Recap 20180831 - Journey to Tower Island - A Post SL Adventure - 11th

Recap 20180601 – Journey to Tower Island – Disrupting the Giant’s Supply Lines

Iyonti (Githzrai, Ranger – Mick), Alyce (Halfling Warlock / Bard – Steve) and Souldun (Human Warlord – Vic), once again find themselves serving Baron William Bruce, along with Mantis (TriKreen Barbarian – Ross), the small team of heroes decide to investigate Tower Island to see if they’d be able to disrupt the supply lines of the giant invaders coming from the south west.
After meeting a few military scouts, and some refugees, Iyonti spots a band of humanoid slavers, a pair of Ogres along with about a half dozen goblins transporting about ten slaves. Taking the opportunity to try to rescue the slaves, Mantis and Iyonti pounce on the unsuspecting slavers. After seriously wounding the largest armored ogre, two more ogres (for a total of four) and about a dozen additional goblins (for a total of near twenty), appear from behind nearby large rock formations and a ridgeline to the west. Two of the fresh ogres, along with three of the larger goblins form a skirmish line, protecting the lightly armored goblin archers. The archers fire a few volleys at the heroes, doing minimal damage. Mantis downs two of the archers but then falls back as the three unwounded ogres are moving forward. Souldun and Iyonti attempt to hold them back, but decide the humanoids are too numerous for the party to handle. Mantis sprints past several of the ogres and dives into a ravine, right next to an ogre who tried to jump the ravine and slipped. Souldun runs to the edge of the ravine and heals Mantis who scampers up the ravine’s near side and moves to rejoin the group. The goblins continue to fire, screened by four of the largest goblins and the wounded armored ogre. The party moves off and after wounding the pursuing trio of ogres, convince the ogres to retreat back within range of the covering goblin archers.

After a short rest, the group spots a dark shape overhead and wisely decide to evade the black dragon and not provoke it. After the dragon is out of sight, the group runs across a lone Tyr Amar scout on horseback. They exchange information on nearby sightings of potentially dangerous creatures or humanoids and both move on. A while later the group encounters a foursome of Pelor mercenaries. Again, they exchange information, finding out about a group of lizardmen and a separate group of orcs ahead, and move on. The heroes then come across a battlefield with a number of dead orcs and dead lizardmen. They chase off a few wolves and as the heroes search the battlefield, a growing number of Pyretons gather overhead. The heroes move off before the large winged scavengers become numerous enough to mount an attack.

A short time later, the group finally spots the island and the tower. The tower takes up the entire small island and from the cover of the trees, spot about ten orcs with a hill giant hauling supplies over a partly sunken causeway. The hill giant opens the huge door and the humanoids take the supplies inside. After nightfall, Mantis scouts the island, climbing onto the roof and dropping a torch onto a portion of the supplies. The orcs quickly move the other supplies and dose the fire.

Mantis returns to the group’s encampment and after a meal and setting watches, Mantis and Souldun are awakened by Iyonti and Alyce as there are creatures moving about in the brush. The creatures turn out to be a pack of Wright Wolves, escorted by some sort of undead lizard woman. Using hit and run tactics, the wolves strike from one side and then the other. Just as the group seriously injures one wolf, it moves off and a fresh one replaces it and two more attack from the opposite side. When a second wolf is seriously injured, the lizard woman charms mantis who strikes at the bard, and then strikes and hits Souldun. Then the lizard woman charms Souldun who strikes at Mantis. The heroes then attempt to concentrate on the lizard woman, but the wolves keep biting and holding onto the legs and arms of the heroes, often pinning them in place. The group then notes that the lizard woman is healing herself. Running low on spells, the Bard blast the lizard woman with a blazing beam of radiant energy that causes great wounds. The lizard woman stops healing, teleports a short distance away and then attempts to fly away. Mantis and Iyonti give chase but are not able to strike at her once she is too high to reach. The wolves, run off and the party goes back to sleep, again leaving a watch.

In the morning, the heroes cautiously make their way down to the lake, get to the gate, after several attempts open it, and search the tower. Finding all the supplies along the walls, the group takes anything small and valuable, drop anything that will sink into the lake, and then pile anything that will burn into a huge pile and set it afire. All in all, the heroes think they destroy more than four tons of supplies, arms, and food and equipment. The group quickly leaves the area, knowing the smoke might draw unwanted attention. Mantis leaves a lizardman dagger from the battlefield in the doorway of the smoking tower. As the party climbs the trail away from the lake, they spot a small group of lizardmen, watching the blaze. The heroes return to the Baron’s manor and Baron Bruce is very pleased that yet another mission has been successfully completed.

Oh, and the map that the party found, that no one could read, was in Giant and showed the path from the mountain pass to the island. The map said that raids toward the Baron's town, concentrating on isolated farms and smaller villages, was a priority, and then the small fortress tower of Crandell. The map also indicates not to go near the swamp or the village of Waycombe or the lands north of there. Lastly, the map shows a spot where a humanoid encampment might be.