Othniel's Ironfang Invasion II

[Nefarion Xid]

Septimus followed the druid's lead. He stood on the other side of the questioned dwarf and clapped his shoulder after reciting the pleasant sounding words for Protection from Evil.

[Othniel]

Hollow Hills, Strange Grove

"Come one! Come all! The food is excellent, and the company is better!" called the second woman. Now that the party was close, they could see them better. Appearing to be sisters, the women looked to be in their mid-twenties with long, dark hair, vivid green eyes, and luscious lips. They wore little, save for nearly sheer white dresses that left little to the imagination, and were adorned with decorative silver anklets and armbands and colorful shawls that didn't cover much.

"Yes, there is food for plenty," the first said again, laughing. "And singing and dancing. Come, friends, forget wars and worries and rest your travel-weary bones. Eat, drink, and be merry!"

As Septimus, Ulva, and Torg entered the grove, the dwarves beckoned to them. <"Come, join us!"> one called back in Dwarven, grinning at Torg. She had stripped to her waist and had let loose a braid so that her long, golden curls hung about. <"These are my friends, Duggin, Margrath, and J.W! I am Solba. We are dwarves of the hills. Never even seen the inside of Kraggodan,"> she added cheerfully. <"They don't know what they're missing!"> Solba lifted a goblet of wine and took a long, slow drink before selecting another and holding it out out toward Torg.

Septimus, on the other hand, felt his spell take hold, almost as if he had slipped invisible sheers underneath a cord that bound something and snipped it. The dwarf Solba had indicated as Margrath blinked and rubbed his eyes, looking around confusedly. "Where are we?" he asked, quietly.

[Nefarion Xid]

The sorcerer gave Margrath a knowing nod and a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Just enjoy yourself!" the stern, wide eyed look betrayed his words, but the quickly mouthed, "Pretend."

"Oh, but more dancing first, ladies! I like the dancing!" he called out as he made his way around the table and attempted to repeat the trick on each ensorceled dwarf.

[TheDarkDM]

Aidan

The whisper of the confused Dwarf was all the confirmation Aidan needed. The two reveling strumpets may have appeared human, but even if they were he sense great danger from them. Flitting from shadow to shadow, he circled around the trees until he was behind Melita.

"May I have this dance?"

He held position just long enough for her to see his nightmarish smile, before his teeth flashed towards her throat.

Spoiler: SURPRISE

Show

Biting, I guess.

Attack: (1d20+17)[33]
Damage: (1d8+8)[12]
Sneak Attack: (4d6)[15]

[Othniel]

Hollow Hills, Strange Grove

The woman across from Margrath narrowed her eyes at Septimus. "You shouldn't cast spells on people without asking their permission!" She had no time to react beyond that, however, as Aidan launched a vicious attack upon her sister, and then chaos reigned.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Initiative Winners: Veric, Septimus, Aidan

Then the ladies and the charmed dwarves

Then Ulva, Torg, and Margrath.

[Nefarion Xid]

"Got it!" Septimus leapt back and motioned counter-clockwise, Slowing everyone in the grove that might be hostile.

Spoiler: Slow

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vs both ladies and the un-Protected dwarves

[TheDarkDM]

Aidan

Assured that these were no normal revelers by his target's endurance, Aidan attempted to quarter the woman before she could act.

Spoiler: Full Attack

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Bite: (1d20+17)[28]
Damage: (1d8+8)[10]
Sneak Attack: (4d6)[13]

Haste Bite: (1d20+17)[23]
Damage: (1d8+8)[10]
Sneak Attack: (4d6)[8]

Claw 1: (1d20+17)[20]
Damage: (1d6+8)[13]
Sneak Attack: (4d6)[11]

Claw 2: (1d20+17)[23]
Damage: (1d6+8)[12]
Sneak Attack: (4d6)[15]

[PepperP.]

Veric

"Aidan, what the hell!??" He was torn between trusting the elf's instincts and his own that were still telling him these were ordinary women. Before Aiden could rend the other one asunder, Veric made a mad dash for her and attempted to pin her in his arms to hold her still so they could get to the bottom of this, not that it would help the other woman.

"Hold still, I don't want to hurt you!"

Spoiler: ooc

Show

Grapple!
(1d20+10)[21]

[Othniel]

Hollow Hills, Strange Grove

"MALITA, NO!" the other woman shrieked as her sister was eviscerated by the whirlwind of teeth and claws that was Aidan. "You'll pay for that! Death take you all!" Then she stepped away from Veric and...began to dance. Not the dance she and her sister had danced before, but a wild dance of abandon. And with it, those watching felt a feeling well up deep inside them silently pulling at their minds from all corners.

"Hey! Leave the lasses alone!" shouted Duggin, who picked up his pick and moved to stand in front of Aidan. Solba and J.W. as well, grasped their weapons and advanced on the elf.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

I need a will save from everyone within 60 feet!

Duggin, J.W., and Solba pick up their picks and move to confront Aidan.

[Tychris1]

Gripping her glaive, Ulva moved to attack the dancing woman, and swung her ensorcelled glaive on the flat side. "Aidan what the sh**!" She cried out as all hell broke loose.

Spoiler: Move to spot, nonlethal power attack

Show

Attack:(1d20+14)[23]
Damage:(1d10+25)[29]

[CockroachTeaParty]

Torg growled as he fought off the strange urges of the wild-woman's dance. He slammed his hand on the ground, and a snaking patch of the earth turned into thick, sucking mud.

"Try dancing in that!" he shouted, making sure to catch the other dwarves in the muck to slow them down.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Torg casts Soften Earth and Stone. SR: no, DC 16 Ref save or be unable to move, attack, or cast spells for 2 rounds; otherwise the area is difficult terrain.

[TheDarkDM]

Aidan

Turning from the sticky morass that had taken hold of the ensorcelled dwarves, Aidan skirted the battlefield to approach the second sorceress. Dodging away from her snapping teeth, he returned the gesture.

Spoiler: Attack

Show

Flanking Bite: (1d20+19)[37]
Damage: (1d8+8)[12]
Sneak Attack: (4d6)[15]

[PepperP.]

Veric

The woman's spell had no effect on Veric other than to make him angry. She may be human, but she was clearly no friend of theirs. Rollo bared his teeth at the edge of the clearing and barked furiously at the chaos.

"Bark! Bark bark bark!"

Spoiler: ooc attack details

Show

Veric
Full Attack on Tr
Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Manyshot, Clustered Shots, Unchained Heart.
Attack 1
(1d20+14)[23]
Arrow 1 Damage
(1d8+4)[5]
Arrow 2 Damage
(1d8+4)[11]
Rapid Shot
(1d20+14)[18]
Damage
(1d8+4)[6]
Iterative Attack
(1d20+9)[28]
Damage
(1d8+4)[6]

[Othniel]

Hollow Hills, Strange Grove

The surviving woman hissed angrily as she was bit, slashed, shot, and slapped by various weapons and attacks, and then reached out to touch Aidan before moving away.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Melee Touch Attack spell vs Aidan: (1d20+13)[20]
Damage: (6d6)[20]
Confirm? (1d20+13)[19]
Damage: (6d6)[20]

Then move 30' east, provoking from Aidan.

[Tychris1]

Having subdued the crazy dancing woman, Ulva turned around to see Septimus punching himself in the face, and instantly sprung to action. <”Oh Tolc no. Not my beautiful sorcerous flower. What did she do to you?”> She cried in Aklo before charging him headlong “I’ll rescue you!”

Spoiler: Jumping and tackling!

Show

Jump:(1d20+16)[34]
Grapple:(1d20+14)[32]

[Othniel]

Hollow Hills, Strange Grove

With the immediate danger of the maenads passed, the unaffected party members set about binding Septimus and the dwarves so that they could not hurt themselves or others until the effects had passed. The living maenad was also bound and gagged with the ultimate decision regarding her fate yet to be decided. Once the effects of the confusion had passed, Margrath (the one who Septimus had freed from enchantment) set about collecting the other dwarves' belongings and persuaded his compatriots to dress themselves once more. Once that was done, he apologized for his and his companions' behavior, explaining that they'd fled Radya's Hollow (which lay to the north) and ran into the "fey witches" while seeking shelter in the grove. Radya's Hollow had already already absorbed dozens of survivors of previous Ironfang attacks when the Legion fell upon them. Margrath further explained that from what he'd heard, the Ironfang Legion now controlled all lands south of the Marideth River up to the gates of Kraggodan. Margrath mentioned that Solba had a brother named Voldan, that she'd been separated from when they fled.

The other three dwarves, for their part, were still ensorcelled by the maenads and refused to talk to the Fangbreakers on account of their violence toward the "nice lasses."

[CockroachTeaParty]

Torg had stomached the past hour of babysitting the confused and charmed dwarves and sorcerer with mounting impatience.

When the dwarves came to, but a decent segment of them still seemed firmly in the strange fey-like women's camp, the druid drew his axe.

"I've had enough of this. Satyrs, strange dancing women, it's all the same. Predators popping out of the ground is one thing, but ones that rob you of your dignity is quite another."

Torg dragged the unconscious 'maenad' to the large stump, using it as a headsman's block as he took off her head with his axe.

[Tychris1]

Ulva watched the Dwarf get to his grisly work, Septimus lay unconscious before her, and then knelt down to pick up the newly severed head. Holding the beautiful woman's face opposite of her own, she grumbled softly "I don't feel particularly heroic..."

She knelt down, took one of the dwarf tools, and set to work digging a grave for the two slain temptress'.

[Othniel]

Hollow Hills, Strange Grove

Ulva set to burying the maenads while Septimus turned his mind, now free from the shackles of confusion, toward lifting the mental bindings laid upon the remaining dwarves. Once they were free, they all profusely thanked the Fangbreakers.

"I have nothing left to my name that I can give you," Solba said. "But...there is my family's treasure buried at Radya's Hollow. If you promise me that you'll look for my brother if you go there, I will tell you where I buried it, and it's yours."

[Nefarion Xid]

"We really don't need to take the family heirlooms," Septimus said in a moment of uncharacteristic altruism and a lack of genre savviness. "But we can look for your brother all the same. What are you four going to do in the meantime? Do you want to go to Longshadow with us or would you prefer to make for Fort Trevelay?"

He didn't want the burden, but Septimus could scarcely leave them to fend for themselves in the wilderness.

[Tychris1]

Kneeling over the makeshift graves she had made, Ulva took out some water from her waterskin, and poured it into her cupped hand. Closing her eye she muttered the most basic rite of reclamation she could remember for Tolc and stood up once more.

"In all honesty you'd probably be safer with us. But that's just my opinion." Ulva chimed in as she slung her glaive on her back.

[CockroachTeaParty]

"I could fly them to Tevalay," intoned Torg. "I could probably catch back up with you before nightfall. Just a thought.

What befell Radya's Hollow, exactly? Was it just the Ironfang, or did they bring anything more unusual in the attack? They've allied themselves with all manner of horrors."

[Othniel]

Hollow Hills, Strange Grove

"'Tis a sad tale, stranger," Solba began slowly. "Two weeks ago, a force of hobgoblins calling themselves the Ironfang Legion swept into town. Radya's Hollow is a small village - we have maybe a dozen homes, the general store, and the assayer's office, plus the mind - and we have no soldiers. We simply keep the peace ourselves and deal with any predators that wander too close. Molthune has rarely ever come so far. It was a nice, quiet village until just recently. Anyway, these hobgoblins swept in and killed a few of our folk as resisted, and then their leader, Sergeant Dargg announced that we're reopening the mine." Solba paused and a look of great sadness fell upon her countenance. "The mine was closed for a reason. Years ago, there was a great collapse, and a dozen or so workers were killed. Every time someone has tried to reopen it, strange accidents happened. This time was no different. From what we got out of the hobgoblins, there was some sort of undead presence in the mine, and they gave up on clearing it. Several of our folk were trapped inside, including my brother, Voldan. I don't suppose he's still alive, but if you could look..." Solba stoped again and wiped a sleeve across her eyes. "Dargg decided to pull out, and that's when we made a break for it. He's probably still got some of the townsfolk as slaves. Maybe if you go to Radya's Hollow, you can pick up his trail?"

"If it's all the same, I think we'd all just as soon stay with you," Margrath put in. "If you need to dig out parts of the mine, we've got the experience and know-how, and many hands make light work. Besides, if any of our folk are alive there, I think we'd like to be there to help them." The other dwarves quickly agreed.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Torg listened intently, arms crossed, brow furrowed. He nodded in agreement with the dwarves.
"Very well. We'll make for Radya's Hollow. But we need to make up for lost time. You'll all ride with me."

Torg walked away from the rest of the group to give himself some space, before transforming into an enormous, shaggy beast with huge floppy ears, twin ivory tusks, and a long dexterous trunk. Mammoth-Torg looked down at the dwarves, speaking in his same voice.
"...Or on me, rather. I'll help you up. Just hang on nice and tight."

[Nefarion Xid]

"I dig it." Septimus hopped back on his horse and made ready to depart.

[Othniel]

Hollow Hills

The last few miles to Radya's Hollow went by swiftly. Within three hours, the five Fangbreakers had reached a distance not far from the edge of the village, such as it was. Nestled between two lines of hills, a dozen or so houses were spread out in a haphazard clump with the larger general store and assayer's office at the center. The settlement appeared deserted, and naught but the sound of the wind and a few birds could be heard. "Dargg kept's the assayer's office as his headquarters," Margrath offered. "The mine is on the opposite side from us, just over the next hill."

Spoiler: XP

Show

1920 XP each for the bulettes and 2240 for the Maenad and dwarf encounter.

[Tychris1]

With a keen eye of justice Ulva went and took lead on examining each of the seemingly abandoned houses before heading towards the general store and assayer's office.

[PepperP.]

Veric

Veric and Rollo trailed behind Ulva, weapon at the ready to deal with any threats that dared showed themselves.

"Seems deserted." He was uncharacteristically optimistic as the continued silence lulled him into what was surely a false sense of security. Rollo whined as if disagreeing with his master.

[Othniel]

Radya's Hollow

The party set to work investigating the town. The houses were all abandoned and stripped of valuables, but were otherwise in normal condition. The general store had also been stripped of any foodstuffs and anything that could be used as a weapon (if the Fangbreakers asked the dwarves, they would confirm that the townsfolk were allowed to stay in their own homes while not being forced to work in the mine). Not a soul was found, and nothing interesting popped up until they investigated the assayer's office. Sergeant Dargg had used this as his headquarters, and had apparently left his journal behind in a hurry to pack. Just outside town was an area beaten down by many feet. Margrath offered that Dargg's troops had pitched their tents there so as to keep a better eye on the citizenry without being surrounded by them.

Spoiler: Sergeant Dargg's Journal

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Most of the journal is written in Goblin (unusual for goblins, but common for hobgoblins and bugbears) and details in very brusque terms troop movements, battles, losses, and slaves taken, but upon conquering Radya’s Hollow, Dargg took a gnome scribe as his personal slave and thereafter the entries are written in Common:

Campaign Day 52: Seized Radya’s Hollow near
the Fangwood border. Acquired a fastidious
new slave to take dictation and provide
grooming. Existing mines seem to produce low
quality iron ore, but Zanathura’s little pets
report gold deposits in the older mine complex.
New slaves insist this mine is “dangerous and
collapsed,” but upon initial inspection it seems
secure. Ore samples very promising. Suspect
these new slaves simply don’t like the smell
of their own sweat.

Campaign Day 54: Radya’s Hollow mine
producing reasonable gold and quartz turnout.
Morlocks insist they smell potent vein somewhere
in the mine. Protestations from new slaves have
ended. At Kosseruk’s suggestion, I ordered two
of them to flog their previous mayor to death.
It seems to have broken their spirits admirably
while giving the troops a good laugh. Look
forward to employing same tactic again soon.

Campaign Day 57: Collapse has killed my
lieutenant, six slaves, and all four morlocks.
Zanathura will have my hide for losing her
little pets. Soldiers report strange sounds from
the tunnels afterward and refuse orders to
reclaim potential survivors. Relocating to original
ridgeline camp 8 miles southeast to await
discipline from Kosseruk for this costly error.

Spoiler: Ulva

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You estimate that two dozen hobgoblins, a large wolf, and two or three dozen humans camped here.

[TheDarkDM]

Aidan

Perched on a nearby fence as Ulva read the diary aloud, Aidan's gaze flicked between the mine opening and the wilderness to the southeast.

"Well then. Shall we delve this haunted mine before pursuing the Ironfang? The...survivors could need our help."