Chapter 7 - A Return from Darkness

[Shurijo]

Ronk takes out his frustrations on a few Frostlings that interrupt the tribe's discussion. A swift kick to the a Frostling's stomach stops it in it's tracks as he spins and lops off the head of another with his great obsidian axe. As he returns his attention to the bent over Frostling, he grabs it by the head and proceeds to throw his entire body weight and strength behind slamming it to the ground.

[Trogdor]

"We should go to the Moongate," Saeldur says decisively, tossing a small fireball over one shoulder at a Frostling that came in through a door on the far wall. "There will certainly be an elder there we can consult. If they decide to stay in the city we can defend the Moongate, a noble task. And if they decide to continue the evacuation, we can use the Moongate before it is destroyed."

[Grimbold]

Egbert slashes at a bugbear, skewering it with his blade, and while he pulls it out, another attempts to bash him with a large club. But Ronk kills it before it hits the warrior of Lugus.Then Egbert pulls out his sword and charges another group of frostlings.

[Shurijo]

Ronk grunts in acknowledgement and agreement with Saeldur. The barbarian begins to prepare to move through the moongate.

[Vardaen]

The Children knock off the Frostlings and Saeldur calls a move to the Moongate.

Lehros fires off an arrow into the eye socket of the last Bugbear. "Our gear." He notes many of you have left your armor and such behind when this all started. So you make for your chambers, they are sort of on the way to the moongate. You notice that with the death of the Dracolich, the true death of it, the tide may be turning. You are forced two times to stop and do battle with the hordes. Once you mow down a collection of Frostlings, goblins and orcs and such, but the second battle is with half a dozen hill giants, and an Illian Seer. That battle takes a bit more out of you, but you are able to defeat them and clear the way just as a trio of elven families comes running down the road seeking safety.

There are many pockets of battle, but you make for the Moongate once you've collected the rest of your things. Then you reach it, the chamber of the Moongate is a call vaulted dome, like many of the Valanhel chambers. The gate itself is a circle on the floor where light from the sun or moon filters down from the ceiling depending on the time of day. Magical wards are set about, and the gate can be activated by a series of stones and actions.

You arrive to find a dozen elemental, tireless, and immortal guardians standing watch. Three of each element, Air, Earth, Fire and Water, are poised around the chamber. Standing before the inactivated gate are three elves, two female and one male, all of them dressed in raiment of war, with obvious signs of magical power. A warrior, a priest and a wizard stand there debating the next course of action.

"...we must open the gate and evacuate!" shouts the female priest.

The male wizard counters, "No, we stand and fight. Opening the gate only leave us vulnerable."

The female warrior rubs her temples, "You two are infuriating!"

[ManWithDoor]

Ovind wipes off the skull fragments from her greatclub before entering the chamber of the Moongate. Best to not appear too barbarous, even if that's who she is. Civilized folks get strange about that sort of thing. When she sees the arguing elders, she eyes Saeldur, hoping he handles it. If she has to resort to being the diplomat, it will certainly devolve to yelling.

[Shurijo]

Ronk peers around the room as he continues walking towards the quarreling elves. Now dressed in his armor and carrying his other items, the barbarian is ready to depart through the moongate.

[Trogdor]

"The dracolich is dead!" Saledur declares as the group strides into the chamber. "I cannot speak as to whether the city can still be saved, but the greatest threat the Valanhel faced today is defeated. We have come here to see whether our aid is needed in defending the city from those Frostlings that remain."

[Shurijo]

Ronk grunts and looks around at the others to see if they believe Saledur's words and whether the find hope or despair in the words and sight of his tribe having returned to them.

[Vardaen]

"Dead?" all three echo at the same time.

"Then there is hope," the mage calls out.

The other two are silent for a moment, then both nod. The woman with her fingers pinching the brow of her nose in frustration stalks over to you, "You may have saved us this day. We have held this city against Winter for some 400 years, I'll not abandon it so quickly. If you can, come with us, let's rally the troops and finish this fight!"

The priest, for she is dressed clearly in the trappings of such, stops the other woman, "Wait, they came here to use the Moongate, even if the city can be saved, the Frostling forces will make for the Moongate, we should send them on their way now, in case we have to destroy the Gate before the battle is over."

They turn to you, "You must make this call, will you stay and fight, risking that the Gate could still be overrun, or will you go through it now?"