New Frontiers #51

[GM Mad]

New Frontiers #51


Vesubian Gate:

The action is picking up at the Vesubian Gatehouse once more. A squad of goblins is attacking! Half of their numbers provided archery support from the nearby rooftops and buildings. The remainder are rushing the gatehouse with makeshift fire bombs!

The Gatehouse defenders retaliate, raining down bolts and arrows on the advancing goblins. Grondar fires a pair of bolts from his Crossbow and takes down two goblins.

Laucian casts Hold Person and ensnares a trio of goblins. The three freeze in mid-stride and fall over. One of their bottles breaks and the flames quickly spread and consume the goblin. The other two goblins are taken out by refugee archers as they make such an easy target.

Valena Feador fires a trio of shafts in rapid succession and two of them connect. Each arrow downs a goblin.

Argent tries her luck again and completely misses the enemy. Po is equally bad in his attempts and his shafts only find the ground.

Sherra shows them how it is done and takes out two goblins with two arrows. Orin manages to take one of the goblins out with his ballista fire.

More arrows fly over the walls, but none of the adventurers are struck. One refugee is hit and he goes down with a choked cry.

Down below, the goblins throw their flaming missiles! The majority of them fail to clear the wall and explode against the battlements. One actually clears the wall completely and harmlessly drops into the courtyard.

Of all the bombs tossed, only one hits a target. One of the refugee archers is directly struck by the bottle. It smashes, dousing him and those near him in liquid which almost immediately bursts into flames! The one directly hit is consumed by flames while those near him have parts of their bodies burning!


GM Notes:

None of the adventurers were hit by either arrows or by splashes from the fire bombs. Half of the bomb throwing goblins were cut down before they could throw their missiles. Those who did survive will now flee back away from the gatehouse, allowing one additional missile attack on them by the defenders.

I'm assuming that you're all spread out along the walls. Be as close to those refugees who are burning as you wish to be.

The man Grondar and Ivy were examining is dead.

[GM Mad]

Taking Wing:


To the north of the city, Lord Acerion and the Songstress Lyonessa rode the Pegasus to attack the huge catapults of the Fire Giants. Using Chareos' wand, Lyonessa torched one of the four remaining catapults. In the process of flying off from this 'bombing pass', the giants threw boulders at them. One slammed into the side of the pegasus, wounding it. No longer strong enough to keep airborne, the winged steed begins to glide towards the Vesubian River below!

Acerion pulls up on the reigns, attempting to have the pegasus make the far shore of the Vesubian River. There they would be out of reach of the Giants and could walk back to the Vesubian Gatehouse where the other Guardians are fortified.

As the pegasus glides along, Acerion concentrates and uses an innate ability to heal some of the winged horse's wounds. The attempt works and the pegasus safely reaches the far shore. The animal is now stronger, but still too weak to attempt flight with riders.

Once on land, the riders dismount and begin to move southward. More boulders come flying in courtesy of the Fire Giants, forcing Acerion and Lyonessa to quickly flee the area to the south for safety.

Lyonessa summons her owl familiar Dusk to her and gives it a message to give to Validar. The owl coos its understanding and flies off on its mission.


GM Notes:

It'll take about 10-15 minutes to reach the Vesubian Bridge and cross back towards the city. The draw bridge is now up. How are you going to contact those inside to have them lower it?

[GM Mad]

To the West Gatehouse:

Crysania:

"It is not a question of bravery, foolishness or the amount of healing power you have remaining. I have not willing accepted healing of the sort you offer in my entire life. I would be willing to use a healing potion given the circumstances, or natural healing techniques, but it is a personal matter as to my refusal otherwise."

Crysania looks dumbstruck as she listens to Validar's explanation. "With all due respect, Lord Validar, that has to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard. There is nothing dishonorable in seeking out magical healing to mend wounds. As a warrior you were trained to make use of all tools at your disposal. Healing is simply one of these tools. To willingly sacrifice something to your advantage to the enemy makes no tactical sense whatsoever. You can be assured that the enemy will use everything they can to defeat us."

Validar considers Crysania's words. "Forgive my underestimation, Priestess. By all means, we will adjust the attack plan as you suggest. Arocken, try to assist Chareos, if he needs it."

"I doubt that the trolls are simply going to line up and wait for us to arrive. We'll engage them as we come across them."


Oran Firehammer:

The young mage will nod and say, "You're welcome, friend. Tell me: How is it that your hammer returns to you?" he can't help but ask.

"It's magical", is Oran's response.


At the West Gatehouse:

At Drakkimor's direction, Gorso brings the open wagon to a stop just outside the gatehouse. Drakkimor and his companions disembark from the wagon and go inside the Gatehouse on foot. Gorso walks on the left flank with Crysania on the right. Oran Firehammer leads the way with Drakkimor secured behind the dwarf.

"I'll get their attention and draw them to us", Drakkimor announces. "Hold your ground and most of the enemy will be eliminated before they can reach us."

Once inside the courtyard, Oran scans the area to find the largest concentration of Trolls. He indicates this area and Drakkimor fires a silvery ray from one of his wands. At the indicated target, the ray explodes into an Ice Storm! Great hail stones pound an area forty feet in diameter.

Three of the six trolls are caught in the Ice Storm and are wounded. Oran tosses his flaming warhammer at one of these three trolls and connects. The force of the impact flings the troll backwards. It hits the ground awkwardly and does not stir. The remaining trolls rush towards Drakkimor and his crew.

Two Carrion Crawlers were caught within the Ice Storm and crushed.

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

The five remaining trolls are rushing to where the adventurers are. Two of them are already wounded from the Ice Storm. The remaining Carrion Crawlers are not moving.

The PC's are still free to act this round. Ranged attacks can be done as normal. Those on foot or horseback will have to enter into the courtyard and pass the defensive position Drakkimor's crew has taken to reach an enemy to do a HTH attack. Should you do this, you'll only have 1 attack this round and would be subject to creature attacks.


Current Hit Points:

Chareos - 56 of 59
Corley - 41 of 52
Grondar - 47 of 52
Havoc - 20 of 24
Laucian - 60 of 64
Pegasus - 14 of 28
Po - 26 of 28
Validar - 26 of 76

Now what?

[Validar]

Lord Validar -

"It is not a question of bravery, foolishness or the amount of healing power you have remaining. I have not willing accepted healing of the sort you offer in my entire life. I would be willing to use a healing potion given the circumstances, or natural healing techniques, but it is a personal matter as to my refusal otherwise."

Crysania looks dumbstruck as she listens to Validar's explanation. "With all due respect, Lord Validar, that has to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard. There is nothing dishonorable in seeking out magical healing to mend wounds. As a warrior you were trained to make use of all tools at your disposal. Healing is simply one of these tools. To willingly sacrifice something to your advantage to the enemy makes no tactical sense whatsoever. You can be assured that the enemy will use everything they can to defeat us."

Lord Validar looks back at the priestess of Heironious, a little less respect in his eyes for her now. "Clearly you do not understand, nor do you bother to take the time to understand. I understood your deity to be the patron of honor and yet most of your ilk that I have encountered wish to only see their own version of honor. While it may not be DIShonorable to seek out healing from your patron, it is not a necessary act. As a warrior I was trained to make use of all tools at my disposal. As a noble, I have the right to choose what I find honorable and what I choose to not accept. It is my right. The fact that the enemy may do whatever they may do in no way influences my decisions, whether you agree with them or not."

"I have made a personal decision in this matter. It is not about honor, nor about bravery, nor foolishness, nor efficiency. Clearly it is something you shall never understand and we have not the time for me to try to explain myself. I will ignore your rudeness due to the extreme conditions we find ourselves in and the situation you just went through."


"I doubt that the trolls are simply going to line up and wait for us to arrive. We'll engage them as we come across them."

Validar is about to say something, but decides against it. This group clearly has their own ways of doing things and seem to think only they are right. "So be it," is all Validar says and he rides over to the front of the column of soldiers, moving to Corley as he does so.

"This group has their own ideas and plans. You are welcome to join them, but by their words, we are unnecessary here, now that we have saved their lives." Lord Validar will pause as he looks into Lord Corley's eyes (or what can be seen of them through his helm). "We will make certain the soldiers are ready to move forward and support Drakkimor's group in the extremely unlikely event they should require it." Validar then moves to the front of the column again.

When the Gorso brings the wagon to a stop, Validar halts the column of soldiers. "Guardians, prepare for ranged support fire. Hold your ground and be ready to counter-attack," Validar will command. He looks to Corley to see what he will do.

Drakkimor wounds three of the trolls with his magic wand and one of those is removed by Oran. The remainder of the trolls rush forward in an awkward attack. Lord Validar remains mounted and watches what happens, preparing to attack if needed.

[Validar]

Po -

Po continues to try his best to hit the goblins. Once the group that tried to attack with fire runs away, he will take refuge and allow the better archers to exchange missile fire with the goblin archers.

Arocken -

Arocken returns to the group and takes up a position next to his leader. He knocks an arrow and manuevers to a position where he can get a shot off at the trolls around or over the other group.

He will fire if he has a free shot, but will not waste arrows.

[Grondar]

Grondar:

The goblins rush forward to throw their homemade fire bombs and are met by a rain of lethal shafts from the ramparts. Grondar takes grim satisfaction as two of the humannoids go down as a result of his own shooting. Others of their band seem to have similar success as they thin the ranks of goblins by half.

Still, it is not enough. Many of the fire bombs don't make it to the top of the wall, but two do. One goes over the wall completely and lands in the courtyard. The other, unfortunately, douses several of the refugee archers as it breaks open. The oil ignites immediately, turning the centermost into a living torch.

Grondar's spirits fall as he realizes that he failed in his duty. His vows to the Revered Mother emphasize protection beyond all else, and he has failed to protect these unfortunate refugees.

Racing over to those burning, Grondar whips off his cloak and wraps the nearest victim in it, trying as best he can to smother the flames. They need water to douse the flames efficiently, but by time it could be brought, it would be too late.

[Laucian]

Laucian

Laucian casts Hold Person and ensnares a trio of goblins. The three freeze in mid-stride and fall over. One of their bottles breaks and the flames quickly spread and consume the goblin. The other two goblins are taken out by refugee archers as they make such an easy target.
Valena Feador fires a trio of shafts in rapid succession and two of them connect. Each arrow downs a gobins

Laucian watches as the flammable liquid engulfs the helpless goblin and begins to barbeque it on the spot. As he readies his bow to deal with those remaining within his spell's grasp, shafts from the refugees soon end the enemies' lives.

Those remaining retreat as their munitions are soon expired. He will urge those with in earshot to continue volleys until they are out of range. "Do not show them mercy for you will receive none in return!" Afterward he moves behind a higher part of the wall.

Seeing a smoldering body down the rampart wall he lets out a curse, as he watches a few of those around him catch fire and begin to flail around in panic. Grondar makes to rush in but he knows; one, he cannot do it alone and two; any who go to aid will be easy targets if they aren't careful. Staying behind a higher part in the wall he will begin to chant the words to his Dust Devil spell and send it to engulfed those refugees in flame.

[Chareos]

Chareos

"I'll get their attention and draw them to us", Drakkimor announces. "Hold your ground and most of the enemy will be eliminated before they can reach us."

Once inside the courtyard, Oran scans the area to find the largest concentration of Trolls. He indicates this area and Drakkimor fires a silvery ray from one of his wands. At the indicated target, the ray explodes into an Ice Storm! Great hail stones pound an area forty feet in diameter.

Three of the six trolls are caught in the Ice Storm and are wounded. Oran tosses his flaming warhammer at one of these three trolls and connects. The force of the impact flings the troll backwards. It hits the ground awkwardly and does not stir. The remaining trolls rush towards Drakkimor and his crew.

Two Carrion Crawlers were caught within the Ice Storm and crushed.

When the Gorso brings the wagon to a stop, Validar halts the column of soldiers. "Guardians, prepare for ranged support fire. Hold your ground and be ready to counter-attack," Validar will command. He looks to Corley to see what he will do.

Drakkimor wounds three of the trolls with his magic wand and one of those is removed by Oran. The remainder of the trolls rush forward in an awkward attack. Lord Validar remains mounted and watches what happens, preparing to attack if needed.

Chareos watches as both Oran and Drakkimor wittle down the trolls before them but even their combined strength is not enough to deter or finish the beasts, for only one falls.

Taking out his sling and placing a sling bullet within he whirls it about his head, "I hope I am not too rusty with this," he thinks to himself as he targets the lead troll with his sling.

[Lyonessa]

Lyonessa:

Lyonessa lets out a breath she hadn't noticed she was holding when the pegasus touches down safely. It seemed like the paladin healed the pegasus, but the animal still seems very tired and the wound is not completely healed.

Once on land, the riders dismount and begin to move southward. More boulders come flying in courtesy of the Fire Giants, forcing Acerion and Lyonessa to quickly flee the area to the south for safety.

Suddenly a sound is heard, and more boulders come flying in! Lyonessa hurries to get out of the way and further from the shore, hoping the range is too great for those powerful giants.

Lyonessa summons her owl familiar Dusk to her and gives it a message to give to Validar. The owl coos its understanding and flies off on its mission.

Lyonessa smiles knowing that her familiar will carry out the task. She looks to Acerion, "Shall we then?" indicating the walk they have before them. If her familiar returns before they reach the gatehouse, she will instruct Dusk to fly overhead and call out to attract attention to their presence. Otherwise, they could simply try calling out. She will ask the paladin his thoughts as they make the walk.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

Vesubian Gatehouse:

The goblins have tossed their fiery bombs and begin to retreat. Only one of their crude projectiles actually hit anything. One of the refugees was struck and he burst into flames. The fiery liquid splashed two others nearby.

Grondar acts first and races to douse the flames with his cloak. While the dwarven priest is doing that, Laucian casts Dust Devil and a small man-sized whirlwind appears on the battlements. Between the Dust Devil's winds and Grondar's efforts, the fires are put out. The refugee who was directly hit is near death, while the other two are badly wounded.

Down below, the bomb throwing goblins are in retreat. Sherra and Valena continue to fire arrows into them. Sherra connects three times and takes down three goblins. Valena only removes two goblins.

The return fire from the enemy fails to hit any targets.

[GM Mad]

West Gatehouse:


At the West Gatehouse, Drakkimor and his associates have moved forward to deal with the occupants of the courtyard. The Arch-Mage got the trolls attention with an Ice Storm from his Wand of Frost, causing the trolls to rush his group.

As the trolls close in, Drakkimor uses his wand once again, this time generating a Cone of Cold. A blast of intense cold catches all five of the trolls as they lumber forward. Two of them drop from the attack.

Chareos tosses a sling stone at the lead troll, but it sails high.

The remaining three reach the adventurers who are ready for them. Oran acts the fastest and smashes the troll closest to him to the ground. The hammer's fires permanently kill the troll.

Beside the dwarf, Crysania wields her battleaxe and slices twice into the next troll putting it down. Gorso's fighting talents are less elegant. He simply bashes anything that gets too close with his giant club. He mercilessly pounds a troll down.

Once the trolls are all down, Oran hits them again with his hammer to permanently slay them.

Drakkimor then turns back to Validar. "I believe the courtyard is now secure. The Carrion Crawlers most likely fled from all the racket, but may still be around. Do you plan to secure this position or are we continuing on to the Vesubian Gatehouse? It makes no difference to me as long as we have a safe place to rest."

As the riders approach, you can see that Gorso, Oran, and Crysania are laboring heavily after the combat. The strain and lack of food and rest from the last few days is catching up to them. Drakkimor, however, does not show this strain thanks to the Healing spell Crysania cast upon him.

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

Lyonessa and Acerion are still walking south along the shores of the Vesubian River.

Current Hit Points:

Chareos - 56 of 59
Corley - 41 of 52
Grondar - 47 of 52
Havoc - 20 of 24
Laucian - 60 of 64
Pegasus - 14 of 28
Po - 26 of 28
Validar - 27 of 76

Now what?

[Ivy]

Ivy:

Ivy bends down to examine the man while Grondar rushes to defend the Gatehouse. Unfortunately, man's soul has already departed this world. All Ivy can do is cover the man's body and say a prayer to Azrella that she may guide his spirit safely to the hereafter.

Looking up once more, Ivy can see the men engulfed in fire. She rushes to assist them, but others are faster. Grondar is quickly there trying to put the flames out with his cloak and while Laucian invokes some magic she is unfamiliar with.

The fires are put out, but the men's lives hang in the balance. Ivy will rush near them and hold forth the Kiss of Azrella. Ivy will burn Remove Fear and cast CLW on the mace, which in turn will heal all in the immediate area.

[Argent]

Argent:

Lady Luck is not with Argent this time around and she badly misses all her targets. Fortunately, all the bombs the goblins toss seem to go off against the Gatehouse Walls so no one is harmed.

Hearing a scream, Argent looks off in that direction and sees that one of the defenders was struck and is ablaze! A Pyrotechnics spells would solve that problem, but Argent does not currently possess one.

Looking away and feeling very useless, Argent will slump down against the wall and hide. It's like the assault against the Zombie Master all over again… Feeling helpless... So helpless…

[Valena Feador]

Valena:

Much to her disappointment, Valena only connects with two of her three shafts. It must be the fatigue showing. Yes, that must be it.

The goblins toss their projectiles and then scurry off. One seems to have struck a Gatehouse Defender and others rush to help him.

Valena turns her attention back to the goblins and they are withdrawing. Taking advantage of the situation, Valena fires a full complement of arrows at the goblins. Much to her shock, only two of the four shafts find the mark!

"Lady Tymora does not seem to be with me at the moment," Valena mutters.

Undaunted, Valena will attempt to locate and target the enemy archers hidden amongst the buildings. Fire on them as she locates them.

[Validar]

Lord Validar -

Lord Validar keeps his eye on the battle but even more so watches the walls of the Gatehouse for evidence of the voices Arocken heard earlier. An Ice Storm envelops the trolls, then a Cone of Cold hits them.

Half the trolls reach the defensive line and they do no last long in hand to hand combat. The dwarf uses his magical hammer's fire to finish off each of the trolls. That was easy an required no effort on his team's part. So much the better, Lord Validar thinks.

Drakkimor then turns back to Validar. "I believe the courtyard is now secure. The Carrion Crawlers most likely fled from all the racket, but may still be around. Do you plan to secure this position or are we continuing on to the Vesubian Gatehouse? It makes no difference to me as long as we have a safe place to rest."

"We are going to secure this Gatehouse first. The food stores at the Vesubian Gatehouse could use some assistance and I would like to better arm and armor these man. In addition, closing up this Gatehouse will cut the humanoids ability to travel around the town at least somewhat and we may be able to give the rest of the city's defenders renewed hope and moral."

The mage Chareos informs Validar that he has a Wraithform available and can scout out the source of the voices that Arocken heard on his initial approach. "Very good, Chareos. If they do not appear in the next few moments of their own, then by all means, do scout the Gatehouse for those voices as well as any other threats."

Validar will order the soldiers into the courtyard and arrange them in a defensive all around position, with any archers in the middle of the formation. The formations will be established past the pike walls and those will be closed.

"Drakkimor, do you or any of your comrades have any magickal means to identify if anyone else is in this gatehouse, friend or foe? Our ranger, Arocken, said that he heard voices coming from the main towers."

Validar will then send a squad to check each of the stables to examine their condition. They will await Chareos' return and information (or something else happening sooner) and be on their guard until then.

[Grondar]

Grondar:

Even as the dwarven priest begins trying to quell the flames searing the unfortunate victims, a small whirlwind appears and begins to suck away the blaze. Though not sure of the source of this blessing, Grondar is pleased by the assistance, and the two prove effective together. It is not long before the fires have been snuffed.

Grondar looks down at the victims, assessing their condition. At that moment, Ivy steps forward and prays over her holy mace. Grondar can feel the healing power of Azrella wash over him as condition of the roasted refugees visibly improves.

"Thank you, Ivy. They will all benefit greatly from Azrella's blessings."

With Ivy there to care for the wounded, Grondar returns to the wall with his crossbow. He scans the surrounding buildings for any goblin archers that may give them more trouble.

[Chareos]

Chareos


Chareos tosses a sling stone at the lead troll, but it sails high.
Letting out a groan he mutters, "I have been neglecting my training. Sharadin would not be pleased."

Drakkimor and company soon dispatch the trolls in quick fashion by both magic and by strenth of arms. Afterward Drakkimor turns to Lord Validar.

Drakkimor then turns back to Validar. "I believe the courtyard is now secure. The Carrion Crawlers most likely fled from all the racket, but may still be around. Do you plan to secure this position or are we continuing on to the Vesubian Gatehouse? It makes no difference to me as long as we have a safe place to rest."

Once it is learned that we plan to secure the gatehouse Chareos puts forth an option to Validar. "If you wish it, I could see what exactly these voices Arocken had heard within. I have a wraithform spell within my Ioun stone that would allow me to do so with mild security."

The mage Chareos informs Validar that he has a Wraithform available and can scout out the source of the voices that Arocken heard on his initial approach. "Very good, Chareos. If they do not appear in the next few moments of their own, then by all means, do scout the Gatehouse for those voices as well as any other threats."

If no one else has objections or hostiles show themselves, Chareos will cast his spell and move within the tower in which Arocken indicated he heard the voices.

[Laucian]

Laucian

Grondar acts first and races to douse the flames with his cloak. While the dwarven priest is doing that, Laucian casts Dust Devil and a small man-sized whirlwind appears on the battlements. Between the Dust Devil's winds and Grondar's efforts, the fires are put out. The refugee who was directly hit is near death, while the other two are badly wounded.

The enchanted words completed, the wind begins to swirl about the battlements and a man-sized whirlwind comes to be. Concentrating on the refugees engulfed in flame, Laucian urges it forth. Between the winds of the dust devil and Grondar's efforts the danger is eliminated. A smile comes across his face as he soon realizes through Ivy's actions that they will survive.

Saying a silent prayer to his beloved patron he will give thanks.

Hearing his fellow elf say, "Lady Tymora does not seem to be with me at the moment." as she takes aim.

"Lady Tymora must be in a playful mood. Let us see if she smiles on me any different." Taking up his bow he takes aim at the archers and begins firing in the hopes to hit them before they duck under cover.

[Acerion]

Acerion:

Lyonessa smiles knowing that her familiar will carry out the task. She looks to Acerion, "Shall we then?" indicating the walk they have before them. If her familiar returns before they reach the gatehouse, she will instruct Dusk to fly overhead and call out to attract attention to their presence. Otherwise, they could simply try calling out. She will ask the paladin his thoughts as they make the walk

"Indeed we should," Acerion responds. "We can not know if the giants take a further interest in us and decide to give chase, or unleash some lesser foes after us."

Acerion notices the Songstress as she communicates with her familiar and sends the owl forth into the night. "Let us hope he finds his task easier to complete."

As the pair set out walking back to the Gatehouse, Acerion keeps vigilant in case there are any goblinoids lingering in the night. Lyonessa asks him about possibilites of getting the attention of those inside the Gatehouse. "It should be easy enough," Acerion remarks, "for even if your familiar is not yet returned, we can call out as you suggest or merely pelt the drawbridge with thrown stones until someone looks out to see what the disturbance is."

[Sherra]

Sherra:

Doing her best to ignore the sights and smells of burning flesh, Sherra instead concentrates on bringing down the remaining enemy outside the walls.

Down below, the bomb throwing goblins are in retreat. Sherra and Valena continue to fire arrows into them. Sherra connects three times and takes down three goblins. Valena only removes two goblins.

There is no way Sherra wants those goblins to regroup and gather up more flammable bombs to pelt them with. Once she is clear that every goblin on the ground is slain, she will begin to visually hunt for the elusive enemy archers.

[Lyonessa]

Lyonessa:

Acerion notices the Songstress as she communicates with her familiar and sends the owl forth into the night. "Let us hope he finds his task easier to complete."

Guessing that the paladin meant his remark to be humorous, Lyonessa smiles, "Yes, let us hope so."

As the pair set out walking back to the Gatehouse, Acerion keeps vigilant in case there are any goblinoids lingering in the night. Lyonessa asks him about possibilites of getting the attention of those inside the Gatehouse. "It should be easy enough," Acerion remarks, "for even if your familiar is not yet returned, we can call out as you suggest or merely pelt the drawbridge with thrown stones until someone looks out to see what the disturbance is."

"True enough," she replies. Lyonessa notes Acerion's wary gaze as they continue walking to the gatehouse. With her familiar nowhere nearby, she will have to rely on her own senses to alert her to danger. She too will be a bit more alert as they walk along.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

Vesubian Gatehouse:

Thanks to the efforts of Grondar and Laucian, the fire covering the three refugees is quickly extinguished. Ivy then steps in and casts a Cure Light Wounds spell through her Holy Weapon, the Kiss of Azrella. The magic is projected all around Ivy and everyone within thirty feet of the weapon is healed, including Grondar and Laucian.

The men who had been burned all rise up once more and don't show any ill effects from their ordeal. Even the burnt flesh has been repaired! Each thanks Ivy profusely before returning to their posts.


Outside the gatehouse, the goblins who tossed the fiery bombs have all fled the area. The archers now concentrate on taking out the enemy bowmen.

For the next few minutes, arrows fly viciously back and forth. Numerous cries of pain are heard from outside the gatehouse, indicating that a target was hit. Likewise, many defenders are injured by return fire.

After about four minutes of this, the volume of arrows fired at the gatehouse dramatically begins to decrease until there are no more. The defenders keep watch waiting for another target to appear, but none does.

Finally, those with keen hearing will make out voices off in the distance. It seems to be coming from the bridge that spans the Vesubian River!


GM Notes:

Four rounds of back and forth fire took place with the enemy archers. Grondar scored 3 hits and was struck twice in return. Laucian did the best with 6 hits, but was hit himself 3 times. Sherra hit 3 enemy archers and herself was struck once. Lastly, Valena scored four hits and was hit back once.

Those who go to check on the voices they heard will see Lord Acerion, Lyonessa, and the pegasus standing on the Vesubian Bridge waiting to be let in.

Now what?

[GM Mad]

Taking Wing:

The trek south passes without incident. The pair walk past the Duke's Fortress and they can hear the siege upon it continuing. (There is only a small shore on the side they pass, making it next to impossible for the humanoids to attack it there.)

Several minutes later, the pair reach the Vesubian Bridge that they just crossed a few hours ago. All remains relatively quiet in this area. With the drawbridge currently up, the bridge comes to an end before reaching the Gatehouse. A span almost twenty feet wide separates the pair from the entrance to the Gatehouse.

Together they begin to call out to get the attention of those defending the Gatehouse. Eventually someone appears on the battlements overhead.

[GM Mad]

West Gatehouse:


The soldiers of Corunglain move into the West Gatehouse courtyard and secure the area. One more Carrion Crawler is located, but it is quickly taken down by bow fire. The remains of past defenders, along with numerous humanoids still fill the area. The stench is nauseating.

"Drakkimor, do you or any of your comrades have any magickal means to identify if anyone else is in this gatehouse, friend or foe? Our ranger, Arocken, said that he heard voices coming from the main towers."

"We do have means," the arch-mage will say, "but stone blocks detection spells. In this instance, magic is not a help."

Soldiers are dispatched to investigate the stables. The remains of only a few mounts are found between the stables. Far fewer than the Vesubian Gatehouse.

It is one of the large Gatehouse towers that Arocken heard the voices in earlier. So far there has been no response from anyone inside. Chareos casts Wraithform and slips through the door to investigate.

While Chareos is gone, an owl flies low and circles over Lord Validar. It coos loudly to attract attention to it. Looking up, Validar can see the owl and then it suddenly flies off in the direction of the Vesubian Gatehouse.


Elsewhere, Chareos moves through the ground floor of the tower as little more than a ghost. The ground entrance to the tower is not secured from the inside. Up ahead, the door to the dining hall is open and there is a light inside. Noises that sound like eating can be heard.

Moving closer, Chareos peeks into the room. What he sees sickens him.

There are half a dozen creatures in the room that are vaguely recognizable as human, but horribly disfigured. They are standing over several bodies, including human, orc, and goblin and are feasting on the raw remains! Blood, bone, and sundry body parts litter the area.

The beings' long tongues lash out and suck marrow from the bones of their victims. The creatures' teeth are sharp and elongated. Their nails are more like strong, sharp claws that easily rend flesh.

The monsters continue to devour their morbid meal and pay no attention to Chareos in his current state.

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

Current Hit Points:

Chareos - 56 of 59
Corley - 41 of 52
Grondar - 49 of 52
Havoc - 20 of 24
Laucian - 50 of 64
Pegasus - 14 of 28
Po - 26 of 28
Sherra - 35 of 38
Valena - 47 of 50
Validar - 27 of 76

Now what?

[Validar]

Lord Validar -

Once the trolls are dispatched, the soldiers are moved in and the courtyard secured.

"Drakkimor, do you or any of your comrades have any magickal means to identify if anyone else is in this gatehouse, friend or foe? Our ranger, Arocken, said that he heard voices coming from the main towers."

"We do have means," the arch-mage will say, "but stone blocks detection spells. In this instance, magic is not a help."

"Perhaps not detection spells, but another magickal means may prove helpful." Chareos uses a spell to change to Wraithform to investigate the voices heard in the tower by Arocken.

Meanwhile, the stables are investigated. There are fewer dead steads than were found in the Vesubian Gatehouse, indicating more of the horses either escaped or were killed elsewhere in battle. Or they were eaten, Validar thinks to himself, a very sobering thought.

Chareos enters the large tower and Validar commands the troops to be vigilant while they wait. "Lord Corley, you have command of those four squadrons," Validar will indicate. "Keep a watchful eye to that side of the Gatehouse. We will begin clean-up of the dead as soon as we have secured this position."


While Chareos is gone, an owl flies low and circles over Lord Validar. It coos loudly to attract attention to it. Looking up, Validar can see the owl and then it suddenly flies off in the direction of the Vesubian Gatehouse.

Validar sees the large bird close in and quickly realizes that by its actions, this must be Lyonessa's new familiar. The young noble has a quick stray thought that many of the Seekers had animals with them, from snakes to wardogs to ferrets, to who knows what else.

Lord Validar watches the owl fly off in the direction of the other gatehouse. "Arocken, what do you make of that? Apparently, the bird was trying to communicate something. My guess would be that either Acerion and Lyonessa returned to the Vesubian Gatehouse and not here for some reason, or they are under attack there."

Arocken -

"Clearly it was an indication that should draw our attention in that direction. Had it landed, I might have been able to converse with it directly."

Arocken keeps his bow at the ready aiming at the main door to the tower that Chareos entered.

[Validar]

Lord Validar -

Arocken indicates that the owl is obviously drawing their attention in the direction of the Vesubian Gatehouse.

"Arocken, since you have a grappling hook and rope, I want you to scale the wall on the closest tower and see what you can of the Vesubian Gatehouse. Do not use the tower entrance since we do not know what may be inside as yet. If you encounter any resistance, let us know."

Meanwhile another Carrion Crawler arrives, but it is quickly dispatched with bow fire.

[Laucian]

Laucian

With no fleeing targets within sight Laucian turns his gaze to those archers that threaten their walls. Even with his keen eyesight he can just make out those archers. Nocking an arrow to his bow he returns a volley of arrows to the humaniods, where a scream soon is heard. There arrows wiz here and there striking both battlements and sailing overhead.

Sadly the elfin ranger is not fast enough to duck back behind cover before the next volley of arrows reaches their walls. A few arrows graze his frame causing rips in his armor and his lifeblood to begin to spill.

Gritting his teeth as he takes aim, he fires again and again with no counter volley. It would seem that the humaniods are dispatched or merely retreating.


Ducking down behind the high part of the wall he will begin to look at his wounds and mutter to Valena, "It would appear I have worn out Lady Tymora's good graces..." he says with a half grin, half grimace. Afterward he will begin to bind his wounds in the mundane way.

Once completed he will retake his place along the wall and remain viligant for future attack with his bow nocked and ready.

[Chareos]

Chareos

Chareos casts Wraithform and slips through the door to investigate.

Reciting the words to his spell Chareos takes the ghastly form of a wraith. Looking briefly down at his features he cannot believe he can see through himself. He moves along and approaches the door where he slips through a narrow crack in the door.

'A most useful spell if I don't say so myself,' he thinks to himself as he begins to investigate the tower.

As he moves about the lower floor the sounds of someone or something feeding catches his attention. With his curiousity piqued he approaches a lit dining room. He moves cautiously into the room. Looking about the room causes Chareos to move his ghostly hand to his mouth as his stomach begins to turn. Several creatures are feeding on the bone and sinew within.

Moving back away from the beasts he will make his way back to the others as quickly as possible and report his findings to Lord Validar.

Breathing heavily at what he just saw he will begin to say, while catching his breath, "There are some creatures that are feeding within the dining hall of which I have never seen. They look as if they were human at sometime but are disfigured in ways I cannot even begin to explain...."

Swallowing hard to keep his meal from escaping he begins to try to explain."They have very large tongues that were sucking the marrow from their victims' bones. They have very long teeth that look to be as sharp as their claws. They could easily rip a man asunder in mere moments."

" I would have searched further but if my spell would have faltered I do not think I would be able to return with this information, for they would have outnumbered me 6 to 1."

[Grondar]

Grondar:

Shots are traded back and forth with the goblins in the buildings across the way. Grondar is pleased to have as much success as he does, but he is hit twice in return, undoing much of the healing that Ivy had just given him.

Once the return fire dwindles to nothing, Grondar glances around. It is clear that others were hit as well, though none seem to be seriously wounded. Ivy and her mace should be able to take care of everyone.

Though he hears nothing himself, he sees the heads of some of the others turn toward the gate through which they themselves had entered.

"What is it?" he asks.

[Validar]

Lord Validar -

As Arocken is searching for any sign from the Vesubian Tower of why Lyonessa's owl might be drawing them there, Chareos returns.

He indicates the creatures feeding in the tower. "It doesn't sound like those were the voices that arocken indicated. But one can never be certain. It sounds like some form of undead creature, feeding on the bones and marrow of the dead."

Validar will turn to Drakkimor and the Priestess of Heironeous. "I think we have have ghouls in the tower that Chareos investigated. Do you think you could eliminate them for us? The voices our ranger heard could have fled or could have been killed, or they may still be in the tower on the upper levels. In any case, we cannot let these carrion eaters remain here."

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

"Arocken, since you have a grappling hook and rope, I want you to scale the wall on the closest tower and see what you can of the Vesubian Gatehouse. Do not use the tower entrance since we do not know what may be inside as yet. If you encounter any resistance, let us know."

Arocken does as directed and climbs to the battlements and then up to the top of the high tower opposite the one Chareos entered. The elfin ranger can just make out the Vesubian Gatehouse off in the distance. The white flag is still flying and all seems quiet there at the moment.

Looking to the north, Arocken can catch a glimpse of catapult fire flying into the Duke's Fortress. He looks to spot Acerion and Lyonessa upon the pegasus but cannot find them.

Validar will turn to Drakkimor and the Priestess of Heironeous. "I think we have ghouls in the tower that Chareos investigated. Do you think you could eliminate them for us? The voices our ranger heard could have fled or could have been killed, or they may still be in the tower on the upper levels. In any case, we cannot let these carrion eaters remain here."

"More vermin to prey upon the fallen," Drakkimor mutters. "What your mage describes are indeed ghouls. Foul creatures that were once human and could pass as such from a distance. Much like rats, trolls, and carrion crawlers, they feast on the remains of the recently killed. In a conflict of this scale there is much food for those kind of monsters."

Crysania pulls out her Holy Symbol from underneath her chain mail. It is a silver lightning bolt hanging from a chain around her neck.

"I possess the power to destroy these creatures with just a word from my god," Crysania states. "Presumably there is a ghast among the pack. Should there be, then it will not be destroyed, but forced to flee. Not that it will get far."

Crysania will then proceed to the tower to deal with the ghouls.

[Ivy]

Ivy:

Grondar looks down at the victims, assessing their condition. At that moment, Ivy steps forward and prays over her holy mace. Grondar can feel the healing power of Azrella wash over him as condition of the roasted refugees visibly improves.

"Thank you, Ivy. They will all benefit greatly from Azrella's blessings."

"I only wish I could do more," Ivy states. "Alas, I am not much use in this type of battle beyond my healing talents."

The men who had been burned all rise up once more and don't show any ill effects from their ordeal. Even the burnt flesh has been repaired! Each thanks Ivy profusely before returning to their posts.

Ivy will graciously accept the men's compliments. "I thank you for your kind words, gentlemen, but much work yet needs to be done. Be more careful in the future!"


Ivy returns to the wall and stares out into the night. Lord Acerion is out there somewhere and Ivy hopes that he will be returning soon.

[Valena Feador]

Valena:

"Lady Tymora must be in a playful mood. Let us see if she smiles on me any different." Taking up his bow he takes aim at the archers and begins firing in the hopes to hit them before they duck under cover.

"Lady Luck has fled this city," Valena responds. "We are feeling the full force of Black Bess' wrath. For how much longer I cannot say."

Ducking down behind the high part of the wall he will begin to look at his wounds and mutter to Valena, "It would appear I have worn out Lady Tymora's good graces..." he says with a half grin, half grimace. Afterward he will begin to bind his wounds in the mundane way.

"You did well, forest brother," Valena will say with pride. "Your bowmanship is most impressive. Are you an archer like myself?"

Seeing Laucian struggle to bind his wounds, Valena will step up to assist him with the task.

Finally, those with keen hearing will make out voices off in the distance. It seems to be coming from the bridge that spans the Vesubian River!

As Valena works on Laucian, she hears something off in the distance. She stops her work on binding wounds and stares off into the night. Upon hearing it again, Valena turns to face the main gatehouse.

"I can just make out someone calling out from outside the city!"

Valena then dashes off to the gatehouse roof in order to see who or what is making the noise. Once there, Valena will have an arrow at the ready and will peer down to see who it is. If it is goblinoids or any other readily identifiable monster, she'll fire. If not she'll call out, "Who goes there?"

[Corley]

Corley:

Chareos enters the large tower and Validar commands the troops to be vigilant while they wait. "Lord Corley, you have command of those four squadrons," Validar will indicate. "Keep a watchful eye to that side of the Gatehouse. We will begin clean-up of the dead as soon as we have secured this position."

"As you command, Lord Validar."

Corley will slowly ride amongst the squadrons and keep his eyes open for trouble.

[Laucian]

Laucian

"Lady Luck has fled this city", Valena responds. "We are feeling the full force of Black Bess' wrath. For how much longer I cannot say."
"Perhaps,you are correct" he will add noting the reality in her words,"Unless we give Lady Luck a reason to return."

Laucian wrote:
Ducking down behind the high part of the wall he will begin to look at his wounds and mutter to Valena, "It would appear I have worn out Lady Tymora's good graces..." he says with a half grin, half grimace. Afterward he will begin to bind his wounds in the mundane way.


"You did well, forest brother," Valena will say with pride. "Your bowmanship is most impressive. Are you an archer like myself?"

"As did you, Valena," he will say with equal feeling. "You honor me greatly, though your skill and speed with a bow is equally impressive. I am an archer of some skill,he will say modestly." On our last mission I was blessed by Ehlonna herself as she changed my mother's bow into a Hunter's bow."

Seeing Laucian struggle to bind his wounds, Valena will step up to assist him with the task.

"Thank you," he will say as she helps bind his wounds.

As Valena works on Laucian, she hears something off in the distance. She stops her work on bidding wounds and stares off into the night. Upon hearing it again, Valena turns to face the main gatehouse.

"I can just make out someone calling out from outside the city!"

Valena then dashes off to the gatehouse roof in order to see who or what is making the noise. Once there, Valena will have an arrow at the ready and will peer down to see who it is. If it is goblinoids or any other readily identifiable monster, she'll fire. If not she'll call out, "Who goes there?"

As Valena continues binding his wounds she stops and looks into the darkness. "What is it?" Upon hearing her words he takes off running and follows her to the gatehouse.

She nocks and leans forward over the battlements. Looking over himself he looks down. As he does so a sigh of relief and a small smile soon forms over his face. "Lower your weapon, Valena. They are our fellow Guardians, Acerion and Lyonessa."

He will add to those on the bridge," Tis not the time for a moonlit stroll my friends," he will add playfully before welcoming them back.

He will yell to the others close by, "Lord Acerion and Lyonessa have returned to us safely!"

[Validar]

Lord Validar -

As Arocken gains the top of the tower closest to the Vesubian gatehouse, Chareos returns to indicate that there are ghouls feasting on the dead in the tower.

"More vermin to prey upon the fallen," Drakkimor mutters. "What your mage describes are indeed ghouls. Foul creatures that were once human and could pass as such from a distance. Much like rats, trolls, and carrion crawlers, they feast on the remains of the recently killed. In a conflict of this scale there is much food for those kind of monsters."

"Indeed you are correct. I am a little concerned from where these ghouls came. Are they not ones to frequent graveyards? Would a battle of this scale be sufficient to draw them here or should we be concerned of a necromancer's presence as well?", Lord Validar will ask the mage.

Drakkimor confirms that they are indeed ghouls and Crysania goes off to destroy them. Lord Validar watches and hold his post as the Priestess of Heironeous pulls out her holy symbol. It is the same that his old friend Cereld possessed and shines just as brightly in the torchlight.

Arocken calls down from the top of his tower. "All is well at the Vesubian Gatehouse, Lord Validar! The white flag remains and there are no attacks." A moment later he continues after looking off toward the Duke's Fortress. "The Fire Giants bombard continues! I cannot see the pegasus!"

Lord Validar considers his friend's words. "The Fire Giants catapults are not silenced, indicating that Lord Acerion and Lyonessa were not completely successful. Further they did not return here. Perhaps they were injured on their attack and needed to return to the clerics."

"If they needed our help where the attack as made, then the owl would have went in that direction, so likely Lyonessa is okay at the least. And since there is no attack on the Vesubian Gatehouse, we can continue our work here to secure this location before returning."

Validar will call back up to his elven ranger friend. "Arocken, fly the white flag here on your tower. We will continue to secure this gatehouse before moving on. Keep an eye out for any humanoids approaching."

"Once the ghouls are defeated, Lord Corley, take Chareos and some soldiers in to finish scouting that tower. Then get to the top and have those portcullis closed. I would like to be quick about closing this area up and improving our defensive position."

[Validar]

Arocken -

The war-like elf relays the info he sees to Lord Validar. Then he begins to check the immediate area for signs of humanoids approaching.

If all is clear, he will raise the white flag, indicating the gatehouse is safe and then proceed to see if he can close the portcullis on this side of the gatehouse.

Po-

Po remains hidden behind the battlements once the immediate targets of the flame-tossing goblins are killed or all run away. He has enough difficulty trying to hit the targets in the open. When all that remains is the archers hidden in nearby buildings, Po lets the better archers exchange fire with them. Once the incoming arrows halt, we will return to viewing from his watch area, but continue to try and keep protected on the parapet.

[Acerion]

Acerion:

The trek south passes without incident. The pair walk past the Duke's Fortress and they can hear the siege upon it continuing.

"We can only hope our efforts will buy those inside some time for us and others to lift the siege," Acerion says more to convince himself than in anticipation of an answer from Lyonessa.

Soon enough Acerion finds they have arrived at the Gatehouse, and together they take turns calling out.

Together they begin to call out to get the attention of those defending the Gatehouse. Eventually someone appears on the battlements overhead.

Valena then dashes off to the gatehouse roof in order to see who or what is making the noise. Once there, Valena will have an arrow at the ready and will peer down to see who it is. If it is goblinoids or any other readily identifiable monster, she'll fire. If not she'll call out, "Who goes there?"

The woman who looks over onto them is not who Acerion expects. She doesn't seem like any of the refugees and she could possibly be elven, although he can not be completely certain from this distance. If she is elven, then he knows the orcs and goblins have not reclaimed the Gatehouse, for no elf he has ever seen would ally themselves with such vile humanoids.

"I am Lord Acerion, Paladin of Heironeous, and this is the songstress Lyonessa," Acerion calls out, not fearing the woman's drawn bow. "Where are Ivy, Laucian and the others?"

His question doesn't take long to be answered.

She nocks and leans forward over the battlements. Looking over himself he looks down. As he does so a sigh of relief and a small smile soon forms over his face. "Lower your weapon, Valena. They are our fellow Guardians, Acerion and Lyonessa."

He will add to those on the bridge," Tis not the time for a moonlit stroll my friends," he will add playfully before welcoming them back.

Seeing Laucian joining the woman and hearing his jest, Acerion smiles slightly, "My pegasus has been injured in our assault against the giants, so we had little choice. There is plenty to tell if only you would be so gracious as to let us back in."

[Sherra]

Sherra:

Outside the gatehouse, the goblins who tossed the fiery bombs have all fled the area. The archers now concentrate on taking out the enemy bowmen.

For the next few minutes, arrows fly viciously back and forth. Numerous cries of pain are heard from outside the gatehouse, indicating that a target was hit. Likewise, many defenders are injured by return fire.

After about four minutes of this, the volume of arrows fired at the gatehouse dramatically begins to decrease until there are no more. The defenders keep watch waiting for another target to appear, but none does.

Sherra manages to pick out and end the miserable lives of three of the well-hidden archers. Laucian, Grondar and Valena also add numerous kills with their attacks. One of the enemy gets lucky and scores a hit on Sherra, and she hisses as the arrow slices across her skin. The wound isn't too bad, but she plans on tending to it shortly, lest it become infected or was poisoned. Finally there is silence and Sherra peers over the wall for a long moment before seeking out her dwarven friend and asking him to help bind her minor wound. <"One was lucky,"> she will say in dwarvish.

He will yell to the others close by, "Lord Acerion and Lyonessa have returned to us safely!"

Laucian's cry is unexpected and it takes a moment for her to register that it is quite odd for those two to be returning from across the bridge. It makes her wonder how Validar and the others are faring, and what happened. Grondar can see the mix of relief and concern dancing across her face.

[Laucian]

Laucian

Seeing Laucian joining the woman and hearing his jest, Acerion smiles slightly, "My pegasus has been injured in our assault against the giants, so we had little choice. There is plenty to tell if only you would be so gracious as to let us back in."

"But of course," he will then turn and open the gates for his comrades. After they are safely within he will lower the gates once again.

Once Acerion and Lyonessa are within the walls Laucian will ask them both, "How did the battle fare..." He asks then sees the wounded pegasus, "If you would allow me I can see to your Pegasus' wounds?" [/b]

[Grondar]

Grondar:

"I only wish I could do more," Ivy states. "Alas, I am not much use in this type of battle beyond my healing talents."

"Healing the injured is an important contribution to any battle, fair Ivy. You do your patron proud."

"I can just make out someone calling out from outside the city!"

He will yell to the others close by, "Lord Acerion and Lyonessa have returned to us safely!"

The elven lady hears voices, and she and Laucian head off to look into it. If they need help, he can get there quickly enough, but there are injured here. From Laucian's announcement, it seems they will need little assistance. However, it gladdens the dwarf's heart to hear of the return of two of their companions. Perhaps they will have news of the others.

Finally there is silence and Sherra peers over the wall for a long moment before seeking out her dwarven friend and asking him to help bind her minor wound. <"One was lucky,"> she will say in dwarvish.

Grondar will examine his friend's wound. It appears minor, but it's always important to protect against poison and infection. Pulling bandages and salves from his bag, Grondar treats the injury with the salves, then binds it to keep it clean.

Seeing the look on her face, Grondar smiles. "I share your concern, my friend. Hopefully, our returning friends will have news of the others. Then, we will do what is necessary to aid them."

[Chareos]

Chareos

"More vermin to prey upon the fallen," Drakkimor mutters. "What your mage describes are indeed ghouls. Foul creatures that were once human and could pass as such from a distance. Much like rats, trolls, and carrion crawlers, they feast on the remains of the recently killed. In a conflict of this scale there is much food for those kind of monsters."

Crysania pulls out her Holy Symbol from underneath her chain mail. It is a silver lightning bolt hanging from a chain around her neck.

"I possess the power to destroy these creatures with just a word from my god," Crysania states. "Presumably there is a ghast among the pack. Should there be, then it will not be destroyed, but forced to flee. Not that it will get far."

Crysania will then proceed to the tower to deal with the ghouls.

Seeing Cyrsania pull her holy symbol and move to engage the ghouls Chareos can't help but admire her bravery.

"Once the ghouls are defeated, Lord Corley, take Chareos and some soldiers in to finish scouting that tower. Then get to the top and have those portcullis closed. I would like to be quick about closing this area up and improving our defensive position."

"If you wish I could save us some time and scout the remainder of that floor as well as the area about the stairs. I still have several minutes to maintain in this form, we shouldn't waste it."

[Lyonessa]

Lyonessa:

Once Acerion and Lyonessa are within the walls Laucian will ask them both "How did the battle fair..." he asks then sees the wounded pegasus, "If you would allow me I can see to your Pegasus' wounds?"

Lyonessa is pleased to be back within the relative safety of the gatehouse once more. She doesn't feel as vulnerable as with a siege raging all around her. She smiles warmly at Laucian since he is one of the first to greet us, "Good to see you once more Laucian."

Once everyone gathers around, Lyonessa will quickly tell of all they encountered, including the powerful orcs, and who they have rescued. She will tell where they split from Lord Validar and the others, and of their attack against the giants. All will be told in a simplified tale rather than one of her heroic ballads as she is certain that the others want the information quickly.

[Validar]

Lord Validar -

Chareos - "If you wish I could save us some time and scout the remainder of that floor as well as the area about the stairs. I still have several minutes to maintain in this form, we shouldn't waste it."

"Indeed, we should not waste the remainder of your spell ability. however, do not get too far ahead of Corley and his soldiers. Use your ability to scout ahead of them a room or two, but we do not want you getting caught as the spell expires in a dangerous situation. There may be more of those ghouls or something worse."

[GM Mad]

Post Closed