Forest Ambush, or the Battle of Albae Forest: Game 9

General Summary

The Party defeats and slays the orcs, orogs and ogre squatting at Caer Rhufenadd, fails to capture the necromancer searching for the vampire coffer and fail to stop him from stealing the beautiful flute from the vampiress' coffer, judiciously elect to leave the vampire unmolested, safely arrive at Harmarthen to pick up their mule train, and travel safely through the Albae Forest until being ambushed by orcs.
A summary of the start of the battle, the group's plan and how we will start the next game is under "Next Steps" at the bottom of this summary.

Caer Rhufenadd

The Battle of Caer Rhufenadd is decisively won by the Party. The Party learns that Caer Rhufenadd, which means “Old Fultonian Castle” in Celtic, was originally called Harpshield Keep. The keystone of the entrance arch is adorned with the eroded relief of a harp within a triangle of stars.
The Party slays 30 orcs, 3 orogs, and 2 ogres. Their treasure is:

• 40 Fultonian gold royals
• 25 Fultonian denari
• 10 Celtic gold Auras
• 20 Celtic denari
• Set of lower canines that resembled boar tusks with runes.
• Jar of pickled toes.
• Bag of fish heads
• Bent silver spoon
• Bag of mushrooms (save vs. poison or be fried and seeing visions for an hour)
• Still beating heart
• A well-made set of 6" wide black leather arm bracers set with silver studs. A nice find worth 50 gp.
• A simple ring, sized for a large orc finger, made from hammered gold. It is worth 250 gp.
• A matching pair of silver ear cuffs, one larger than the other, connected by a fine silver chain. These were definitely NOT made by orcs. They are worth 100 gp.
• A massive codpiece with a gilded rhino horn at its center is definitely a conversation starter, but not to everyone's taste perhaps. It could be worth 100 gp for its novelty value.

Vampire Basement

A necromancer worshiper of Hecate and of the Order of the Necromantia was overseeing the digging out of a vampire coffer, seeking to plunder its contents. The basement walls were covered in ancient and bizarre bas reliefs of half human half animals. Despite their unusual and fearsome features, the bas reliefs of the long forgotten civilization leave a sense of awe and amazement rather than horror.

The necromancer Diablis, with chain male and a black scimitar and his chief body guard assistant Shardul, with chain male and a great two handed scimitar, were able to open the coffer, hold back the vampire with Diabilis skull holy symbol, steal an beautifully decorated flute, and escape into the night without a trace. The Party investigated the vampire coffer, and after listening to a frightening warning, elected to live and let the vampire remain dead. Touching the coffer caused Gemme to be cursed, which was later removed.
After the completion of the battle, and the counting of the plunder, Antonia recited a great prayer of thanks to Tya Nehru for saving the entire merchant flotilla. Antonia is the flagellant high priestess of the Persecuted Faithful, a heretically Bevilian sect worshiping a twisted version of Tya Nehru. When reciting her prayer along with the chanting of her followers, this charismatic woman exudes regality that inspires to devote of a group of Charles Mason followers.
The flotilla of Emer Mor Emer, Emer the Boatwoman two boats, the merchant boats the Brand and the Swan's Feather, the guard boat Bitter Tooth, and the flagellant's boat left the next morning down river with lush, verdant shores and trees. The beauty of the morning along the river left no traces of the murder and undeath of the night before.
The Vampiress Poem:

Harmarthen

First passing great statutes of three Celtic swords that greet boats traveling south down river, the Party then arrived the in river village of Harmarthen. The Celtic swords honor a Celtic warrior of old who defeated and drove out the Fultonians living in this area after the Fultonian army abandoned the north following the Guar Conquest and Arrival of the Great Worms. Harmarthen is a small well protected trading village surrounded by marshes and a side branch of the Kozar River. Angharad Fawr meet the local Fawr family agent, Escinos (a Celt with a blond handlebar mustache), who had a mule train and muleteers ready for the trip inland. The Party relayed information regarding Caer Rhufenadd, the vampire, and then slept outside of the village with the mule train and left the next morning. The locals were appreciative, yet apprehensive about the information passed on.
Emer and Enid Ni Cuhail picked up new cargo and prepared to head back north with the two merchants ships, which were outfitted with Fawr family goods being shipped north. The Seven Celts in the guard boat (six warriors and one servant) armed with spears, ax and dagger, with shields and studded leather all accompany the Party on the long, 200 mile journey south toward the Northern Fultar town of Immersea. The first part is a 70 mile trip to the Celtic village of Oblat, which is in the land of the Celtic tribe of Albae, one of the six tribes that make up the Nation of Galletica. The trip to Oblat should take 7 days of hard travel.
In addition to the Party, Angharad Fawr and the Celtic warriors, there are 9 muleteers, a cook, a caravan master, animal master and captain of arms, 50 mules and 10 mastiff hounds.

• Parker Maron (Fultonian, male) Caravan Master, short, always red toad like face
• Gregory (Fultonian, male) Caravan animal master, club foot
• Andrea (Fultonian, female) Captain of arms, retired solider and jack of all trades.
• Ticonder (Fultonian, male) Cook
• Logaz (Fultoninan, male) Camp aide, dog master
• Taxter (Fultonian, male) Muleteer, camp aide, stinky
• Jeriviah (Fultonian, male) Muleteer, camp aide
• Spanti (Fultonian, male) Muleteer, camp aide
• Andalia (Fultonian, female) Muleteer, camp aide
• Roga (Celt, female) Muleteer, camp aide, grumpy
• Segomaros (Celt, male) Muleteer, camp aide
• Finniana (Celt, female) Muleteer, camp aide
• Vincetrix (Celt, male) Muleteer, camp aide

Albae Forest

Day 1

The caravan made good time traveling on old thousand year old Fultonian roads with birds chirping and the sweet smells of flowers, grass and willow trees. The caravan made camp in an open field with menhirs.

Day 2

The caravan continued on old, but still functioning paved roads and spent the night in a smaller grove along a stream. During the night, wolves could be heard howling in the distance.

Day 3

The caravan began to travel through forest, with poorer quality roads that were often nothing more than dirt and moss covered paths with an occasional pave stone to remind the Party that this once used to be a civilized Fultonian road.
At night, the caravan is approached by two large warriors, a red haired white skinned woman and ruddy man with a flowing beard, each with great winged helmets, and golden breast plates and blue cloaks. They are both Rangers. Wirogalos, which means man of valor. In Celtic: wiros "man" and *galā "valour, ability". Uindima the White, In Celtic uindos "white"
They warn of orcs, suggest returning. Olbat is still 4 days out, which is a long way.
Anghard gives a short speech that no man knows how long he lives nor when his Doom may come, but valor we all have so little, and I will give it freely against the forces of chaos. Despite his statement of courage, he asks close questions about the road ahead.

Day 4

The road travels to drier areas with less forest and more rocks.
The fourth night is spent on the bottom of a small hill with wolves sounding closer and closer.

Day 5: Ambush!

The wolves are closer, and a dark sense of malicious forbidding and a lack of balance comes over the caravan.
Gemmi and the Celtic scout, Maddox, (Short with red hair, leather and a short sword) scout out ahead, discover an ambush, attempt to warn the caravan, and the trap is sprung. First comes a shadow of fear that falls about the caravan like a great tidal wave crashing down causing the animals and all the muleteers to flee in terror.

Next Steps

The DM provided the Party an opportunity to shout over the din of attacking orcs launching arrows, throwing spears, and charging down to attack and plan their next steps. The Party decided to retreat back into the opposite woods with the intention of meeting at a center location. This will take four rounds for Group Two and three rounds for Group One. Group One, lead by Ankili mac Aevyrn, left the terrified muleteers and other caravaners placing them between the Party members and potentially slowing down the onrushing orcs. Group Two, led by the Viking skald, elected to allow the terrorized muleteers and caravaners an opportunity to flee, potentially saving their lives. This slowed Group Two's retreat by a round. There is a Group Three, which consists of Gemma and the Celtic scout Maddox. The Party was able to rally their members, and they are confident that not all of the flagellants and caravaners fled in terror, but they cannot be seen the chaos. It is likely that Antonia (the flagellant high priestess), Parker Maron (the Fultonian Caravan Master, a short man with a red toad like face), and Andrea (the Fultonian Captain of the Arms, a retired solider and jane of all trades) have not fled in terror. There may be others.
At the end of the session, there was discussion between David and Jeremy about whether to continue on the original plan of retreating to a common position. David noted that it would be a long retreat, and potentially casting spells or taking other action might be more beneficial.
There have two rounds in which the party organized and one round of fleeing for Group One. The DM has not yet rolled or done damage from the rain of arrows and spears from the attacking orcs. There will be two rounds of orc arrows and spears at the start of the game, and then the Party can decide whether to continue on the current plan or make alterations.
Group One:
Ankili, Cormac, Trystan, Monell, and three Celtic guards (Kane, a handsome brown haired man, Bryn, a tall, hunched over man with long blond hair covering a scared face, and Idris, a lordly son of petty chief).
Group Two:
Eyvind, Odium Moulim, Angharad Fawr, Bariuenous the Ranger, and two Celtic guards (Isolde, a woman with near white skin and black short hair, and her sister Eria, also wtih near white skin but long black hair with a short bow).
Group Three:
Gemmie and Maddox, the Celtic scout.
July 16, YR 908

Vampiress Poem

Found a corpse, with glittering hair,
Of a woman whose face, tho' dead,
The white death in it had left still fair,
Too fair for an earthly bed!
So I loosened each fold of her bright curls roll'd
From forehead to foot in a rush of red gold,
And kissed her lips till her lips were red,
And warm and light on her eyelids white
I breath'd, and pressed unto mine her breast,
Till the blue eyes ope'd and the breast grew warm,
And this woman, behold! arose up bold,
And lifelike lifting a wilful arm,
With steady feet from the winding sheet
Stepp'd forth to a mutter'd charm.


And now beside me, whatever betide me,
This woman is, night and day.
For she cleaves to me so, that, wherever I go
She is with me the whole of the way.
And her eyes are so bright in the dead of the night,
That they keep me awake with dread;
While my life blood pales in my veins and fails,
Because her red lips are so red
That I fear 'tis my heart she must eat for her food;
And it makes my whole flesh creep
To think she is drinking and draining my blood,
Unawares, if I chance to sleep.


It were better for me, ere I came nigh her,
This corpse,--ere I looked upon her,
Had they burn'd my body with penal fire
With a sorcerer's dishonour.
For when the devil has made his lair
In the living eyes of a dear dead woman,
(To bind a man's strength by her golden hair,
And break his heart, if his heart be human),
Is there any penance, or any prayer,
That may save the sinner whose soul he tries
To catch in the curse of the constant stare
Of those heartbreaking bewildering eyes,
Comfortless, cavernous glowworms that glare
From the gaping grave where a dead hope lies?
It is more than the soul of a man may bear.
For the misery worst of all miseries
Is Desire eternally feeding Despair
On the flesh, or the blood, that forever supplies
Life more than enough to keep fresh in repair
The death ever dying, which yet never dies.

Diablis the necromancer was able to steal a beautiful flute from the vampires' coffer.

The walls of the ruined Fultonian castle, Caer Rhufenadd, were covered with ancient bas reliefs of a dead civilization.

Diabilis' used his skull holy symbol to keep the Vampiress in her coffer long enough to steal the ancient flute.

After the terrible battle with the undead and orcs, the flotilla traveled downriver in a beautiful morning with rush, verdant riverbanks.

by Giuseppe Milo

Report Date

18 Mar 2023

The old Fultonian roads outside of Harmarthen are easily traveled and at least partially maintained.

by Alan Wigginton - Own work

The quality of the old Fultonian roads quickly deteriorated as the Party traveled into the Albae Forest.

by Ferdinand Leeke

Two Celtic rangers warned the caravan of continuing and recommended that they return to Harmarthen.

by Photogir

The fourth day traveled over dry ancient Fultonian roads, before returning to dense forest on the fifth day.

by Photogir

by By Ludobesac

The Chant and Flagellation of the Persecuted Faithful

WHO shall do her, Hecate's evil will,
He shall for it and be forgiven,
Thus his soul will be saved.
Help, lady Tya Nehru, because it hear to us all.
Come to us dear lady goddess,
So that we will fulfill your command.

NOW enter here the penance will,
So that we can flee the hot hell.
Hecate is an evil companion.
Who she likes, she nourishes with pitch.
So fell her or you will be Hecate's.

SO we then loudly call:
Accept our services with which here we pay
Shelter us from hell,
So we pray.

BECAUSE of the goddess Tya Nehru,
WE SPILL OUR BLOOD,
SO that we precede the sins.
Help us queen,
That we will win your praise.

THE earth trembles,
Also it tore stones.
Hard hearts, you shall weep.
All in your eyes, Tya Nehru's virtues,
All in your heart, Tya Nehru rules.

NOW FLAIL YOURSELF HEAVILY for Tya Nehru's honor!
Through the goddess now leave your sins behind.
Through the goddess now let your vainglory go.
So that the goddess will want to protect us.
Now help us queen
That we will win your praise.

NOW raise up all your hands,
That the goddess may avert great death!
Now stretch out all your arms,
That the goddess may protect us all!

WOMEN and men, you have to break off your adulterous relations.
Or the goddess will avenge herself over you.
Sulfur, pitch, lava, and also the gall
Pours the evil of Hecate into you all.

FOR certain, adulterers are the scorn of devils and demons.
Preserses us from this, lady goddess!
The martial law is a pure life,
That the goddess has given us?

I counsel you, women and men all,
Through the goddess now let the vainglory fall!
Thus the poor soul bids you,
Through the goddess now let the vainglory be spent!
Through the goddess now let the vainglory go!
Thus, Tya Nehru will protect us.

by JonMagnar