The Escape

After defeating the Aboleth, we had just enough time to lick our wounds. The Spirit Of Grunye is currently unprotected. We have to get back to the surface, gain our bearings, and head back to the airship. Then, there is still the revelation of Kemurials true identity. The demon Chasme's venom apparently force Kemurial to reveal his true nature. He is not an elf, but an Aasimar. To be duplicitous about ones very being to those whom he is supposed to have trust is damning. I've always been suspect of his ability as a leader, appointed by the Iron, our employer. Trusting ones leadership is imperative in our current predicament, and I have none for this liar.
 
This appears to be the time I start exerting more into the leadership role to test Kemurial. Will he step up and put me in my place as a leader should, or will he roll over and let me take the helm. I already know Rory is suspicious of me. His candy ass outlook on life is too goody goody for my liking, but his ability on the battlefield is a force to be reckoned with. Had he had two brain cells to rub together to generate heat, he could have been party leader. His random chaotic events have gotten us in trouble more then once, the Aboleth most recently. Luckily the Aboleth attacked Rory's intelligence. That was a zero calorie meal! Rory asks if we are going to take the Aboleth with us. This thing is a behemoth! Sure Rory, put it in your pocket, sarcasm intended although wasted on Rory. We just roll the thing into the pool and let it sink to the bottom. I'm sure someone will reanimate it to do their bidding later, be we cannot be worried about that right now.
 
Kemurial suggests we let Friar Karl use the staff found recently. This staff of Fire gives us another caster with large target effects. Something necessary when engaged in large scale battles.
 
Moving forward we find stairs and ramps heading up. Rory suggests we head to the top. I suggest we make sure nothing can attack from behind and pin us in an defensible position. Kemurial agrees with both of us. Kemurial sides with the ramps so we can insure no rear attacks. As we start heading up, horns and alarms start blaring. Our pace quickens. We get to the top and find we were inside a ziggurat.
 
The top of this plateau has 4 pillars and a roof which is shooting a beam of light high into the sky. A signal to be seen for miles and miles around. Looking to the east we see a shadow covering the land and entering the city. This isn't just a party of horde, it is a full platoon!!!! The Spirit of Grunye is dropping bombs and high tailing it. I kneel, wrap a bandage around an arrow tip and ask for it to be lit. Kemurial lights it with a cantrip, and I fire the arrow straight up high into the air, giving the airship a signal flare where we are. The Spirit of Grunye see's the signal and begins to head towards the ziggurat.
 
Right at that moment, the mage who transported us to the summoning circle reappears. He comments on the sacrifices he has made to the Aboleth in the past, and how his children, a reference to the oncoming army, are still hungry. Rory comments he is hungry as well.
 
I am reminded of something my father told me as a child. "It is best to be silent and thought the fool, then to open your mouth and remove all doubt". The old mage sneers are Rory and responds, "You don't know hunger. Looking down the steps of the ziggurat, the beginnings of a horde start showing up, and ascending.
 
I need to keep the mage talking. As long as he is talking with us, he isn't casting at us. If I can chat him up and get to him, I may be able to prevent him from disabling us. I respond to the mage telling him, "Your children may hunger, but you will be here to feed them."
 
As I am chatting, Kemurial takes the advantage and begins casting. I use my boots of springing to leap to melee range of the Mage. Kemurial's spell begins to take shape when the mage attempts to cast an interruption, a counterspell. Once the mage begins gesticulating, I react with an attack. I find meat and the mage staggers, but still gets his spell off, but to no effect. Kemurial sends a lightning bolt screaming through the mage. The mage staggers from the charge long enough for me to take two swings at him. Both hitting and dropping him like a bad habit. I take the staff and spell book and direct us all to take to the top of the Ziggurat. Freya casts fly on herslef, Karl and Rory, Kemurial uses his cloak and I use my enspelled lance to fly to the roof.
 
This isn't the end, we have an army to deal with and the Spirit of Grunye is still a distance about 5 minutes away. We have to hold the top of the ziggurat until the airship can perform a flyby with mooring lines.
 
The forces begin to arrive at top and Freya, the powerful Sorlock she is, drops a fireball on the group. BBQ horde anyone? Kemurial quaffs a potion of speed. The decision to give Friar Karl the Staff of Fire pays off. He places a wall of fire at the top of the stairs. The horde either has to run through it, or around it. This buys us precious time as the Spirit of Grunye is approaching, and time is our most valuable asset now.
 
But this horde isnt just meat. They have a Shaman, and he starts throwing fireballs of his own. Our recent exploits since the demonic circle has had us in a force march scenario for the day. No real time to rest, and this fatigue is showing on Freya. The fireballs are toasting her. Ironic really, the one person on our team who is so in touch with fire, and it is eating her up, almost killing her. The fireball also catches Kemurial, Rory and Friar Karl. The damage is minimal, however, Freya loses her concentration on her fly spells. Freya's fly spell drops. Normally not a big deal, but Rory, using his magnificent intelligence flew off the top of the ziggurat, and now cannot get back up, leaving Rory to deal with the oncoming horde.
 
Kemurial sees Rory's plight and descends into the fray taking on the horde leaders. He attracts a rain of crossbow bolts, but they bounce off his shield spell harmlessly. Freya sees an opening and casts a major image spell. It's an illusion of a giant Imperial, and this generates fear, and attracts the attention of the leadership.
 
Once again, Freya's experience buys us precious time. I pulled my bow and started to focus on the shaman. Arrows fly from my position, The horde attempts to go prone to limit my accuracy. This is more beneficial then killing them. Their movement impaired, their attention on the Imperial, and the airship is approaching. However, we still have to get Rory up here. Using skirmish techniques, I keep the shaman guessing. I peek above the ziggurat peak firing arrows, then ducking back moving around keeping the shaman guessing where to throw his fireballs. This works, until once finds Freya and I. It barely affects me, but Freya is really showing the burn. Friar Karl retreats to Freya and begins to heal her as she quaffs a healing potion.
 
The Shaman then fires a scorching ray at the Imperial. The ray shoots through the Imperial. The shaman's anger apparent, stands and yells in Abyssal, "IT'S AN ILLUSION MORONS, KEEP GOING TO THE TOP!!!!"
 
Numerous area of effect spells clear more horde, and the shaman is still throwing fireballs. The airship is approaching. I use a scroll of summoning to place a bull at the corner of the Fire Wall. More slowing, buying us time. The price of summoning the bull means I cannot fly now. I grab a mooring line, wrapping it around my wrist. Rory disengages combat to grab a mooring line.
 
The dwarves pull us up and we fly away. Overall, we had minimal impact on the horde army number wise, but we have obtained useful magic, and killed a powerful mage, an obvious high leader of the horde. These loses will be felt by the Chaos Army. When dealing with Chaos Hordes, morale is the greatest weapon. Taking out leadership, stripping them of magic has the greatest effect. We were incredibly successful this time.
 
With dwarven resources, we identify the staff as an Eldrich Staff. We agree the Staff of Fire is more beneficial to our needs. Since we have no mages, the spell book isn't helpful. The dwarves purchase the items from us in hopes they can make use of them.
 
Ascending high, we are able to gain a useful repose. We heal up. As I sit in my cabin, we are only at the beginning. I will deal with Kemurial's lies later. The strategic logic is ahead of us and we will need all capable hands on deck to complete this. We are way behind enemy lines, with literally thousands of horde between us and the homelands.
 
What is next on the horizon.