Wrath of the Righteous 2 [3.5]

[Kish]

Spoiler: Meeting with Aron Kir

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"Valas' Gift is...here," he points to a place on the map directly northeast of Kenabres. It appears that the river bulges to the west for about twenty miles immediately on leaving Kenabres, but before that it's relatively straight, and after that it's both relatively straight and in line with the path it was following further to the south. The place Aron has pointed out is just south of where the bulge ends. "And the Vilareth Ford is here," he points to a place on the map about two-thirds of the way up, directly on the river. "That part of Drezen would be Paradise Hill. It used to be a warehouse district; it stands out like that because it's the only part of Drezen that's built on higher ground than the citadel itself. According to Nurah, it was on fire when she left."

Spoiler: Meeting with Sosiel Vaenic

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Sosiel is a handsome, dark-skinned man you estimate as in his late thirties, wearing full plate armor decorated with the songbirds that mark the wearer as a worshiper of Shelyn. "I'm glad to meet you," he says confidently. "I used to be a priest at the Temple of Shelyn in town, before it was destroyed by the demons in their attack. I understand you're instrumental to why they finally pulled back."

Spoiler: Meeting with Nurah Dendiwhar

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Nurah is a female halfling, dressed in a chain shirt, and carrying a shortsword and a sling. She grins cheerfully at you before saying, "Hi! I know we're going to accomplish great things together. Oh, I'm one of Her Majesty's advisors. She wanted me to help you drive the fiends out of Drezen."

[CWater]

Spoiler: Meeting with Aron Kir

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"Valas' Gift is...here," he points to a place on the map directly northeast of Kenabres. It appears that the river bulges to the west for about twenty miles immediately on leaving Kenabres, but before that it's relatively straight, and after that it's both relatively straight and in line with the path it was following further to the south. The place Aron has pointed out is just south of where the bulge ends. "And the Vilareth Ford is here," he points to a place on the map about two-thirds of the way up, directly on the river. "That part of Drezen would be Paradise Hill. It used to be a warehouse district; it stands out like that because it's the only part of Drezen that's built on higher ground than the citadel itself. According to Nurah, it was on fire when she left."

"Alright, do you have in mind a route that we should take?"

Looking at the others, she asks, "And is our goal to avoid confrontation on the way, or slay all demons and traitors we encounter?"

Spoiler: Meeting with Sosiel Vaenic

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Sosiel is a handsome, dark-skinned man you estimate as in his late thirties, wearing full plate armor decorated with the songbirds that mark the wearer as a worshiper of Shelyn. "I'm glad to meet you," he says confidently. "I used to be a priest at the Temple of Shelyn in town, before it was destroyed by the demons in their attack. I understand you're instrumental to why they finally pulled back."

"My name is Alamryn Kven, it's nice to meet you, despite the circumstances."

Spoiler: Meeting with Nurah Dendiwhar

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Nurah is a female halfling, dressed in a chain shirt, and carrying a shortsword and a sling. She grins cheerfully at you before saying, "Hi! I know we're going to accomplish great things together. Oh, I'm one of Her Majesty's advisors. She wanted me to help you drive the fiends out of Drezen."

Alamryn introduces herself to the third specialist as well. "Good to see not everyone have lost their high spirits in these times." She smiles a little.

[Novabomb]

Tellos
Our goal is the retrieval of the item, and taking of the city. Until we retrieve the item, our situation will be precarious. I think avoidance of conflict on the approach would be preferred.

Also because I need to consider the potential for "Innocent Daemons" like Sera and am less convinced that all our foes need die.

[RolandDeschain]

Trawyn

Sitting rather uncomfortably in his saddle, the bard idly reviews his notes from the meetings with the specialists the night before. Their small army....what else to call it? strike force maybe......had begun to move out a little more than fifteen minutes ago. Shortly the entire force would be on the road to Valas' Gift.

Spoiler: OC

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I never asked if this is okay, so if there are objections just say the word and I'll simply edit it. Figured we could get additional questions and answers from the "specialists" in the OC....again just say the word and I'll change this if it isn't okay.

Nodding to Alamryn, "My apologies for last night....I've only seen Nyra the one time and that was shortly before a series of rather....um traumatic events." Pointing the majestic eagle perched on the druid's shoulder, "She's beautiful, of course, and any advance reports she can give us will be hugely beneficial."

As Jemus, Semult, and Tellos move forward, "Jemus, perhaps if you ride up there with Aaron you two can work out whatever we need to know about what we're about to ride into."

To Semult and Tellos, "Nurah is over there, maybe the two of you can learn more about Drezen from her along the way...."

With a sketchy salute to the others, the bard spurs his horse forward, taking up a pace to match Sosiel and begins to chat idly about the Temple of Shelyn. As they ride he explains how his own healing music can aid the cleric when they run into opposition.

[razorback]

Jemus nods as he hustles forward. "What do you think is our best approach and how to handle any opposition we are likely to run into? I'd like to avoid it at all costs but it seems unlikely we might." he asks Aron on his opinion.

[Kish]

Spoiler: Meeting with Aron

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"The route Semult described sounds workable to me," Aron says to Alamryn's question. "As far as I know, anyway. If they've filled in the Ahari riverbed with scorpions, we'll need to figure something else out there...but demons usually aren't big on manual labor, so they probably haven't changed more."

The passage over the Worldwound's border is impossible to miss. On one side is grassland, on the other, hard-packed dirt; after you've been traveling into the Worldwound for less than a minute, the sky over your heads changes to an odd sulfurous yellow color.

"I don't think we're going to be avoiding anything," Aron murmurs. "Too many, not stealthy enough. If you like, you can halt the army and I can scout ahead when we get to places that might be defended..." he pauses there. "Like the ford? I'm not sure where else they'd be likely to be guarding, before Drezen itself of course, and there's no point in trying to hide if don't realize there are demons before we've already gotten close enough for them to see a hundred people approaching."

[Cavir]

Queen's Encampment

"Your eagle Nyra will be a great help. Our success heavily counts on surprise. Staying our hand for those who show any resistance may give the enemy the chance to escape and raise the alarm. We can't afford to risk the thousands or tens of thousands of lives that our mission can save by spending time investigating someone that raised a weapon against us then claims to be on our side. We have to keep our current and larger goals as priority."

Semult has the paladins gather en masse. The knighted conjurer informs the paladins as inspirationally as he can of the strike force's mission, to deal a blow in the enemy rear and reclaim the famed Sword of Valor. He gives instructions for them to decide upon a captain among themselves. That leader is to choose two lieutenants then organize the rest into ten squads each with a sergeant. The captain to have the units prepare to leave then report to the command tent.

<While waiting on the paladin commander to report, the group meets with the three specialists.>

"Master Aron, I agree with such a large force being easy to detect. As we get closer to critical areas I can imbue you with extra speed to do your scouting."

On the road into Hell

Semult varies his time between the three specialists and the paladin commander. His general thirst for knowledge blended and enhanced with learning all that he could from them that was pertinent for the mission.

Spoiler: OOC

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I'm not clear where on the first map Drezen is. Is it at the top where the river meets the rift?

"That part of Drezen would be Paradise Hill. It used to be a warehouse district; it stands out like that because it's the only part of Drezen that's built on higher ground than the citadel itself.

Where is that on the Drezen map? Is that the far left of the map or a little to the right of that where the black smudge (smoke?) is?

Do you have names for some of the paladins? We can make some up otherwise. Basically I'm thinking:
1 Captain
2 LTs
10 squads with 9-10 each
All of our orders are at the squad level (ex: squads 1-3 circle left, 7-9 circle right, 4-6 up the center once the others are in position, #10 as lookout and reserve as needed).
Are we rolling combat for them or just getting results for their actions?

[RolandDeschain]

Trawyn rides along quietly, nodding periodically to Sosiel's tales.

[razorback]

"Aye, Aron, I am not without out skill in hiding and an extra set of eyes and ears might be welcome." Jemus says in plain fashion.

[Novabomb]

Tellos heeds Trawyn's directive, and spends the early part of the trip inquiring about the city with Nurah.

[Cavir]

The paladins are organized in ten squads with leadership among themselves set, whom report to the party. The squads travel one after another with the vanguard and rearguard spaced out further. After each break the vanguard becomes the rearguard and the squad newly at the lead becomes the new vanguard. Semult tends to keep to the squad behind the vanguard, getting to know each in turn as they rotate through. He knows he is neither lead warrior nor scout so he leaves that to others.

[Kish]

Nurah, with a seemingly unshakable cheerfulness, describes a fortified city built of granite by dwarven crusaders to Tellos' questions--though she does mention regretfully that much of it was on fire when she fled from it, and that was the last she ever saw of her master.

A day's travel after you started out, you arrive at the place Aron confirms is, or was, Valas' Gift. The village is now a smoking ruin, with no signs of life.

[razorback]

As the remains of the village come in to view, Jemus calls for a halt and gathers the group together. "I think, before we can draw an eye upon us, we check out the road for tracks
while Aron and I move up and scout the village out. Stealth is paramount as we don't want to raise any alarm. If we find any resistance, we should swing wide of the village. What say the rest of you?"

[Cavir]

"Agreed. The eagle can help from above too."

[Novabomb]

Tellos
Perhaps if the resistance is small, and not possessing teleportation, we can do some good here if there is resistance. Otherwise I agree.

[Kish]

As Nyra flies over the ruined village, she sees no signs of life. If there are survivors, Jemus sees no sign of them as he moves to scout the village.

Tracks around the village are not hard to find; most of them look distinctly inhuman, and it's hard to tell if any were fleeing the village, but it seems likely that anyone who survived the flee the village would have headed toward the Worldwound border--back the way you came.

[razorback]

Once he is satisfied, Jemus nods to Aron before they make their way back to the others, using cover wherever they can to keep from any potential prying eyes, however scant the chance might be at this point.

"Naught anything we spotted. Any life that was left in Valas' Gift is either dead, hidden or fled. Do we investigate or swing wide, keeping off the main roads as best we can?
The further we travel, the more we might have some demonspawn spying the roads and passes for those trying to escape, catching an eye on us in the process."

[RolandDeschain]

Trawyn

The bard acknowledges Jemus' report of the burnt out village, "We should probably pitch camp short of the village for exactly the reasons you stated."

[Cavir]

"Unless Aron advises we continue some more we can make camp here and have the troops set up watches for the night."

[razorback]

"What say you Aron?" Jemus asks.

Spoiler

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If Aron is for moving on, Jemus will scout ahead with him.
If Aron is for making camp, he will ask Aron to accompany him around the near surrounding area to make sure there aren't any baddies, or refuges, around.

[Novabomb]

Tellos
This sounds reasonable to me.

[RolandDeschain]

Trawyn

Throwing his leg over, the bard dismounts and strokes the horse's neck for a moment, "We're in command, let's not put Aaron in the awkward position of deciding whether or not we should call a halt for the day."

Looking at each of the party in turn, "Because we know what lies behind us, and have scouted out ahead, I say we camp here. What say each of you. I'm willing to do whatever the majority decides."

[razorback]

"Though I'd like to see this done as soon as possible, caution is needed and we also must not overextend ourselves and sap our stregth before we meet the enemy. Camping here is better, I think."

[Cavir]

"We camp here then. Let's get an early start in the morning." Although a focused conjurer, Semult is no typical wizard that had rarely seen the sun. Still, he wasn't experienced with far travel. His body was holding up but he was glad the day's travels were done. Semult gives Captain Braxis orders to make camp with a perimeter and watches. He casts a protection spell as camp is being made. Once camp is made and meals are pulled out he casts Prestidigitation and uses it to make life on the road in enemy territory a little nicer for those near him.

Spoiler: OOC

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Are we walking or riding? Same for the paladins?
Casting first Mystic enhanced spell- Extended Magic Armor. With mystic bonuses lasts 12 hours to last through the night.
Casting Prestidigitation.

[Kish]

As you rest, the only sounds you hear are those of your camp; the surrounding countryside is eerily silent.

You press on, through the disturbingly barren surroundings, for another day. The day after that, about an hour after noon, you're approaching Villareth Ford. Aron volunteers to scout ahead. He comes racing back to give you grim news: Villareth Ford, which has long been watched over by a small contingent of crusaders, is now held by an army of tieflings.

Spoiler

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You're all on foot. Grass doesn't grow inside the Worldwound as far as anyone's been able to observe, and carrying enough grain to feed over a hundred horses that way would be impractical.

[razorback]

Jemus relaxes as best he can once they start to set up camp. With Aron volunteering to scout out first, he knew he would be needed during the latter part of the night. As he returns, sooner than expected, he knew the news wasn't good. Meeting with him and the others as he tells his tale, the couriers face darkens. "This is ill news. How many defenders were in Villareth Ford?"

Spoiler

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How far away is Villareth Ford from our current location?

[RolandDeschain]

Trawyn

"Hmmmm....this is troubling to be certain. If we've the forces to retake the ford, what's equally concerning is that none....not one single, one of them must be allowed to escape back across the river to tell of our approach."

To all gathered, "Do you think we could send ten to fifteen unarmored archers across the river to block escape, while we put together a plan to hit the tieflings with our main force?"

[Cavir]

"We still have the element of surprise, so that is a good. How big of an army? The size of ours? Would you draw us a map on the ground here please? How deep and wide is the ford?" Semult wasn't afraid and kept focused on the planning. He had his new powers, his close allies, and an army's worth of paladins with him.

[RolandDeschain]

Trawyn

Grabbing Jemus by the sleeve, "Come, let us take a look for ourselves."

The bard moves off quietly to get a look at the tiefling forces for himself.

[Cavir]

"Good luck. You can both use this Longstrider wand if you like."