| Session Date | December 22, 2018 |
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| Base XP Gained | Carry Over |
In Grilbie, Aldeberon, Iban, and the Ranger Calidor rushed around to try to get the townsfolk into some semblance of readiness for the anticipated brigand attack. Though the Town Master was in their pocket (after a hefty bribe), they really had no idea how much time they had before the attack might occur. They split up to cover the most ground. Aldeberon started with the local druid, who was clearly convinced of the danger and agreed to send a bird to scout for them along the road to Ballak in the Dwarf Kingdom. Meanwhile, Iban visited the local wizard, Alarius. The man proved to be less than enthusiastic about the warning, though he did agree to "take some precautions" with regards to spell preparation and the like. He reiterated that he would, of course, aid the town if the need truly arose. The two adventurers, as agreed, then each went to one of the main temples. At the temple of Maladominus, the Decian (chief priest) immediately perceived that the danger was real and began to take actions to prepare him and his staff for what was coming. At Aldeberon's insistence, he would begin to use his folk to move about a third of the grain from the nearby storehouse to the temple for safe keeping, though he said this would take quite some time to accomplish. At the temple of Alondra, Iban found the priestess less resolute and decisive, though she listened carefully and promised she would do what she could to aid the town's defense.
The two then rejoined at the Inn of the Bountiful Harvest, where the rescued innkeeper form down south and the two rangers (Calidor and the recently rescued Winfrith) were busily convincing the innkeeper and others of the danger. Most of the locals seemed unconvinced, though there was clearly some concern and doubt. Aldebeon cut through this by paying four locals to grab weapons and man the Keep rooftop to stand watch. Dark was coming on, but the money seemed to make up their minds for them, and they went to find the Town Master to be issued arms and have the Keep unlocked. Iban then took a little time to use his crystal ball to locate Cadwallider - he spotted him immediately, studying his spellbook. The wizard, meanwhile, sensed that he was being watched and give a quick sign that the Dwarves were coming to their aid. It was growing dark now and the party hoped that no attack would occur until the next day, as little enough had yet been accomplished. Meanwhile, Calidor informed the party that he was ordering Winfrith to take a horse and ride hard to the distant town of Four Friths to seek additional aid from the Rangers based there. It was a long journey, however, and any aid would be slow in coming. After apologizing to the party for losing the sword they gave him, they gave him another magic sword and the Ranger rode off into the darkening night.
It was dark now, but the rising moon and snow cover were bright yet again. Iban now cast fly and flew a circuit of several miles in radius around the town. He saw little except to the northwest of the village, where he spotted a small group bivouacked adjacent to the road. Fearing that the town might be attacked from that direction, upon returning the party paid four more townsfolk to take up watch in that direction. Not long after, a man ran into the Inn to inform the party that several men were coming up the southern road. Heading out, they found that a group of brigand emissaries had come to parley. They demanded the immediate surrender of the village, or blood would be shed. They wanted everyone in town outside where they could be seen, unarmed, or they would burn them out building by building. As this was shouted from a distance, the Druid came up and informed the party that a large band of men, flanked by wolves, was coming up from the south in line of battle. Given no answer after a repeat of the surrender terms, the emissaries turned and moved off to the south.
The town's alarm gongs and bells now were sounded, bringing out anyone not already altered to the danger. The party began to organize the village defenses to the south, sending the Ranger and the miller with some stout lads to reinforce the north. IN the south, Iban invisible, levitated far above the Keep to keep a watch, while Aldeberon deployed a line of militia skirmishers between the Keep and stone Dwarf House nearby, across the road into the village. There was no time to build a barricade as they'd hoped, but there was time to build a rapid bonfire in the road to provide light and ample warning time. Things were moving very fast, indeed.
Soon, howls of wolves and shouts of fighting broke out to the north, likely in the vicinity of the grain store where they'd deployed Calidor. Soon, a large force of men appeared to the south, numbering well over 100 in the group that could be seen. However, oddly, they ceased moving about a bowshot from the Keep and stood stock still for some time. About ten minutes later, there was a rumble and a huge, humanoid-shaped thing appeared and began moving towards the town. It skirted the Keep to the west, avoiding Aldeberon's lines and moved like an avalanche right to the local wizard's home where it proceeded to begin battering his stone tower to rubble. It was clearly an earth elemental, being sent to deal with the local wizard. Iban tried desperately to locate the wizard controlling it, but to no avail. As the elemental bashed the wizard's tower to rubble (and the wizard failed to appear), the main brigand force moved on the village. The four townsfolk on the Keep roof began peppering them with arrows, but drew many more in return from a score or more archers among the enemy. But the main fight occurred with Aldeberon's skirmish line, as a large number of brigands spearheaded the move into the village. Aldeberon cut them down quickly, but the villagers were quickly overwhelmed and broke in a matter of minutes after they'd suffered a few casualties. Meanwhile, the earth elemental began moving towards the Keep; one demand from the brigands below to surrender or have the Keep destroyed underneath them caused them to drop their bows and surrender.
Aldeberon prepared to fight to the end, but then thought better of it and fell back to the bridge over the stream near the inn where a few locals were rallying and considering a stand there. Iban, too, came down and made his way there just in time to meet up with Aldeberon, as Calidor came in from the north. The Ranger reported that the northern force had been overrun and the town was already lost. Under arrow fire now, Aldeberon began to burn the bridge. Once it was lit, he and the others fled west along the stream and into the darkness. They crossed further up, out of sight of the village, then moved quickly south and then east to stay clear of the brigand forces. They were successful in avoiding the brigands and their attached wolf patrols, and after many hours in the cold darkness, managed to meet the Dwarven force with ZZ and Cadwallider attached (the latter having caught up using the goat of travel). The party quickly filled in the recent events for their fellows and Captain Ziglir-Zurash, commanding the Iron Helm company. He agreed with their suggestion to encamp some miles southeast of Grilbie, rather than press on immediately. The Dwarves scouted a few minutes and, finding a suitable site, began rapidly and with great discipline to build a fortified camp not far from the road. Meanwhile, Iban used the crystal ball once again, this time to look for the sword that Winfrith had lost -- he found it, in the possession of the same brigand who they'd seen with it previously. That brigand was having a rapid conversation with what could only be a werewolf, in the village near the inn, where numerous other brigands were moving gear and supplies inside. Clearly Grilbie was well under their control.
A few hours before dawn, Dwarf sentries reported wolves prowling around the camp, though none approached too closely. Still, the enemy had found their camp...