Bandaluthia Session 53

Bandaluthia Session 53

After the brief battle with the orcs the party looked for somewhere to camp. A copse of trees presented itself to the left and the group made for the trees. Parking the carts on the side away from the valley, they struck camp. Watch was set, and some rested. One of the first to rest was Sylvie, and after four hours meditation she set out to scout. Creeping to the edge of the depression she peered over the edge and saw a ruined castle below. A fire was burning and row-upon-row of warrior-orcs marched out, as if the battle. Returning to the camp she relayed what she had seen.

After discussion the party felt this was a good time to scout the dip, not knowing as they did when the columns of warrior orcs would return. So, after tying the horses, they set off. On the edge of the valley they peered below and saw small creatures – gnomes – seemingly being driven to work against their will. Orcs patrolled the walls, and large bull-headed creatures – minotaurs – watched on as if in charge.

The party crept down the edge of the hillside and descended. Pandora to the left, the rest sticking together. They were seen, and arrows began to land about them. Pandora moved further left looking for a vantage point from where she might strike. Jean-Luc went a pale-green colour and, hands-shaking, took out his crossbow. The fighters – Kharkin and Freya – advanced, drawing fire. Sylvie moved forwards, shot with her composite longbow, and melted into the trees. Meanwhile, Milo ran-off in a seemingly random direction, departing the field just as it seemed it skills would be needed.

Jean-Luc ran forward and yelled ‘take zat, you vile chiens’. The string on his crossbow twanged, nearly slicing through two of his fingers. The Genius from Toulous has oeuf sur le visage. Sylvie shot once more, and again, dropping two orcs. Milo disappeared into the distance; but, finally, the fighters closed sufficiently to engage in melee. First Kharkin, they Freya, felled enemies. The gap in the wall was won and the fighters pressed-on through the gap to the nearest building. The ranger and the wizard – smelling faintly of garlic – closed to the gap where the fighters had been. The assault on the building was about to commence.

In the meantime Milo got to the end of the castle wall and began a frontal assault on the only part of the castle where its defences remained intact. Arrows hit his banded mail, so he cut-back and slipped in via a gap on the wall to his right.

Pandora has stalked to the left-hand side of the castle and saw four orcs emerge from another gap in the wall. The party may well get outflanked. Nevertheless, sensing an opportunity for an easy kill she emerged from the bushes and moved behind the column of orcs. Drawing back her crossbow she shot one in the back. It fell, another bolt pierced its chest, and it expired. The three remaining orcs stared at the Tiefling and charged. Running through the gap in the wall she moved right and cast darkness about her. This provided cover for her escape and she moved into the castle grounds, quickly finding the fighters, ranger and wizard.

Meanwhile, arrows flew from the building and the fighters were pinned to the walls. Sylvie unsuccessfully tried to return fire. Jean-Luc spotted three orcs coming round the corner of the castle, and pulled on Sylvie’s sleeve. ‘Er …’, he said, and pointed. Sylvie’s run of great bowshots continued and the three were felled before they could close. Her ranger-senses also alterted her to the fact that the smell of garlic had now been overpowered by the smell of merde, as they say in Toulousian, emanating from the wizard. Magic, plainly, was not all it was cracked up to be.

Meanwhile the fighters had stormed the building and were engaged with the orcs inside. The orcs struck at the warriors and the blonde bombshell struck with her bastard sword like she was an avenging angel. Her chest heaved beneath her armour and her tousled hair whipped as she felled the enemy. But, she was wounded. Was this to be the day she would die gloriously in battle? Meanwhile the enemy struck at Kharkin, but his stone skin repelled the majority of the damage. Feet planted firmly, he swung his stone hammer and the enemies felt it like a mountainside collapsing upon them. The fighters took severe punishment and, just in the nick of time, Pandora and Milo arrived. The wounds the cleric had sustained suggested Milo had encountered his own enemies. Pandora moved to backstab an orc. Milo closed, but was felled by a vicious blow. The sustained punishment proved too much for Freya. Finally, Jean-Luc and Sylvie entered the room. The former magically enlarged the dwarf. The latter had snapped her bowstring and came in wielding a longsword and buckler, red hair flowing in the wind, and fire smouldering in her eyes. It wasn’t clear whether she was going to fight the last of the orcs, or kill the cleric for desertion. Provoking an attack of opportunity, which struck her arm, she moved behind the last of the orcs. Flanked as it was she stabbed it, bringing the battle to the end.

Those that were on their feet stayed the wounds of the fallen. Drums sounded, and the party were trapped. ‘Let’s leave the cleric and escape’ suggested Sylvie helpfully. The dwarf rebuked her, suggesting they would either all get out, or none.

As they were contemplating their next move a little voice offered: ‘I can show you a way out, but you must come back and rescue us’. Before them stood one of the gnomes – Nifkin. The party liaised with the creature, and agreed to come back. Leaving via a secret passage, they travelled via a long tunnel to a hollow tree stump in the copse. After checking on the horses, which were gone, they rested.

There the session ended. In the next thrilling session of Bandaluthia we will find out whether the party keep their word, and rescue Nifkin and the gnomes …