Adventure 9 - The Search For The Staging Grounds

On the morning two days after the failed Poquoi attack on Fort Farholde, the Creek City Protectors gathered in Lord-Commander Jannot Whitney's War Room for a briefing on their mission.

Whitney's intelligence officers showed the protectors a large map of the area, showing Farholde and the surrounding hilly and mountainous country. They placed markers on the map, detailing where substantial attacks had occured. Whitney's men suspected that the Poquoi had a nearby staging ground, a lightweight base of operation where their horsemen and footsoldiers could assemble to launch fast, coordinated strikes against the Stanholmians. Whitney wanted that staging ground found, with the intention of capturing it and reducing the enemy's effectivity in the region.

Three sites, within launching distance of the major assaults, were marked on the map for the protectors to investigate. One lay within the hills bordering the north road which led further up the frontier to other settlements. Two others lay west and south-west, deeper into the foothills of the mountains and beyond the boundaries of the frontier colonies. The group would be travelling for many days in the wild, and, with autumn coming on and the weather changing for the worse, they were advised to provision themselves appropriately.

The group conferred with Whitney after reviewing the intelligence and asking a few questions. The Lord-Commander called upon his senior Quartermaster to outfit the group appropriately, including some composite bows for the archers, mounts for everyone, two tents, and enough rations to last the group two tendays. He also introduced a young archer by the name of Owen Dinsdale, whom Whitney claimed had expressed interest in accompanying the group on their mission.

Before midmorning, the party set out on their foray into the wild.

After a day's journey, they had decided to scout out the southernmost potential staging area, nestled deep in the foothills of the mountain range and about 4 days ride away. Tracks from the last Poquoi raiding party were still visible in the road, headed back due west. Over the next few days, huge formations of crows (or crow-like birds) flew overhead, criss-crossing the sky and circling. That, combined with the dreary, overcast days and frequent drizzle, cast a gloom and tension over the group during its journey.

Near dawn on the third day, Neelan and Dinsdale heard a low, deep growl as they stood watch. Quickly rousing the party, the group assembled to defend themselves and their camp. Dinsdale spotted a pair of blue eyes in the darkness and fired an arrow from his bow. It struck true, and the enraged mountain lion pounced the adventurer and began to worry him with its vicious claws. Several of the group turned to help when another sprang from the darkness and attacked Keigan.

The two great cats were quickly put down, but not before they caused significant harm to the party. Keigan collected the teeth of one for his trophy when he noticed something odd: the cat was covered with patches of disease or deformity. Along various parts of its face, legs, flanks, shoulders, and back were regions of black, rubbery growth. The flesh had darkened and grown into what appeared to be a strange patch of small tentacles. Samples were carved from the flesh of the cats and taken for later examination.

Continuing on that day, the party came to a wide canyon that lead father into the mountains. Opting to travel carefully along the top right-hand-side of the canyon, Neelan and Pennyworth noticed noise and movement below without betraying their presence. Two giants were headed up the canyon, towards the road to Fort Farholde, pushing a contraption between them. It looked like the frame to a small house on wheels - the skeleton and the roof were complete, but the walls and floor were missing. Hanging from large chains from the centre roof beam, an iron-banded log swung freely back and forth. The giants used their shoulders to move the battering ram slowly up the canyon floor.

Neelan decided to scout ahead to see if there were any other giants in the vicinity. Keigan and Hamish concocted a wild plan to draw the giants into battle, while Pennyworth and Dinsdale took bow position from the side of the canyon. John Henry hid amidst the debris and scrub near Keigan and Hamish, ready to burst out and hit the giants from flanking position.

Some distance ahead, Neelan observed something else on the caynon floor, and began running as fast as his legs could carry him while still masking his presence.

When the giants came into view, Keigan called out a challenge to get their attention. They looked up from thier cart to see Keigan's and Hamish's posteriors, trousers dropped, taunting them obscenely while the Noisu warrior and the Stanholmian adventurer-seeker made cat calls at their foes.

The giants blinked a few times, in confusion or disbelief.

Dinsdale, sensing the coming battle, let loose a flurry of arrows. The giants, more interested in the bowmen than the little men who were having trouble with their pants, turned from their cart and ran to the side of the canyon. Plan thrown askew, Hamish and Keigan gave up their favourable position and charged down into the fray. One giant climbed the slope just as Neelan ran past, screaming "BIG GIANT!", the other turned on Hamish.

Keigan, grunting with the battle-effort, called out, "Aye, we can see them. They're right here."

Neelan, wide-eyed, replied, "No, I mean REALLY BIG GIANT."

Realization dawned, and Keigan's eyes glittered in anticipation.

As the two giants were being dealt with, one cried out in a guttral tongue back along the canyon. Soon enough, a massive giant walked up the canyon floor, holding another battering ram across his shoulders with one arm, and pulling a sled piled high with large, sharp mountain boulders. Keigan tried to intimidate the creature, but he just laughed and grabbed a boulder in his meaty hand.

Everyone ran to get behind, under, or shielded in some way by the cart.

Neelan decided to use his Muzamil Windrunner skills against the dread foe. He tumbled, danced, and lept in, slashing at the giant (who quickly retrieved his greatclub). When he moved away, the giant charged him, bringing his massive weapon down on Neelan's right side, marring it with an ugly purple bruise running the length of his ribcage. Keigan, Hamish, and John Henry - who had been trying to push the cart, as cover from the boulders - decided to take advantage of the giant's distance from his rocks and charged into the fray.

At one point, the greatclub almost shattered Hamish's large greatsword - "that's my da's sword!" - but the weapon's steel stayed intact. Everyone continued to harry the giant as he swatted and flailed at the group. Another blow connected with Neelan, and, despite the intense pain and battle fatigue, the young Muzamil decided (against common sense) to stay in the battle. But before the giant could land another blow and kill the young harrier, John Henry struck the creature down.

The party took a moment to recover from the ferocious battle, and pose for a victory shot.

The group, once recovered somewhat, destroyed the battering ram, assuming that it would be used against Fort Farholde. They continued south-west, and later the next day, they found themselves looking across a valley at a distant wooden fortification a few miles away on the mountainside. They concluded that the giants had a base of operations here, but that this area was not the staging area they were send to find.

Neelan noted that staying hidden and following the giants might well have lead the group to the staging area. Most of the party reflected silently on this thought, and then proceeded to ignore the bruised warrior.

Turning back northwest, the party followed the canyon and then the road back for two days until they reached the fork in the road. Taking the trail that headed due west, they estimated about two days to reach the next potential staging ground. The weather was still fair, and most of the party's wounds had slowly healed over time.

Camping off the road for the evening, John Henry and Pennysworth were standing watch when both felt the sting of an insect bite on their exposed flesh. As they moved to swat the critter away, the world resolved to trip underneath them. They fell, unconscious, both.

When the group awoke, they were trussed up, hands and feet bound, hung over their horses in the morning sunlight. Surrounding them were at least a score of mounted Poquoi warriors. When John Henry and Neelan tested their bones, the entire group were pricked with darts and fell unconscious once more.

They woke up again at night on the floor of a large tent, disoriented, thirsty and starving. Several guards stood nearby, watching the prisoners silently, hands on their shortswords. One left as the group awoke, returning a few minutes later. Before the group could regain their bearings, a bald Poquoi man, dressed in a warrior's battle garments, entered and surveyed them.

In the silence of the tent, the bald Poquoi spoke. He spoke a short burst of speech that no one could understand... no one but Hamish. Hamish understood the man to say brokenly, "Why you come here?" in an ancient dialect of the Noisu tongue.

Experience Awards

Combat XP:
2 mountain lions: for L4PCs, +480XP; for L5 PCs, +400XP
2 ogres + 1 giant: for L4PCs, +1040XP; for L5 PCs, +900XP
Failing 2 Listen checks and 2 Fort saves, all in under 30 seconds: priceless, AND +0XP
TOTAL COMBAT: for L4PCs, +1520XP; for L5PCs, +1300XP

RPing and Personal Goals Awards:
Dinsdale (2; +400XP); Hamish (1; +200XP); John Henry (1; +200XP); Keigan (1; +200XP); Neelan (2; +500XP); Pennyworth (1; +200XP)
Extra one for Dinsdale's first session
Extra one for Neelan for taking the giant on at great personal risk

Player Chits:
Hamish (1; +200XP); Keigan (3; +600XP); Neelan (2; +500XP)

TOTALS:
Dinsdale (L4): 6600 + 1520 + 400 = 8520
Hamish (L4): 9924 + 1520 + 200 + 200 = 11844 (level up!)
John Henry (L4): 10009 + 1520 + 200 = 11729 (level up!)
Keigan (L4): 9784 + 1520 + 200 + 600 = 12104 (level up!)
Neelan (L5): 11109 + 1300 + 500 + 500 = 13409
Pennyworth (L4): 7832 + 1520 + 200 = 9552