[Alliance] Session Two
The battle in Last Crossing raged on, and Velameestra, Gilveradin, and Uther managed to get to a street that lead toward the center of town. There were a number of undead making their way through the streets. One slinked out of a building to the left, and several were dragging living people out of the burning structures.
Up ahead, Arator was beset upon by a number of zombies and he was cut off from the rest of the group.
“Get the ones attacking the villagers, I got Arator,” Uther called, as he started to run.
Up ahead, there was a different conversation going on.
“Listen, we got to help the elf-lass out there! She’s surrounded!” Zap called in reference to Arator as he did an unnecessary combat roll out the door and fired his gun at one of the zombies.
Tess vaulted over Zap and attacked with her rapier, and it slumped to the ground.
Upon getting a better look at the elf he had just aided, Zap quickly realized that Arator was, in fact, a man. “...this changes things only slightly.”
“Thank you friends! It seems I’m making a lot of friends out here!” Arator greeted as he slashed at another zombie.
“We’re the friends ya want. Those’re the friends you have to have!” Zap replied.
Gilveradin attacked one of the skeletons, but it quickly ducked out of the way as he dove into the shelter of the side of a building. Uther, meanwhile, was grazed by a shot from another skeleton.
Zap fired another blast at one of the other zombies surrounding Arator and he cocked the bolt on his gun, which sent the cartridge flying past Tess’s head.
“You’re into this, aren’t you?” Tess commented.
“Not gonna lie, not many opportunities to test this on humanoids without gettin’ the law involved,” Zap returned.
However, another zombie continued to drag a woman away.
Vel instinctively went to attack the skeleton that had injured her brother, but when he pointed insistently at a zombie that was dragging an unconscious child she threw an orb of cold energy at it. It immediately frosted over and fell to the ground, which left the child out of danger.
Vel made a mental note that she was up to 4 kills.
Up ahead, Arator got a radiant glow around him, which seemed to aid the allies he had nearby. Tess shot at the zombie that was attempting to escape with the woman, and its hand was blasted off which released the woman - who immediately fled back toward the group that were fighting at the other end of the street.
A skeleton shot at Vel, but its arrow clacked off her Frost Armor.
Uther disdainfully removed the arrow that had struck into his shoulder. He extended his left hand and looked at the last zombie that was dragging away a civilian “Unhand my citizen in the name of the Light you monstrosity!” he shouted as he clenched his fist and light burst forth from the zombie, which blew open its chest cavity. Unfortunately, it stumbled on..
Tess also charged forward to stab the zombie that was dragging the elderly man away, but it shuddered and still stayed standing. It lurched back to attack Tess, but just as it did an arrow from Gilveradin cracked into its skull and it was finally laid low so that the man could flee.
The skeleton that was attacking Zap fired an arrow at Tess instead and lodged an arrow into her shoulder.
Now that the civilians were safe, Vel turned her attention back on the skeleton that had attacked her brother. Unfortunately she aimed high and the ‘’chromatic orb’’ shattered against the wall of the burning building.
Now seeing her as a distinctive threat, another skeleton shot Vel from behind and the arrow shattered her frost armor as it dug deep into her hip.
Several fierce attacks were made at Zap, but he easily dodged under the blows. Tess was not so lucky as another zombie bit deep into her shoulder with its claw.
As Zap was dodging the attacks, a retractable bayonet had been deployed from his gun and he uppercut one of the attacking zombies. He shoved it back, and then charged past the zombie to give Tess some much needed support.
Uther, upon seeing that a skeleton had shot Vel, charged at it and bashed through the doorframe with his hammer to shatter the skeleton to bits.
Vel made a mental note that she and Uther were once again tied at 4 kills.
Arator kicked a zombie in the face and the edge of his blade suddenly flared with a silvery light. He swung the blessed blade around, and the zombie was immediately smote to the earth as he carried through blow through to the second zombie near him.
Several other blows were exchanged, and Arator once more was able to take down another zombie with a second smite.
Another skeleton shot at Vel, but this one just grazed her shoulder.
‘’“Baha’a no falor talah!”’’ Vel cried as she broke the shaft of the arrow off and summoned several arcane missiles that successfully eliminated a skeleton and a zombie. She then whirled around and fired a ‘’chromatic orb’’, which managed to destroy another skeleton.
Vel was up to 7 kills.
Zap slowly sauntered over to the final skeleton archer and fired at it with his scattergun. It promptly exploded into dust.
Meanwhile, Uther ran over and used ‘’lay on hands’’ on Vel so that her more severe injuries were able to knit together.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“Yes. I killed seven, by the way,” the elven mage returned with a slight smirk.
“.....Bleeding out and you are still keeping score. Have I told you lately how much I admire you?”
“Last night.”
“Oi! It’s gettin’ hot in here!” The exchange between the pair was interrupted by a loud shout from Zap, who was in actuality referring to the fire that was consuming the buildings.
Velameestra’s ears promptly turned pink and she hurried after Gilveradin - who had gone to greet Arator - while Uther started to bark orders to the soldiers that joined them.
Arator had healed Tess as well, in the meanwhile, and he smiled warmly.
When Uther joined them, Arator told the prince that his sister - Ashwynn - was up ahead, and if they hurried they could reconvene with her. Several undead had been sighted dragging civilians out of the town. Uther whistled for his horse Radiant and charged off.
Vel told Tess that Arator was more than capable of caring for the civilians when the woman expressed concern for her mother, and the elf did not bother to hang around before she started off after Uther after stating they were wasting time.
The rest of the newly gathered party hurried in the same direction while Gilveradin told Arator not to “try not to get any more pretty girls hurt.”
As they arrive in the town square, they witness a skeletal mage effectively magically sloughing off the skin of a civilian in order to turn them into a skeleton. The mage turned to look at the approaching group with a screech.
“STOP THEM. THE MASTER’S WORK CANNOT BE INTERRUPTED!”
In the distance, another blonde half elf was trying to fend off a few skeletons - a blonde half-elf that Tess and Zap recognized.
Vel immediately released a ‘’ray of frost’’ in the direction of one of the skeletons, but it simply raised a hand and the wave of cold wafted over it while Uther took an arrow deep into the shoulder.
Tess fired at the same skeleton Vel attacked, but as she did a zombie charged forward and bit into her.
Gilveradin fired an arrow at the skeletal mage, and it promptly lost concentration on its spell. The gathered people snapped out of whatever trance they had fallen into and began to flee as the frozen armor on the skeleton’s body shattered.
Several more attacks were launched, and both Tess and Elissa managed to avoid the blows directed at them.
There was the din of battle from the north, and Uther heard a familiar voice shout out “For Lordaeron! For the King!” as Ashwynn joined the fight. She ducked beneath a zombie, and followed through with an attack with her longsword and spear to bite into it. She whirled around, but as she moved to strike again one of the hands she had severed off the monstrosity latched onto her shin as she struck again with her spear. Another zombie joined the fray to attack Ashwynn.
A skeleton went to try and flank around the side and didn’t realize that Gilveradin had started to do the same thing.
Meanwhile, Zap had pulled out a strange gun “Ugh. Results are unpredictable and I haven’t tested this yet, but times are desperate.” He fired a ray that consisted of a sickly twist of pink and green that beamed into the skeleton mage’s eyes - or rather, the sockets that were left.
The skeleton turned toward Zap in outrage and seemed to make eye contact with him, but then started to babble incoherently.
“The master’s laundry comes in on Thursday-Friday. We must raise the rats to defile the pantry!”
Uther ran forward and smashed through the skeleton and into the zombie that was attacking Tess, which brought the prince up to 5 kills. Uther continued on through and the zombie attempted to swipe at him but missed.
The skeleton mage froze for a moment and hopped off of the fountain, and then walked up to the skeleton archer in front of it as it tried to stab at its ally but missed. As soon as that happened, it paused and then seemed to shake out of the discombobulation.
Ashwynn took a degree of damage from several zombies while the skeleton that had started to flank around made note of Gilveradin. The elven ranger exchanged a few blows with the skeleton while Velameestra failed to freeze the zombie that had attacked Tess.
Tess drove her rapier through the head of the zombie she was fighting and it crumbled to the ground.
Ashwynn shouted “Rally to Prince Uther! Rally to the Prince!” and she managed to heal herself, Uther, Elissa, and Tess.
The skeleton mage attempted to use ‘’chill touch’’ on Uther but it failed as Uther grabbed its hand and forced the magical energy back on it.
“The darkness will never overpower the Light, fiend,” he growled. Meanwhile, Tess ran forward and fired her flintlocke pistol at the skeleton mage. It tried to block the bullet with a ward, but it proved ineffective as it crumbled to the ground.
Elissa and Zap both managed to take down a skeleton each, and the rest of the army in the immediate vicinity were eliminated.
Ashwynn ran over to make sure everything was alright. Uther said that nothing was truly wounded other than his pride, though they should see to the townspeople.
Gilveradin went to see to Elissa, who had collapsed after she took down the final skeleton she was fighting. She was both panting from fear and exhaustion, and crying. “I couldn’t… find. I couldn’t find my dad. I think they took him with the rest of everyone else. I have to go and save him.”
She reached for her sword.
Uther said she was in no condition to be saving anyone, but they would look for her father after they tended to those immediately present. Meanwhile, Gilveradin healed Elissa with white-green light.
Elissa took Gilveradin’s hand in her hand and reciprocated the glow around Gilveradin’s. Without realizing what she had done, she seemed to have healed the elf in turn.
“W-what was that?” She asked.
“Huh… that was you…. Well, what you did for me at least,” Gil replied.
“...I can do that?”
“Not too surprising given your heritage.”
“Oh. Looks like the young lass has the Blessing of Light,” Zap commented.
“By the way. Saw that you saved my friend back before we came here. Never had the chance to thank you. Sir Uther Menethil of the Silver Hand,” Uther said to Zap as he extended his hand.
“Oh, never shaken hands with royalty before. Zap Rusthammer from the Alterac clan,” Zap replied. “Just doin’ what any dwarf would do. Shootin’ things with my gun.”
Arator and the others regroup, and Arator reassured Tess that her family was alright.
“Righ’ lass, I can’t help but look up to ye,” Zap said in reference to Arator describing Tess as being one of the heroes.
Several people burst out laughing, but Velameestra was not amused by the joke.
The group decided to investigate the area in the square, and Gil managed to find a second skeleton mage that had been slain. As he searched through its body, he noticed there was something familiar - something about its bone structure that had him curious. It seemed that the skeleton itself was fresh, as if it had no time to decompose, and there was a wound in it. However, the wound was not consistent with the weapons the humans used. It was a rough, jagged hole in the side of the skull.
Gil recognized it as the wound of a small axe - specifically one that could have been thrown. One that possibly was the trademark of a troll.
While that was going on, Zap was looking for scrap metal.
Gilveradin went to track down Uther, and found him overlooking a triage to the camp. Elissa was also helping while she took stock of who was missing from those that were being evacuated from the town.
“Uther.” “Yes, what is it Gil?”
“As I was investigating, I made a realization,” Gil said as he showed Uther the skull he had plucked from the bones. “This wound didn’t kill the skeleton. It is completely consistent with a troll throwing axe.”
“Well that is most unwelcome news. Thank you for telling me, Gil. Ah… think I may have to defer to Marwyn’s experience on this one,” Uther said.
Gil expressed that he hadn’t heard of something like this since the Second Troll wars, and given his sister’s extreme hatred for trolls, it was probably best if she was not alerted until they were sure.
“One way or another it seems as though we are dealing with a necromancer and trolls. I’m certain if them being one in the same is better or worse news,” said Uther.
“Oh. Next you’ll be telling me they’re riding dragons,” Zap piped up as he walked by.
“I doubt our luck will be as horrible as that.” Uther shook his head.
Gilveradin went over to Elissa to see if she needed help.
Ashwynn asked what they should do, but Uther said that it would be rash to make a decision before they heard from the scouts. If they found a trail they would follow unless it proved to be beyond their scope.
“Oh, I dunno. I thought princes and princesses were supposed to be all froo-froo frilly and such. You proved me wrong with that,” Zap continued.
Uther said they should finish overseeing the evacuation of the camp, and once that was completed, they would have a meeting about what to do. Ashwynn confirmed the scouts would be back by morning.
Gilveradin ended up finding Elissa’s sword and shield abandoned against a building when he went to go look for her. He found her passed out from exhaustion with a sketchbook open - the page she was working on was a portrait of who may have been her father in a “missing person” format, and the one behind it was a small painting of an armored man with a regal sword in front of a sunset. He had a small crown on his head with the symbol of Lordaeron on his armor, and he had blonde hair but it wasn’t long and straight like Uther’s. She was possibly trying to guess what the prince looked like.
Gil went over and closed the sketchbook and then sat down next to her for a bit. After a while, he went and got her sword and shield and leaned it against the tree near her, and ultimately dozed off himself.
Tess went to check on her family, and found them safe as Arator had accompanied them to camp. Krennan was passed out on a cot.
Tess expressed that the Prince may have wanted them to stick around, but Mia said that it was not their fight and they couldn’t stop to help everyone.
They talked for a bit and Tess wondered how her father was doing. Mia said she was wondering the same. However, Refia said it may have been best if they got some rest.
Velameestra poured over what books she had for any specifics on the necromancy, and she came to the realization that there was a possibility that the mages could have been elves given that if a skeletal mage was raised it was very likely that they had magic in life. She also began to furiously take notes in her notebook before she eventually fell asleep with her face nestled on the pages.
Zap was working on tinkering with his gadgets and had a sudden realization that he recognized the sigil on Tess’s signet ring.
The next morning Gilveradin heard the tell-tale signs of the scouts returning and he went about to wake everyone up. When he woke Elissa up, she asked if she could go to the meeting and Gilveradin said he didn’t see why not, but when she went to leave she forgot her belongings, which Gil quickly gathered up.
Elissa apologized and introduced herself, but when Gilveradin introduced himself as a Windrunner she began to momentarily panic. Gil emphasized that casual conversation was preferred to formality, at least to him. Gil then mentioned his sister and Arator, and she quickly realized there were ‘’three’’ Windrunners present, which once again made her nervous.
The group convened near the makeshift war tent which had a map of the area, and Marwyn was wearing a deep scowl as he poured over it. The commander announced that the scouts came back with nothing. In fact, the trail seemed to just disappear from what he had been told.
Uther asked if Vel would be able to tell if there was a teleportation spell if she could examine the area, and she confirmed that if she got there before the trail was too cold there was a good chance she would be able to.
Marwyn said only one party had not yet returned. As if on cue, several riderless horses blew into camp. Marwyn opened the saddle bags and revealed shrunken human heads with their eyes stitched shut and bones through their noses. They were immediately identified as the scouts.
It was very obvious that they were troll fetishes.
Frost began to creep out from Vel’s feet as her rage at the revelation became apparent quite apparent.
Uther said that, as loathe as he was to split their forces, some had to deal with the situation at Last Crossing. He also mentioned that a smaller group would move quicker and he expressed that his intention was to take Velameestra, Gilveradin, Arator, and Ashwynn. Elissa also volunteered, as did Zap.
At that moment, Tess popped out of nowhere (and nearly got impaled by a startled ice knife from Vel) and said that she also wanted to go. Marwyn asked what stock she had in such a thing, and she said she just wanted to help.
It was decided that they would go to where the trail went cold and then head back up north.
Tess went back to tell Krennan that she was leaving with them, and Krennan, as much as he hated to agree, said it may be best that they try to look for help from other people. Her mother was in the back getting dressed, and they seemed to come to a consensus that, given Krenan wasn’t getting any younger, he didn’t know how much time he’d have to find a cure.
Krennan said that, for the time being, they would stay there. If they left, he would make sure a missive found Tess. He fumbled around in his pack and withdrew a small satchel and a journall. He said that what it contained was all the nightshade he had on his person, and the journal had all the research he did on the worgen curse.
Tess mentioned there was a mage in the group, and Krennan acknowledged that he knew of the mage from Dalaran. However, he reminded Tess that she should be careful who she told.
Krennan said it may be better to ask forgiveness from her mother instead of permission, and the pair embraced. Tess quickly left.
Refia happened to overhear, and she intercepted Tess and said that she agreed with what the young woman and Krennan had decided.
Refia, as she shoved something into Tess’s hands: “Running hasn’t accomplished anything except getting my daughter killed. It’s time that you started to do something about this and fix everything that’s been caused by you and your father in all this.”
Tess quickly realized it was an immaculate hilt to a long and thin blade. As Tess unwrapped it, it was revealed to be a beautiful rapier.
Tess: “What’s this?”
Refia: “This was supposed to be a gift for my daughter on her sixteenth birthday. And now you’re going to use this because Lorelei can’t. Fix our kingdom, and fix yourself, before you hurt more people that you care about. I swear that if you let her sacrifice go in vain I will hunt you down and I will drive this blade right through your heart.”
Tess: “You know I will never let her death be in vain. She was my best friend after all.”
Refia: “That promise is as much to me as to your kingdom. Don’t forget that. Be safe, your highness.”
Refia bowed and Tess made her way back to the group. They left shortly after.
During the ride Uther attempted to engage Velameestra in some form of conversation about magic, but she was clearly still livid and was not in the mood to talk as she still had an icy chill about her.
Small-talk went significantly better with the other party members, and Gil quickly engaged Elissa in conversation.
