D&D: The Genjobi Pass

[Posts on behalf of Frost and Psychosis]

"Tar chun mo cunahm naofa eam!" shouted Jillian, and with a burst of golden light, another bird soared into the fight. The eagle swooped over the druid's head and clawed at the raven above Karwik, ripping apart the smaller bird in a spray of blood and feathers. And as the raven was dispatched by her summon ally, Jillian moved in to stand by Karwik's side.

Meanwhile, up on the deck, Tong slashed at the ravens with his rapier, impaling one of the fiends with a delicate thrust. And beside him, Onu snapped savagely at the raven clawing his side, but to no avail. The bird had him pinned against the deck, its body beyond the range of the weasel's teeth.

And on the riverbank below, Coda fared no better as he was unable to bring his weight against the two ravens who wrestled with him amidst the undergrowth.
 
In the treeline beyond the riverbank, the final raven swooped at Angus, intent on avenging its two companions. Both claws plunged into the ranger's chest, ripping through armour and clothing. Angus yelled, twisting away before the talons could pierce his vital organs, but tearing his flesh in the process. [3 Damage to Angus].

Meanwhile, on the riverbank, two of the ravens continued to peck and claw at Coda, but both feared to get too close to the raging beast. And close by, the third creature dove again at Sales, claws narrowly missing the cleric's head.

And up on the deck, the two remaining ravens continued their struggle against the shimmering forms of Tong and Onu. Tong held firm against his opponent, but his familiar did not fare so well. The weasel was pinned to the deck, hissing as its side was savaged by the bird [4 damage to Onu].



[Summary: 6 Ravens remaining. 1 attacking Angus in treeline. 1 attacking Sales on riverbank. 2 attacking Coda on riverbank. 2 attacking Tong and Onu on ship's deck.]
 
'Nuuta' Sales cursed. Still holding his side, and with only one hand free, he decided the sword was a too clumsy a weapon. He Dropped his sword then pulled out one of his daggers, with a moments aim he threw the dagger at the remaning devil bird.
Sales grinned as the dagger went straight though the raven, then watched the raven hit the ground head first. With a chuckle, Sales picked his sword back up and turned to check the condition of the mercenary.
 
Standing shakily, Karwik felt like he was barely alive. Nonetheless, his brain was clear enough to show him that, for now, all the ravens attacking him had been killed by other people. That suited him fine. What it meant was that he could focus on helping other people.

For instance, from where he was, he noticed a man standing in the treeline being attacked by one of the buzzards. Replacing his sap back into a loop on his belt, he took up his crossbow and fired one shot at the bird.

However, his accuracy being what it was today, the bolt flew wide, bouncing off a tree nearby before finally falling into the murky waters with a soft plunk. Karwik felt like cursing. Thus far, he was about as useful against these birds as a brick would be. If tossed underhanded. And backwards. While blindfolded.
 
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Fielli sneezed, dripping in water. Scanning the area, she saw the small creature named Coda dodging desperately from attacks from the ravens. Curling Pipqua beneath her tunic, Fielli darted to help, not seeing the little familiar's master there to help it.

Biting her lip in concentration, one hand near her dagger. Lifting the other hand, she called in a high voice words long forgotten by most, her hand flicking in a sign before pointing at a raven attacking the animal. The spell magic bolt. Pipqua hissed at the feeling of energy coursing through her master.

The raven Fielli had attacked made a small crow of pain, and was vapourised in the magical beams that leapt from the mage's fingertips.
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Angus was spitting up blood and clutching at his new wound, he'd been lucky, but his trouble would be over soon. He tracked the raven with his eyes, and renewing his grip on the scimitar, and trying to be careful of his bow, he took a swing at the last of his attackers.

Swiftly his blade tore through the remaining fiend, and his smirk quickly faded when he looked over at the band of people he should have been helping out. He sheathed the scimitar and picked up his bow, preparing to help whomever was closest to him from the remaining ravens.
 
With a final screech, the eagle summoned by Jillian swooped in to rescue Coda from the fourth raven. It pinned the smaller bird in its talons and rent it apart, shortly before its own outline faded away into the nether-realms. The summoned creature had performed its task admirably.

Pausing only briefly to check on Coda, Jillian dropped her staff beside her badger and drew her sling, loading a rock from the riverbank and launching it up onto the deck. It ruffled the feathers of the raven attacking Onu, and as it flapped away the Weasel rounded on it and snapped at its heels.

Behind this, Tong dispatched the second creature with a thrust of his rapier and then sprinted to the side of the deck beside Onu, watching as the final raven lifted higher into the air. An arrow from Marcus flew wide of the retreating creature, as did another bolt from Karwik's crossbow.

"Don't let it escape!" yelled Sales, drawing another throwing dagger and launching it desperately at the fleeing fiend. But that too fell short of the mark, and the raven soared above the treetops on the other side of the river, flying for freedom.

For a moment the hearts of the adventurers sunk, knowing that this single raven would inform the Scorpion of their location and doom their entire covert assault to failure.

But then a magical charge filled the air, and the distant raven dropped from the sky in a ball of eldritch flame. It thudded onto the opposite riverbank, and the heads of the heroes all turned to the deck of the ship. Fielli appeared from behind the cabin, dripping wet and scowling as she slammed shut her spellbook.


END OF ENCOUNTER​
 
As the last of the birds fell, Karwik sat down and finally took the time to catch his breath. He was dripping with sweat and swamp muck, and his unloaded crossbow felt heavy in his hands, so he let it sit on his lap. He was wasted, pure and simple, and right now wanted nothing more than to fall asleep. However, just as he was starting to feel light-headed, he remembered that there were people standing next to him, and he slowly raised his head to see how they were.

Actually, from his estimation, they didn't look too bad. Neither the as-yet-unnamed man nor Jillian had really sustained serious damage during the fighting, especially not compared to the scratches and tears that marred Karwik's already ragged shirt. All told, it could have been much worse. From his estimation through scanning everyone else he could see from his seated position, he had taken the worst punishment of the lot.

Whether or not that was a good thing was up to debate.

"Pardon me, sir," he said to Sales, slightly slurringly, "I think I'm dying here. Could you help me, or just put me out of my misery? Either one would work." It occurred to him that the fellow might misinterpret the sarcasm, but would that be a bad thing anyway? He was too tired to care.
 
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Fielli examined the group, her thickly lashed eyelids half-closing in an almost lazy manner as she scanned them. A bunch of birds did this? Goodness, we do need training, don't we. Especially, the thought, taking care not to let her indulgent smile show, the man who looked as exhausted as she felt.

I was trapped underwater, while they were fighting birds and I stilll get out in time to... save them from birds? Fielli stroked Pipqua, letting a smile tug the corners of her mouth. She might as well seem at least welcoming since they all looked so bloody put out.

"Is everyone all right, then?" not much she could do about it, she was no healer. The cleric would be better suited if that was the case. Still, it seemed polite to ask, she decided, wringing her hair out with her hands.

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Sales looked towards where the 'bolt' came from with a tilt of his head. He studied the dripping human, sensing an air of aloofness about her, which intuiged and worried Sales.
To Fielli 'Perhaps you could check on the bowman over there for me, while I tend to this man's injuries', pointing at Angus then to Karwik.
Sales knelt down beside the mercenary and said 'Just stay still and let the powers of Corellon Larethian heal your wounds'. Sales placed his hands on mercenary's back and started to pray, as the mercenary glowed with a holy aura his wounds stopped bleeding and began to heal. [6 healing points to Karwik]
'Feel better?' Sales asked, 'A little better' replied the mercenary. With an extended arm Sales helped the mercenary to his feet. 'Sales Goodspeed at your service' Sales said with a warm smile.
 
Angus let out a sigh, he eyed the bow, he searched for any sort of cracks as well as he could, to see if the string had loosened, thought it hadn’t felt that way. There had to be something wrong with that weapon, he’d been shooting for as long as he could pull a bow string for long enough.

He grunted, he shouldn’t be worrying about that at the moment. The rush of adrenaline had faded and now all that was left was the pain, he wasn’t bleeding so profusely, the clothes, tightened to his body by his leather armor were at least stopping the bleeding from becoming more serious.

A pained groan left his mouth as he lazily sat down near the elf, and he looked up as he pondered on ripping a part of his cloak to at least clear his wounds.

He heard the elf speaking, and with closed eyes as he pressed on his wounds, he spoke slowly, reaching out for his scimitar.

“She’s an illusionist, elf, I can do more than her with some bandages... I heard magic’s better though…”
 
Angus's hands were slapped away before he could reach his scimitar or press too tightly on his wounds.

"Sit still," chided Jillian, pulling away the torn edges of his clothing to examine his injuries. For a halfling she had a rather forceful presence. "Would it kill you rangers to accept some help from time to time?"

"Mind the bow," muttered Angus as the halfling tried to examine him.

"The bow's been cursed - you can tell by the wood grain. You should think twice about the merchants in these parts." retorted the Druid as she placed her hands on the Ranger's chest. Beside her, the badger sniffed at the bow and hissed in disgust.

"That little goblin basta..."

"Quiet! I need to concentrate." interrupted Jillian. She began chanting, her halfling incantations charging the air and making the trees and undergrowth bristle with colour. Angus felt the pain in his chest recede, the claw wounds clotting and healing over with scar tissue. [8 hitpoints healed]

Taking her hand away, Jillian glanced up towards the boat. "You'll need help too."

"Nothin' a li'l pick-me-up won't fix," grunted Tong as he stood on the deck. The fighter was guzzling crimson liquid from a glass bottle, and as he drunk the colour returned to his body and his dozen bleeding wounds were clotted. [6 hitpoints healed] Whatever injuries remained were licked at by his faithful weasel, and all the while Tong's eyes scanned the horizon stoically.

He glanced down at Sales, "Bes' get yerself patched up too, Cabin Boy, 'less you wanna stay 'ere and die with yer cap'n. Won't be long till th' Scorpion's armies find this 'ere boat."

As Sales glared back at the fighter, Karwik pulled himself to his feet. "Who's to say the Scorpion doesn't already know we're coming? The wave that crashed us wasn't exactly natural, now was it?"

It was a trap spell," scowled Fielli. The sorceress had ignored Sales's earlier request and was standing on the riverbank with her arms folded, looking quite impatient. "It was probably placed on the river years ago, set to go off if anything triggered it."

"The ravens were probably put here too," added Jillian as she cleaned her badger's wounds. "I guess they weren't expecting too many people to come through here. Looks like we were lucky this time."

"Aye, well our luck won't last 'less we get movin'." replied Tong, before looking down at Angus. "So Ranger, assumin' that brain o' yours weren't sold to you by the same merchant, d'you reckon you can get us to the Genjobi Pass?"
 
Glad to see that everyone was more or less in one piece, and grateful indeed for the healing, Karwik stood back on his feet. "Thanks, Sales," he said to the man who had just healed him. "My name is Karwik." He didn't feel very much in the mood for protracted conversation. They were out a boat, and there was a good distance to go before they'd reach their objective. He didn't relish the thought of walking through this sludge.

Then a thought struck him. He'd seen a money pouch on the captain's belt shortly before the accident. He hated robbing dead people, but his own finances were slim, and the group as a whole would need some traveling money.

It's just defiling the dead. How hard could it be?

Well, there was the consideration that the boat was tipped over sideways, meaning that the captain was probably under water. Shrugging his shoulders, the thief said to Sales, "Excuse me for a moment, would you? I need to check something." Grabbing onto the edge of the window he'd tumbled through a short while ago, he hauled himself up and took a look around the interior of the boat.

However, as he leaned in to get a better look, his foot slipped, causing him to topple backwards into the swamp muck in front of everybody else. Lying there a little bit, he contemplated the turn that his life was taking.

This has just been one long lousy day.
 
With the pain still in Sales side and everyone else seemed ok, Sales decided to attend to his own wounds.
'Hey botuu, perhaps you could make yourself useful and look on the ship for anything we can use for our journey such as rope, hooks, warm clothes or blankets, etc' Sales barked at Tong.
Suddenly there was a splash, Sales turned to see Karwik's body in the water, Sales just shaked his head in disappointment.
Sales turned to Angus and introduced himself 'Hello my name is Sales Goodspeed', Sales reached out his hand in friendship, 'would you be the gentleman we are here to meet?' Sales asked.
 
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Fielli arched a delicate eyebrow at the people around her, taking comforting only in the mild sophistication of the druid. Better than nothing... she smirked slightly at the man called Sales, not sure how many of the group could understand the elven tongue but to her, well, it was just one of those languages one thought might be useful and picked up.

Stroking her snake contemplatively, she glanced around. She wanted rid of this water soaked place already, the foul smells and the stench that clung to the wetness. She preferred warm cloth gently billowing around her, warm beds... why had she signed up for this? She struggled to remember her seemingly misguided thinking. It was difficult, now she was here, to recall what she thought she would achieve. She hoped it had been a comforting thought.

"Let's get moving, then, if everyone is ok and anyone even knows the way out..."
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Angus got up and straightened his clothes and armor, he took a quick glance at the bow and then at the Halfling, he sheathed his scimitar, and nodded lazily to his healer, it didn’t take him long to figure out she was the druid, somehow he felt that his skills weren’t to be trusted, for the group to need somebody else who was knowledgeable about the forest. He dismissed the feeling quickly enough to thank Jillian for her work on him, she could heal people, he couldn’t.

He faked a short laugh when Tong addressed him, and was about to retort when he sighted Karwik’s failed enterprise into the boat, much too late already after Sales had already responded to the wizard. Well, he wasn’t the only one cursed, it seemed. He quickly faced Sales, a shed of gladness on his face as he shook hands with the elf and nodded.

“Angus Sybert, and I know these trees like the palm of my hand.”

He had respect for the holy men, most of them altruistic to the end, and all simply because they wished to do so. His smile faded away, there was indeed not much for them to do but keep on moving, for whatever little knowledge he had of traps and magic, they had set something off already, the trees heard well enough, however old they were.

“The illusionist has the right idea, we shouldn’t stay here, or anywhere in particular for too long, this place hasn’t been too… healthy since the rebellion started.”

He took a couple steps ahead when he let go of Sale’s hand, the next thing to do was to simply move as far away from the river as they could, but that was just his logic talking, he only knew the magic of the dryads, and barely. The ranger turned to the group, and with what he figured would be his most professional tone he spoke.

“I should take point, if anything we can find a place to make a camp and I can see for a road where there aren’t many ravens, unless any of you think we should do something else, as long as it’s not staying close to the river.”
 
A bundle of sodden rope, a couple of dry blankets, a spare backpack and three mooring hooks slammed into the ground between Sales and Angus, almost crushing their toes.

They looked up to see Tong throwing down some more rope with one hand and manhandling Karwik in the other. The rogue was coughing up water, and had the look of a man who had just given up on some prize loot.

"Ay then," said Tong with a lazy smile, "We're in yer cap'ble hands, Ranger."

Even as Tong and Karwik leapt down from the ship there was the sound of creaking. The muds finally shifted and the boat began to sink away into the foul-smelling water, the trapped air bubbling to the surface. Most of them did not stay to watch, but Sales lingered for a moment, muttering a prayer for the departed captain.

The captain had always wanted to go down with his vessel. For a human he had been a good man... one of the very people who deserved the peace the heroes sought to bring to this land.

His prayer ended, Sales sighed and went back to helping Karwik and Angus collect up the salvage.

Then, with Angus taking point, the Party wound their way into the dark and choking wetlands, moving in single file, one eye on the swamps around them and one eye on the great Phoenix Mountain that loomed in the distance.

"Well, wherever th'other group be," muttered Tong as he sheathed his rapier, "I'd wager they'll not be 'aving as much trouble as us."




Thirty miles away, the Paladin Darius stumbled through the forest, branches snapping against his armour, thorns snagging his flesh and the robes of the woman he carried. His brow dripped with sweat, his arm gushed blood. Between the snapping sound of wood, his anguished breaths echoed through the trees.

"Hold on Ayumi," he whispered to the unconscious cleric in his arms, "Stay with me!"

The moans of the undead who had hounded him from the foothills were growing distant. But there was now something much more terrifying on his heels. Another roar sounded from the woods behind him, and a jet of flame and smoke rose above the canopy. Darius quickened his pace, heart pounding in his ribcage.

They were being hunted.

"Have to keep moving!" he gasped, ducking under branches, clambering over fallen logs. His armoured feet sunk into the ground as he came to the borders of the Jalgarus Swamp, and he slid, almost dropping Ayumi.

Another cloud of flame burned through the forest in the distance behind him.

It was getting closer.

The Paladin fell to his knees, gasping for breath. He placed Ayumi on a dryspot beside him, laying down her head with due care. They were both bleeding, the red streaks vivid against the dull brown and greens of the wetlands.

"Whatever grace is given unto me," he whispered, closing his eyes as he prayed, "Let Ayumi take it. Let her live to speak of these times and the friends we have lost."
 
Chapter Two: The Watchpost of Sun-Jinto

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The day that followed was a sickly one, the sky as pale and yellow as the waters around them. As the party crossed the Jalgarus Wetlands they were assailed by the foetid smell of noxious gas and rotting wildlife. But more than this, it was a stench of evil that hung over the swamp, grating on the nerves and leaving a sour taste in the mouth. Sales felt it most of all, and his sense of unease only made the party jumpier. The day was spent in nervous glances and hushed voices, most of all from the young Karwik, who was clearly out of his comfort zone.

Angus led the way, following well-worn hunter tracks and the remains of abandoned Lizardmen settlements. Under his guidance the party avoided the regions of quicksand, quagmire and monster-lairs that might have claimed the unwary in this great expanse.

By early afternoon the group stopped to light a fire and dry out their clothes and equipment. Jillian, Karwik and Angus formed a hunting party, but after an hour they returned with little to show for their trip: a couple of scrawny hares and a dubious-looking fish. Ensuring the others were fed first, Angus resorted to his field rations, as did Fielli, who did not like the look of what the hunting party had brought back.

Tong did not allow his group to rest for long and soon pushed them onwards. The party started due north towards the Genjobi Pass, but already Angus could see how the environment had changed. Where the wetlands bordered the foothills, the undergrowth became steadily denser and waterlogged, thorns and vines choking every path that Angus knew of. Jillian noted that magical growth spells had been cast in these parts - agents of the Scorpion using their magic to make the western approaches to the mountain unpassable. Angus did his best to cut a path through the vines, but as the sun fell behind the horizon, it was clear to everyone that they were lost.

With a disdainful look at the ranger, Tong ordered Jillian to take point. Relying on magic and the wits of her animal companion, the Druid did her best to get the party back on track, and by dusk they had navigated their way out of the wetlands. Only a few miles of foothills remained between them and the narrow entrance of the Genjobi Pass.

It was then that Karwik dropped, the exhaustion sapping the last of his strength. Jillian placed a resistance spell on him, while Tong summoned a spectral horse to carry the young rogue. And in this state, they made their way to the rocky path that would take them up the Phoenix Mountain. Angus led the way again as they moved in single file between the high rocks on either side of the Pass.

As such, it was Angus who was almost cleaved in half as a figure lunged from around the corner. Angus brought up his scimitar, blocking the cleaver that swung at his face, but the figure pushed him back against the rocks. And the blade had almost pierced his throat when Jillian cried out.

"Darius!"

The rising moonlight caught upon the face of the exhausted Paladin, and he finally recognised them. Darius smiled slightly and gasped "We found you," before dropping his weapon and slumping down onto his back.

Ayumi was resting a few feet behind Darius, looking just as exhausted and blood-smeared. The party gathered up their injured members and Angus guided them to a campsite, where they pitched bedrolls and organised watches for the night ahead.
 
I had not had a night so restless for years, not since the Scorpion's armies burned the place I once called home. I dreamt of Ando, dragged beneath the rockslide, and of those poor souls in the foothills reduced to Undead damnation. This morning I feel worse than ever. But I cannot burden the others. I have to stay strong. The people of Paradox are counting on us all...
From the Diary of Darius Castablane​



The next morning, Darius sat wearily with a stick, poking at a smouldering campfire. Jillian was cooking up a batch of soup opposite him, while Tong sharpened a blade. The paladin was pale, bags beneath his eyes telling of a haunted, restless sleep.

"The southern villages were overrun," he said sadly, his throat dry and raw with sorrow. "Hundreds of villagers. The Scorpion hadn't just killed them - he'd transformed them... into Undead. And somehow he has the power to cause rockslides - boulders were hurled down every half-hour. We lost..." he swallowed. "We lost Ando to the second rockslide. And the guide who was meant to meet us... he never showed. Ayumi and I were the only ones who got out..."

He stopped to drink from his waterskin, and it was clear he had trouble keeping the liquid down. "Ayumi was injured in the slide. I thought it best to find the rest of you. Shao's armies will never be able to storm the mountain from the south side. It falls to us, my friends... we must find a way to sneak past the Scorpion's defences and stop whatever is causing those rockslides. Only then will our allies have any hope..."

With a grimace of pain, he leant forward and threw open his backpack, taking out a sheet of parchment. "Before the rest of you arrived, Ayumi and I scouted out the path ahead." He paused to look up at the others around the campfire. "The Watchpost of Sun-Jinto lies ahead. It was built during the War of Alderain, to keep watch for Orc armies from the northwest. The Scorpion has a few men still stationed there. From what I could see, it's a skeleton staff. They do not expect many to come through the Genjobi Pass."

He opened the sheet of parchment, revealing a hastily drawn and blood-smeared map, the shaky lines telling of his exhaustion last evening. The Watchtower was perched on the edge of the mountain, a road on one side and a fatal drop on the other. The battlements were accessed by stairways, with buildings between, and they saw the small circles where Darius had indicated torches.

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"There is a wall of rock to the south, very difficult to climb. The bridge here..." he pointed to the southern extension from the Watchtower's wall, "Will take us to the higher ground." He then pointed to the road circling the watchpost, "Or we can pass under the bridge and continue following the road. But whatever we choose, there is no way to sneak past this position. I counted three men on the battlements, and another three on the road... a hunting party perhaps. There could be others inside the compound. The graveyard by the road is old, and there were crops and grazing goats around the walls - perhaps enough to feed a whole platoon." He looked up at his companions again. "But they will all have to die if we wish to remain unnoticed."
 
In the period when he took up the watch, Karwik was happy that nothing had transpired. He wasn't really happy with the idea of a fight so soon after the fiasco that was the last one. Besides, at this point, he was beginning to lose confidence in his ability to add anything to this mission. Passing out during the walk, barely catching anything while hunting, and being made a fool of by a bunch of black birds...He was surprised that his comrades trusted him with anything anymore.

It was in those poor spirits that he woke, noticing that many of the others were already up and working. With a short sigh, he took a sip of his own waterskin, and stood to see that Darius was calling everyone together for a briefing. Shrugging, he stepped over, in the vain hope that he'd be able to contribute something useful. Though considering that he was just a street punk with absolutely no knowledge whatsoever of the outside world, this was extremely unlikely.

As the Paladin began, Karwik sat back and considered how best to circumvent a fort of that sort. Obviously, what with the height advantage and the well-laid lighting, they'd be sitting ducks for fusillades of arrows if they just tried to breeze by. Darius was right. There was no choice but to clear them out first. "The bridge looks good," he muttered, calculating the numbers in his mind. "We've got bows and magic, so we could hit the road's patrol from above. All we'd have to do..."

He stopped himself before saying anything audible. There were people here who probably were more brilliant than him, and outranked him to boot. It was doubtful that anyone would listen to the ramblings of a thief. More likely, they were thinking the same thing, thereby making whatever he had to say completely unnecessary. He would just keep his mouth shut, and spare himself the humilation of doing something stupid again.