Stealth and devastation in the Green

 Doc Holliday whispers, "Kantiff should take the lead on this infiltration this seems like his kind of move. I don't think we can talk our way into the lines. Maybe we can talk our way into the green but not past the trenches."

 Nodding the rogue/monk, murmurs “Good plan Doc, maybe if we do well in this mission we can try negotiating with the Controller for a proper power source for our tower. By then we would’ve proven our usefulness so it would be beneficial for them to give us one to scout with our smaller tower” 

The party agrees with this in muted murmurs and nods. They were trying to be very quiet as they were in a dangerous and precarious position. The Fellowship were all in a large crater no doubt caused by OverLord Romack's powerful attacks from his flying fortress/city. Less that 50 feet ahead was the trench walls of the troops outside the Green of Wayberry. A mixture of goblins, humans and at least one

BlackRune dwarf guarded. A steady rain poured down making the former farm field muddy and treacherous. 

Nearby one of the Controllers guides a human whom called himself "Runner Arkos", lay in the mud, pointing out the guards whom interestingly, mostly faced towards the Green and NOT out at Romack's besieging forces. Between the strongpoints, they learn magical wards cover much of the fields, so the heroes decide to bypass the BlackRune forces using stealth and magic.

Kantif uses his shadowy monk abilities to make the party near invisible (DM: pass without trace). The party moves forward up to a hastily built barbed wire and mixture of long spikes. Then along past a large dead tree, which looked to be have been blasted by fire. With a few close calls when one or more of the party were not quite as silent as needed. A BlackRune dwarf assumed the noise was some animal and tossed a rock over the crawling party members.

Finally with some deft thaumaturgy by Gaxusas to put out the fire and some spooky sounds which freaked out a number of the guards, the party is able to successfully make it to the walls of Wayberry, after taking out one formerly sleeping goblin in a tent. The party takes the goblin's body planning to dispose of it in the Green.

A large section of the wall is crumbling and destroyed but the holy forcefield encompassing the Green. Using the rod provided by Controller, the Fellowship the party finally enters the Green.

The party come down in what appears to be the large gardens and fields of a mansion. The gardens are untended and overgrown, plants and grass long with weeds abounding.

Ignoring the mansion which looked to be locked up - but with many windows smashed - the Fellowship enter the crumbling streets of Wayberry. Once the influential and area lived in by the merchant leaders and other aristocrats.

As they stealthily creep down dark streets, they hear shuffling and scraping ahead. Graxusas sends hos owl familiar up to scan the ruined city under the glowing holy shield. Plotting a course through the streets, they tactically avoid a number of mobs of undead creatures. A skeleton in rags, is bent over and seems to be continually grasping handfuls of black dust that it then swallows - it seems - and the dust falls and settles back into the pile. Doc and Kantif shrug and scuttle up behind the undead and then with a giant strength punch by Doc and the martial arts strikes of Kantif, the skeleton is pulverized. They gather some of the strange dust -which smells like cherry.

Moving on, the party is about to cross over to another shadowy ruin, and Doc hears the whimper and cry of a child. Investigating, the Fellowship enter the former shop of Zanig. Using stealth and subterfuge they explore the rooms and finally encounter a young boy named Declan holed up and hiding in one of the rooms. Formerly a drummer boy in the Yeomanry 3rd light archers, they learn the remains of his unit were put in the Green after battling the BlackRunes, South of Wayberry. The party realizes that one oft he main reasons the boy had survived was a wondrous item from his brother - a Periapt of wound closure - this allowed the boy to survive a number of deadly encounters.

Declan is a wealth of information on the Green and is most willing to go with the Fellowship if they are leaving the Green. Learning of their plans, Declan suggests some  underground and above ground routes to get to the arena -where prisoners and more are set upon by undead formerly for Wayberry aristocrats and possibly now for the BlackRunes.

Avoiding a number of groups of undead, the party then hears the sounds of battle off down a street. Declan implores the party to follow- but Doc and Cedric charge off to the sounds of battle. 

A mass of undead have cornered a group of humanoids, looks like 3 humans, (2 men and 1 woman) a kobold and another cloaked figure. 

Preparing, the Fellowship of RedWater attack the undead horde with surprise. A wall of fire appears

between the 5 humanoids and burning the horde of undead, Kantif, Doc and Cedric rush forward, their attacks cutting down skeletal and zombie dogs on chain leashes and the handler of one group. Gothi marks one of the undead horde, her arrows doing massive damage as they hit.

Lighting bolts from Graxusas carves a path through a row of undead. Then a winged shadowy female tries to charm Kantif but his elf blood helps him resist the charm. The battle is turning the wall of fire protects the group of 5 and kills many but then the party hears more creatures coming from down one street.

Then two of the 5 fall, and the shadowy floating female reaches out to Graxusas. The lizardman is unable to resist the necromantic energy and feels drained of energy! (DM: 3 levels drained, but they think his power and energy will return after a long rest.. he hopes!)

 

 

 

 

The battle continues next session... it is not looking too good for the Fellowship!

The Tower and the Controller

Kantif ponders, “Figuring out how to power this will be troublesome. How are we going to show it to Romack if we don’t have enough power to fly?”

Doc Holliday nods, "Lukkan belives us to have enough power to make it to Wayburry. I'll offer my power if we lose it before we arrive. We need Romack I think. His attack is possibly killing innocent folk and we need to end it fast. Perhaps we could lead a small elite force and take out key targets." Sigmund turns to Cedric. "Do you think you can raise the Bard's of Hell like we discussed before we leave?"

“I’m not sure, I’ve heard a bit about them, but I’d have to do some research and look into it” Cedric has a flashback.. he thinks to a previous life to a trio of mountains East of Enstad that the party had sailed by on the river - North of river, probably a days ride - which seems so long ago. The paladin is quite sure the Bard's of Hell are entombed there.

The party - Graxusas - sees a small 6" humanoid scaley figure darting behind books in the library. But decides not to follow-up on the creature as the party has priorities at this time.

The party rests, some doing research others like Doc ventures into the tomb his his ancestors. He discovers at the 'Y' intersection there may possibly be a secret door. His skills are not in the area so goes back to get Kantif for his roguish skills.

Kantif undergoes the ceremony of joining the Raven Queen. The 1/2 elf is now marked by the goddess. Using his skills the 2 determine there is complex set of 4 triangular blocks at the location that if pushed in the correct way, will open the door. After some testing and multiple blasts of electrical energy, they determine how to open. Both rogue and paladin have smoking and burnt clothing and hair in the end. A ramp heads down into darkness. 

Doc heads down and is enveloped and is walking towards a red glow, that slowly gets larger. It turns out this is a massive eye in a porcelain mask. the 1/2 orc realizes it is for a massive figure 100 feet high. Kantif follows and sees the same.

They are able to get by and come upon a tomb, investigating, Doc finally finds the armour of his ancestors. An heirloom of his orcsih heritage.

Back to the tower, the party makes ready to leave as a new flight of Overlord Romack's griffons arrive. The party decides to travel with the griffons, leaving Jawbone, Vencer and Kaleer at the tower, to research and discover more of the flying tower's secrets.

Wayberry is under siege. A truce is currently in effect, so no battle is ongoing when the Fellowship arrives flying through the air, seeing the glint and flicker of many numbers of campfires all around Wayberry.

The gnomes advise the party to be careful. They will meet the controller head of Romack's espionage forces.

The Controller is a tall over 6', woman who has blueish black skin, long pointed ears, long hair in a pony tail down her back. A massive wolf sits near her side, glowing yellow eyes, never leave the party, watching their every move. A massive 2-handed sword leans on the desk next to her.

The party comes in she is busy with stacks of papers and scroll tubes littering the 3 tables near her.  There are two guards behind the fellowship and the woman continues working on those papers, signing documents and scanning others and making notes in a small black leather tome.

As the party stands there she snaps her fingers and a small drake - with glittering green and gold skin flies out from a open tent flap at the back. Landing on the desk, it allows the woman to attach the scroll tube to al leather harness. With a wave of a hand, she dismissed the creature and it darts off zig-zag between the party members out the open tent door.

Then she goes back to work scanning and noting items into the small black tome. After a few minutes, Gothi and Doc start to speak, the guards will prod back with a spear and just shake his head then she sighs. Stretching and flexes shoulders and hands with some audible cracks.

 "So.. You are the crew that have found one of the fabled elf cloud towers.. And brought it to Overlord Romack." more a statement than a question. Discussion continue with the party about the flying tower and how if they want to keep the fine tower they will have to do something for Overlord Lord Romack. She does not believe the BlackRunes are true to their  word of a wanting peace.

To allow the Fellowship to keep the tower, she wants the Fellowship to find out what is going on in Wayberry are doing so a covert mission to enter Wayberry  find out what is going on and return this

information within the next four days. She provides them a rod that will allow passage through any holy shield - the best way in is through the Green as it does not seem to be well defended. Some healing potions and basic equipment top up the needs of the Fellowship,

The party prepares and heads out. A black leathered and cloaked human accompanies them to take them to the front-line and through the pickets the BlackRunes have set. Outside the walls of the city are trenches and bunkers circling the city. A great force of goblins, orcs, humans, and hobgoblins defend. along the Green there is a lighter force, this is where the Fellowship plan to enter undercover of night and subterfuge. Getting within 50 feet or so (#1 in photo) the party sees a force of goblins hobgoblins, a few BlackRunes are a picket defense of Wayberry (#2). The green glow of the holy shield around the undead infested area of Wayberry can be seen..