Vision_Six
2014-08-16, 07:53 PM
The past couple of days have been difficult on the group that slowly approached the imposing fortification ahead of them.
It was one thing they discovered that a few of their guards in the caravan they were traveling with had simply disappeared in the middle of night two nights ago. It was completely different that last night they were attacked by kobolds in the late evening hours. With their reduced manpower, the caravan which held mostly merchants and others untrained for the grisly world of combat, the dark-green scaled invaders quickly routed the caravan.
Some familiar faces stared up from the dirt unblinking at them, covered in their own blood. Others were fighting, however ineffectively, for their lives. The horses, untrained for battle, had become unnerved and began to buck and fight their restraints. The caravan master, a fat wealthy half-elf named Darius, had issued what would effectively become the rest of the caravan's death sentence. He yelled for the remaining guards to break from combat, gather the horses and packmules, and ride hard to the north.
Meanwhile, the rest of the caravan members (some of which would not survive the night) watched in horror, disbelief, and/or seething anger as they were simply...abandoned. They could not effectively give chase to the fleeing caravan master and his guards since instead they were busy stemming the seemingly endless tide of the raiders. Fleeting glances northward, when they could be spared, revealed the wildly swinging torches and lanterns adorned by the riders, fading swiftly into the night.
Perhaps this combination of desperation and anger spurred the remaining combatants to begin to turn the tide. More scaly attackers began to fall before them, but not before they noticed a few of the unengaged kobolds were dragging hostages into the darkness. Those who understood the kobolds' sibilant draconic language heard the call for retreat. Then, as soon as the combat began, the invaders disappeared into the growing darkness and tall grasses.
Those that had remained were able to bind their wounds, look for survivors, and then many of them shared a meaningful look. They couldn't let their traveling companions, the merchants and healers and laborers bound for the Mendevian Crusades far to the north, die in the hands of the kobolds. So, a few minutes later, the survivors began to track the kobolds down.
It was easy enough. The invaders definitely did not attempt to hide their trail, perhaps thinking themselves invincible or perhaps just didn't realize that they could become the hunted. Whatever the case, the band of survivors found the entrance to the kobold warrens. They weren't even guarded. Instead, they could hear yells and cheers of victory from within the earthen mound that served as the entrance to their warren. Mingled among them were also the plaintive cries of their captives.
Revenge was sweet, at least to some. Others still thought about the carnage the happened a few moments later. Caught unawares by the survivors, the kobolds could not resort to their normal hit and run tactics. Instead, the avengers swept through their numbers mercilessly and quickly. One of the kobolds among them decided that this was an opportune moment to side with the attackers, for his own reasons. And, at least for the moment, he was welcome.
At last, there stood only the warcamp's leader, a skinny but magically talented green-scaled kobold named Grishnak and his three guards. It was an unpleasant fight, but in the end, the caravan survivors were victorious. The kobold leader gasped and wheezed on the ground, blinking unbelievingly that his end was nigh. Then, with a final thrust of one of the attacker's swords, he would no longer raid the surrounds.
Then began the process of freeing the captives from their bindings. Others decided to scavenge the bodies. They found the remains of a knight and her horse, and her banded mail armor and the military style saddle tossed aside. They also found a smattering of coins that the raiders had obviously stolen, many of the coins red and brown with blood, new and old. Plus, on Grishnak's body, they found a few magical items: two scrolls and two potions.
Once that was done, the group made camp for the night, and collapsed into a tired slumber (though with at least one always on watch.)
That was last night. Today, after walking nearly 20 miles vaguely northward following a dusty road that vaguely paralleled the Sellen River, they beheld the imposing walls of Fort Inevitable just as the sun was starting to lower on the horizon. In addition to those that would serve as the focus of this tale, there were five other survivors that breathed a sigh of relief at the sign of civilization and shelter. Some wept tears of relief. All thanked their saviors profusely, offering some coin as thanks, as really that was all they had left. The caravan master and his guards rode off with all of their other belongings.
The many fields of wheat and other crops surrounding the fort, some of which still had laborers working the fields. A glimmering lake to the south of town was covered in a light mist as the temperatures were beginning to cool.
A cadre of black armored guards stood flanking the main western entrance to the city. They weren't barring the way, but they saw that the knights would question anyone that would enter. Some in the group knew them to be Hellknights, devotees of law and order, but in the most extreme fashion.
Still, their empty stomachs and tired legs yearned for the shelter that was promised within. And some yearned for the promise of adventure, wealth, and/or power that was rumored to be contained further northeast of this town's walls. Whatever their reason, whatever their purpose, first they would have to be questioned by the half a dozen knights before gaining entrance. Even more knights looked down on them from the battlements above the gate and along the walls as they approached...
Welcome to Fort Inevitable!
http://pathfinderwiki.com/mediawiki/images/thumb/0/04/Greatsword_Hellknight.jpg/250px-Greatsword_Hellknight.jpg
http://paizo.com/image/content/PathfinderTales/PZO8500-OrderoftheNailHellKnight.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/HgEBixI.jpg
It was one thing they discovered that a few of their guards in the caravan they were traveling with had simply disappeared in the middle of night two nights ago. It was completely different that last night they were attacked by kobolds in the late evening hours. With their reduced manpower, the caravan which held mostly merchants and others untrained for the grisly world of combat, the dark-green scaled invaders quickly routed the caravan.
Some familiar faces stared up from the dirt unblinking at them, covered in their own blood. Others were fighting, however ineffectively, for their lives. The horses, untrained for battle, had become unnerved and began to buck and fight their restraints. The caravan master, a fat wealthy half-elf named Darius, had issued what would effectively become the rest of the caravan's death sentence. He yelled for the remaining guards to break from combat, gather the horses and packmules, and ride hard to the north.
Meanwhile, the rest of the caravan members (some of which would not survive the night) watched in horror, disbelief, and/or seething anger as they were simply...abandoned. They could not effectively give chase to the fleeing caravan master and his guards since instead they were busy stemming the seemingly endless tide of the raiders. Fleeting glances northward, when they could be spared, revealed the wildly swinging torches and lanterns adorned by the riders, fading swiftly into the night.
Perhaps this combination of desperation and anger spurred the remaining combatants to begin to turn the tide. More scaly attackers began to fall before them, but not before they noticed a few of the unengaged kobolds were dragging hostages into the darkness. Those who understood the kobolds' sibilant draconic language heard the call for retreat. Then, as soon as the combat began, the invaders disappeared into the growing darkness and tall grasses.
Those that had remained were able to bind their wounds, look for survivors, and then many of them shared a meaningful look. They couldn't let their traveling companions, the merchants and healers and laborers bound for the Mendevian Crusades far to the north, die in the hands of the kobolds. So, a few minutes later, the survivors began to track the kobolds down.
It was easy enough. The invaders definitely did not attempt to hide their trail, perhaps thinking themselves invincible or perhaps just didn't realize that they could become the hunted. Whatever the case, the band of survivors found the entrance to the kobold warrens. They weren't even guarded. Instead, they could hear yells and cheers of victory from within the earthen mound that served as the entrance to their warren. Mingled among them were also the plaintive cries of their captives.
Revenge was sweet, at least to some. Others still thought about the carnage the happened a few moments later. Caught unawares by the survivors, the kobolds could not resort to their normal hit and run tactics. Instead, the avengers swept through their numbers mercilessly and quickly. One of the kobolds among them decided that this was an opportune moment to side with the attackers, for his own reasons. And, at least for the moment, he was welcome.
At last, there stood only the warcamp's leader, a skinny but magically talented green-scaled kobold named Grishnak and his three guards. It was an unpleasant fight, but in the end, the caravan survivors were victorious. The kobold leader gasped and wheezed on the ground, blinking unbelievingly that his end was nigh. Then, with a final thrust of one of the attacker's swords, he would no longer raid the surrounds.
Then began the process of freeing the captives from their bindings. Others decided to scavenge the bodies. They found the remains of a knight and her horse, and her banded mail armor and the military style saddle tossed aside. They also found a smattering of coins that the raiders had obviously stolen, many of the coins red and brown with blood, new and old. Plus, on Grishnak's body, they found a few magical items: two scrolls and two potions.
Once that was done, the group made camp for the night, and collapsed into a tired slumber (though with at least one always on watch.)
That was last night. Today, after walking nearly 20 miles vaguely northward following a dusty road that vaguely paralleled the Sellen River, they beheld the imposing walls of Fort Inevitable just as the sun was starting to lower on the horizon. In addition to those that would serve as the focus of this tale, there were five other survivors that breathed a sigh of relief at the sign of civilization and shelter. Some wept tears of relief. All thanked their saviors profusely, offering some coin as thanks, as really that was all they had left. The caravan master and his guards rode off with all of their other belongings.
The many fields of wheat and other crops surrounding the fort, some of which still had laborers working the fields. A glimmering lake to the south of town was covered in a light mist as the temperatures were beginning to cool.
A cadre of black armored guards stood flanking the main western entrance to the city. They weren't barring the way, but they saw that the knights would question anyone that would enter. Some in the group knew them to be Hellknights, devotees of law and order, but in the most extreme fashion.
Still, their empty stomachs and tired legs yearned for the shelter that was promised within. And some yearned for the promise of adventure, wealth, and/or power that was rumored to be contained further northeast of this town's walls. Whatever their reason, whatever their purpose, first they would have to be questioned by the half a dozen knights before gaining entrance. Even more knights looked down on them from the battlements above the gate and along the walls as they approached...
Welcome to Fort Inevitable!
http://pathfinderwiki.com/mediawiki/images/thumb/0/04/Greatsword_Hellknight.jpg/250px-Greatsword_Hellknight.jpg
http://paizo.com/image/content/PathfinderTales/PZO8500-OrderoftheNailHellKnight.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/HgEBixI.jpg