Greyhawk: Against the Giants: Huecuva's Blight

Sunsebb 6th, Earthday, 586CY
Oytwood
Scout Group
Time: 13:59:00

ROUND THREE: CLARA

Clara shouts out, angry and pain tremble in voice as she swings at W3 once again.
"Kirak, do you think you could try stunning an opponent?"

Clara swings her longsword, cutting through W3's abdomen. Clara stabs W3 with a upward thrust from her shortsword. Pain reddens her face and weakens her knees as she swings her longsword over her head and brings it down on W3. The blade snaps off a mandible and opens a vertical wound down its abdomen. Clara thrusts with her shortsword from above, embedding the blade in W3's neck. The wasp convulses and falls to the grounds. Is seizes and trembles, defeated.

Clara painfully stands next to Kirak.

W3 Defeated

NEXT: W2

Sunsebb 6th, Earthday, 586CY
Oytwood
Scout Group
Time: 13:59:00

ROUND THREE: W2

W2 flies toward its hole and dives in to it, withdrawing from battle to lick its wounds.

W2 Off Grid/Defeated

END ROUND

NEXT: W1

Sunsebb 6th, Earthday, 586CY
Oytwood
Fort Olvewater
Time: 15:15:00

Himo and Arlie, and the rest of the team, are awake for the return of Clara and Tanya. The troops push their canoes up to the shore at the fort. Clara and Tanya look pale and struggle to get out of their canoes. Clara's men, who demanded a canoe to pick them up before, exit their canoe and support Clara out of hers. The troops that escorted Tanya help her out.

Master Sergeant Melissa Lanse, Mel, stands on the shore to observe. He hard stare switches to urgent concern as she sees the harden adventurers struggle with their balance. Mel turns toward the center of the camp and shouts,
"Forlin!"

It's obvious the scout team had a bad day. Arlie's eager to ask what happened, but it's clear healing is desparately needed first. Arlie distracts himself from the curiosity by helping to bring gear ashore & secure the canoes back on the beach.

Himo helps Arlie with the canoes and gear. Himo asks "Forlin, How can I help you?" When Forlin gets to Tanya and Clara, with great concern for his two ill allies

Sunsebb 6th, Earthday, 586CY
Oytwood
Fort Olvewater
Time: 15:15:36

Forlin arrives at the scene directly behind Himo. His demeanor is stoic as he looks over Tanya and Clara with his eyes. His voice is calm and soothing.
"Clara, what happened to the two of you?"

Clara stands on uncertain legs. Her men stand near her to assist, but her cold eyes force them to stand back as she handles the situation herself. Through gritted teeth she answers,
"We ran across a hive of giant wasps to the south. The vermin stung us. I was able to delay the venom running through our blood with my meager magic, but not much else."

With a flash of magic, Ta'Heed appears next to Forlin.
"How am I needed?"

Forlin looks toward Himo and Ta'Heed.
"Our scouts have been poisoned by giant wasps. I can heal them, but they may need some recovery time. Himo, take Clara to her tent."
Clara raises a hand in protest, Forlin ignores her protest.
"You have no say in this. Ta'Heed if you could take Tanya to her tent."

Ta'Heed nods.
"Of course, I will be able to aid in treating her, but I cannot repair any lasting damage."
He before Tanya and picks her up, cradling her in his arms.

Forlin rushes toward his tent for supplies.
"I'd appreciate any help you can provide."

Glassblower waves Nydent, the elven cleric, to follow Forlin.
"Aid Forlin however you can."

Nydent bows
"Of course, my lady."
He runs after Forlin.

Himo helps Clara to her tent by putting her arm over his back ,and his arm around the mid section of her ribs.

Himo then says "Clara by accepting help for allies doesn't make you weak."

"I know you made this far to camp without help after the fight. But we all have our good and bad days and anyways I find it comforting to help allies."

Sunsebb 6th, Earthday, 586CY
Oytwood
Fort Olvewater
Time: 15:16:36

Clara grits her teeth in response to Himo's words and aid.
"I did make it all the way, didn't I?"

In Clara's tent, Himo lays her down on her bedroll. Her troops wait outside. Forlin follows in with Nydent right on his heels.

Ta'Heed took Tanya to her own tent.

Forlin drops to his knees next to Clara.
"Clara, I will use magic to neutralize the poison. That's the first step."

Clara nods. Her eyes move rapidly between Himo and Forlin.
"Why would you help this wretch?"

Forlin does not answer. He places his hands firmly on Clara's abdomen, bows his head, and chants. His holy symbol swings from its pendant around his neck. Forlin sits back to give Clara some breathing room.

In no time at all, Clara's immediate pain subsides. She is obviously still sore as her muscles are very weak.

Forlin looks toward Nydent.
"Nydent, can you help to heal the venom's damage to her muscles?"

Nydent nods.

Forlin stands.
"Excellent. I will go check on Ta'Heed and Tanya. Himo, stay with Clara."

Forlin leaves the tent.

Himo looks at Clara with her question about help this wretch still fresh in his mind and says "Your not a wretch Clara! You are an great ally that needed help with a problem."

As he tries to hold back the pain of almost losing two of his allies, As he continues to talk to Clara in a calm voice

"I don't like losing people who are my allies. I know it also a part of war but I will always try to help them because they have helped me." As a tear of pain rolls off Himo's cheeck.

"I...I like you Clara to much to lose you. And what would your boys do without you, you silly woman." Himo says with a half smile on his face holding her hand.

Himo says to Clara "I would like to get to know you better Clara."

Sunsebb 6th, Earthday, 586CY
Oytwood
Fort Olvewater
Time: 15:17:30

Nydent silently drops to Clara's side. He chants in a low voice, so as not to disturb Clara and Himo. He holds his hands firmly over Clara's wound.

Clara eyes soften for a fraction of time. The moment flashes as quickly as it comes.
"Himo, we are not about ready to have a sentimental moment, are we? We are warriors battling giants . . . for our personal reasons. There isn't really more that you need to, or should want to, know."

A silence fills the room, a silence only filled by Nydent's quiet chanting. As he finishes some Clara's color returns and she fills more mobility in her joints.
"Thank you, elf."

Nydent only nods still looking over her and waiting for Forlin's return.

Arlie saw Forlin wander into Tanya's tent, but he has yet to come out.

Himo says "We might. We have being traveling for many moons now, I would like to you a little better then I know you when we first met."

As Himo continues to talk "I have met many people like Nydent and I know more about him than you but Nydent and I have talked in the past. Not to force Nydent into our talks, which I don't mind if he does adds to it."

The canoes & gear are secured. Arlie's curiosity is somewhat satisfied hearing of the giant wasp attack. Still, the answer only leaves concern for just how badly hurt everyone is - especially with the loss of Fawn as an endless sore point in his mind.

Arlie notices Forlin hasn't finished in Tanya's tent. Something he can't fix in a couple spells is a bad sign. Arlie goes to the tent to check.

Sunsebb 6th, Earthday, 586CY
Oytwood
Fort Olvewater
Time: 15:18:12

HIMO

Nydent bites his bottom lip in thought. Unhappy with his work so far, he leans over Clara's wound again and starts chanting. The chanting is still quiet so he does not interfere with any conversation.

Clara averts her eyes from Himo and changes the subject.
"So, my boys tell me those charred corpses on the western island are from ogres that tried to investigate the camp."

ARLIE
Arlie gently pushes the tent flap to Tanya's tent.

Tanya is laid out on her bedroll. The lupinal, Ta'Heed, kneels at her right side. Forlin is to Tanya's left. He is kneeling prayer with his left hand clasped firmly over her wound. With his right hand Forlin sprinkles a glittering dust over his left hand. Arlie watches as the glittering dust touches Forlin's left hand and either disappears or is absorbed into his skin.

Forlin ceases chanting and pulls his hands from Tanya.
"How do you feel?"

Tanya rises to a sitting position.
"Great! A little sore, but nothing some stretching cannot cure."

Forlin nods and gives a small smile.
"You have a simple wound too, I can easily treat as well."

Tanya shakes her head.
"You are a godsend, Forlin."

Ta'Heed locks eyes with Forlin.
"Indeed you are."

Arlie smirks at his own case of worrying too much - it was just longer spells. He quietly wanders off.

Himo tells Clara with a smile "Yes we did kill those ogres. They weren't the smart coming here but shhh, Don't tell the dead ogres that."

As Himo continues "Your boys fought hard and great, maybe because of a great teacher like you Clara."

Sunsebb 6th, Earthday, 586CY
Oytwood
Fort Olvewater
Time: 15:48:12

HIMO
Clara raises an eyebrow, her tone is deadpan.
"Fear and survival are the greatest teachers, Himo."

Nydent pulls away from Clara once again.
"How do you feel now?"

Clara flexes her muscles.
"A little stiff, but I think most of the damage is repaired."

Nydent reaches toward her again.
"Now let me just take of the actual wound for a moment."
Nydent places his hands are Clara's abdominal wound and chants a little louder. The wound mostly closes, allowing natural healing to repair the remaining damage quickly.

Clara lifts herself with her knees and moves out of her tent.
"Let's see what's next for us."

ARLIE
Arlie hears Forlin cast one more spell to treat Tanya's actual wound, now that the venom and its damage is repaired.

Mel is standing in front of Arlie when he turns around.
"I need you and Himo to stay awake for the rest of the afternoon. When we have our tactical meeting at 1800, I want to run a new idea past everyone about putting you and Himo in the scout group as well. I want to know more about our enemy's movements and maybe strike at them in a few places. You'll get a full eight hours tonight if you agree to the plan."

I'm looking to move to the Strike Team on 9/12

Himo looks at Clara weirdly as he says "Fear and survival are teachers. But I hoping what is for us next is on road getting to bash giants around."

Sunsebb 6th, Earthday, 586CY
Oytwood
Strike Group
Time: 14:00:00

SCENE CHANGE

The team sits around one of the camp's fire pits. Everyone is rested from the night before and the first foray into Nerraune's stronghold. Marilyn stares into the fire, her eyes sparkle with the wanton need to destroy the undead Nerraune commands. Lusula and Pa'cheen, the two lupinals, stand nearby. Pa'cheen is also is ready for another attack, while Lusula takes in the sounds of the early winter forest, more or less unconcerned with the prospect of battle. Lowlyn sits on a log and grimly looks over each of his comrades as he mentally prepares to once again enter the desecrated lands around Nerraune's former druid sanctuary. Fennigan stands near Martin, the wizard is slowly fingering through a few pages of his spellbook.

The treant allies still stand along the perimeter of the camp with their tree allies staged at strategic locations.

Lowlyn is the first to speak.
"Well, if we want to make another strike against Nerraune, we need to decide on our plan of attack and head out soon. We will lose all light in less than three hours. As we discussed the night before our plan was to attack from the northeast."

With the conversation beginning, Fennigan closes his book. The sound of the thick book closing echoes through the quiet wood with finality.
"We certainly need to arrive at the enemy camp with an objective and stick to it. We may have made a mistake by pushing too far the last time, although we did learn a lot. Do we only want to strike at the surface level? Do we want to strike deeper into Nerraune's lair?"

Hlin looks up after polishing her weapon and asks "Is there away to keep the surface if we have quickly get out of the basterd's lair?"

She contiunes "I am all for going to the lair and kicking the undead asses but we don't need to short end of the axe if we can help it."

Sunsebb 6th, Earthday, 586CY
Oytwood
Strike Group
Time: 14:00:42

Lowlyn turns to Hlin.
"We would have to leave part of the team on the surface while the rest of us head down into the caves. That would leave both groups weaker than the whole."

Marilyn chimes in, still staring into the fire.
"Also, if we limit our forays to a certain level, we have no idea how Nerraune and the Nerull cleric can replenish lost troops. In the image sent to me two nights ago, I saw a young elf transformed into an undead abomination through a ritual. Nerraune probably has more efficient ways of turning captives into undead, such as the wights we fought last night. If we delay, innocent people may pay the price."

Fennigan looks down at Marilyn, since he is still standing.
"If there are more captives."

Marilyn nods to Fennigan, acquiescing to his point as well.

"So if we defeat Nerraune and the Nerull cleric as a whole team then all of the surface undead things would be defeat or gone ?" Hlin asks

Then contiunes to say "I just wanting to end this blight because I know it can be never ending."

Sunsebb 6th, Earthday, 586CY
Oytwood
Strike Group
Time: 14:01:24

Marilyn shakes her head.
"At best, the undead still around after we defeat Nerraune and the cleric would become free-willed. They would act as they desire, which still would not benefit us. We'll have to clean every last unholy abomination out."

After a deep sigh, she adds,
"And I have no problem with that type of work."

Sunsebb 6th, Earthday, 586CY
Oytwood
Strike Group
Time: 14:01:54

Lowlyn stands up quickly, his eyes beaming with resolution.
"Well then, let's not wait around here and think about Nerraune. Let's go meet his goons on the field of battle. Perhaps I can get the chance to put an arrow between his eyes tonight."

Lowlyn moves from the campfire and starts collecting his gear.

Marilyn looks up from the fire only to watch Lowlyn walk away. Her gaze toward Lowlyn's back is soft. Her eyes move rapidly around, finally finding solace again in the fire.
"I suppose it's time."
She manages to say.

As Hlin gets up after hearing what Lowlyn and Marilyn said, she says "Alright time to kick some undead thingly asses!"

Hlin goes to her tent and grabs her gear and starts to get ready for the up coming battle

Martin turns to get his gear & mutters to no-one in particular "At least this time we know what to expect going in."