Conquering the Barbarian Altanis: Session 155
Adventurers
| Character | Race | Class | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heinrik | Human | Magic-User level 1 | Muscular mage with short blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. |
| Ambros | Human | Cleric level 6 | Follower of Aniu, Lord of Time. |
| Ignaeus | Elf | Fighter level 5 / magic-user level 4 | A slightly weathered looking elf with dull blonde hair and chiseled features. Seeks wealth and knowledge. |
| Drokh | Human | Monk level 2 | A tall, lean human monk with piercing eyes, weathered skin, and a warrior’s poise—calm and charismatic, he speaks with purpose and strikes with precision, wielding spear, bow, and blade. |
| Tikatu | Human | Druid level 3 | A dirty little ma with dark and dirty skin, wearing loincloth with no back. “What will be, will be” is his favourite aphorism. |
| Amari | Human | Ranger level 1 | Black hair that shines blue. Scarred like a gladiator. |
| Seren | Human | Ranger level 1 | Beardless and blinkless ranger. |
| Alaric | Human | Paladin level 3 | Big, doe eyed country boy with wavy blond hair and willingness to do the right thing. Paladin of Tyr. |
Warmshade 8th, Earthday
After two days of panicked retreat from Ghinarian Hills, Ambros, Tikatu, Decarili, Heinrik, Seren, Drokh, and Amari reached Ahyf, a fishing village just north of the hills. There Somniel was recovering from his injuries, while Ignaeus and Mepheus were waiting for the adventurers. Decarili bid his farewell and left for Hara.
Messenger sent by Marlon informed Ambros of latest grim developments. Klekless Racobas and his army have conquered all the settlements surrounding Hara. Mounted scouts led by Jace discovered their advance and reported a force of approximately two hundred beastmen and three hundred brigands.
Racoba's split his vasthrong into five throngs and attacked from three directions. Marlon led a squadron of heavy horsemen in a preemptive attack alongside River Farhills. He successfully stopped two throngs approaching from the north-west, but lost a third of his squadron. He was also wounded in duel with Racoba's Chaos Champion.
“Marlon sent me to Ahyf to wait for your return and inform you about these developments. I left Hara as Racoba's vasthrong approached Hara.”
Ambros and adventurers spent a day planning and preparing for their return to Hara. They hired three fishermen to take them to Hara via river. This, they theorised, would allow them to move faster.
Warmshade 10th, Spiritday
Ambros, Ignaeus, Alaric, Seren, Heinrik, and Tikatu set out by boat with first rays of sun. They sailed from Ahyf until the reached an estuary where mighty rivers Farhills and Cedarwade converge and flow into the sea. Fishermen then dropped sail and began rowing upriver, towards Hara. It was a bright sunny day, hot and windless.
Around morning they could see a large dark cloud in the distance. It was obvious to Tikatu, a druid, that this was no natural phenomenon. Cloud was roughly above the area where Hara is. They reached Hara by evening.
Towers and walls were unmanned. A throng of beastmen—gnolls, orcs, hobgoblins, ogres—were pilling the dead outside the walls on little mounds. Bestmen and brigands argued and yelled, but no significant fighting transpired.
Nobody cared about a fishing boat rowing into Hara. Passing between two towers flanking the river bank and Queen's Isle, revealed a sad sight. Brigands in Hara were rounding up peasants and survivors in what once was the main square.
Most of Hara had burned down to the ground just weeks ago. There was little but walls and few foundations of stone buildings. A ten foot tall pile of armoured corpses was in front of Temple of Forseti. Arlon's severed head was on top of it.
Adventurers commanded the fishermen to take the boat around, and row to the east side of the river. There they disembarked and allowed fishermen to return to Ahyf.
Hara had fallen.
Warmshade 11th, Airday
Victor's drunken singing and debauchery kept the adventurers awake. In the morning Ambros communed with Forseti, asking him three questions.
“Is the Queen still alive and free?”
“Yes.”
“Is Klekless Racoba in the city?”
“No, he fears Earani Cor.”
“Is there a secret tunnel leading into Hara?”
“Yes, there is a long passage through Woelands, connecting Castle of the Wode with Hara.”
Adventurers discussed what to do next throughout the morning. They heard rusted trumpets blare around noon. Around that time men began appearing on the Hara's towers and walls. They put up flags depicting bull head with two thunders on its forehead. Very similar to the usual flags and banners that adorned Hara's walls.
There was unenthusiastic cheering and chanting around evening. That was followed by some sudden yelling and roaring. As a result, cheering and chanting sounded much more enthusiastic. As far as the adventurers could see, the beastmen were not allowed into the city, only brigands.
Chanting sounded like “RA! KOH! BAH! RA! KOH! BAH!” but it was difficult to make out from the drums and trumpets.
“This is it.” Tikatu said “The Queen was captured and executed. Racoba came into the city. There is nothing for us here left. Let's go.”
“Forseti said she is still alive and free.”
“But that was in the morning. Now is evening.”
“I see.”
Party decided to go to the Castle of the Wode and assess the situation there.
Warmshade 12th, Waterday
“Father Ambros!” a dozen of survivors from Hara were rejoiced to see Ambros alive. They were all wounded and exhausted. They briefly informed Ambros about what happened.
“We were holding the walls and resisting the siege. Racoba did not have any siege equipment so we were confident in our defenses. Then sky got dark, and powerful lightning struck the Temple of Poseidon.”
“We” and he motioned to survivors “were in the inner citadel, assigned to be the last line of defense. After the lightning struck we saw a mass of men spill into the north side of the city. The gates were not breached! Everything went downhill from there. Marlon led his last surviving knights to meet the enemy. His last order to us was to escort the Queen out of Hara.”
“We took two rowboats and sunk the rest. Queen and her retinue took two more. Then we rowed upstream, and followed her to here. She is in the tower right now, planning with Tagoler and Jace.”
Ambros went to the tower alone. Earani Cor, even without her kingdom, was a feared woman. There he was assaulted by revolted Jace. She spit the cleric into the face. Ambros wiped the spit and told her to go fuck herself.
Decarili and Ambros updated the Queen on the Ghinarian Hills expedition.
“Is it true” she asked Decarili “that this ray of Umannah had killed the Mother?”
“It is possible. But I did not see her corpse. There was great chaos and confusion in the wake of the destruction.”
“Then we go there.” and she looked into Ambros's eyes. He felt a bit woozy and shaky. “You will go there too.”
“I will go there too.” Ambros repeated.
Plans were made to march all the way north to Ketche, sail to Ahyf from there, and then march to the Lair of Bull God. Other adventurers were not too keen on the plan, but they decided to follow and support Ambros.
“We will move ahead since we are much faster. See you in Ketche. Or not. We will wait for three days before moving on.” Decarili informed adventurers.
Party reached Ketche on the evening of Warmshade 15th, Spiritday.
Queen and her men were nowhere to be seen.
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