Rescue

Our heroes stand before the town council reading the ransom note sent by the Gaedracis.

Sparta mutters, "Just because I am a halfing does not mean I am a thief."

Sparta: Gaedracis, eh? Kill them all. Elroy will be avenged!

Merizae Illamaesa: It appears that the second Gaedracis is challenging you.

Oliveryn thinks to himself about the note.

Legeand: They must not be fond of us, yes?

Sparta: Cannot say there is any love lost here.

Aifos Octavius: This Gaedracis obviously left the treasure unguarded... or is bluffing.

Nyza: Mistress Merizae? You do not agree with the accusations, do you? Me try very hard to fit in here. Nyza fight trolls, escort caravans, fight off bandits at the temple.

Aifos Octavius: My men killed a lot of brigands during the patrols searching for Ozimius.

Merizae Illamaesa: You have nothing to worry about, Nyza.

Sparta: Aye, Tanglewood can be a dark mistress.

Legeand: We have claimed many things as treasure. It is hard to name one that was not someones sometime.

Nyza looks relieved.

Merizae Illamaesa: Ozimius is also welcome to return, if he is still alive after so long.

Merizae Illamaesa: I have gotten down to the bottom of the dispute between him and Gaultarkis.

Sparta: You will have to tell us about that sometime.

Merizae Illamaesa: Thieves' Thought overstepped their bounds, suffice it to say.

Wintersky: Thieves' Thought?

Merizae Illamaesa: The "Imperial" thieves' guild.

Sparta: Imperial? Here?

Wintersky: There is a guild for people who steal?

Wintersky: Why would that be allowed?

Merizae Illamaesa: We are part of the empire, but they generally consider us autonomous.

Merizae Illamaesa: One of Messer's mysteries.

Legeand: Even kings need thieves and assassins.

Merizae Illamaesa (smiling): Do not tell Ran that.

Oliveryn: It is so if something gets stolen they know who to ask first.

Wintersky: This is a very barbaric place.

Sparta: Aye, give me the forest. There is too much of this big city intrigue here.

Oliveryn: It is like the communal lost and found.

Oliveryn rolls his eyes.

Sparta: I think it is time we teach this Gaedracis some manners.

Wintersky: But do you not give back lost things?

Sparta: I think that depends on who lost them

Oliveryn: This lost and found, they charge an extra fee to "find them."

Sparta: I do not intend to return anything the Gaedracis claims to have lost.

Manitowoc: Absolutely not.

Wintersky: It was not his. He is lying.

Oliveryn: But anyway, it looks like Sparta here is biting at the bit...so we should be heading out trying to find our friends and Gaedracis.

Merizae Illamaesa: What was that?

Oliveryn smiles.

Nyza: More ghosts maybe. There are a lot around lately.

Sparta: Just an old friend.

Wintersky: Sadly true.

Legeand: We seem to be plagued with voices around us.

Aifos Octavius: You should be safe from here to the cave and beyond. My men cleared it out pretty well.

Wintersky: There was a diviner about. Does he or she know where Ozi is?

Sparta nudges Legeand, I would not call grandpa a plague.

Legeand (grins): Depends who you ask, yes?"

Aifos Octavius: The diviner has not checked lately, but if the note is correct, I would imagine he is in this cave mentioned in the note.

Nyza: If he has not been tortured to death yet.

Sparta: Seems like the place to start.

Sparta thinks "I will not be caught without dinner this time."

Nyza: Let us bring a wagon with us again. If the bandits see us approach empty-handed, they may kill Ozi immediately.

Sparta pats the hilt of his sword, "If they kill him, they will not get their ransom."

Sparta: Aye, a wagon is a good idea.

Oliveryn: Bring a wagon with bags of rocks in it, throw a tarp over it and see if we can fool them for a second.

Nyza: Oh, yes. Can anyone make traps? Exploding spikey-rocks make a good trap.

Nyza: Or, you know, we can just charge into battle. Not as much fun.

Sparta: It is a bumpy road; we do not want those rocks exploding prematurely.

Oliveryn: Yeah, then we would not have a cart or rocks to fool them.

Wintersky: It would be nice to get Ozi out alive.

Legeand: I am game for whatever works, just take it easy on the flames in the cave, Nyza.

Sparta: Feel free to burn anything that is not us or Ozi.

Nyza: We will see.

Wintersky: Are we ready then?

Oliveryn: I am. How about everyone else?

Sparta: Oli, you get the wagon while I will fetch Ringo?

Oliveryn: Um...sure.

Oliveryn asks the council if they would spare a wagon for this expedition.

Legeand: Let us split some skulls.

Sparta turns and walks quickly to the stables to saddle up Ringo.

Merizae Illamaesa: Consider the wagon yours.

Oliveryn: Thank you, Merizae. Your kindness is most welcome in these hard times.

Oliveryn bows slightly.

Our heroes prepare and get on their way to the cave.

Our heroes travel the familiar, now worn, path to the area where the cave is.

Sparta looks around, "My goodness, the army sure is leaving their mark on the land."

Oliveryn looks around cautiously.

Wintersky casts Warning.

Legeand: Just think, this used to be well hidden.

Wintersky: Now it could be a stop on a trade route.

As our heroes approach, they notice that the overgrowth they had to cut through has been cut down.

Sparta: Aye, any fool could follow this trail now.

As they come into sight of the rock outcropping, a wild-one leaps to the top of the rock.

Nyza: Umm... me think he saw us.

Sparta draw his bow and arrows.

Wintersky looks around and sends SnowShadow to circle around.

Oliveryn calls out to the wild one.

Oliveryn: Where is our friend?

Legeand readies his sword.

Wintersky pulls out her bow and nocks an arrow.

Nyza: We want to see Ozi! You get no treasure if he is dead!

Wild-One: You come very late!

Sparta: It takes a long time to load this much treasure.

Wintersky: Get a better messenger service.

Wild-One: We see, then you see.

Wintersky: Not likely.

Wild-One: AAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!!!!!!

Oliveryn: We must see our friend first before we will show you anything.

Sparta: I do not think he wants to talk, Oli!

Wintersky: Why do you not intimidate him with your bonnie lyrics.

Legeand: Good, because I rather my sword talk for me!

Oliveryn: Fine.

Oliveryn starts singing.

Nyza: Let me try a different kind of diplomacy.

Nyza fires a glowing fireball at the charging bandits.

Wintersky: Barbeque.

Oliveryn looks...ah struck.

Sparta: Barbequed hobgoblin, sniff, yuck.

Legeand: Now, if we could do that to something more delicious, then we would be in the money!

Wintersky: What, we are in the money?

Sparta: Awesome, Nyza!

Legeand: Yea, but we are fighting for it and our lives right now.

All the brigands enveloped in the fireball are incinerated.

Legeand: Though the rush is worth it.

Nyza: Thanks, Sparta!

The wild-one charges in a rage at Legeand.

Wintersky: Not really, we could have just taken the money and run. We are fighting for Ozi.

The wild-one swings wildly and misses.

Legeand: It was a turn of phrase.

Sparta fires three arrows at the orc charging Legeand.

Sparta's first arrow sails into the distance, but the other two strike the wild-one.

Sparta steps closer.

Wintersky fires an arrow at the wild-one.

Legeand: Careful where you shoot, I would like to have as few scars as I can get thanks!

Nyza: Wow, you shoot fast, Sparta.

Sparta: I have been practicing.

Sparta grins.

Wintersky's arrow sails up through the trees.

Wintersky coaxes Cinder towards the cave.

Legeand attacks the wild-one.

Petals in the Wind slices into the wild-one.

Oliveryn sings and draws a wand while he moves forward.

Oliveryn: We come to kill you my evil friends, for you have captured our good friend and you shall die soon.

A hobgoblin move in to strike at Cinder.

Wintersky maneuvers Cinder out of harm's way.

An orc launches a javelin at Wintersky and hit her.

Nyza walks under the shade to get comfortable before launching another spell of fiery death.

Nyza: The cursed tree cooled down the spell! YOU ARE NEXT, PLANT!

Sparta: Nyza! No setting the forest on fire!

Legeand: Nice work, Nyza. I am sure your dragon gods will be happy!

Nyza's fireball incinerates six of its seven victims.

Oliveryn thinks that Nyza's distructive power could come in handy later on.

The wild-one swings wildly at Legeand again to no avail.

Nyza: Nyza still in the market for religion, but then look out!

Sparta sends three more arrows at the orc.

Legeand: You should have stuck to a solid steel weapon, Sparta! You might hit better!

One of Sparta's arrows hits the wild-one and the other two narrowly miss the two locked in combat.

Sparta steps around.

Legeand: Although you could take a lesson from my small friend there, he can hit my backside better anyone else!

The wild-one drops dead.

Sparta: Hey, one of them is getting away!

Cinder rears, strikes with her hooves and bite and the hobgoblin is crushed.

Wintersky shoots at the hobgoblin running to the cave.

Wintersky's long shot strikes the hobgobllin and drops it at the caves's mouth.

Nyza's mouth hangs ajar after watching Wintersky make that shot.

Wintersky: Got him for you, Sparta.

Sparta: Nice shot, Miss 'Sky!

Sparta: That just might save Ozi's life.

A brigand fires an arrow at Wintersky from the flank and hits.

Legeand races towards the cave's mouth.

Legeand: Someone should run up to the cave, make sure these are all our friends!

Oliveryn moves forward and casts a spell from his wand.

Legeand: Or rather foes in this case, yes?

Sparta: With friends like these, who needs foes?

Legeand: With a grin, "Who needs friends with a foe like you Sparta, I feel a tingle on my neck everytime you pass behind me after our last few fights!" laughing afterwards.

Distant Being: rooooaaaarrrrr!!!

Nyza casts Charm Person.

Wintersky: Uh, oh! I think we need to make haste.

Nyza: You there! Surrender now! I do not want our friendship ending because of this misunderstanding.

The brigand Nyza addresses stops and lowers his weapon.

Sparta fires three arrows at the hobgoblin.

Sparta's arrows all thud into the hobgoblin.

The hobgoblin falls in a spray of blood.

Wintersky rides to the tree that SnowShadow is in and casts Cat's Grace.

Sparta: Miss 'Sky, you should tend to those wounds.

The charmed brigand awaits orders.

Legeand continues his rush to the cave.

Wintersky: Oh yeah, I will do that soon. but the big guy down the hole may interfere.

Legeand: We need to get to Ozi, and find out what is happening.

Sparta: We will cover for you.

Wintersky: Nyza, can you flame ray that giant thing in the cave?

Nyza: With pleasure!

Sparta: Better that than another fireball.

A silver, glowing badger appears and strikes the brigand with claw.

A troll exits the cave with a familiar roar.

Troll: Rooooaaaarrrr!!!

Legeand: Man, And I thought my breath smelled bad...

Nyza: Hold still, best-friend-whose-name-me-do-not-know! Nyza will save you from that animal.

Sparta: Um, Nyza, we have bigger fish to fry

Legeand: Well... At least its productive...

Nyza's missles cause the badger to disintegrate.

Sparta urges Ringo towards the troll.

Wintersky casts Spiritual Weapon.

Wintersky casts a ghostly spear at the troll and strikes it.

A second troll exits the cave. It is dressed in robes and has a staff and mace.

Legeand: Now we are going to have a party!

A shield begins to float in front of it, protecting it.

Sparta: Stand back, Legeand!

The charmed brigand follows Nyza.

Legeand move forward taking a flask of oil from his back and throws it at the nearest troll.

Legeand: Nyza, Get ready to Light these Bastards up!

The flask strikes the troll and covers it with oil.

Legeand: The bigger they get, the bigger the bonfire!

Oliveryn moves toward the action near the cave.

The troll steps towards Legeand and strikes him with a claw and bites him.

Nyza: Friend, me will just die if Ozimius does not survive. You have to help me save him!

Sparta: Nyza, got any more those balls of fire?

Nyza: Oh, excuse me for a moment, friend.

Legeand: Some help would be nice, Scales.

Nyza cast Fireball at the pair of trolls.

Wintersky: Do I smell bacon?

Sparta: Fried troll, yuck that is worse than hobgoblin.

Legeand: I can feel the fire from here. Think you could get it closer, I need to work on my charred skin!

Wintersky: Beggers can not be choosers, Legeand.

Nyza's fireball envelopes both trolls and they roar in agony.

Sparta casts Entangle.

Both trolls are entangled by the trees and bushes along with Legeand.

Wintersky guides Cinder along the entangling foliage to a location in the middle of her companions.

Wintersky casts Prayer.

Wintersky is spiritual spear strikes the troll again.

The robed troll attempts to cast a spell and it fails in the entangle.

Charmed Brigand: I will go get your friend.

Nyza: Yay! Thank you so much!

The charmed brigand runs towards the rise.

Legeand: Damn! Next time you cast, make the plants weaker around me would you?

Legeand struggles against the entangling foliage.

Oliveryn renews his encouragement of his companions accompanied by Luvian's Lute.

Sparta: You are standing under that tree.

The troll struggles in the entanglement.

Nyza: That is one of the god-given spells you talked about, Sparta? Not bad!

Sparta: I am starting to get the hang of this magic thing.

Nyza: Legeand, cover your eyebrows so they do not get burnt off!

Legeand: Bah, they grow back, Scales!

Legeand: Man, we need some chickens. I am getting hungry with all these flames blazing around.

Nyza's fireball engulfs the trolls again, causing them to howl.

Sparta fires three arrows at Gaedracis.

One of Sparta is arrows strikes Gaedracis through the whipping foliage.

Wintersky's spiritual spear misses the troll.

Wintersky casts Doom upon the robed troll.

Gaedracis shakes off Wintersky's doom.

Gaedracis manages to cast a spell aimed at Nyza.

Nyza shakes off Gaedracis' spell.

The charmed brigand scrambles up the cliff.

Legeand breaks free of the entangle.

Oliveryn switches from playing his lute to singing to help his friends win this battle. He also pulls out his bow.

The troll breaks free of the entangle.

Nyza falls back on a slightly less powerful spell.

Wintersky: Nice.

Nyza's scorching ray scorches the troll.

Sparta fires three arrows at the troll.

All three of Sparta is arrows strike the troll.

The troll slumps into the entangling foliage.

Sparta: Yeeehaaaa!

Wintersky switches the spiritual weapon to Gaedracis.

The spiritual spear misses Gaedracis.

Wintersky's arrow hits Gaedracis.

Gaedracis aims another spell at Nyza.

Nyza shakes off the inhibiting spell again.

The charmed brigand climbs the ridge.

Legeand moves and draws his sword.

Legeand: Soar, wind, SOAR!

Petals in the Wind slices the troll in two and the burning oil cauterizes the wounds.

Oliveryn fires an arrow at Gaedracis.

Wintersky: Yaeh!

Legeand: You think you can roar, Listen to my Wind, Listen to the sound of battle, for The Wind always Blows the Petals!

Oliveryn's arrow hits the troll.

Nyza looks warily at the twitching undergrowth.

Sparta: Anybody have arrows left? I am running low.

Legeand: I have a lot, but I am a bit in the thick of things.

Sparta: Do not go in there, Nyza.

Nyza: Me cannot burn him from so far.

Sparta: You can get closer by the edge of the cliff.

Nyza: Come on, Nyza, feel the flame.

Nyza's scorching ray slams into Gaedracis.

Sparta shoots three more arrows at Gaedracis.

One of Sparta's arrows hits Gaedracis.

Wintersky's spiritual spear hits Gaedracis.

Wintersky's arrow strikes Gaedracis.

Gaedracis aims Inhibit at Nyza once again and Nyza is effected this time.

Legeand moves through the entangling foliage.

Oliveryn raises his hands with his bow in hand and changes into a monsterous beasty with wings.

Sparta: Whoa, when did you learn to do that, Oli?

Sparta: Just two arrows left in my quiver.

Sparta fires his last two arrows at Gaedracis.

Wintersky: Does anybody have any more oil?

Neither of Sparta's remaining arrows hit the Gaedracis.

Legeand: I have two more!

Sparta: I have a flask each of acid and alchemist fire,

Sparta: but I doubt I can get close enough to throw them.

Nyza: Can you not dismiss the magic, Sparta?

Sparta: Do we really want to let him free?

Wintersky: I will trade you arrows for fire. I can move through the entangle.

Sparta: Deal!

Legeand: Do as it takes, I can splash him from here too.

Wintersky: Let me pour the oil or alchemist fire on first.

Wintersky rides to Sparta gives herr quiver with sixteen arrows to Sparta and takes the flasks.

Sparta gives both acid and alchemist's fire to Wintersky.

Sparta: The acid will burn him too.

Wintersky dismounts.

Nyza fires yet another scorching ray at the troll.

Nyza's scorching ray strikes Gaedracis.

The Gaedracis touches Legeand this his staff.

Legeand attacks Gaedracis.

Petals in the Wind bounces off the floating shield.

Oliveryn, as gargoyle, launches himself into the air and lands hard on Gaedracis, skewering him with his rapier.

Sparta fires three arrows at Gaedracis.

One of Sparta's arrows hits Gaedracis and one hits Legeand in the back.

Sparta: Sorry.

Legeand: Take it easy with those shots. It is bad enough I am in here!

Wintersky quaffs a potion of cure light wounds.

Nyza: Your magic is too weak to save you, troll!

Nyza's scorching ray hits Gaedracis.

Gaedracis swings his heavy mace, hitting Legeand and biting Oliveryn.

Wintersky: Oowh, do trolls carry disease?

Legeand (grinning): I do not know, does itself dying count?

Wintersky: Go Legeand

Gaedracis looks like the wind just went out of his sails with the slash by Legeand.

Wintersky: Bet that hurt, huh!

Oliveryn stabs with his rapier.

Wintersky: Oli, Oli, he's the one, stick that troll so we are done.

Gaedracis wings Oliveryn as he flys away.

Sparta: Come on Ringo, we need a better vantage point.

Wintersky throws the alchemist's fire.

The alchemist's fire strikes Gaedracis.

Nyza throws another bolt of fire.

Nyza's scorching ray strikes Gaedracis and he slumps over in the entangling bushes.

Sparta: Way to go, Nyza!

Wintersky: Pour more oil on it to kill it!

Sparta: Get him, Legeand

Nyza: Do not celebrate yet while it breathes.

Gaedracis shutters and stands up.

Sparta: Hit him!

Gaedracis swings at Legeand and connects.

Petals in the Winds slices into Gaedracis.

Gaedracis slumps back to the ground.

Sparta: Pour some oil on him, roast him good

Legeand slices Gaedracis in two and fire consumes the troll.

Nyza: Hurray! Now, we celebrate.

Legeand: Two for two, The small against the tall!

Nyza: Oh, after finding Ozi.

Legeand: Now, shall we find out what Ozi has been up to?

Oliveryn lands.

Oliveryn lifts the alter self and returns to normal.

Wintersky casts cure serious wounds on Legeand.

Sparta: Finding some kind of trouble, I am sure

Sparta: Legeand, how badly are you injured

Legeand: Quite, but I will live.

Oliveryn downs a potion of cure light wounds.

Legeand: I might have broken a rib or four.

Our heroes make their way into the caves and find Ozimius lying on the floor unconscious. The charmed brigand stands next to him holding the ropes that once bound him.

Sparta: Do you want my potion?

Legeand: I have my own, but let us wait until we hit town. I can go a lot longer.

Nyza: Well done, my friend! You deserve to share in our victory feast in Redemption after this!

Wintersky casts cure moderate wounds on Ozimius.

Nyza then whispers to the others, "At least until he gets clapped in irons."

Sparta: There is the little trouble maker.

Legeand: Shall we drag his carcas back? I will make sure I hit all the rocks on the way back.

Ozimius is not very coherent and mumbling unintelligibly, but alive.

Wintersky: How was running away from home, Ozi?

Sparta: Maybe Ozi should by you a potion or three for rescuing his hide.

Nyza: Oh, let us treat him nicely. There is a perfectly good wagon he can sleep in on the way back.

Legeand: I am still mad at him for the bells during my hangover.

Ozimius' equipment is piled with other treasures near by in the cave.

Sparta: Ooh, shiny.

Sparta: Let us put it all in the wagon and get out of here.

Troll