Episode L009: Assault On The Torence Flackland Gang

General Summary

After building his 11 bombs, Hasdraek receives word that 17 men, women and children has assembled to strike upon the lair of the Torence Flackland Gang. They leave early in the morning.
On a mountain pass, the group runs into Torence and 4 of his henchmen. The battle is joined. The majority of Hasdraek’s forces scatter, running for dear life, but Avery, Garan, Loresa, Sage, Helmund and Eanswyth stand and deliver. Sage takes heavy damage, but he manages to kill one member of the gang. The bandits suffer more damage still and are forced to retreat. They are chased to the entrance of their lair.
With their backs agains a cliff wall, the four surviving membres of the gang face off against the six Rhyme Tree assailants. The gnome Tailgar is killed with an arrow through the eye, and subsequently decapitated. Vil pulls on a hidden lever and the sound of stone grinding on stone can be heard. Torence suddenly disappears into the cliff, while the two remaining bandits throw up their hands and abandon the fight. Hasdraek throws one of his bombs into the void where Torence was last seen, and a deep rumble is heard as the bomb goes off.
Hasdraek interrogates first Cretin and then Vil. Cretin tells him about the secret blast proof entrance, and how it is designed to look hidden. After this interrogation, Hasdraek slits Cretin’s throat and turn to Vil, much the revulsion of Garan, Loresa, Sage and Eanswyth. Vil offers no words of help for Hasdraek, and as the blood hunter levels his glaive at her throat, she impales herself upon it, knowing she will be killed eventually. The four Rhyme Tree farmers are horrified and speak sharply to Hasdraek.
The group takes a short rest to marshal their strength, and prepare a plan to invade the lair. Avery and Helmund, and Eanswyth too are looking forward to looting it, while Garan wants to assure the safety of the community from reprisal. Ridger pokes his head around the corner and races toward the awaiting embrace of his mother and father. Loresa decides to return to the others, taking Ridger with him. The five remaining townsfolk and Hasdraek enter the lair.
Upon entering the lair, they come across the dead body of Torence Flackland. Hasdraek cuts his head off and loots the corpse - including cutting off Torence’s fingers to get at two gold rings. They press on but encounter a pit trap. As they attempt to circumvent the trap, crossbow bolts start to rain down on them.

Report Date

24 Jul 2019