Episode 27
"Foiling Jhaveks"
(c) 2001 by Tom Morin and J. Sage Schreiner

Norel Bolderdash, hulking woodsman of the Adri forest -- Tom Morin
Nigil Palom, noble from a far-distant land -- Kevin Osborn
Aran, a newly remade Paladin from Tenh -- AJ Drexel
Sapphire nee Tika, a courageous gnome -- Corey Paganucci
Rhahid, a mysterious spell-crafter -- Eric Kruller
All others -- Sage Schreiner

In the morning a wretched moaning comes from the corner where Tron was
sleeping.

Tron: Why is it so hot in here? No, It's really friggin cold...no it's
hot...

Scanda goes over and examines Tron.

Scanda: Hmmm... he seams to have contracted some sort of illness. He should
be ok with rest.
Aran: Bah! I'll take care of him.

He attempts to cure disease but fails.

Aran: Hmmm, perhaps rest would be best.
Norel: Well, Rhahid can make me invisible and make me fly. I'll go do some
more extensive scouting.
Aran: We should all come to the forest's edge so that we can back you up.
Sapphire: Does Rhahid have enough spells to get us there and inside?
Rhahid: If we cast them over there the duration will last.
Aran: So if we go and...
Sapphire: But then we have to...
Nigil: There was only one Wendol...
Norel: If I get in trouble I'd be dead by the time you got there. Wait here.

Rhahid casts fly and invisibility on Norel and he flies over. There is a
wooden palisade surrounding the place with the stone keep on top of a hill
in the center. There are several outbuildings which have all been abandoned
except for the stables which have about two dozen draft horses and some
sleds. There are a few guards that walk the palisade, perhaps some more in
the wooden towers on either side of the gate, and one guard on the roof. The
main building is two stories with arrow slits on the second floor covered by
bearskin and a trapdoor on the roof. Inside some men can be heard joking and
a young elfish voice says something over and over again. On the way back
Norel sees a large burnt area in a clearing. Upon closer inspection he
guesses about 100 human bodies were burnt here.

Norel: Must be the village gone Wendol. If there are enough guards to kill
100 of them...

He heads back to the rest of the group and a plan is made. Morogh is
volunteered to stay and watch over Tron.

Tron: (cough, cough) You bastards. (cough, cough)
Norel: Morogh, what is the young lady's name?
Morogh: Her name is Idne.
Nigil: What? No "a" at the end?
Norel: What does she look like?
Morogh: (big smile) She's the prettiest girl in the whole world.
Norel: ... could you describe her a bit better.

Morogh: Oh, I never saw her up close. She's kinda short with long black
hair.
Norel: That will have to do.

That night everyone gets endure elements cast on them. Norel casts pass
without trace on everyone so that they leave no tracks or scent. He is then
made invisible and the rest of the party gather around Rhahid who casts
invisibility 10 foot radius. They all travel to the palisade where Rhahid
casts fly on himself and Norel. Everyone else revoves their boots and gets
spider climb. Norel makes a quick circuit of the place and sees no one. One
of the towers has a faint light and snoring noises. The party make their way
to the rear wall of the keep and spider climb up. Thorwolf's armor scrapes
against the side of the house the entire way up but they make it to the
roof.

Thorewolf: Sorry about that...
Nigil: (hears whispering inside) I think they heard us.
Rhahid: Damn, silence isn't a mage spell.
Scanda: Nobody told me...
Sapphire: Now what do we do...
Aran: Well we could...
Nigil: Where's Tron when we need him to do something rash...
Norel: Time for part B.

Norel flies over to the stables and lets all the horses loose and spooks
them out of the stables. They run out making a lot of noise. He then sets
the stables on fire. Nobody seams to notice or care.

Rhahid: Damnit! They're supposed to come running out to put out the fire.
Sapphire: Let's just get over to the trap door and see if they come out.

The party moves to the trap door. Meanwhile Norel goes to the tower and sees
the guards are still sleeping. He then goes over to one of the arrow slits
on the keep and pokes a hole in the hide with a dagger. Inside he sees about
a dozen confident looking men with halberds and shortbows arrayed around the
trapdoor. There is a finely dressed man who appears to lead them. In the
center of the room is a large canopied bed with arms and legs limply
sticking out of the sheets. Directly in front of him are a rack and other
implements of torture. He flies up to the roof to tell the others.

Aran: Why don't Norel and Rhahid just fly around the outside poking holes in
the hide and shooting in through the arrow slits.
Norel: Sounds like a plan.
Rhahid: This will be fun.

The two do just that with Norel shooting arrows and Rhahid shooting magic
missiles from his wand. Some of the guards try to shoot back with marginal
success. Meanwhile, at the trap door.

Sapphire: We should at least try to open the trapdoor.

Sapphire and Nigil pull together and manage to pull the handle off of the
door.

Aran: (hefts his axe) Allow me. (starts chopping the door to bits)

Soon the door is demolished and Sapphire casts blur on herself then drops
in.

Guard: What's with the distorted gnome? Ha! Good thing we all have blind
fighting. FIRE!

A volley of arrows do major damage to Sapphire.

Rhahid: Woo hoo! (zort)
Norel: Let's see if you can breathe without a throat. (fires an arrow which
hits a guard in the throat doing massive damage but not killing him)
Nigil: (Drops down and sees the guard ignore the arrow stiking out of his
throat) This is bad.
Thorwolf: Yar! (drops down and readies his bow)
Aran: (blesses his sword)
Guards: (drop their bows and set their halberds for a charge)
Guard: This'll be easy lord Jhaveks.
Jhaveks: Indeed. (casts ray of enfeeblement on Nigil which is shrugged off)
Sapphire: (readies her weapons and moves toward a guard)
Nigil: Got your back. (attacks a guard next to Sapphire)
Rhahid: (casts web which gets most of the guards and Nigil as well) Sorry...
Norel: Now I can't see. (flies inside changing over to melee weapons)
Aran: (Moves up to Sapphire and lays on hands)
Scanda: (enters through the trapdoor)

The guards all struggle to get out with Jhaveks having little difficulty. As
the party groups around Sapphire, Jhaveks gets a wicked grin and casts web
on the party.

Rhahid: You bastard! How dare you use my own trick against me. (zorts
Jhaveks)
Jhaveks: Why you little... (runs up to the arrow slit moving faster than
normal and rams his sword through Rhahid's shoulder)
Rhahid: Gurgle... must stay conscious. (zorts Jhaveks then flies over to
Scanda)
Nigil: I may not be able to move but I can still kill. (cleave)
Norel: Can't move...
Aran: (splort) Another one down.
Sapphire: (stabs a guard) Dammit! I need to train.

At this point Jhaveks and the guards who got out of the web head for a staircase
as Jhaveks casts another web to cover their retreat. Those guards that
are left behind are slaughtered with the last one surrendering. While he is
tied up Norel and Rhahid scout outside to make sure that Jhaveks doesn't
make a run for it.

Nigil: (to the guard) Is there a secret way out of here?
Guard: Muff mmmm murf mufff!
Nigil: ... (ungags the guard)
Guard: No there isn't.
Nigil: If I promise not to gut you will you tell me the truth?
Guard: Ok! There is! Is that what you want to hear?
Nigil: I want the truth.
Guard: Then there isn't. Jhaveks isn't the running type. He's just waiting
for you to go downstairs so he can kill you all. Can I go now?

Meanwhile Aran has made his way to the bed finding a elvish boy's corpse.

Aran: That sick bastard is soooo dead.

On a desk he finds a piece of paper which reads:

Sweetest, Lovely Nephew,

Please consider the bearer of this letter my dearest friend -- for he is.
He speaks with my voice and acts with my intention. The friends he travels
with are my friends. I know that we have had our differences from time to
time -- but that must be put behind us. If we work together, the prize will
be the ivory throne of Ratik.

As the news we receive is outdated and incomplete, please inform him of the
current situation in Ratik. I believe he will then continue on to Marner, or
possibly Ratikhill -- or if necessary, aid you here. He is a powerful friend
and a vicious enemy.

Oh -- please accept the little gifts that he bears. The boys are elvish twins
captured from the Adri. Absolutely delightful dancers, I am sure.

Hook

Norel: (returning from outside) He hasn't left. Let's get some healing and
go after him.
Sapphire: The stairs lead to a supply room with two doors.
Aran: I'll chop a hole in the floor and drop down while you guys rush
through the door.
Thorwolf: I've got your back.

Norel sneaks down and listens at the doors hearing female voices through one
door and men whispering through the other. As Aran starts making noise the
rest of the party come downstairs and Sapphire kicks the door down with a
massive blow. Jhaveks and his men are ready with one taking a swipe at
Sapphire and two more planting arrows in Rhahid.

Rhahid: Urk. Should have hid better.
Scanda: Pholtus, knit his flesh. (heals Rhahid)
Nigil: (enters and attacks a guard)
Norel: (enters and attacks the same guard)
Guards: (slam Norel with their halberds)
Aran and Thorwolf: (crash through the floor and jump down on a table)

Jhaveks and two guards turn to deal with the threat from behind.

Sapphire: (comes to Norel's aid and stabs a guard in the thigh)
Guard: What the hell is that thing!
Rhahid: (flies around to enter the hole that Aran made)
Nigil: (hits the same guard)
Norel: (cleaves the guard and starts working on the next)
Nigil: That's teamwork.
Aran: (attacks Jhaveks doing a stunning amount of damage)
Jhaveks: You will not have me today, assassins! (flees for his life towards the
main door)
Thorwolf: (fires some arrows at Aran's attackers)
Guards: (attack all of the party members doing a good amount of damage to
Norel and Aran)
Norel and Aran: Can't take much more of this...
Sapphire: (hits her opponent again)
Scanda: (runs past everyone trying to reach Aran)
Nigil: (Chases after Jhaveks)
Norel: (kicks a guard in the chest and leaves a deep cut across his face)
Aran: (chops a guard's hand off)
Rhahid: (drops through the floor and zorts Jhaveks)

The remaining five guards continue to deal out damage with one of them
hacking through Aran's armor, burying his halberd deep in chest. A second
guard steps forward and beheads Aran in a spray of crimson.

Aran: (Takes a step forward, drops his icy sword, and then collapses)
Jhaveks: Fuck. (opens the door and runs for it)
Nigil: NOOOOOOO!!!!! (stares death at Aran's killers then runs off after
Jhaveks)
Sapphire: (breaks her opponent's knee)
Norel: (cleaves another guard and starts on the next)
Thorwolf: (fires more arrows)
Scanda: Pholtus wrath guide my blade! (Her hair stands on end and she
slices a guard deeply with her scimitar). 
Rhahid: (flies out after Jhaveks and zorts Jhaveks again)
Jhaveks: A horse, a horse, my ki -- URK (falls face down in the snow and slides to a bloody stop)
Rhahid: YES! Who da man! (slits Jhaveks's throat)

Two guards gang up on Scanda doing massive damage and one deals Norel a
solid blow)

Norel: Urk. (falls to the ground)
Sapphire: Dammit! I need to go up a level already. (Guts her opponent)
Guard: Oh...
Nigil: (runs back in and rams his sword throgh a guard's chest without
even stopping)
Thorwolf: (fires arrows)
Scanda: (backs off and heals herself)

At this point Rhahid enters dragging Jhaveks's corpse.

Rhahid: Hey! Look at what I did to your boss!
Guards: Can we surrender now?
Nigil: Look what you did to my friend.
Guard: I take that at a no. (Whacks Norel with his Halberd)

The fight continues as two more guards are cut down leaving one.

Guard: I didn't kill anyone. Can I surrender?
Sapphire: Grrrrr... OK.

The last guard is tied up and Nigil opens a door at the far side of the room
and almost has his head removed by a thrown giant meat cleaver.

Huge Moustached Female Cook: (prepares to throw another knife)
Nigil: (shows empty hands) We mean you no harm. We're just looking for Idne.
Cook: ...Why do you want her?
Nigil: We came to bring her back to her father.
Cook: (slowly approaches the door and looks in on the carnage in the room)
Why didn't you just ask?
Nigil: We had some business with Jhaveks first. Is Idne here?
Idne: That's me. (a young woman appears, she's short with long black hair)
Rhahid: Let's get the loot!
Norel: (bleeds on Scanda)
Scanda: Oh! Would you like some healing? (heals Norel)
Norel: I need better armor.
Sapphire: I need to do more damage.

The whole house is searched and much treasure is found including some
jewelry on Jhaveks. A signet ring, a necklace, and a dagger with sapphires
on it.

Sapphire: That dagger has my name on it!

Tron and Morogh are brought over to the house so that the party can rest. A
small chest that was found is brought to Tron.

Tron: (cough, cough) I could do this in my sleep (cough, cough) of course
there's no trap (cough, cough) now to pick the lock (snaps his pick) ...
(gets another pick and eventually opens the chest)

Inside the chest is about 200 gold pieces.

Rhahid: Now lets get the horses and get out of here.
Norel: It's about 4 in the morning. We're in no shape to leave now. We need
to rest and heal first.
Scanda: Let us pray for our lost comrades. Tron?

TO BE CONTINUED...