Act IV: Salute the rank
You all heard about the terrible deeds on Jaharman Isle by more seasoned soldiers on the boat trip over. The war there has claimed many lives, both Elf and Orc. Troops are depleting and the Elves have overcome their impatience with other races and have brought mercenaries to fight on their behalf. You have had many skrimishes before and excel at combat. However, the fight that is to come, no man can prepare. Within your first six minutes on Jaharman Isle, you die. You gasp for air as you are brought back to life by Elven healers. You notice the large quantities of diamonds being used to resurrect soldiers, as Elven healers are spending all their spellslots to revive them. You drink a potion to negate the negative effects of being resurrected and feel yourself pumped with energy.Our heroes find themselves on a cliff, overlooking a battlefield full of Elves and Orcs. In the middle of the battlefield stands a large one-armed Orc, much gnarlier looking than the other Orcs around him, smashing in the sculls of the Elves. The Gnomaimers, consisting of Hazer, Hydria, and the cousins Arad and Driana, know they need to succeed their mission in order to turn this around. They have to rescue Lieutenant Vala from behind enemy lines. Their informants have told them that she's being held captive in the Greywolf, the Orcen stronghold.
You are being pulled aside by the High Healer, the commander of this medical bay. He knows you are well trained professionals that are being used wrongly. He says that you needn't serve as cannon fodder but instead locate and rescue Lieutenant Vala who has been captured by Orc forces and is being used as leverage. She is one of the best healers present and her safe arrival back in Elven hands could possibly be the deciding factor in the war. The High Healer offers you reward should you return with Lieutenant Vala alive.
You follow the route the scouts have gave you. Close to enemy positions, you move quietly towards the Orcish Stronghold known as Greywolf. To get a better view, you position on top a rocky outcropping. Overlooking the battlefield, you see one Orc, singlehandedly lay waste to battalions of Elves. You notice he is missing one arm.
And that is were we start Act IV
They decided to approach the stronghold by going over the nearby cliff. While travelling they came across many obstacles. The first obstacle was a large gap they had to jump over. Hazer, the kind soul that he was, tried to aid his party members by instructing them how to jump, but Arad didn't want to listen to the old man. That didn't end well for him as he barely made the jump. Driana and Hydria took Hazer's advice and were able to get to the other side safely, though Driana didn't want show that she needed his help, acting as arrogant as ever.
The next obstacle posed a bit more of a challenge. They saw how the path they'd been taking over became less than a foot wide, making it harder for them to walk over it. Arad tried to make his way to the other side, but failed, almost falling down. Luckily, Driana was able to use her telekinetic abilities to push him towards the cliff. He did not fall, but saw how a part of the ledge had broken off. Now they had to make a jump while walking over the narrow path. Hazer immediately thought of a plan where they would use rope to make sure they could be caught when they fell. But who would be the first to go? Maybe Arad? Or Driana? "So, if Arad goes first, he will be the one who dies if it goes wrong? Seems like a plan" said Driana while flashing Arad a fake smile. Hazer answered that no one would die because of the rope, but that it might still be good if Arad went first because of his skills. And so it went.
When they'd almost made their way to the bottom of the cliff, they climbed on top of the roof of the Orcen stronghold. From there they took in their environment, and made their plan to attack the two guards at the entrance. First off, Hazer would sneak down and get close enough to the guard on the left to attack him. Secondly, Arad would jump off and use Tomb of Levistus on himself. This would be triggered by Hydria, so he would be able to fall on the guard on the right while covered in ice. Last of all, when Arad would fall on top of the guard, Hazer and Driana would both attack the guard on the right.
And so it happened. It was a bloody mess, but they succeeded. Swiftly the women made their way over to the entrance that was shaped like a large skull. There they met up with Hazer and Arad, who waited on top of the lifeless bodies of the Orcs. Together, they entered the stronghold.
It was dark inside, the only light sources were the few braziers that hung from the walls. These sporadic lights gave them enough places they could hide. Hazar scouted forward, sneaking across the room he became one with the shadows. A few minutes later he came back to the rest of the party.
He explained how there were four hallways, and he'd seen how a group of Elven prisoners had been led into the second hallway on the left. They would have to sneak towards this hallway. The Orcs that were present weren't armed, so they would have the upper hand if they had to fight them. "So, if they see us we can just cut 'em up in tiny little pieces!" said Driana while cherishing her battleaxe. "No maiming! We only fight to protect ourselves, no need for unnecessary violence" answered Hazer sternly. Driana smiled sweetly at him, and started walking only to be stopped by Hazer. "I mean it young lady" he told her. Full of arrogance she looked him up and down before saying: "You know, I'm actually older than you. But alright young man." A smug smile covered her face. Hazer took a deep breath, and started sneaking towards the hallway.
Arad, Driana, and Azar all took the stealthy approach. Hydria, however, decided to disguise herself into an Orc. Because of her height, she was way bigger than the other Orcs in the stronghold. This worked in her favor when one of the Orcs almost found her out, as the Orc did not want to challenge a superior.
While sneaking through the room, Arad noticed how a flock of ravens appeared in the center of the room. Out of the unkindness stepped an older Orcish woman, who seemed to hold great power. Arad swallowed, and kept on making his way towards the hallway.
Though their approach wasn't flawless, they all came together in the hallway without maiming any Orcs. Arad, Driana, and Hazer tried to stay hidden while making their way through the hallway, while Driana used her telekinetic abilities to open the fences. Meanwhile, Hydria tried to walk with all the confidence she could muster in her Orcish form. However, they were soon found out by two guards. While Hazer and Arad attacked the first one, Driana happily pulled her axe from her back. With a big grin she put a Branding Smite on her weapon, and cleaved through the Orc. After that, they were able to safely move forward.
It all seemed to go smoothly until Arad stepped on a stone. A loud alarm began to sound. They waited for a while, and then... nothing. Was it a false alarm? They continued forward, still curious about the stone.
Soon they reached the dungeons, where many soldiers were locked up. They didn't have a description of the Lieutenant, but it didn't take long before they found her. Locked in a cell was a woman with long pale green hair. Branches adorned her head, like a crown of thorns. She introduced herself to them as Lieutenant Livi Vala.
With enough force they were able to break open her cell, and free her. Though they would have liked to help the rest of the soldiers too, they knew it would be to dangerous. "We'll come back for them" said Miss Vala, before they started making their way back.
Together they tried to stay hidden. While they walked through the hallways, and kept closing all gates behind them, they got to know the Lieutenant. Driana didn't hold back when asking Miss Vala about her ears, which were weirdly shaped, and later also told her about Hazers horrible opinions on maiming enemies.
Their conversation didn't go unnoticed, when they were suddenly surrounded by the Orcs. A fight broke out. At first, they wanted to flee, but after seeing the odds turn in their favor they decided on staying and fighting. Lucky for them, they won. Together with the Lieutenant, they made their way back to the camp.
Back at the Elven Healing Camp, the Gnomaimers were rewarded, and Lieutenant Vala was welcomed. The Elves were truly happy to see her returned. For a few more weeks Lieutenant Livi Vala made sure the Elven warriors were fit for battle. Exhausted on the seventh day, she was approached by the High Healer who said to her: “Lieutenant, at ease. I’m afraid you will be leaving us, you presence is requested in Ysala. The council of factions has news for you, your ship awaits.” And on her way she went. That's how you Dew it!
Relations
Protagonists
The Gnomaimers (Just Dew it!):
- Arad Glaivewalker, an Aasimar Warlock
- Driana Glaivewalker, an Aasimar Warlock
- Hazer Dew, a Gnome Rogue
- Hydria Stormwind, a Firbolg Cleric
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