20150524 Recap WAR! The I Need A Break Mission - Part 2

The I Need A Break Mission, Conclusion
After the epic battle where Strike Force Manticore turned back a huge group of orc raiders at Long Pole Bridge, Pax (Half Elven Ranger – Art),  Raistlin  (Human Invoker – Arthur), Thrain Soflaug  (Dwarf Fighter – Dan), Vidia (Pixie Rogue – Ross) and Nad (Human Paladin, Dan T) are escorted to the village by Hulio and a few of the sturdier villagers.  After a good meal, a short nap, and having their wounds tended to, the team decides to press on toward the outpost to rescue KitKat, the operative being held there.   Nad decides to stay behind while the village smith attempts some emergency repairs to the Paladin’s armor which was badly damaged in the holding action at the bridge.

Not far from the village, Pax sights a pair of light cavalry men who turn out to be some of Baron Baltic’s soldiers.  They ask the team a few questions and then the two horsemen ride off to the east.  Hulio follows the soldiers to see what Baltic’s men are up to. After a time, Hulio reports back that he spotted a large group of the Baron’s men heading away from the estate and team Manticore’s current location.  

The team continues and not long thereafter, the team sights the outpost.  Hulio leaves to watch the approach to the area.  After searching for a back entrance and finding none, the group considers finding Baron Baltic who is with a mobile force of his soldiers and who may be heading into a battle either with an unknown group of horsemen or a second group of half orc raiders.  The team goes so far as to leave the outpost and join up with Hulio who tells them that he’s unsure he could find the Baron, let alone outrun a force on horseback.  The team returns to the outpost and Hulio also fails to locate a back door.  After some discussion, the team decides to rescue KitKat.  Hulio returns to his forward observer/ security outpost and luckily for team Manticore, he sights Nad who has donned his newly repaired armor and has followed the team.  Hulio points the holy warrior in the right direction.

The dwarf knocks on the door and battle is joined.  The team is faced with a semi-circular room with a large cage with grass and chickens near the doorway.  The doorway is flanked by two small platforms, each with a guard.  A heavily armored soldier is at the door, and another is near the rear of the room with a woman who has two small swords.  The lead soldier and the dwarf block most of the doorway, trading blows.  The remainder of the team launches ranged attacks into the room with the guards firing back with a couple light crossbows and the woman’s spells.   The team hits the woman with a few arrows and she retreats down the back stairs.  The dwarf moves forward and draws fire and is bitten and constricted by a huge snake that was in the grass.  Luckily for Thrain, Raistlen teleports  the dwarf from the snake’s grasp.  Dwarf continues to batter opponents and the initial guard retreats to a side room.  Thrain gives chase and is stopped by the second guard.  Nad arrives on the scene and is also grabbed by the snake and again Raistlen breaks the snake’s grasp, this time by using divine energy to separate Nad from the snake.   Nad is grabbed again, but with a mighty yell, breaks out of the serpent’s coils.

Nad continues to block the doorway, providing a measure of protection to the much more lightly armored Pax and Raistlen.  This allows Thrain to engage foes in the center of the room, drawing much of the enemies’ fire.  As Nad attempts to maneuver into the room, engaging one of the heavily armored soldiers, the phantom serpent unexpectedly lunges forward past the bars and grabs Pax.  Luckily, using her swift dodging abilities, Pax escapes.   Vidia darts unseen into the room and down the stairs and draws one of the guards in pursuit.  She leads the guard down a hall and then changes direction and goes back up the stairs and downs the enemy sword mage.  Vidia then reverses direction again and finds KitKat.  With the mage down, Pax and Raistlin are a bit relieved and concentrate fire on the two guards with crossbows.  Nad strikes at the serpent and Thrain finds himself flanked by the two heavy footmen.  After finally downing the first footman, Thrain is near the wall in a duel with the remaining footman while Nad, with the help of Pax and Raistlin, battle the serpent.  Although Pax finally downs the serpent, Nad is knocked unconscious by a vicious bite and Thrain also is also laid low by the guard’s pommel and it is some time before the dwarf is healed by the returning sprite.  No sooner than Thrain is up, than one of the crossbowmen jumps down and draws his sword and downs Raistlin.  Pax maneuvers for a shot allowing KitKat to heal Raistlin.   Weakened from the long battle, Pax isn’t able to hold off the charging swordsman and takes a buckler to the head, knocking her out.   Nad recovers somewhat and helps Vidia down the remaining heavy footman, but then the second bowman drops down and draws his sword, joining the melee.  Badly wounded Thrain retreats toward the door, Vidia aids Pax and the two of them also head toward the door.  Nad begins to move toward the door but is downed by the crossbowman and Thrain then drags Nad away.  Raistlin is left as the rear guard and fires a blast of divine energy at the waiting enemies, drawing their return fire which downs the weakened invoker.  Vidia quickly closes the door, allowing the entire team to make a very narrow escape.

On the way back to Sulduskoon, the team meets the Pearl of Pelor and manages to seriously wound him before a Firestorm Angel of Pelor carries the Avenger away.   As the angle was carrying the avenger off, Pax makes an amazing long range shot, striking home on the agent of Pelor, but it isn’t known if the Pearl is dead or seriously wounded as the team isn’t able to keep up with the fast moving angel.

The team makes it back to the city and hands a grateful KitKat off to Jana to takes her to safety.  The team makes it to the local rally point and Pax and Vidia are debriefed and report out regarding the results of their mission.  In the next day’s briefing, Cagvree informs the entire team that allied agents have relayed messages that Baron Baltic’s soldiers asked the villagers about the mercenaries who attacked the outpost and took KitKat.  After hearing your team’s description, the villagers immediately recognized team Manticore and because you saved their village, they denied that they knew you.  The villagers did relay that a team of Rebel soldiers did make a legendary stand at the bridge and defeated the orc raiders that would have surely destroyed the entire village.  For that, Baron Baltic has expressed extensive thanks to our liaison officer.  Further, Hulio informed Baron Baltic of the entire plan the Royalists had to frame the Rebel alliance regarding the true origins of the attacks by the orcs.  Hulio’s story was confirmed with the Baron’s men engaged the other force of orcs and recovered a large sack of rebel items that the orcs intended to use after they attacked their target.  Because of this, the Baron now has a favorable disposition to our cause and he has even given us information regarding the location of some key Rebel leaders that were captured during the war and whose location has not been known until now.  Well done, for your success and bravery, Pax is promoted to Battle Chief, Thrain and Vidia are confirmed at the rank of Section Chief, Raistlin is given the Token of the Bloody Knife w Golden V, Thrain is given the Token of the Bloody Knife w Silver V, Nad and Pax each earn a Bloody Knife Token, and Pax and Vidia each earn a Bronze Arrow Pin of Accuracy.   (Everyone advances to 6th Level, gains a 6th Magic Item & 1,200 GP which can be added to existing gold to purchase any item of 6th or less.)

Yep, almost a TPK

He left out the part about the Pearl of Pelor and the Angel also downing a few party members.