The War Without End – Episode 1.9
The Med-Jai are aboard “The Swift” continuing their journey to return the recovered message, when Ebon receives a telepathic communication from Heiron. The wizard informs him that Zorak has gone to the city of Heart’s Faith on Mount Celestia to obtain ingredients for a potion that Derioch believes will help Blanca. However a problem has arisen with the Modron March and Zorak now needs their assistance. The young Med-Jai hurriedly gather their equipment and then Heiron opens a series of portals to transport them from the ship to Mount Celestia. Ebon, Shilaze, Korbin, Elsabeth and Graffan all go to help with the march, while Massingleigh is sent to complete the original mission by returning the prisoner and the message to the “Fortress of the Second”
The four Med-Jai and Graffan arrive in the main square of Heart’s Faith where Quelane is waiting to brief them on the situation.
She tells them that the hundreds of thousands of Modron’s are about to enter the city. They will follow the exact same route they have followed for millennia but so much time has passed since the last march that there is no one who can remember exactly what the route is. Undoubtedly the city has changed over time and if the march deviates from the main streets there is a significant risk of citizens being injured. The Modrons are not hostile but they are implacable and uncompromising and will follow their prescribed route whoever or whatever stands in their way
The Med-Jai have been assembled to shadow the march and shepherd people out of harms way. Historical records suggest that the Modrons will form five columns, each of which will take a different route through the city. Zorak and his sons will take care of one column, Quelane and her people will handle three of the others and the last, the westernmost, will be the responsibility of the young Med-Jai of the Second tribe.
Quelane has barely finished speaking when trumpets sound to indicate the Modron’s arrival and the young Med-Jai must race off to intercept the westernmost column.
A short while later they are able to get ahead of the Modrons and witness the seemingly never-ending column of constructs making their way through the city. Rank upon rank of them, as far as the eye can see, marching together in perfect synchronisation.
At first there is no trouble, the streets are clear of people and the constructs follow the major routes. As expected, the westernmost column splits off from the main body and for a while everything seems to be going as planned, but then the young Med-Jai realise that they are heading for a dead end. Suddenly, without warning, the front ranks begin wheeling sharply to the left.
Seeing that the Modrons will be heading straight through a building that has not been cleared, Shilaze and Korbin courageously dash forward and dive through a window to get inside. They get there just before the head of the column advances and blocks their path.
Ebon and Graffan, cannot reach the house, so instead they head down a side street in the hopes that they can find a door at the back. Elsabeth on the other hand spectacularly sprouts wings and takes to the air.
With the Modrons surging against the front of the building and the masonry starting to crumble, Korbin and Shilaze begin searching the interior. Their shouts raise a response from the first floor, so they rush upstairs.
By the time Ebon and Graffan reach the back door, they can be of little assistance to those inside. So, while Graffan waits for the others, Ebon sets off down the street to warn the city-folk of the change of direction and clear them out of the Modron’s path.
Korbin and Shilaze complete their search of the first floor and find an old man, while Elsabeth, who has flown in through an upstairs window, searches the top floor and discovers a deaf old woman. The old lady is so startled by Elsabeth’s sudden appearance, that the sorceress is unable to calm her down and make her understand their peril.
Another surge from the Modrons and the building starts to collapse. Korbin lifts the old man over his shoulders and carries him toward the stairs. For a moment Shilaze is behind them but then she turns and heads upward to help Elsabeth with the old woman.
Korbin only just makes it out through the back door before the weight of the Modron’s brings the building crashing down. The front rank of constructs is crushed under falling masonry but those behind are oblivious and march on without a pause.
An instant later, in a side street a short distance away, Elsabeth, Shilaze and the old woman appear, stepping through a dimensional door that Elsabeth opened as the building fell around them. It had been a close call but somehow they had all got out alive.
Meanwhile, Ebon has found that the next street is also a dead end. This time it finishes in a wall behind which there is a courtyard and an orphanage full of young children.
“You have to leave here now” Ebon urges a young woman who appears to be supervising the children within. “The Modron’s are coming this way”
The woman looks alarmed. “We will try but you must give us time to gather all the children” she replies anxiously.
Ebon looks at the infants for a moment and then turns and resolutely walks back out into the street.
It is not long before Korbin and Elsabeth arrive on the scene. When Ebon tells them what is happening they both head for the orphanage to help gather the children. Ebon stands alone to face the Modrons, determined to buy whatever time he can.
The head of the column advances inexorably toward him, the sound of their marching grows until it is deafening. As they approach Ebon appeals to them, “I am a lawful being. There are children beyond the wall. I cannot let you pass until they are safe from harm”
The Modrons dispassionately continue their advance. Eventually Ebon is forced to defend himself as the constructs use their spears against him. Fortunately their synchronised movements are slow and predictable and he breaks their spears and pushes them aside. The disruption causes the column to slow but there are too many to hold them for long.
A few members of the city guard emerge from the courtyard to join the defence of the orphanage. With Ebon at their centre they do all they can to delay the Modrons. This causes four winged constructs to fly down the column toward them. They hover above the gallant defenders and pepper them with arrows. Many of the guards fall and Ebon is badly injured by an arrow that penetrates his armour.
It is fortunate indeed that Elsabeth chooses this moment to return. Had she not done so then all might have been lost. She conjures a fireball that envelops the flying constructs. One of them spins wildly out of control before falling from the sky and crashing to the ground and the other three withdraw.
The winged constructs are replaced a few moments later by a tentacled sphere flanked by two star-shaped constructs. The sphere immediately teleports in amongst the defenders and strikes at them with its tentacles. Somehow Ebon holds it off but at this point the few survivors are overwhelmed. The defence collapses and they are overrun.
For a moment it seems that all will be lost but then Ebon fights his way to Elsabeth and the sorceress opens another dimensional door that allows the two of them to get out.
Fortunately through the guard’s sacrifice and with Korbin’s help rescuing the last of the children, they have done enough. All the orphans have been saved.
The spherical construct continues to hover threateningly above them, but the young Med-Jai have no need to interfere with the march any further so they withdraw to a safe distance. They are grateful when the column finally arrives at the docks and the Modrons begin to depart through a portal. There have been no further incidents.
Behind them hundreds of thousands of constructs continue to pass through the city but once the path of the columns is known the immediate danger is over.
Wearily the Med-Jai regroup and meet up with Zorak and his sons in a nearby tavern. Zorak gives Ebon the list of ingredients that Derioch requires for the potion and two bottles of dew that he collected prior to the Modron’s arrival.
The ingredients on the list are as follows:
1. Dew from Mount Celestia – To invigorate her and refresh her tired soul.
2. One each of white, red and pink roses from Mount Celestia – The Heavenly fragrance will aid the dew of the Mount
3. An egg of a Red Slaad – Blanca needs to make a huge change in her life … Slaad are creatures of change and the egg is a symbol of Blanca’s necessary rebirth
4. The brain of a demon – Blanca has been deceived … she needs to understand that deceit before she can move on from it and who are the greatest of deceivers… the more powerful the demon the greater the chance of success
5. The heart-stone of a Night Hag – These have legendary curative powers and will provide the boost the potion needs.
Ebon shows the list to the others and explains its significance to them.
“So which one do we go after first?” says Shilaze matter-of-factly when he has finished. It is as if there was never any question that she would be accompanying him.
Ebon looks at her gratefully. “Thank you” he acknowledges.
“Well we’re not about to let you go off on your own now are we?” Elsabeth adds with a hint of a smile.
They collect the roses, which are the second ingredient, and then Zorak sends a telepathic communication to Heiron informing him that they are ready to return. A short while later a portal opens to take them all home.
Heiron appears drained. He is tired and weary. When asked, he tells them that there have been ‘problems’ but will not reveal what they are exactly. Shortly after they get back to the Fortress he retires alone to his study.
Afterward Ebon, Shilaze, Elsabeth and Korbin start making plans to collect the remaining ingredients.
Notes:
Actually the first part of what I have written up as episode 10 was part of this session but I decided it fits better in the next episode.
