20160401 Recap WAR! The Are You There Mission Part 2

The Are You There Mission

Strike Force Manticore; Pax (Half Elven Ranger – Art), Soldun (Human Warlord, Vic), Belladonna (Human Seeker, Brad), Raistlin (Warlock - Arthur) and Vidia (Pixie – Rogue, Ross) are tasked with confirming the location of Sho-Hawk of Tyr Amar. It was Sho-Hawk who funded the Ash Bone Half Orc Mercenaries and Sho-Hawk with two other battle wizards have been teleporting around the island instructing the scattered half orcs to rally at Highwave Manor, a small fort on the northern coast of the island.

The team's mission is to go to the fort and confirm if Sho-Hawk and the other two wizards are actually present. If the team feels the situation is optimal, they can engage Sho-Hawk, but otherwise they are only to confirm his presence there.  Previously, Pax, Raistlin and supported by Lana the wizard, made their way to the gates of the small fortress where chief Hightower was able to open gates.  The group is about to enter the fortress when they are joined by Belladonna and Soldun who were separated from their team during an ambush by black dwarfs.  The combined force decides to leave Hightower and Lana to guard the gate as backup, and the remaining four, led by Pax enter the fortress.

In the small entry courtyard, the team notes that there is small room behind and to the left which turns out to be a barracks housing about a squad of soldiers.  Belladonna makes a quick look in and notes that half are sleeping and half are reading, exercising or eating.  The team jams the doors shut and are deciding their next move when Vidia joins the group.

Vidia persuades the team that instead of stealth-ing around the fort, why not cause a really loud battle, alert the whole fortress, and the battle wizards will all come out to fight the team at the same time?  As a prelude to this, the team glances into the next large courtyard and note a sleeping half orc archer and a soldier dress in House of Swords colors practicing with his sword.  The rest of the large courtyard is empty.  Seeing this, the team decides to scale the nearby where they near the peak of the roof which overlooks into the courtyard furthest east.  When Vidia (concealed and invisible) looks over, she sees a large platoon of half orcs, a couple of Tyr Amar elite guards, and one battle wizard.  Belladonna risks a quick look over the peak to confirm the wizard is Sho-Hawk.  

Vidia tells the soldiers that her leader, a wizard wishes to speak to him (Sho-Hawk).  Sho-Hawk, wondering why people who want to talk to him are shouting from the cover of a nearby rooftop within the fortress that he’s occupying where the gate guards are charged with preventing people from just walking all over the roof, is a bit skeptical that the voices are friendly.  Having time to alert and ready the large body of troops right near him, many of which are archers, he orders them to be ready to fire.  As soon as Raistlin shows himself, Sho-Hawk unleashes the power of the courtyard’s entire platoon of troops.  Raistlin is hit by a blast of acid as well as a half dozen arrows and taken down.  Luckily he falls in place and doesn’t roll and fall off the roof.

The team falls back under the cover of the roof’s peak.  Vidia gives Raistlin first aid, preventing him from dying, while Soldun provides a good measure of additional healing.  Meanwhile, Sho-Hawk sends a pair of soldiers to alert the entire garrison and summons a large fire elemental to deal with the roof top intruders.  With the entire garrison alerted and faced, not only with one of the most powerful battle wizards alive AND an entire platoon of hostile soldiers, the team decides to return magically to base, after waiting for a curious Belladonna to get back within range.  After returning to base, the team is only able to confirm the presence of Sho-Hawk.  After hearing their report, the rebel command sends SF Manticore back to the village to determine more about the portal.              

The party scales the roof of the main complex and examines the large magic portal in the courtyard which is now only guarded by a pair of elite TA soldiers.  Neither Vidia nor Belladonna have any idea what it can do.  Raistlin risks one quick peak and is noticed by one soldier who isn’t sure what he saw.  Vidia (invisible) notes and then draws the symbols for Raistlin to examine more closely.  The team determines that it is some sort of long distance teleportation portal, leading to the material plane.  Vidia considers going through the portal until Raistlin tells her it is a one way portal.  After some debate, the group circles around to the rear of the fort and comes up behind the portal.  Positioning themselves on top of the wall, they swing through the magical gate to find themselves in Tyr Amar in a large field in the middle of an army encampment.  There are about twelve half orc hunters within sixty feet and hundreds of TA and other mercenaries beyond that.  The team wisely decides to teleport back to base.

While the rebel leaders start examining the vast amounts of data regarding the portal, they bid the team to get cleaned up and have a good meal.  On the way to the pub, the team sights The Pearl of Pelor down the street and a fight breaks out.  After a few grenade blasts by the Pearl’s dwarf companions, the team spreads out, Soldun attempts to block the main street.  The dwarfs seem to be everywhere, hitting and then running with constant harassing attacks.  The Pearl keeps at a distance using his mental abilities.  When the Warlord is downed by a series of hits from a pair of dwarfs, and seeing an opportunity, the Pearl gets past the Warlord’s position and briefly chases Belladonna and Pax.  Pax gives Soldun first aid.  While the dwarf assassins disrupt the team, the Pearl seeing no further benefit to this engagement, teleports away.  

After their meal, the team reports back and Cagvree tells them that the portal was meant to be an escape portal.  The portal allowed many of the half orc mercenaries scattered at the beach battle to escape back to Tyr Amar to regroup and reorganize.  The small fort appears to have been a training center for the House of Swords and the half orcs were only going there in order to escape the island.  

Raistlin receives a Bloody Knife Token w Gold Star (critically wounded in battle), Soldun receives a Bloody Knife Token w Silver Star.  Pax receives a campaign ribbon with crossed arrows.  Belladonna receives a campaign ribbon.  All team members advance to 9th Level.