Conquering the Barbarian Altanis: Session 78
Adventurers
| Character | Class | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Derennan | Dwarf level 3 | A dwarf hailing from Western Wastes. |
| Rah | Cleric level 2 | A follower of Molna, God of Travellers, whom has an opinion about everything. |
| Nolmbork | Dwarf level 2 | Portly, bald, red bearded, with an epic nose. On a mission to have a drink in every settlement in Wilderlands. |
| Rashomon | Elf level 2 | A dangerous looking elf. |
| Llyfed | Elf level 3 | Thin and balding elf whom also happens to be Rashomon's friend. |
| Tarkus the Promising | Cleric level 2 | Follower of Bachontoi, God of Red Wisdom. |
| Brent Goose | Cleric level 5 | An eccentric, but charismatic, cleric seeking the Holy Bird. White robes and black cloak conceal his tall, frail and anemic frame. His eagle-like nose is exposed for all to see. |
| Oberon | Fighter level 3 | A tall, supple hunter adorned with bones and horns of his prey. |
Gloomfrost 13th, Earthday, between midnight and sunrise
Rah crouched by the horses as three arrows landed next to him.
Following their encounter with hereto unknown orc horde, and subsequent slaughter of them, the party decided to back out of the dungeon and rest in a camp nearby. Alas, sometime during the night beastmen came out and managed to track the party down. Rashomon managed to spot them in time to alert everyone.
The camp was a simple affair. Three ten-feet tall rocks covered west and south sides, the wagon covered north side, and several trees provided cover to the east and north.
Derennan and Nolmbork were on the west rocks while Rashomon and Llyfed manned the south rock. Oberon watched guard from one of the north trees. Brent hid underneath the wagon.
Tarkus and Rah stood by the wagon, waiting. They opted not to light up any torches and rely on their demihuman friends to neutralize any threats.
Few more arrows flew in their direction, one killing a draft horse.
Silence.
Then that sound of someone—or something—trying to imitate a wolf howl.
Rashomon had enough of this nonsense. He slid down the rock and moved eastwards. Llyfed followed behind him.
“There!”
Lo and behold, several crouching humanoids just at the edge of elven infravision!
Few select insults later and several pig-faced orcs clashed against two heavily armed elves.
Nolmbork and Derennan remained vigilant, scanning for any new threats that might come from north, west, or south.
“Whoa!”
Rashomon stood his ground as several more orcs came charging out from southeast. He was outnumbered eight to one, but successfuly parried all incoming attacks. And more importantly, he prevented the orcs from storming the temple.
Suddenly a thunderous cacophony of howls, roars, and grunted erupted from southeast.
Derennan's vigilance paid off as he kept watch of the western flank.
Moonlight illuminated a frame of lumbering creature stepping on top of large tree stump some hundred feet away or so. The monster raised a giant club over its head and unleashed a roar so loud that would make any normal man shit himself.
Illustration by kickmaniac
But Derennan was no man. He braced himself as the monstrous hulk charged him, followed by several orcs.
“They are coming from the north as well!”
Oberon rained hells from the tree top; Nolmbork killed orcs left and right; Derennan duked it out with towering beastman; Rashomon and Llyfed held back a dozen or so orcs; Rah and Tarkus shot and hit whenever they could see something clearly enough; Brent cowered under the wagon.
But something had to give.
Something had to give eventually.
Hulking monster forced Derennan to retreat off the rock. The dwarf jumped off, and backed up, his left side protected by another rock, while wagon protected his right side.
Hulk's belly shimmered as the monster laughed, cheered on by orcs behind it. Derennan braced his polearm. Rah jumped in to help the dwarf.
Rashomon swung and swung. He was landing good blows, but none did as much damage as he expected. Llyfed shook his head at his friend and his determination to pick up a sword called “Doomed.” The curse was turning eerily prophetic.
“Perk up! We will wear them down!” Tarkus yelled while crushing yet another orc.
Several more orcs charged from the darkness, followed by several large, hyena headed monsters. These ones had polearms and large flails.
Rah's remains splattered Derennan. Cleric did not stand a chance against the hulking monster. He died a brutal, nasty death. Oberon screamed as beastmen penetrated him with polearms. The tree wasn't tall enough.
To make things even worse, new beastmen just kept showing up. Three tiger-faced beastmen scaled the south rock. They just stood there, towering over all. They put down some sacks, and took out something very, very familiar to adventurers.
Oil bombs.
“No!” Llyfed's voice cracked as Rashomon twitched, impaled by several polearms and hacked to death by thousand cuts.
Tarkus squeezed his holy symbol and mace. This man of Law will go down fighting.
Derennan on the other hand, was much more interested in survival. He turned around, and made a run for it in the northeast direction.
Alas, he did not get far before running into three more tiger-faced creatures.
The hulk flipped over the wagon, and roared as Brent soiled himself.
“Parley!”
Somebody yelled.
One of the tiger-faced monsters spoke. Terms were far from favourable.
Lay down your weapons and forfeit your lives.
Llyfed tried to negotiate.
His attempts were rebuffed with an offer to set him, and his friends, on fire.
Adventurers dropped their weapons.
Victorious beastmen stripped them off their weapons and valuables. Then they tied their hands, and dragged them back into the Den.
Orcs were forced to carry the corpses, while the hulk picked up two dead horses. Wagon was left behind.
⁂
The captives were insulted and spat on. They remained defiant. Those that live, live to return the favour.
⁂
They were led through familiar corridors. They passed by orcs scrubbing the floors and walls. It was obvious the they were at the bottom of the food chain.
Then they were dragged into the unknown: the stairs leading down they avoided several times.
Orcs did not go below, only hyena-headed and tiger-faced beastmen did, as well as the hulk. In the large, well lit chamber everyone went their own way. Tiger-faced monsters dragged the adventurers through unknown corridors until they dumped them in a filthy room with four corpses.
Two humans, one male dwarf, and one female elf. All corpses had significant signs of abuse, especially the dwarf. All had missing teeth and tongue.
Six survivors quickly took off their rope bindings.
“Well, does anyone need healing?” Tarkus offered.
“Yes, please...”
Scouring the room provided very little of use.
The party couldn't agree on the course of action. Do they try to break the doors and escape? Do they wait for someone to parley? Something else?
So naturally, they decided to take a nap.
Tarkus prayed.
⁂
“Attention, I hear heavy footsteps incoming!”
The doors swung open. Tiger-faced beastmen were back. They seemed wholly unfazed—disinterest even—in adventurers having freed their hands.
They pointed at Nolmbork and waved him to come out.
Llyfed tried to parley again. He got smacked for it. Nolmbork was escorted out, and the doors were once again locked shut.
“Where are they taking him?”
“No idea...”
They waited, and waited, and waited.
And waited, and waited.
And waited.
⁂
Doors swung open once more. Nolmbork was back, with a tint of hope on his face!
He met with an apparent master of this horde of beastmen, a giant with lisp. He explained that he bartered a deal for the party to be released if they bring back a gold crown befitting such a master. The only term was to leave “the fattest one behind.” Although being the skinniest, everyone quickly agreed to leave Brent Goose behind.
“Hey, we are still Lawful, we will come back for you. By the way, maybe you finally atone to Kadrim, heh?”
⁂
Three new corpses were impaled at the dungeon entrance:
Rashomon, Rah, and Rigby.
⁂
Five survivors reached Hara on Gloomfrost 16th.
Hungry, thirsty, and dirty.
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