Session 9: Chase For Bayes
General Summary
31st Sharali 234 4E With the sun rising in the West behind their backs, the party start their assault on Hrefna's fortified camp. The plan is simple - while the main force attacks the gate, pulling the attention of those inside and hopefully drawing Hrefna out, a second group will move against the southern wall, pulling it down with Herrig's device and rushing in to extract the children. Meridas and Willum moved in front of the main force. With Tawny's magic amplifying their voice, Meridas called out a challenge to Hrefna and the others, taunting them. A voice replied, silent to all others, demanding that they leave now or they would regret it. Well, that was that, talks were over. Meridas unleashed an acoustic blast at the gates, the wood creaking and cracking, which was followed by a searing bolt of lightning from Avina behind them which tore through the weakened frame, throwing it open. In that brief moment, Meridas saw deep into the camp and spotted Hrefna in its center. Taking the opportunity, they reached out to Willum and snapped the two of them to the point beside their target. They were now behind enemy lines, cut off from the others, but it was a risk with great possible returns. At the same moment the rest of their forces surged forwards, heading for the now ajar gates. But before they reached them a shout called out and the ground began to steam and froth, a great fog lifting up and obscuring the whole area. The villagers and hired swords were stopped in their tracks, their path and the threats in front now hidden from sight. Avina however did not hesitate, calling forth a great orb of corrosive matter and hurling it through the fog, through where she new the gates still stood open. The screams and sizzling of flesh and cloth marked the successful hit on those behind them. Among their number was one of the enemy mages and as he fell to the ground, so too did his conjured cloud of mist. The path was once again open. Tawny took this moment to dash through. As Brokil and the others charged and clashed with the bandits still standing at the gate, met with both blades in front and arrows loosed from up on the central mound, the masked figure nimbly passed through the carnage and rushed further into the camp, heading towards where the children were. Along the way he gave quick aid to Meridas and Willum, who were locked in a battle of blades, fangs and spells from all sides and who's rapid attack had forced Hrefna retreat, pulled back into a rift and reappearing with a short crack at the top of the central mound. Still Tawny pushed on and past, reaching the children just in time to put himself between them and one of the bandits' mages. Seeing his companions falling and Herrig's great hook now starting to tear down the wall beside him, the mage could see their victory was not appearing and so went to take his vengeance against what he could, the children who stood in front of him. His called force the Veil, rifts crackling around his hands as he threw them wide and started to bring them back rushing together, a great percussive and kinetic force building in between them. But Meridas spotted this from across the camp, in a frozen moment as she fought against the bandits' hounds and strained to keep magical silence on the mound in place, and used her own magic to pull the power out of his spell and disperse it. His hands clapped together, the faint sound alone and lost amongst the surrounding chaos. Onwards the battle went, with clashes across all parts of the camp, and the bandits were felled one by one and forced to retreat up onto the mound, where Hrefna had disappeared into the large tent there. Seeing this, Willum called forth his innate powers and vanished from sight, his visage gone, and then moved up onto the mound and took after her. She reappeared in the tent's entrance, carrying a large object wrapped up in cloth and cord. She moved to the back of the mound, behind the obscuration of the tent, while the last of her men stood their ground against the incoming forces, only to be hit again by one of Avina's corrosive orbs. Many of them died screaming and boiling. Willum followed in Hrefna's tracks, catching her at the edge of the mound's earthen slope. He grabbed the bundle in her arms and pulled it towards him, trying to wrench it free from her grip. But her grip was iron, in that moment possessing a strength equal to his and that should not have been possible for someone of her size. He locked eyes with her, seeing the desperation and defiance in them, before his gaze was drawn down to the bundle. Part of its cover had slipped, revealing the object beneath. Before he could react though, a pair of words left Hrefna's lips and a rift snapped open between her and Willum, pulling Hrefna and the bundle into itself and snapping shut with a deafening crack. The sound caught the attention of all those in the camp, with Tawny and Willum also hearing a second fainter twin sound far outside the palisade walls. Deducing that the sound must mark where Hrefna reappeared, the pair gave chase and took off in that direction. Tawny called out this information to the others, and as he passed Avina cast out her magic to imbue him with unnatural speed and agility. The masked and cloaked figure darted out through the gates and into the woods, the towering hunter following behind.
Session Logg - Tawny
I’m so disappointed in you. I never expected you to act like this. You should think before you talk, you know? Haven’t I told you that before? How do you think that made them feel? Don’t you ever think about others? You’re making this unnecessarily hard for yourself. You got emotional, and that’s fine, but you need to learn to control yourself. You shouldn’t let emotions take hold of you. These sorts of situations should be averted. ... Look, I’m sorry. I just feel like I needed to be harsh on you for once. I’m trying my hardest to do what I think is best for you. If anything, this was a lesson to be had. You might not have done it today, but I’m sure you’ll do great next time! Chin up, I think I hear your friend arriving.
