Session 16: Brigands Defeated And Eagle Message
One of the robbers, already gravely wounded, seeing a horse breaking down the gate, assumed more soldiers were behind it - and seeing Maethordan appear behind him only convinced him further that the keep had been surrounded and saw one way out - past the dwarf. However, as he tried to get by Frerin, who had already been busy fighting the Southern Raider, the dwarf was not about to let the brigand get away - and cleaved his axe deep into the robber’s leg, striking a vital artery that now spewed blood onto the battle floor and the robber quickly collapsed, lapsing into death quickly as the rest of his life blood poured out. “We won’t be able to question that one,” Frerin called out to Lodin, apologetically even as the Southern Raider fighting with the dwarf continued to swing wildly.
Having witnessed the dwarf before him cut down one of his companions, the Southern Raider took advantage of the dwarf’s brief distraction and brought his sword down into Frerin’s shoulder. The dwarf yelped in pain, blood pouring from the wound, but his eyes now honed in on the Southern Raider. As Frerin stepped forward to swing his axe, the wound in his arm burned with pain, and the axe slipped from his hands as he brought it down for a swing. It clanked to the floor, sliding five feet away from him. The Southern Raider grinned as Frerin began to reach for his sword.
One of the uninjured robbers fired at Fay, just as she rose up - one of the arrows struck her, but the second struck harmlessly at the wall. Fay, though injured, fired another arrow at one of the remaining robbers, who had not yet been hit and returned the favor by landing an arrow in him.
At the northern gate, Dolly kicked down the remaining portion of the gate. Above, the giant eagles, awaiting to be signaled, continued to circle, ready to attack if needed…
Lodin stood up and surveyed the carnage for only a split second, noting only one Ruffian left standing in the courtyard and one in front of Frerin at the stairs. He took out his trumpet to signal the eagles to take care of the lone bandit near the fire and began sprinting along the walkway, hurdling the gaps in the wall and jumping down to try and land on the enemy in front of Frerin.
Instead of jumping, he realized he would overshoot; he just kept his momentum and let gravity do the work slamming into the back of the Southern Raider who got sandwiched between Lodin's considerable weight and the shield directly in front of him.
The Southern Raider, surprised by the attack from behind, slammed his face directly into the large shield that Frerin held up and braced against the stone. Frerin had seen Lodin leaping through the air - and though it’d taken a moment to figure out what this Bardling was doing - his mind quickly adapted and realized Lodin’s intentions. Though the large shield was of little use to his small stature, it made for a solid wall when a dwarf of his strength braced it against the ground and put his weight behind it.
Winded, the Southern Raider had tried to recover his wits and breath, but not before both Lodin and Frerin, who tossed the shield aside were upon him.
Just on the other side of this, Maethordan dashed from the hole in the wall and placed himself between the few remaining ruffians and Anna. As he did so, he too whistled to the eagles and pointed them to attack the nearest the remaining ruffian in the keep, who had not been tackled by Lodin.
Fay fired a shot, striking the robber, who turned to see her and growled, “You! I won’t kill you, we need you since Anna is refusing to -”
However, his sentence is not completed as a large shadow, even on this night where the moon glowed brightly, passed over him. He had little time to realize what was happening before his screams vanished into the night, as the Giant Eagle, Beleram carried him away.
Maethordan reached Anna and united her, glad to see, other than dirt and mud all over his face and clothing, she looked relatively well. Gasping, witnessing all she’d just seen, she looked at Maethordan, “Who are you people? I know Fay, over there,” she pointed to Fay, who rose up from the tower, after seeing the battle was done. “I’ve known Fay for a long time. She doesn’t have friends like you. Or,” she looked up as Beleram, Baranthor and Armanel landed on the walls of the ruined keep. “Friends like those. This could not all have been for me.”
Lodin and Frerin tie up the Southern Raider and position him against the wall. He curses and spits, proclaiming, “You will get nothing out of me.”
Beleram edges closer. “Strider has sent us to seek you out. News is dark. Finish your business here and we will fly you back to Strider.”
What would you like to do? We are officially out of initiative. You can speak with Anna and the Souther Raider (or even Beleram, Baranthor, and Armanel - but among these three Great Eagles, Beleram is clearly the leader among them).
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Fellowship Points:
4 (1 per player) + 2 (Gandalf) = 3
Fellowship Bonus: Gandalf
You can spend a Fellowship point to roll an additional d20 after a saving throw (but before the outcome is determined) and choose which of the d20s is used.
GUIDE: Fay
LOOK-OUT: Lodin
SCOUT: Lodin
HUNTER: Maethordan