Chapter
3: "Invasion"
March
29, 2003
Ramagi, Pedro Gil
Mon Macutay, DM
Dramatis
Personae
Amenrath
Sethnakhtehamen, Jackalwere Psychic Warrior (3) 1,
CG © by Myk Roman
Quinntalis "DeadBane" Galendale, Elven
Curst, Ranger (3) 1, CG © by Jet
Malcolm Silverbrow, Irda Paladin of Bahamut (1)
3, LG © by Chris Cruz
Alliana, Gold Elf Wizard 2, NG © by Prixie
Tan
Scion Puremind, Human Thief/Psion 2, © by
Oliver Valencia
Tarion Gourn, Aasimar Fighter (1) 3, NG ©
by Dindo Moreno
*Special
Guest Appearance of Glenn Chua (who played Jakob Firehand)
Escape from the fort
25TH
of Ches, Claw of Sunsets 1371DR (The Year of the Unstrung
Harp)
Dereth
leads the party, together with 20 rescued prisoners from
the fort, to freedom. Along the way (while evading an
orc war party), they spot a military camp of over a thousand-strong
orcs, goblins and giants headed towards Targos. They estimate
the invading force to arrive in 5 - 6 days.
Dereth
suggests that the party detour to the Underdark. The other
party members agree. Since the prisoners are ill-equipped
to deal with the cold, they have to risk the dangers of
drow and other Underdark denizens to make headway towards
Targos.
Into
the Underdark
A
day into the dangerous realm of the Underdark, the Company
encounter Choldrith (spider-like monsters which are the
direct creations of Lloth, Queen of Drow and the Demonweb
Pits). The Choldrith control their minions, the Chitine,
small and agile 4-armed humanoids. The Chitine have set
up traps.( Amen was among the unlucky who was caught in
one of the webbed traps). While the Choldrith, who are
also spell-casting clerics, aid the Chitine with spells
from afar.
With
a degree of diffculty, our heroes defeat the beasts and
set the webbed caverns on fire.
A
few minutes later, they are accosted by a drow patrol
led by a certain male rogue named Nym.
Nym,
asks the characters to lower their weapons. The drow wish
them no harm. Malcolm and Dereth introduce themselves
and revealed their true intentions of using the passageways
to get to Targos.
While
the others geared up for a second fight, Nym surprises
the party by thanking them for disposing of "the
foul creations of the bitch queen, Lloth." Surprising
words, indeed, for a drow...
Apparently,
Nym and his drow patrol are worshippers of Vheareun, the
drow god of males. Areligious sect opposed to the teachings
of the matriarchal-Lloth worshippers. Nym informs the
party that they have been trying to clear this sector
of Choldrith activity and they thank the characters for
"helping out". They have been separated from
their brothers at Cormanthor (they owe allegiance to Jez
the Lame) and will reunite with them at an "appropriate
time".
As
a "token of drow hospitality", Nym agrees to
guide the characters to the tunnels which will egress
to Targos.
Arriving
at the sealed tunnels under the docks, Quinntalis swims
through the ice floe, surfaces at the docks and informed
Tarion Gourn of the situation. Tarion, together with his
aide, Scion Puremind, helped the prisoners and the party
out of the tunnels.
Preparing
for War
|
|
|
The
Palisade before the invasion
|
Emma
and Dereth are reunited at last. The Moonblade is returned
to Emma.
Meanwhile,
Dereth, Malcolm and Jakob Firehand convene the town council
led by Uldrec. Present during the meeting were Ulbrec,
Lady Elytharra, Bednir, Dereth, Emma, Vagrad the dock
master, Hedron Kerdos (leader of the Luskan mercenaries),
Garius Subeth the Paladin/Cleric of Torm and the player-characters.
Malcolm
breaks out the urgent news about the humanoid army marching
towards Targos. Ulbrec sends messengers to Bryn Shander
and the Great Worm Barbarians for pleas of help and reinforcements.
Also,
Ulbrec allows the Company to set up defenses and lead
some of the forces in the defense of Targos.
Tarion
and Puremind rally some men from the populace and gave
them 'crash courses' on bow and sword fighting.
Jakob
Firehand leads a garrison of mercenaries and dig up trenches
and fortify the palisade with ice and snow walls.
Lady
Elythara and Alliana gather up the spellcasters and brief
them on tactics and defensive spell selections..
Amen
and Quin inspect the palisade and instruct their archers
to take up key positions during the defensive stand.
Malcolm
gets a vision from Bahamut that "help will arrive…"
Setting
up defenses, organizing units and briefing the men took
most of the day. When dawn broke, they find 1,200 angry,
fanatic humanoids beyond the palisade, hell-bent on Targos'
destruction.
Defending
Targos
|
|
|
The
Palisade defenders prepare for the invading army...
|
Tarion
positions his archers outside the palisade (under trenches).
He also has a 'shield wall' of Luskan pikemen positioned
just outside the town gates. Malcolm and Garius Subeth
lead the 20 Paladins of Torm and 100 luskan infantry positioned
on the NW hill awaiting orders to flank and run the attackers.
Meanwhile;
Amen, Puremind and Quinntalis setup their archers on top
of the palisades.
The
orcs begin the assault taking heavy casualties from Tarion's
archers. Malcolm leads the cavalry and assaults the left
flank of the orcish army consisting of Hill Giants and
goblins defending the siege machines. The paladins of
Torm destroy the 2 siege engines before retreating to
the safety of the palisade.
Tarion
loses 2 units of archers to orc grunts. Amen, Quin and
Puremind send a barrage of arrows against the assaulting
orc elite forces.
The
giants and the orc elites finally crush the main gates
with their ram. The archers retreat to the roof of the
buildings within the palisade while Malcolm's paladins
and Tarion himself make a defensive stand. Tarion takes
a critical hit from a hill giant sending him reeling to
the ground in great pain.
The
defenders are outnumbered. It will only be a mater of
time before the town is sacked.
As
if on cue, Malcolm's sword heralds the arrival of 400
barbarians from the Great Worm tribe and 300 militia from
Bryn Shander!
|
|
|
The
orcs having a hard time against the Palisade archers
|
With
a resounding battle cry, the barbarians overrun the orcish
elite while the forces from Bryn Shander make short work
of the goblin archers. Morale is boosted and the Targos
defenders finally crush the giants and the orc elite just
within the walls.
The
humanoid army breaks down and the rest retreat back to
the Spine of the World.
Targos,
once again, is safe… at least, for the moment.
Murders
Amidst
the jubilant cheers, Jakob Firehand reveals to the others
that Ulbrec and Emma Moonblade have been murdered! Dereth
is nowhere to be found. Alliana, meanwhile, remembers
the ornate mirror which Malcolm showed him and told everyone
that it could be a magical Mirror of Opposition.
Bednir,
Ulbec's son and his wife, Lady Elythara, mourn Ulbrec's
death. Lady Elythara also adds that Ulbrec does not wish
to be raised from death. Emma, on the other hand has served
under Lady Alustriel of Silverymoon, the only place where
powerful priests can cast resurrection.
Gjal,
leader of the Uthgardth barbarians, reveals the existence
of a magical portal which leads to the High Forest. They
volunteer to take the party to portal so that they can
make haste towards Silverymoon.
Lady
Elythara prepares Emma's body and also makes preparations
for Ulbrec's burial.
The
party, meanwhile, make inquiries and investigations into
the matter. They gather several leads and information
regarding the High Forest and also about the possibility
of the drow having visited Targos recently.
They
make preparations to go to the portal and henceforth to
Silverymoon.
Where
is the Dereth? Is the one the party rescued, a Clone?
If so, is the real Dereth alive? What was the motivation
of the clone to murder Ulbrec and Emma? What about the
drow? How do they fit into the picture? What will become
of Targos politics after Ulbrec's death?
All
this and more will be answered next episode…
…
QUOTABLE
QUOTES
Puremind:
"they're inside the tunnels? I will prepare the healers…"
Tarion: "Aiee… we're a small town, we
don't have much healers. Some of the best are inside those
tunnels…"
==
Glenn:
"the avariel will be flying 300 feet high and will
be dropping alchemist fire on the army. No spell or arrow
can reach him!"
DM: "ahhh… Glenn, I wouldn't count on
that…"
Glenn: "Okay, he'll be 1,050 feet"
Dindo: "Sheesh…. Somebody text Erwin.
There's gotta be something there he WON'T like…"
==
Jakob
(played by Glenn): "maybe we can tie-up a rider
and an archer in one horse so they can harass the siege
engines?"
Ulbrec: "we don't have professional soldiers…
much less acrobats…"
==
Malcolm:
"Don't worry… help will come…"
