New Frontiers #70

[GM Mad]

New Frontiers #70

Prisoners:

The orcs occupying Fort Fletcher seem to have been dealt with. The Guardians split up on various tasks to either restore or secure the fort.

Sir Acerion and Farian work to secure the defeated orcs, while Grondar examines them to see if any survived the battle. Acerion examines the rest of the warehouse area and finds nothing troubling. Farian begins to strip the orcs of their gear.

Grondar discovers that both the orogs in plate barely cling to life. Farian assists in striping the two of their gear so that Grondar can bandage them. Both are secured with ropes so that they won’t cause any trouble. By the time he reaches the regular orcs they have all passed on.

Some items of interest are found among the group’s belongings. Some of the gear is in remarkably good shape and could be enchanted. The rest is standard adventuring gear.


Wolves:

A short distance away, Arocken works to calm the wolves.

Sherra stares in amazement as Arocken walks up and seemingly begins talking to the wolf. "That's a very handy skill to have," she will say to the elf. "Can it work on a large group of them, or will your friend 'speak' to the others on your behalf?"

“It’s a matter of knowing how animals behave and understanding them,” Arocken explains. “Having gained the trust of this one, that should make the others easy to befriend. However, I will need everyone else to keep a discrete distance away. Your presence might startle them and they could turn on me.”

At Arocken’s direction, the door to the warehouse where the orcs are located is closed and everyone else vacates the immediate area. More wolves appear at the other side of the Web and Arocken works to calm them. Arocken chooses to simply wait for the Web to fade on its own to free the wolves. Lighting it on fire would just startle the wolves and ruin his work.

Finally, over two and a half hours after it was cast, Argent’s Web fades away. By now all the wolves are under Arocken’s 'spell'. At his direction, they run forth and trot off through the Broken Lands exit. There are a full dozen of these giant creatures. They run off and disappear from sight.

Walking down the ramp leads to a small cavern some 40’ wide and 90’ long. An underground stream passes through the cavern, but there is no dry ways into and out of the cave. The smell of the wolves is strong in the cave and the group’s horses will resist being placed down there.

[GM Mad]

Entry/Exit Blocks:

Lowering the Fort’s defensive blocks is a high priority. The task turns out to be far more involved than was first imagined. All the blocks are currently up and are leaning against each other.

The task of placing the only intact block on the Broken Lands side of the fort requires clearing the other blocks to first reach it, and then clearing the other side so that it can be put into place.

To accomplish this task, an overhead pulley system using chains and winches had been created. Unfortunately, the on ground winches had been damaged during the siege and no longer function safely. It becomes necessary to grab the chain itself to move the blocks up and down.

The group starts to clear the Ardelphia side of the fortress. (Arocken needs the gates open so that the wolves have a place to run to once they are freed of the Web.) The inner-most blocks are the most damaged and they will need to be moved off to one side first.

It quickly becomes apparent that the track the pulley moves on needs to be lubricated, due to not being used for over fifty years. Someone has to go up there to lubricate the track and the pulley itself. Once that task is done, moving the blocks is an easier, but still tedious matter.

It requires the combined efforts of Aria, Grondar, Corley, Chareos, and Validar to move the blocks. Nearly three hours have passed before the intact block can be lowered to secure the fort on the Broken Lands side.

Only four other blocks are salvageable for use. Two are lowered on both sides of the fortress and the ground floor is secured for the most part. Aria will suggest lowering the two on the Broken Lands side in the 3rd and 4th slots, and dumping the debris of the blocks down the 2nd opening so that it occupies the space behind the whole block. Should it be breached then invaders would have a mound of debris to contend with next. The debris would also cover the holes in the block in the third slot.

Accomplishing this task takes the remainder of the day and all involved are exhausted from their efforts.

[GM Mad]

Scouting:

After taking an Endure Cold spell, Argent contacts Sir Corley at the top of the fortress and then flies off to explore. The valley expands greatly as Argent flies along. While narrow at Fort Fletcher, it quickly widens to over twenty miles in width. The terrain is mostly barren, snow swept hills. Visibility is limited to a few miles, but Argent sees no other creatures within a few miles of the Fort. She manages to return before her spell gives out.

(Given the time she had, Argent could only go out about a mile before having to return.)


Back in the fortress, Yusef continues his explorations. After a few hours the rest of the 2nd level is explored. The rest of the chambers were general troop quarters. Each room has rows of bunk beds in it with a chest at the foot of the bed for personal belongings. Many of the beds have been overturned. Blankets and mattresses are scattered about and many appear to have been used as nests in the past by various creatures. The chests are open, their contents spilled on the floor. Nothing of any value remains.


Ivy, Olivia, and whoever else helps them begin to reclaim the kitchen. Much cleaning has to be done and some of the broken wood in the room can be used to light the stoves giving some measure of warmth. Water is quickly boiled and hot tea can be had for those who want it. Work then begins on making the evening's meal.


The Fort’s furnaces are dark and covered with soot. It appears that their fires just burned out in the past. There is much ash in the bottom of the furnaces. There is still some coal left in the bins near the furnaces. Once a fuel source is provided, the furnaces can be ignited. Thick black smoke billows out of the heating ducks at first; over fifty years of dust needs to be blown out.

Once that has passed, warmth does begin to come back to the fortress. It is a slow process and by day's end the fort is still chilly, but no longer freezing. Keeping the fires fully burning is a full-time job.


The lift into the ground floor warehouse can be put back into use. The lift has to be raised up so that the blocks holding can be removed. Once that is done, it can be used. It creaks loudly while used, but seems safe enough for as many as three people or that comparable weight in goods to be moved from level to level. The support ropes are old and don’t seem that trustworthy for any greater weights.


Exploration of the blocked off areas on level four is pushed back until tomorrow. There’s more than enough work just getting the place ready for the evening and the folks needed to move the blocks blocking the doors are busy lowering the blocks that seal the fortress off on the ground floor.

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

How are you going to dispose of the orc bodies? Burn them? Toss them outside of the fortress? Tossing them into the furnace would fill the fortress with their burnt stench.

If you only want to save one of the orogs, let me know which one you choose to let live.

Where do you want to make camp for the night? What are you going to do with the horses? Are you going to have guards overnight?

The spectral replay that appears on the 4th level of the fort reruns about every twenty-five minutes or so.

Rat will turn up once the aroma of food is smelled in the fortress. The halfling was just exploring on his own and explored the blocked off areas by climbing outside the fortress to get around them.

Here’s a rundown of the orc gear in addition to the obvious: normal clothing, bed gear and food.

Orog in plate mail: plate mail, broadsword, shield, longbow, 2 daggers, hand axe, quiver w/30 arrows, 3 torches, tinderbox, and a cloak.

1 eyed orog: plate mail, spear, shield, holy symbol, silver mirror, and 30 gold coins.

Other orog: leather armor, spear, a scroll, 2 daggers, and 4 pieces of turquoise.

Orc 1: leather armor, short sword, club, dagger, thieves’ tools, large sack, 50’ rope, a net, and an onyx gem.

Orc 2: Chain mail, Longsword, fine fur boots, 2 hand axes, 6 torches, tinderbox, backpack, 35 pieces of silver.

Orc 3: leather armor, flail, backpack, sling with 30 bullets.

Orc 4: Military fork, leather armor, dagger.

Orc 5: Chain mail, shield, bastard sword, longbow w/30 arrows, 1 silver tipped arrow, and 50’ rope.

Orc 6: leather armor, short sword, dagger.

Orc 7: chain mail, military fork, two-handed sword, torch, flask of oil.

Orc 8: leather armor, light crossbow with 22 bolts, 2 large sacks.

Orc 9: chain mail, shield, spear, longsword, 12 iron spikes, small hammer.


Now what?

[Validar]

Sir Validar -

It doesn't take long for the skirmish with the orcs and their orog leaders to end. Now, it seems that the Guardians can complete the task of closing the stone gates and securing and exploring the remainder of the fortress.

Sir Acerion handles the detail of the battlesite, while they start to deal with the process of replacing the stone blocks. It quickly becomes a much more challenging and daunting task than it originally seemed.

It is the end of the day before the five blocks have been properly placed. It is not a perfect defense now, due to the damage, but it is better than being wide open to be certain.

Aria will suggest lowering the two on the Broken Lands side in the 3rd and 4th slots, and dumping the debris of the blocks down the 2nd opening so that it occupies the space behind the whole block. Should it be breached then invaders would have a mound of debris to contend with next. The debris would also cover the holes in the block in the third slot.

"I would prefer to wait for that extreme step until we know where the humanoids are and how much of a threat they are. If we close off the gates then it will be difficult at best to ride out in force and attack the enemy. We'd be forced to scale our own walls. We can always ready the stones and debris near the hole and dump them in if a huge force is approaching. Once done, it will be a significant undertaking to open that gate once more."

Therefore this will be a task for the next day. Those with magically enhanced strength can each work a little on moving the stones and rocks near to the 2nd hole on the Broken Lands side of the gate mechanism.

Argent returns before long from her aerial scouting expedition. Visibility is extremely limited, but nothing is within several miles currently.

Yusef finishes the exploration of the 2nd level and some of the group begins collecting the debris to put into the furnace.

At later breaks in the difficult, time-consuming and tedious work, Validar learns that Arocken has managed to get the Dire Wolves to exit the caverns and head out the Broken Lands side of the Fort.

"Very good," Validar will say as he wipes his face with a rag to remove the perspiration. "At least that way, there is no threat to any of our populace from their natural predatory needs."

"Next we need to scout the lower caverns for what is there. Take Grondar and Farian with you, Arocken. Hopefully there are no tunnels into this area."

Before long, Arocken reports in again that the underground cavern has no dry entrances to it. "Again, good news, my elven friend."

However, the horses will resist being there due to the strong smell of the wolves. "Is there some magickal or natural way to eliminate the remnants of the wolves," Validar will ask. "Go to the Argent and the priests to see if any of them have something to cleanse the area. Failing that, what are you suggestions for some natural odor covers?"

Finally the task is completed and the five blocks are in place. "Tomorrow we can worry about placing the extra stones in place near the secod block location. We all deserve a good sleep."

But before that can take place, Validar sets about to learn what else has transpired. He soon learns that the kitchen is up and running and the hot tea that they have been providing has been a welcome treat through the work day. Hot food is quickly consumed.

The furnaces are reclaimed as well. This helps to take the chill off the air in the fortress as fifty years of cold are overcome by the fires. The intact lifts are also made working again.

Validar will put Sir Acerion in charge of the guard rotation for the evening. We will need to keep fires burning on the top of the fortress and regularly check the furnace as well. The dead orcs will be burnt in the fires at the top of the fortress so the stench does not add to that already inside the fort.

Validar will tell the mages that we will need all potential flyers available with Endure Cold spells to scout out the humanoid army. "It is of vital importance to locate the enemy and determine their numbers and make-up. If possible each can fire off a Fireball spell at the lead column. It should eliminate some of their numbers and also cause them to slow their advance for the remainder of the day perhaps."

Sir Corley will have command of the guard rotation the next day. The blocked off areas can be opened and more of the fortress reclaimed and organized. The supplies will be moved down from the upper level to the warehouse level. Also we will have whoever has rope knowledge to replace the ropes on the lifts and try to repair the broken ones.

The weapons of the dead orcs will be kept and added to the arsenal here. Although we don't need to bother with removing their armor, apparently it has already been done. Validar recommends disposing of it as well, since they can have more supplies brought in if necessary.

In the meantime, we will keep the horses where they are in the Heironeous Temple. Until the area underground can be cleansed, we will keep them here for now. The heat from the fortress should keep them warm. And the lifts will need to be repaired and the ropes replaced to move them below anyway.

The Orogs will need to be guarded as well. Validar is somewhat disgruntled that they were kept alive, since that requires more work to guard them and it is unlikley they will have an information that they cannot get from scouting. In any case, Validar asks whoever speaks their guttural language to learn what they can from them. Perhaps in the morning, he will have the mindset to question them himself. Right now, he'd just as soon throw them off the parapets and be done with it, but that remains unspoken.

The valuables found on the orcs will be kept for bonuses for the troops and split up evenly among them when they arrive. Might as well get their morale as high as possible. More money never hurts.

Since Argent does have her Magickal Mansion available, we will use that for as many as possible and the rest will have to sleep in the chambers here. Once the place is set up enough, we will not need the Mansion. Validar will sleep outside the mansion in one of the command chambers. For simplicity, we will all sleep on the 2nd level. In that way everyone is relatively together. When the troops arrive, we will set up the barracks for them. In the morning, Validar will try to organize a place from which to manage this fortress.


Repost of the supplies brought:
150 rations of food
20 barrels of water
10 barrels of oil
40 sets of winter coats and blankets
15 bags of grain
5 crates of cured meat
100’ of heavy chain
10 sets of blocks and tackle
10 bundles of hay for horses
4 crates of candles (100 per crate)
Cooking supplies and cookware
20 bullseye lanterns
30 hooded lanterns
150 flasks of lamp oil
2000’ of hemp rope
10 crates of arrows (100 flight arrows per crate)
3 crates of bolts (100 bolts per crate)
plus the items collected from the orcs.

[farian]

Farian

"Thank you for the help Farian," Acerion says to the dwarf. "This will go much faster with both of us." Acerion will join Farian and strip the orc and orog bodies before disposing of them. If Grondar is successful at stablizing one of the orogs, then he will make sure the prisoner is not left alone while they finish their work.

“You are welcome, my friend. Though the work can be appalling, it is necessary. Besides, no telling what they have gathered that we may be able to use. But then again rotting meat is not to my liking much,” he says with a smirk.


Seeing Grondar beginning to treat one of the Orogs, Farian moves to his side taking up its weapons and beginning to strip him of his armor. And then he goes to the next in turn. Seeing the holy symbol of Gruumsh about the neck of the Orog, he takes the orog's dagger and cuts it from his neck where it goes rolling to the floor. Hawking and spitting on the symbol he takes out his warhammer aiming to smash the symbol to pieces. "Unless you see a better way to deal with such filth," he looks to Acerion and Grondar. If neither answer he will bring his Warhammer down on it smashing the holy symbol.

As the bodies are searched and stripped, Farian places the items upon the lift to be brought up. Small items in backpacks and bags, armor and weapons in loose piles, though with the armor and weapons of the the Orogs he will keep them separate from the orcs as they seem to be better quality and perhaps magical, though if they wish them to be destroyed so be it.

"Next we need to scout the lower caverns for what is there. Take Grondar and Farian with you, Arocken. Hopefully there are no tunnels into this area."

Word soon reaches his ears to meet up with Grondar and Arocken. “A dwarves work is never done,” he says with a grim smile and heads off down the corridor with the others.

Spotting the cavern stream he wonders, “Did the plans say how deep that was?” indicating the stream. He will then try to surmise if there are any walls that may be moveable or “newer” construction was made within the caverns.

He will even go as far to place his ear against the walls to listen for vibrations or sounds.

[Chareos]

Chareos

Chareos removes his robe and places it off to the side as he and the others begin to attempt to move the stone. Looking at the pulleys and tracks it quickly becomes apparent that this will not be an easy job. Many time he grabs a hold of the chain and heaves with all his might and even then it seems the stones will gain the advantage.

Taking breaks now and again for hot tea and a morsel of food, he is back up ready to help again in the securing of the fort without a complaint. Though after the three hour trial he can't help but feel the strain on his muscles and back.

Rat will turn up once the aroma of food is smelled in the fortress. The halfling was just exploring on his own and explored the blocked off areas by climbing outside the fortress to get around them.

Intirgued by this Chareos asks Rat, “Were you able to enter the other temple area?” and if so, “What did you find?”

When he sits down to eat Chareos will eat his plate fast though savoring it while chewing. When he is done he will take his dishes to the kitchen and thank whomever cooked the meal.

Validar will tell the mages that we will need all potential flyers available with Endure Cold spells to scout out the humanoid army. "It is of vital importance to locate the enemy and determine their numbers and make-up. If possible each can fire off a Fireball spell at the lead column. It should eliminate some of their numbers and also cause them to slow their advance for the remainder of the day perhaps."

Chareos thinks about what was said then soon disagrees to an extent, "I think you maybe overlooking the fact that we may or may not be all together scouting for the enemy. Surely we do not know fully from which way they are traveling or if it is in multiple groups from multiple directions. But if the chance arises to attack I will not hesitate to do so, of that I am sure.”

Later on in the evening when he becomes aware that some of the orcs equipment has been brought up Chareos will ask Argent if she would wish to ID the items with him.

Chareos will then go off and find a quiet place to memorize his spells. Then turn in for the night.

(Spells will be updated shortly, I hope)

[Validar]

Sir Validar -

Validar will tell the mages that we will need all potential flyers available with Endure Cold spells to scout out the humanoid army. "It is of vital importance to locate the enemy and determine their numbers and make-up. If possible each can fire off a Fireball spell at the lead column. It should eliminate some of their numbers and also cause them to slow their advance for the remainder of the day perhaps."

Chareos thinks about what was said then soon disagrees to an extent, "I think you maybe overlooking the fact that we may or may not be all together scouting for the enemy. Surely we do not know fully from which way they are traveling or if it is in multiple groups from multiple directions. But if the chance arises to attack I will not hesitate to do so, of that I am sure.”

"I am certain that you should all be together while scouting for the enemy. I want you each within eyesight range of everyone else. We cannot afford for someone to be caught alone and unprotected. There are dragons and other nasty aerial beasts that inhabit the Broken Lands as well as the humanoids we are facing."

"The valley beyond may widen, but I am fairly certain that the enemy will be travelling close together. The humanoids rally to the banner of a particularly powerful warlord, but without proximity they do not have great cooperation. If the groups are split up, then we will be able to take them apart piecemeal. Also, in that case, several Area Effect spells would do much greater damage to a smaller group. So again, that is not a concern. Only that we would have to scout several times perhaps."

"So yes, I have thought of what you propose. But given the safety we need to proceed with, there truly are no other options. And even failing that, it would not be wise to split up since it would automatically eliminate the advantage we have of massed magickal firepower. For that advantage alone, we need to have everyone in one cohesive group."

"I would like Sir Acerion to go along as well, for additional cover and weapon support should something unexpected happen. We do not have any more wands, nor do we have any other mages, so we will not have anyone ride with him, but that will be make him and his steed that much swifter anyway."

[Argent]

Argent:

Argent is instructed to go forth scouting while the effects of her Fly spell remain. She stops first at the main body of the group and has Ivy cast Endure Cold on her. Next it’s up to the top of the fortress to alert Sir Corley to come down and then its out to explore.

Nothing is found and Argent returns, as she has no desire to get stuck out in the wilderness. She reports her findings to Sir Validar while they are working on resetting the defensive blocks.

Since the majority of the jobs that need to be done require physical strength, Argent will gravitate towards the kitchen and help out there.

However, the horses will resist being there due to the strong smell of the wolves. "Is there some magickal or natural way to eliminate the remnants of the wolves," Validar will ask. "Go to the Argent and the priests to see if any of them have something to cleanse the area. Failing that, what are you suggestions for some natural odor covers?"

“I may be able to do something with a cantrip,” Argent says after a moment’s consideration. “I’ll have to wait until tomorrow as I do not have one in memory right now.”


Argent listen as Sir Validar states his desire for the mages to fly forth to scout. Chareos adds his own comments and then Sir Validar suggest that we travel together and have Sir Acerion accompany us on his Pegasus.

“If you want to know my opinion, the plan as laid out is flawed,” Argent simply states. “Our fly spells are much, much slower than Sir Acerion’s Pegasus. (18” movement rate vs. 48”.) For us to scout a wide area, we’d need to memorize multiple fly spells which would eliminate having Fireballs to throw at the enemy.”

“The logical thing to do is to have one of us simply ride with Sir Acerion on the Pegasus. More ground could be covered and the mage would still have spells to chuck at the enemy. Even with our combined weight, the Pegasus should still be faster. Given that I’m much lighter than Chareos, I should be the one to go. I can load up on destructive magic and discharge it all upon the orc hordes when and if we find them.”

Later on in the evening when he becomes aware that some of the orcs equipment has been brought up Chareos will ask Argent if she would wish to ID the items with him.

“I wasn’t aware that any magic had yet to be detected, Chareos. Assuming that I’m going with Sir Acerion in the morning, I’ll be needed to take combat magic instead. Perhaps Lyonessa can assist you?”


Argent casts her Magical house for the night and will sleep in there.

[Validar]

Sir Validar -

However, the horses will resist being there due to the strong smell of the wolves. "Is there some magickal or natural way to eliminate the remnants of the wolves," Validar will ask. "Go to the Argent and the priests to see if any of them have something to cleanse the area. Failing that, what are you suggestions for some natural odor covers?"

“I may be able to do something with a cantrip,” Argent says after a moment’s consideration. “I’ll have to wait until tomorrow as I do not have one in memory right now.”

"That is fine," Validar will respond. "We are unable to move the horses until the lifts have been repaired somewhat anyway."


Argent listen as Sir Validar states his desire for the mages to fly forth to scout. Chareos adds his own comments and then Sir Validar suggest that we travel together and have Sir Acerion accompany us on his Pegasus.

“If you want to know my opinion, the plan as laid out is flawed,” Argent simply states. “Our fly spells are much, much slower than Sir Acerion’s Pegasus. (18” movement rate vs. 48”.) For us to scout a wide area, we’d need to memorize multiple fly spells which would eliminate having Fireballs to throw at the enemy.”

Validar raises an eyebrow at Argent's initial comment. "Flawed, you say," he answers with a bit of a smile. "Go on."

“The logical thing to do is to have one of us simply ride with Sir Acerion on the Pegasus. More ground could be covered and the mage would still have spells to chuck at the enemy. Even with our combined weight, the Pegasus should still be faster. Given that I’m much lighter than Chareos, I should be the one to go. I can load up on destructive magic and discharge it all upon the orc hordes when and if we find them.”

"Your idea is fine if you were aiming at stationary targets without a means of firing back. However, the ranges of Fireballs are limited to less than 100 yards for all but the most powerful of mages, as you well know. I have been taught well about the use of battlefield magicks."

"Most archers can fire at a much longer range than your Fireballs. And while Lightning Bolts have a bit more range and Magic Missiles a bit more than that, none of them can out-distance concentrated longbow fire. At most you might be able to get off three blasts and while that could put them into complete disarray and panic, if they are well-lead, they could respond much more dangerously than you imagine."

"We do not know their leaders and the last army was lead by a dragon and was accompanied by Fire Giants. Acerion's pegasus was brought down by being out-ranged by the enemy missile fire and there would be no guaranteed safe landing point, nor any assistance from reinforcements for you."

"Even given your Stone Skin, a number of arrows can quickly eliminate that as Ivy and Lyonessa were subjected to in our last battle. And Magic Missiles would drop your Stone Skin even more quickly. With three flyers there are more chances to protect each other should something unexpected be encountered. The enemy has employed numerous priests and mages "

"And eliminating your Fly spells would give you 4 or 5 Fireballs? If each you and Chareos needed 2 Fly spells, then you still have four Fireballs available and they would still require only 3 volleys to get them all off. Plus Chareos holds a Lightning Bolt in his Ioun Stone which give another Invocation spell to use in the same amount of overal time."

"Finally, at this point, if the army is far enough away that it will take two Fly spells to find them, then they will not arrive in one day's march. Therefore, only one Fly spell should be needed by each of you on the first day of reconaissance, which again would increase the number of Area Effect spells available to you. And while I agree that using two Flys each would help to locate them, that again gives you as many Fireballs or Lightning Bolts to use as you going alone with Sir Acerion and is still much safer."

"While I appreciate your enthusiasm and your confidence in your powerful abilities as an Invoker, it is not necessary to be as risky as you suggest, when it would not gain us much in the firepower category using both mages and not lose the flexibility and safety that multiple individuals would offer."

"Do you not agree?"

[Grondar]

Grondar:

The two orogs that Validar downed are yet barely alive. Grondar works feverishly to keep them alive. In particular, he suspects that the cleric might have information and so concentrates on him first. As he works, Farian strips them of armor and goods, then binds them so that they cannot cause trouble.

Seeing Grondar beginning to treat one of the Orogs, Farian moves to his side taking up its weapons and beginning to strip him of his armor. And then he goes to the next in turn. Seeing the holy symbol of Gruumsh about the neck of the Orog, he takes the orog's dagger and cuts it from his neck where it goes rolling to the floor. Hawking and spitting on the symbol he takes out his warhammer aiming to smash the symbol to pieces. "Unless you see a better way to deal with such filth," he looks to Acerion and Grondar. If neither answer he will bring his Warhammer down on it smashing the holy symbol.

"Not at all, Farian. If anything, I hate to see you sully your fine weapon so. However, I see no better option." Grondar returns to his work and is heartened that his work is successful, and both orogs are stabilized. "Thank you for the assistance, Farian," he says to his fellow orc.

Afterwards, Grondar joins the effort to get the defensive blocks in place. At Validar's instruction, they arrange the blocks in the order he desires, but don't actually lower them down into place. Apparently he wishes to keep the entrance open now to facilitate their own movements. Still, with all of the blocks and rubble in position, it will take less work to complete the process when the time comes. Even so, it is an incredible amount of work, and Grondar is forced to rest for a little while afterwards.

Fortunately, several of the women have been working to bring the kitchen back into usable shape, and even manage to prepare a meal. Grondar staggers over and helps himself to a decent serving. Tea isn't really a fitting drink for a dwarf, but he's not about to complain. "Thank you, ladies! This sure hits the spot. I feel stronger already."

"Next we need to scout the lower caverns for what is there. Take Grondar and Farian with you, Arocken. Hopefully there are no tunnels into this area."

Word soon reaches his ears to meet up with Grondar and Arocken. “A dwarves work is never done,” he says with a grim smile and heads off down the corridor with the others.

Grondar looks up from his meal and nods. "Be right with you." Soon as he's finished and returned his dishes to the kitchen, he joins up with Farian and Arocken. "I'm ready." Farian's comment brings a smile to his face. They head down into the cavern, but find no tunnels leading away. There is fresh water available, and Grondar stops for a drink. Noticing Farian checking the walls for hidden passages and such, Grondar stays to keep guard.

Eventually, the return, and Validar asks for someone to question the orogs. Since they are best qualified, and may be the only ones who speak the orcish tongue, Grondar approaches Aria and Farian. "Would you two care to join me for a talk with the orogs? I am hopeful that they can provide us with some useful information."

It is late when they return to the upper floor. Seeing that Argent has created her magical dwelling, Grondar will spend the night inside - if there is room - then perform his devotions in the morning.

[Yusef]

Yusef:

Taking his time, Yusef works his way though the rest of the rooms on the floor. They all prove to be barracks, though in fairly poor shape. The bed frames are mostly in decent condition, but few if any of the mattresses and blankets can be recovered. He reports this information to Sir Validar.

Afterwards, he helps out as best he can. With some of the others, he collects up items for burning and takes them to the furnace room. With a little work, the furnaces are brought back into use and begin to spread warmth throughout the keep.

Returning to the second level, Yusef finds that food and tea are available. He gratefully accepts some of each and sits for a short meal and rest. Noting that Rat has returned, Yusef joins him and compares notes regarding what they have found so far.

Yusef also helps with getting the usable lifts working again. This should facilitate movement of supplies on the lowest levels.

Since he is less busy than many, Yusef will report to the Sirs Acerion and Corley as available for watch duty. When not on duty, he will get some rest wherever there is room.

[Corley]

Corley:

Sir Corley stands guard on the upper levels of the fortress while the small group of orcs is engaged down below. He’ll keep an eye to the north for signs of any approaching force. Lady Agent appears and informs us that the conflict has ended and that our presence is needed down below.

The task of moving and lowering the blocks that seals off the fortress comes next. It is backbreaking work, but the task is completed by days end. Both the north and south entryways are effectively sealed.

Warm food and drink are brought during these efforts. “My thanks, good ladies. Something to warm the innards is most welcomed now!”


At some point talk turns towards scouting out the enemy. Lady Argent makes a suggestion that Validar decides against.

“Excuse me, Validar, but while the maiden’s plan is too perilous, she does make a good point. If our intent is to simply locate the enemy, then sending Acerion alone is our best option as he can cover the most ground and wouldn’t have to worry about keeping his eye on anyone else. Once we know where they are, then we can plan accordingly.”

“I would believe that keeping our presence here concealed from the enemy only works to our advantage. The less prepared for battle they are, the more outcome swings into our favor. Strike them when they do not expect it from a strong position. Then our victory should be assured.”

[Ivy]

Ivy:

"Yes, Ivy of Azrella. That would indeed be a most welcomed accomplishment. We will have some people begin to collect all the damaged furniture and debris and use it to get the furnace going again. Each step to making this place more inhabitable is important."

“We’ll begin right away.”

Ivy and Olivia go back up to the arrival area to retrieve some of the items that they need to carry out their tasks. Some of the pots and pans are brought down, along with cleaning supplies. Numerous candles are lit to provide illuminate and to help change the odor in the air.

A warm beverage is the easiest thing to make. Once a stove is cleaned then hot food will be next. Argent arrives after too long to help with the cooking. Once it is ready, Ivy and Olivia help take it to the others in the fortress.

However, the horses will resist being there due to the strong smell of the wolves. "Is there some magickal or natural way to eliminate the remnants of the wolves," Validar will ask. "Go to the Argent and the priests to see if any of them have something to cleanse the area. Failing that, what are you suggestions for some natural odor covers?"

“Lighting candles can help remove unpleasant odors some of the time”, Ivy suggests. “Perhaps that would work in this case as well.”

In the meantime, we will keep the horses where they are in the Heironeous Temple. Until the area underground can be cleansed, we will keep them here for now. The heat from the fortress should keep them warm. And the lifts will need to be repaired and the ropes replaced to move them below anyway.

Ivy will be shocked by this cavalier attitude! “Validar! This is a temple dedicated to the God of Justice and Honor! It is not a stable! How can you even think about desecrating it in such a fashion! Have you no respect for noble Heironeous?”

“The horses have to be moved through the fortress to reach the ground anyway, so move them part of the way down. It’ll also be warmer faster down there than up here anyway.”

[Aria Stonehand]

Aria:

"I would be happy to help once everything is resolved below," Grondar say with a nod. "I trust the battle went well for you, fair lady?"

“Barely raised a sweat,” Aria notes unhappily. “No great skill was required here.”


The task of setting the blocks into place comes next. “Alright, lads, time to put your backs into it!”

The task is more difficult that first anticipated. The equipment is old and damaged block have to be first moved before the better ones can be accessed.

"I would prefer to wait for that extreme step until we know where the humanoids are and how much of a threat they are. If we close off the gates then it will be difficult at best to ride out in force and attack the enemy. We'd be forced to scale our own walls. We can always ready the stones and debris near the hole and dump them in if a huge force is approaching. Once done, it will be a significant undertaking to open that gate once more."

“A sensible precaution. I wasn’t sure if you intended to wait for them to arrive or take the fight to them. I’d rather be on the offensive in a battle then hiding behind walls anyway.”

The Orogs will need to be guarded as well. Validar is somewhat disgruntled that they were kept alive; since that requires more work to guard them and it is unlikely they will have any information that they cannot get from scouting. In any case, Validar asks whoever speaks their guttural language to learn what they can from them. Perhaps in the morning, he will have the mindset to question them himself. Right now, he'd just as soon throw them off the parapets and be done with it, but that remains unspoken.

“Don’t worry about those scum, Validar,” Aria declares. “They’ll talk or they’ll stop breathing. I’ll leave the choice up to them.”

Eventually, the return, and Validar asks for someone to question the orogs. Since they are best qualified, and may be the only ones who speak the orcish tongue, Grondar approaches Aria and Farian. "Would you two care to join me for a talk with the orogs? I am hopeful that they can provide us with some useful information."

“Very well, but I doubt we’ll get anything but lies from those two. They’re orcs and they’ll just assume see us bleeding out before them then give up their secrets. Perhaps I can persuade their tongues to loosen.”


Aria will help bring the supplies down to the lower levels when not on guard duty.

[Rat]

Rat:

One minute everyone was around, the next the Master Finder was alone. He had no idea how he had gotten separated from all the others, but it really wasn’t an issue. He preferred to explore on his own anyway.

Seems that some areas were sealed off from the rest of the fortress, not that it was any great obstacle to a confident finder! The fortress was built to keep out an army, not a skilled finder such as himself.

Alas, no great treasure was found during his explorations. The fortress has been plucked clean like a chicken heading toward the pot! That’s when the aroma of food reached him and Rat realized just how hungry he was. He had missed second breakfast and early lunch!

Intrigued by this Chareos asks Rat, "Were you able to enter the other temple area?" and if so, "What did you find?"

“Of course, lad! Why, it takes more than stone to keep a good finder from exploring! Why it’s no wonder this place has been plucked dry! I found nary a coin or anything of value! Its’ very disheartening! I mean, how’s an honest finder to make a living?”

Returning to the second level, Yusef finds that food and tea are available. He gratefully accepts some of each and sits for a short meal and rest. Noting that Rat has returned, Yusef joins him and compares notes regarding what they have found so far.

“Ah, friend Yusef good to see you again! I trust you’re doing well?”

Much of what Rat found was like the rooms already explored on those levels. No bodies were found and there were signs of battle long ago. No valuables were present.

[Sherra]

Sherra:

“It’s a matter of knowing how animals behave and understanding them,” Arocken explains. “Having gained the trust of this one, that should make the others easy to befriend. However, I will need everyone else to keep a discrete distance away. Your presence might startle them and they could turn on me.”

Sherra understands and moves away from the area so Arocken can work his "magic." If it was anyone else, Sherra wouldn't be sure she would be able to leave them completely alone, but with him she feels she can.

Seeing Sherra's beautiful smile, Grondar walks over to the human woman. "Fortunately, we struck quickly and they were not prepared for us. It appears the giant wolves gave you no trouble?"

"None whatsoever," Sherra replies. "The magical web kept them at bay and Arocken managed to 'speak' to one of them. He thinks he can convince the whole pack to just move on."

Sir Corley will have command of the guard rotation the next day. The blocked off areas can be opened and more of the fortress reclaimed and organized. The supplies will be moved down from the upper level to the warehouse level. Also we will have whoever has rope knowledge to replace the ropes on the lifts and try to repair the broken ones.

Not having much to do since Arocken needs to be alone to work with the wolves, Sherra sees how everyone else is doing. Once it becomes apparent that several ropes are in poor or worse condition, Sherra volunteers her knowledge.

"I can take a look at all of the ropes and tell you what I think," Sherra offers to Validar. "I have quite an extensive knowledge considering all the rigging I climbed around in and on over the years."

If it's desired, Sherra will climb (or levitate as needed) up and around the lifts and judge each rope's wear and remaining strength. She will also work to re-do the ropes as needed for the lifts.

Later in the day, she will look forward to some tea and food. Not realising just how hungry she had become, Sherra will eat heartily. She will make sure both Sir Acerion and Sir Corley know she is available for guard duty as needed. Otherwise she will continue to work on the ropes until all that need replacement are completed.

[Acerion]

Acerion:

“You are welcome, my friend. Though the work can be appalling, it is necessary. Besides, no telling what they have gathered that we may be able to use. But then again rotting meat is not to my liking much,” he says with a smirk.

"With any luck there will be something slightly more valuable than rotting meat," Acerion replies with a hint of a grin. He isn't concerned about himself, but knows many in his group desire treasure and magic, of which they have only seen very small amounts as of late. Of course, invading armies don't normally haul vast treasures with them until after they have sacked the castle, town or city.

Hawking and spitting on the symbol he takes out his warhammer aiming to smash the symbol to pieces. "Unless you see a better way to deal with such filth," he looks to Acerion and Grondar. If neither answer he will bring his Warhammer down on it smashing the holy symbol.

"Not at all, Farian. If anything, I hate to see you sully your fine weapon so. However, I see no better option." Grondar returns to his work and is heartened that his work is successful, and both orogs are stabilized. "Thank you for the assistance, Farian," he says to his fellow orc.

Acerion doesn't say anything, letting Farian smash the evil holy symbol. He would have found a way to dispose of the symbol himself, but Farian's method, while a bit overdramatic, is equally effective.

Validar will put Sir Acerion in charge of the guard rotation for the evening. We will need to keep fires burning on the top of the fortress and regularly check the furnace as well. The dead orcs will be burnt in the fires at the top of the fortress so the stench does not add to that already inside the fort.

Since he is less busy than many, Yusef will report to the Sirs Acerion and Corley as available for watch duty. When not on duty, he will get some rest wherever there is room.

Later in the day, she will look forward to some tea and food. Not realising just how hungry she had become, Sherra will eat heartily. She will make sure both Sir Acerion and Sir Corley know she is available for guard duty as needed. Otherwise she will continue to work on the ropes until all that need replacement are completed.

"Since we have to watch the prisoners, as well as make sure the fires keep burning, I'm going to need to assign two people per shift," Acerion finally says after thinking it over. "I'll take first watch with Arocken. Second watch will be Farian and Yusef. Last watch will be Sherra and Aria."

Ivy will be shocked by this cavalier attitude! “Validar! This is a temple dedicated to the God of Justice and Honor! It is not a stable! How can you even think about desecrating it in such a fashion! Have you no respect for noble Heironeous?”

Acerion smiles at Ivy's outburst, but is in agreeance with her. Walking up and clasping Validar on the shoulder he says, "Yes I would prefer no further desecration to Heironeous' temple if at all possible, no matter how noble our steeds are." He will have a smile on his face to keep his comment lighthearted since he knows Validar meant no ill will.

The talk about scouting gets into a multi-person discussion, each with different ideas that are batted back and forth. Waiting for an opening before interjecting, Acerion listens to Sir Corley's comments.

“Excuse me, Validar, but while the maiden’s plan is too perilous, she does make a good point. If our intent is to simply locate the enemy, then sending Acerion alone is our best option as he can cover the most ground and wouldn’t have to worry about keeping his eye on anyone else. Once we know where they are, then we can plan accordingly.”

"Let me add another suggestion if I may," Acerion finally adds. "Seeing how Validar wishes to have all three of us out, I think there can be a way to benefit the entire effort. If I take the pegasus alone, my speed will be fast enough to cover a larger area, but also cross over the intended scouting paths of both Argent and Chareos."

Pausing a moment, Acerion continues, "This way, all three of us can keep in some sort of contact should one run into trouble. Also, if an army is spotted by one of the mages, I can quickly find the other mage and we could deliver a one-two blow with all available spells. Just as they are recovering and regrouping from one mage's attack, here comes the other one to deliver more magical destruction to their lines."

"What Sir Corley suggests makes sense as well," Acerion offers. "If it was just me at first that would leave more people here to continue the efforts in making preperations and rebuilding. Another option I just thought of, we could see if Lyonessa could send out her owl, especially tonight or during the early dawn hours. An owl would draw even less attention than a big armored man riding a winged horse."

[Grondar]

Grondar:

“Barely raised a sweat,” Aria notes unhappily. “No great skill was required here.”

"Sorry it was so disappointing for you, Aria," Grondar says with a grin. "I'm sure you'll see a much more perilous battle before we're through here. And I don't doubt that all of our skills will be put to the test when we try to regain our peoples' homes."

"None whatsoever," Sherra replies. "The magical web kept them at bay and Arocken managed to 'speak' to one of them. He thinks he can convince the whole pack to just move on."

"That is good to hear," Grondar replies. "That is quite a talent that young lad has, talking to animals - and without magic. Amazing."

“Don’t worry about those scum, Validar,” Aria declares. “They’ll talk or they’ll stop breathing. I’ll leave the choice up to them.”

“Very well, but I doubt we’ll get anything but lies from those two. They’re orcs and they’ll just assume see us bleeding out before them then give up their secrets. Perhaps I can persuade their tongues to loosen.”

Grondar isn't very comfortable with Aria's approach to getting information from the prisoners, but he's long made his peace with the occasional necessity of such things. "You may well be right, Aria. If they're not cooperative, then I'm sure your brand of persuasion may change their minds."

Grondar thinks the best approach is to try the orogs one at a time, starting with the non-priest. He'll talk with that one and see what he's willing to divulge, with the understanding that his companions will treat him less forgivingly if he doesn't cooperate.

Assuming that doesn't work, Grondar will give the first one to Aria and Farian. Then Grondar'll try talking to the priest while he watches the other two dwarves work over his companion.

Before retiring for the evening, Grondar will approach Yusef. "Hail, Yusef. As I recall, when we left the temple, you and a few others were seeking to locate the Shield of Justice. Did you have any luck?"

[Yusef]

Yusef:

“Ah, friend Yusef good to see you again! I trust you’re doing well?”

"Indeed. I spent some time searching around this floor. Not much of interest to find, but the damage isn't too bad and I think we can have most of the floor back in usable condition without too much fuss. Personally, I'm hoping that I'll get a chance to get back to the search for the Shield of Justice tomorrow."

"And you?"

When Yusef isn't too busy with other things, he spots Sherra working on the ropes and winches and approaches the beautiful woman. "Hello, Sherra. How is your work going? Can I lend you a hand?"

Before retiring for the evening, Grondar will approach Yusef. "Hail, Yusef. As I recall, when we left the temple, you and a few others were seeking to locate the Shield of Justice. Did you have any luck?"

"Indeed we did... Grondar, was it?" he says uncertain he got the dwarf's name right. "I found a small hole running through the wall back into a room inside the mountain that wasn't marked on the maps. From the indications I saw, I believe that room has something to do with the Shield. The trouble now will be getting in; I suspect there must be some way to get there, but it will take some time to locate the entry. As a result, I've mostly abandoned the ideas we had about some sort of extradimensional space, and will select my spells tomorrow accordingly."

[Lyonessa]

Lyonessa:

Ivy, Olivia, and whoever else helps them begin to reclaim the kitchen. Much cleaning has to be done and some of the broken wood in the room can be used to light the stoves giving some measure of warmth. Water is quickly boiled and hot tea can be had for those who want it. Work then begins on making the evening's meal.

Lyonessa will show up to help out Ivy and Olivia. She doesn't mind all of the cleaning, but will gladly accept some hot tea once it is available. She will sing a soft ballad to help the time pass as we make a good meal for everyone.

Soon Rat comes stumbling in, drawn by the smell of the food no doubt. Lyonessa glares at him for a second for making her worry so. Then she remembers the few times she's encountered halflings or what her father told her about them. She can't help but smile and shake her head, forgetting her previous worries.

Warm food and drink are brought during these efforts. “My thanks, good ladies. Something to warm the innards is most welcomed now!”

"You are quite welcome, Sir Corley," Lyonessa replies with a pleasant smile.

The night ends quickly as most everyone is tired from all the hard work of this day. Lyonessa finds herself a bit worn out too. If approached about either the identifying of items or using her owl to scout out the enemy, she will respond. Otherwise she will find a place to sleep and prepare her spells for the next day.

---------------------------
ooc: i already have posted my spells but will change them if Lyonessa is indeed approached as mentioned above

[Validar]

Sir Validar -

Afterwards, Grondar joins the effort to get the defensive blocks in place. At Validar's instruction, they arrange the blocks in the order he desires, but don't actually lower them down into place. Apparently he wishes to keep the entrance open now to facilitate their own movements.

Just a note: Sorry for the confusion, but the idea is to put the blocks in place, but not the rubble as it would make it difficult to go out that way. So the debris and large stones are waiting, but the blocks are in place.

"I would prefer to wait for that extreme step until we know where the humanoids are and how much of a threat they are. If we close off the gates then it will be difficult at best to ride out in force and attack the enemy. We'd be forced to scale our own walls. We can always ready the stones and debris near the hole and dump them in if a huge force is approaching. Once done, it will be a significant undertaking to open that gate once more."

“A sensible precaution. I wasn’t sure if you intended to wait for them to arrive or take the fight to them. I’d rather be on the offensive in a battle then hiding behind walls anyway.”

"My intention would be to take the fight to them. I do not like defensive battles and it is a liability to fight on your own soil or at the gates of your defenses. Ideally we can blunt their advance and completely stop them before they ever reach this place.


Taking his time, Yusef works his way though the rest of the rooms on the floor. They all prove to be barracks, though in fairly poor shape. The bed frames are mostly in decent condition, but few if any of the mattresses and blankets can be recovered. He reports this information to Sir Validar.

"That is noted. I will be certain to have a list of needs when Lord Sharadin returns in two more days. Tomorrow we should be able to make a better assessment of the overall condition of this place."


However, the horses will resist being there due to the strong smell of the wolves. "Is there some magickal or natural way to eliminate the remnants of the wolves," Validar will ask. "Go to the Argent and the priests to see if any of them have something to cleanse the area. Failing that, what are you suggestions for some natural odor covers?"

“Lighting candles can help remove unpleasant odors some of the time”, Ivy suggests. “Perhaps that would work in this case as well.”

"That certainly cannot hurt. With enough efforts, we should be able to make the stables usable again soon."


Ivy will be shocked by this cavalier attitude! “Validar! This is a temple dedicated to the God of Justice and Honor! It is not a stable! How can you even think about desecrating it in such a fashion! Have you no respect for noble Heironeous?”

“The horses have to be moved through the fortress to reach the ground anyway, so move them part of the way down. It’ll also be warmer faster down there than up here anyway.”

Tired as he is, Validar does not respond right away. After a heavy sigh, he replies, "Our steeds are as noble a creature as there might be, my good lady. And I think the orcs have done a far worse job of defiling this temple..."

Acerion smiles at Ivy's outburst, but is in agreeance with her. Walking up and clasping Validar on the shoulder he says, "Yes I would prefer no further desecration to Heironeous' temple if at all possible, no matter how noble our steeds are." He will have a smile on his face to keep his comment lighthearted since he knows Validar meant no ill will.

"Very well. I'll have Po start to bring the horses down. Although they have already been there most of the day," he adds.


The Orogs will need to be guarded as well. Validar is somewhat disgruntled that they were kept alive; since that requires more work to guard them and it is unlikely they will have any information that they cannot get from scouting. In any case, Validar asks whoever speaks their guttural language to learn what they can from them. Perhaps in the morning, he will have the mindset to question them himself. Right now, he'd just as soon throw them off the parapets and be done with it, but that remains unspoken.

“Don’t worry about those scum, Validar,” Aria declares. “They’ll talk or they’ll stop breathing. I’ll leave the choice up to them.”

Validar smiles a mirthless, tired smile. "We are of one mind on this then, Aria. I trust you to use your best judgement with them."


"I can take a look at all of the ropes and tell you what I think," Sherra offers to Validar. "I have quite an extensive knowledge considering all the rigging I climbed around in and on over the years."

"That would be perfect, Sherra. See what you can find and we should have enough rope and new block and tackle assemblies to replace them all if needed. Getting as many of those lifts back into perfect working order is a very important task. See what you can determine today and we'll try to complete some repairs before Sharadin comes back."


Since we have to watch the prisoners, as well as make sure the fires keep burning, I'm going to need to assign two people per shift," Acerion finally says after thinking it over. "I'll take first watch with Arocken. Second watch will be Farian and Yusef. Last watch will be Sherra and Aria."

As Sir Acerion has gratiously allowed those who worked on replacing the defensive blocks to forgo watches over the night, Validar will nod his understanding. Acerion has control of the situation, which allows Validar a chance to make further plans and to ready for the day ahead. He will sleep in the fortress outside Argent's magickal Mansion. They have blankets and bedding enough and it wil not hurt to grow accustomed to this fortress since they will be defending it from the enemy invaders on the way.


The night ends quickly as most everyone is tired from all the hard work of this day. Lyonessa finds herself a bit worn out too. If approached about either the identifying of items or using her owl to scout out the enemy, she will respond. Otherwise she will find a place to sleep and prepare her spells for the next day.

Identifying items would be great if she wishes to assist in that. As for the owl, I would rather not risk her familiar when we have other methods of scouting.

Validar will turn in for the night, if there are no more pressing needs this day. He will be up early in the morning, ready for more preparations and will start with a walk of the upper ramparts.

(see next post for a discussion on strategy and tactics)

[Chareos]

Chareos

"My intention would be to take the fight to them. I do not like defensive battles and it is a liability to fight on your own soil or at the gates of your defenses. Ideally we can blunt their advance and completely stop them before they ever reach this place.

“Whether we like to bring the fight to them or defend these walls, it may be in our interest not only to secure this fort but to prepare a killing ground as well. If what you purpose does not work, we will have to fall back to these walls and hold 'til help arrives… Why not put some hindrances on the approach to the fort. Looking at his comrades, “We could take some of the oil we have with us and soak the approach with it between the snow and ice it should remain on the surface without much notice. (test small area to see if it works) With one Fireball we could concievably take a nice percentage of orcs with a single shot as the ice and snow melt causing the unburnt oil to spread over the land and into their ranks. “ He looks to the others for their thoughts.

"Your idea is fine if you were aiming at stationary targets without a means of firing back. However, the ranges of Fireballs are limited to less than 100 yards for all but the most powerful of mages, as you well know. I have been taught well about the use of battlefield magicks."

"Most archers can fire at a much longer range than your Fireballs. And while Lightning Bolts have a bit more range and Magic Missiles a bit more than that, none of them can out-distance concentrated longbow fire. At most you might be able to get off three blasts and while that could put them into complete disarray and panic, if they are well-lead, they could respond much more dangerously than you imagine."

"We do not know their leaders and the last army was lead by a dragon and was accompanied by Fire Giants. Acerion's pegasus was brought down by being out-ranged by the enemy missile fire and there would be no guaranteed safe landing point, nor any assistance from reinforcements for you."

"Even given your Stone Skin, a number of arrows can quickly eliminate that as Ivy and Lyonessa were subjected to in our last battle. And Magic Missiles would drop your Stone Skin even more quickly. With three flyers there are more chances to protect each other should something unexpected be encountered. The enemy has employed numerous priests and mages "

Chareos merely shakes his head at the Noblemen as he interjects. “What you purpose may work Validar, but I think you maybe gambling a little too much. You are correct that most of our range spells would put us roughly 100 yards from the enemy which is a vast area to cover with arrows but not all magics. If any mage within their ranks has a Dispel magic they could bring us down within seconds at about a 120 yards… Between our dispel fields we could merely hold out against one spell. A second could see us plummeting to the ground. It would would put Acerion in a position I dare not think about… choosing over two friends fates,” he says this evenly.

“I would have to agree with Lord Corley. I see no reason why we should reveal we have the fortress in any way, 'til the opportune moment. If we do attack them they will surely not merely sit and wait for another attack. They will go to a defensible position and await another attack. Seeing how I do not see them going back from wence they came, that only leaves this option, the fort, which they still believe they hold,” he will point out. “And we are not fully ready to repulse attacks without Sharadin and the reinforcements.”

“Perhaps it should be as Argent suggested. She is by far lighter than me and with Acerion’s aid could cover more ground, once we know where they are we could plan accordingly. If we are to attack anything with their ranks why not their food supplies, if they are spotted. It would be difficult for them to feed an army of that size while on the move.”

"I do not think the risks are worth the rewards in which you speak."

Later on Chareos will approach Lyonessa. “With the items that we relinquished from the orcs some may be of magical origins, I am going to use a Detect Magic in the morning to see whether my hunches are correct. If you would like to help, you are more than welcome, but the choice is yours."

[Validar]

Sir Validar -

Validar listens to the ideas suggested and waits for everyone to get their thoughts in.

“As I said before, I am quite pleased that everyone has been thinking about these ideas and has offered them. I think there is no better time to have a discussion on strategy and tactics.” As the group was talking a break to enjoy the hot tea provided by the ladies in the kitchen, a few more moments of break from the straining work of replacing the massive defensive blocks would be welcomed by all.

“Firstly it is important that our strategies and our tactics both compliment each other. It would not do to have an offensive set of tactics and be trying to wage a defensive war, nor vice versa. While there are ways to combine both and there are various ideas as to when to go on the offensive and when to go on the defensive, it is most important to develop our strategy first and then determine the tactics that go with it.”

“For those of you who may not be familiar with these terms, strategy is basically the overall actions taken in a war or individual battle. It is basically a systematic plan or even series of plans. Ones tactics on the other hand are the individual actions that are used in conjunction with that strategic plan. In this case the scouting action is tactics and our overall defense of this fortress is our strategy.

“There are a few differing ideas on overall strategies and the tactics used. The knight, Sir Garad, a great historian in his own right, put together a detailed treatise on the comparison of various strategic ideologies. It is great reading and while the knight was a bit on the conservative side himself, he did a very deserving study. I recommend anyone interested in combat to read it. General Logan presented me with my first copy of the discourse. I read through it and made so many notes that I had to get another copy just to be able to read all the pages again,’ Validar says with a smile, remembering fondly the hours spent pouring over the battles and recreating them over and over again.

“Sir Garad mentioned several different commanders who were all contemporaries of each other. These battles mentioned were fairly recent having taken place in the War with Keln. The main characters were Baron Stenev, son of Volohwn. Both were great cavalry commanders and had very aggressive tendencies. The opposite end of the spectrum was Count Foccey of Keln. He tended to be ultra-conservative and tended towards shoring up his defensive side at all costs. Still he was a well-respected commander and was one of the old generation of commanders in that war. Sir Jonath, son of Fertig the great infantry commander, was a bit of a mix of the two, but still tended toward conservative tactics. He believed in engaging the enemy from a position of strength and doing his best to always put his troops in those positions.”

“While all were successful, you can probably all imagine that I am a proponent of Baron Stenev. King Victor the First was but one of many of our great leaders who took an aggressive stance and made it work.”

“However, it is also possible to take these same strategies and make them a negative. General Lowed of the Keln army was notoriously defensive and worrisome about his positions and he routinely lost. On those rare occasions where the general acted aggressively, he lost even more spectacularly. Similarly the infamous Baron Allon who ruled that lands where Gateway is now located was aggressive in his attacks and passive in his defense. Both resulted in numerous failures that tilted the beginning of the war to Cynalon’s side. His charge diagonally across the front of Sir Christoph’s lines and over a stream in the battle of Bankard Hill was a spectacular failure, but just one of many. My point is that the strategy developed and the tactics devised are not a matter of complete right and wrong. However, they must take into consideration the commander’s natural predilection and the troops’ training.”

[Validar]

Sir Validar -

“Now as for this particular situation, there seem to be two major concerns. One is that we should not tip our hand and try to hold this fortress with the army on our doorstep and a very small contingent of troops in addition to ourselves. The second concern is the method of locating the enemy army and how to go about attacking them or even whether to attack them at all.”

“Firstly, I think that we should certainly not remain in the fortress and trust it and our strength to hold off the army. If they number in the thousands as the force attacking Corunglain did, then it will take some time, but they will be able to wipe out our troops by simple attrition. Especially if they have siege weapons with them.”

“Therefore, we need to engage them, at least to a degree from whatever positions of strength we can create. To illustrate this, let us look at three possible examples for the size of the enemy army. They could be similar in size to the army that attacked Corunglain, approximately 2000-3000 in size. They could be significantly smaller, say about 750 individuals or they could be much larger, say 8000 troops.”

“Assuming we try to scout them only and then do everything in our power to attack them with every surprise attack imaginable. The large force would overwhelm us even were we to take out a quarter of their forces initially and the only way we could win is to make them pay with our very lives. The mid-size force would also be able to besiege us with a remaining 1500-2000 troops and again our defensive troops would pay with their lives and we would have to fight the battle within the fortress. If the army is small then this strategy would be successful most likely, but as we will soon see, the strategy of attacking them several times along their approach would be just as successful.”

“If we do attack them along the way, then we accomplish two goals. One we put them on the defensive and it is my supposition that unless a force is in a superior position and the enemy outnumbers you by less than three to one, the defensive position always loses to the well-planned offensive position. As Baron Stenev’s most famous quote states, ‘When unsure of the most advantageous way to engage the enemy, charge!’. The second goal is that we slow them down and we begin to whittle their forces away. Simply identifying their location does not do either.”

“Lord Corley has a fine strategy. It would be one suggested both by Sir Garad and possibly even Sir Jonath. The one problem with this strategy is if the enemy is large enough, we could be overwhelmed. Again using our three force size examples, we could win against two of the sizes with the right approach found and a series of surprise attacks made by us. The one problem that I see is that it would still rely upon the Guardians as individuals as the troops should be stationed in the fortress in the case something unforeseen develops. The dragon who lead the last enemy we faced is an example that we should not forget to expect the unexpected.”

“My choice of strategy, I believe, would give us the opportunity to defeat any of the three possible army sizes and anything in between as well as any possible magickal enemies or powerful monsters. If we hit the enemy repeatedly, then they are smaller in number when they arrive and their morale will already be wavering.”

“Baron Stenev would always engage the enemy at the furthermost distance he could encounter them. This generally resulted in greater casualties for the enemy and while in extreme circumstances, his strategy back-fired once or twice, it was very rare. In most cases however, he routed the enemy from the field. Sometimes the morale of the enemy was so discomfited by the tactics he employed that one squadron of cavalry would route off several of the enemy. Why once, his knights routed six full squadrons of Baron Lowed’s cavalry and they were on the attack.”

“Sir Jonath was one who would set up multiple lines of defense in the perfect defensive positions. He would await the enemy’s approach and try to demolish him in one counter-offensive. It worked more often than it failed, but he still did not have the sheer number of victories that Baron Stenev oversaw, nor the complete defeats of the enemy that the attacking strategy has seen. Had there been fewer conservative leaders in our army, we might have taken Keln by force.”

“But while I have digressed from our situation, the examples make my point that an aggressive stance can defeat a numerically superior army and cause them to make severe mistakes which you can then further capitalize upon. By remaining defensive, you allow the enemy to direct the engagement. We have a chance to defeat them without even allowing them to reach this fortress and even if they do, then we are in the position of power, not them.”

Therefore, attacking them in various ways as they approach and from different directions will force them to either effectively ignore us continue at their normal travelling pace and we will whittle their numbers down much more that way, or they will stop completely and prepare for an assault that is not coming, thinking that the attacks are just the softening up before an assault. The other option is that they slow their advance and watch more closely for the next hit-and-run attack. That is exactly what I would expect. The other reactions would be better for us, so if we plan for this contingency then so much the better.”

“We continue to harass them in various ways as they approach and we continually cut off their approach to frustrate them. Slowly their morale will lessen and their number will begin to dwindle. The further they are away the more chances we have to attack them. They should have no idea that the attacks are coming from this fortress. We are over 90 miles from the battle at Corunglain here and hence there is no chance that any stragglers managed to inform this army of the victory we had there except by magic. Therefore to come to the conclusion that Fort Fletcher has been retaken by our forces, they would also have to assume that Ardelphia is also fallen or at least under attack or siege by our forces. Those ideas would likely crush their morale and end this attack before it even happened.”

“So unless we have some extreme disagreement with my strategy as presented, they next topic to discuss is the matter of the tactics and firstly the locating and possible attack against the horde. If we are to assume that we want to engage in a hit-and-run war of attrition that we direct as they approach us, then the initial engagement is without question the most vital time to attack. It could be argued that by secretly identifying the location of the enemy and its make-up that we would have information without personal risk, however, we would then lose one day’s attacks against them, and if they slow their advance perhaps even as many as three individual attacks. That could be the difference of the enemy reaching the gates and being defeated in the pass.”

“Therefore, logically, we need to attack tomorrow when we locate the enemy. They will not be ready for us and an attack. They may have mages with Dispel Magic spells ready and they may be resting during the day, as they prefer to travel at night. Further the leaders camp near the center of the force and we will be hitting the fringes. The likelihood that enemy mages will be able to identify the location of our attacks in all the confusion and commotion, get within casting range, manage to get the spells off and have them succeed, in the event they even have them ready is unlikely, unless you stay in one place and attempt to fire off numerous spells.”

“And that is why having one mage, as was supposed with Argent going alone with Acerion, would limit the effectiveness of the attack. I would surmise that it would be safe to fire two spells into their midst and at the very most three before having to retreat, considering the overall situation. With two mages, you double the number of spells with which to decimate the enemy. Also more individuals allow to cover for more things to go wrong. Three flyers are better than one.”

“The attack could be maximized, if time of the Fly spell allows it, by attacking first from the rear of the encampment, or the side opposite of their travelling. That would also give them further pause since they cannot be certain that the enemy is not behind them. Then after the two to three area effect spells, the group would circle around the enemy outside of range and ideally outside of sight. If another attack could come from the other side, then all the better, with one more series of spells being cast.”

“It is my contention that this plan maximizes our chances to defeat the enemy and also maximizes the overall safety of our individuals. It will take some daring, but so did the attack we just made in the caverns below Corunglain. If anyone is not with me, please say so now.”

[Validar]

Sir Validar -

"Let me add another suggestion if I may," Acerion finally adds. "Seeing how Validar wishes to have all three of us out, I think there can be a way to benefit the entire effort. If I take the pegasus alone, my speed will be fast enough to cover a larger area, but also cross over the intended scouting paths of both Argent and Chareos."

"I agree. That is a good suggestion and maximizes our search abilities. It is important to find the enemy and with multiple search paths that stay in visual contact with each other, we will do so."

Pausing a moment, Acerion continues, "This way, all three of us can keep in some sort of contact should one run into trouble. Also, if an army is spotted by one of the mages, I can quickly find the other mage and we could deliver a one-two blow with all available spells. Just as they are recovering and regrouping from one mage's attack, here comes the other one to deliver more magical destruction to their lines."

"That is an option. Ideally Argent and Chareos coud attack as one, but an attackin waves can be just as effective or even more so."

"What Sir Corley suggests makes sense as well," Acerion offers. "If it was just me at first that would leave more people here to continue the efforts in making preperations and rebuilding. Another option I just thought of, we could see if Lyonessa could send out her owl, especially tonight or during the early dawn hours. An owl would draw even less attention than a big armored man riding a winged horse."

"Those are fine ideas if we simply wanted to locate the enemy. I do not feel our position here is a strong enough one defensively, considering we are severely undermanned, even once the first reinforcements are brought and that the fortress is not in prime condition."

"I am convinced that we need to harass and harry the enemy as often as possible. I do agree however that we should attack along their approach and not rely on the final battle here, unless absolutely necessary."

"As for being seen, tests that were done by King Victor the II and his griffon squadron indicated that except at distances of less than about 200 yards, a mounted flyer such as a pegasus or gryphon is indistinguishable from an normal unmounted one, unless using some form of enhanced viewing device. And at distances of over 400 yards, a flyer is difficult to distinguish from a common bird or other flyer since there is no frame of reference to determine size. The sky and sun lights the individual from behind effectively making a dark silhouette which is relatively formless at long distances. Most likely you should be able to approach to within 200 yards before the enemy would even be aware of the relative danger. And if you can approach with the sun behind you, you can easily get closer than that virtually undetected and certainly unable to be struck at."

[Lyonessa]

Lyonessa:

Later on Chareos will approach Lyonessa. “With the items that we relinquished from the orcs some may be of magical origins, I am going to use a Detect Magic in the morning to see whether my hunches are correct. If you would like to help, you are more than welcome, but the choice is yours."

"Of course I will help Chareos," Lyonessa replies pleasantly. "I will take a couple appropriate spells just in case you are correct."

Seeing as how there is no need for Dusk to go on any scouting missions, she will still advise her familair to be alert during the night and to alert herself or Arocken to any dangers. She will make sure Dusk has freedom of movement should he want to fly, hunt or merely find a comfortable spot to roost.

[GM Mad]

Post Closed