"Sweet Release" - After Covid Hiatus

General Summary

A months time at least had passed since the heist, and the many adventurers of Haven Island scattered to their own regions and deeds, and with the secrets revealed within Lord Haven on High's tower of The Advisor, some created their own missions. Goodwill was once such person and has been on such travels for this time, April, Elric, and many others remained in and around Haven Cross and The Auburn Crustacean to work together and have been working on the quelling of the plague since. They have found out about two other Blights that have taken root on the island, and have been waiting for words from Halven, the minotaur mob boss.
Winslow was capturing during the heist and, staying in FairHaven to keep a careful watch, Halven heard that him and one other prisoner were being transported on the morrow to Haven's Landing and hours later, April received word via hawk from The Auburn Crustacean and the party set forth to Haven Cross with just Elric and his Steel Defender, Oko, April, and Xanbjorn in tow. They find canoes along the shore of The Shimmerstone Canyon and ride the Riverway of The Ancients all the way to Miruvain D'Arsh, The Mirror Hidden Among The Fangs.
These lands were previously inhabited and likely still are by The Magehounds, but in the last few weeks they have retreated into the mountains, opening the space for folks to freely traverse through during this time of plague. After reaching the lake and it's opposite shore, the trio meet up with several hooded and shadowy figures. They are introduced as resistance fighters in the letter April received. The other person on the back of that wagon is of vital importance to them, and they also got word from Halven of the Parties' deeds and stakes in the coming battles. Together, the lot of them stay up awhile to plan how to engage with the wagon when it arrives. War is harsh and hard decisions are made for the coming battle.
That night the party rests, not looking forward to the fight that would come, but eager to rescue their friend, Winslow and this other man, though none of the fighters would share their names.
The next morning, they prepare their trap, a half cut down tree with a hidden rope and a piton hammered in and affixed to the rope. The wagon would run over the rope and the nearly cut down tree would fall, down the cliff, and sever the wagons escape. And it did just that, a little too well in fact, as it landed directly upon the chains and binding that would hold the horses to the wagon for it's travel. The horses dash off and the resistance fighters and party jump into action.
A mage, archers, soldiers, scouts, and mayhem of all kind erupted along these once peaceful crossroads as the three groups clashed as one. The mage that rode atop the wagon immediately turned invisible, and the archers arrows dug deep into the adventurers, units spread out and the cages atop the wagon were left protected by... distracted soldiers to say the least.
Three cages were atop the back of the wagon, but the third was empty. Winslow of course occupied one, and the other was inhabited by a man of intense focus. He sat cross-legged in his cage, the battle raging on around him, a slight smile across his face. His eyes are closed, taking in the blood and battle, but not... with any sort of wickedness. Almost as if he was expecting it and waiting. Winslow watched in awe as the man rose up in his tattered cloth, and was able to break out. He opens his eyes and sets forth a slurry of well placed ki-infused strikes. The first breaking his cuffs; the second shattering the door lock; and the third breaking the wrought gate from it's hinges - flying into the soldier that occupied his guard. Running into the fray before he could help Winslow who was in the other cage of course. Winslow took the opportunity to pull out a hidden lockpick implement, he only had one pin though so he had to be careful, not only to do it quickly, but to do it with finesse.
He failed his first attempt as arrows and bolts of magical fire flew every which way, but focusing himself and taking a deep breath as his friend had done the second time around, he was able to succeed, the door swinging open and Winslow looking to find his gear in a lockbox not too far away (knowing it was there from overhearing the guards) still on the wagon. He grabs his lute and magic once more flows from his fingers. The monk who had broken already, eventually makes his way atop the hillside, towards April.
The adventures are hard-pressed as the mage reveals himself with spells alight in all directions. Xanbjorn, Elric and Oko had taken to the ground as April stayed atop the hillside with spells and covering magic. The mage misty steps to the top of the cliffside to pursue April's celestial magic and end it. Just then, the monk meets him with a ginger touch on the shoulder, having just climbed up the cliffside. The mage spreads out their fingers and utters a phrase before an explosive eruption of coldness shoots out of their hands. A cone of absolute cold envelops and immediately freezes the man before the mage moves onward over to finish off April, who had taken much damage from arrows and was low on health for the third time!
She used her celestial light to heal many turns in a row, and as the mage approached her, no longer in cover, a furious uproar is heard. The bear spirit of Xanbjorn had been raging, but as the risk encloses around her newfound friend she runs, jumps, and leaps across the battlefield before flying the rest of the way, their massive copper-toned wings hovering overhead the battlefield. He reaches a height and distance that is close enough to hit the mage and throws two javelins! One misses, but one hits the spellcaster true. The movement inspires Elric who is handling foes below with Oko, and April sees a glint of fear in the mage's eye. Likely from their past experiences in the Barbarian Wars of yore that April and party slowly uncovers facts around.
The last moment of this bloody conflict comes not a moment too soon as The Platinum Warlock sets loose 2 crackling beams of blue-silver eldritch energy and the battle ends with the mage collapsing dead. The party, and their new resistance friends clean up the bodies of the now slain soldiers, with no survivors as the resistance fighters each pick off the runners at range. Elric devises a quick pully system to get their frozen comrade off the hillside on onto their own wagon. Peering into the ice, April recognizes the monk finally as Salochin Nesuhal - a brave monk who had first been met hunting Farthis the Songbird long ago. The broken wagon is mended next and filled with the dead soldiers and hauled away to be burned or otherwise misplaced. Shuffling into town with as low profile, the party follows the fighters into a household along the upper side of Haven's Landing, each layer of housing being dug into the wall at different layers, having been a sort of quarry as well for FairHaven's stone. This shelter, right under one of Lord Regent on High's sons, ruler of Haven's Landing is as the resistance's secret base. It was downstairs and dug into the hillside, bustling with the makings of a great revolution.

Report Date

17 Sep 2022