Session 17 - Chapter 4 - Caravan Assault

Hello & Welcome!

Having recovered fully from the overnight rest, the party was ready for the next day of travel.

In the morning, the Caravan camp was a bustle of everyone scurrying to get ready to depart. Camps were being dismantled, equipment was being put into the back of wagons, the horses were being carefully harnessed to the wagons, and final maintenance checks were being done - no one wanted a horse to be injured or a wheel / axel on the wagon to be broken,

Pipp took the opportunity in these busy moments to pay a visit to the nosey Halfling Losvius. They met and she had a friendly chat to inquire how he was and if he could be of any help to them. He was immediately curious and she asked if he could help them find some items of theirs that had gone missing. After asking about the items in painstaking detail and Pipp providing enough of a description that he would be satisfied, she bid him farewell.

The team decided in the evening it would be best not to start making blind accusations. This would draw unnecessary attention to them and while Losvius may be the most likely thief, it may be the perfect stitch-up. And so they decided to have Pipp discuss with him instead. If he was the culprit, they would observe his behaviour. If he wasn't, then perhaps his nosey nature may come in handy after all.

The weather had started to turn. It was slightly cooler and a steady, light drizzle had set in. Not the best day to travel, but they could not stand still and likely this would not be the only day with inclement weather.

Their two wagons were equally getting ready. Helping with the final preparations, Pipp gave a listen and in the background she heard a distinct horn blast ring out in the far distance on top of the pattering of the rain droplets on the wagon tents and ground. She mentioned it to Dafnae who swiftly climbed the nearby tree.

At the top of the tree, Dafnae peered far into the distance. Shielding her eyes from the rain to see as best she could. she saw glint of metal in the distance and then she saw humanoid forms in the distance advancing towards them at pace. She reckoned that this troupe would be upon them in 10 minutes so she called down to her companions while more rapidly descending from the tree that they had company swiftly approaching.

Having heard Dafnae calling out, Tyjit immediately came over to them and urgently asked for details. They explained what they heard and saw and then she quickly started to bark out orders and yelling "Incoming!" at the tops of her Dwarven Lungs.

"Get those Wagons rolling NOW! We have a group advancing on our positions and we don't want any Wagons here when they arrive. Quick, get a MOVE ON!" She yelled at the drivers and merchants. 

She turned to the guards around her and she barked orders at them to get into position. They would need to hold back the assault long enough to allow for the Caravan to get going on the road. If they survived they would catch-up to them on foot. If they survived. The guards quickly readied themselves.

Tyjit then turned to four Adventurers and asked if they had seen conflict. They reassured them to which she replied, great, get ready to hold the line and push back whatever is coming.

The team got ready. Tyjit and 3 guards took the right side, another 4 guards to the left side, and the four of them took the centre. And the Wagons started off, with loud cracks to urge the horse, nervous whinnying from the horse as they could sense the stress in the air, and the loud creaking and grinding of the wooden wheels against the axels and the ground as they lurched forward, the drivers shouting at the horses.

As the Caravan began to move, the protectors spied a warband of Orcs advancing through the trees. It would not be an easy battle.

As brave ones staying behind readied for battle, they also spied Ogres amongst the Orcs. Orcs almost always had Ogres with them. Tyjit called out a battle cry to try to inspire their small band.

The Orcs rushed forward and crashed into the defenders. The battle raged,

Dafnae and Chard went to their left to join the battle to assist in tackling the Ogres. Chard leapt through the ruins to get into the middle of the fray whereas Dafnae joined the line in the back to have a safer position. 

Dealing good initial damage, and Chard leaping through the other side of the ruins, hiss Glaive ablaze with Bel's Fury, he was able to land a very heavy blow to the first Ogre. 

Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Torsion and Pipp engaged the rampaging Orcs, together with Tyjit and her companions. 

But, together with the Orcs, there as now also an Orc War Chief, shouting in Orcish to urge his warriors into bloodlust. 

But the line was holding and the Caravan trundled on. 

As metal clanged on metal, and an Orc fell here or there, the team saw in the distance an Orc Shaman come into view, his hands glowing as he was preparing a spell as he was chanting in Orcish.

The Shaman pointed towards Chard and Dafnae and then from his fingers a lightening bolt cracked out and caused heavy damage. 

Chard thought quickly and with a look to Dafnae, he rushed to engage the spellcaster as unchecked, he would surely change the tide of the battle. The look that Dafnae gave back was a knowing one - yes, go take care of the new threat, they would deal with the Orc Warriors and the Ogres. And so he deftly rushed forward to engage the Shaman while Pipp and Torsion continued their fierce exchange of blows.

Pipp retreated to launch cast some spells. She cast Heat Metal on the Orc War Chief's plate mail armour. It glowed fire red, but the War Chief continued to assail them despite the high damage. And the Orcs were focusing on Torsion who fought valiantly with his War Hammer, landing large blows and hitting also with Sacred Flame, the occasional Orc continuing to fall. 

Also in her retreated position, she could support those engaged with the Ogres. She cast Shatter and the second Ogre suddenly was still, its eyes rolling into the back of its head, and then it slumped to the ground, dead, with a loud crash. This caused the defenders to let out a valiant cry as they moved to engage the few Orcs left with renewed fervour. 

Chard was locked in combat with the Shaman who again launched another lightening bolt at him. Chard was taking heavy damage but he was hitting back. 

Having felled an Orc, Dafnae changed her attention to the Shaman was well hoping that the remaining Guards would manage the last few Orcs as she sense Chard was in danger. His selflessness should not be wasted as it was thanks to them that they were not in more danger due to the Shaman.

As she advanced, Chard fell unconscious. Dafnae then launched Magic Missile as she rushed forward to engage. Luckily the magical darts hit squarely in the centre of the Shaman's chest and had near maximum damage and then the Shaman fell. 

Meanwhile, Torsion dispatched a few more Orcs but then also fell unconscious due to his wounds. Luckily though, the War Chief also fell victim to the Heat Metal spell and Tyjit and the defenders fought valiantly against the Orcs. But Tjjit was also badly damaged and she fell unconscious as well. 

Pipp seeing the trouble, cast Healing Word to stabilise Chard and then rushed to help Torsion. The Defenders managed to take out the Orc who felled Torsion and as Pipped rushed to his aide on the next turn, she also used Healing Word to stabilise him. And the newly revived Torsion killed the last Orc and then used Cure Wounds to stabilise Tyjit.

The assault repelled, the Defenders regrouped and took the moment to catch their breath. While Torsion used Prayer of Healing to heal his Party, the others searched the fallen attackers and they found a handful of gold pieces and a golden pendant with 5 inlaid precious gemstones.

Tyjit was most grateful to the group for defeating the attackers and especially to Torsion for having revived her and kept her from her certain demise. She mentioned it was most unusual for an entire War Band to assault a Caravan. The world was becoming more and more dangerous.

They then  continued the journey and easily caught up to the Caravan. On the journey, Tjjit continued to express her wonder at how powerful the four of them were. They tried to downplay it and requested that she not make a big deal at the camp about how the battle went and instead Torsion reassured her that the most important thing was that everyone had survived and no Wagons were damaged. Tyjit agreed and said with these new perils she would institute a more robust Guard duty for everyone.

The Caravan safe and everyone back together and the Orcish assault defeated, the Defenders tended to the rest of their wounds and had a rest to prepare for the continued journey.

While Chard, Dafnae, Pipp, and Torsion were pleased the battle went well, they worried they would become more difficult and that all these increasing hostilities were no accident. There was a strong disruption in the forces of evil and they would need to ready themselves for ever fiercer encounters to come in order to be ready for the true threats behind all of this.