New Frontiers #76

[GM Mad]

New Frontiers #76

The Guardians continue to hold the snowy confines of Fort Fletcher…

Earlier at Fort Fletcher:

Chareos listens intently as the Sgt. speaks of the different types of Ballista siege engines. “These “bolts” can they be outfitted much like a catapult? Say with burning pitch? Perhaps a breakable jar encasing oil and lit before released?” he asks curiously as surely a weapon would also cause chaos within an advancing column's ranks. Afterward he will thank the Sgt for his time.

Sergeant Irwin will give Chareos a puzzled look at first, but then will answer. “Such a thing would not be possible. These weapons are specifically designed to fire missiles. Anything else would prove more bother than it is worth. At best, you could dip the missile head in oil and then light it right before firing or attach a soaked cloth right behind the head.”


Dwarf Mines:

He approaches Senoia and introduces himself, “Farian Silverpike at your service, milady. I was wonderin' if ye be interested in having a cup o’ ale with me?” If she says yes, Farian will give Grondar a wink.

“All right,” Senoia will say with a shrug. “I didn’t see you amongst the others. Were you then already here? What have you discovered thus far? Any good fighting?”


The dwarves get to work in the mine tunnels. More coal is fed up to the Fortress and work begins to unbury the main passage back to Hammerfall. A bit further along, Aria and Farian are at the chasm. Farian and Salem Ironring rappel down the chasm, while Aria and Dougan prepare to cross over and continue on that way.

Near the bottom of the chasm, another mine tunnel opens up some 150’ below. It runs parallel to the main tunnel up above and according to the maps, it will reach the nearest storage area. Much like above, the tunnel was cut in half by the chasm. The side that runs back towards Fort Fletcher is buried in rubble, but the one that goes towards Hammerfall is open. The supports seem good and so the pair continues on.

About seventy feet into the tunnel a change is noted. Spider webs are beginning to appear and they are growing larger the further you travel on. No sign of actual spiders just yet.


At the top of the chasm, ropes are secured to the other side and Aria and Dougan make their way across. A few feet into the tunnel the mine cart tracks pick up again, along with the water trough. The passage continues onward for another three hundred feet before it reaches the end. There a second pulley system is set in place. This one seems to have taken more damage than the first. Some of the buckets are broken and are unusable.

Looking downwards, the pulley arrangement vanishes into a veritable sea of spider webs. They are very thick.

[GM Mad]

Fort Fletcher:

Back at the fort, the initial seige assault has been repelled easily enough. The idea of sending Dusk out to scout is brought up and Sherra volunteers as well. However, winds and visibility continue to be poor, making such a thing impossible at the moment. (Neither Argent or Chareos has a Stoneskin in memory either.)

Fifteen minutes pass and there are no further attacks. The alert is canceled and you go back to your routines.

About an hour later, the winds begin to diminish and visibility improves. Sending scouts out becomes feasible, but before any can go out, the watch spots something up in the sky.

It is hard to make out at first, but then becomes much, much clearer. Man-sized reptilian-like creatures are flying towards the fort! (They superficially resemble gargoyles.) There are dozens of them and they do not seem to be real creatures, rather they are also ice blue but translucent as well. (Similar to the ice creatures you fought long ago when with Kharyna.)

Each of these icy gargoyles carries an equally icy man-like figure. (Similar to the ice soldiers you also fought before.)

Before the fortress can act, the first of these gargoyle and solider combinations lands on the upper levels of the fortress! More and more of them land on the open areas and begin to pound on the outer doors!


GM Notes:

Acerion and Validar’s happenings are covered in the Cynalon Knights posts down in that folder.

The ice warriors have landed on areas 501, 507, and 508, the ones that are wide open to the elements. All the doors they are trying to break down are Wizard Locked and have Glyphs of Warding set up behind them.

Now what?

[Grondar]

Grondar:

Grondar gets back to work. Fortunately, with his enhanced strength, carting the coal to the furnace is quite managable. He has worked little more than an hour when the watch calls out a sighting.

Moving his current load out of the way, he collects his weaponry - not wanting to get caught short again. The dwarven priest then races off to check in with Corley for news and assignment.

[Yusef]

Yusef:

Yusef is walking guard when he hears one of the keen-eyed elves call out a warning. "What is it, friend elf?" he asks. "I'll inform Sir Corley."

As soon as he hears about the attack from the sky, he runs in search of the fort's commander. "Sir Corley. We're under attack again. Flying creatures have come over the walls and dropped some sort of icy warriors on the exposed areas of the fifth level. What are your orders?"

[Corley]

Sir Corley:

"Have no doubt that we will stand beside as long as breath moves within us, Sir Corley. My greatest concern is that she may find a way to attack that we haven't anticipated."

“That is always a concern when dealing with foes who are magical and have access to magicks. It simply gives them more options and defenders more things to worry about. You spoke earlier of magicks that could modify the weather. Is it possible that the weather we are experiencing has been conjured by the enemy? So that their forces could slip in unnoticed?”

Yusef considers Sir Corley's proposal for a few moments. "I'm not sure, Sir Corley, though it would certainly be quite a weapon if it worked. However, I suspect the oil might actually soften the impact on the bottle to such a degree that it might not break on impact. It may be more effective to put the bottle on the outside of the barrel, perhaps even sandwiched between a couple of rocks to make it more likely to break."

“My thought was to combine the two and then throw them from the heights of the wall. Surely both would smash when they impact on the ground far below. Let’s find out. Prepare one such barrel as you suggested and we’ll try it as the opportunity arises. If it succeeds, then we can make more. If not, then it was worth the attempt.”

“Admittedly the magicks I wield are suited to being the aggressor, rather than just waiting until the right opportunity. Alas, you seem have the situation under control. I bow to your wisdom. Do let us know when we can help.”

“Indeed, I would much rather prefer taking the fight to the enemy, milady. In most circumstances you have far more options when you are the aggressor. Alas, that is not our situation and so we must operate under a different set of rules.”

Before stepping away, Argent adds, “I still have a single Flight spell, as does Chareos. I thought you should know that if a target we can reach comes up.”

“That is good to know. Should the weather clear and should we find a target for you to strike, then we shall do so.”


The battle is short-lived and the force used enough to vanquish the enemy. For now. Lady Ivy’s voice soon reaches his ears. He had forgotten the ferocity at which her Order combats the unliving. No doubt she seeks to continue the conflict. Both Yusef and Grondar move to stop her.

Seemingly all too soon, the zombies go up in flames and are destroyed, but Ivy can’t be sure. “I should go down there and make sure there aren’t any more of them! My sensing range is limited. We’ve got to be sure those monstrosities have been destroyed!!”

“Your fellow priests speak wisely, Lady Ivy. I have no intention of letting these creatures be a threat for longer than necessary. Conditions simply do not favor us leaving the fortress right now, but a time will come where you can unleash the power of your goddess upon them with reckless abandon. Until then, you must remain inside.”

“Fair lady, take pity on me. I would not wish to explain what happened to you when Sir Acerion returns. I would rather face another dragon instead!”

Sherra will make her way to Sir Corley, "I know you have no desire for us to split up," she tells him. "Still, I wish you to know that if you need someone to scout the area further, depending on what Dusk finds, I volunteer. With my armor, I can be almost undetectable and I can use my boots to ascend and descend the walls without us having to compromise the security of the fort."

"Just another option for our commander to keep in mind," Sherra tells her friend with a smile.

“I will keep that in mind, Lady Sherra. Alas while the weather fouls any of our scouting attempts for the nonce, such a condition will not remain. Your talents will play a part in this battle. On this you have my word.”

"I had thought about that actually, Sir Corley," Lyonessa replies. "I decided against bringing it up because Dusk would be scouting an area with enemies already prepared for battle, so they might be more aware of Dusk's flight and seek to slay him. Probably not the minor undead, but rather whomever is leading them."

“That is indeed a concern, milady, and I have no desire to put your familiar in any danger. I leave the choice in your capable hands.”

Lady Argent then suggests that protective magic can be placed on Dusk and Lady Lyonessa is favorable to this. Alas, neither mage has the spell in memory.

“Make sure one of you has the protective magic ready come the morning,” Sir Corley will tell Lord Chareos and Lady Argent.


Sir Corley was just getting comfortable in his quarters when the next alarm sounds. Grabbing his sword, the young knight makes his way up to the ballista range.

As soon as he hears about the attack from the sky, he runs in search of the fort's commander. "Sir Corley. We're under attack again. Flying creatures have come over the walls and dropped some sort of icy warriors on the exposed areas of the fifth level. What are your orders?"

“An attack from the sky was always a concern,” Sir Corley mutters. “Protective magicks were placed in those areas, were they not? We must be prepared to repel the invaders!”

“Archers and ballista men, to your positions! Fire your weapons at will! Grondar, you and Lady Ivy defend the western ramparts, Lord Chareos and Yusef the eastern ones. The Wizard Locked doors will prove to be a barrier for a time, but will probably be breached eventually. Let the protective magicks that you’ve laid do their job before moving to engage the enemy. Don’t let yourselves be caught up in our defenses. Do what you must to hold those positions.”

(Both groups will take up positions on the 5th level of the fortress, most likely in the 2 unnumbered hallways that lead to both areas where the attackers are coming, unless Glyphs were placed there too.)

“Po and myself will remain in the ballista hallway in reserve, as will Lyonessa and Argent. We’ll reinforce as necessary.”

(I’m assuming that both Sherra and Arocken will join the other archers. A couple of regular soldiers will be spread out between the ballista hall and the areas where Grondar and Ivy & Chareos and Yusef are, allowing verbal instructions to go back and forth. Whoever needs assistance will have it shortly.)

As the next assault begins, Sir Corley will ask that the watchers on the upper towers keep any eye out for anyone who seems to be directing the enemy forces outside.

[Argent]

Argent:

“Indeed, I would much rather prefer taking the fight to the enemy, milady. In most circumstances you have far more options when you are the aggressor. Alas, that is not our situation and so we must operate under a different set of rules.”

“It is always better to act than to react,” Argent states. “Something Jallarzi tried to drum into our heads when I was her apprentice. These circumstances will undoubtedly be a test of my patience.”

“That is good to know. Should the weather clear and should we find a target for you to strike, then we shall do so.”

“I like the sound of that,” Argent says with a smile. “I’d feel more useful should that occur.”

"Now that is definitely acceptable," Lyonessa answers. "I still would not want Dusk to risk himself but it would allow him to return to us should he somehow be spotted and attacked."

Lyonessa will call Dusk to her so that the spell may be cast. She will then explain to her familiar what she would like him to do. Visibility is still poor and Dusk may have a hard time flying if the winds return, but she will explain they need him to find anyone who seems to be leading these undead.

“Uhm,” Argent mutters, embarrassment showing on her face. “Unfortunately, I don’t have the spell in memory. Another wonderful theory killed by facts.”

“Make sure one of you has the protective magic ready come the morning,” Sir Corley will tell Lord Chareos and Lady Argent.

“Of course, Sir Corley. We wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to Dusk.”

Stepping up to Chareos, Argent will ask, “Do you want to memorize Stoneskin or shall I?”

“Po and myself will remain in the ballista hallway in reserve, as will Lyonessa and Argent. We’ll reinforce as necessary.”

Arriving at the ballista area, Argent learns that flyers are dropping off troops on the upper levels of the fortress, bypassing the walls! Some of her friends are sent off to wait for the enemies’ arrival. The traps and protections they erected over the last few days will now be used.

“Sir Corley! If the outside conditions have diminished enough to allow flight, then I could possibly go out and see if there is anyone commanding the enemy forces! It wouldn’t be that dangerous, as I can cast Invisibility on myself first and remain unseen!”

[Ivy]

Ivy:

The familiar rage to destroy undead consumes Ivy as the Word of Azrella obliterates the zombies below. The all-consuming hatred that has driven Ivy for most of her life has diminished somewhat these past few weeks since Acerion has entered into her life, but is rekindled once the zombies arrive. In her combat fever she seeks to take the battle to the enemy! Fortunately, her friends are there to stop her.

"Uhm... Hold up a moment there, Ivy. I know you're eager to destroy more of these undead abominations, but we really don't know what else is out there. We cannot afford to open the gates to let you out as it would allow them a way in. Besides, leaving the safety of these walls would just allow them to overwhelm us and cut us down one at a time. Have no fear that Sir Corley will let us know when it is the right time to strike out offensively."

Overhearing the discussion with Ivy, Yusef chimes in. "I have to agree with our dwarven friend, Ivy. The risk just isn't worth it. Please, be at peace. The time is not yet now."

“Your fellow priests speak wisely, Lady Ivy. I have no intention of letting these creatures be a threat for longer than necessary. Conditions simply do not favor us leaving the fortress right now, but a time will come where you can unleash the power of your goddess upon them with reckless abandon. Until then, you must remain inside.”

“Fair lady, take pity on me. I would not wish to explain what happened to you when Sir Acerion returns. I would rather face another dragon instead!”

Sir Corley’s last words can’t help but bring a smile to Ivy’s face and her anger fades. “I would not wish that on anyone, Sir Corley. Very well. I will hold you to your words as I cannot simply let these undead wander off unscathed.”


Returning to her quarters, Ivy tries to rest but finds it difficult. Her mind is awhirl with thoughts of combating the undead and wonders when Acerion and Validar are going to return. Waiting like this just further aggrevates the situation.

Another alarm sounds and Ivy grabs her mace and returns to the upper levels of the fortress. But it doesn’t sound like undead this time around.

“Archers and ballista men, to your positions! Fire your weapons at will! Grondar, you and Lady Ivy defend the western ramparts, Lord Chareos and Yusef the eastern ones. The Wizard Locked doors will prove to be a barrier for a time, but will probably be breached eventually. Let the protective magicks that you’ve laid do their job before moving to engage the enemy. Don’t let yourselves be caught up in our defenses. Do what you must to hold those positions.”

“I understand, Sir Corley. We will do what we can.”

Ivy follows Grondar up the stairs to, presumably, the hallway with all the doors in it.

“Do you remember where we laid the Glyphs up here? I know behind the outer doors, but don’t remember if they are in the hallway or not.”

Looking around, Ivy can see that archers are already in one chamber firing their weapons at the enemy. (Room #505)

“Maybe you should watch one way and I the other?” Ivy offers. “What do you think?”

[Aria Stonehand]

Aria:

Aria feels safer once across the chasm and is eager to move down the mine tunnel, Dougan trailing behind. Eventually they arrive at another drop off as expected and there is another pulley and bucket set up. However, this one has seen better days.

But that’s not all. Looking down the pulleys vanish into thick webbing.

“It seems that we’ve got squatters livin’ here! Spiders, an’ judgin’ by how thick those webs are, either a whole lot of them or they’ve been here a long time! We got ourselves a bug hunt!”

Taking out a torch, Aria will light it and begin to climb down the ladder to the cavern below. She’ll use the torch to burn away the webbing as she goes.


Any side passages along the way? What happens to the water trough at the drop off?

[Lyonessa]

Lyonessa:

“Uhm,” Argent mutters, embarrassment showing on her face. “Unfortunately, I don’t have the spell in memory. Another wonderful theory killed by facts.”

Lyonessa smiles, "It's alright as the weather is still not agreeable. I doubt there is much Dusk could do except try to stay aloft."

It grows quiet and Lyonessa goes back to helping where she can. She does not summon Dusk either, not until the weather breaks. Soon though another alarm is raised. This time it appears to be an attack from the sky.

“Po and myself will remain in the ballista hallway in reserve, as will Lyonessa and Argent. We’ll reinforce as necessary.”

"Very well," Lyonessa replies and moves to her position. She is glad we were able to put up many magical defenses. Hopefully this attack ends as quick as the first.

[Sherra]

Sherra:

“I will keep that in mind, Lady Sherra. Alas while the weather fouls any of our scouting attempts for the nonce, such a condition will not remain. Your talents will play a part in this battle. On this you have my word.”

"Oh I have no doubt of that, Sir Corely," Sherra responds.

“Archers and ballista men, to your positions! Fire your weapons at will! Grondar, you and Lady Ivy defend the western ramparts, Lord Chareos and Yusef the eastern ones. The Wizard Locked doors will prove to be a barrier for a time, but will probably be breached eventually. Let the protective magicks that you’ve laid do their job before moving to engage the enemy. Don’t let yourselves be caught up in our defenses. Do what you must to hold those positions.”

“Po and myself will remain in the ballista hallway in reserve, as will Lyonessa and Argent. We’ll reinforce as necessary.”

Not hearing that she has been assigned anywhere, Sherra moves back to where she had joined the archers previously. Still having precious few magical shafts, she will see what regular arrows do against these gargoyle-like creatures first.

[Grondar]

Grondar:

“That is always a concern when dealing with foes who are magical and have access to magicks. It simply gives them more options and defenders more things to worry about. You spoke earlier of magicks that could modify the weather. Is it possible that the weather we are experiencing has been conjured by the enemy? So that their forces could slip in unnoticed?”

"To be honest, I am not much of a scholar regarding the Cold Lady. Nevertheless, based on what we do know of her, I think it very likely that much of the weather we have been experiencing is largely her doing. If she can transform large numbers of beings into her servants, then manipulating the weather to suit her ends doesn't seem like much of a stretch. The weather we have been experiencing is certainly more extreme than I would normally expect for this location at this time of year."

“Fair lady, take pity on me. I would not wish to explain what happened to you when Sir Acerion returns. I would rather face another dragon instead!”

Sir Corley’s last words can’t help but bring a smile to Ivy’s face and her anger fades. “I would not wish that on anyone, Sir Corley. Very well. I will hold you to your words as I cannot simply let these undead wander off unscathed.”

Grondar finds this whole exchange to be quiet humorous and begins to chuckle softly, a sound like gravel running down an incline.

“Archers and ballista men, to your positions! Fire your weapons at will! Grondar, you and Lady Ivy defend the western ramparts, Lord Chareos and Yusef the eastern ones. The Wizard Locked doors will prove to be a barrier for a time, but will probably be breached eventually. Let the protective magicks that you’ve laid do their job before moving to engage the enemy. Don’t let yourselves be caught up in our defenses. Do what you must to hold those positions.”

Grondar nods earnestly. "Will do," he says before turning and racing up to the designated stretch of hallway. In his haste to be ready for any intrusion, he quickly leaves Ivy far behind.

“Do you remember where we laid the Glyphs up here? I know behind the outer doors, but don’t remember if they are in the hallway or not.”

Some few moments later, Ivy rejoins Grondar in the hallway on the 5th level of the keep. "As best I recall from talking with Argent, they lie in the area just behind each outer door. Also, there should be something just inside the nearer door over there," he says, indicating the door to Room 502. "The main hallway here should not have any Glyphs or other magical traps."

““Maybe you should watch one way and I the other?” Ivy offers. “What do you think?”.”

Grondar considers for a moment. "Since I have a crossbow, it might be wise for me to be positioned here at the intersection of the two hallways. That way, I can fire at intruders in whichever direction they get through first." As if in demonstration, Grondar places himself just in front of the stone block that can be pushed out of Room 503. "If you could open that doorway for me," he says, indicating the door to Room 502, "then I'll have a clear shot in the direction as well. Perhaps you could position yourself just inside the door leading to where the archers are." [Room 505, or Room 503 would work too] "Once they start down this short hallway in front of me, I'll drop the crossbow, and step forward to meet them in the hall. At that point, you can step out and hold this longer hall. By meeting them in the halls - preferably right inside the doors - rather than in an open room, only a few can come at us at a time."
__________________________________________________________
Once Grondar has to switch to TruthGiver, he'll seek to position himself about where the '6' in Room 506 is. Ivy should probably take up position in the hallway pretty much directly to the left of the '505' on the map.

[Chareos]

Chareos

Sergeant Irwin will give Chareos a puzzled look at first, but then will answer. “Such a thing would not be possible. These weapons are specifically designed to fire missiles. Anything else would prove more bother than it is worth. At best, you could dip the missile head in oil and then light it right before firing or attach a soaked cloth right behind the head.”

Chareos blushes in discomfort as he realizes his error upon seeing Sgt. Irwin's features. “I seem to have erred in my thinking. I was more or less implying of having a hallowed-out bolthead filled with oil. As it impacted, the head could collapse where the fuse would ignite the oil as it burst forth, causing a flash fire of sorts.”

“Archers and ballista men, to your positions! Fire your weapons at will! Grondar, you and Lady Ivy defend the western ramparts, Lord Chareos and Yusef the eastern ones. The Wizard Locked doors will prove to be a barrier for a time, but will probably be breached eventually. Let the protective magicks that you’ve laid do their job before moving to engage the enemy. Don’t let yourselves be caught up in our defenses. Do what you must to hold those positions.”

“As you wish,” he says as he grips his quarterstaff and begins to turn. Looking to Yusef, he adds “Let us see what these beasts are made of.”

Chareos will wait near the area indicated, his eyes set on the door. If it appears that the ice creatures will break the door (ie cracks in the side of the stone). Chareos will cast his Mirror Image spell. If not, he will forego 'pre' spell casting and meet the ice beast things with his staff in hand.

[farian]

Farian

“All right,” Senoia will say with a shrug. “I didn’t see you amongst the others. Were you then already here? What have you discovered thus far? Any good fighting?”

“Aye, I was in the initial group that set out here,“ he says. "The mines seem to be relatively safe; though we can only go so far into the cavern because of a chasm. Not much of any fighting,” he says as he scratches his beard. “ A handful of orcs so far, and I wouldn’t call that good fighting!”

After scaling down the chasm, Farian notes the structure looks to be sound, which he find comforting. Though his eyes narrow as he sees spider webs. “Why does it have to be spiders; I hate em.” Looking to Salem, he adds. “Better get the torches out and light 'em. We’ll be burning 'em on the way,” he gestures, indicating the spider webs.

[Yusef]

Yusef:

“My thought was to combine the two and then throw them from the heights of the wall. Surely both would smash when they impact on the ground far below. Let’s find out. Prepare one such barrel as you suggested and we’ll try it as the opportunity arises. If it succeeds, then we can make more. If not, then it was worth the attempt.”

"I would be happy to, Sir Corley. It should be an interesting experiment."

Yusef seeks out Sherra. "Would you be willing to help me, fair lady? Sir Corley has assigned me a task that will require some skill with ropes - and your skill far outstrips mine." If she agrees, Yusef will explain exactly what he's trying to do and they can work together on it. If not, he'll manage as best he can. One way or another, he'll end up with one of his bottles tied to one of the oil barrels, with a large rock tied to the outside of the bottle. The impact, along with being pressed between the wooden barrel and the rock should be sufficient to break the bottle.

Sir Corley’s last words can’t help but bring a smile to Ivy’s face and her anger fades. “I would not wish that on anyone, Sir Corley. Very well. I will hold you to your words as I cannot simply let these undead wander off unscathed.”

Yusef is pleased that this issue was resolved and folds his arms with a satisfied smile, though he says nothing.

“I will keep that in mind, Lady Sherra. Alas while the weather fouls any of our scouting attempts for the nonce, such a condition will not remain. Your talents will play a part in this battle. On this you have my word.”

Overhearing the discussion between Sherra and Corley, Yusef decides he should let the commander know of his own ability. "Sir Corley. I too can fly for some distances at need, though not quite as far or fast as a skilled mage. Still, if there is a raid to be performed at some point in the future, it may be that I can be helpful." While not wearing any sort of jacket over his light shirt, Yusef is wearing a worn-looking, dark-brown cloak.

“An attack from the sky was always a concern,” Sir Corley mutters. “Protective magicks were placed in those areas, were they not? We must be prepared to repel the invaders!”

"Yes Sir, they were," Yusef replies to the question.

“Archers and ballista men, to your positions! Fire your weapons at will! Grondar, you and Lady Ivy defend the western ramparts, Lord Chareos and Yusef the eastern ones. The Wizard Locked doors will prove to be a barrier for a time, but will probably be breached eventually. Let the protective magicks that you’ve laid do their job before moving to engage the enemy. Don’t let yourselves be caught up in our defenses. Do what you must to hold those positions.”

Yusef listens to the instructions issued by Corley. "Yes Sir," he replies with a nod.

Locating Chareos, Yusef will relay Corley's order if he has not heard them. "Are you ready, Lord Chareos?" He will then make his way upstairs.

When they reach the designated hallway, Yusef turns once again to Chareos. "Do you have a preference of which doorway you would like to defend, milord?"

Once doorways have been assigned, Yusef will stand just far enough inside his to avoid any magical traps that have been laid. Taking a handful of his throwing spikes, he will fling the spikes at the first creature through the door. He will then cast Flame Blade in his now-empty hand and prepare to hold the hallway against all comers.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

Earlier:

Chareos blushes in discomfort as he realizes his error upon seeing and hearing Sgt. Irwin features. "I seem to have erred in my thinking. I was more or less implying of having a hallowed out bolt head filled with oil. As it impacted the head could collapse where the fuse would ignite the oil as it burst forth." causing a flash fire of sorts."

“To make such a thing feasible,” Sergeant Irwin notes, “the head would have to be much larger for it to have any significant effect. Making it larger changes the way it would fly through the air and would increase the weight of the shaft. In my opinion what you would gain would not offset what you would lose in the terms of range and accuracy.”

"Aye I was in the initial group that set out here. The mines seem to be relatively safe though we can only go so far into the cavern because of a chasm. Not much of any fighting." he says as he scratches his beard. " A handful of orcs so far, and I wouldn't call that good fighting!"

“That sounds disappointing,” Senoia responds. “I was hoping for a bit more excitement than that.”


The Attack:

The next wave of Auril’s forces has arrived at Fort Fletcher. Icy gargoyles are carrying equally icy soldiers to the upper battlements of the fortress! Once dropped off the soldiers look to find a way in. The alarm is raised and the defenders of the fort come running.

The archers and ballista men are given orders to begin missile fire. Sherra and Arocken join them. The area outside the fortress quickly becomes filed with arrows and bolts. Most of the archers are able to get two shots off per round. The light ballista men can fire once per round with a three-man crew.

One hit from a ballista bolt takes down a gargoyle; otherwise two arrows are required to dispatch the enemy. Many of the enemy fliers are sent plummeting from the sky. Regular arrows damage the gargoyles just fine.

[GM Mad]

The other Guardians are assigned defensive positions as they arrive by Sir Corley. Yusef and Chareos are dispatched to the eastern side of the top level of the fortress. Behind them regular soldiers spread out permitting a direct line of communication back to the ballista hallway. As Chareos and Yusef settle in, several of the Priests of Heironeous join them with battleaxes in hand.

“We’ll assist you in holding this position,” Rexford of Heironeous declares.

You can hear the invaders pounding on the outer doors. Their ice axes bite deep into the wood, but the doors still hold.

A sudden scream diverts your attention from the two doors! It came from the room with access to the watchtower! It sounds like the elf on watch has been attacked!

Those who rush into that room (513) just catch a glimpse of the elf's body hitting the floor. Looking up you can see a pair of ice warriors starting to climb down the ladder. The outer doors continue to hold, but the watchtower hatch is wide open.


On the other side of the fortress, Grondar and Ivy have moved into position. The Priests of Helm come forth from their Shrine to assist. “Our defensive line will hold,“ Fenwick vows, brandishing his mace.

The invaders pound on these doors as well. Given their stout construction and the magic place upon them, they continue to hold.

Noise from the watchtower attracts your attention. There you hear the elf on watch come sliding down the ladder.

“The enemy breached my position, but I was able to escape and seal the hatchway. I spotted something out there! It was a dark-haired woman dressed in white with blue trim. She held a staff in her hands. This might be the enemy commander we were told to watch for!”

The elf quickly makes his way down to the ballista area to report his findings.

The door to area 506 seems to be getting the worst of it. Small holes begin to form in the door as the invaders icy axes strike it. It would be possible to fire bolts through these holes.


Back in the main hallway, the ballistae keep firing at the enemy. Olivia of Azrella arrives, wondering if there are any more undead to repel. The elf watchman from the west tower arrives and relates his findings.

Just as the elf finishes his tale, an ice warrior lands right in front of the ballista on platform A! (He jumped from the top of the fortress and slid down the wall to reach this position.) The ballista men are momentarily startled, but then just fire their weapon. The bolt strikes the invader square in the chest, sending him off the platform and down into the valley below.

More invaders are using this method to reach the ballista hallway. Some miss the platforms completely and fall all the way back to the ground. Others do reach their marks.

A pair of ice invaders lands on Platform E. Their ice axes lash out and one of the ballista men is wounded. Before the defenders can react, the platform is pushed back and more ice soldiers are forcing their way into the fortress!

[GM Mad]

Dwarven Mines:

Any side passages along the way? What happens to the water trough at the drop off?

There were a few side passages. Just played out veins that went off and then dead-ended. The water trough also ends at the drop-off, but you’ll note that the shaft also goes up. The wooden trough spirals up the shaft. The iron ladder goes both ways here. According to the map, the upper part of the shaft leads to yet another tunnel, but one that intersects with an underground stream.


Unaware of what is going on back at the fortress, the dwarven forces move deeper into the mines. One group is lead by Aria and they’ve reached the second drop-off on the way to Hammerfall. The shaft leading down is filled with spider webs.

“It seems that we’ve got squatters livin’ here! Spiders, an’ judgin’ by how thick those webs are, either a whole lot of them or they’ve been here a long time! We got ourselves a bug hunt!”

“That does seem to be the case,” Dougan agrees.

Torches are brought forth and set alight. Aria leads the way down the ladder, burning webs as she goes. The webbing burns easily and a safe path opens up. The dwarves continue down unimpeded.

A rung underneath Aria’s foot gives way, but the dwarven battlemaiden is able to hang on and not fall. This ladder is rustier than the other one and has not held up as well with the passing of years. Progress continues down but at a much more cautious pace.

The side of the shaft opens up and you begin to enter into a large cavern. The webbing is just as thick here and your arrival does not go unnoticed. Three spiders creep along the webbing and are moving closer. They are all brownish in color and the main parts of their body are the size of a small child. Taking their legs into consideration, the spiders are about 4’ high and 6’ long! The cavern floor is about 40’ feet below.


Deeper in the earth, Farian and Salem have also found evidence of spiders. Webbing has begun to appear, but it does not yet block the dwarves’ path.

After scaling down the chasm, Farian notes the structures looks to be sound, which he find comforting. Though his eyes narrow as he sees spider webs. "Why it have to be spiders, I hate em." looking to Salem. "Better get the torches out and lit em, We'll be burning em on the way." indicating the spider webs.

Salem nods his understanding. “Hazards o’ the trade,” he grins.

The pair continues onwards. After a time, the tunnel begins to turn your left and towards the supply depot up ahead. The intensity of the webbing continues to increase and you’re forced to use the torches to clear the way.

After clearing away one particularly thick patch of webbing, movement is spotted! A black hairy spider comes forth as if to investigate what is going on. The spider is about the size of a kitten!

A second spider appears, and then a third and a fourth. Soon well over a dozen 6” spiders are closing in on you!

“It’s a spider swarm!” Salem warns.

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

The combat maps for levels 4 & 5 of the fortress have been updated to show your relative positions. Over four minutes passed before the first action began during the attack, so there is time for any prep spells you use to cast.

Now what?

[Chareos]

Chareos

Backing up a bit

Stepping up to Chareos, Argent will ask, “Do you want to memorize Stoneskin or shall I?”

“I will do so this evening. Your spells are usually more offensive then mine while mine are a mixture of both. It would probably hinder me less to do so.”

Locating Chareos, Yusef will relay Corley's order if he has not heard them. "Are you ready, Lord Chareos?" He will then make his way upstairs.

“As ready as one ever shall be.”

When they reach the designated hallway, Yusef turns once again to Chareos. "Do you have a preference of which doorway you would like to defend, milord?"

“One is as good as the next.” he says with an easy smile, “And do not call me milord, it is only an honorary title. One I will not wish to use between friends.”

“To make such a thing feasible,” Sergeant Irwin notes, “the head would have to be much larger for it to have any significant effect. Making it larger changes the way it would fly through the air and would increase the weight of the shaft. In my opinion what you would gain would not offset what you would lose in the terms of range and accuracy.”

“Perhaps. Though depending on the area that the oil could consume may off set it.” he adds thoughtfully. “It is something to think on for a later time,” accepting the Sgt’s wisdom.

The other Guardians are assigned defensive positions as they arrive by Sir Corley. Yusef and Chareos are dispatched to the eastern side of the top level of the fortress. Behind them regular soldiers spread out permitting a direct line of communicate back to the ballista hallway. As Chareos and Yusef settle in, several of the Priests of Heironeous join them with battleaxes in hand.

“We’ll assist you in holding this position,” Rexford of Heironeous declares

.

Chareos gives a nod in recognition. “Your presence is most welcome, Rexford. Have your men spread out between us, but all keep within sight.”

The thundering of ice axes echoes from the doors outside, though the doors still stand firm. Then an ear-splitting scream catches his ears making him turn toward the ladder room. Calling to Yusef and the others whom are closer, “What has happened?” he calls toward them as his gaze returns to door where Ice axes keep finding their mark, threatening to break through within minutes.


With the added Priests, Chareos stays where he is watching the doors and will cast a Mirror Image before the door breaks. When the door breaks Chareos will greet those who walk through the door with his quarterstaff.

(How many priests/soldiers are with us? 3 priest of Heironous and how many soldiers? Figuring put the priest spread out between Yusef and Chareos.)

[GM Mad]

(How many priest/soldiers are with us? 3 priest of Heironous and how many soldiers? Figuring put the priest spread out between Yusef and Chareos.)

2 priests joined you. The closest regular soldier would be in the L shaped hallway to the left of 513. It leads to the stairs down to the lower level.

[farian]

Farian

After clearing away one particularly thick patch of webbing, movement is spotted! A black hairy spider comes forth as if to investigate what is going on. The spider is about the size of a kitten!

A second spider appears, and then a third and a fourth. Soon well over a dozen 6” spiders are closing in on you!

“It’s a spider swarm!” Salem warns.

Slipping his shield off his back and readying his warhammer Farian looks to Salem, and grins. “Soon to be spider squash. Form up side by side. If we have to fall back we will but I ain't ready to give any ground yet.”

[Grondar]

Grondar:

On the other side of the fortress, Grondar and Ivy have moved into position. The Priests of Helm come forth from their Shrine to assist. “Our defensive line will hold,“ Fenwick vows, brandishing his mace.

"Well met, gentlemen," Grondar says. "Feel free to join us in this grim task."

“The enemy breached my position, but I was able to escape and seal the hatchway. I spotted something out there! It was a dark-haired woman dressed in white with blue trim. She held a staff in her hands. This might be the enemy commander we were told to watch for!”

"Excellent! Please report your findings to Sir Corley on the floor below." More to himself, he grumbles, "Perhaps we have found a means to end this standoff..."

The door to area 506 seems to be getting the worst of it. Small holes begin to form in the door as the invaders icy axes strike it. It would be possible to fire bolts through these holes.

Noting the damage to the door before him, Grondar prepares himself. "Could one of your men watch that trap door to the watchtower to make sure they don't start breaking in there?" he asks. As holes start to grow in the door before him, Grondar does his best to fire bolts through the gaps.

[Yusef]

Yusef:

“One is as good as the next.” he says with an easy smile, “And do not call me milord, it is only an honorary title. One I will not wish to use between friends.”

"I would not presume to debate the king's decisions regarding who is worthy of such titles, but I shall endeavor to remember to do as you ask."

“We’ll assist you in holding this position,” Rexford of Heironeous declares.

Yusef looks over at the Priests who have joined them. "Thank you. Your assistance is greatly appreciated."

A sudden scream diverts your attention from the two doors! It came from the room with access to the watchtower! It sounds like the elf on watch has been attacked!

Those who rush into that room (513) just catch a glimpse of the elf's body hitting the floor. Looking up you can see a pair of ice warriors starting to climb down the ladder. The outer doors continue to hold, but the watchtower hatch is wide open.

Hearing the scream and being nearest to that door, Yusef moves to look through the doorway. An elven warrior hits the floor as two of the ice creatures begin to make their way in.

Chareos gives a nod in recognition. “Your presence is most welcome, Rexford. Have your men spread out between us, but all keep within sight.”

The thundering of ice axes echoes from the doors outside, though the doors still stand firm. Then an ear-splitting scream catches his ears making him turn toward the ladder room. Calling to Yusef and the others whom are closer, “What has happened?” he calls toward them as his gaze returns to door where Ice axes keep finding their mark, threatening to break through within minutes.

"They're coming in through the hatch from the watchtower!" Yusef replies to the warrior-mage from his position in the doorway.

"Hold this hall!" Yusef calls to the two priests of Heironeous. "I'll deal with this." So saying, he flings his spikes at the invaders and steps forward, casting his Flame Blade spell. He intends to meet them with flaming blade as they reach the foot of the ladder.

[Sherra]

Sherra:

Yusef seeks out Sherra. "Would you be willing to help me, fair lady? Sir Corley has assigned me a task that will require some skill with ropes - and your skill far outstrips mine." If she agrees, Yusef will explain exactly what he's trying to do and they can work together on it. If not, he'll manage as best he can. One way or another, he'll end up with one of his bottles tied to one of the oil barrels, with a large rock tied to the outside of the bottle. The impact, along with being pressed between the wooden barrel and the rock should be sufficient to break the bottle.

Sherra smiles at Yusef's approach and listens to his request. "Of course I'll help," Sherra replies. She'll look at the possibilities for placing the two items and how to best tie them together. It's possible that the force of the fall alone will break the bottle, but the rock should definitely guarantee it.

Sherra will try to make two loops that can be drawn tight to slide the bottle into so that it's only "loaded" when ready. It would be bad to have the barrel fall over and break the bottle while it was sitting in storage.

The archers and ballista men are given orders to begin missile fire. Sherra and Arocken join them. The area outside the fortress quickly becomes filed with arrows and bolts. Most of the archers are able to get two shots off per round. The light ballista men can fire once per round with a three-man crew.

One hit from a ballista bolt takes down a gargoyle; otherwise two arrows are required to dispatch the enemy. Many of the enemy fliers are sent plummeting from the sky. Regular arrows damage the gargoyles just fine.

Sherra is glad to see her arrows, and the others, are having an effect against their enemy. She wasn't sure if any magics used to make or augment them would have protected them. Thankfully that doesn't seem to be the case.

Sherra will keep her eyes scanning for more airborne enemy. She will also watch the other archers to see if they turn their attention to another area. She will continue to fire at any enemy she sees.

[Corley]

Corley:

"To be honest, I am not much of a scholar regarding the Cold Lady. Nevertheless, based on what we do know of her, I think it very likely that much of the weather we have been experiencing is largely her doing. If she can transform large numbers of beings into her servants, then manipulating the weather to suit her ends doesn't seem like much of a stretch. The weather we have been experiencing is certainly more extreme than I would normally expect for this location at this time of year."

“I have noted that myself,” Sir Corley agrees. “It has been much colder this year than in years past, but will not be for long.”

Overhearing the discussion between Sherra and Corley, Yusef decides he should let the commander know of his own ability. "Sir Corley. I too can fly for some distances at need, though not quite as far or fast as a skilled mage. Still, if there is a raid to be performed at some point in the future, it may be that I can be helpful." While not wearing any sort of jacket over his light shirt, Yusef is wearing a worn-looking, dark-brown cloak.

“That is good information to have, Yusef. My thanks for sharing it with me.”

“Sir Corley! If the outside conditions have diminished enough to allow flight, then I could possibly go out and see if there is anyone commanding the enemy forces! It wouldn’t be that dangerous, as I can cast Invisibility on myself first and remain unseen!”

“That is an option,” Sir Corley agrees. “The problem now is being able to get you out of the fortress as the enemy is currently blocking all of our ways outside.”


The fortress holds for the time being. The outer doors are thick and made of wood with reinforcing steel bands with magical protections on top. But even those won’t hold out forever.

Sir Corley paces back and forth during the initial part of the siege. The archers and ballista men are working to clear the sky, but there seems to be so many of the flying invaders left.

Lady Olivia arrives to lend a hand. “I do not believe these to be undead, good lady,” Sir Corley answers. “But your healing talents may be required so stay ready.”

An elf comes running up to me and he relates what he saw.

“The enemy breached my position, but I was able to escape and seal the hatchway. I spotted something out there! It was a dark-haired woman dressed in white with blue trim. She held a staff in her hands. This might be the enemy commander we were told to watch for!”

“Good man!”

Thinking for a moment, Sir Corley turns to Lady Argent.

“Milady! Your time has come! A woman bearing a staff has been spotted outside the fortress. Use the magicks you indicated earlier and try to remove her. Do not place yourself in harm’s way and return to the fortress as soon as you are able. If this woman is directing the enemy forces then removing her might end this siege. Go quickly!”

Cries of alarm reach Sir Corley’s ears. It seems that the ice soldiers are sliding down the outer wall of the fortress to reach the ballista platforms! The first invader gets a ballista bolt in the chest for his efforts, but the enemy at the far eastern platform is more successful. One of the ballista crew is down and the platform pushed back into the fortress.

“Ballista men!” Sir Corley cries out. “Move your platforms back to block the doorway and give the enemy a place to land in front of you! Push the enemy back!”

Rushing towards the breach, Sir Corley will engage the invaders with his two-handed sword.

[Argent]

Argent:

“I will do so this evening. Your spells are usually more offensive then mine while mine are a mixture of both. It would probably hinder me less to do so.”

Chareos’s comments bring a chuckle to Argent. “I sincerely hope that you mean ‘more offensive’ in a good way!”


The siege is underway and Argent is waiting patiently for something to happen. Finally, something does happen.

“Milady! Your time has come! A woman bearing a staff has been spotted outside the fortress. Use the magicks you indicated earlier and try to remove her. Do not place yourself in harm’s way and return to the fortress as soon as you are able. If this woman is directing the enemy forces then removing her might end this siege. Go quickly!”

“I’m on it, Sir Corley. And don’t worry. My physical well-being is always a top priority!”

Stepping away from everyone else, Argent casts Fly and then Invisibility. She’ll attempt to fly out one of the ballista platform openings if possible. Once outside, she’ll fly down to the ground and then deeper into the valley. Hopefully she’ll avoid any other flyers and any friendly fire that way.

Once safely away from the fortress, the Invoker will gain altitude again and try to locate this woman holding a staff. Once spotted, Argent will hover at a point behind and above the woman. At a range of around 100 yards, she’ll start firing spells. First a Fireball centered on the woman. Next a Lightning Bolt and then finally her bundled Magic Missiles. After casting each spell, Argent will begin to back away from her target, putting more distance between them. We’ll see if there is anything left after that!

[Ivy]

Ivy:

Ivy finally catches up to Grondar in the upper hallway. Fortunately, nothing has happened yet. However, she can hear them trying to beat the doors down. Ivy agrees with Grondar’s thoughts on how to position themselves and takes her place.

On the other side of the fortress, Grondar and Ivy have moved into position. The Priests of Helm come forth from their Shrine to assist. “Our defensive line will hold,“ Fenwick vows, brandishing his mace.

“Glad to have you,” Ivy says with a nod.

The elf watchman comes running in, saying that he saw something outside of interest. Grondar sends him along to report to Sir Corley. The door to the battlements shows signs of starting to give and Ivy grips her holy weapon tighter in response.

Grondar takes aim with his crossbow and starts to fire through the holes at the enemy. Ivy will use her Detect Undead gift to see if these invaders are undead or not.

[Aria Stonehand]

Aria:

There were a few side passages. Just played out veins that went off and then dead-ended. The water trough also ends at the drop-off, but you’ll note that the shaft also goes up. The wooden trough spirals up the shaft. The iron ladder goes both ways here. According to the map, the upper part of the shaft leads to yet another tunnel, but one that intersects with an underground stream.

Aria takes a look up the shaft. Somewhere up there is the origin of the underground stream that was used to power the pulley back at the first coal depot. She can’t help but wonder if the earth tremors have shifted the course of the stream or if it even flows anymore.


The webbing burns easily enough, but it seems that the ladder they are climbing down is not in good shape. A rung breaks under Aria’s foot, but she manages to keep a grip of the ladder and not fall.

After letting out a sigh in relief, Aria tells Dougan, “Watch yer step, priest. This ladder has seen better days!”


Finally, the shaft opens up and the bottom must be close. Unfortunately, we also find the origin of all this webbing! Three large spiders are closing in!

“Get a move on, priest! We’ve got company and they look pleased to eat us!”

Aria will begin to climb down the ladder faster, waving her torch to burn more webs as she passes. She had no desire to fight these creepy-crawlies while holding on to an old ladder!

[Yusef]

Yusef:

Sherra smiles at Yusef's approach and listens to his request. "Of course I'll help," Sherra replies. She'll look at the possibilities for placing the two items and how to best tie them together. It's possible that the force of the fall alone will break the bottle, but the rock should definitely guarantee it.

Sherra will try to make two loops that can be drawn tight to slide the bottle into so that it's only "loaded" when ready. It would be bad to have the barrel fall over and break the bottle while it was sitting in storage.

Yusef is glad to have both Sherra's expertise and her company. They work together for some time to create this new weapon of mass destruction. When done, Yusef steps back and looks at the result of their efforts.

"Thank you, Sherra. I believe this has a very good chance of working as Corley intended, and I certainly could not have done it without your able assistance." He will inform Corley that the barrel is ready, inviting Sherra to come along if she wishes since she deserves as much credit for it as he.

“That is good information to have, Yusef. My thanks for sharing it with me.”

"You are welcome, Sir Corley," he says. It is very important to him to contribute fully to the defense of this fort.
________________________________________________________
Sending Argent out alone to confront a possible demigoddess?! Yikes! This may be one NPC we've seen the last of...

[Lyonessa]

Lyonessa:

Cries of alarm reach Sir Corley’s ears. It seems that the ice soldiers are sliding down the outer wall of the fortress to reach the ballista platforms! The first invader gets a ballista bolt in the chest for his efforts, but the enemy at the far eastern platform is more successful. One of the ballista crew is down and the platform pushed back into the fortress.

“Ballista men!” Sir Corley cries out. “Move your platforms back to block the doorway and give the enemy a place to land in front of you! Push the enemy back!”

Rushing towards the breach, Sir Corley will engage the invaders with his two-handed sword.

Lyonessa will follow Sir Corley. If she can get to the wounded man, she will try to pull him clear depending on his injuries. If his life is in jeopardy from wounds, she will convert a first level spell into Cure Light Wounds and see how he fares.

If she can't get to the wounded ballista man or his wounds don't need immediate tending, Lyonessa will ready her mace and attack any ice soldiers that get close.

[Grondar]

Grondar:

“I have noted that myself,” Sir Corley agrees. “It has been much colder this year than in years past, but will not be for long.”

"I may be able to help with that, at least for a little while." When he notices the weather calming and the clear skies returning, Grondar casts Weather Stasis. While it might not stop a demigoddess, it may make controlling the weather at least a little more difficult for her for few hours.

---

Later, Grondar waits as the ice soldiers attempt to force their way through the doors. "Ivy! Can you tell if these creatures are undead?" he calls out.

[GM Mad]

Post Closed