The Defense of Vaul - The Aftermath (reboot update)

[Keehnelf]

May 16, 1 VC

The seige of the town was bloody, and painful, but thankfully it was over relatively quickly. Tamerlin's assault on the Ogre siege weaponry that had been brought to bear by the Fire Tribe was broken by a counterattack from the hobgoblin commander himself and his retinue. Viscarg and his white-skinned goblin attache skirmish with Tamerlin, who loses his giant eagle mount on its first pass to the arrows of the white-furred gnoll archer, and the rest of the forward cavalry end up being forced to break through the closing orc cavalry ranks to reach the ogres before they can bring their rocks to bear.

The infantry rushes together in the midst of the field, Deliah's magic puts a number of the enemy troops into a deep torpor while the Vaulian ballistae attempt to disrupt the enemy reserves and prevent them from reinforcing the wavering line. Bertram leads the charge into the midst of the enemy formation, striking down hobgoblins left and right with his magical broadsword. The hogboblins seem disinclined to break or flee, but their numbers are rapidly diminished.

Meanwhile, Ulf's archer unit creeps up on the flank and begins peppering the strongest reserve units to further weaken them as they begin their charge. The right flank's advance falters, and then shifts direction, making a forced march behind the screen of the main infantry melee toward the far flank, where the Arch Duke's cavalry has over-extended itself and become hemmed in by attackers from two sides, the rise to its rear and its only clear route of escape through the melee in the center of the field. Flashes of lightning dart out from the Duke's hands, nearly shattering one unit of orcish cavalry, and the captain of the guard orders his unit to charge straight through the weakened advancing reserves, but it is too little too late. The Duke's unit is overwhelmed from behind and those who break and flee are taken down by a unit of gnoll archers which has surged forward to strengthen the flank. Blavern turns and charges the archers, arriving too late, and drives the formation before him, the cowardly dog-men choosing to break and flee rather than attempt to break the charge.

Galen's unit of light cavalry reaches the ogres just as they come into throwing range, and smash like a wave over the first while the second hurls a well-aimed boulder at the western ballista, shattering it beyond repair in a single blow and scattering its crew. Harold rushes up to tend to the injured, given a moment of respite until the tide turns one way or the other in the center of the field.

Orrin's infantry unit, in the meantime, flirts with entering the melee, but spies the weakening assault of Tamerlin's and Galen's cavalry on the ogre throwers and chooses instead to charge the enemy command unit from behind. With a powerful thrust of his borrowed sword, he slays the white-skinned goblin and advances on the mutilated bugbear known as Catstrangler. The two duel for some time, the bugbear's powerful blows taking a toll on the already-weakened dwarf, but the bugbear too has recently sustained injuries and is slower than he might normally be. The match seems equal, but Orrin's unit erodes around him as he fights, slaughtered by the twin orcs and their deadly spears, harried by the white-furred gnoll. The remains of the two units seem destined for extermination when Galen's unit arrives unexpectedly, dashing in among the enemy from the rear and scattering Viscarg's lieutenants, the gnoll and one orc dead, Tamerlin's sword through Viscarg's heart at last, but the rest escaping in the tumult.

The rescue was not without cost, however--one ogre had remained to begin an assault on the town, and by the time the defenders were able to regroup and make an assault on it, it had managed to inflict severe damage on the town wall and on some buildings within.

By dawn, the enemy had definitively been beaten back, Viscarg's banner fallen and the remaining disciplined hobgoblin troops making an orderly retreat back to the east from whence they had come, with no promises of return or threats of vengeance, just their stocky shadows drifting away into the muddy night, silent against the plaintive wailing of the dead and dying, among whom the trained and the holy moved in order to cure their miseries or end them.

In the faint light of dawn, the reckoning stood: 143 of Vaul's defenders dead, among them the Duke, his captain Blavern, the hunter Remus, Ghrym the tavern-keep, and the old priest Gronn. Perhaps eighty of the attacking army were able to retreat into the night, not enough to mount a challenge to the town's walls, but enough to remain a danger to travelers, should they remain in the area. The walls themselves were damaged on the northern side, and the tavern half-collapsed from a boulder that landed on the roof of the taproom. Of gains, the villagers recovered a trove of weapons, armor and gold from the attackers--enough, perhaps, to finance some fortification and reconstruction--and a battered, bloody halfling clinging to life in a cage beyond the hill, who was too inarticulate to identify himself but who his former companions could see was Kennit Buckthorn.

The survivors set immediately about burying the dead, burning the corpses of their enemies, and soon after the travelers from the North arrived in waves with their gnomish allies.

In the days after, it is clear that Tamerlin is busy assuming the Duke's position, and when the announcement is made that he will wed the late Duke's daughter, only grunts of acknowledgement greet it in the public square.

Grisela, Ghrym's matronly daughter, heads up the reconstruction of the tavern, leaving the boulder in place but working it into a large, flat table around which several iron benches are placed, and she re-christens the place the Briarstone Tavern.

With Father Gronn gone, Krysta Kane takes upon herself the burden of services for the deceased and leads the town in the necessary rituals to re-establish order and peace in the much-reduced population. She installs herself, along with Harold Willoughby, as the steward of the town's main temple.

Tamerlin also moves ahead with construction of the Adventurer's Guild according to the plan laid out for the late Duke by the elf Valorei, and the scholarly elf is named the first Guildmaster and provided quarters in the Wooden Keep until such time as construction can be completed. The newly-arrived gnomes set to work aiding in what ways they can, speeding up construction and reconstruction and generally making themselves a vital part of the battered community.

By the time life has begun to return to normal in the town, the wildfires to the north have also died out, leaving only a hazy pall over the burnt carcass that was once the Goblin Forest at the foot of the now balefully-smoking but less-imposing Finger of Doom. In the chaos of the aftermath of the battle, everyone forgets that an expedition had headed that way just before...or if they do remember, they assume that everyone must by now be dead...

[Marullus]

...dang! I got so excited!

[Zhym]

Well that's me hitting refresh all afternoon.

[Keehnelf]

Hah, don't knock yourself out. I've been hit with some kind of stomach bug so it'll likely be night before I have a chance to do part one of this, since it's a lot of threads to weave.

[Spartakos]

Ghrym is dead!
I'll not mourn the Duke overlong, but our trusty dwarven barkeep...

[Zorroroaster]

Yep, special place in Orrin's heart for that guy. Boy howdy he's just gonna get grumpier now.

[Zhym]

I didn't know that was even possible!

Boy, that Tamerlin didn't waste any time waiting for the Archduke's seat to get cold, did he?

[Keehnelf]

Two days after the battle, Tamerlin indicates that he will hold true to Vaul's offer and then some: he offers choice of reward to each of the PCs who fought in the battle.

One of:

-Rank of Knight (or Lady), non-hereditary. This will allow the PC ownership and control of an estate within the domain, including the ability to keep guards or troops on retainer, in exchange for service to the crown as needed. This is the entry point for an inherited title should one prove of great value to the crown.

-Lifetime membership in the Adventurer's Guild of Vaul, recently announced and under construction (a 75gp value), with access to training facilities, commissions from the crown, and lodging. Will also include your name on the bronze charter plaque being cast as a "founding member" of the Guild.

[AleBelly]

Ghrym is dead!
I'll not mourn the Duke overlong, but our trusty dwarven barkeep...

[Keehnelf]

Final Accounting of the Expedition to Rescue Allies from the Finger of Doom:

Achievement XP:
-550xp for killing a bunch of goblins, driving off wolves, and slaying Numen
-2,000xp for saving the jarban grove
-250xp for performing funereal rites on Numen (split among Lug, Niles, Baxtaw and Valorei only)
-1,000xp for befriending and saving the gnomes
-4,838xp for recovery of a variety of items and gold

Items recovered:
Censer of Peacefulness
Honey of Passage
Orrin's magic shield of Tall Ron's Dick (held by Lug)
Black-bound spellbook (currently held by Niles)
One jarban sapling
37 gp
3sp

Items brought but no longer having value:
Magical beehive--too damage by the wildfire as the party attempted to navigate the forest

XP Calculations:
8,388xp base for the full group, divided by 9.5 (8 PCs plus 3 half-share mercenaries) - Lug, Niles, Baxtaw, Valorei, Varas, Dorvar, Marge, and Ruwyn. This makes 883 xp each.

250xp extra, divided by 4 (63xp each) to Lug, Niles, Baxtaw, and Valorei

Go ahead and use the Loot thread to distribute the items on the loot list and do any post-expedition discussions that are needed.

[Zhym]

37.3gp divided 9.5 ways works out to 3g, 9s, 2c per share. Woot!

Shame about the bees. :/

The Jarban sapling was already planted, right?

[AleBelly]

What about the magic items? I don't think those that got them should get the same share of (limited) coin.

[Keehnelf]

Right you are--the sapling was planted near the Tower of Wendall.

[Keehnelf]

ALSO, this thread (or the private one for your character) is the appropriate place for you to declare which reward of Tamerlin's you will choose, or if you elect to refuse the reward (if you don't make a declaration before embarking on another expedition, you'll be considered to have shunned Tamerlin and refused the offered prize).

[Zhym]

I didn't think the coin much mattered at this point, but Lug is happy to forego his 4 gp.

As for the magic items, Tall Ron's Dick belongs to Orrin, the tree is planted, and Lug had the honey and censer when the group split up. What he plans to do with them is tangled up in how things get started with the reboot.

For now: if Varas wants either of them, he's free to find Lug and demand them.

ALSO, this thread (or the private one for your character) is the appropriate place for you to declare which reward of Tamerlin's you will choose, or if you elect to refuse the reward (if you don't make a declaration before embarking on another expedition, you'll be considered to have shunned Tamerlin and refused the offered prize).

I presume that the members of Lug's expedition, having returned to Vaul after the fighting was over, are not eligible for either award?

[Marullus]

Niles stands by his argument that the book which Numen had in his possession was taken from Niles' library in the first place, and he is reclaiming his stolen property. He'll also argue for his 4gp as such a meager sum will barely cover their stay, returning to the Inn.

[Starbeard]

I'll be bringing Odium Contemptus back, but probably without much action for a month or so. I fully expect him to have taken as little part of the battle as possible, so am happy with foregoing the split of loot and xp (didn't see his name on the list, anyway). EDIT: I read that post incorrectly; I'm taking it that battle participants only get the reward option, and no xp or looted goods.

As for the reward (assuming he gets it), I think I'd like to go for the title.

[Zorroroaster]

Orrin will take the Adventurers Guild membership and free tote bag. I'll be getting back into the thick of it soon.

[Keehnelf]

I presume that the members of Lug's expedition, having returned to Vaul after the fighting was over, are not eligible for either award?

That is correct. You get a thousand XP and some magic items instead.

[Keehnelf]

I'll be bringing Odium Contemptus back, but probably without much action for a month or so. I fully expect him to have taken as little part of the battle as possible, so am happy with foregoing the split of loot and xp (didn't see his name on the list, anyway). EDIT: I read that post incorrectly; I'm taking it that battle participants only get the reward option, and no xp or looted goods.

As for the reward (assuming he gets it), I think I'd like to go for the title.

Correct: battle participants get the title or membership only.