Ogre infiltration

South of Pavis, near Ryan Village...

 

1621, Fire Season, Disorder Week, Wildday

The party approaching the rocky mound

After the initiation of Daerius and Herculon at the Pairing stones, the Orlanthi help them cover the traces and ritually bury the Lunar patrol.  Storm Voice Frekor Firmfarer performs a obfuscation and purification ritual, and with the flames of Humakti blazing high into the Pavis sky, the adventurers and Orlanthi feast and drink and honour the fallen, the storm god and the new initiates.  During the party, Frekor tells the two new initiates about their new mission.  This mission will involve traveling to the Pavis Air Temple and report to High Priest Faltikus.  It is important not to tell Faltikus everything though.  Frekor makes it very clear in which conditions Faltikus has become the new High Priest of the Pavis Air Temple.  Rumour has it Faltikus is a Lunar agent, some call him a Nysalor Illuminate, but one thing is certain, he was appointed to the post by the Lunar government, and his appointment was one condition to avoid total suppression of the Orlanth cult in Pavis (normal Lunar practice). the other being the agreement that the Orlanthi organise the HeroQuest every year to escort rain god Heler to the Plains of Prax.  Frekor than reveals the new initiates what their second mission will be.  Uphold the promise made by Herculon to the Last Step Stead survivors, and track down and destroy the ogres responsible for the hold up and rescue eventual survivors.

7th Day of the Fire Season, 1621

The next morning, the party heads east towards Pavis.  At first it seems like a good idea to follow the river bank all the way downstream to the capital, but the many creeks and streams in the valley make the party lose a lot of time.  In the end, they decide to head for the Pavis road and keep to familiar terrain.  When heading for the road, they run into a lone Aldryami trekking through the chaparral, and Raiko attempts to approach the barkskin, but any attempt to approach is only responded to by arrow fire, and after ducking into cover a few times, Raiko gives up his fraternization attempts.  They put up camp for a totally eventless night, before arriving at the road the next morning and following it in the direction of Pavis.

8th Day of the Fire Season, 1621

After a long walk along the Pavis road, under a relentless summer sun, the party sees the off-white colour of the high walls of the Rubble appear in the distance.  The heat of the afternoon sun makes the sky shimmer, and dust devils are everywhere.  This time they do not head for the tent camp under the Rubble walls, but cross the bridge towards New Pavis.  Since none of them are New Pavis citizens, they have to fill out heaps of paperwork, and Giomanach decides to apply for a weapon permit. Not aided by the Lunar bureaucracy, they finally enter the city walls, and the Orlanthi head to the temple, while Giomanach visits his aunt at the Chalana Arroy temple and Raiko tags along with Jaya into the rubble to visit the Yelorna temple.

The Orlanthi report to Faltikus, who does not seem overly interested, and who's only worry seems to be being singled out as responsible for the death of the Lunars.  He tries to convince Daerius and Herculon to tell him more about what happened, but Herculon's web of lies seems to work, although Faltikus is not completely convinced. After meeting up with their friends again, they notice Giomanach is accompanied by Alwynn, acolyte of Chalana Arroy, who is too worried about Giomanach heading out after a gang of ogres to let him go alone.  Having a good healer along on a dangerous mission has never hurt anyone, so the other party members make nothing of it and make her feel welcome.  They decide to leave the following day at daybreak.

9th Day of the Fire Season, 1621

The next morning the party heads west again, and south at the Last Step stead.  They follow the trail to Whitefly and Ryan, and when passing the source of the stream into the Zola Fel they notice barefoot child  tracks heading out into the desert.  They decide to follow these, considering it weird to find kids' footsteps around here.  Surely, before too long they notice a small group of children keeping an eye on the party.  They attempt to overtake them but the kids disappear, and the party decides to continue walking in the same general direction.  After a weird encounter with an Aldryami, the party sees a rocky mound in the distance, and they notice several holes in the wall of the mound.  They decide to approach carefully.  Four perfectly round cave entrances are visible.  The geometric shape worries the party, and they decide to carefully investigate one of the entrances.  Inside they disturb 2 Krarshtkids, and within seconds they are under attack, with only Herculon's shield preventing some serious damage.  Giomanach's sorcery saves the day here, with two lucky palsies in a row taking out the chaotic monsters.

The howling krarshtkid comes bouncing forward...

Another entrance leads nowhere, but the third leads upwards and there another spawn of Krarsht is hiding.  This time the fight is even shorter, with Palsy once again saving the day, and Giomanach starting to feel very powerful indeed.  Within seconds, the krarshtkid is vanquished, not able to divulge it's destructive power.  Further exploration of the round corridors reveals nothing, and the party decides to make camp in a now empty corridor.  They cast alarm on the entrance, and with a double guard run no risk after the spider fiasco a few days before.  The night passes uneventful, and the next morning the party decides to climb the mound to get a better lookout position.  Arrived at the top of the mound, they stumble onto the ogre camp, seeing it below them through a slit in the cave roof.  They notice a captive in very poor condition, a bunch of kids, and several adults, both male and female, standing around a bonfire.  An area behind the ogres is closed off with wooden panels, and in a corner they notice many crates and barrels.  They try to set up a surprise attack, with little success, and within minutes the fight has broken loose, with Herculon and Daerius in the middle of it, supported by Alwynn's healing and Giomanach's sorcery.  Meanwhile Jaya is still on the lookout outside the cave, pulling some of the attention to her.

The blueish inside of the ogre cave

Giomanach attempts another mass palsy, but the ogres turn out to have some serious resistance to his magic, as well as a means of nullifying it's effect, and Giomanach's feeling of superiority becomes a bit tarnished.  If not for the healer doing an excellent job on Herculon, Daerius, Giomanach and herself alike, the fight could have gone completely differently, with particularly nasty consequences for the party, who would probably be on the next days menu.  The party cannot help noticing the absence of warriors, and realise they have been lucky to find the tribe with minimal protection, even if it was nearly enough to take them out.  They discover a stash of official paperwork, including a rent lease and permits to enter the Rubble and to carry weapons in Pavis, written out to verious Etyries temple members.  Jaya discovers a span of horses, but no wagon.  After the fight, the party collects whatever valuables they can carry, leaving behind the crates and barrels for lack of a means of transportation, and ready themselves for the return to Pavis, in order to investigate further into the ogre activities.

An Orlanthi Initiation

Near Pavis and the Pairing Stones...

 

1621, Fire Season, Disorder Week, Windday

Our gang of travelers has taken residence in Badside. A ramshackle collection of tents and huts, in some cases no more than a few hides roughly sown together. But the one thing that people remember about Badside is the smell. All around Pavis, on a hot day, the smell is sickening. Rotting meat, excrement, barbarians who only bathe when in their homeland, and sweat. Badside is worse. The hides smell, the people smell, the garbage smells, and there's carcasses everywhere, the herd animals shit in the street, and so do the denizens of this lovely settlement.

But you get anonimity. The Lunar guards only occasionally interfere, and never with any enthusiasm. And with one party member a target of the Red Moon, and another a target of a lot of people, it beats the Pavis Inns, where the well organised gangs know everything there is to know about anyone within hours of their arrival. So the story starts in Badside, as Daerius and Herculon are summoned to the pairing stones for their initiation into Orlanth Adventurous.

4th Day of the Fire Season, 1621

Their comrades in arms, Raiko, Giomanach and Jaya, decide to accompany them on the two day trip west. They leave at sunset, before the heat, and follow the Pavis road, at a leisurely pace, a few hundred yards behind a Etyries trader caravan. After a few hours walk they see some people on the road, apparently from the nearby Last Step Stead. They report having been attacked by a gang of people, and the four cottars who went after them have not yet returned. When invited inside for lunch, our heroes find the lady of the stead in tears. Although they are expected at the Pairing stones, they decide to go and look for the disappeared fyrdmen, mainly because Herculon thinks it is the right thing to do for a Heortlander.

They quickly discover the attackers masquerade as Etyries traders, travel with a four horse wagon, and they manage to track the trail in Northern direction.  During their advance up north, they notice a Smilodon circling them, looking for an easy kill.  When the beast's patience runs out and it decides to try and go for a quick kill, Giomanach stops it with a succesfull palsy.  Hardly disturbed the party advances, and stumbles upon a very basic tent camp, littered with body parts and blood.  Whatever took place here, it can hardlly have been pleasant for the one who lost all the fingers.  The trail now heads south west, and the party decides to keep following.

They keep tracking the wagon trails as long as possible, but when they head towards the road again, our party has no choice but to follow the road and hope they will see the trails quitting the Pavis Road further up ahead. No such luck though.  After a few hours it becomes apparent that they have lost the trail, when they meet up with a trader coming from the opposing direction, who has seen nothing.  Jaya grabs the opportunity to buy a silver necklace from Goldenrod, the Etyies trader.  Seen as they have no direction to follow, they consider heading to the Pairing Stones after all, with some luck they might still be in time.  But first they set up camp, with Jaya taking the first guard.  They'll decide what to do the next morning.

Within minutes everybody is sound asleep.  Jaya notices she is tired as well, and before long she dozes off.  When a giant spider wanders into the camp, there is no-one awake to see it coming, and the large arachnid attacks Jaya.  This gets everyone up in seconds, and amidst the panic the spider is quickly dispatched.

5th Day of the Fire Season, 1621

The next morning, our fellows run into a Bullford hunting party.  These guys have not seen any trace of the fake trader wagon, and the party decides to head to the Pairing Stones, still a long hike north.  They keep walking for hours, until sunset, and Raiko, Daerius and Giomanach get real tired with still several miles to go, when they run into a Lunar Patrol.  As they are only miles from the Pairing Stones, they refuse to stand down, and when the tension increases and the Lunar sorceress starts casting a spell, Jaya fires an arrow at her and downs her at once.  A brutal fight ensues, with Herculon decapitating two warriors and hacking a third one in two, and Daerius and Giomanahc killing a guard each.  Giomanach takes the sorcerer staff along, it carries an enchantment that allows to store mana.

When the Orlanthi arrive from the Pairing Stones, alarmed by the magic light and noise, all they can do is clean up the mess.  The High Priest performs a ritual of Obfuscation, and the bodies are burned with ceremony.

6th Day of the Fire Season, 1621

The initiation ceremony commences.  Both Orlanthi easily pass the knowledge test.  Their next challenge involves climbing one of the pairing stones.  A piece of cake for strong Herculon, but Daerius seems to be more about good looks than strength.  It takes him a few hours, with several resting breaks, to climb the 25m high monolith.  In the end he manages though, and drops down on the top, exhausted...

Next character: Giomanach Nuada (Anthony)

Career and status: Ever since birth, Giomanach, like his father, was magically gifted. At the age of 12, when making the crossing from The Real City to New Pavis with his father and eldest brother, they ran into a chaos gang led by a scorpion tail Broo that somehow got through the city defenses. Their attack was fierce, but Giomanach's father braced himself, and ordered Giomanach's eldest brother Niall to take Giomanach and run. Niall obeyed, but Giomanach did not. Instead the boy attempted to wrack the Broo leader with a magic spell he had seen the Pavis temple priests use on several occasions. The spell fumbled, and Giomanach felt a very unpleasant tingle run along his spine. Only seconds later, just before Giomanach collapsed with exhaustion, his father was slain. Niall took his younger brother on the shoulder and ran for his life, while the chaotic spirits summoned by the Broo shaman howled across the desolate ruins, trying to catch up with them. At that moment a Yelorna patrol appeared, led by a radiant fighter riding a unicorn, and the Broo gang dispersed and retreated. One of the chaos spirits, hastened by the Shaman, attacked Niall, who dropped Giomanach and started howling with pain within minutes. The disease spirit had vanquished him, and if not for the Yelorna priestess who took Niall on her horse and sped for the Chalana temple, Niall would certainly have died, so potent was the spirit set on him. As it is, Niall never completely recovered. Giomanach never forgot what he saw, and is convinced he too was cursed by the evil Shaman. As he came of age, Giomanach became a lay member in the Pavis cult, and studied hard to become a sorcerer both powerful and wise. He is on the brink of becoming an initiate, and has just about mastered the basic Pavis grimoire. He has never forgotten that a Yelorna maiden saved his life and that of his brother, and at night he still sees the vile Broo stabbing his father to death. His quest is to kill the chaotic monstrosity that killed his father, and to slay as many broo as possible while he can. Family and connections: Giomanach has a strong bond with his family. After the death of his father, his grandparents by his father's side died from grief. His mother, Wyndenkell, has always kept a strong spirit when with her family, caring for Niall, who suffers from violent nightmares and daytime collapses since that day in the Rubble. The entire family moved in with Wyndenkell's parents, former owners of a pottery workshop that made good money. There are no financial problems. However, sometimes at night Giomanach finds his mother weeping in solitude, and it breaks his heart. Apart from his eldest brother Niall, Giomanach has a younger brother and 2 younger sisters, maidens fair and almost at the age of betrothal. A lot of other family members reside in both The Real City and New Pavis, but are of no particular note, except his mother's junior sister Alwynn, who is an acolyte at the New Pavis Chalana Arroy temple.   Passions: Loyalty to Benderri, Son of Pavis 30+16 (own POW)+ 17 (target CHA) = 63% Loves his mother, Wyndenkell 30+ 7 (loved one POW)+9 (loved one CHA) = 46% Hates Broo 30+32 (own POW x 2) = 62% Combat Styles: Light Skirmisher Shortsword - Shield - Bow Equipment: 1 standard priest outfit used when casting spells and when travelling, high quality 1 noble outfit for special occasions, high quality 1 old pavisite outfit, usefull when riding and when traveling, high quality 1 zebra   Weapons: Shortsword, fine (+1 damage) Buckler, fine (+1 AP) Inlaid staff, fine (+1 AP) Recurve Bow, fine (Value 150%)

Next character: Daerius (Maxim)

Looks:
Daerius has a barbarian background but Talastar has been subdued by the Lunars for a long time and it shows in Daerius, who looks more like a Lunar than a Sartarite.

Career and status:

Daerius is a freeman settler from Talastar, a former Sartar kingdom subdued by the Lunarese Empire.  There he made a living as a member of a group of mercenaries, working for the highest bidder.  This all ended when he was set up by his chief Vakthan, he got blamed for killing a clan ring member who tried to oppose the Lunar oppression.  His life now in danger, he emigrated to Pavis, still trying to make ends meet working as a mercenary, but business is slow.

On his travels and adventures he met a few good men (and a donkey) he trusts. One of them is a Kralorelan monk named Haru. They went on lots of adventures together. They looked death in the eye a few times, but they are still good friends. They have gotten separated but will meet again one day.

Daerius is a lay member of Orlanth, who has had trouble keeping in touch with his temple, because of the ban on Orlanth by the Lunars.  Daerius is a firm proponent of the Orlanth motto: Violence is always an option.  He must try and keep a low profile, lest someone recognises him and reports him to Lunar authorities.

Family and connections:

Because of what has happened to him he has lost contact with his family, who remained in Talastar. As far as he knows, he still has loving parents, an aunt and 2 nephews.  He would love to send them a message, but the Lunar government might very well be on the lookout for him.

Since his arrival in Pavis, Daerius has become good friends with Raiko Ingilli, a nephew of Tolkazzi of the powerful Ingilli family who has gotten in trouble and was cast out of the family by the Ingilli family head, Scharman.  Raiko has been a real friend to Daerius, and has helped him on several occasions, getting him jobs working as a guard for the riverfolk.  Because of this, Daerius has excellent contacts in the riverfolk society, and this is to their mutual advantage, since Daerius must be careful when among his own people: some believe the rumours about his past are true and want to see him punished.  Often, Daerius runs errands for Raiko.

Because of his increased notoriety among the riverfolk, Daerius has become quite popular with the local women: his barbarian looks and muscular build are quite different from the thin, sinewy riverfolk men.  Most of the time, all he gets are looks of appreciation, but one female, crazy Meg, has quite the crush on Daerius, and tends to follow him around, showing up at all the wrong moments, and making very clumsy passes in order to seduce the Talastarian fighter. 

Sadly enough crazy Meg did not get her name for nothing.  Ever since Daerius mildly rebuked her, she considers them to be destined for love everlasting, and she now follows our hero around whenever she can find him, harassing women he speaks with, and telling everybody they are blindly in love.

Passions:

Loyalty to Haru, the monk from Kralorela.
30+5 (Daerius POW)+12 (Haru CHA) = 47%

Love for his mother, Eryndor.
30+ 9 (Eryndor POW)+13 (Eryndor CHA) = 52%

Hate Vakthan, Talastaring mercenary leader.

30+5 (Daerius POW)+14 (Vakthan CHA) = 49%

Combat Styles:

Desert Reaver

Scimitar & Shield, Dagger

Talastaring Hoplite - Benefit: Shield Wall

Spear & Shield, Javelin

Characters for the Pavis campaign

First up is David's character Vaddi:

Look: A bearded barbarian, aged 28, carrying a great axe, a one handed spear and a big scutum shield. He is wearing commoner clothing, and a laminated leather hauberk and cap.

Career and status:
Vaddi is a young barbarian berserker from New Pavis. He is a freeman from the Garhound Clan, the most important Sartarite Settler cult in the area. He became a Lay member in the local Urox cult and has been earning his livelihood as a bodyguard in New Pavis. However, because of his work as a bodyguard, he has contacts on every level in the Pavis, from his clan elders (with some reservation), the Pavis Trade Council (a very good customer), to even the Pavis government, to some degree. People consider him not very bright, but useful, so most of the time, if he asks for an audience, he gets it.

Family and connections:
He has lost contact with his parents, who do not really approve of his work as a bodyguard, since it involves occasionally working for Lunar Settlers, which most Sartarites frown upon. However, he has a very good relationship with his Aunt, Belfia of the Garhound, who lives in the clan Tula, and her 2 young sons, Blathi and Birix. He is very loyal to Darvenos, the clan chieftain, but not so to Bargenus from Garhound, one of Darvenos' nephews, who is spoilt and arrogant, and regularly 'visits' Aunt Belfia. There is financial compensation involved. For Belfia it's a way of surviving. For Vaddi, it's a stab in the heart every time, and his secret wish is to provide for Belfia and make her financially independent.


Vaddi is also acquainted with Travos, a noted tracking master from the Nomad tribes, now residing in Badside and making a living from working as a guide. He can get tracking training from this expert at half the normal rate.

Passions:
Loyalty to Darvenos (often shortened to just “Davis”) Garhound, clan chieftain:
30+12 (Vaddi POW)+16 (Darvenos CHA) = 58%

Family Love for his Aunt Belfia from Garhound:
30+ 7 (Belfia POW)+9 (Belfia CHA) = 46%

Hate Bargenus, visitor of prostitutes and procastrinator:
30+12 (Vaddi POW)+12 (Darvenos CHA) = 54%

Combat Styles:
Berserker
Two Handed Axe - Benefit: Berserker

Berserker
Gain Passion (Berserker) at 30% + 2x POW.
Passion (Berserker) can be used to Augment skills (see p. 76) when used in a furious rage, including Combat Styles (attacking only), certain uses of Athletics, certain uses of Brawn, Endurance to resist injury, Willpower to resist magical attacks, and other skills at the GM's discretion.
A Berserker must roll his Willpower against his Passion (Berserker) when trying to control his temper, ie ignoring an insult, stop fighting while enemies live, etc. Failure to resist his Passion (Berserker) results in an aggressive, violent action.

Fyrd
One Handed Spear - Shield - Benefit: Formation Fighting

Formation Fighting
Permits a group of three or more warriors to draw into close formation, placing more open or disordered opponents at a disadvantage (provided the ‘unit’ cannot be outflanked) and thus reducing each foe’s Action Points by one if they engage. Requires everyone else in the group to also have this benefit, otherwise the coordinated effort fails to lack of one or more participants being trained in the correct technique.


 

Posted with Blogsy - (c) Rudy Boeynaems 2012

To the rescue in Wilmskirk

1618. Fire Season. Harmony. Clayday

Characters partaking:
Drayin from the Hiording - Colymar Tribe, played by Dani 
Kemal from the Hiording - Colymar Tribe, played by Dominique
Indra Karanendottir, a Hiording noble from the Karanen Bloodline, played by Florence

The baboons attack our adventurers

ndra Karanendottir of the Hiording and her aides, Kemal and Drayin, have been traveling for some time now.  Their travels took them to Quackford, where they got in conflict with the local thieves gang, so rather than risk any harm they decide to leave town and head for Boldhome.  They travel via the Stone Road and pass Wilmskirk the day after.  About one hour down the road from Wilmskirk, the party enters a small hamlet, three of four Steads, with lots of grazing land.  However, no cattle is visible, apart from an old shepherd and some sheep, and one mangy cow.  No farmers, no warriors, it sure is a most distressing sight.  As our adventurers approach the shepherd is wary at first, but seeing the clan attire of the hiording and the torq of a clan noble, he loosens up and tells the party about the incessant raids this small hamlet has been enduring since several weeks now.  A gang of raiders has been stealing cows almost daily, and although the few warriors that guard the steads have been constantly pursuing the robbers, they have been unable to stop the looting.  As a final measure, a F?yrd Women blessing ritual has been performed at the small Vinga shrine, and all the woman have left as well, a second party trying to trap the looters or discover their hideout.

his morning the raiding party attacked once more, and the warriors took to their horses straight away, in an attempt to stop the thieves and return the stolen cattle.  However, since the raiders and the warriors have left, another problem has arisen.  A gang of baboon has discovered just how vulnerable this stead has become with all the warriors gone, and they have been trying to steal the last few pieces of cattle.  Already, they ran off with a plow, and Melche the shepherd expects them to return to try and steal more valuable items.  The shepherd has locked himself into the horse pen with the cow and his sheep, and is guarding the stead as well as possible, but if the baboons return, he will not be able to hold them off and prevent them from entering the buildings and looting them.  Indra and her companions decide they must help the Shepherd in his mission, and they keep the man company.  Surely, before one hour has passed, they hear noises, and a gang of baboon appears on the hill near the cattle pen.  The three adventurers charge forward, and quickly dispatch a small baboon, but have a hard time killing of the leader, when suddenly a baboon shaman appears.  The shaman starts summoning disease spirits, and although the warriors resist the spirit's attack, the fight starts to turn ugly.  It is not until they manage to subdue thye leader that the tables change.  The shaman makes one final effort to heal the leader using a healing spirit, but Indra reaches the leader just in time and finishes him off.
The shaman has no intention to follow his commander, and runs.  Kemal and Indra fire several arrows, but are unable to prevent the shaman's escape.  For hours, the shaman keeps following them, staying just out of reach, until the party succeeds in throwing the baboon off their scent.

Miskar under pressure

1618. Fire Season. Harmony. Godday

With so many of his henchmen out of the fight, Miskar hovers towards the enemy.

Hund, a Humakti Acolyte, played by Ben
Odd the Dark One, played by Kristof
Gust, played by Bram
Ulic the sorcerer, played by Alexander 
Gunnar the Demoralized, played by Gunther
Aelwyn and his brother, played by Philip

fter the last confrontation with Miskar the Gagarthi, and the subsequent capture of Aelwyn, our adventurers hunger for revenge, and they manage to field a nice group of stout warriors.  They get help from Hund, a Humakti acolyte, and Gust, a wild barbarian with a foul temper.  The party has several paths open to them.  They could spy on the Gagarthi, attempt to find out what their activities entail.  Or intercept messengers and convoys, in a bid to uncover their activities.  They could find out about their weaknesses and strengths, allies, and other important information.  Based on that information, they could formulate a plan, determine when the enemy is the weakest, and hit when he least expects it.  However, they decide to ride into the woods towards the captured stead, and run into a guard in a matter of minutes.  Miskar expects the adventurers to try something, and has posted guard on both sides of the woods.  His wolf companion is scouting as well, and the gang are ready for the adventurers' attack.  Or so they think.  

hen the guards spot the party, one of the guardsmen blows the alarm, and Miskar's wolf quickly finds our party and informs Miskar.  The gang leader is ready, quickly he leads his troupe into the woods, towards the invaders.  They stand 12 man strong, and are lead by Miskar's right hand, with Miskar in reserve.  They face the party, and the odds look insurmountable, 12 robbers, a runelord and sidekick against a party of 6 adventurers, it looks like the party's only chance is an attempt to escape, and it is certainly what Miskar expects will happen.  However, things turn out differently.  While Odd starts flanking on his warhorse, Ulic steps forward, and using his forbidden craft he palsies several of the robbers in one go.  Then Hund the Humakti advances, and lets loose his powerful divine magic, disarming several more.  This startles the gang members to no end: this was supposed to be a walkover, but here they stand, their number halved before the fight has even begun.  Miskar lets out his Magic as well, demoralizing only Gunnar.  Then, enraged, he drives his men forward, rather than take the time to cancel the sorcery.  Several of his men are lying on the ground, or standing with one of their limbs shaking uncontrollably.  Panic spreads amongst the Gagarthi, and only the bravest make a real effort to reach the enemy.  

his, of course, plays into the hand of our brave bunch.  Odd, forgotten in the hectic battle, succeeds in getting past the Gagarthi unseen and trots towards the captured Stead in search of Aelwyn.  The enemy, rather than charging at our adventurers in one pack, arrive in waves, and with some deadly blows, the party quickly dispatch Miskar's general.  Miskar loses his selfcontrol and hovers forward, intending to take revenge and set things to right, but by the time he reaches the melee he is left alone on the battle field, all others either dead or grievously wounded, or at least pretending to be.  His enemies see their chance and surround him, and suddenly Miskar is under severe pressure.  The constant flurry of blows prohibits him taking efficient action, and after several high damage blows, he needs a divine intervention to save his life.  His hope to startle the enemy by renewing the attack turns out fruitless, and now all his enemies are on him, killing him a second time.  He has to use his divine intervention again, this time at a high cost, and is healed and turns invisible.  This time, he does not insist, he runs off to safety, ready for revenge at a later date.  Meanwhile Odd made it to the Stead, and dispatches two old guards.  He finds the main Stead, but no trace of Aelwyn.  In a second building, he finds the sleeping quarters of the men, and he notices a trapdoor leading down to a narrow tunnel.  He follows the tunnel and runs into a guard, a young guy, not even bearded, but it takes him a lot of time to take the fellow out.  In one cell the young man was guarding, he finds a weakened Aelwyn, who had been under interrogation for two days, but without telling anything to his captors.  The other cell holds two young women, daughters of Orlmarth Carls, that have been captured by the Gagarthi.  They had not been maltreated and were to be sent to some other location, possibly to be sold as slaves or some other grim fate.