Chapter 2: Playing With Fire

Post by **Vardaen** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 8:52 pm

Life has not been easy for you lately. After being taken captive by Calabim slavers you managed to escape along with a bunch of other slaves. Not everyone made it, and those that did had a hard time of it. Some scattered and fled, others became wrapped up in saving a strange collection of 'spider people'. At first you were welcome in their hidden village of Haven Fara, but as time went on you felt more and more the outsider. Mongo, no fan of spiders, pressed the group to leave sooner than later. So with supplies in hand you slipped out one morning under the cover of a dense fog into the wilds.

You have two things in mind, one, catch up to the slavers to see if you can find signs up any of your companions that may have been recaptured but the second goal is the real mission. You found among the tunnels in the hills an ancient relic: a forge mold that was used to make one of the Chains of the Compact. The Compact with binds the Gods to the earth, to mortal form should they come down from the heavens to meddle in mortal politics.

This relic is of some immense power you are certain, if you can figure out what to do with it. You must find someone wiser than you to speak to about it....

** Early Afternoon, Someplace in the Boundary Hills, July 1st, 52 Years After the Fall of Bhall **

Its been three days since leaving Haven Fara and you've been lucky enough to come on some tracks of a cage wagon. You guess a slaver's wagon, heavily loaded, but the tracks along with it suggest only a half score of guards on foot. So you've tracked it and followed it. You now lie on a low ridge looking down at that very same wagon. There is a camp set up, simple, a fire, a single wagon with four prisoners, and eight others, six guards, and two teamsters. From what you can tell these aren't the same slavers that had held you prisoner. Or at least not all of them are. You recognize two of the guards as ones you dealt with before. They must have survived and join up with this crew.

In the wagon are two goblins, a man and an elf! One of the goblins is so ugly it couldn't be anyone but Gath! You'd remember that ugly swine any place. He looks really bad off, under fed, beaten and broken.

Othniel · Post by **Othniel** » Mon Sep 16, 2019 10:36 pm

The elf doesn't appear any better off. Strips of what appeared to have once been a mage's robe cling to the woman in tatters, and her exposed skin is black and blue in places and welted from the lash in others. She sits with her back to the bars, arms clasped around her knees which are drawn up to her chin. Every once in a while she looks up to shoot a look of pure murder at one of her captors.

Post by **ManWithDoor** » Tue Sep 17, 2019 2:51 am

Mongo lies down on the top of the small ridge. The huge human has pulled out various grasses and weeds and piled them on top of his head, somewhat ridiculously trying to blend in. It could only possibly work at a distance. Anyone walking nearby would immediately spot him. But he thinks he is being clever, and nobody is big enough to forcefully stop him.

Despite being a barbarian from the wilds, he isn't actually as bloodthirsty as many would assume. But there is an evil glint in his eyes as he looks down on the encampment. He whispers as quietly as he can to his comrades. "Slavers! Mongo make very sorry any who tried to turn Mongo into slave. Twist head around until it go pop, then no can slave no more." He, uh, really seems eager to go down and fight the people down there.

Grimbold · Post by **Grimbold** » Mon Sep 23, 2019 4:40 pm

"Yes, we need to try and rescue them, soulheart. These Nchumma need to be dealt with." Eyris says. "Are you sneaky? We wait for night, and then attack."

Post by **Vardaen** » Wed Sep 25, 2019 1:52 pm

Nightfall is the goal.

So the freemen wait and watch. For hours the slavers just stay in camp cooking and talking. They don't feed the slaves, and barely give them any water even in the hot baking sun of the day. A few of the guards go up and torment the slaves.

Eventually the sun falls and the night rises. The guards that were lounging about during the daylight hours now rise up and take posts around the camp, they seem on edge as the moon rises up over the Boundry Hills.

Grimbold · Post by **Grimbold** » Sun Sep 29, 2019 2:21 pm

"Ok, so we sneak in real quietly, and rescue the prisoners. How many are there?" She looks around counting the guards and remembering who was there during the day.

Post by **ManWithDoor** » Sun Sep 29, 2019 5:01 pm

Mongo smiles at an old memory. "If only Grumblejack were here. Big ogre, scary teeth. Had big story of him being very sneaky. Could not sneak up on deaf man, but thought he could. Told story of being quiet as death! One time, Grumblejack sneak up on a farmer to steal sheep. Farmer turned around and looked at Grumblejack, so scared he pissed himself. Grumblejack asked him if he saw anything. Farmer said no. Grumblejack now proud that he is very stealthy."

The barbarian's time spent telling the story was not idly spent. He quietly straps on his shield and pulls out his club. "Mongo more sneaky than Grumblejack, but not by much. Better a distraction or attacker, not sneaker. You can do that part if useful."

Post by **Vardaen** » Tue Oct 01, 2019 5:16 pm

Night falls, and the guards mingle about, a few of them are yawning. A teamster heads to bed...

From the look of things, now might be the time.

Grimbold · Post by **Grimbold** » Tue Oct 01, 2019 7:30 pm

"Mongo, you and Tolan, try and get the horses, fight, if you have to, but get back if need to. Cause confusion" Eyris' language has improved. "I go down quietly to free the prisoners. They can help too." The huntress is calm, but her eyes show she seeks blood, slaver's blood.
If everyone agrees, she starts sneaking down towards the wagon, trying to keep out of sight.

Post by **ManWithDoor** » Tue Oct 01, 2019 8:06 pm

Mongo stops talking, worried his voice might carry farther than he intends it to. He is a man of simple pleasures and direct action, but he is not a total simpleton. He understands the gravity of the situation, and the attack plan. He patiently waits for Eyris to silently approach the prisoners, and gestures for Tolan to focus on the horses.

He sits still until the time appears to be right, then stands up on the rise. He hyperventilates, getting his blood pumping, then runs as fast as he can towards the slavers. He resists the urge to let loose a battle cry during the charge, and hacks at the closest guard in his path.

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