Assault on the Camp

I was bound and dragged out of the cave. They took the horse -- damn deposit. Before I had a chance to assess the situation, I heard another group approaching. Then my "group" noticed them, and the strangers all talked to one another while I listened on quietly. All told, all creatures present made themselves known:
 
- (Drew) Adrienne Arvaleaux, the ex-retired chemist who made the decisions

- (Dayna) Braeden, the big, strong-girl brawler

- (Kathy) Khalida, the black cleric who shared my... annoyance

- (Rob) Martin Stodly, the all-too-excited troubadour, collector of stories, who led the strangers

- (Ryan) Nell, in my black armor as an Iron Knight

- (Shannon) Quelenna Nailo, the monk who seemed reasonable

- (Melissa) Skhug the Impaler, the timid tinkerer with her bird and mechanical spider-cannon

- (Josh) Yum, the satyr and chef who offered food like a forgotten grandmother
 
Adrienne, the crafty one, talked about how they were connected to the Alchemist's Guild and on a quest. The other group's leader was so very happy to introduce himself as Martin Stodly. When offered food, the satyr and the alchemist competed to outperform the other's magic. Braeden, the rude one, was too quick to take my horse and mule.
 
Braeden slung me on the horse's ass, and the leader Adrienne took the reins. Underway, the satyr messaged to ask what was going on. He was kind; I told him only about the order and the scuffle. Then he decided I deserved my situation -- if that's how you want to play it. Next to ask about my plight was Martin the bard, who spoke rather nobly of me.
 
The other group was headed in the same direction, to return some dead one's mementos.
 
We left the mountains to the hills, through a roughly-chopped forest. It wasn't a lumber farm, that was clear. Braeden went ahead to scout -- I could only hear the discussion, as I'd been watching the ground pass by for the last several hours. Up ahead was an outcropping, like a small plateau, and apparently it was fortified with wooden walls. And gnolls. At least I'd get to sit this one out.
 
Weapons were drawn and supplies (potions?) passed out. Braeden was rude, this time not to me. In a surprise, the quiet one -- Skhug -- untied me. After I could stand, they put up no resistance when I retrieved my weapons and moved to the front of the group. More useless discussion -- I shifted into a gnoll as a ruse -- before the satyr bard
 

Assaulting the camp

 
Unceremoniously, the rest of "our" group followed as Yum strode merrily in with his lute, and I his shadow. I could hear the monk Quelanna behind me, and the rest behind her. So much for surprise.
 
Braeden and Yum rushed forward. I was just behind, invoking whatever god would hear, to summon my twin. The party hid behind our shields. They're quick learners. Yum rushed forward again: "Does your friend want to kill himself?" Braden reduced one of the creatures to pieces as I advanced the wall forward.
 
From a tent looking over the camp, a giant gnoll that seemed to have its shit together thundered into the madness. It leapt the ten foot fall down to us, and met Quelenna and I. Together we managed to trade strikes, I with my shield and the monk with graceful leaps. Looking around, I shouted -- "I can hold this one!" -- before invoking my forgotten magic. The world darkneed, and the gnoll and I entered a realm of shadow for a duel.
 
In our duel, the large gnoll hit me repeatedly as I held my shield high.
But I leaned towards the attack, and the gnoll feinted high. I saw the world go black instantly.
 

A light in the darkness

When the world returned to me, I could first only hear the sweet tune of the satyr. Then realization hit me, and I stood. With no pause I closed the distant and took a wicked swing at the gnoll, stunned by Quelenna's fist. Black flame erupted across its form. "Gods' resolve this" -- and the fire erupted into white light. The creature screamed hoarsely, the life fleeing its form.
 
As the gnoll fell, the flail shattered into pieces. Its arm twisted unnaturally, withering to dust, to reveal a crown dug into its shoulder-flesh. And from the creature's form, a shadowy mist rose up from the creature, forming a skull. Unnaturally, the large gnoll rose back to its feet, dark forces keeping it at this plane. The creature turned to roar directly at Yum. And the satyr froze in fear.
 
"The Equinox does not call you yet." Khalida moved to supplicate me, resting a hand on my should to feed me healing energy. From behind and above Adrienne had finally joined the fight. She summoned a ball of hot flame, sending it careening into a mass of gnolls. Braeden with her glaive cleaned up the rest.
 
And at the last moment, Martin leapt at the large gnoll with a stab of his rapier, stealing the spotlight to fell the gnoll.
 
Quelenn spoke soothing words to the group. I stepped forward over the large gnoll's body, knelt, and began sawing at its arm.
 
 

Vying for the crown

 
"Put down the crown!" Adrienne yelled, throwing the ball of flame at Nell. Skhug backed her up, throwing Nell off of the large gnoll with a bolt of force. The struggle continued, with Adrienne's ball of sunfire sending me to the grave, only for Khalida to bring me back
 
As this was going on, Yum discovered the gnoll kitchen and Braeden found the leader's treasure horde.
 

And there we were. Me, on the ground, watching the group surround me. Adrienne, floating in the air, commanding that I relinquish the crown. Braeden sitting atop the knoll, preventing any interaction. Yum cooking dinner.
 
I stared hotly at the scholar.