal shape and also make multiple changes. Finally with Shape Change you can actually gain some of the abilities of the creatures you change into. Each spell gives you a little more variety as you advanced in levels. There are also some specialized spells that allow a mage to change into a specific form only, but those four are the main form altering spells. As you grow more powerful, some spells will be discarded for better versions. Why just use Change Shape, when you can use the more powerful Alter Self? Or in my case, why use Alter Self when the even more powerful Polyself is available? It's all part of the learning process."

"I think I understand the general relationships of the different spells," Kylie says in reply. "It's more a matter of having enough experience with any given spell to really understand it's uses and - particularly - it's limitations. How long does it take for a certain effect to materialize? What effect does that have on the usefulness of the spell - especially in combat? What other considerations need to be known to fully utilize and understand the given spell? Far too many questions about far too many spells, and I have far too few answers to be able to fully utilize Mystra's gifts to the benefit of myself or this group."

To that end, the best method would be to use magic and skills of our group to enter Cavius' castle and strike from within. Stealth is going to win this conflict, not a direct battle against the castle guards. At any rate, we can plan better once we know the situation at the castle."

Strangely, these words cheer Kylie. She likes the idea of being able to put her abilities to use and avoiding stand-up battle for the most part. This group seems to rely on force-of-arms far more than she would like.

Listening as plans are made to move forward, Kylie is a bit unsettled. With no Gaze Reflection spells currently available to the company, they may have some difficultly dealing with the beasts described. And despite their best efforts, they have not managed to avoid many fights so far.

"Which of you would prefer to scout as lone individuals and which would prefer small groups?"

"Most of my previous experience lies in working alone," Kylie replies. "Though I will work with another as need be."

"Depending on what we face, there may be opportunities for several of us possessing more of the 'infiltrating' type skills to be put to use. If we capture or kill individuals that could easily move into Rennydale because they are under the sway of these beasts or other magics, several of us could assume their roles with disguise and magic, giving us a surprise attack from within."

"A bolder and riskier move would be to enter in disguise and with 'prisoners' from our own group to gain audience possibly with Cavius and those priests," Sherra will also offer. "We would have to be ready to strike at that moment though for I would not want any of our group to be locked away in the dungeons for that would hamper our efforts too greatly."

As long as they are discussing strategy, Kylie puts forth her earlier notion. "It seems many of the troops may not be particularly loyal to Cavius or those who pull his strings. If that is true, is there any way to bring them to our side? I guess the toughest part might be identifying who they are and getting them away from those who are loyal."

Then we will split off Kylie, Sherwood, Arocken, Laucian, Lilia, Sherra and Talia. This will be our scouting group. The others will proceed to the area where we will encamp, hopefully taking out a few monsters on the way. Do any of the mages have particularly stealthy abilities prepared?"

Kylie gives Validar an amused look. "Well, admittedly, I have spent most of my best spells already today. However, my other skills should hold me in good stead, and if I have a night to prepare, I can pick better spells for this particular purpose. Oh, and I do still have some fire spells, so I can at least help with any trolls. Actually, I'm more concerned about the gaze lizards, myself."

Corley grins at Kylie's comments. "Perhaps that would be true, Lady Kylie. However, my own personal code demands courteous to all ladies and to protect all who require such protection. So I would have treated any sisters with all the courteous due to them."

Corley's response brings a fair storm of laughter from the diminutive woman. After a few moments, she manages to choke out, "I'm sure you would have," between chuckles.

"You are most kind, Lady Kylie." A measure of pride does swell in Corley at Kylie's statement.

"Stating that which is obviously the truth requires no particular kindness, Lord Corley."

"The remaining teams will be Laucian and Arocken with similar skills and Sherwood with Kylie."

Kylie cracks a grin. "Yeah, I suppose I can work with Uncle Woody, if I must." She glances over at Sherwood with a smirk to see his reaction.

[Grondar]

Grondar:

"Thank you Grondar. Your flexibility with your crossbow made you more valuable in the main group and also give the ability to hold your ground should some of the basilisks reach the group. Rest assured, your place will not always be in such a position, but is best for this tactic."

Grondar nods gruffly, but doesn't reply.

Grondar smiles as Kharyna manages to lift the ensorcelment on the remaining guard. It seems even this vile enchantment can be overcome and the victims liberated.

"Our first mission therefore cannot be argued to ride to Rennydale and deal with Lord Cavius. His overconfidence now that Rennydale is in a fist of terror gives us an advantage in that we should not have to fight our way to the Castle. We may encounter some small random patrols, but this is easier to deal with and gives us the chance to move more quickly than we otherwise might. Our goals are to capture Cavius, free the prisoners, kill or capture the priests and destroy the monsters in the castle and any in the surrounding countryside we encounter."

Considering the nature of their threat and the evil they represent, Grondar has no intention of allowing these priests to live. What havok and further grief could they bring if they are allowed to survive?

"This operation will not be completed in one day. For one thing we mages will need to retool our spell lists to deal with the specifics of this situation. More Dispel Magics and Gaze Reflections will be needed. It seems to me that the rest of this day should be spend moving closer to Rennydale, eliminating any trolls and basilisk we come across. Scout out Cavius' castle and devious a strategy to take it with a minimal of bloodshed."

Grondar pipes up. "Come the morning, I should be able to add a Dispel Magic or two to our resources."

Ivy will quickly agree. "Yes, this must be done once and for all and the sooner the better. I will also memorize more Dispel Magics when I pray for new spells. I also have another spell that I can make use of that may be helpful. It is called 'Iron Mind' and with it I can render someone immune from Charm and Hold spells for one hour. Furthermore, they will be able to see through minor illusions as well."

Searching his memory, Grondar finds no reference to this Iron Mind spell. It sounds interesting, he will have to ask Ivy about it when the opportunity arises...

"I agree that we must close on Rennydale Castle and use our talents for scouting and learning all that we can of the situation. Many of you have skills perfect for that very task. Since we cannot assume that the simple destruction of the magickal Brazier will remove the threats of the trolls and basilisks, then we must destroy them all until we determine that destroying the brazier would be successful. We should not miss any opportunity to remove these threats."

"Whether doing so destroys the beasts or not, I would say that the brazier should be destroyed regardless. At least then it could not be used to make more of the beasts, and that is sufficient reason in itself."

Ivy's excitement starts to wane just a bit. "You are correct, of course, Lord Validar. I've been trained to combat undead, so it is only natural that I seek to destroy them. From the sound of it, these undead are merely zombies. Perhaps serving as only guards to this evil priest. That being the case, they are not much of a danger. I can destroy them with just a word of power from Blue Lady. Likewise, the other priests can at the very least repel them."

"When the time comes, lady Ivy, I will stand beside you in destroying such unholy creatures," Grondar says, laying a hand on her shoulder. "While I am not the specialist that you are, you will find that I too am well equipped to deal with such as they."

Sherra will collect her horse from Grondar, thanking him for his effort while she had been down in the ravine. Saddling up, she will wait for the others to be ready to head off once more.

Grondar acknowledges the thanks with a smile. As they saddle up, he quietly discusses with her what she witnessed in the ravine. It must have been quite unpleasant, and it is often good to get such things off one's chest.

Before they leave, Grondar will take the time to say a few words of encouragement to the guards remaining at this tower. They will know that he will remember them in his prayers to the Revered Mother. Though they are not dwarves, her blessings extend to all who stand to defend the land and it's inhabitants.

[GM Mad]

Quick GM Note:

Searching his memory, Grondar finds no reference to this Iron Mind spell. It sounds interesting, he will have to ask Ivy about it when the opportunity arises...

Its not surprising as Iron Mind is a mage spell and not a clerical one. Ivy has access to the School of Abjuration, which primarly consists of defensive and protection spells. So only those clerics who also have access to Abjuration spells can cast Iron Mind.

[Validar]

VALIDAR -

Kylie grimaces. "To be honest, I've never seen anything particularly glorious about death. In my experience, it's ugly, unpleasant and horribly final. Still, I shall do what I can."

"Actually," young Kylie of Elcadan, "I never said that 'death' was glorious. I have no intention of dying myself. Only that the 'cause' is glorious and that death may be an inevitable by-product of such a quest. And while I agree with the ugly and unpleasant part, I seem to be a living example that death does not have to be final."

"Most of my previous experience lies in working alone," Kylie replies. "Though I will work with another as need be."

"Then it will be perfect to team with Sherwood. The two of you can be somewhat independent, but also loosely together. That will allow each of you to utilize your differing abilities."

As long as they are discussing strategy, Kylie puts forth her earlier notion. "It seems many of the troops may not be particularly loyal to Cavius or those who pull his strings. If that is true, is there any way to bring them to our side? I guess the toughest part might be identifying who they are and getting them away from those who are loyal."

"That is a good observation, Kylie. That is why I have taken this flag of Rennydale. If there is any attack at all by us, having this flag may indicate to the soldiers that those truly loyal to Rennydale and not the corrupt rulers have come and they will flock to our side. It will at the least give them a rallying point to rise up against their masters."


Kylie gives Validar an amused look. "Well, admittedly, I have spent most of my best spells already today. However, my other skills should hold me in good stead, and if I have a night to prepare, I can pick better spells for this particular purpose. Oh, and I do still have some fire spells, so I can at least help with any trolls. Actually, I'm more concerned about the gaze lizards, myself."

"Your fire spells will work just as well against the gaze lizards. I believe that the Relection spells may prove helpful, but it is just as important to strike them down quickly and with impunity. Also, we shall do some of our hunting perhaps while you scouts are checking the castle. In the meantime, I am confident that we have the strength to destroy most foes we encounter."


Grondar - "Whether doing so destroys the beasts or not, I would say that the brazier should be destroyed regardless. At least then it could not be used to make more of the beasts, and that is sufficient reason in itself."

"I would tend to agree with you, my dwarven friend. My hope was that we could be certain that they would be destroyed with the destruction of the artifact and we could avoid them on our approach to the castle. But now, we must hunt them down and destroy them all for the sake of the populace. We cannot allow the rampaging monsters to kill any more of these beleaguered folk."

[Chareos]

Chareos

When the subject of the brazier come up, Chareos sits for a moment then speaks. "Of such things I know not, though one could speculate that if it is destroyed perhaps it is some how linked to its charges much like my lightning wand."

Validar- "A sound plan, Chareos. Is this formation easily attainable from a column in the case of being attacked? We may be dealing with a foe that needs to be dealt with in the fastest and most direct manner."

"If the enemy is sighted at range the formation would be manageable. Considering most of the groups of the horns you suggested are at the rear of the column the leads would merely have to slow to a trot, firing arrows if needed, so that the rear can wheel into formation. It should take mere seconds to form up."

"Majority of the mages and archers are towards the front of the column, By my calculations, most manner of beasts would suffer heavy damage by the time the rest of the column would bring its strength to bare."


Validar- "In our current plan, you should be to the front of the main group, along with Grondar, Lara, Arocken and the others with close combat skills. All of the main group has ranged attacks either of the missile variety or magick and therefore can attack without being engaged. This is the desired goal. No engagement at all from the main group as they slowly retreat, pulling the enemy closer and into the dual flanking manuevers. Perhaps the missile barrage will even be enough destroy our foe of itself."

"Then it appears we share the same thinking in some respects. I look forward to testing the girdle of strength that I was given in the coming battles, I just hope I am adequate enough to meet what is asked of me."


" Presently I have no spells that would be able to assist in the reconnaissance of Rennydale, though come morning I will study for Gaze reflections as well as Dispel Magic to help us if the need arises."

[Laucian]

Laucian

"Which of you would prefer to scout as lone individuals and which would prefer small groups?"

"If it were open woods I would perfer to be alone. Seeing how it is not either would suffice."

"The remaining teams will be Laucian and Arocken with similar skills and Sherwood with Kylie."

The Elfin ranger can't help but be relieved as he is paired up with Arocken. "When we set out from our base camp when would you wish us back? Before first light?"

Turning to Arocken "Seems we are paired together for this errand my friend. Tis bodes well for us and unfortunate for our adversaries we may meet."

Laucian will make ready his gear and mount and be ready to take point with Arocken till they reach closer to Rennydale.

[Validar]

VALIDAR -

Validar- "A sound plan, Chareos. Is this formation easily attainable from a column in the case of being attacked? We may be dealing with a foe that needs to be dealt with in the fastest and most direct manner."

"If the enemy is sighted at range the formation would be manageable. Considering most of the groups of the horns you suggested are at the rear of the column the leads would merely have to slow to a trot, firing arrows if needed, so that the rear can wheel into formation. It should take mere seconds to form up."

Ah, so you are refering to an attack form when we have at least a little advance notice. In this case, there will indeed be time ot form up as you suggest. However, if we have no advance warning, we will keep the one main group idea."


Validar- "In our current plan, you should be to the front of the main group, along with Grondar, Lara, Arocken and the others with close combat skills. All of the main group has ranged attacks either of the missile variety or magick and therefore can attack without being engaged. This is the desired goal. No engagement at all from the main group as they slowly retreat, pulling the enemy closer and into the dual flanking manuevers. Perhaps the missile barrage will even be enough destroy our foe of itself."

"Then it appears we share the same thinking in some respects. I look forward to testing the girdle of strength that I was given in the coming battles, I just hope I am adequate enough to meet what is asked of me."

"I am certain you will do an admirable job, my friend. You may very well get a chance to test that Girdle if we encounter any monsters. And from the sounds of the peasants and the guards at the tower, then indeed we shall."

[Aswansea]

Swanny:

"Very good, milady. Therefore, you shall be at the head of any direct attacks on the trolls. While travelling we need a strong rear guard as well, but once the attacks begin, I look forward to covering your flank as we strike down these vile trolls."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Swanny agrees. She begins to step away but turns back with a wry smile on her face. "Oh, and Validar, you can cover my flank anytime."

[Lara Spellsword]

Lara:

"Very good. Lara and Lilia would make an excellent team then. The two of you will work together in this mission. With your magickal abilities you should be able to penetrate deep into the castle or observe the priests perhaps. Just remember to be careful. Information is not worth the risk of capture. Should we need to we could take the castle by force."

"I am agreeable with this", the small elfin woman will say. "Ride beside me, Lilia. We can work out the finer details during our journey."

[Lilia]

Lilia:

"I am agreeable with this", the small elfin woman will say. "Ride beside me, Lilia. We can work out the finer details during our journey."

"Indeed", Lilia responds in agreement.

[Corley]

Corley:

"A fine stratagem, Lord Corley. And a bold action, which we have come to expect from you. Very well. Yourself and Aswansea shall be the lead in an organized assault on these monsters. We shall surely see glory and honor in the coming days, my friends."

"That we shall, my friend! That we shall."

Corley's response brings a fair storm of laughter from the diminutive woman. After a few moments, she manages to choke out, "I'm sure you would have," between chuckles.

Corley looks on a little bit confused. "Did I say something amusing, Lady Kylie?"

[Sherwood]

Sherwood:

After hearing Sherwood's statement that the general tactics of warfare will not win this day, Corley will say with a chuckle, "For your sake, Lord Sherwood, do not let my father hear that! Otherwise, you'd be faced with a most stern counter-argument!"

"Indeed. There is no one single way to succeed in war. The importance is to have a plan that will survive contact with the enemy, to have belief in the mission and the plan and to have the ability to react to the inevitable changes that exist on the field of combat. It is the same whether using direct or indirect methods. In this case, we shall use both to free Rennydale."

"Validar is quite correct, Corley, and even your father would agree. Any battle strategy is based on the mission objectives, what must be overcome, and what tools you have at your command. No one strategy will cover every contingency. Instead, one must adapt to the circumstances at hand."

"I think I understand the general relationships of the different spells," Kylie says in reply. "It's more a matter of having enough experience with any given spell to really understand it's uses and - particularly - it's limitations. How long does it take for a certain effect to materialize? What effect does that have on the usefulness of the spell - especially in combat? What other considerations need to be known to fully utilize and understand the given spell? Far too many questions about far too many spells, and I have far too few answers to be able to fully utilize Mystra's gifts to the benefit of myself or this group."

"Then you need to practice your spells more than you have been. That is how one learns what can be done with a particular spell. Unfortunately, circumstances have kept us on the road for weeks now with little downtime. Learning new spells under such conditions is difficult. My advice, for the moment, is to go with the spells that you do know and trust. Don't leave anything to chance in battle."

As long as they are discussing strategy, Kylie puts forth her earlier notion. "It seems many of the troops may not be particularly loyal to Cavius or those who pull his strings. If that is true, is there any way to bring them to our side? I guess the toughest part might be identifying who they are and getting them away from those who are loyal."

"The easiest way to identify them is to return Cavius to his previous state. If the troops who are truly loyal to him now are small, then those who were loyal to him before are greater. We turn Cavius and we swing the number of enemy troops into our favor."

Kylie cracks a grin. "Yeah, I suppose I can work with Uncle Woody, if I must." She glances over at Sherwood with a smirk to see his reaction.

"Perhaps she'll learn a thing or two", Sherwood responds with a wink.

[Ivy]

Ivy:

Searching his memory, Grondar finds no reference to this Iron Mind spell. It sounds interesting, he will have to ask Ivy about it when the opportunity arises...

When Grondar does ask, Ivy will relate that she has access to certain protection spells outside normal clerical magic. "The Blue Lady has give me access to defensive and protection spells so that I may better serve her. When I grow more skilled and powerful in my magicks, I may be able to do battle against those undead who wield powerful magick. Some day I will battle lichs and win."

"When the time comes, lady Ivy, I will stand beside you in destroying such unholy creatures," Grondar says, laying a hand on her shoulder. "While I am not the specialist that you are, you will find that I too am well equipped to deal with such as they."

"I find comfort in that, friend Grondar. Between our skills, we may be able to defeat these zombies on our own allowing the others to concentrate on those enemy we are not so proficient in defeating."

[GM Mad]

Post CLosed