We finished! It was not easy but you made it through. Outcomes could have ranged from TPK/flee/capture (with possible deus ex machina); and utter destruction of Handra; to utter defeat of Ramalia’s army here, leaving them more vulnerable to the Mraloti rebellion. I tried a battle approach where the focus was on you and the outcome for the City reflected your success. There were victory points for how well you did at each battle, how much time spent in between, etc.
You execute your plan: you climb the stairs to the top of the smaller tower, where defenders fiight the Ramalians from a platform ringed with battlements. But the “belly demon” of Vakalta had repositioned itself while you were in the tower, flying just over the doorway, and it moved so its head was just above the parapet. So it breathes fire onto your area when you emerge, although you all escape unscathed. Then you face it – Bog closes in while Shrett shoots at it with and misses, and Fraud uses his Curse Chaos spell; again giving you a huge advantage. Fraud joins the fight and you batter the demon into submission. It falls floating where it had fought, and you give it a couple of good blows and it dies, falling to splat at the tower’s base. Bog uses his Demon Biting talent to rip its throat out and consume some of its infernal essence. Yum. But! You’d attracted the attention of the Tyram fire-witch, and she’d been raining spells on you and other tower defenders as you fight. She strikes you with a devastating Tap POW curse that brings you down to 1-3 MP, so you take cover inside the tower while the demon is finished off.
Shrett goes back to the top of the tower to take a shot at her. Bog uses his Conceal magic to hide, and Fraud tries sneaking out of the tower to go around back and rush the big northern building where the witch was. But she isn’t there. She’d flown over on her wings of flame, accompanied by a fire-breathing Tyram demon with a stinger, to perch on the large southern building with a good view of the top and bottom of the tower. Shrett sees her and steps out to take a shot at her, which glances off her strong lead lamellar armour. She hurls a Neutralise Magic spell onto Fraud, removing his Blessing of St Avlor. Meanwhile, he faces the Tyram demon, fending off its deadly stinger and then crippling that with his sword. Bog hurries in and together they slay it. The infamous witch Podoaba Fiercefire takes flight, with Shrett trying one more arrow shot at her as she goes, but she swoops away from it. And your nearest enemies are gone or defeated. You retreat back inside the tower and Fraud bandages Boamund’s arm. The battle around the tower area calms as foes are driven off or slain, so you hand Boamund over to forces at the large corner tower and you leave.
Along the way, you avoid more dangers and gradually catch your breath at last.
Ramalian forces are faltering in patches around Handra, with some in retreat while others fight to the bitter end or even push deeper into the City. Some of the waters gradually are returning back around the City. But it’s not over. You’re not sure if the battle might still go either way. A messenger runs past you calling out, “Defenders to Queue Isle! The Guild of Heroes faces strong resistance near the end of the bridge! Enemy leaders are there!”
Nearing the end of the bridge: You can hear a great battle beyond the bridge, and allies are crossing with you to bring aid. Above the rancour, you hear a huge roar, pounding footsteps, and great crashes of blows from some monster. Over the battle, visible above the buildings at the bridge’s end, you see flying forces trading strikes and magics. From amongst them, you hear a thunderous “QUAAAAAAACK” and see bronze-winged Targ throw a huge lightning-bolt at a gigantic humanoid that must be the source of the roar you heard, towering over a long guardhouse at the end of the bridge.
You continue down the bridge around the northwest side of the guard-house and come around its corner to look into the courtyard. There’s the giant humanoid, a wight or draugr of Urain, that you’d seen from a distance. It hacks at Handrans with its huge axe or tries to swipe at Targ who flies around it, slashing with his sword or hurling lightning. There’s a giant sylph near it, and a fierce warrior. Bog comes around the next corner to get a full view of the courtyard. Numerous enemies are fighting a pitched battle, surrounded by Handrans, the Heroes Guild, and some magisaurs. Amongst them are the leaders you’d heard of.
There’s a tentacled demon-thing; an Erkantar conjuring of the Ramalian wizards (not Chaotic but as close as you can get to that!); a ghostly boar; a disgusting zombie-boar; and then the great warrior in iron plate, swinging his iron greatsword with terrible skill. They ring two wizards: the necromancer/demonologist Arcadian the Unrelenting and the Archmagus of Hastrafraj the Dessicated, Drarosh the Saltspreading (be glad you didn’t square off with him — he threw terrible Transmute Flesh into Salt and Wrack Salt spells!). But the Ramalian forces were weakened. All of them, even the wizards, had taken wounds from the terrible fighting here on Queue Isle.
Bog casts a new Shield and his Axe Trance spell, hefting his great axe, and hurries at the demon. Fraud throws a Curse Chaos onto it, with no ultimate effect. Shrett shoots an arrow which thunks off its hide, so he switches to sword and shield. Soon all three of you are engaged with it, and it holds its own for a little while by grabbing your weapons in its twisting tentacles. It bites Bog on the chest and holds on, with acid drooling, yet Bog’s Shield spell saves him from trouble. Now Bog has wounded it in its swollen body, and again and again you hew into that, finally cutting it open and it deflates with a wheeze, sinking down and releasing your weapons. Your fight, though, draws the attention of the necromancer, and he smacks you with a Tap STR spell that withers Shrett’s muscles down to almost nothing. Another spell grips your limbs in the coldness of death, paralysing them, and you cannot break free. Bog and Shrett cannot move, but Fraud finds the great utility of the Freedom of Handra blessing and shakes off the bonding curse!
Fraud tries charging at the wizard but Ozurin has seen you, too, and has bellowed a challenge. He is one of King Paruzal the Impaler’s Champions, a Fury Lord of Urain, and a deadly berserk with his iron greatsword The Tooth of Urain (it did massive damage, was immune to physical damage, would never leave his hand when wielded, and harmed spirits too!). He is ensorcelled by the wizards to give him great speed, like many Ramalian attackers, and so he interposes himself between Fraud and the necromancer. Fraud fends off one mighty blow with his shield and withdraws from melee, backpedalling toward Bog’s location. Ozurin closes, and Fraud is on the defensive. But the berserk does not defend, and Fraud sees that he had taken a bloody injury to his forehead before this fight, so Fraud keeps hitting Ozurin there as he retreats to Bog. Ozurin’s face is slathered with his blood, which flows in streams across his chest, but he keeps up the fight thanks to the fury of Urain.
Shrett throws a dagger at the necromancer but it passes through him entirely. (He had the blessing to be immaterial like a wraith.) The necromancer takes a final try to shift Ozurin’s wound from him to Fraud but this fails, so he vanishes into a silhouette of dust (he Teleported away).
Similarly, the other Ramalian enemies are starting to crumble. Targ Dismisses the sylph, and the Heroes Guild and allies get rid of the ghost-boar and zombie-boar. The Archmagus of Ramalia knows when the gig is up, and he teleports away, too. Bog is there to appear from Concealment and cuts down Ozurin with a final cleaving that removes his eye and nose. Ozurin dies! His first and only defeat as a Champion.
The giant wight has been battling numerous Handrans, leaving a ring of corpses around it but also taking several wounds to the head and elsewhere. Many weapons stick out of its thick hide and bronze plate armour. You decide it’s time to join that fight. Shrett shoots it twice but those arrows bounce off. Bog comes around back of it and Fraud to the other side. They avoid its somewhat competent slashes of its axe while they batter away at its left and right legs. Finally, aided by his brutal Axe Trance, Bog cuts into its ankle and the leg’s structure buckles, sending the titan down into the battlefield with a crash. You roll aside and leap onto it, hacking its head off, and it is no more. You have won! Epic Cub, in giant bear-form, comes to congratulate Bog, who stands triumphant atop the draugr-giant.
It seems the battle is ending, and Handra is emerging victorious, with bitter losses. The allies slowly call the ocean’s and river’s waters back to surround Handra, also flooding into the New Fens and snatching some fleeing Ramalians, taking them down into the swirling depths and the drowning they all feared most. The navy and swimming allies hurry around saving friends of Handra caught in the flow. Orlanthi and other air-magicians gradually push back the Bad Winds of Urain and the oppressive skies of Tyram, so visibility improves around Handra. Fires in town are put out, and the remaining Ramalians do not surrender. Bog goes to find Boamund and brings him to Fraud. Shrett, exhausted, goes to the Heroes’ Guild. Bog hurries to check on the ZZ shrine and it has been untouched.
But then, calls of surprised panic come from the harbour, as a roar spreads from there. A huge wave rises forth, cresting high above all of the buildings and ships. Faintly visible atop it, splashing through the surf with ease, is a single female Ludoch with a bald head and black lips. Her voice calls down with the resonant harshness of metal; the muffled ring of aluminium: “Enough, Handra and Ramalia. Long enough have the floods been pushed around by you humans, with poor reverence and pathetic fear. I have watched to my disappointment. You clearly are not worthy of these waters or the lands about them, no matter which petty rulers you follow. I, Stormswallower, have returned from Daliath’s Well, bringing the judgement of Magasta, Lord of all Waters. You are all condemned to the deep.” The City of Handra calls out in shock at this betrayal, and fear of the terrible visage of Stormswallower. Some cry, is there no hero that can stop this traitorous villain?
Off to the northeast, Ahappi joined the Handran navy and magisaur allies to fight remnants of the Ramalian demonic army, but that is over. He hears this challenge and knows that she has Heroformed, taking a place in the Hero Plane where only another with such power can challenge her. Indeed, from this vantage point and the power she has invoked, she threatens all of Handra. And Ahappi knows his time has come. Years have led to this confrontation with his former mentor/ally. She has abandoned Malkionism much as he did, and now it is time to see who Magasta will acknowledge as superior. With Boamund safely beside him, Fraud goes atop the tallest building along the harbour and watches.
Ahappi takes his mosasaur up to the heights of Stormswallower’s tsunami, and sees the world blurring beneath him as he crosses the threshold onto the Hero Plane. There is only him, her and water here, with the gaze of Magasta upon them. He shouts his challenge and she responds. The conflict is to determine who is supreme over these waters. Ahappi seeks to devour her like he did with Bar’ran. She aims to make him submit to her. She lashes him with waves and he is lightly bruised. He comes back at her by transforming into a sea dragon and striking fear into her as he thrashes his tail in the water. She tries stopping him with blinding sea-spray but she is cowed a bit by his potency. They exchange blows of a waterspout she conjures and a giant eel (Vomiter-reminscent) that she becomes while he brings a whirlpool to drag her under, and splashes water into her orifices. At last, he grabs her in his dragon-jaws and begins swallowing Seaswallower. Her Heroform collapses, and so ends the contest.
Stormswallower’s tsunami splashes back into the harbour, held back by water-magicians’ magics so that flooding is minimal. Stormswallower is robust, but the conflict has twisted her left leg and left her dazed by the fight. She can gasp out that she has lost, that she repents her betrayal and it is clear that Ahappi is favoured by Magasta. Ahappi accepts her surrender and carries her to the Handran docksides. The forces watch on edge, then say they will take her into imprisonment. She is a traitor to Handra but had served them well in the past, so she can’t be executed. But she must be punished. Maybe she can be rehabilitated. Ahappi does not like the tone of this or where things are going. He pulls her away and drags her back into the seas, disappearing. Handran leaders are aghast.
But there is a moment of peace. The City collectively sighs in relief, and soon there are cautious cheers, as many also look anxiously around to see what is happening. Is this battle over at last? But no, the western side of the City issues new warnings: some new force comes, but who are they, friend or foe?
The waters mostly have returned, so the incoming forces are spread out and slow. At first it is unclear who they are, but they are humans, and look ready for a fight. They ride rafts and canoes and other vessels, some remaining from broo or Ramalians. Exhausted Handran defenders express confusion, not immediately recognising the people. There is growing concern that these are fresh Ramalian reinforcements. You wait a little, then head out to learn more. They are savage naked folk with boars.
Recognition spreads as they close in: these are Mraloti! Fierce, tattooed and naked, hairy with braids or bald heads with pig-tails, some with small tusks, and some with fearsome spirits at their beckoning. They slow, yelling, where is their enemy? They have come far, and seen but few of their ancient Ramalian foes. You join other watercraft and the navy to greet them. Narak quickly seeks you out, and Fraud tries embracing her but she awkwardly recoils. She’s not a hugger.
Narak: “I hated it in Handra. I heard of your deeds and knew you were doing well. You did not need me. So I left to my people, drawn by dreams of the Oak Spirit, our ancient benefactor. And I told them of what I’d heard here of Ramalia’s coming. They foresaw this, and so they are here, but too late for the big fight. Yet we have a big fight to come. Here, let me show you my people.” You accept the invitation. Mraloti cross onto Handran shores and there are many discussions.
Narak sees Boamund’s bad wound and releases her piglet-spirit to heal him. Ahhhhhhh…. He feels so much better. He also is rid of that nasty Wasting Disease spirit. She escorts you around the host and introduces leaders; only one of whom is able to converse with you, but the others you at least see. They are:
Narak: “And so now you know some of our heroes. There are so many more among our host of thousands. And many, many more remain in our home of the Mraloti Hills. I will stay with you for a little while to enjoy your company one last time, then I will go to rejoin my people again.” You exchange pleasantries and she remains nearby in the New Fens, and an hour or two later the Mraloti host returns to those shores. But this was an important moment. Handra and the Mraloti had no prior relationship of note. Now they do, having found a stronger bond in their mutual hatred of Ramalia.
Ramalia has been beaten backwards but they are far from defeated. Only some of their great army came here. They won’t threaten Handra again for some years, people are sure, but Handra too will take much time to recover. They’re nowhere near the strength to push any assault on Ramalia. Yet the Mraloti are. This is the time they’ve waited for; an opportunity to strike when Ramalia is weaker. And Handra’s war enabled that.
Evening comes and a muted celebration occurs across Handra. In true Trickster fashion, the Guild of Misfits seems, maybe, to have played no role in the defense of Handra. Unless they did. They had a huge party on the Ship of Fools the night before, and all of them slept through the conflict. But they gleefully join in the afterparty. Bradde Mukkh, Bog realises, hasn’t been seen in maybe two days, and he doesn’t show up. Where is he? No one knows.
You are told that tomorrow there will be ceremonies honouring those who fought for Handra; the living and the fallen. You’re invited to a special one featuring the greatest defenders of the City. You’ll be awarded medals, and have private audience with Handra Obrana as a follow-up. You get some rest at last, and clean yourselves up, and come to the award ceremony. Your names are called out and you proceed to receive medals that were engraved over the past day to acknowledge deeds you did. Each of you has a personalised medal that summarises or symbolises your contribution. (Picture the end of Star Wars: A New Hope for the scene)
Ahappi is nowhere to be seen. The City is uneasy about him, and you’re told in private that it’s best if he remains nowhere to be seen.
And then you go to the Cathedral to speak with Handra Obrana. She praises your heroics, stating a summary of them to show that she knows what you did, and she says the City is forever grateful and your tale will be inscribed on the City records for generations to remember. Yet there is more. You have rewards due! She gestures to a table with glittering objects. An acolyte explains what is there, and she mentions other gifts from Handra [and you choose what each of you takes]:
Homes in Handra are promised to you, and the highest status whenever you are here, and a ship with crew! Captain Comito comes forth with a jolly laugh, another lovely local lass at his arm, and says he’s happy to have adventures on the high seas with fellow heroes of Handra! He will meet you wherever you like, with his Coastfinder ship and his expert crew. They, too, fought Ramalia here, but with not as much greatness as you did, he acknowledges.
Handra Obrana then, with a certain tone, says that the City would love it if you remained here, but she knows you will not. She asks where you are headed. Fraud and Boamund reply in due honesty that you are bound overland for Safelster, around Felster Lake. She isn’t surprised and maybe knew this and was checking to see if you’d be straight with her? (You’d been elusive before)
She then tells of an abandoned ship (The Paralos) with a strange manifest and confiscated items (highly illicit goods that have been disposed of), that came from New Pasos to Handra, bound for somewhere in Ralios, which were supposed to be delivered to some ship called the Mistress of Doldrums. Since you’re headed that way, she says almost with a wink that you might have been meant to have this information. Perhaps you can shed light on this mystery. After a couple of questions from you (what were these goods?), she somewhat easily adds that there is one piece from the cargo that has been kept in hiding; the rest was destroyed. She can show this piece to Fraud if he returns in a couple of hours. You leave; but he returns.
Fraud is brought into a small room in the Cathedral, with guards watching the locked door as he and Handra Obrana go in. She unwraps a Second Age copper tablet, inscribed in Seshnegi, and hands it to Fraud. He looks it over quickly and is very disturbed to learn it is a Nysalorian Riddle on the contemplation of the nature of the Water Rune. To read it could move one on the path to the Illumination that Gbaji spread and Arkat opposed. Handra Obrana says that her intuition that maybe he was meant to obtain this was right… again there’s a knowing tone to her voice. Fraud agrees. This is a serious issue! Who was sending evil, forbidden things like this around the western coasts to Ralios? Handra does not know who captained this ship. Somehow that knowledge was lost in the disorder of the war; the harbourmaster’s log is missing, and it’s not his fault. The crew was slain by Ramalian demons, but there’s no sign of the captain or any of his records; except for those in the hold with the cargo. Very mysterious…
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