Session 28 – The Battle of Guildenstern’s Farm

Written by KoshcheiBessmertnyi

General Summary

As Enkidu’s family is escorted back to camp, the twain is questioned about their goals. The party would like to conduct them to town, to keep them out of danger, while Enkidu works to establish his credibility with the Brotherhood. Dafna and Agni aver that they are strangers in this world now, and will do what Enkidu deems best. Theobald and Miletus are tagged as the escorts – the Brotherhood is at war with the humans, and Enkidu feels that their disdain for elves will make it difficult for Miletus to stay with them (though the latter continues to insist that returning to town will likely be a mistake, since the party has broken the law, and will find no welcome there). Theobald says he is working on a coded message for the Claymore authorities, that he would like to unobtrusively deliver while nearby the town. Glitterstem, for his part, would like to stay with Enkidu for the time being. Gnomes are an unknown quantity with orcs, and he may not even be noticed. Packing their gear, the party proceeds out of Neverwinter Wood, and heads home. Agni helps refresh his brother in the wake of last night’s skirmish, and reveals himself to be an able healer.
As evening falls, and the adventurers near the end of their day’s journey, Glitterstem detects the scent of many fires in the clump of woods up ahead. Invisibly, Theobald goes to investigate. He discovers an encampment of the Brotherhood, along with some tribal allies that outnumber it – a force several hundred strong. They appear to be preparing for imminent battle, though the sorcerer finds them to lack seriousness of purpose. Some are trying to raid the camp’s liquor supply, though they’ve already been promised a ration before the start of the battle. Theobald also discovers a makeshift enclosure containing, to all appearances, giant goats (Enkidu later says that these are hunted and sometimes, herded by some orc tribes).
Though Enkidu toys with the idea of going down to challenge Humbaba in combat and by reciting his lineage, Theobald points out that it might be better to confront him after the battle, which the orcs will clearly lose, damaging the leader’s credibility. The party decides to skirt around the encampment, and to continue with the original plan. The group arrives at a ridge overlooking the likely site of the battle – a cleared field on the outskirts of Guildenstern’s farm, which some in the group helped fortify earlier in the spring. It now appears occupied by the human defenders. Theobald decides to go down to the encampment, to warn the defenders about the imminent orcish attack. As he prepares to leave, a large avian shadow passes in front of the gibbous moon. As it flies over the fortress, it appears to discharge a huge bolt of lightning over the farmstead, which catches fire. This must be the legendary Thunderbird – a wondrous beast of goblin legend that the orcs say was slain by Baghtru, who thereby perhaps acquired the ability to take its shape. The creature veers around, and heads back in the direction of the Crags. Frantic motion inside the enclosure is in evidence. Soon after, shapes that can only be giant goats are seen racing across the field, and toward the makeshift wall. As they make to leap over the obstacle, then somehow catch fire, and sections of wall blaze along with them. The battle has begun, and the defenders have been caught by surprise. Perhaps the orcs aren’t so badly prepared and led, Theobald mutters. He now heads to camp, hoping to find Bester, or perhaps some other leader, before they enter battle.
The rest of the group stays put for the time being. They have a first-class seat on the developing battle, Enkidu remarks with some glee before settling down to watch the show. Immediately, however, his crotch seizes up with pain, and he doubles over. This seems like the wrong response. So the half-orc gathers up his axe, and heads, not without some relish, down toward the battlefield, his scale armor jangling loudly as he jogs. Goltur follows closer behind. Concerned about his devil-may-care friend, Glitterstem jaunts far behind them, keeping to the shadows. Miletus remains alone with Agni and Dafna. He sees an armored cavalry ride out past the burning fortification, and attack archers concealed in the woods on either side of the battlefield.
Enkidu approaches the woods, filled with the sounds of orcish drumming, shouting loudly about crushing the invaders in the name of Baghtru. The orcs, whom he recognizes as belonging to the Doom Drummers clan, seem puzzled by the armored half-orc, but do not molest him. Soon, Enkidu wades into the thick of battle. Armored horsemen try to ride down the lightly armed orcs, but they are clearly out of their element in these woods. Enkidu brandishes his stone axe, and takes down two riders, to the sounds of orcish cheers. Then, he sees an orc pressed by two riders, one of whom turns out to be Alferd Bester. Charging in, he swings at the Director, and calls on the orcs to try to capture this important human leader. Though he initially presses Bester, the Director is clad in plate armor, which offers solid protection against the stone axe. He is also armed with a heavy lance, and appears to be quite well-trained as a combatant. After a promising start, the duel turns against Enkidu. Skewered in the shoulder by Bester’s lance, he falls to the ground, while Bester’s adjutant gets the better of the orc. The two begin to ride away to rally their comrades, having apparently taken down an orc hero. Glitterstem who had been approaching the battle, makes it to his fallen friend’s side on time to save him. Placing a healing berry in Enkidu’s mouth, he forces the half-orc to chew, it, which causes Enkidu to erupt in a fit of coughing. Bester, still nearby, turns, and clearly sees Glitterstem kneeling by the half-orc. Enkidu is saved, but his right arm is immobilized, and his armor is torn. “How does it feel to be king?,” the gnome sardonically asks.
In the meantime, Theobald reaches the encampment. There, the infantry is being marshaled, and preparing to take the field. Given the size of the contingent, it appears that the humans have the strength of numbers, though perhaps not by much. The sorcerer inquires an unfamiliar commander about Bester, but is told that the Director has already taken the field. He then joins the unit as it exits, grumbling about the lack of intelligence about the orc plans and positions. As the infantry marches forward, they are charged by what can only be fully-grown rust monsters. The soldiers are clad in mail and carrying halberds – they do not seem to have prepared for the beasts, which begin to wreak havoc on the ordinance of the front line. Theobald pelts one of the beasts with magical energy, and takes it down. Behind them, however, is the bulk of the Brotherhood army, charging forward with reckless abandon into the hail of bolts being fired by crossbowmen behind the front line. One howling, fur-clad female orc slams into the front line, and begins to pound down the soldiers in front of the sorcerer…

Report Date

22 Apr 2016