Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Lost Dispatches of Feraso #90 - The Long Nights

2nd of HexDec, 1061 - Halfling Village of Elmshire - Kingdom of Crosedes
A late night rider from Welldale arrived to give us mere moments of warning to assemble before the initial rush of goblins hit the palisade.  Things were tenuous for awhile, but between myself, Tanqueman, Ozark, and the Elmshire, the goblins fled before dawn, and suffered minimal causalities.  I was part of the pursuit party following them back towards the Nigthwood and could confirm 1) they were not regrouping anytime soon and 2) this seemed to be a terribly overextended flanking maneuver. The other halfling villages were getting a stronger fight.  I've volunteered to lead the initial relief column to Welldale, Lowdale, and eventually, what's left of Eding.  Tanqueman agreed.

3rd of HexDec, 1061 - Hafling Village of Welldale - Kingdom of Crosedes
We marched through the day to reach Welldale, not knowing what we would find.  We engaged a few small goblin war bands, but as reached the village, I realized we were encountering what the Welldale militia was chasing off.  Many of the buildings on the outskirts of the village are destroyed, as are all of the defenses, but the halflings won the day.  I managed to recruit more halflings to relieve Lowdale... and Eding.

4th of HexDec, 1061 - Hafling Village of Lowdale- Kingdom of Crosedes
Of the three villages, I did not give the proper respect to the Lowdale archers that they deserved.  Mayor Clayhanger's militia slaughtered hundreds of goblins before they reached the outer defenses of the village.  There were more dead goblins here than total goblins attacking Welldale and Elmshire.  The thick acrid smoke of the funeral pyres of dead goblins filled the air, but I can see the smoke over the horizon towards Eding.

5th of HexDec, 1061 - Village of Eding - Kingdom of Crosedes
Eding is in utter ruins.  Only the walls  of the Blue Wizard remain... and the witch's shack.  The villagers never knew what hit them, the goblins overran the town, set everything to the torch, and continued marauding into the swamps.

Athelstane has finally graced us common folk with his presence.  He tried to rally the militia, but having no hand or even influence in the training of the militia, it was a disaster.
Notable Dead:
Kraso Lacaray - Captain Lacaray led the first line of defense for the militia, per Athelstane's orders, and was promptly peppered with goblin arrows.

The Gadling Family - Bernard and Agatha Gadling's entire family climb a single tree to escape the goblins.  The tree subsequently uprooted and crashed into the river, drowning all of them.

Alive:
Angus Helenek - The owner of the Blue Wizard is already talking about rebuilding, but there's a tired look on his face that I've never seen before.

Barrack Tenslow - My co-sergeant spirited away his family before fighting tooth and nail... with Athelstane's tactics.  It took some ridiculous actions to save his men, and in spite of his actions against the Lord, he's been promoted to Captain of the remnants of the militia.

Notable Missing:
Lady Iris - Lady Iris still remains in Hydincall, no one has been sent to fetch her.

Krull & Company - Captain Lacaray was incensed when the "Heroes of Eding" were nowhere to be found.

Caton.

6th of HexDec, 1061 - Village of Eding - Kingdom of Crosedes
I found Caton. Quite dead. Right on the edge of the Nightwood, still in his witch's costume.  I wrapped up his body and spend the rest of the day digging his grave by the bend in the river I would spent many days relaxing and contemplating.

After I filled his graved, I picked up his gnarled staff and headed back to the shack.

The village will always need a witch.

10th of HexDec, 1061 - Village of Eding - Kingdom of Crosedes
Halfling forces chased the goblins out of the swamp, right into the waiting arms of royal troops from Hydincall, under command of Lady Iris!  After a dramatic clash in view of the surviving villagers, Iris relinquished command and became the assistant to Lord Athelstane.  How demeaning.

14th of HexDec, 1061 - Village of Eding - Kingdom of Crosedes
The Royal troops under Knight-General Lander Mertens are far more vicious than the goblins and halflings.   Even the surviving militiamen and families think their actions are extreme.  They have pursued the goblins almost back to their "City" of G'ba with a ruthlessness that the goblins could have displayed during their attack, but held back.

15th of HexDec, 1061 - Village of Eding - Kingdom of Crosedes
By the time I reached Lander Mertens, it was too late for the goblins.  The 15th Crosedean Infantry had slaughtered women and children and the city of G'ba on fire.

My first documented appearance of my version of the immortal Witch of the Nightwood will be documented by the 15th CI.  With Mertens leading his men, I simply walked in front of him on the path back to Eding.  Caton's make-up and disguise lessons he passed onto me amazed even myself.  There, in the middle of the road, was a slightly taller version of the hag of legend, albeit with a huge hump on her back that no one had spoke of in the legends.  My conversion with the General was as vapid as his intelligence.  I gave little time for explanation, rather, spring forth with a series of planned pyrotechnic traps and a fine placement of smoke potions.  In the literal fog of war, I managed to sneak up to Mertens, move my hump to accessed the concealed Betrayer and slew both the Knight and his steed, and a few of his attaches, before disappearing into the Nightwood.

The balance of the Nightwood is a delicate arrangement between monster, legends, goblins, and man, and after the sins of man, I will have great difficulty resetting it.

Next: #91 - Captain Vandevelde and the Council of Elders

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