Session 356 - The Battle of Fisen

General Summary

The Story So Far

The King is dead. Long live the King.

King Minigath Elendsa, who had ruled the Kingdom of Kaldor well for thirty-three years, has been assassinated. His nephew, Sir Conwan Elendsa, has been crowned King, but the former King's bastard son, Sir Maldan Harabor, has contested this and made his own claim.

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While the kingdom is embroiled in a civil war, the mysterious Esoterical Order of Lothrim has struck, and armies of orcs, many thousands strong, have invaded the fractured realm.

This is the continuation of Session 354 - Dark Ritual.

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Location - Kingdom of Evael.

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17^th Azura (Autumn) 727TR

Part 1 – Cloak of the Winds

Galaeron, art by Artbreeder

The heroes have ended the evil necromancer Incabulos' scheme to become a lich and finally served justice to a trio of elf murderers. On the would-be lich's body, the heroes find the Nolah’s Flute (a.k.a. the Troll Bone Flute), a magical artifact of the Church of Ilvir, allowing whoever plays it to open and travel through Barasi Points or Elven Holy Groves. Dryueh has visited several such sites growing up in the isolated Kingdom of the Elves, so he uses the flute to travel home and report to the Sindarin that the Elf killers are dead.

Galaeron Loravaris, one of the King's trusted advisers, is very satisfied with his efforts. As a reward, Dryueh is gifted the Cloak of the Winds, a powerful enchanted relic from the royal treasury, as an award. The cunning thief also offers assistance in the future, "He is available if anything needs to be done, no matter how underhanded."

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Location - Ascur Abbey in the Kingdom of Kaldor.

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Part 2 – Enormous Scorpions

Again, Dryeuh plays the flute and, this time, transports the heroes back to Kaldor, specifically the mystical site of Bromela, near the isolated Ascur Abbey. Unfortunately, the portal has recently opened to another realm, and three huge black scorpions have emerged. Confused by the wet world they find themselves in, they attack the heroes, catching them in their pincer's vise-like grip. Their hard shells are difficult to crack and venom deadly, but they are destroyed.

Part 3 – The Chase

Abbot Wakin, art by Artbreeder

While resting at Ascur Abbey, Abbot Watkin of Ware, the Warden of Fyaslor Forest, informs Rycon that a scout from the Order of Lothrim has been seen nearby. He needs to be chased down; otherwise, he will get word back for the military forces based at Ascur. Rather than send foresters, the party attempts to catch him.

The heroes chase after him, racing up heavily wooded hills, hacking through brambles, nearly losing him after an autumn rain shower, and trudging through the resulting mud. The heroes get separated, and just before the villain makes it to safety, Rycon catches up with him. The scout puts up a good fight, defending himself competently with two short swords. Nevertheless, Rycon batters him down and knocks him out with the flat of his blade.

Exhausted, Dryueh and Valeria arrive to find the man unconscious at Rycon’s feet. Dryueh does what he does best: extract the man’s memories using a magical artifact that kills the subject of the process.

Part 4 – A Devious Plan

From the memories, the party learns that the scout is part of a larger orc army, around 2,000 strong, moving to attack Kiban. Castle Kiban has been wreaked (refer Session 348 - Inferno), and the Earl of Kiban has relocated his army, about 400 strong, to Fisen. The town Kiban and its surrounding manors are expected to fall easily. Rycon, as Marshal of the North, considers a bold plan. Can he destroy this foulspawn army by directing it to Fisen and catching it in a pincer attack?

Sir Luisan, art by Artflow

Valeria uses an Illusionary Disguise to take the dead scout's appearance and infiltrate the enemy camp. She reports to its human general, a big warrior with absurdly large horns on his helmet, called Ralash. General Ralash is fooled and believes in the tall tale Valeria tells him. She recounts about learning a secret passage under the walls of Fisen Keep. He decides, after some indecisiveness, to change his plans. Kiban is to be spared for the moment; he directs his army to Fisen, splitting into 4 smaller armies of about 200 strong to capture outlying manors and settlements while the bulk of his army, little over 1,200 bloodthirsty orcs, will siege and attack Fisen Keep through the alleged weak point.

While Valeria is undertaking her deception, Rycon rushes to Getha Keep, one of the few unconquered holdout strongholds in the north, to requisition an army. Fortunately, Baron Chimin Indama and his half-brother, Rycon's friend, Sir Luisan Kelic, are receptive to Rycon’s strategy. A makeshift force of about 300, mostly peasants but with a strong core of Knights of Redemption men of arms and Kights, is assembled and joins Rycon moving south.

Part 4 – The Battle of Fisen 21 Azura 727

Looking through the eyes of her bird companion, Valeria scouts out the locations of the enemy units and directs Rycon’s forces to the smaller orcish hordes attacking the manors around Fisen. The first two orc detachments are caught by surprise and eliminated, and a third is ambushed as it attempts to come to the aid of the second. As the fourth is overwhelmed, the main orc army responds, breaking its siege on Fisen, and moves to attack Rycon’s much smaller army. Critically, General Ralash fails to leave a holding force at the keep.

Earl Troda Dariune, art by Artbreeder

Now Rycon waits. He previously sent a message to the Earl of Kiban, Sir Troda Dariune, and hopes he will sally forth and strike the orcs from behind. Sir Troda does not disappoint. The orc army is caught off guard, trapped in a pincer attack, and their morale crumbles. After a brutal battle, only a meager 500 of the foul spawn manage to escape, scattering in all directions.

Immediately after the battle's conclusion, Baron Chimin and Sir Luisan race their tired forces back to Getha before the enemy can attack the lightly garrisoned keep. This leaves Kiban’s forces to mop up the remaining orcs.

Rycon has destroyed one orc army.

To be continued.

NPC Interactions

Sir Luisan Kelic.

Sir Chimin Indama - Baron of Getha.

Sir Troda Dariune - The Earl of Kiban.

Player Characters

Valeria - Human - L16 Shadow Sorcerer

Background - Magical Experiment.

Archetype - Beastmaster.

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Rycon - Human - L16 Fighter

Background - Rebel Knight.

Archetypes - Liberator Champion/Dual Weapon Warrior/Swashbuckler.

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Dryueh - 1/2 Elf - L16 Thief Rogue

Background - Scout.

Archetypes - Vigilante/Medic/Shadowdancer/Wizard.

Next Session

Session 359 - Blind Orc Quarry.

Campaign

Legacy of the Foulspawner

Protagonists

Rycon

Dryueh

Valeria

Report Date

10 Jun 2024

Related Characters

• Sir Luisan Kelic

Nolah’s Flute

A magical artifact of the Church of Ilvir, allowing whoever plays it to open and travel through Barasi Points or Holy Groves.

chancay bone flute

Esoterical Order of Lothrim

A secret society of wizards bent on creating a mage-ruled empire on the isle of Harn. They are led by a skilled mage claiming to be the daughter of Lothrim the Foulspawner and control numerous powerful orc nations.

Order of The Knights of Redemption

The Knights of Redemption is a Holy Fighting Order of the goddess Larani sponsored by the Clerical Order of Valamin, the Mouth of Virtue. It recently split from the Order of the Lady of Paladins in protest after leading the dishonorable, genocidal Solora Crusade.

Knights of Redemption art by Attacus