Refit and Resupply
In the town of Jewel Bend, Gil got himself cleaned up at an in called The Boat Race for a meeting with the local baron. The servants at the inn busied themselves in cleaning up and mending his clothes and gear so that he would be presentable.
An honor guard led Gil to the town hall to meet Baron Arngrim, son of Thodrek the Half-Handed, a dwarf of no small age and experience. With him were his officers: General Osvald Moerersson, Captain Folco Bandaris, Captain Joseth Galman, and Father Vestar of the Brotherhood of Battle. Gil introduced himself with his full noble title as the son and heir of the Grand Duke of Geoff (something the rest of the party does not know about), and related the story of their plight.
The Baron was certainly willing to help, but a few details needed to be hammered out. Sending a sortie out across the river to attack the humanoid army was not feasible but there were two reasonable crossing points some miles away, one upstream and one down. While the upstream one would be significantly closer, it was plagued by a pride of displacer beasts on the Pomarj side of the Jewel and clearing it out was not a significant priority (since it inconveniences the humanoids more than the defenders of Ulek). So they opted for using the downstream crossing some 5 miles distant. The city would do what it could to absorb and repatriate the refugees as well as settle the wild men down in a suitable area. Supplies and services could be obtained by the free company of adventurers as needed.
Gil was taken back across the river and made his way back to his companions. Meanwhile, Tesrae and Kendrick alternated catching naps while waiting out Gil. Their cover hiding behind a small rise was nearly broken by a small patrol of humanoids who apparently had to relieve themselves on the other side of the small hillock. Fortunately, the two heroes and their horse remained quiet enough to avoid detection.
With Gil back, they returned to the refugees as the sun began to rise. News of the crossing to safety raised the spirits of the former slaves. Reaching the area of the crossing, the heroes encountered a picket line of smartly camouflaged halflings, sent out by Captain Bandaris, keeping a watch out for any humanoid patrols or hunting parties. The town's river warden, Warden Randoll had mustered a number of small boats and a few barges to get people across. With a fairly wide river, getting everyone across was a job of more than just a few hours. But on the other side, spirits rose again and the last few miles of walking seemed a pleasure. In fact, the cavalry met refugees on the road bearing extra horses and a few wagons as well as fresh water and food.
Entering Jewel Bend, they found inn servants, priests, and others able to tend to the incoming crowd, dispatching some to rest and food at the inns and other dispersed to any place that had room to put them up. The heroes, exhausted after a long march and sleepless night, retired to The Boat Race for much needed rest.
Over the next couple of days, the band of stalwarts took care of resupplying themselves and buying more and better traveling equipment. Tesrae had Icar's suit of full plate (masterwork quality) adjusted and refit for her. Gil and Kendrick spent much of the time arranging to sell off various objects looted from the slaver stockade. They also bought suitable horses (including a war horse for Tesrae) for the road ahead. Among the objects found at the stockade (but kept) were a wand of knock spells and an encyphered note outlining the location of a hidden treasury. It included a cryptic reference to needing Blackthorne's talents, but what that means, the party does not know.
Before the heroes set out on the road again, they met with the baron to discuss things going on in the Pomarj. The baron is confident in his ability to hold the river against the humanoids, but there have been troubling reports of larger mobilizations. The heroes were able to confirm that there are Hextorite missionaries about that are much better organized and trained than the typical humanoid tribes. The baron's men had heard rumors that they are directed by some orc known as Turosh Mak, about whom little other than exaggerated story is known. Gil also sent out letters to his home in Geoff and to Safeton, though both will undoubtedly be long in arriving.
Returning to the Pomarj side of the river, the heroes set out at a faster pace than marching with refugees had allowed. After a day and a half of riding, as camp time was nearing, they encountered a large caravan encampment ahead. Gil scouted it out, determining that it was not a slave caravan, though clearly in league with the slavers. The cargo seemed to be mainly trade and outfitter goods including cloth, iron, and whale oil that Gil tried to light as a diversion as well as irregular attack on supply. Already pushing his luck in a well-guarded camp, Gil's attempt was noticed and he was chased from the scene and the fire put out before it had a chance to really catch (though he spoiled two barrels of whale oil nevertheless).
Giving the camp a wide berth as they traveled on in the morning, the heroes resolved to return to the stockade to see if the hidden treasury could yet be plundered. The weather started turning ominous with gusty winds, humidity, heat, and overcast skies. As tunder rolled in the distance, Gil thought he stared hearing extra echoes from the thunder on some peals. Soon, Kendrick and Tesrae began to hear it as well. Unsure what that meant and wanting to get out of the coming storm, they searched for and found a cave big enough for them and their horses, hopefully high enough to be above any expected flash flood line.
As the rain poured over the next hours, they even began to hear deep rumbling laughter along with the storm and more cracks and bangs. None of the party members took the risk of scouting out what those sounds might be, though the theory of giants throwning rocks around was raised as well as the behavior of the storm god, Procan.
Eventually, the storm, a tropical storm blowing up from the seas south of the Pomarj, blows itself out in 36 hours after depositing over a dozen inches of rain, leaving the heroes to slog through mud and new streams to continue back on the road.
Edit: Hard to believe we forgot about her. But the Baron was happy to intern Markessa, held prisoner by the heroes, indefinitely as necessary. He will be recording testimony of the former slaves to use against her if every officially tried.
An honor guard led Gil to the town hall to meet Baron Arngrim, son of Thodrek the Half-Handed, a dwarf of no small age and experience. With him were his officers: General Osvald Moerersson, Captain Folco Bandaris, Captain Joseth Galman, and Father Vestar of the Brotherhood of Battle. Gil introduced himself with his full noble title as the son and heir of the Grand Duke of Geoff (something the rest of the party does not know about), and related the story of their plight.
The Baron was certainly willing to help, but a few details needed to be hammered out. Sending a sortie out across the river to attack the humanoid army was not feasible but there were two reasonable crossing points some miles away, one upstream and one down. While the upstream one would be significantly closer, it was plagued by a pride of displacer beasts on the Pomarj side of the Jewel and clearing it out was not a significant priority (since it inconveniences the humanoids more than the defenders of Ulek). So they opted for using the downstream crossing some 5 miles distant. The city would do what it could to absorb and repatriate the refugees as well as settle the wild men down in a suitable area. Supplies and services could be obtained by the free company of adventurers as needed.
Gil was taken back across the river and made his way back to his companions. Meanwhile, Tesrae and Kendrick alternated catching naps while waiting out Gil. Their cover hiding behind a small rise was nearly broken by a small patrol of humanoids who apparently had to relieve themselves on the other side of the small hillock. Fortunately, the two heroes and their horse remained quiet enough to avoid detection.
With Gil back, they returned to the refugees as the sun began to rise. News of the crossing to safety raised the spirits of the former slaves. Reaching the area of the crossing, the heroes encountered a picket line of smartly camouflaged halflings, sent out by Captain Bandaris, keeping a watch out for any humanoid patrols or hunting parties. The town's river warden, Warden Randoll had mustered a number of small boats and a few barges to get people across. With a fairly wide river, getting everyone across was a job of more than just a few hours. But on the other side, spirits rose again and the last few miles of walking seemed a pleasure. In fact, the cavalry met refugees on the road bearing extra horses and a few wagons as well as fresh water and food.
Entering Jewel Bend, they found inn servants, priests, and others able to tend to the incoming crowd, dispatching some to rest and food at the inns and other dispersed to any place that had room to put them up. The heroes, exhausted after a long march and sleepless night, retired to The Boat Race for much needed rest.
Over the next couple of days, the band of stalwarts took care of resupplying themselves and buying more and better traveling equipment. Tesrae had Icar's suit of full plate (masterwork quality) adjusted and refit for her. Gil and Kendrick spent much of the time arranging to sell off various objects looted from the slaver stockade. They also bought suitable horses (including a war horse for Tesrae) for the road ahead. Among the objects found at the stockade (but kept) were a wand of knock spells and an encyphered note outlining the location of a hidden treasury. It included a cryptic reference to needing Blackthorne's talents, but what that means, the party does not know.
Before the heroes set out on the road again, they met with the baron to discuss things going on in the Pomarj. The baron is confident in his ability to hold the river against the humanoids, but there have been troubling reports of larger mobilizations. The heroes were able to confirm that there are Hextorite missionaries about that are much better organized and trained than the typical humanoid tribes. The baron's men had heard rumors that they are directed by some orc known as Turosh Mak, about whom little other than exaggerated story is known. Gil also sent out letters to his home in Geoff and to Safeton, though both will undoubtedly be long in arriving.
Returning to the Pomarj side of the river, the heroes set out at a faster pace than marching with refugees had allowed. After a day and a half of riding, as camp time was nearing, they encountered a large caravan encampment ahead. Gil scouted it out, determining that it was not a slave caravan, though clearly in league with the slavers. The cargo seemed to be mainly trade and outfitter goods including cloth, iron, and whale oil that Gil tried to light as a diversion as well as irregular attack on supply. Already pushing his luck in a well-guarded camp, Gil's attempt was noticed and he was chased from the scene and the fire put out before it had a chance to really catch (though he spoiled two barrels of whale oil nevertheless).
Giving the camp a wide berth as they traveled on in the morning, the heroes resolved to return to the stockade to see if the hidden treasury could yet be plundered. The weather started turning ominous with gusty winds, humidity, heat, and overcast skies. As tunder rolled in the distance, Gil thought he stared hearing extra echoes from the thunder on some peals. Soon, Kendrick and Tesrae began to hear it as well. Unsure what that meant and wanting to get out of the coming storm, they searched for and found a cave big enough for them and their horses, hopefully high enough to be above any expected flash flood line.
As the rain poured over the next hours, they even began to hear deep rumbling laughter along with the storm and more cracks and bangs. None of the party members took the risk of scouting out what those sounds might be, though the theory of giants throwning rocks around was raised as well as the behavior of the storm god, Procan.
Eventually, the storm, a tropical storm blowing up from the seas south of the Pomarj, blows itself out in 36 hours after depositing over a dozen inches of rain, leaving the heroes to slog through mud and new streams to continue back on the road.
Edit: Hard to believe we forgot about her. But the Baron was happy to intern Markessa, held prisoner by the heroes, indefinitely as necessary. He will be recording testimony of the former slaves to use against her if every officially tried.
posted by Bill D91 at 9:20 AM
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