The Gardener's Rod

While the army of the Undying besieges the Wardens and Iron Hearts, the defenders continue to make forays into the wilderness to gather supplies.

On one such expedition, the party came across a hidden pathway. Here they find the skeletal remains of a Warden. Searching him, they find the following note:

"I have been wounded during a melee with goblins. I can no longer keep up with the party so I have asked Shroudstar to leave me while she searches for the Rod."

The party leader sucked in his breath. This was a clue to the lost expedition on the quest to find the fabled Gardener's Rod!

Excitedly, the leader read more:

"It has been days and Shroudstar has not returned. Now I hear scuffling from the thickets. There could be trouble."

There was no more to the note.

The leader determined to press on, and hopefully discover the fate of Shroudstar and the Rod.

After traveling a bit further down the path, the woods parted and the group entered a secluded glen. In the middle was a statue, with a staff lying at its feet.

A pair of tall trees flanked the statue.

As the party approached, the trees came to life and attacked. At first, this assault forced the scouts back. They tried to counter, but their blades could barely nick the hardened trunks.

"We must get that rod!" called the leader.

One of the party, a bard from the Iron Heart Accord, began to chant. A powerful ray of energy emitted from him, shoving the trees away from the Rod. Another scout grabbed it, and began backing away, shielded by a third member of the party. Enraged, the trees rushed forward, but again the beam of energy forced them back. The party was able to retreat from the glen with the Rod in their possession. As they returned to the path, the trees ended their pursuit. The Gardener's Rod was theirs!

But what happened to Shroudstar and the Horn of the Hurricane?

OOC Notes

• This was the second scenario from our February HFS day.
• Xhorja, Artemis, and Ferrum played the scouting party while Beast and Blade were the trees (Amtgard oakens). I believe Xhorja played bard; in any event he used Shove to move the trees away. Ferrum was able to grab the Rod and Artemis protected his escape.
• According to our lore, Shroudstar had the Horn when her party was defeated by the oakens. Since then, she has not been spotted in Ember Shoals (IRL she moved from the area). So now I need to explain how we get the Horn back!

Terror in the Dark

It was a peaceful and pleasant evening as two young men stood guard outside the village. The quiet was soon disturbed by a methodical clanking sound that steadily approached. The guards called out a challenge, but there was no reply. As the clanking grew nearer, they could make out a metal-clad figure armed with sword and shield.

From http://orig11.deviantart.net/0669/f/2008/210/d/9/golem_by_gugu_troll.jpg

"Please stop, Sir Knight!" called one of the guards. "I must ask you to identify yourself."

The figure drew close to them, stopped, and looked at the challenger. Then, with a surprisingly quick motion, it flicked out its sword, and parted the guard's head from his shoulders.

The other guard turned and called for help. Then the automaton's blade buried itself into his back.

Drawn by the shouts, sleepy men with indifferent arms ambled out to the advancing construct. It shrugged off any blows and sliced apart those who confronted it.

Men began to call out. "Invaders. To Arms! To Arms!"

One of those who answered the call was Wat, the sometime forester. He grabbed his bow and a quiver of arrows and rushed to the fight. Those armed with melee weapons tried to stop the thing. Wat began to look for openings and loose his arrows. He managed a few good shots into the constructs legs and side. Yet it still kept coming, hacking and slashing at the villagers, who dropped in bloody pools.

One by one the defenders fell, until Wat was the only one left. He kept peppering the construct with arrows, but the thing kept blocking with its shield. Wat could tell that the automaton was damaged. One more good shot could immobilize the thing for good.

Wat would fire and run, fire and run; trying to keep out of reach of his enemy. Wat turned down an alley, then realized his mistake. He found himself hemmed in by Farmer Brown's pig pens. Wat could run no further. He pulled out his last arrow, fitted it to his bow, and aimed low, hoping to get below the shield and strike the thing's creaking right knee.

Wat loosed. Miss!

Backed up against the pen, Wat tried to deflect the blow with his bow. The wood shattered and split. Again, the automaton raised its weapon and swung.

Wats' screams echoed through the surrounding hills and forest.

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A few days later, a band of rangers approached the village. The stench of death permeated the air. On alert, they began to investigate. Hacked and torn corpses littered the street.

"What could have done this?" they muttered in dismay.

The wind shifted and their nostrils were assaulted by a reeking odor. As the rangers covered their noses to avoid gagging, one of the party pointed and called out "Look!"

Ambling through the streets with a bloody hand in its grasp was a ghoul.

From https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/forgottenrealms/images/6/62/Ghoul_-_David_Griffith.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20090519093324

As soon as the fetid creature saw the rangers it rushed to the attack. With shields raised, the rangers' front rank readied for the assault while their comrades behind them readied their bows. The ghoul clawed and bit at the defenders, but it could not get past the shields. The archers let loose and feathered shafts pierced the monster. It fled and regrouped before the pursuing rangers could finish it off. Then an archer skillfully shot the creature's foot, pinning it to the ground. The rangers attacked, slicing into the ghoul. Finally, a well-placed arrow cut short the ghoul's rampage.

With the creature dispatched, one of the rangers declared "Well that's that. We have avenged these people's deaths."

"Not so fast," another replied. "Look at those wounds - sword cuts. The ghoul did not kill these people. It must have been attracted by the smell of the corpses."

"If the ghoul did not kill them, then what did?" Asked the first ranger.

"That is the question we need to answer."

OOC Notes

• We only had 4 people today, and I was restricted to archery (still recuperating from skin cancer surgery) so we decided to do monster battles.
• In the first game, Ferrum played the automaton while Artemis, Beast, and I tried to stop his murderous rampage. I played the role of Wat.
• In the second game, Ferrum was once again the monster while I was an archer. I was able to use pinning arrow to keep him from escaping after he was wounded and then I got in the final fatal shot.

Under Siege

After the Undying chased the army of the Wardens and Iron Hearts into Castle Kessog, they placed our fortification under siege while they pillaged the scattered settlements of Ember Shoals. Being short of supplies, we sent out two scouting parties to collect food from the surrounding countryside.

From https://novagirl22.deviantart.com/favourites/58038557/Lotr-The-hobbit

These scouts had to fight their way through the Undying hordes to secure their goal.

The first party rushed through the postern gate and dispersed into the woods to the east. The Undying gave chase, but valiant warriors kept them at bay. Then, elusive scouts managed to gather up supplies and rush back to the castle. The enemy tried to cut off the party's return, but the warriors carved a path through the walking corpses, and the scouts returned safely with a full load.

Alerted by the first party's success, the Undying were ready for the second party. This time, resistance was much heavier. The scouts made it to the woods to the west, but the enemy harried their every step. Every time they stopped to gather supplies, the Undying attacked and drove them off. As night approached, the party retreated back to the castle with a meager load.

Thanks to the valiant efforts of the scouts, our refuge was now well supplied. We could withstand a long siege while we waited, hoped for, relief from our allies.

OOC Notes

• This is an account of the first scenario as part of last Sunday's High Fantasy Society day. I scattered filled bags across the battlefield (seven in all). The team playing the Wardens had to retrieve as many bags as possible in 7 minutes. The defending team represented the Undying, and used the Amtgard rules for skeletons.
• Players included Xhorja, Artemis, Ferrum, Beast, Blade, and me (Rufus)
• The first team secured all 7 bags with 1.5 minutes left while the second only managed to gather 2 or 3. I just can't remember who was on which team ( I think Blade and Beast were in the first party).

Trapped!

The Pursuit
After the undead goblins burned down the village where we took refuge, we were forced to flee once again. We struck out westward, hoping to reach the ruins of Heron Hall. The army of the Undying took up the pursuit, snapping at our heals as we retreated,

We soon found our retreat blocked by a deep gorge. Ranging north and south, we finally found a narrow bridge across the chasm. Rapidly we tried crossing. Soon, however, the Undying were upon us. We tried to hold the enemy off while the main body retreated. The Undying pressed us relentlessly and we were forced across the bridge. Finally, one of their sorcerers teleported some monstrosities across the chasm, blocking our retreat. We could no longer reach Heron Hall!

Instead, we turned north. God was with us, and we soon stumbled upon refuge - a castle! It was built to defend the little monastery of St. Kessog. We quickly garrisoned the fort and prepared for the onslaught of the Undying.

A Call for Help
Before the enemy hordes surrounded us, I Rufus sent out messengers to the north, south, and west. Their mission was to find and bring back aid to our beleaguered garrison.

I was later to learn that one of the messengers, Brother Anselm, reached a settlement upon one of the northern islands. He pleaded with the local Earl, but he complained that they had their own problems to deal with. The next day, Anselm had direct evidence of the Earl's concern. Raiders struck the castle!

They landed in dragon-like ships and swarmed ashore, killing, burning, and pillaging as they went. Using some arcane magic, they blasted open the stout doors of the castle and rushed in. Their charge pushed us from the walls, and they gained access to the castle. However, they did not finish off the defenders but instead headed for the treasure room. They grabbed what loot they could and tried to escape. This gave the defenders time to regroup and counterattack. They hacked down the raiders and recovered the treasure, or at least most of it.

Some of the raiders escaped, however, and rushed to their boats. They shoved off and glided out to sea, laughing and singing raucously, unconcerned for their comrades left behind nor for the death and devastation they inflicted upon an innocent populace.

OOC Notes

• The first part relays the events of our January HFS day. The scenario was a bridge battle. The Undying steamrolled over us, and Cameron broke the scenario with his teleport spell.
• The second part is an account of one of the scenarios at Triune Shores' January day battle. Lore-wise, Rufus is trapped in Castle Kessog, so it did not make sense for him to be at Triune Shores. Thus, I created a different Warden character to represent my presence there. The castle battle involved the raiders trying to steal treasure (spell balls) from a pile in the middle of the castle. We ran the scenario twice - in both cases the raiders only managed to get 1 ball.

Burning Down the House

The Retreat
After escaping from the Undying ambush, I Rufus led our scouting party back to the main body of the Wardens. A horde of the enemy pursued us; we had no choice to retreat, They hounded us relentlessly, but we soon spied a small village. We decided to make a stand there.

Defense of the Village
Our vanguard found that the village was inhabited. They urged the villagers to flee, and covered their escape. As the rest of the Wardens arrived, we took up defensive positions.

The Undying, led by a pack of undead goblins, rushed to the attack.

From https://img1.cgtrader.com/items/304636/5b89385da8/
3drt-undeand-goblins-modular-kit-3d-model-low-poly-animated-rigged.jpg

Our bows were true and our blades were stout; we cut them down like chaff. Rotting, fetid corpses were strewn across the battlefield.

But the Undying were not finished. They regrouped and advanced again, this time with better order. Yet they could not penetrate our stout defenses. Again and again, we threw them back. Then we heard cries of alarm from the rear.

"They're flanking us!"

I turned to see what was happening. A band of the undead goblins had sneaked around unnoticed and were rushing to the village, armed with torches. They planned to smoke us out! I gathered a small party and rushed to the flank. We intercepted the goblins and cut them down, just short of the flammable huts of the peasant villagers.

Then I heard another cry of alarm - this time from the front line. Ekthor was leading a fresh attack. His brutal blade was cutting a swathe through our ranks. I rushed back to the front to confront this menace. We were able to steady our lines and drive him back.

That's when I heard the roar of a fire. The village was ablaze!

Some of the goblins had gotten through and set fire to the huts. Some of the Wardens cut down the goblins, but it was too late. The dry thatch caught easily and allowed the fire to spread quickly. We had no choice to abandon the village!

There was one blessing to the fire, however. The smoke and flame covered our escape. We continued our retreat, with our destination being the ruins of Heron Hall, the former home of the Wardens.

Game Notes

• This is an account of the second part of December's lore battle.
• This time, Ferrum and I (the Wardens) tried to defend a village from Artemis, Xhorja, and Beast (the Undying). Essentially, it is a timed ring the bell, with only one bell (the village). The Wardens had to prevent the Undying from reaching the bell within the time limit. Alas, the sneaky goblin (Artemis) flanked us for the win.

Escape!

Upon receiving a report of the defeat of the Witch Fynders at Cul Cullach's Fangs and the subsequent advance of the Undying, I Rufus led a force of the Wardens to Ember Shoals. I was joined with some volunteers from the Sentinels.

The Ambush
As we made our way into the interior, I went forward with a small scouting party. As we were returning to the main body, a swarm of undead abominations ambushed us.

From http://www.playbuzz.com/zaviorwright10/would-you-survive-the-zombie-apocalypse

We were running a veritable gauntlet. We were able to hack and slash our way through the initial attackers, but then we ran into the enemy force's leader. Swathed in black, with skeletal features, he appeared a formidable foe. As he eyed me, he spoke in a gravelly voice.

"So Brother Rufus, it is time for you to die, and then to join the Undying!"

I recognized the voice!

"Brother Ekthor?" It sounded like a former member of the Wardens who had split off with the Witch Fynders!

"Brother no longer. I now serve the Undying!" With that, he rushed me.

Back and forth we went, our blades flying faster than the eye could see. Thrust, parry, slash - our battle raged, but nether could gain an advantage. Then I heard a call of warning. Some of the Undying were coming up behind me. I turned just in time to dodge a thrust to my back. The blade grazed me, drawing blood. I was now hemmed in by the enemy. It looked like Ekthor's prediction would prove true. Suddenly, the enemy froze in place.

"Let's get out of here!" called Ferrum, one of the volunteers from the Sentinels. He had used his magical power to freeze the Undying. I didn't need a second warning; I rushed down the path toward our main force.

Game Notes

• This was part 1 of our December HFS scenario. We did not have enough people for my intended scenario (which I've forgotten) so I improvised.
• In this scenario, the good guys had to run a gauntlet of bad guys and get to a spawn point at the other end. Once they succeeded, they could go back and try again. We timed the scenario and counted how many times the good guys got across. 
• My intention was to run the scenario twice - each team would have a chance. Highest score would win. We only ran it once so I called it for the good guys.

Enter the Unholy

This is a report that I recently received from one of the few poor souls who escaped from the advance of the Undying:

Screams, pleas for mercy, and the gurgling death knells of the dying echoed throughout the burning village.

The blazing buildings with the living barred inside backlit the the throng assembled on the village green. Hundreds of vaguely humanoid shapes coalesced into a wall of shadow, watching with cold, empty eyes; the aftermath of the slaughter they'd enacted.

They stood before the village's shrine, mouthing silent profanities to their nameless dark benefactor. Upon the shrine's altar, an elderly bearded man lay bound and whimpering. Grisly runes carved into his chest wept, glinting occasionally from either the fires or fell sorcery...one could not tell.
A horn sounded. It's blast trumpeting thrice to herald the arrival of one of The Undying's dreaded generals, a Death Knight.

They were unwholesome men and women who were neither truly dead nor totally alive but, somewhere in betwixt. Unholy rituals and black pledges to unnamed evils allowed them to cheat the grave...and return stronger than ever.

The assembly parted to reveal three riders on skeletal steeds with eyes of blue-black flame. Their hooves singed the earth where the stood. Their caustic touch marking them unnatural beasts. Of the riders, two were immense beings clad in blackened plate, a greatsword slung across their saddles. One held a banner; a field of divided red & black. It's device a crowned skull.

Oddly, the third rider stood out. Smaller than the others. Thick of limb and clad in light armor. A strange mask made from basalt stone adorned his face. It too was shaped like a crowned skull and hid his pallid features.

He dismounted and then strode to the huddled man on the altar. The old man struggled against his restraints to no avail. Garbled pleas spewed from his mouth as the Death Knight's gauntleted hand reach toward him.

He shrieked, stiffened, eyes wide in terror.

"Thy lifeforce is mine, alderman." said the stout Death Knight nonchalantly.

At the alderman's drained husk rolled off the altar to the ground. Wispy tendrils of green hued smoke curled from the corpse's facial orifices. The Death Knight turned on a heel and walked back toward his steed.

"Plant the banner at the altar, let it mark the fates of any whom would dare oppose us," ordered the stout Death Knight to his companions, "They will know the name of Ekthor Ebonflame before the turning of the moons!"

Flicking the reins of the hellsteed, Ekthor, set off to the next village on the island...the Undying horde following not far behind.

I remember the name of Ekthor. He was one of those who followed Chaplain Hawthorne when he left the Wardens and founded the Witch Fynders. How did he come to lead the vanguard of the Undying?

OOC Game Notes

• This story is part of the background for our upcoming HFS day. I'm calling it the Holy War because it will feature the Wardens vs. the Undying.
• Robb Rodgers (aka Xhorja) penned the above story. He will be playing Ekthor so he took it upon himself to come up with a backstory. Nicely done!