The party spent the better part of that day preparing for the assault against their hated foes. Nevertheless, not all of the spell-casters had recharged their magical powers, but as time was working against them, they felt it necessary to mobilize all the same (besides, the same might be true of the enemy, as well!). It wasn't until late in the afternoon before a general meeting was called to discuss tactics and strategy. The main focus was to rescue as many survivors as possible, first and foremost. Although everyone wanted to pay back the Iuzians in blood for the previous day's attack, only a few people seemed eager for the coming engagement (most notably the Hieroneans and St Cuthbertines, along with Doran). The risk to their own lives was extremely high, and survival, no matter how well-planned their attack may be, was by no means assured.
The group mobilized, hiding various packs and extra supplies (weapons, armor, spell components, etc.) in their new campsite before departing. With ease the trackers led the anxious contingent to the lair of the Iuzians. The sun was already beginning to set low in the horizon, with shadows stretching along the mountainside. The party was hoping that the dwindling daylight would give them a chance to strike quickly and withdraw, affording them some meager cover and discourage a counterattack or pursuit.
Upon reaching the enemy campsite on the mountain slope, a quick survey and reconnaissance of the surrounding area (namely by an invisible, flying Kelmar) showed a few cleverly hidden sentries amongst the rocks and shrubbery. Close inspection revealed that a few of them were humans of living flesh, but the wizard also noticed that others were the hacked animated corpses of not only their own soldiers (Avery, Howard, and Dalton), but two members of the Iuzian ranks! The zombie guards still wore the battered, gore-stained mail they had in life and were standing, motionless, partially concealed near the entrance of the campsite. The other sentries, a man or woman here or there, were scattered throughout the slopes, each of them with a missile weapon in hand.
But nowhere had Kelmar seen Gabriel!
The party was disgusted with this news, but were not completely shocked that the vile priests had used their necromantic magic on their own members. However, they would not abandon their dead allies to serve as automatons for the pleasure and enjoyment of the Iuzians, either. Somehow, they would have to retrieve them, but surely this first meant hewing them down! The thought was rather unpalatable, but perhaps a necessary ‘evil.’
Kelmar could only assume the rest of the party was deeper within the cavern, including the bulk of the enemy force. He had used ESP to scan the surface thoughts of the living scouts, followed by those camped inside the cave, to know that they were on their guard, expecting retaliation. Furthermore, Kelmar ascertained that there was a survivor deeper in the cave: Gabriel! He was alive, if battered and tortured, as the priests and mages had been intent on probing his own mind for information.
This news came as great relief to the priests, especially Marius, who had felt extremely responsible for the lieutenant’s predicament. Even though Gabriel was the priest of Rao’s guardian, Marius felt equally protective of Gabriel (in fact, this feeling of stewardship as representative of Veluna had expanded to the majority of the party!). Marius could not abide the fact that Gabriel was a victim at the horrid clutches of their enemy. He had to be rescued!
With this intelligence, the party hastily concocted a battle plan, focusing primarily upon the rescue of Gabriel. Claiming the bodies of the ‘living dead’ was secondary at this point. Realizing that their enemy had cleverly constructed stony barricades along the face of the cavern, likely to repulse both missile fire and various spells, they would have to somehow develop a strategy to somehow breach those defenses.
Marius offered that he enter the Border Ethereal Plane with the Heironeans and St Cuthbertines, casting the spell twice to include all of them. This team would use a ‘smash and grab’ technique by passing through the stone walls with ease from that hazy plane and use the element of surprise against the foe when they returned to the Prime Material. While Marius and Justarius focused on rescuing Gabriel, the rest of them would serve to counter the priests, hopefully slaying some in the process. Marius intended to exit with Gabriel and Justarius back through the Border Ethereal and retreat with all due haste. Those remaining would have to flee ‘the old fashioned way’ and link back up with the others outside.
Meanwhile, the rest of the group would remain outside the cavern to offer support and target any of the sentries. Of great concern were the enemy battle mage (Altarius) and the elven witch, both of whom were not believed to be within the cavern. After the previous exchange, it seemed doubtful that Doran could alone win against the raw power of the more adept combat wizard. Against his desire but having little room to debate the issue, Kelmar was told that he would have to bolster Doran against that deadly man. However, that still left the elven witch, and it was Loren who, somewhat nervously, agreed to counter her dangerous magical powers. Gnomish priest of Ulaa, Ervil, was quick to lend aid to his half-elven friend. The rest of the group (Bryce, Bolain, and Thaddeus) were told they would have to use missile fire to keep the living (and perhaps undead) foes at bay.
With their plan solidified, the party prepared for another potentially lethal exchange against the Iuzian contingent…
Marius intended to exit with Gabriel and Justarius back through the Border Ethereal and retreat with all due haste. Those remaining would have to flee ‘the old fashioned way’ and link back up with the others outside.
As Mr. Spock once said: "The needs of the one, out weigh the needs of the many."
Or, as Willy Wonka once said: "Scratch that, reverse it!"
Yo! Marius! Gabriel is . . . E-X-P-E-N-D-A-B-L-E! Come on, Marius! Spell it with me!
Phew just caught up! Great stuff Lanthorn, I'm looking forward to reading about the rescue mission! I like the sense of brotherhood I get from the band of heroes.
(I also enjoyed the theological debate even if it was a tangent!)
Thanks, Wolfling. I always try to DM a sense of human emotions and capture those in the NPCs and PCs alike. It's what drives them onward, whether they are nice guys or not. The hack-and-slash element may be fun, but I am always one to delve deeper into what makes each character tick. I am definitely a role-player at heart...but don't get me wrong. I enjoy a good, heated scrap, too!
-Lanthorn
p.s. will return with more at some point...stay tuned.
The strike team assembled around Marius, the clerics all casting various spells of protection as well as those to enhance their fighting prowess in preparation for their presumed surprise assault. Next Marius had the St Cuthbert priests touch his shoulder while he spoke the divine words of power that had them fade, ghostlike, from the Prime Material into the hazy, greyish fog of the Border Ethereal. Marius then briefly abandoned them in the otherworldly plane, speaking a word of counter-magic to return him to the Prime where he quickly collected Justarius, Luther, and Marcel. Without hesitation, the priest transported the Heironeans and himself to join the Cuthbertines back into the swirling mists.
At that moment, the allies rushed forward through their otherworldly surroundings. With hardly a sound, for they had all become transformed into some type of vaporous, soldified substance as well, the strike team easily pushed through a hazy image of the seemingly impenetrable walls protecting the cavern in the bordering Prime Material. They exploded through the barriers on the other side to notice several glowing, humanlike figures aggregating along the far wall of the cavern.
“Now!” Luther bellowed to Marius, and the priest of Rao complied, instantly negating the effects of his divine magic upon everyone.
In a dizzying whirl, they materialized from the Border Ethereal, fully solid once more and no longer shades of grey in hue. With a furious, joined battle cry, the mixed company of Cuthbertines and Heironeans charged forth, weapons drawn. Sir Justarius and Marcel shielded Marius defensively, and the trio quickly noticed the battered and bound form of Gabriel huddled against the cavern wall behind the ranks of the enemy.
To their credit and skill, somehow the Iuzians seemed to rally quickly in response to the sudden ambush. Already they were readying weapons and launching counter-spells to thwart the Velunese attackers. It was obvious that they were not nearly as surprised as the forces of Good had hoped or intended! How they could possibly anticipate such a tactic was unknown, but very disheartening…
<Thanks, Ragnar. I look forward to your comments.>
The two sides clashed with fury, both sides exchanging feints, thrusts, parries, slashes and swings. Among the Iuzian clerics were a few of their warriors, including one very adept soldier, a Bakluni whose swordsmanship and shieldwork proved extremely difficult to counter or defeat. Orsen, Luther, and Fallroyce had their proverbial hands full while Justarius, Marcel, and Marius rushed to the rescue of their captive, tortured ally.
Even as they went to Gabriel’s aid, the immensely strong, plate mailed cleric of the Old One intercepted them, hefting his greatsword and blocking their advance.
“Get Gabriel!” Marcel commanded the other two, leveling his spear and raising his shield as he charged forth. Despite the cleric’s best attempts to deflect the attack, Marcel’s aim held true, and he guided the speartip unerringly into the heavily armored man’s abdomen, penetrating the mail between overlapping plates and practically pinning Deverell against the cavern wall.
The Iuzian howled in agony, blood spraying from the wound, and grasped the shafted weapon in a gauntleted hand before it could skewer him fully. His strength was frightening, and the man began to extricate the spear from his body with relative ease in spite of Marcel’s own considerable might pressing forward.
Justarius and Marius focused on their charge while the scene of battle erupted around them, the clangor of steel, the shouts and cries of men echoing throughout the cavern. They winced at the sight of Gabriel, one eye nearly sealed shut, his lips cracked and bleeding, one side of his face swollen, blue and purple. It was evident what his captors had done, and both men swallowed hard in revulsion and growing anger at such unacceptable, wanton brutality. Gabriel seemed to acknowledge that something was happening, blinking his one good eye open with a look of recognition and shock, and gasping through the gag, leaning forward at the sight of the two familiar men.
Justarius grabbed the soldier, jerking the gag free, hefting him to his feet. “C’mon, Gabriel, we’re getting you outta here!” The lieutenant rasped, coughing, and nodded feverishly. Finding his weak feet, Gabriel leaned against the young paladin even as Justarius hastily slashed his bindings apart.
Nearby, Marius saw his friend’s armor and weapons. He knew he didn’t have the time to heal Gabriel in this dangerous place, so he scooped up the man’s gear in both hands and rushed back to Justarius’s side. “Time to leave,” he told the holy knight. “Place your hand on my shoulder, but hold Gabriel. We’re leaving.”
Without hesitation, Justarius did as the priest stated. Marius spoke another word of divine magic, and the trio faded from the Prime Material, sliding into the swirling fog of the Border Ethereal…
“Run, quickly, run!” the priest of Rao yelled as the trio were swallowed by the strange vapors. Marius guided them through the shadowy barrier of the wall, easily parting through the semi-solid fog that constituted it. Through the shadowy, eerie realm they raced without a sound, save their heavy breathing, Justarius helping the battered Gabriel to support his own weight.
The men erupted out of the foggy replica of the cavern. Marius encouraged Justarius to follow him down the slope and towards the shadowy forest of the Border Ethereal, and thus, to relative safety. Only then would he relinquish the spell and tend to the soldier’s wounds.
All around them, however, the men could see heightened activity, the glowing figures of people moving about with frantic motions. They knew battle had been joined, and Justarius very much wanted to assist against their hated enemies. He was still very ashamed by his poor performance during the last battle, and the paladin had as much to prove to his allies as he did to himself and the Archpaladin.
When he turned to follow Marius downhill, the young holy knight glanced in all directions. Where had he gone?! Marius was nowhere to be seen, and the paladin’s heart raced wildly at the sudden realization that his wandering mind and attention had cost him the knowledge where the priest had gone.
“Gabriel, did you see where Marius went?” he cried in panic. The half-dazed, injured soldier only shook his head, for he was barely able to stand much less keep his wits about him.
The paladin stifled a curse under his breath, his anxiety mounting, and he picked a random direction down the mountainside. “Marius! Marius! Where are you?!” he roared into the vapors shifting and writhing around him in this greyish environment. There was no answer.
Hefting Gabriel, the strong holy warrior staggered downslope, careful not to fall, even though the ground did not feel as solid in this plane as it did in the Prime. Justarius could not take any chances with his wounded charge.
Into the smoke-like, greyish fog they blundered while moving, racing, and even flying (!) glowing figures of people moved about behind them. Not again! the paladin thought to himself, trying to force back horrible thoughts what was happening to his friends and allies. He called out to Marius again and again, but still there was no answer. Heart racing wildly, he felt sick to his stomach, feeling very alone and exposed, and even…scared…in this alien world. His only hope was for the spell to end, but he knew that could take some time.
In the end, feeling helpless like the man he was aiding, Justarius placed Gabriel down against a greyish foglike tree in the surrounding Ethereal forest, hefted his shield, drew his bastard sword, and waited...
(poor paladin just cannot catch a break!)
-Lanthorn
Last edited by Lanthorn on Tue Jan 14, 2014 7:52 pm; edited 1 time in total
He's a PC. He got discombobulated in the hazy, shifting mists by failing an Intuition roll when he got distracted carrying the injured Gabriel, thus losing track where Marius went.
I have been terribly remiss in continuing my saga, but with 'life' and other duties, not the least of which includes running and playing in some current games, this poor thread has been neglected.
I daresay that if I continue along writing this tale, my account will likely lack the detail you have all enjoyed.
However, perhaps I owe it to you all to stumble along and give you the gist of what has happened...
It may come as somewhat of a surprise, but although the main adventure for my player has ceased, there are still some 'loose ends' remaining, so the tale of The Lost Caverns has not fully ended. Yet.
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