Session 64: "When the going gets tough..........." or "Retreat, retreat, run away, run away............"

24th Day of Snowmoot: Continued  

The group split up and continued to search through Riverguard Keep. The hidden library perhaps gave up worrying news. Hagnulf had opened a locked small box, inside were a lot of letters. Reading through the letters they seemed to detail comings and goings in most of the major population centres. Triboar, Yartar, Westbridge, Red Larch, Beliard, Womford and Amphail. Worryingly it included detailed descriptions of the group, their activities in Beliard, who they talked to and the direction they left Beliard.

Tom and the other villagers from Womford decided to leave the next day. They would take 10 leather armour, 10 shields, 20 swords, 10 spears, 10 bows with full quivers.

The second secret door was opened but not investigated. The group, working off what Aerie observed when she flew into the harbour opening, thought the secret door might lead down to the landing.

25th Day of Snowmoot  

Aerie did another flying recce south towards Womford and north. Flying 1 hour in each direction. Looking to spot the missing large barge she saw nothing south along the river until she could see the smoke from Womford and Bargewright as early morning cooking fires were lit and smoke started to rise from chimneys.

Flying north it wasn't long before she spied a building hidden in a small valley just to the north of Riverguard Keep. She returned and told the others what she had seen.

The group split into two. Fargrim, Grog, Aerie and Hagnulf would scout out the building to the north. Zindra thought this might be Sacred Stone Monastery. She had heard rumours of a religious retreat hidden in a small valley along the river but nothing else. Bron, Garet, Zindra and Bandur would remain to secure the Riverguard Keep as a potential base of operations.

No sooner where the gates opened and the small party ready to depart that a lone fully armoured warrior was seen standing outside of the gates, head bowed. Aerie appraoched but was surprised when a voice spoke behind her. Turning she saw an old man in a grey, hooded cloak clutching a staff. He pointed at the armoured warrior and said again, "we can't hear." A confusing conversation ensued, during which the old man was ushered inside. He kept saying "They haven't left yet", "We can't hear", "Who isn't here", "I can't see". They took him to the river and again the conversation didn't make sense. However as the group turned away from the old man in grey to discuss possibilities, when they turned around he was gone. Fargrim had sensed the old man could have been celestial or fiend, it was unclear, Grog had sensed no evil. Shrugging off the encounter they opened the gates and departed, noticing the armoured warrior was now walking off into the distance to the west.

It didn't take the small group long to enter a gully that narrowed the further they travelled along it. Surprisingly free of any heavy snowfall but no tracks to indicate traffic of any sort. The walls closed in that they could touch both sides with outstretched arms. At last the gully opened into a small valley with steep, high ground enclosing the building.

Hagnulf activated his ring of invisibility and completed a lengthy recce around the building. He had observed a door in the south east wall that looked promising, an enclosed garden but the external door was locked and a likely servants entrance door to the north west.

Leaving the horses the small group headed for the north west door. As they climbed the steps Aerie talked over a distraction plan, she would head for the main entrance and distract those inside whilst the others gain entrance into the monastery. Off Aerie toddled.

Hagnulf, still invisible opened the door and entered what was now apparently a kitchen. he headed for the south east corner and watched as 4 humans dressed similarly to Garet Jax were preparing some kind of midday meal.

(Aerie continue to toddle)

Hagnulf decided to shoot the furthest monk with an arrow that would precipitate the assault by Fargrim and Grog. The arrow flew true and slammed into the Monk. A critical hit, felled the Monk, falling to the floor the pot he was carrying clattered to the floor. The other three distracted by the noise were surprised when Fargrim and Grog launched their assault and Hagnulf could now be seen in the corner.

(Aerie continue to toddle)

The 3 Monks survived the initial assault launched into their own attack. All failed miserably. They were quickly dispatched as the door in the south west corner opened and a Monk stepped into the kitchen. The monk seeing the intruders slammed the door shut and started yelling on the other side of the door.

(Aerie continue to toddle)

The group waited in the kitchen for Aeries distraction, they could hear large items being dragged and more shouting from the other side of the door,

(Aerie continue to toddle)

Grog would open the door, Hagnulf had moved into a position where he would shoot anyone he saw through the open door, Fargrim waited to one side in cover.

(Aerie continue to toddle)

The door was opened and Grog stepped out of the line of sight as a small missile was thrown into the kitchen as soon as the door was opened with 3 improvised missiles also flew through the open door, Hagnulf managed to block the flying disc of a heavy metal plate that would have done serious damage had it hit but was struck by the other 2 for minor damage. Hagnulf and Grog were hit slightly by a burning liquid for minor damage (acid). Hagnulf, distracted by the missiles and burning acid on his left hand lost his grip on the bow as he was about to let fly his deadly arrow. The wood part of the bow, now not gripped tightly flew backwards and struck Hagnulf on the bridge of his nose. Hagnulf had fluffed the shot and incapacitated himself. 

Grog stepped into the line of fire as Fargrim remained in cover, only to realise he couldn't cast a prayer but recognised that the enemy were more numerous than he thought and they had a spell caster. He stepped back and slammed the door shut.

(Aerie continue to toddle)

"There are a lot of monks and a spell caster next door, they've put a barricade of tables across the room". Grog shouted at Fargrim and Hagnulf. .

Fargrim shouted, "Block the door. I'll help Hagnulf out, where's Aerie?". Grog thought then grabbed a bolt from his case and jammed it under the door. He then moved to help Fargrim lead Hagnulf out of the kitchen.

Aerie now at the front door climbed the steps and knocked (KNOCK-KNOCK)

A small slit opened at eye level in the door and a voice shouted "What do you want, we're busy?"

"Oh, I'm just a traveller........" Aerie was cut off mid sentence. "No, we have too many of those, go away". Aerie continued, "But I just wanted to........." again cut off. "Clear off, we don't want anything, go away".

Aerie stepped back down the steps and took wing, flying over the building. She saw Fargrim, Grog and Hagnulf, now recovered, running back the way they had gone not  so long ago. They all headed for the horses, mounted and headed back to Riverguard keep. Grog estimated he had seen approximately 16 to 30 Monks and at lest 1 spell caster.

They arrived back at Riverguard Keep late in the afternoon, they had been gone less than 6 hours!