Sun 9th Jul 2023 09:52

Trials of the White Herald: Iron Challenge

by Chronicler Amber Ashfeather

A day or so passed before we were able to gather up everyone as well as a new member of the explorer's guild to go out and explore exactly what we had found last time near Miller's Hamlet. The new member of the group was a guy by the name of Max, a hermit from the crystal wood who decided to join us seeing we might need medical assistance.
 
Anita was the first to find the wax golem, still standing near where he was last time. The creature had a new speaking cone despite Robert's attempt to take it. (An addendum, the last report was wrong, It was Robert who attempted to take the speaking cone.). The group tried for a short time to communicate with the golem unsuccessfully. I was able to recognize it as a machine rather than a creature, as it had repeated its last statement of "Join us to test your metal before venturing forth." I figured it must have a command line of some kind.
 
"Show us the way." Was the needed command line. With that, it waved us on and lead us deeper into the crystal wood. We ended up discovering a massive pine tree with crumbling fortifications having been built up just below its canopy consisting primarily of a broken wall following a circular path, and three guard towers. Four more wax golems were there, but rather than the wax herald who was modeled after a man in finary, these four were molded from soldiers. Each held up a hand that glowed with blue magical fire. The wax harald informed us that this was the challenge. We were free to enter at any time.
 
Between us, a small argument broke out with Robert, and Brok saying that we shouldn't go in, that it was a trap. I told them that if it had been a trap, or if I had been the one to set this up, that the wax golems would have already fired upon us as soon as we crested the hill before taking cover. It wasn't a trap but a challenge. Cat decided that she didn't like waiting, possessed by one of her personalities, she strode in not giving us much time to prepare.
 
Just as the constructs started reading to fight, Robert acted. He charged into the middle of the fortifications, throwing knives at three of the wax soldiers. He was then pelted into unconsciousness by hot wax... It was all very cool and good. I moved to cover while taking pot shots with my knight while Anita successfully downed one of our three opponents with a blast of energy. The one who took down Robert was cut in half by Cat's scyth and Max got Robert back up. Max then however summoned a pile of firewood on top of another leaving us to only contend with one of the wax constructs. Knight charged it using a barrel it had picked up to defend itself as it got close to tackle the construct, I wanted to try and reprogram it. However I was too late as Robert hit it with a dagger despite my call. It wasn't a long battle maybe only half a minuet.
 
 
 

Continue reading...

  1. Trials of the White Herald: Preliminary Scouting
  2. Trials of the White Herald: Iron Challenge