Rollohi-ch504-script

 Welcome back to Rollohi, where our heroes have saved the town. Small village, really, from consecutive assaults of ogres, and then orcs led in some way, shape, or form by a female ogre. 

Before we get going on this episode, I'd like to make a little point, if I may, and that is that given the amount of stuff that I had to work through to get this episode recorded, I made the decision not to go into detailed mechanics. I mention a few oracles here and there, but as for behind-the-scenes roles and crap, I've skipped all that. If you feel that you would like to hear more about how I organise the game and what goes on behind the scenes, or how the sausage gets made, if you like, let me know. This episode will deal with about a week of events in and south of that village. 

As the company progresses its plans such as they are, adapts them on getting new information, and is able to ascertain a very specific objective. If you recall the events at the end of last episode, you'll know that Xantu, for one, wanted to throw out scouts to investigate the locale, just in case there was more coming. And the company was waiting for Kylie and Elion and the eight-person reserve to catch up to them with ponies and extra baggage and so forth. 

Inside the village, of course, there's further repair work, joining with the villagers and grieving those lost in the blaze set in the southeastern corner by the Orc Leader. And division of spoils, first with the village on the agreed two out of five, and then with the retainers, half shares. That means that the retainers who actually partook of the defence of the village are suddenly relatively wealthy. 

You can imagine the jealousy of the eight other retainers, maybe including Elion, a ninth, when they at last reach the village along with Kylie the ponies and the baggage. At about the same time that Cied, Pod, and Hilu finish their scouting of the surrounds, finding definite orc tracks, but a little inconclusive as to how many there were and where they've gone. And, thirdly, the local Viscount Yibh Espeque arrives at much the same hour. For it seems that this local holding is now directly under the Viscount. He, or perhaps I should say she, since those who listen closely may remember that Yibh Espeque is actually a female pretending to be a male, has appointed a new seigneur. His name is Owe Dissu, and Dissu has actually been forted up at the local stronghold, immediately north of the village, unable to do anything to help. However, he does have his own riders, and he has had reports of large forces headed to strike perhaps at Baron Jean's hold to the north and west, or even the royal monastery. Yibh Espeque has to listen to the company's strategy, such as it is, and to reports from Dissu, and make a judgment. Which, of course, I boil down to a single D6 roll. Are the local forces enough? And a roll of six, yes, and Espeque agrees with the party's strategy. 

To very briefly sum up the party's strategy, it is to next jump to the toll booth on the river not far to the south, along that same main road that they're now on. And then, when they're sure that the vicinity of New Jhay is secure from that angle, the company will move to the ruined Baron's Tower and occupy that. It is to become a base of sorts for perhaps half their force. Because Viscount Yibh Espeque agrees with the party's strategy, Seigneur Dissu writes a note of lease on that ruined tower.

With spring weather threatening to close in for a period of storm, the company says farewell to the grateful villagers, including the two village heroes, and marches to the toll booth. In Rollahi, my weather recognizes the season, it's currently spring, and I roll a D6 to see if weather has changed since yesterday, and if it has, then I roll a D20 on the Cohen scale to get it. A signal, if you like, of what kind of weather that would be for spring. 

The day of the march turns into a somewhat rainy slog, but they get to the tollbooth and occupy it and ancillary buildings before the rains really set in and the river really rises. It's the 21st of the first month of spring. 

After checking that occupation of the tollbooth is routine, and rolling another yes and word has already gone ahead, it's time to find out a little bit about the replacement bailiff and his men and the inhabitants of the ancillary services nearby. The current bailiff knows of their previous heroics there. His name is Noig. He has now only a force of four. I would guess that all spare armed men have been pulled back into New Jhay. A risky strategy. The hostelry nearby is run by Ma Orwell, a scrawny-hipped, thin-faced hostess, who, so tis rumored, put an axe through the back of her husband's head. At the hostelry, she employs only women, and, stranger to say, these are all young and attractive. Jack soon learns that the rooms can be rented short term, and this is a branch of the New Jhay Thieves Guild. 

At that point, the threatened great spring storm sweeps in and hammers the vicinity for five days. On the 26th, the rain ends. All low-lying land is now flooded. But by that time, good new intelligence has come in to the company, or more specifically, to the brains trust of Ingle and Umbert. A young trader named Kim Wuther, guarded by only three guards and with only one pack-ox to boast of, makes a trip out of Hidden Springs, arriving on the 27th. It is Eikpe who is responsible for the intelligence he brings. Hidden Springs has been occupied, and so he can bring certain intelligence of the mastermind of the current offensive aimed at interdiction of commerce around New Jhay. It is a halfling, perhaps the last loyal retainer of the Chaos Dwarf Lords. Thanks to Loose Talk at Hidden Springs. Kim can say that at least one halfling lair is down a chasm, which can be reached by following this very river. And as far as the talk at Hidden Springs goes, most of the defenders of that chasm are away. 

The 28th is slightly less damp than the previous day, and the company assembles to march. Then an important visitor from the north, the high-level cleric, who acts as chaplain to Viscount Yibh Espeque. Jackley is a bishop of the Divine Eye, and therefore directly senior to Ingle. He gives Ingle a scroll and two potions. 

Without further delay, the company finishes its assembly and squelches its way to where the river thunders into the chasm, inside the Whisperwood.

The first watch of the march is severely delayed by entry into the whisper wood and trying to work out how best to defend the company. Watch 3, no further delay. And the company reaches the area where the chasm can clearly be heard. Watch 4, illumined by torches, since the depth of the whisperwood means even in the evening, the light's very poor, is given over to two main tasks. 

First, Jack, camouflaged by his elf cloak, is lowered into the chasm to make an initial exploration. And second, a base build. Does the company have enough tools and rope? And again I roll a six. Yes, and plenty for deeper down. The working conditions are difficult. The roar of the fallen river is a constant, heavy vibration in the soil underfoot. Three days of unrelenting downpour turned the lazy flow into a churning brown beast, aggressively pushing its way into the throat of the chasm. Spray missts the faces of any who get close enough to see where one can make an entry. 

We join Ingle and Umbert, who are considering Jack's news. So it's a bottleneck, Ingle concludes. He's got a preliminary sketch done by Jack from memory. If there's anything down here with crossbows or javelins, we'll be shot to pieces. How would we ever deploy a front line? It's a fire gully. 

Now I have an idea, Ingle. Remember those buccaneers and their Pavises Pivizers? Pivasers. It's an unfamiliar word to Umbert, he just learnt it last week. Well, they were makeshift uh doors, but uh here we have willow osiers. Now I'm no willow craftsman. I bet some of our retainers know how they could weave pavises out of those willow osiers. Wickerwork, Ingle blinks. You want us to shield ourselves with baskets? No no peas Pavises? Umbert corrects. Green willow is incredibly tough when tightly woven, and waterlogged makes it even better. It won't catch fire if someone drops a pitch arrow on it, and it's light. A man carrying a shield on his back can still muscle a pavise along. Pave eyes along? Ingle catches fire at the magic user's good idea. An idea that does not involve Fireball. He bustles out to organize all those with bill hooks and hatchets to cut osierss and begin the weaving Pavisers. 

Jack's further news from his scouting is that there are two further issues to solve. First, obviously, the river is higher than at normal times. The company of humans might be able to wade and dwarves at a pinch. But halflings will definitely need some kind of floating transport. Second, guard tunnels connected to the main passage by very small murder holes. But they're low murder holes, as though those who occupy them are small, halfling size perhaps, and there's phosphorescent glow. That must be how the defenders see. 

The Brains Trust consider the tactical dilemma of the pavises, a limited number of front liners, some kind of light water transport that will carry halflings who themselves don't see in the dark and don't have shields, and a secondary problem, of course: What to do about those murder holes? 

Really, Ingle sums up, our only advantage, if Eikpe's intelligence is accurate, is that the halflings are under strength and can't sally forth. Can you imagine a tribe full of Cied and Pods? Well, I wouldn't exactly be so worried about a tribe of Pods, but uh Cieds. Oh, that's a nasty thought. Little murderers hiding behind every twig and blade of grass, waiting to snipe us. Alright, we can only affect what we can affect. Let's divide our force into half... 

Umbert groans. 

Oh no, no, hear me out, Ingle continues.... 

And half that force goes a hunting. We need hides. Hides for coracles they're called. It is the following morning. Lem Orvath is none too pleased about having been split away from his brother Seni. Instead, he, Ophi, whom he knows, and the young fellow Enonny, whose manners seem suspiciously good, have been given three of the so far inexperienced crossbows to have with them. On the other hand, as far as he understands it, Cied, the female halfling, is a deadly fighter. Now that self-same halfling slips back and warns them:

Just what we need, she says, grinning fiercely. Make sure your shots count. If they get close to you, they'll rip you asunder.

Lem braces her spear alongside Ophi and Enonniy Everyone's shaking with fear as the boars flash close. Two are left of the original five. Cied is shrieking something behind him, something like something like that. But in the meantime, he's trying to make sure his spear tip is low enough to take the boar in his chest. Huge tusks flash to him. The boar dies frothing. But beside him, the biggest boar of the lot has broken through. Ophi has taken a terrible gash. He's trying to get the spear out and thrust. Thrust again. Something gores his side. Or is it his leg? He's not even sure. Enonny falls to one side, screaming as well. An arrow thuds into the boar. His spear finally finds its level, and the boar staggers and hauls. Barely pausing, Cied whips out a vicious-looking hunting knife, practically a sword in itself. Good work, she squeaks. Let's cut these porkers up and cart them away. I'll go find the first group. We'll need help hauling them. A nice haul indeed! Five boars! Hee hee hee!!

It takes five watches to fully process all the boar, get the raw skins around the coracle frames, and heal up the stricken men. No one has died, but those were savage wounds. All the first group found was that there might be a secret escape hatch or path or something out of the chasm. But it goes on into the Whisper Wood very deep and very long. They couldn't scout it all. 

Once everyone is fully rested and roughly knows the order in which they march, it's time to rope down into the chasm and assemble to plunge deep along the now placid river beyond the falls into the halfling lair. But before all of that, there's briefings, first of the Glass Shields themselves, to make sure everyone's on board with the plan, and to make sure that Jack's report is understood by all: second, of the wider company to make sure that everyone knows their duties. 

The following few scenes reflect those briefings and discussions therein. I have some mighty blessings from the bishop of the Divine Eye, Ingle says rather loftily. But here in this particular juncture, we're going to need something at the front. Jack nods. He knows what Ingle's about to explain. The architecture down now is positively dreadful. Little slots cut into the limestone. Not far off the ground, really. Perfect for a nasty little arrow, perhaps poisoned, to find a gent's ankle. 

With some reluctance, Ingle pulls out one of the two potions he was given. This is a potion of heroism, he muses. Perhaps nearly as good as Xantu. Minus the mace, of course. Let's see what Xantu thinks about that. If we're going to put the two of them at the front, I say every advantage should be taken. Alright, Ingle points a finger at Xantu. Xantu, you and Dorgan will be the front angle. If we hit a barricade down in the dark, you two will be holding the line. You can't bounce with the spearman. Dorgan can stay by my side. Ingle, don't worry about us dwarves. Xantu, Ingle says, rather confidential now, I can give you this potion of heroism to give to Dorgan. It will make him much more powerful. Aye? Uh a potion that puts the fury of the ancestors into a man's blood. Yes. Potion of heroism. Like what's saving? Save it for what? A rainy day? Pha bloody drowning out here. Dorgan and me are at the absolute front of a narrow chute with mad halflings or whatever they are, biting at our ankles. Well, your dwarven steel won't cover six feet of vertical space like those willow screens will. The spearmen must form a continuous spine down the corridor. Eryn, you and your uh shield bearer, Rima? Yes, uh Rima. Slot in just behind the second pair of Pavises. The spears could poke through the slits the moment the wick attacks a hit. Understood. Keep the flanks clear. Kylie, keep Elion close to the centre. If the defenders, whatever they are, try to rush us in the dark, I need elven bows clearing the corridor. Over the top of the wicker shields. Cied narrows her eyes, her hand resting on her coin pouch.

Where does that leave us? Hidden in the back, will you not take all the glory of the loot? You see, dearest, the rear is safer from the water. It's not just about safety, Umbert cuts in.

Those rat ones that Jack scouted will loop around if we advance or try to come up behind us. Cied, Pod and the new lad, you three are our insurance policy. You smell a trap, loose your shaft into the dark. If we get pitched from behind, we're all fish in a barrel. I'll remain in the rear then, Jack says lazily. Uh scout along the rear with the halflings, don't you know?