Rollohi-ch507-script

 Last episode on Rollohi we engaged in intense combat and we saw the end of the Orvath brothers. Today we are picking up with Ingle doing some healing. Combat is clearly over. Two prisoners are bound tightly and under guard. Bodies are still being arranged. In the background there is discussion already as to what next to do. Elsewhere, a certain greedy halfling female is double checking that all purses have been accounted for, and all possible places for hidden wealth have been closely examined. Eryn, who has not been injured in the fight, or at least nothing worth mentioning, and who triumphed over the knight leading the brigands herself, is discussing horseflesh with Kylie, another who was not injured. Cied herself is not directly supervising the looting because her husband Pod is fussing over her still. She has finished the process of having an arrow removed from her body and has grumpily discovered that Ingle's staff of healing has not done a great deal on her. Pod himself was fairly badly injured. However, the staff of healing has fixed his problems. 

Xantu is healed for four, the spearman Mesk and Rann are healed. Rima claims she does not need healing, it's just a scratch. Perhaps more importantly, at least for Eryn, the knight's: the enemy knight's warhorse, badly burned by Umbert's fireball, is almost entirely healed. 

The Butcher's Bill: a vicious exchange of archery, towards the end of the combat, saw the brothers Lem and Seni and the archer Telu dead. Lem died as the enemy medium horse broke through in the wake of their knight and laid about them vigorously. Other spearmen were quite badly injured, but the edge that Eryn and Kylie had on them told in the end. The last two surrendered. 

Billy, the halfling whom the party rescued underground, is willing to hire on. He has offered to guide the company to his village, but with one condition: only two halflings from the company will be admitted to the village and able to act as spokespeople. On the other hand, the very obvious trail left by the brigands does pose the question: where is their base? There's a risk that further away the heavy rain over the last week has washed away their trail, but they can at least make a start. 

Since Ingle is engaged in healing, Xantu and Umbert have roughly worked out what the choices for the company are. There are six 

* One - back to the friendly bailiff and tollbooth. That's at the river border. 

* Two - Southwest to the ruined tower. That's the Baron's Tower.

* Three - Southeast on the Trail of the Brigands 

* Four - South to the Halfling village where Billy comes from 

* Five - back into the chasm; and 

* Six - back to the lake.

"These are by no means equivalent" Umbert reasons. "The reasoning behind pulling back still stands. The Halfling Village offers a fresh option on hiding mounts. The bailiff could act on our behalf to cash in our loot."

These choices are offered around the company. Everyone has some fairly decisive opinions, except perhaps for Eryn. Pulling back as a general principle meets the approval of seed and pod. A halfling recruit slash stabling option meets the approval of everyone except Xantu, Kylie, and Engel. Aggressively scouting brigand tracks meets the approval of everyone except Xantu and Seed Pod. That seems a little surprising. Umbert follows it up.

"Xantu, you seem to have something in mind. Let's hear it." "Aye, back to the lake is my option. We have bodies to mourn." "And Dorgan could get that healing herbs you mention? Well let's have a show of hands on calling the offensive off after such a short time," Umbert says, showing which way his vote is going.

Surprisingly, nearly half are in favour of this pull all the way back to the lake. But it's not quite enough, as Pod explains later to Xantu. The chance of a Halfling Village Spring Equinox Festival is not to be scoffed at. 

It is Month Two of Spring, and day 2; no change to weather; the moon is now Waning Crescent.

Since they're just tracking south, in the general direction Billy's indicated, there are no tracks to follow. As time will prove, it takes three watches to get to the village, filtering first out of the Whispering Woods, second cautiously spreading out in good marching order on the rolling country, south of the woods and east of the tower. And three, approaching the halfling village using landmarks familiar to Billy. Those first two watches are uneventful. Far up on the western horizon, the Baron's ruin pokes up like a tooth. 

Watch three. There is an encounter. These are orcs, and it makes me wonder whether this was a punitive raid on the halflings. 5. Yes. Did they find the village? No, and are searching. They're a small detachment of 10 orcs looking forward to spit roasted halfling. Range 120 yards. Each orc will be armed with a d6 weapon and probably a simple shield, but the 8 hit point leader will use a d8 heavier weapon. Something in the way that the company approaches skylines them, and the orcs choose to flee using their 40-yard move rate. Only competent riders can catch them. And they flee northwest. It appears that they might be running to the Baron's Tower. Other than Eryn, who can use a war horse? Can Kylie use a war horse? 4. Yes but... can Elion use a war horse? 4 Yes but... I choose to read this that they dislike riding the still singed horse. Who can ride and use a crossbow? Fortunately, True Brag, Jenu, and Enonny can all do that. Enonny, previously a "simple spearman," is distinguishing himself. 

Okay then. The elves can decide for themselves, but Eryn has the latter three mounted up. The job will be riding into short range, picking an orc off, then riding back out. 

"How about this, Kylie? You and Elion each take one of the uninjured horses and help the crossbow riders."

[d6] Yes.

Kylie offers her own mount to Elion, a sign of approval. The job of the two elves will simply be to act as dragoon assistant to make sure that the crossbowmen can effectively use their crossbow and get out at top speed. 

I set up a mini chase where the horses are theoretical travelers and the orcs are half that pace. I calculate that the horses will advance at double orc speed to within about 80, then all three will let fly, and the two elves will lead them back away to Eryn as they reload. Eryn, therefore, is on her war horse as cover. 

This seems a good solid strategy, and eventually the Orc boss is alone. Eryn signals to Kylie and they trap him. 

"Can you talk? Do you wish to surrender?" The boss's morale is shattered. He does not even bargain for his life. He gives the two a reasonably clear direction to the Chaos Lord's stronghold and says no, he's not from the woods. His warband is south, on the marshland border. But as Kylie walks in for the coup, he leaps up, knocks her blade aside, and... flubs the riposte. The women cut him down. 

The three men have been watching. 

"Oi thort as 'ow Elves luv ter dance nood in th' moonloit" True Brag muses.

"Lady Eryn is the markless knight. She placed in the Opal Tourney," Enonni says. 

"What's markless then?" Jenu asks. 

The remainder of watch 3 to 4 is spent introducing Billy's village to Cied and Pod and vice versa. Does it change the diplomatic position? This halfling village chose to remain neutral. [d6] No, and decidedly not. The near threat of Orcs simply makes the village want to send any big folk away. 

Well, since Billy volunteered to become an employee, I have now rolled up his stats. Since we know he is an able halfling, shall we say, I swapped his strength with his dexterity. He has strength 8, intelligence 15, wisdom 17, Dex 13, Con 9, and Charisma 14. He makes a charisma play. I choose to read this as a 2d6 attitude, giving a plus one. And this time I roll a 10 for a total of 11. Excellent. 

On consideration, the village is willing to hide the mounts and loot. And as a huge favour, shelter Dorgan. But nothing further. 

I duly note this as day 3, month 2, Wanning Crescent 2, Village of Much Yield, a hidden halfling village. The weather is expected to change, but in a minor way, spring showers, or 7 on the Cohen scale. 

The work of burning the dead and burying loot is now accomplished. Everyone is tired, but on the new dawn everyone is healed up. 

One consideration I have, does Umbert make headway with Read Magic? You may recall that although he's captured a very useful scroll and an entire spellbook, he can't read it. I'm allowing self-study since his Association would definitely have taught him the basics. [d20] He rolls a natural one. Caxton spell, Read Magic, is now available once he has access to magic supplies. What this means to me is that once Umbert returns to Lake Town, he will be at a favorable base with access to the right supplies, and then spending some money will give him access to the whole spell book and the spell scroll. 

Now that the big folk have been lodging outside the village for a day and have not done any damage and have respected the halflings' decision, a number of halflings, younger halflings, more adventurous than most, put themselves forward as potential recruits. The company needs those with a shrewd wit. This boils the total down to five, including Billy. There's a female in her prime named Clover, an older halfling named Russet. He has the nous to act as a spy, but perhaps not the speed across ground that he once had. Billy also seems a very suitable spy. Next there's a halfling in his prime, chosen for his superior targetry. His name is Bram. And last of all, a young halfling named Gage. 

Russ is chosen to act as a scout or spy. His rendezvous will be the Baron's ruin if the party is away from the village. 

Day 4, month 2, Waning Sickle 4. The weather is now changing, but marginally, and on the Cohen scale, it's still a seven. With treasure buried, Dorgan recovering slowly, spare horses are now hidden away. And now, with minimal packs to carry, company must set out either back to the chasm or over to track the brigands with several more days of lost trail opportunity. [vote-off d6] They choose the obvious, back to the chasm. But it takes a long discussion for this to be agreed. After all, the halflings defending the chasm aren't attacking anyone, whereas the brigands are. But the logistics of being an at-best semi-mounted force against a half-mounted brigand army are terrible. So with much reluctance and a second vote- off, the clear majority of the party agree on the chasm. The watches needed to march afoot back, leaving mounts safely with the halflings, is six. In other words, two days with a camp made between. 

The only encounter across those two days is with a herd of mules: presumably cut loose after an ambush. Ingle tries his new spell Speak With Animals. But awkwardly his kind offer of hard work and danger in exchange for exactly the same food they are eating now does not go down well. His CHA-mod roll of 2d6... gets a 5. They run away. 

On day six of month 2, the camp above the chasm is reoccupied, and osiers are woven again. Checking supply: Osiers OK. Food, cresset light source, bolts and rope have dropped one each. Coracles are fully intact, but more are needed, of course. Fortunately, the original supply of boar skin is enough for several coracles, not just the three they began with. 

After a little discussion as to whether Jack should scout again, the company goes in mob-handed. It is the new moon, 5 a.m. on day 7, month 2. 

The first thing that they notice is that the stream is much lower, far more manageable. In fact, coracles aren't necessarily needed, but they have been loaded with daub ready to plug holes, and so they are kept on. The second thing they notice as they spread into the area where previously they had to fight their way hole by hole, plugging up each one, is that the area is no longer guarded. Those holes that were plugged have been left plugged. Now a very hard, clay-like, reinforced substance. Wondering as to what this signifies, but encouraged on the whole, the company moves towards the door. 

The next ten minutes are so occupied, carefully moving in formation in the direction they remember and sketched out. Then, as the forty-minute mark approaches, a terrifying encounter. A small party of giant ants emerges from a crevice and stops, feeling the air with their antenna. The party, and therefore the company around it, stops and waits. They're in formation, they're in the water, that's about all they can do. A minute ticks by. The ants decide to keep going on whatever mysterious mission they originally intended. The crisis passes. And the company pushes on. 

And then just at the point where Xantu in the lead is ready to clamber out onto a ledge, a wave of white-eyed humanoids races towards them: near silent, and all clearly intending to kill them!