Session 12 7-16/8/1491 The Council; The Attack Begins XP 95+8+1= 104 Lvl 9>10

The Red Hand Horde

RHoD Session 12 - by Matt/Egg

PC: Aron, Half Elven Ranger, Brother Bear the Druid, Caliyenna a Crinti Bard, Motter the Dwarf Champion Brewer, Tess of Umberlee & Egg Crinti Swashbuckler.

DM: Commander of Hordes, Master of Crits, the Doctor of DnD-Simon.  

Brindol, Highsun,1491

The party return to Brindol to find preparations for the defence of Brindol in hand.  Lord Jarmath and the council have wasted no time in organising the town.  We are summoned to the Castle to join the council.

The Top Brass is in Council.  Lord Kerden Jarmaath, Lady Verrasa Kaal, Captain Lars Ulverth, and High Priestess Tredora Goldenbrow are all present as is Speaker Sellyria Starsinger of the Tiri Kitor  (Immerstal the Red not present - ed.).  The situation is grave, despite the recruitment of the dwarven mercenaries the garrison of Brindol is outnumbered probably by 3:1.  Brindol has raised approximately 1300 troops in its defence whereas the hobber legions number from 3000 to 5000 and include a multitude of bloodthirsty monsters hell bent on the destruction of Brindol. 

During the Council several topics are discussed.

·         Eggs briefs the council on the organisation, leadership and motivation of the Red Hand. 

·         The party presents the council with several magic weapons to be distributed amongst the defenders' officers and champions

·         Aron, Bear and Captain Lars organise an aggressive defensive strategy, preparing the town for assault from both the ground and the air.  The creation of the killing space on the inside of the walls, a highly mobile defence force to respond to breaches and ‘other’ attacks and the magical communications network are all instigated.

·         The Garrison of Brindol is made up of a number of different units including; The Lions of Brindol 17, The Lion Guard 200, The Company of the Shinning Axe, dwarven mercenaries 200, The Brindol Militia 800, Lady Kaal’s Guard 69, and Lady Kaal’s Bodyguard 5

·         The Tiri Kitor elves are with us.  And for the moment at least so is his diabolical eminence the Ghostlord and his army of bonedrinkers (thanks to Caliyenna’s silver tongue).  The Elves and the Bonedrinkers have been harassing the supply chains of the Invaders.

·         Lord Jarmath (reluctantly) orders (ed: encourages) the non-combatants to evacuate Brindol.  Many flee to Dennovar, some 80 miles to the east.

·         The bridges north over the Elsir river are deemed to be ‘safe’ at this time.  However, we know the enemy had a base to the North in the ruins of Rhest, and there have been reports of ogres and goblins east of the Witchwood.  Scouts patrol the north.  If the town falls taking the Elsir River east to Elsircross then striking north to the Giantshield Mountains or east along the dawn way to Dennovar seem to be the choices.

The interrogation of Kal Kaz

Following the council, seeking further information on the invading horde, Aron, Bear and Caliyenna interrogate the hobber wizard Kal Kaz, who the party captured last month and imprisoned in Brindol.  Arno in particular is interested in the organisation of the Red Hand camp with a view to determine the odds of assassinating the commander of the army Wyrmlord Khan.  Under the influence of Caliyenna’s charm magic the hobber wizard spills his guts gives up some useful information.

Wyrmlord Kharn is well protected.  He is guarded by a tribe of bugbears and a cohort of dragonborn.  The bugbears known as the Bloodghosts, are a grey furred tribe renowned for their stealth.  Of the dragonborn he says little.  Wyrmlord Kharn is reputed to have great courage and is the prophets champion and a favoured soul.  Kharn it would seem is a holy warrior leading the bloody crusade against the Vale.  Should Kharn be illuminated a charming fellow named Scather a dragonborn Assassin is next in line to lead the invading horde (now that 3 of the Wyrmlords are dead of course).

·     
Kal Kaz reconfirms the prophet and instigator of the hobber crusade Azzar Khul awaits the destruction of Brindol at the temple of Takhisis.  He and his father the legendary Blue Dragon Turgarun (oh and another army of hobgoblins, this one even bigger numbering 6000) are preparing a ceremony to summon Takhisis, the Dragon Queen, Lady Chaos, the badass of bad asses herself from the Abyss.  A key point in the ceremony is the fall of the Temple of Lathander.

Information gathered, Caliyenna places Kal Kaz under a suggestion, he is to return to the invading forces gather information then return to us and spill his guts again.

Raven’s Eye View

Arno and Bear (shape-changed into a Raven) accompany the enchanted hobber Wizard to the outskirts of Talar, where Arno instructs the hober to get specific information about the camp and return.  Arno goes to ground outside Talar.  However, in the time it has taken Kal Kaz to get to the Red Hand army encampment the suggestion spell Caliyenna placed on him has worn off and he re-joins the army and blows Arno’s cover.  In the meantime, Bear has flown over the Red Hand camp at Talar and identified Wrymlord Khans quarters at the centre of the army, strongly defended by the Bloodghosts and Dragonborn in the army centre.   Thousands of troops have crammed into the ruins of Talar.  The assignation plot foiled Arno gives the Red Hand scouts the slip and returns to Brindol. 

Egg busies himself at the orphanage whilst waiting.  Sister Tuzna, the urchins and Egg run through the defence and escape plans many times. 

Tess and Caliyenna prepare new spells or such.  Motter boost the defender’s moral with his Champion’s Ale.

Takhisis

Enemy at the Gates

Is it the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning?  Whatever is to happen, the invading legions of the Red Hand of Doom have arrived.    

The first thing the invaders do is to send a family of Hill Giants to batter down the main gate by throwing boulders at it.  Crude but effective, the Hill Giant artillery is taking a toll on the gate and the fortifications around it.  The party slips over the wall to take them on, but unfortunate Tess makes a racket in her heavy armour and alerts a patrol of Goblin cavalry, worg riders.  We are rumbled.  The fight a bruising encounter is thankfully over quickly.  Bear, Caliyenna and Tess demonstrate their capability with battle magic and the battlefield is quickly a dizzying array lightning bolts, fleeing worgs and hypnotised giants following pretty lights.  Giants defeated the party scramble back over the wall into Brindol hoping to take a short rest.