Session 23
The White Rose chooses which Baryans who will join us, and which will be sent to the Mines. Ben is called away by Dolman who has found an Azure Horde outpost. They appear to be doing Sorcery. Master Sui scouts the local area for supplies. Not much at all. He calls upon the Celestial Tiger for advice, and is told to examine his allies carefully. Why are the Horde at war with Barya?
Ben finds that the horde have a Sorcerer who is trying to undo one of his own workings. Ages past, he trapped a group of Fae here, and is now trying to release them! Ben zooms back on his cloud and ferries The Tall Man and Master Sui to the scene (no time to go back for Lady Khensa, she is left to lead the refugees across the desert. Their Morale is high, but the road is long and hard.)
The Tall Man sneaks into the camp and shoots one of the five Totem Poles that are central the the ritual. Dolman's men have taken down another. We then throw everything we have at the remaining three. Master Sui races through a small group, snatches the Pole and snaps it into quarters. Dolman charges another group, but with few men left is locked in a battle he can't win.
Ben hurls Sorcery after Sorcery into the largest group while The Tall Man shoots out the Totem. The Beastmen shoot volleys of arrows at Ben, trying to stop his assaults, and nearly pierce his defences. He can't cope with much more. The Tall Man turns his attentions to the Beasts, and flickers arrow after arrow into them. Will it be enough?
Master Sui charges across to where Dolman lies, the Totem Pole still standing. A Child of The Moon pulls from the large group of Beasts and streaks towards the Pole. Sui moves to intercept ...
The large group of beasts decides that discretion is the the better part of valour, and cowardice the better part of discretion, and retreats from the field. The Lunar, seeing his forces broken, and Sorcery foiled, also leaves (at quite a pace! Even Master Sui cannot keep up!)
The few beasts around the last Totem are dispatched, and the Pole broken. The ritual is destroyed! But at what cost? Dolman lies dying, even his mighty frame no match for the sheer brutality of the Horde of Beastmen ... Luckily, we have a Master Churgeon with us! Ben calls upon SOL's Blessing, and tends to Dolman's wounds. Dolman tries to make his Final Speech, something about handing over a burden, but Sui will not listen. "You DO NOT Die today!". A stretcher is made for Dolman, his wounds needing greater care than we can manage in the depths of the Sighing Sands, and we head back to the refugees.
Notes:
Princess is with Khensa and the refugees (as far from the refugees as possible! Especially as she has been replacing her rotting limbs with fresh Baryan ones ...)
Sui will have laid Dolman's men to rest.
We found a Fae Artefact.
