Session 30 – The Gates are Burning

Written by KoshcheiBessmertnyi

General Summary

After the incident on the hillside overlooking Claymore, Enkidu is taken to an abandoned farmhouse about three miles west of town. He falls seriously ill, and alternates between fever and cold sweats. Mostly he is unconscious or asleep, though occasionally he yells out disconnected words and phrases in orcish or Common. Agni and Dafna tend to him day and night, keeping the fever down, and making sure he does not roll over onto his broken arm. Glitterstem and Miletus must also help out: their friend is still thrown into convulsions daily, and remains at death’s door. Occasionally, members of the Brotherhood also stop by. Humbaba still can’t believe what Enkidu did, and wonders aloud what to do with him in this state: he is no longer a man, he says, and certainly, not much use to the cause. Glitterstem explains that their friend did it to fight off dark magic, and that he will recover. Enmul, the shaman, seems more understanding. He relates a tale of Baghtru’s father – a being even greater than the son – giving up parts of his body to gain wisdom and power. Glitterstem takes up with the shaman, learning about broths, herbs, and incantations that may remove the dark magic.
When they are not attending to their fallen comrade, the elf and the gnome learn more about the outcome of the battle. About a third of the human captives have been slaughtered, and their remains have been floated down the river, as a message. The hopes are that more colonists, especially those in the vicinity of Neverwinter, will abandon their farms. Others have been enslaved, and alternate between receiving abuse, and doing hard manual labor (digging trenches, fortifying occupied farms, etc. There are still too few orcs to launch attacks on either town. Many have gone off on raids, to terrorize farmers. Some have returned to their fort, to rest and resupply, while others have been sent to orc tribes, to recruit more soldiers. Amando explains to Miletus that since the party has stayed behind with the Brotherhood, they will be asked to pitch in. Enkidu would have been a logical person to help with recruitment, but he is incapacitated. Miletus suggests that they can go and recruit the goblins, but Amando doesn’t think the party has the necessary pull to bring them onside. As it is, they’ll probably have to choose between hitting farms or kidnapping an armorer to help reshape the captured mail to orcish needs. As he wanders around the woods, talking to Amando, Miletus spots a crow following them. It has a distinguishing mark – a small, but noticeable copper wire around its foot.
In Claymore, Theobald remains imprisoned. He seems forgotten for the first day and a half, and only gets bread crusts and water twice a day. Toward the evening of the second day of his captivity, he has a visit from Glitterstem’s cousin Kasmyr. The gnome says he received a message from Glitterstem that Theobald was back in town, and then sought information on his whereabouts, until he heard that the human had been imprisoned. He asks about his kinsman, and the party’s adventures since it left town over a fortnight ago. After getting a briefing from Theobald, he tells the human that Claymore is partially emptied, but that the people remaining behind are preparing to defend the town to the death. Elst, as well as Meerlinda, have both fallen in battle, but the younger Bester has been spotted in his former office since the survivors returned. The majority of those remaining are now Harpers, and that also gives the others some cause for concern. A few new arrivals, who had prepared to set sail from across the sea before the debacle at Guildenstern’s Farm, are expected, however. Among them is Kasmyr’s daughter, Nysa, and he is conflicted about what to do. He wants to meet her in Neverwinter, and keep here safe there, but he is also afraid that if he leaves Claymore, he will never see his shop again. Upon parting, Theobald asks the gnome to relay a message to Balint.
The next day, Balint visits Theobald in his cell. After being briefed, he first expresses excitement at the party’s discoveries: the finding of Aman dovetails well with this theories about a dawning age of rebirth. He also proceeds to reassure the sorcerer that the horse-pelican’s blood is safely hidden away, and to inform him that the store is still functioning, although it has been losing money, and although he himself was fined 50 gp for violating Bester’s ordinance. In response to Theobald’s tale of elven connivance in what is happening, he relates with some apprehension that the elven priestess Lainel Coronnim had been left in charge of the apothecary’s shop by Miletus. Theobald reassures him, saying that she was not affiliated with the White Hand. Upon parting, Balint is still feeling enthused, and promises to speak to the authorities about Theobald’s release, to visit him soon, and to send word to Glitterstem that his message was received.
The next day, Bester finally returns to the cell. He walks in holding a spyglass, stares out the window at the fields beyond the southern wall, and then hands the glass to Theobald, asking the sorcerer if he sees anything of note. He does not – the orcs are apparently not gathering for a storm of the town for the time being. Bester then apologizes for not returning sooner, and for not paying sufficient heed to what Theobald had to say earlier. He was preoccupied with the aftermath of the battle, but now that Claymore appears to be secured for the immediate future, he has had a chance to consider the sorcerer’s words. Overall, he finds them credible, and concerning. He also seems to accept the explanation of Enkidu’s attack, and the others’ remaining behind with the Brotherhood. He also accepts the story of the elven manipulation of the Brotherhood, and suggests that the best thing to do is to spy on them to glean their plans in their own center at Avandra. This would be the best use of Theobald’s talents, but to make it look credible, word will have to be sent that the sorcerer is a traitor who is to be executed, and then, an escape will have to be arranged. He does not trust the other colonists, and expects little practical aid from them. Theobald reveals his plans to meet with his party members in just over a fortnight, gives Bester the coded letter, and teaches him how to read it. Bester promises to improve Theobald’s accommodations in the cell, returns indispensible (but small) items to him (to make his escape look credible), and says that he will arrange it that guards on duty do not stand in the way of the sorcerer’s escape. He also tells him that until Vess returns and reestablishes Bank control, the loan for the shop will not have to be paid (though the Company still expects its monthly rent). He suggests that Theobald use his contacts to make sure orcs appear at the meeting site, so that Theobald’s escape looks believable to outsiders.
Back at the farmstead, Glitterstem receives a rodent messenger from Balint, telling him that the meeting is on, and to bring along some orcs. The druid informs Amando and the orcs that their friend, who sought to help the humans, found no sympathy in town, and is now planning to escape, and to switch sides, but may need some aid. Humbaba approves a meeting party, which will include Glitterstem and Miletus, the female warrior Hursag (who appears to be Humbaba’s main squeeze), and two elite braves – Rahab and Sharru. The day before the meeting, Glitterstem attempts use the knowledge imparted by Enmul to dispel the magic of Enkidu’s tattoo. There is no immediate result, but over the course of the day, the webs on the half-orc’s chest fade, and finally, dissipate, though the ranger remains asleep. Leaving him in the care of his family, the party departs on the eve of the meeting, camping half a mile away, just under tree cover, within sight of Furriers’ Gate. The company is tailed by a crow. During the night, Miletus stands watch with Rahab, when he hears flapping, and a familiar series of squeaky whistles overhead. Rahab raises his bow, attempting to bring the creature down, but the elf deftly knocks the weapon out of his hands, telling him to let the creature go. The uruk swears profusely, but the incident goes no further. In his mind, Miletus hears a message of gratitude, and a wishing of good fortune, as the creature departs.
Nothing more transpires until the following evening. When Theobald is brought his evening meal, he is invisible. A guard opens his door, and goes to the window, while Theobald slips out, and descends the tower stairs. He slips out of the arsenal, and proceeds to Furriers’ Gate. The gate is shut, however, and four crossbow-armed guards watch from the tower above. Theobald waits a few moments, but the gate remains closed. He then steps back, and suddenly, a ball of fire erupts - outside the gate. The sorcerer becomes visible, but as the guards are gathering their wits, another one follows. The gate is incinerated, and Theobald runs through it, though he is greeted by a hail of crossbow bolts. While two of the guards reload, two give chase, releasing their own bolts at closer range. Theobald vanishes again, though takes one last bolt in the shoulder for his troubles. He then hightails it toward the woods. Miletus creates an arc of fire as a beacon, to let their companion know where they are.
The sorcerer, sorely wounded, finally reaches the party, and touches Glitterstem on the shoulder, asking for aid. The gnome provides it, and the group moves away, to take cover, for the night. Hursag is impressed, and lauds Theobald as a useful ally.

Report Date

21 May 2016