Welcome back into the world of Rollohi, where our adventuring party and their retainers all: are now descended into the chasm. The pavises have been made, the coracles have been fashioned, using fresh skinned boar hide for the halflings to ride in. For, according to Jack's report, the flood is roughly chin deep for a dwarf, far too deep for a halfling. They assemble in an area just beyond the massive roar of the waterfall itself. Here it seems that much of the watercourse spills away elsewhere underground, and what remains is a rather swollen stream rather than river.
They can talk over the noise, but care must be maintained so as not to alert any guards further downstream. Ingle has a number of points to address, and he gathers the spearmen, now each with their long spear point down, acting as the central spine of a pavise and with a cresset light attached to the spear butt, and the archers and crossbowmen, some of them grinning with eagerness or nervousness, some of them openly showing fear on their faces at this very unfamiliar environment.
"So, although it might be of great assistance, I will save most of the blessings for later. But" - Ingle turns his gaze to the nervous-looking human arches and crossbowmen - "You not stay tucked in their shadows. If a pavise goes down, you drop and cover."
As to the potion that Engel has given Xantu. Xantu brings the potion over to Dorgan. It's a small brass-bound vial. There's not much to it. Xantu smacks his retainer heavily on the shoulder, thrusts the vial into his hand. "Drink it, lad, all of it. It'll fire your blood for the contest ahead."
Dorgan looks at the vial, unstoppers it, and takes the thick, metallic-tasting draught in three deep swallows. For a second, nothing happens. Then, the chill seems to vanish from Dorgan's skin. The veins in his neck thicken, and the pupils of his eyes flare with sudden burning light. He straightens up, his chest expanding. He grips his warhammer, and the weapon looks lighter in his hand, almost weightless. Xantu grins, a fierce, bearded split of his face, and thumps his own shield with his mace. "Look at him. That's not a retainer anymore. That's a proper dwarf warrior. Now let those halfling bastards shoot at our boats. We'll clear the path."
The Brains trust have agreed that they will save the scroll of Bless for a later occasion, when they're up against orcs and ogres, presumably. But there's one third blessing from the chaplain. Ever since Umbert described Fireball into a spell book, his tactical outlook has shifted from scholar but quite aggressive to battlefield god. He seems to just want an excuse to use fireball now. The following conversation is a flashback from before the descent.
"You know Umbert, we need to keep an open mind on what may be below. We've always assumed that those gargoyles were sent to attack us out of the plateau because of the way they came from the westering sun. But there's an outside chance that some weird sorcerer with great power could be down here."
Ingle's hand moves to his component pouch. He pulls out the final vial from the Viscount's chaplain. A strange silver grey liquid that seems to swirl like smoke inside the glass. The chaplain called it the mind glass. ESP.
"Drink it, and you'll hear the thoughts of anything within 60 paces."
"Give it here! If I can read the movement through the stone, I can map the rat runs from the main gallery. I can drop the fireball right into the nesting hole before they loose a single shaft."
Ingle doesn't let go of the vial immediately. He holds it tight, forcing Umbert to meet his gaze.
"We could have to face a sorcerer down there, Umbert," he reiterates. "It could be the one who commands gargoyles or something similar. If we use it now, we enter his sanctum blind."
"If we don't use it now, we don't enter his sanctum at all," Umbert counters sharply. His tone carrying that new, arrogant edge that has developed since he mastered the red magic. "You want to march our twenty retainers down a meat grinder because you're afraid of a wizard we haven't seen yet. Let me clear the threshold, Ingle. Let me outplay them."
Ingle sees the dangerous confidence in the wizard's eyes. The fire lust that comes to men when they realize they can command the elements. It worries him, but he thinks of the human archers shivering under their wet wool and knows the wizard is right about the immediate danger. "Take it," Ingle says, his voice flat and heavy. He releases his grip on the vial. "But you listen to me, Umbert. You use it to find the ambushes, not just to look for targets to burn. If you spend that potion just to satisfy your appetite, and we get caught flat-footed by the master, their blood is on your robe." Umbert tucks a silvery-grey potion into his sash with a thin, sharp smile. "Don't worry, Ingle. By the time we find the Orcmaster, you'll be stepping over the charred bones of a vanguard. Let's go!!"
The oracle I'll be using in the exploration is a modified D6 oracle. Here, a four, five, or six is simply do the obvious. A one retains its original value of no and, but with a twist if there's something particularly unusual that might happen. Two and three are simply no do the other course, or the opposite choice if there's a choice of two. I had been considering using CRGE. I've had great success with that in Dungeon Crawl, but this Triple-O derived oracle seems to be working well. My deep thanks to PJ for bringing that to my attention.
It is the 30th day of the first month of spring. All of the entire company is as well rested and healed as they can be. Despite his bravado, Umbert has not taken the ESP potion. As the party invades the initial series of guardposts, they come under crossfire from the very small holes in the walls just about waterline. But they have been aware of this as a danger already and have come prepared. That's what the Pavises are a large part of the answer to. And the halflings have supplies of wattle and daub in their coracles. The Pavises create the equivalence of disadvantaged AC3 to try and get one of the light crossbow bolts that the halflings are using into the crowded company. Should they succeed in bypassing Pavises, anyone in the company could be hit. There are 18 halflings defending this range of positions, and the crossbow bolts have a light toxin on them. Not lethal, but certainly enough to reduce the performance of anyone so affected. Return fire is just as difficult. At each hole, an archer needs to kneel or lean down and loose in the hope that the halfling beyond has not moved on. Very difficult work.
Lem clutches the haft of his spear, digging the point into the ground so that he won't slip on the slightly slick river bed, and desperately glances back to where the flame of his crescent illuminates Seni, his older brother and expert archer. Seni seems to be enjoying getting wet. That's crazy. But then he always was the more athletic of the pair. Lem feels naked, although technically he's holding a weapon. His spear is no longer a weapon, it's a defense only. He's been told to keep the cresset upright and the light going at all costs. Small crossbow bolts are sticking in the pavises of he and his mates. Some are getting through. The dwarves at the front of the party beginning to look like porcupines, so many of the light bolts are sticking in their armor. He can see that they're both being affected by what looks like poison. Behind him, the wizard looks sick as well. He pulls out a crossbow bolt and inspects the wound. The party spokesman Ingle, kind of a leader, Lem supposes, checks it with him. But giving heart to all, Kylie the elf in her heavy armor, and Eryn, the most powerful warrior that Lem has ever seen, seem calm, directing the traffic of the men around them. Kylie directing her fellow elf Elion to support the halflings. Yes, this is going to work. He can feel it. The company is moving in. The holes are being plugged. They're winning. As the crossbow bolts, either because the halflings behind the holes have run out or because they've broken, dries up, the men, Lem included, let out a tremendous cheer, only to be hushed by the more experienced hands.
"There may be watchers beyond," Lady Erin says.
As she slaps his shoulder lightly Lem's heart swells: she recognizes his effort! Well, he can keep going.
Rima, who sees herself as Lady Erin's special shield bearer, gives him a jealous scowl.
This brings the company to turn four. At this point, four chaos-mutated halfling goblin crosses, known as goblings, attack. They're assisted by a giant weasel, easily able to swim in the water, giving real bite to their attack, if you'll pardon the expression. However, they strike from the east where Kylie and Elion can use their infra vision to spot those attackers. The two elves open up at 60 feet. At 30 feet, with both sides able to see one another clearly, the goblins open up with their own crossbows, exchanging fire with the regular archers and crossbows of the company. The weasel, already hard hit by the two elves, is now killed by their archery. Moreover, two goblins fall into the stream, dying. But two goblins remained and press home to melee. This is Eryn's signal to intervene as she's the backup flank guard. She spends a hit dice and kills both of them.
Turn 3. Mainly because it was attacked from that flank, the company investigates what seems to be a deep nook filled with rotting stored items. It doesn't look at all promising, so they turn back the other way. The stream that they're following seems to have split. There's no particular indication of which is the major channel. But following this right-hand stream brings them to where they can faintly see a door. There are two useful stone benches above the level of the water, and here, gratefully, the company wades up and out to rest. Thus passes turn 7.
Some untended murder holes, again right down at the water level, are spotted and plugged that ends turn 8.
Now roughly oriented the company decides that that right-hand stream they've been following, roughly concords to a western stretch of the stream: possibly ending far to the west, but splitting to turn south at the door as well.
There seems to be a lot of murderhole defense around the door, and so forming up fully, the company pushes south, finding to its left a fairly large bench, and it's occupied. Crossbows open up. These are not the light crossbows of the halflings. A hefty D6 bolt drives into Mesk for two damage. Somewhat unsettled by this new enemy, the spears, crossbows, and archers take a loyalty test.
Fortunately, and setting aside the hand-picked trio, they are all chosen for loyalty. Exceptional loyalty in some cases. They pass the test. Eryn and Xantu rally the response. With the help of Xantu and Dorgan, they pinpoint a couple of murder holes where the heavier bolts are coming from, and using shields and pavises, advance on that, and eventually, during the whole of turn 10, those are plugged.
Most of the company is able to rest during this turn. And it's just as well. For in turn 11, a ongoing running fight develops with more murder holes, behind which are someone using fairly hefty crossbows, and a further hitherto unseen bench, which is defended by orcs. Realizing what's afoot, perhaps thanks to their infravision, Xantu and Dorgan forge ahead on the extreme right of the battle, if you like, perhaps foolishly.
In the meanwhile, the halflings are exploring the western channel. And here, they get into a spot of bother. Green slime drops on the spot where Pod and Hilu are standing. Pod dodges, Hilu does not, and has to take the pain: to add injury to injury, a stray crossbow bolt from the ongoing fight hits Hilu as well. Xantu, diverted from his exploration, roars for the green slime to be burnt. He knows it thanks to his connection to his dwarven people. Leapfrogging the dwarves, and now fully equipped with swords up, Eryn and Kylie take the offensive against these orcs, who are defending, for some reason, the Halfling territory.
This fight is by no means one-sided. The initial flights of crossbow bolts from the orcs have wounded Val, Dorgan, Umbert, lightly, Kilm, Daro, and even Xantu. The Orcs that Eryn and Kylie are trying to sneak up on are not surprised. The two women face two sword-wielding orcs. Luckily, the women have their shields up and ready, and in response, Kylie wounds one for a four.
Hilu is now burnt clear of Green Slime. He's badly wounded. Crossbow fire from the Orcs continues, hitting Kiru for one. Crossbows and arches reply for a crit: And a orc dies. That would be a fourth. Now one of the crossbow orcs is being drawn away to make up for the melee deficiency. Two remain on crossbows, two on swords. There's no added cover for the orcs, and their armor at disadvantage is all that counts. Kyle kills hers. Eryn nicks one. Round three, Daro is hit. Elion scores a good five. Xantu with his crossbow a good five. And further crossbows hit for five. Both orcs fire and crossbows are now dead. The murder holes can be plugged.
Round four, Xantu and Elion work their way west to join the women. Rima is up supporting Eryn by now. The women have the advantage. A crit from Eryn kills the last orc. In rounds five and six, plugging the extra two murder holes takes precedence, but looting can be done as well.
And now, during turn 13, everyone can rest.
It's Turn 14. The halflings take the initiative, advance behind four spear pavises towards the western murder holes guarding the door. Meanwhile, Ingle is conducting healing on the bench that they captured off the orcs. Can all healing be finished in the turn? No.
There are halfling defenders around the door, and they loose from two points. Cied is nicked for one. She is saving against poison, rolling an easy nine, needing only a 13, so an easy yes. And in response, Cied shoots back for four and Pod crits. That will force a morale test next round. Round six. The halflings make a good morale check of five to stay defending. The last 10 halflings on that wing retreat in good order, according to the outline of the defence issued by their chief.
It's Turn 15. Halflings are still shooting through murder holes at the attackers. A spear is hit for one, but in response, attacking crossbows and bows kill the last two halflings. Luckily, the spearman has not been hit before, so he's not badly hurt, just sickened from the poison. During the rest of the turn, turn 15, the remaining holes are plugged.
The door that all this effort has been directed towards is identified as being potentially a way through, but with complications since the water is clearly moving under it. But by this time, a further bench has been identified, and it's quite big.
It's turn 16. Ingle heals all of the remaining attackers if they need it. The cresset combustibles are checked and are still good. The main recipients of Ingle's healing have been Dorgan for 4 and Hilu for 4, which fully restores Hilu. Though not Dorgan.
Here I pose a big question for the defense. Does the Halfling Laird really drag the defense back close to high? And I get a yes. That is the expected plot from the script.
The party examines the door but decides to move in the opposite direction. Because this is clearly where the halflings have been defending the heaviest.
Leaving it for now, it's time to retreat and investigate the eastern round over to the other where they seem to be quite a lot of storage, some of it rotting.
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