Ivric, Martenin 10th, 838 ID
Before being paired off into individual missions, the PCs (minus Baro, who remains behind) are boated out to Tarndim across the Udders Well, where they meet with Major Doorjamb Grizzlebeard, just recently arrived from a road trip to Toul Tabor, where a certain 'package' was deposited to its intended recipients, and the Major was sharpening his bloodhound skills under the bounty hunter Kalkan. Lt. Strenna Knelrave and mayor Blake Bauerkroft have had some success in driving off and slaying several score of the Blood Eagles' goblin fodder, and several bands of Third Eidolorn soldiers are still engaged with resistant pockets through the surrounding Skunk Ridge region. But Knelrave needed to bring in some 'big guns' to take down the Blood Eagle leaders, and thus the last, desperate struggle for Tarndim begins!
It is decided that Blake and Strenna will each take a small contingent of hardy farmer/soldiers and make a pincer attack surrounding the Tarndim peninsula's sole wall, while Gruulsh, Ginkwrench and Rumpridge scale the wall and take on the archers there, under cover of Mudgol's offensive magic. Luz and Doorjamb plan to breach the gatehouse to the town after their allies get the gate open, and then in unison all three of the groups would press on southward, sweeping up any Blood Eagles in the way. The plan is somewhat spoiled once Lord Lhaaz's fierce, winged bodyguard (a gift of Hruggek, or so many believe) is alerted by archers on the wall, and the creature arrives to attack Luz and Doorjamb, who soon discover that it's nearly impervious to most forms of attack at their disposal...
Meanwhile, the fight on the wall goes well. The archers receive some support, but are no match for the monk, barbarian and rogue once they come in for close combat. Blake has to turn back to assist Luz and Doorjamb against the demon, while Strenna's group engages some ogre and bugbear resistance around the walls. The bloodbath is officially underway when Mudgol casts a sleet storm spell in the middle of the town to hinder the enemy forces, and it effectively divides them in two, with Lord Lhaaz and Grugzlaz remaining back to the south of the town with a number of soldiers, annoyed at the interference but confident that the demon and soldiers already engaging the PCs can hold them off. The winged thing continues to cause them some problems, but Mudgol is able to affect it with several magic missile attacks.
Inevitably, the PCs and their allies have begun to 'clean out' most of the defenders, so Lord Lhaaz grows impatient and dispels Mudgol's diversion, enabling the rest of the Blood Eagles to begin a mass rush into the fray. Things so south north of the gate, where Luz sustains heavy wounds from a flame strike courtesy of Lhaaz, and is soon dispatched by the bugbears, ogres and demon. Desperately, Doorjamb and Mudgol attempt to revive the half-orc, but in a final moment of desperation, the Major recites a shout scroll in a cone area, taking out a number of bugbear attackers but also ending the life of Luz...this sets up Mudgol for a clear fireball attack, which was difficult before since the Blood Eagles seem trained not to bunch up around wizards (Gruulsh later confirms their strict tactical upbringing).
Seeing Lord Lhaaz enter the battle, Gruulsh heads into town, but the chieftain has already engaged a group of farmers, along with Ginkwrench and Lt. Knelrave. The battle is intense, but the heroes are able to bring down the arrogant foe, and in defeating him, his demonic cohort disappears...no longer tethered to this Material Plane. With only a skeletal Third Eidolorn force remaining, the PCs are relieved that the leftover bugbear soldiers and a handful of ogre mercenaries flee while Doorjamb, Mudbol and Blake are finishing off Grugzlaz. Tarndim is in Floivin hands once more, and Blake and the survivors comb the place, finding no civilian survivors, just a lot of corpses hanging from trees and walls (including Private Bleeb, much to the Major's dismay). Mudgol, on the other hand, is sent screaming off to Tretcher to warn the NPCs there (Odd Jon, etc) with the remainder of his overland flight spell, and then teleport back to Floivin Keep with some of the wounded. He returns with Private Tinn, Private Longjohns, and Cannon; Odd Jon, Flake Falloway and Hagel Ossted stay to lead an immediate exodus southwards for the remainder of the Tretcher survivors.
After giving Blake back the town's loot, and picking the rest up off the corpses of the fallen Blood Eagles and their chief, Doorjamb is determined to track down the escapees and mete bloody vengeance upon them, while the other PCs head off to their missions. Longjohns is sent along with Mudgol and Rumpridge to assist on the Arkana Arkiva mission.
PCs: Doorjamb, Ginkwrench, Gruulsh, Luz, Mudgol, Rumpridge
NPCs
Boltha Zuug (ogre magi male): The chief of the ogre mercenaries serving the Blood Eagle tribe, Boltha had come into contention with Grugzlaz over who would be second-in-command after Lord Lhaaz. As an ogre magi, Boltha fought with a greatsword, using invisibility and other magical prowess to bolster his effectiveness in battle situations. These failed him when he was brought down by Ginkwrench and a band of desperate Third Eidolorn survivors.
Grugzlaz (half-ogre male): A half-ogre, half-bugbear hybrid, Grugzlaz is one of the chiefs of the Blood Eagle tribe that was defeated when the PCs stormed Tarndim alongside Blake Bauerkroft, Lt. Strenna and the Third Eidolorn farmer militia. He wore hide armor, fought with a greatclub, and seemed to hold a particular enmity for Gruulsh, the outcast.
Lord Lhaaz (bugbear male): The late chief of the Blood Eagle tribe, he had led the bugbears, their lesser goblinoid slaves and a troop of ogre mercenaries for well over a decade. Lhaaz was a priest of the obscure bugbear deity Hruggek, and fought with a flaming morningstar and banded mail. Slighter of frame than many in his contingent, he was nonetheless a ruthless and belligerent ruler who took great pleasure in the maiming and 'blood eagle' torture given to the tribe's victims. He was slain in a melee with Ginwkrench and Strenna Knelrave while attempting to hold Tarndim from the Floivin reclamation.
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