Session Six
19 Mirtul 1491 DR
Approaching the Keep
Mooring up down river of the keep the party disembarks from the Rivermaid and awaits nightfall before approaching Riverguard from the land side. Burlap’s new friend Ratty sneaked under the barred double gate and the portcullis beyond to enter the courtyard. With a basic reccy around the gatehouse complete Alfalas snuck across open ground to reach the keep’s west wall. Burlap too moved up and cast mage hand to help fix Alfalas’ grappling hook and rope to the ramparts above. The party climbed the rope one by one until all (including Ratty) assembled outside the door to the upper floor of the gate tower. They were considering their options when the door unexpectedly opened. The guard was startled to find a party of armed adventurers on his doorstep and was quickly sliced and diced.
The Two Towers
Combat in the gate tower was swift and silent. No alarm could be given. The party moved across the wall to enter the opposite tower. The garrison in the largest tower of the keep proved a tougher task that the gate guards. They wielded swords lined with a double serrated edges of ‘teeth’ and copper shields beaten into the shape of horseshoe crabs. Bort decided that any hope of further exploration by stealth was over and cast a thunderous shatter spell. When the small garrison lay dead it was obvious that the rest of the keep was stirring.
Jollivar and his Bitch
The far door in the small garrison door opened –seemingly on itself. A moment later 300lbs of snot and tusks burst into the room. Alfalas was pinned by the beast against one of the bunks. Alfalas had moments before been heroically slashing an unarmed and defenceless opponent to death who was trying to rise from the bunk, orphaning the man’s children in the process.
Meanwhile Bort became aware of another presence in the room, an unseen presence that whispered close to his ear and next caught a glimpse of an ethereal black mist reach towards him. With her clumsy attack, her invisibility spell wore off, revealing herself to Bort. She was a stunningly beautiful young woman. Her hand was wreathed in darkness. When her touch landed true, Bort was left in pain. She smiled at him. In turn, Bort’s own attempt to touch the woman (critical fail) was slightly off the mark and was entirely (though accidentally) inappropriate. If the young woman gets away she’ll surely report him to HR for sexual harassment in the work place.
Back across the other side of the room: As the hairy-tusked maul-wielding beast in the room was lit up by Burlap’s magical fire (for a serious amount of damage), the woman cried out his name: “Jollivar!”. Soon after the woman fled from the tower.
The Last Stand of Alfalas the Elf
Smouldering with flame and smelling like a hog roast the fearsome Jollivar ripped Alfalas open with a wild thrash of his tusks. Soon Alfalas lay slumped on the garrison room floor bleeding out from a terrible wound. The hulking hog roast fell too, and in death resumed its human form. Alfalas’ eyes stared blankly into space. And so it was, left to die on the floor by his companions, the world witnessed the sad passing of a hero – Alfalas the Eleven Ranger. His sword ‘Orphanmaker’ will no doubt become a holy relic to be revered down the centuries by elven folk across all of Faerûn. That is if his former companions don’t trade it in first for a few copper pieces and a flagon of black flap.
The Stirring of the Keep
Whilst combat in the tower drew to a close, Burlap single-handedly defended the wall against the approach of enemies across the courtyard. But now he stands on the ramparts facing the female magic-user who has fled from combat in the tower, and a cloaked enemy ascending the stairs from the courtyard wielding a staff. “A what?”, cried some of the party. “A staff”, the GM repeated solemnly.
“A staff?!?”
Combat is on-going. XP award will be at the first break in combat,
Interlude
Meanwhile, back on the Rivermaid, Viggi had volunteered to stay behind and babysit their captive - Pike the Halfling. Otherwise known as Viggi’s new toy. The depravations he is subjected to cannot be described here. Pike muttered, “no amount of XP is worth this!”.
On a keelboat, no one can hear you scream.