Chapter 25. Standing on the Shoulders of Statues
General Summary
Ichabod peeks his head over the stone wall. He sees the 50ft high wooden statue of Strahd, facing away from him. Thick roots sprout out of the ground around the legs, keeping it firm to the ground. He thinks inwardly, hoping to communicate with Kavan - "How much danger are we in?" The response is a feeling of fear, anger and immense determination. He narrows his eyes and judges the leap to the statue.
Pulling himself up, a lightning bolt crashed 10ft to his side. Ignoring it, he takes an angled run up to get some speed and leaps onto the back of the statue, and into the druids eye line. They immediately raise the alarm.
On the other side of the enclosure, Vass and Esper hear the cry of alar and run headlong to aid him. Barnard and Alyric scramble and stumble over the wall, looking to get another angle on the group of druids. Barnard messages Ichabod, asking if hes OK. "I am… for now…". As Barnard stumbles down the other side of the wall, lightning narrowly misses him.
Seeing these charging outsiders, he old decrepit looking leader raises a staff and brings it down with a thud. The ground rumbles, and all grassy areas within the wall starts to sprout thick vines, making it difficult for Alryic and Barnard to progress. A the base of the statue, two druids also cause roots to grow up the back and entangle Ichabods legs. He manages to kick himself free, and he darts effortlessly to the top of the statue, standing on its shoulder and looking down. He sees an unconscious figure at the base, tied up by vines. He fires two shots at one of the druids, causing heavy damage.
Vass charges forward, firing a shot from his crossbow before throwing it to one side and rather than spending his time reloading he throws his dagger forward, hitting someone twice.
Barnard and Alyric changing their tactic due to the roots, and head for the trench that Vass and Esper are in, to keep moving.
The old Druid looks up at Ichabod and his eyes turn a glassy black. Clouds start whirling above him, and thunder rumbling. A crack of lightning hits Ichabod at the top of the statue, leaving him winded and smouldering. A second forked bolt hits the prisoner.
The leader commands the druids turn their attention to Ichabod, again and again summoning a cloud of flies to choke him up, but he resists.
Ichabod looks down towards where a glowing green patch in the wood within the torso of the statue. There is no obvious way in. The statue looks like it’s been build solidly around this “magic seed”. So he opts for a more direct route - smashing it open. He sends a homemade explosive down towards the leg of the statue, wreaking havoc on the wood and splitting it, and the statue begins to list over to one side. He clings on tightly.
He overhears the druids asking their leader what to do - the ghost within him seemingly allowing him to innately understand them.
“What do we do?” “Get the pest down an begin the ritual”
Vass is approaching, and so one puts a wall of thorny vines in the way - Vass rushes through, shrugging off the scratches he gets, and whips the caster.
Esper looks around for a high point, and spots a menhir off to one side, and teleports up there, hitting the deck and ensuring she is unseen.
Alyric summons a moon beam down on the leader, along with Barnard whispering threats in his ear. “Start the ritual!” He shouts again. Then calls out to the other side of the encampment and shouts "UP!" - and three warriors emerge from a hidden position and approach Alyric and Barnard. He then hits his staff on the floor and summons a huge wall of fire, splitting Ichabod and the druids away from his teammates - who turn to see the three beefy warriors approach them from behind. The druids within the circle of fire start to chant around the prisoner, with a swirling blackness coming from within them, and the green light from within the statue begins to glow brighter.
Ichabod turns his attention the source of the fire, and takes careful aim and his him with his cannon, distracting him enough to stop the spell.
Vass darts toward the leader, ending him with a swift knife. Barnard holds his sword, waiting patiently for the warriors to approach. One rushes him, and Barnard hits him with an almighty strike.
Back at the statue, Ichabod looks at the chaos ensuring. He scans around, panting after the lightning bolt. His eyes fix onto the bare neck of a druid chanting below… so appealing… his pupils dilate, and runs vertically down the statue and leaps from the surface onto the back of a chanting Druid, chomping down on his neck, spraying blood. Eyes focused, he then take aim at another Druid and fires his cannon.
At this point there are moon beams flying around everywhere. Alyric’s one chasing Druids, the Druids ones chasing Ichabod or Vass, whoever is closest, burning al who stay too long under the light.
Vass dodges the beams of light to reach the prisoner and tears at the roots to free him. He opens his eyes, looking worse for wear, and says “thank you”. He has the look of a Martikov. Vass points him to his previously discarded crossbow, and with effort he gets to it and reloads it.
From the top of the menhir, Esper sends a message to Ichabod saying “Trust me”. A nervous affirmative comes back.
The sound of metal of flesh is heard from the other side of the enclosure, with Barnard and Alyric go hand to hand with the warriors, dealing the heaviest blows they can manage, summoning what magical aid they can to bring this fight to a finish as quickly as possible.
From the base of the statue, they chant “the Scion of Gulthias will soon arrive!”. Full focus is put to killing the remainder, a bolt here, a whip there, a cannon blast there. A bright light flashes from the top of the menhir, firing to the centre of the Druid, resulting in a massive explosion, wiping out half the remaining Druid and setting the 50ft high statue alight like a witch at the stake. Wood splinters, and the roots at the base seem to hiss. The green light still shines brightly.
One of the last Druids realised that the tide has changed, and in a panic scales the wall (a lightning bolt narrowly missing him), and disappears down the other side.
Ichabod turns to the berserker he is facing down. “It’s game over now”
Pulling himself up, a lightning bolt crashed 10ft to his side. Ignoring it, he takes an angled run up to get some speed and leaps onto the back of the statue, and into the druids eye line. They immediately raise the alarm.
On the other side of the enclosure, Vass and Esper hear the cry of alar and run headlong to aid him. Barnard and Alyric scramble and stumble over the wall, looking to get another angle on the group of druids. Barnard messages Ichabod, asking if hes OK. "I am… for now…". As Barnard stumbles down the other side of the wall, lightning narrowly misses him.
Seeing these charging outsiders, he old decrepit looking leader raises a staff and brings it down with a thud. The ground rumbles, and all grassy areas within the wall starts to sprout thick vines, making it difficult for Alryic and Barnard to progress. A the base of the statue, two druids also cause roots to grow up the back and entangle Ichabods legs. He manages to kick himself free, and he darts effortlessly to the top of the statue, standing on its shoulder and looking down. He sees an unconscious figure at the base, tied up by vines. He fires two shots at one of the druids, causing heavy damage.
Vass charges forward, firing a shot from his crossbow before throwing it to one side and rather than spending his time reloading he throws his dagger forward, hitting someone twice.
Barnard and Alyric changing their tactic due to the roots, and head for the trench that Vass and Esper are in, to keep moving.
The old Druid looks up at Ichabod and his eyes turn a glassy black. Clouds start whirling above him, and thunder rumbling. A crack of lightning hits Ichabod at the top of the statue, leaving him winded and smouldering. A second forked bolt hits the prisoner.
The leader commands the druids turn their attention to Ichabod, again and again summoning a cloud of flies to choke him up, but he resists.
Ichabod looks down towards where a glowing green patch in the wood within the torso of the statue. There is no obvious way in. The statue looks like it’s been build solidly around this “magic seed”. So he opts for a more direct route - smashing it open. He sends a homemade explosive down towards the leg of the statue, wreaking havoc on the wood and splitting it, and the statue begins to list over to one side. He clings on tightly.
He overhears the druids asking their leader what to do - the ghost within him seemingly allowing him to innately understand them.
“What do we do?” “Get the pest down an begin the ritual”
Vass is approaching, and so one puts a wall of thorny vines in the way - Vass rushes through, shrugging off the scratches he gets, and whips the caster.
Esper looks around for a high point, and spots a menhir off to one side, and teleports up there, hitting the deck and ensuring she is unseen.
Alyric summons a moon beam down on the leader, along with Barnard whispering threats in his ear. “Start the ritual!” He shouts again. Then calls out to the other side of the encampment and shouts "UP!" - and three warriors emerge from a hidden position and approach Alyric and Barnard. He then hits his staff on the floor and summons a huge wall of fire, splitting Ichabod and the druids away from his teammates - who turn to see the three beefy warriors approach them from behind. The druids within the circle of fire start to chant around the prisoner, with a swirling blackness coming from within them, and the green light from within the statue begins to glow brighter.
Ichabod turns his attention the source of the fire, and takes careful aim and his him with his cannon, distracting him enough to stop the spell.
Vass darts toward the leader, ending him with a swift knife. Barnard holds his sword, waiting patiently for the warriors to approach. One rushes him, and Barnard hits him with an almighty strike.
Back at the statue, Ichabod looks at the chaos ensuring. He scans around, panting after the lightning bolt. His eyes fix onto the bare neck of a druid chanting below… so appealing… his pupils dilate, and runs vertically down the statue and leaps from the surface onto the back of a chanting Druid, chomping down on his neck, spraying blood. Eyes focused, he then take aim at another Druid and fires his cannon.
At this point there are moon beams flying around everywhere. Alyric’s one chasing Druids, the Druids ones chasing Ichabod or Vass, whoever is closest, burning al who stay too long under the light.
Vass dodges the beams of light to reach the prisoner and tears at the roots to free him. He opens his eyes, looking worse for wear, and says “thank you”. He has the look of a Martikov. Vass points him to his previously discarded crossbow, and with effort he gets to it and reloads it.
From the top of the menhir, Esper sends a message to Ichabod saying “Trust me”. A nervous affirmative comes back.
The sound of metal of flesh is heard from the other side of the enclosure, with Barnard and Alyric go hand to hand with the warriors, dealing the heaviest blows they can manage, summoning what magical aid they can to bring this fight to a finish as quickly as possible.
From the base of the statue, they chant “the Scion of Gulthias will soon arrive!”. Full focus is put to killing the remainder, a bolt here, a whip there, a cannon blast there. A bright light flashes from the top of the menhir, firing to the centre of the Druid, resulting in a massive explosion, wiping out half the remaining Druid and setting the 50ft high statue alight like a witch at the stake. Wood splinters, and the roots at the base seem to hiss. The green light still shines brightly.
One of the last Druids realised that the tide has changed, and in a panic scales the wall (a lightning bolt narrowly missing him), and disappears down the other side.
Ichabod turns to the berserker he is facing down. “It’s game over now”
Report Date
04 Oct 2024
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