The Siege of Holliday Stronghold

The RedWater Fellowship are back, and feverishly working.. preparing defenses and traps for the oncoming demonic horde that Gothi had spied only 3-4 hours away at current march. On his excursions she was able to bring down a 10 point deer and a recovered a solid blue sphere with 3 concentric lines around the centre

Using the arcane energies of Graxusas, the druidic powers of Obaz, as well as sweat and the might of the Holliday camp - both Holliday clan and refugees participating - the defenses are prepared.

Fortunately for the camp, they had a number of days to prepare for an attack of some sort - at the time assuming it may have been BlackRunes. Defensive works are raised, walls and obstacles as well. The party decide to also lay some traps - tumbling logs, rock avalanches and more along the only route to the stronghold [DM - arrows on map below]. Kantif's rogue experience, Goth's ranger skills and Doc's battle knowledge allow for some cunning traps to be laid. As well as plant growth spells to keep the majority of the horde down the road.

Obaz's connection to nature allow the firbolg to prepare hallucinatory terrain to make some areas look impassable. Units of archers had been prepared, Uk’walir knights are ready at the main wall. Lukann the wizard advises to deactivate the tower will take 1 hour, and 1 soul and 1 hour to  It uses souls to power. Also the Fellowship determine when it is operational it is a beacon to demons, they can sense its soul power. 

All members prepare for battle, sharpening blades, communing with nature, Gothi restrings her bow and prepares finely sharp arrows. Doc has some new ammunition forged, Graxusas feels tendrils of energy in his scaly hands readying his connection to elemental powers, while Kantif meditates.

Cedric agrees to guide the non-combatants to their newly acquired town - no name yet, the former mining town of Drekarr - so they will not be killed or captured by the demons.

Gothi stays out riding Jawbone, and it is a bright sunny afternoon. Just after 2 bells, the Holliday camp hears horn blasts from the lookout tower along the road. 

The horde is encompassed by a swirling black cloud. Gothi's keen eye is able to confirm that this is not smoke or dust.. it is a mass of flying insects. They chew and raze the land as they progress along the road, all the plant life and more is ravaged and destroyed or eaten. A blasted ruined landscape is left behind the cloud of death. All manner of demonic creatures follow the cloud, running, squirming, slithering and scraping along towards the Holliday camp. 

Racing up to the top of the hill, she makes it to the 1st ambush location - a large stand of trees she leans down, the sweat covered Jawbone not slowing. Grabbing a rope she pulls it. and a large tumble of logs and boulders crashes down into the horde moving along the pass below. Screams, screeches and yelps of pain can be heard amongst the crash of boulders and tumbling logs. The ranger races on to the next ambush.

Graxusas prepares to cast a lighting bolt along the road where the plant growth has pushed the horde into a funnel. As the lizardman let's loose the forking bolt of energy clears a long swath of the creatures. Many may have been resistant to the lightning, but the sorcerer's attunement to the elemental power blasts through to incinerate many of the demons. Only the most powerful lope forward shrugging off the attack.

Standing near the 1st bridge, Kantif makes ready a swath of caltrops and ball bearings. They know the ball bearings will have little effect, but may slow them down or into the caltrops. 

Doc Holliday sits on a coal-black mount. Standing nearly a foot taller than any standard horse, the
nightmare blows out flame as she snorts, slamming a pie sized hoof into the ground, where smoke tendrils raise from the burning rock. [DM: Doc had paid the toll and summoned the Nightmare with his new spurs - acquired from the Makra Tomb  - see blog post]

Gothi continues to race along the tree line of the hill, she pulls the 2nd rope, it snags on a root and nearly pulls the ranger from her saddle, but Gothi quickly recovers and pulls hard as the second avalanche of rocks tumble down into the oncoming demons. Many more fall under the rocks and jagged death. Some demons stop to rend and eat the flesh of their kin. But the vast majority lumber and race onwards. The screeches and gurgling cries of pain lost in the war cries and tramp of the horde.  

As the Holliday force looks on, a black roiling cloud of smoke(?) slowly creeps towards them. Then it can be seen not to be smoke, but a vast swarm of insects in ash, continually changing from ash and brimstone to flying insects, these infest and destroy everything and anything in their path, leaving a barren gaunt landscape behind. Doc spies what looks like his a leader and fires his musket taking the demonic leader in the shoulder. As the creature slumps, it is enveloped by the horde, some tearing it to pieces other just tramping onwards.

Gothi races for the final trap, a double sized set of logs and pulling it she races towards the bridge and safety.

Graxusas lets loose another lightning bolt and it clears another path of destruction in horde. The Fellowship retreats across the bridge as the demons somewhat slowed but the majority are still lumbering forward. Out of the black cloud a flight of larger demon wasps fly over the river. Flights of arrows cut into the giant wasps, some go down falling into the swirling water of the river.

The battle is engaged. Creatures race for the bridge, being cut down by the units of archers, deadeye shots by Gothi, spellfire of Graxusas, Doc's musket and Kantif's bow. Back and forth the battle raged. Again and again, the demon wasps fly out and it looks like the demons may take the 2nd bridge.

Then the demons pull back.. At the head of the demonic chaos can be seen a large horse.. No.. A
nightmare ..unicorn.. With dual  horns, jagged wicked sharp spikes from the creatures head,  slightly curved but as long as a scimitar.. The demonic creatures massive plate sized hooves  stamp down, flashing up sparks and leaving  smoking imprints in the ground.

The rider wears shimmering black and red chainmail, a shield with the symbol of IUZ prominent on front hangs from the saddle, while a spear rests easily in one gauntlet clawed fist, a spiked flail at his belt.

You note many squabbles amongst the creatures, some fighting and eating and rending smaller and weaker forms.

Holding up 1 fist, the horde instantly calms, except for one small dog-like scaled creature which continues to howl. A Large clawed paw from behind swiftly slams down on the scaled hound ending its howl with a crunching gurgle. The creature now dead is swarmed upon by its fellow demons and quickly is pulled out of view, the working of many jaws into flesh can be heard for a little.

Taking off a large black full face helm, silver hair tumbles down over the handsome male elf’s black skin. The drow, smiles, pointed white teeth in contrast to the dark skin. Bright lavender blue eyes sweep over the defenses and ragtag force arraigned against the demonic host.

Smiling more broadly he bows from the saddle sweeping an arm down. “Hail and well met! I am R’alaagishar Moondrake Yn’slyy, leader.. ‘ he pauses and looks back to the horde of crawling leaping

squirming bipedal and multi legged creatures shift and swarm about behind the elf rider. At his turn they immediately calm and quiet. (DM: “R’alaagishar” is demonic for General)

He reaches out a gauntleted hand to point to the tower.

“We have come for the Xxl’cragishal Tower. It belongs to our Lord. The elves forfeit their contract to Him.” The elf lowers his hand to pat the restless unicorn/nightmare.

Sweeping his hand back to the force of demons behind him. “You may leave with your lives .. And souls as well” looking back to the Holliday force, “If you give us the tower. We can even perhaps be allies against the BlackRunes. I understand you have no love for them similar to us.” He will wait for a moment for a reply.

If a an insult or derogatory reply, the horde will bellow, screech wail and surge forward and jump like a living creature. 

Looking back across his forces, his unicorn-nightmare circles, stamping a hoof with sparks flying, slowly Raising a hand, Moondrake makes a fist and the demons fall silent.

“Well now, if your lives are not worth anything.. Perhaps these ones are..?” As the drow elf finishes, an orc, and 2 humans are thrust forward in chains.

Negotiations start. It seems the general desires the tower, 

Graxusas offers that the RedWater Fellowship will take on a quest to  recover the Heart of Enstad, and if they do this, the Fellowship will be able to retain the Demonic Tower.

The party recall now that the Heart is now in the Sea of Dust. [DM: see blog post ]

After some epic level persuasion by Graxusas [DM: rolled amazing - 35 on a D20. Needed a 30]

The General produces a contract, but in the end the party disagrees, only giving their word. So the plan is they are given a month - 30 days, tower is left where it is, once the Fellowship bring the Heart to the General, they are able to take the tower.

The Fellowship reluctantly agrees leaving his ancestral home, Doc feels a great deal of emotions. The party then arrive at their town (Drekarr). repairs and rebuilding has been taken place. Treggin the stone giant as well as monks from the 3 Crescent moon monastery assisting. The refugees and more start to populate the town. A new bustling lively place being created. Infantry units are being trained a new stronghold being built.

While their demonic tower sits at the old Holliday camp, It seems Lukann stayed in the tower as it was closed. 

The RedWater Fellowship are the rulers of a new town.. for now.

The Uk'walir Knights and tidings of War

19th of Planting, Low Summer

Our heroes of the RedWater Fellowship recover from their excursion into the Makra Tomb.

Gothi had not returned yet, but one of the Holliday orcish scouts had met her and she was heading off towards the Duress Estate area. Obaz was spending time with the refugees, healing them as well as the strange negative effects emanating from the Makra Tomb, the druid's affinity to nature bringing much healing back to the area. Declan and Doc's cousin Kyarra were both recovering under the watchful eye of Obaz and GrandMa Holliday.

While the rest of the Fellowship had entered the tomb, Cedric had decided to head off to the town of Drekarr to start work on the new Fellowship base of operations. He would escort 20 of the refugees that had skills helpful in rebuilding the town, but also non-combatants. 

Doc decides to inspect the 'troops', while the party takes a long rest.

Approximately 90 'soldiers' with 45 noncombatants - these included refugees, farmers, bakers, various civilian types, as well as a core of 20 actual soldiers and the Holliday orc clan. A lieutenant  formerly of the Wayberry militia had also joined the group as well as 2 sergeants, one from Wayberry

and one from Overlord Romack's retreating army. A recent young man whom is an engineer's apprentice - Tollyn - advises they came across a BlackRune camp to the Southeast which was completely abandoned.

In a war council, they decide on areas to guard and defend, as well as have an escape route - into the Makra tomb. Blowing up the bridge is discussed, magic - wall of fire, fireballs, kegs of oil and other tactics discussed. Talk of visiting the BlackRune camp as well, perhaps later.. salvage supplies there. About 2 days travel by horse. The BlackRunes had completely withdrawn over the mountains to the East.

The bridge and towers

Different units were designated, armor and armour distributed. Four units are created, 2 archer units, a levy of townsfolk and an orc guard unit made up of the Holliday clan.

Finishing their long rest, the party prepares to reenter the Makra tomb.

Graxusas, Kantif and Doc enter into the depths. They make it through the door into the newer area, the feeling of 'wrongness' is gone. The slime still covers floor and parts of the walls. The trio use magic and torches for some time to destroy the slime filled grubs.

After clearing the area, they get to where the sphincter the walls and floors blackened by the explosion completely clear of the slime and had been, there are now strands of shriveled and burnt flesh hanging down. Doc is able to cut these down with his flaming sword. The Fellowship enter into a hexagonal room. in the centre is a pool of the slime and suspended above is a shriveled and burnt massive heart. The group thinks it may be the size of a titan's heart, larger than a giant for sure. There are four defaced statues with faces shorn off stand in corners.

Prodding the burnt husk with a mage hand spell, it crumbles to dust. The heart seemed - the party thinks - to once extrude the slime that had filled the chambers and passages, no longer.

After taking the time to destroy all the slime with torches and Graxusas' firebolts, Doc pulls out Lucky Seven  sword to cut the four chains holding the heart, but they decide to use mage hand to crumble the heart around the 4 large hooks holding up the heart husk. One by one the chains fall free and then finally the blackened husk falls to the ground in a poof! of ash and smoke dust.

Doc reaches out with his paladin senses to detect any evil, undead or demonic - or other - presence. Only desecrated grounds can be felt in the area.

Moving on the party comes to a set of double doors, there is ancient orcish runes above the door. Doc is able to decipher: The Nog'ra Chamber - the 1/2 orc thinks this may be another burial chamber. 

Kantif searches for traps and cannot see any, pulling on the large rings, the doors slowly swing open showing another hexagonal room. There are burial chambers - six - spaced around the room, although one looks to have filled with rubble and a cave in. Each chamber has a sarcophagi with a skeleton laying on top of it. Doc recalled some clans did not bury or entomb their dead, but rather enshrined them on top of a monument.

In the centre of the room is a statue of a male orc with crossed sword and battle axe.

The level of dust on floor and area confirms it seems that there has not been any in the area in a very long time. There seems to be something on the bones of the skeletons, but it was hard to confirm from a distance. Doc moves up, Lucky 7 in hand. Using his divine sense confirms the five skeletons are undead. The Paladin also notes the skeletons are covered - head to foot - in minute writing engraved in their bones. An ancient dialect of orcish. Older even than what was on the tomb door.

Doc is able to decipher, Kantif and Graxusas not able to reach the language out to them:

Uk’walir knights were the elite force from all the orc clans in the lands, a great honour - the greatest - to be invited and join the small group. All genders were welcome, the deciding factor was the honour of the individual

At that moment, the writing - which was on the wrist bones of one of the orcish skeletons, glows briefly and disappears. All crush a gem in their mouth - a glowing red ruby - and sit up and the skeleton now with a flaming sword in one hand a flaming ax in the other near Doc swings at the paladin but misses. They note the writing had disappeared from same wrist and arm on all the skeletons.

Determining to find out what all the writing is and try to recruit them, the Fellowship hold back their attacks as Doc continues to get attacked as he tries to read the script engraved all over their bones.

Graxusas uses his spells to impact and disable the skeletons - command spell worked well.

Doc is able to read section by section, as they disappear from each of the skeletons.

Reading more, Doc realizes the history of the knights is written over them. Something happened in their history made them fallen.

A great war between orc and elf - once allies. The elves were expanding over the mountains from the East. The knights betrayed the orc clans to the elves whom were besieging the citadel

Kantif dodges then also uses a bag full of ball bearings to slow down the enemy as Graxusas uses his spells and Doc tries to read as the skeletons hack at him.

The Uk’walir knights opened a secret way in  into the citadel allowing an elite force of elves to enter. The elves took the main gate losing many, but were able to open the gates letting the vast forces of the elves and allies - dark shades -into the citadel 

Polymorphing into a bonedevil, Graxusas is able to resist some of the attacks. Section by section,

Doc reads off the story, taking blows and trying to parry.  Doc uses his paladin spell Bane to try and limit their attacks. Finally, after a number of rounds of combat, the final section is read:

The pact had been to allow all the non combatants to leave alive, but the elves broke the pact, killing and pillaging the clans. Including  children and elderly, none were safe. The dark shades were a demonic force under the elves control or a demonic pact.. we are the Fallen Uk’walir knights. Our deeds are our ruin.

At that moment, the final section of script fades away, and the skeletons disappear and reappear on the tombs laying down once again. It seems though the engravings of their history did not, the bones are bare. A critical hit on Doc disabled his left arm. the wound opened to bone, fortunately the flaming blade cauterized it somewhat.

The trio breathe heavily, Doc heavily wounded heals himself with the divine energy of the Raven Queen. Doc thinks perhaps of a ceremony of some type is performed the knights may be able to join them to re-forge their honour.

Obaz and GrandMa Holliday think that with 2 weeks of healing he could recover. The witch doctor thinks though a magical salve could be created to speed up the healing. The Fellowship look through the long list of various monster ingredients they have harvested. Obaz and Grandma are able to create the salve the primary ingredient being rat ogre bone marrow (DM: Blog post), which they recall did regenerate, RedWater leaves (DM: Blog post) sharp grass from the Black Wine monastery (DM: Blog post).

Using the salve, heals and regenerates the wound. Doc's arm is still sore but usable.

Doc takes an entourage back to the room of the Uk’walir knights and performs a ceremony to allow them to rest after one final task. Defend the Holliday Stronghold. After a long and strenuous ceremony, it is complete, and the five remaining knights stand at Doc Holliday's command. A powerful force. (DM: inspiration to Doc for this move)

Kantif during this time speaks to the refugees and folks of his father the infamous assassin - Fargin - giving a description of the elf. None have seen elves for some time - since the Great Deliverance (DM: Blog Post). Both the son and father have one similar feature blue eyes with flecks of gold. Tollyn, the young apprentice engineer recalls seeing a man - human of this description in Wayberry 6 months back a small temple to the Elvish god near the Duke's palace.

Graxusas checks in on the bug creature in the library of the flying keep. A little house had been built, chunks of paper used to repair it. Graxusas acquires and makes actual miniature items so the creature does not use torn pages from the books.

The three now refreshed from a long rest, prepare once again to enter the Makra tomb as there was still one section unexplored.

Behind locked and trapped door, with no mishap they find some treasures:

Sandin’s Portable tool table

A rectangular box, (1’ x 2’ x 6”) made of fine wood, weighing 10lbs. 

Upon the command word, quickly transforms into a finely crafted table 4’ x 6’ (table height based on user) useful for a variety of crafting skills and tasks.

In drawers below table are all the basic tools and very basic ingredients and supplies to assist with the work required. Using same command word will transform table back into box.

Upon attunement, becomes a tool table for the crafting professions:

• Tinkering table (covers jeweler or fine craftwork metal smithy)

• Alchemy table (covers poison, medicine or herbalism)

• Cooking table

• Artist table (covers forgery and writer)

• Woodworker table

• Weaver table (covers Leatherworker)

• Blacksmith table (covers weapon and armour)

The table can only be used by the attuned person. If the attuned person wishes to switch table type (i.e. from tinker to cooking), the table will be dormant for 3 days as it magically creates the tools and ingredients. Once another attunes the table type cannot be activated for a full day and changed for 1 week.

For a user with the background profession, gives advantage on making basic/simple changes and repairs. Once per day, can give advantage on complex/difficult creations or changes. If user already has advantage, gets +4 to rolls.

Note: the basic supplies and ingredients do not allow creation of anything worth greater than 1GP. Does not supply the primary ingredients for creation (i.e. does not supply a shield for enhancing or a pair of boots, or ring, or all the ingredients for a full meal, etc.)

Nightmare’s Spurs

These coal black metal spurs have a wide metal shank razor sharp.

Once attuned and equipped, the wearer can summon a nightmare whom may dutifully serve. If given a treat of crushed platinum, rolled oats and apple, the nightmare will serve automatically.

 No treat and a DC13 wisdom check be required to force the bond on the nightmare, as they despised forced servitude, if the check fails, then the nightmare appears, neighs, rears up and in a choking flash-of smoke and brimstone disappears.. 

A rider summons their mount by tapping the spurs together or passing them through blood of a sentient creature, the nightmare will appear from another plane, in a flash of fire and smoke.

Can be used once every 24 hours.

Duration: Nighttime, will last until Dawn| Daytime, will last 1d4 hours plus wisdom bonus

As the trio make it back to the Hall of Heroes, they look out the large main doors, seeing a bright sunny day. Taking a deep breath, all step forward and then they hear the dreaded sound. 

A horn blast! It comes from an outlying watchtower

Graxusas sends up his owl, does not see anything, except Gothi riding Jawbone along the road path towards the stronghold.

Doc musters the troops - pulling along Graxusas, Kantif races down to the bridge.

Kantif is at the bridge when the ranger pulls up on her mount, Avalanche both ragged and exhausted. "They are 3-4 hours away. The scrabbling, screaming demonic horde flying and running towards here!"

Until next time..