Session Twenty-Six (Graveyard of Empires Summary)
Session 26 – Sep 26, 2014
On the 18th Lauredldon, after the Long Night’s march and a quick repast, our band of refugees encountered a lone man. He burst from the northern verge and introduced himself as Orion, a Shaman from an Islander community not too far from where we are resting. After some discussion, it was learned that after a surprise militia raid upon his village, a “golden panther” lead him to us. We were sadden and angered to learn that he is thought to be the only survivor from his entire community. Even more disappointingly, not a soul among the refugees hail from his home. We offered him succor and were blessed with a steady and stalwart companion.
Our band determined to rest in place a few watches so that our arcane might would replenish, it would not come to pass.
During the first watch manned by Axel, Ealdred, Tesco (two former militia under the command of Haldor the Vile) and Seral the Dwarf, a party of gnolls were espied by the rearguard Chuq. The gnolls were forcefully marching westward.
Alerted, Axel and the watch organize an armed response. The gnoll leader exclaims “There he is!” when Chuq is seen ducking into the northern verge but his group doesn’t take the bait and continues to threaten the refugees. Ashton mirrors Chuq by slinking into the southern verge while the dwarfs form an archery line and Axel anchors a melee front.
Finkelmur attempts a parley. The Gnoll leader yells “Tyranah does not get fooled!”, a fight is inevitable.
Blows and arrows are exchanged, our band is hard pressed but holds! Ashton delivers an artful backstab but his target fights on. During the fracas, a second fighting line of militia was rallied by Chuq but their flanking maneuver doesn’t break the Gnoll’s line and an attempt to rally the more peaceful refugees into a third charge falls on deaf ears.
As Chuq and Starchie are felled, Finkelmur spins a spell of friendship upon Tyranah. The Gnolls stop to talk.
Ashton aids Starchie and Chuq while Tyranah demands the slaves. His mission is to return with Grim Tooth’s rustled cattle and he isn’t taking no for an answer. Apparently frustrated by our wrangling, Tyranah gives an order in gnollish to kill everyone except Finkelmur. Ashton overhears and raises the alarm, the melee resumes!
Emboldened, Axel takes down Tyranah in short order. Then our newest friend, Orion, entangles all but one gnoll in twisting, creeping grasses and weeds. A few of our militia were caught by the spell, but survived the fight unscathed, only Ealdrid is unconscious after. Two of the gnolls lived beyond the fight, they were bound hand and snout then secured to one of the wagons.
From our foes, we reaped: a long bow with 12 shafts, a morning star, two battle axes, a two-handed sword, two halberds, 10 long swords, 20 gp, 530 sp. Tyranah had militia symbols in her kit. The long swords were dolled out to the militia and the battle axes handed to the dwarfs. The dead gnolls are beheaded and their heads lofted onto shafts posted into the ground. Perhaps other raiding gnolls will pause when they see our totems.
The surviving gnolls are Rena and Myrna of the True Fang pack. Finklemur strongly interrogates a Gnoll and learns Haldor discovered our party’s ruse and sent this group to capture the escapees. We learned that Grim Tooth left with most of the packs and other slaves. The Shadow pack stayed behind in the fort. The gnolls talked of a Dark King (possibly human) driving the Gnolls and Flinds into the lands of civilized men. The Dark King’s soldiers fight without feeling, don’t bleed and never yield. Tales of the Dark King were heard from Grim Tooth but our prisoner has never seen the Dark King himself. Grim Tooth lead several packs from the Dark King’s threat then partnered with Haldor to escape the militia patrols and earn some wealth.
For some, persistence is everything. The group decides, again, to rest in place for at least 4 more hours. Sturloc and two militia keep the first hour’s watch. Thorfus, Walter & Percival (militia) keep the 2nd hour – they feel they are being watched but do not investigate.
Cromwell, Basewin and Elisota keep the 3rd hour. Cromwell’s blood curdling screams wake the group! Basewin and Elisota lie bloodied on the ground. The camp is beset by large tailed simian creatures, several stand over Basewin and Elistota, within the camps’ perimeter. Without pause, Axel attacks!
The grounded simians toss the bodies upwards and we see more hanging by their tails from over hanging branches. 6 of the foul beings drop to the ground and tackle members of our group. Refugees are being tossed kicking and screaming from the ground up into the waiting “hands” of more of these base treacherous monsters. This is happening in broad daylight!
Desperately, Finkelmur releases our captive gnolls after they agree to fight on his behalf. He arms them, then they flee with the weapons as soon as they can. Lost! Before a true interrogator could wring all they knew about Haldor, Grim Tooth and the Dark King from them. Tragic.
Axel encourages the refugees to fight in a tight formation, to shore up our defense. When he can, Chuq flees westward, yelling “Keep your hands off me you damn sticking apes!” From afar, he watches about four minutes of furious fighting, the monsters begin to withdraw, absconding with their prey. Valiant efforts score against one of these Su-Monsters, which drops his captive to the ground. Unfortunately the falls kills him…
All is not lost, Finkelmur magically webbs three Su-Monsters and a refugee held by a fourth. The fourth releases his victim and flees.
The three held are abandoned by their troop.
Cromwell, Basewin, Virgil, Aymeri Griffyth, Gebldus Buckland, Waldive Pesyngton and Orsolla Cartwright are lost to the Su-Monsters. Those that can be are buried off the road away from the gnoll totems.
About an hour before midday, everyone loads into the wagons (except Chuq) and the march continues west to Vargen. Later, the clouds open and rain falls most of the day.
Near sunset, we arrive at the ruins of abandoned Vargen, the original settlement to have this name. In the distance a giant stone Dwarf stature can be seen. Among the ruins, we find a wooden wall with a maintained building behind. A match to the first giant Dwarf statue can be seen further in the distance. Saunders explains the Punters control the ferry launch at this point on the river and warns that kobolds have harassed travelers near the fjord that is further up the river.