The War Without End – Episode 1.14
The companions are guided to within a mile of the invading army’s camp by one of the locals who then hurriedly departs.
From there they survey the scene and discuss plans for getting the prisoners out without bloodshed. The camp is located in open terrain near a large river. Patches of low scrub and occasional trees provide only limited cover. The most promising suggestion seems to be using Elsabeth’s magic to retrieve the prisoners through a dimensional portal, but unfortunately the spell will not allow her to get all eight prisoners out at once.
They decide to take a closer look before doing anything further.
Kai is about to go and scout around when a female Tiefling emerges from the shadows. She introduces herself as Sa’ara and says that she is a Med-Jai of the Second Tribe sent to help them by Delwar. The others are doubtful about her story but in the end she convinces them they can trust her. They fill her in on what has happened thus far and she offers to go and take a look at the camp. A short while later she heads out.
After a couple of hours Sa’ara returns and gives a detailed description of the camp layout. The defences are well organised. There are a dozen picket fires surrounding a small cluster of tents, and plenty of sentries. The guards do not seem to be expecting trouble however and are not being particularly vigilant. Sa’ara believes it would be possible to sneak in, but she doesn’t think they can get the prisoners out without being detected. Also she observes that there are actually fifteen prisoners locked in two cage-carts at the centre of the camp, not the eight they were expecting.
A long discussion ensues. There is a difference of opinion over how best to proceed. Eventually Elsabeth loses patience and declares that she is going in to negotiate. She turns and marches off toward the camp. Kai hesitates for a moment and then follows her, as does Baratus. Sa’ara and Ardep remain outside in case the others get in trouble.
Elsabeth, Kai and Baratus march purposefully toward the camp. It is not long before they are challenged by the guards. Elsabeth announces that they have come to negotiate for the prisoners.
After a short delay they are allowed into the camp and are met by the Second in Command. He tells them that his superior, the Colonel, is away but that they can wait until he gets back. Elsabeth attempts to charm their host but fails to persuade him to release the prisoners without the proper authorisation. So she, Kai and Baratus elect to wait for the Colonel to return. They are escorted to a tent and placed under guard.
While this is going on, Ardep and Sa’ara skirt around the camp and take up positions along the river, where there is more cover.
A few hours later the Colonel gets back. He immediately retires to his tent however and refuses to see them till the morning. Knowing this will be too late, Elsabeth and Kai demand the audience that they were promised but the guards refuse to allow it. With her temper wearing thin, Elsa strides out of the camp. Her look says that she dares anyone to try and stop her. Kai and Baratus follow close on her heels.
Seeing the departure, Ardep and Sa’ara withdraw from their positions in the undergrowth and go to meet the others. Once they are all back together they discuss the remaining options. It now seems unlikely that they will be able extract the prisoners before morning without a fight. Consequently they decided to ask the Baron for clarification as to whether rescuing the prisoners is more important than avoiding bloodshed.
Elsabeth casts a spell to give herself and Kai wings and then the two of them fly off to Thentis to see the Baron.
Some time later they return. It is clear that they are less than happy with the outcome of their discussion. The Baron had been adamant that both objectives must be achieved and had made some slightly disparaging comments about the group’s resourcefulness. He had also told Elsa that he needed someone to go up into the mountains after the General and warn him not to enter the mines. According to the Baron, evil creatures of the Underdark were residing there that should not be disturbed.
The young Med-Jai are beginning to tire of jumping through hoops for the Baron but they swallow their irritation and try to make the best of it. Elsabeth wracks her brain for every useful spell she has ever learned and together they craft an elaborate plan.
A couple of hours later they put it into action. Elsabeth opens a Dimensional Doorway and transports herself, Kai, Baratus and Sa’ara to the centre of the camp. Simultaneously Ardep Bey jumps the river and assaults the guards closest to the bank with a sap, attempting to cause as much confusion as possible. The alarm is immediately raised.
As soon as they reach the cages however they realise there are only seven prisoners. None of the Baron’s men are there.
“They’ve been moved!” Sa’ara curses.
The rescue attempt is hurriedly aborted and Elsabeth transports them all back to where they started. A short while later Ardep Bey realises that something has gone wrong and he also pulls out.
Once again they meet up and discuss the way forward. They skirt around the camp toward the river looking for tracks and an hour or so later, Baratus finds a trail.
Following the tracks they circle round through the hills toward Thentis. They are perplexed when the trail eventually leads them to the Baron’s Manor. They make enquiries into what is going on and are informed that the Colonel has turned the prisoners over to the Baron pending the outcome of the negotiations tomorrow. The Med-Jai are left feeling more than a little frustrated.
The Colonel has not yet departed, so Ardep Bey takes the opportunity to speak to him, asking him about the cure for lycanthropy and alerting him to the fact that the Baron has asked them to warn the General about the mines. The Colonel knows nothing about the cure and is surprised that the Baron would want to warn the General of any danger.
All in all the Colonel comes across as a reasonable fellow and it seems that maybe the ‘bad’ guys aren’t so bad after all. Consequently Ardep is of the opinion that they should go and warn the General after all.
And so they travel into the mountains. A narrow path leads them upward. There is a cliff face to the left and a deep chasm to the right.
When they near the top they hear sounds of fighting and a strange song-like melody from up ahead. It draws them onward.
Suddenly Ardep goes into a trance and walks off up the path. Sa’ara is also affected and tries to follow but Kai holds her back. Elsabeth and Baratus quickly cast protective magic around the group to neutralise the effect and then Baratus goes after Ardep.
Up ahead, around a corner, the path opens out into a wide ledge, occupied by the General and a small force of men. They are fighting a pitched battle on two fronts and appear to be hard pressed. To their right, hovering out of reach above the chasm are five Harpies. Their siren song lures any who succumb to it toward the precipice, ultimately causing them to plummet to their deaths. While to their front, blocking the way forward, is a Bulette, a large, tough-skinned creature that burrows beneath the earth.
The General barks orders, trying to marshal his men, but many have been bewitched by the Harpies’ song. Those that remain either struggle to hold their comrades back from the edge or take up arms against the Bulette.
Just as Ardep is about to topple to his doom, Baratus manages to break the spell. Ardep quickly draws his bow and begins firing at the Harpies. Though the group’s ranged weaponry is fairly limited they have no other way of attacking the Harpies, so Elsa, Kai and Sa’ara do likewise with magic missiles, shuriken and a hand crossbow respectively.
Suddenly a sixth Harpy flies up out of the chasm to join the others. This one is armed with a bow. It looses a pair of arrows with deadly accuracy. The double impact spins Elsabeth around and she crumples.
Fearing the worst, Baratus and Kai rush to Elsabeth’s side. The sorceress is deathly pale and there is a lot of blood. One of the arrows has hit her in the base of her neck. Blood bubbles between her lips as she tries to breathe and Baratus can tell that her life is rapidly slipping away from her. Feverishly he works his magic to try and save her.
Divine power flows through him and miraculously Elsabeth’s wounds begin to heal, but then to Baratus’s horror another pair of arrows thud into her and she dies.
Soaring high above them the Harpy with the bow congratulates itself on sending the most dangerous of the puny Humans to meet its maker.
Finishing off one of the other Harpies with a well-aimed shot, Sa’ara switches her attention to the Harpy with the bow. Between them, she and Ardep, harass the creature and a couple of times their arrows find their mark. Angered by this, the Harpy fires back at Sa’ara, peppering her with arrows. The young Tiefling is badly wounded and staggers away with many of the shafts still sticking out of her.
Again the Harpy swoops in for the kill, but Baratus conjures a Wind Wall along the edge of the cliff that protects Sa’ara.
Meanwhile Ardep, who is still firing his bow, gets a good hit on the Harpy Archer. Squealing, the Harpy dives out of sight into the chasm. Many of the other Harpies are also injured by this time, and the whole group turns and flies off.
Ardep continues to fire his bow at the Harpies until they are out of range, while Kai goes over to assist the General and his men with the Bulette. Baratus heals Sa’ara.
With the Harpies gone, and with Kai to help, the General and his men make short work of the Bulette. The battle is soon over, but the price is high. Elsabeth is dead, as are many of the General’s men.
The survivors of both groups withdraw from the mountains and head back to Thentis. It is a sombre procession that marches back to town.
After they reach Thentis the Baron and the General talk and a peaceful resolution is agreed. The General decides to withdraw his forces from the region, as there is nothing of value to him there.
Thanking the Med-Jai again for their assistance the General and his men depart.
With the General gone, the Baron is delighted and thanks the Med-Jai for all their help. In gratitude he offers them gifts but, with Elsabeth dead, the Med-Jai are running short of patience. They remind the Baron that the bargain was for him to tell them about the cure for lycanthropy, to which he shrugs and admits that there is no cure.
Relations between the Med-Jai and the Baron are decidedly frosty by the time they depart.
When they return with Elsa’s body to the Fortress of the Second, Drukar is still waiting. He is annoyed that Heiron has refused to see him, but when he learns of the outcome of the expedition to Thentis he apologises for the trouble he has caused and departs. It seems he intends to go to Thentis and investigate further himself.
Notes:
First appearance of Sa’ara (Scarlett Johansson)
Kai takes Elsabeth’s body to the High Church of Pelor in Sigil to appeal to them to restore her to life.
