Princes of the Apocalypse Recap 4
The session begins as the group departs from Beliard, heading west along the Stone Trail. After the trauma of his last interaction with the horses, Bingo refuses the opportunity to lead them taking a seat in the covered back of the wagon instead. He sits and plays a little lilting tune on his lute, practicing and playing around. Between him, Forge, Čadas and the groups packs, the back of the wagon is rather full. It is only just about made comfortable by Čadas and Bingo’s smaller statures.
Roland takes the reins at the front of the cart with Gil sitting beside him. The orc and the tin can take their usual positions either side of the wagon keeping pace. They travel for a few, relatively peaceful hours. During this time, they cross a few small rises and dips along the stone road, but it is mostly flat with the Sumber Hills on their left-hand side. Gil and Roland have a pleasant chat about the ever-fluctuating weather, where the clouds swirl and darken, the wind picks up before it dies off and calms down again. This pattern repeats again and again, the group have become pretty well-accustomed to this strange, inconsistent weather over their time in the area. In one of the more peaceful moments, Gil takes the reins so that Roland can prepare himself a refreshing cup of tea. Around this time, the group crest a hill and begin to see the stone bridge in the distance.
As soon as they see it, they wonder how they did not notice it sooner. The stone bridge is not a normal bridge by any means. It is a site of holy pilgrimage for many Dwarves. Standing 400 feet high into the air and two miles long, its construction is truly a feat of brilliance. As long standing as it is, it is also a perilous path for it is only just wide enough for two wagons to pass one another. With no guard rail it has proved a fatal trip for many a man and mare. The sight of the bridge stirs something in the mind of Čadas. Suddenly, he recalls reading a book which recounted the tale of the time the dwarven God Moradin came down and rallied the Ironstar Clan against a horde of orcs. He also remembers that this is the site of the death of King Torhild Flametongue the founder of the great city of Besilmer. As one of the quieter members of the group, he instantly gained the attention of the others when he began to speak, then, he lost most of it by reciting historical facts.
As they steadily approach the bridge there are two different moods building within the group. First, is a jovial humorous mood in which the men make jokes about the builders of the bridge compensating for something. They discuss the game where children drop sticks from bridges and count how long it takes to hit the water below. Before long, this idea escalated from dropping sticks off of the bridge to finding a small tree for Cybin to drop off so that they could try to hear the sploosh 400 feet below. After a while this jovial mood changes, the closer they draw to the bridge the more it sinks, an apprehension grows in a few of the group. It is one thing to worry about coming too close to the edge of a normal road where the only danger would be a wheel getting stuck in the softer earth around it. It is another to have the edge of the road be a drop up to 400 feet straight down.
To help avoid this fate, Roland stops the wagon and, with the help of Forge, attaches the reins to the tin can companion. They figure that the tin can would be able to maintain a central path more easily than a distractible humanoid would. Whilst ascending the bridge, one of their fears almost becomes reality as the wind catches the side of the wagon lifting two of the wheels slightly. From inside of the wagon Forge's voice booms for them to halt and he and Bingo spring into action. Forge begins to unbuckle the cloth siding to reduce the area the wind can affect. Bingo grabs hold of the siding attempting to weigh it down and finds his toes lifting off the ground. He promptly calls to Gil and Roland and gets them to help him weigh it down so that they do not lose it, and their halfling friend, in the wind.
They get it pinned down, folded, and stored away in a crate on the wagon. With this achieved, there is an air of tension that lingers for they do not know what to expect crossing this bridge. Roland takes point position this time, walking steadily in front of the tin can, diligently inspecting the bridge for potential hazards. As they crest the incline to the flat plateau of the centre mile of the bridge, another of their fears for the crossing becomes realised. They are not alone on the bridge.
As they grow closer, they make out more detail of the hulking figures in the centre of the road. Roland and Bingo come to recognise the bulky shapes as they get closer and warn the others that they are ogres. As they draw closer to the pair, Bingo turns himself invisible, as he tends to do when confronted with an unpredictable foe. The last time they fought one of these beasts they were given quite the challenge, they don't dare to underestimate them again. Knowing that they are somewhat sentient, and perhaps being idealistic, Roland hails them greeting them kindly. They turn to look at the approaching group seeming rather confused.
"We wish for passage good sirs" Roland continues. "Might you step aside and let us through?" With no reaction to the words other than bewilderment both Cybin and Roland attempt to communicate in their many tongues. First Cybin tries Orcish, then bear and owl to no avail. Around the time where Roland tries celestial and infernal is when their confusion descends into annoyance. Roland ducks down and attempts to make himself appear less threatening and for once it begins to look like the group have avoided bloodshed. That is, until one of the ogres bumps into the other and flies into a rage. Almost as if awakening something in them the other begins to roar in anger as well and they turn to face the group once more, this time with the intent to smash, destroy, and rend.
The fight that ensues is a brief but dramatic one. Čadas stands on the back of the wagon, his book closing with a heavy thump in one hand as he raises the other towards the ogres. A small orb made of dancing fireflies forth bursting and spreading across the exposed shoulder of the left hand ogre. Just after the orb flies past him Gildon'halt lets loose a bolt from his crossbow but is caught off guard by the ferocity of the wind making it go wide of his mark. Bingo remains invisible choosing not to act until they come closer to the group. No sooner than he chooses to wait does Bingo miss his chance to act. With greater speed than the group expected the right-hand ogre surges forward javelin in hand and launches it at Roland with a roar. It finds a gap between the plates of his armour and sinks into him with a heavy sickening thump. Seeing his friend hurt Cybin unleashes the primal energy within himself imbuing his weapon and his unseen cloud of spores with magic. These spores, though usually harmless, can be and often are weaponised by Cybin in battle, they protect him from harm and damage his foes. He surges forward putting himself between the ogre and the now injured dragonborn.
Forge from the wagon takes aim seemingly pointing at the right-hand ogre but when he looses the bolt it curves in the air guided by the wind and sinks a devastating blow into the left-hand ogres thigh. It howls with pain and thick deep red blood begins pouring from the wound. In its pain, it swings its mighty club at the closest offender to him but miscalculates the height of the orc expecting him to be closer to his own height. He wobbles off balance from his injured leg and the lack of connection of his blow, which is lucky for him in a way. Roland lets loose a bolt of glowing radiant energy which breezes just past the teetering ogre to where he was stood upright just a moment before. Čadas repeats his attack, launching another orb at the teetering ogre driving him closer to the edge of the bridge again. Seizing the opportunity, Gil leaps to action drawing his battle-axes, Boris and Doris. He leaps forward stepping once on the back of Rick and then once on the tin can. Boris swings down sinking into the stomach and Doris sweeps around cutting into the beast’s leg making it tumble, plummeting over the edge.
The only ogre left was the one who had turned to leave, in a moment of compassion Bingo chose not to attack and instead attempted to resolve the situation peacefully. Magically enhancing his slippery tongue, he states "My large friend, you should get off of this bridge as soon as possible. Let us pass and then carry on the way we came." The ogre pauses for a moment, the silvered words sinking in and soothing the rage and thoughts of battle from his mind. He begins to turn to the side as if to allow them passage and then he sees the blood still dripping from Gil's axes and the spell's effects shatter launching him once more into a guttural rage. This time his eyes fixed squarely on the now visible halfling.
Changing tact and now wishing he had remained invisible, Bingo inspires Cybin with a well sung lyric "we're on a windy bridge, and the ogres really scary, please protect me. Thanks." before preparing to leap off the back of the wagon in a moment's notice. Spurred into action as the ogre swings his club towards Gil, Cybin roars back at the ogre, his own rage now fuelling his actions. He swings his quarterstaff viciously smashing it into the side of his skull driving him towards the edge. Using the momentum given by the hit, Forge's bolt slams into the shoulder forcing the ogre's body to turn so that his back was towards the road edge. Roland, too swings his mace bringing it down with a stunning blow. All of them driving the beast inch by inch to the edge of the road where Gil once again runs forward to deliver the finishing blow.
"This is for Babushka!" He cried leaping up and driving his foot into the ogres, chest shoving him over the edge of the bridge. An eerie silence follows as the group strain to hear a very faint sploosh followed by a louder thump.
This is where we left the session. I hope you have all enjoyed reading this glorified retelling of the events of the session. Hopefully next week, I will be able to get it written up and posted on Tuesday but there are no promises.