Adventures in Everlund

Chapter 12 - The Cost of a Choice

18th of Mirtul, 1492 DR

The mission is clear and Haggard’s shipment will make it safely to Everlund. The foes that would oppose them are lying in wait ahead, unaware of the four approaching adventurers. A few moments before the fighting begins, each character wrestles with doubt and nerves and excitement of battle. Five have already died tonight and the party is far from done. Valeria approaches, breaking into a run when she gets close.

Surprise Round

Valeria doesn’t pause, slashing at the curvy woman before her as a number of twigs and leaves fall to the ground in the wake of the relentless steel. The strike slices through the leather armor at the bandit’s shoulder. She cries out in pain and stumbles back a step. 

Yávië quietly moves up behind and smacks the drow on watch next to the woman, hitting him atop the head with her mace. The bandit whirls around, cursing as blood trickles from the side of his head.

Thorn rushes up and attacks Yávië’s target, easily scoring a hit on the drow’s ankle as he staggers from the mace. The rat’s teeth tear into the leather of his boot and breeches, jerking him into a stumble. 

Nimly watches his companions converge on the two sentries and sends an Eldritch Blast at the luckless drow. The man takes the force spell in the stomach and a string of muttered curses is cut short by an abrupt exhalation of air.

Round 1

Blood streams down the side of the drow's face and leg as he tries to make a tactical choice amidst this assault. His crimson eyes narrow as he locks onto Yávië with deadly intent. He lunges, his shortsword flashing in the dim light, aiming for her throat. The elf’s half plate is enough to deflect the attack as she nimbly spins to the side. The blade glances off with a metallic screech, harmless but sending vibrations through her chest.

The other sentry spins toward Yávië, her crossbow already leveled. "You skank! Keep yer hands off Eddie!" she snarls, releasing the bolt with a deadly hiss. Yávië pivots, her mace a blur as she dodges the bolt whizzing past her cheek, vanishing into the darkness behind her.

Valeria, sensing an opportunity, strikes out near the outstretched crossbow. “My friend’s romantic choices are irrelevant here, you judgy bitch!” With a swift, fluid motion, her sword arcs downward, steel biting into the exposed flesh of the woman's arm. The bandit yelps, eyes widening, her focus now torn between Valeria’s relentless assault and Yávië’s lingering threat.

In a high steady voice, a nearby halfling utters reverent words to her god as divine light shimmers around her, granting her Shield of Faith. With a bellow that is easily heard above the striking steel, she calls out to her allies. “We are under attack! To me!” The nimble halfling breaks into a run and leaps toward Valeria, her hand glowing with necrotic energy. As her fingers rake down Valeria’s plate-encased arm, the spell Inflict Wounds ripples through the warrior, causing her to shudder from a flood of dark energy.

Yávië’s lip curls in a knowing smirk at the glare of Eddie’s protector. "Don’t worry, he’s not my type." With a flick of her wrist, she sends a Guiding Bolt streaking toward the human bandit. The bolt pierces the air in the short distance between, slamming into her chest. She howls in agony as the radiant energy scorches through her veins.

A hulking orc with a jagged scar on his cheek runs forward, dual scimitars gleaming as they are smoothly drawn. He roars a challenge as his first blade crashes down with brute force, but Valeria raises her shield just in time to deflect it, sparks flying from the impact. The second scimitar sweeps low, slicing into her leg. Valeria gasps, staggering as pain shoots through her, forcing her to take a half-step back from the onslaught.

A dwarven woman with piercing black eyes draws her own scimitar as she moves up, joining the orc to bring down the champion of the intruders. With a ferocious swing, she aims for the knight, but Valeria deftly sweeps the blow aside with her shield, the sound of steel on steel ringing out.

From the shadows, Nimly murmurs an incantation, casting Hex on the halfling cleric. She gasps as a faint aura of dark energy surrounds her, sapping her strength. Nimly follows up with an Eldritch Blast, but his aim is off, and the crackling energy flies over the halfling's head. Cursing under his breath, Nimly quickly retreats 15 feet to the north, moving through the concealing brush to mask his position.

Thorn scrambles to the road to get a better angle and leaps onto Eddie's back, claws digging in as he scrambles up the drow’s body. Eddie twists, trying to shake him off, but Thorn's sharp teeth bring that struggle to an end. He clamps down on the drow’s throat and rips, causing blood to spray across the battlefield as Eddie collapses to the ground, lifeless.

Round 2

The woman screams, “No! Eddie!” Tears stream down her face as she raises her crossbow, eyes fixed on Thorn. The bolt shoots through the air and finds its mark, sinking deep into the giant rat’s flank. Thorn yelps in pain, blood dripping across the ground as he stumbles, but he keeps his footing.

Valeria pivots sharply, her bright eyes focusing on the towering orc before her. “Hey big guy, how do you feel about skanks?” With a swift motion, she drives her sword into his hip; the fiery rune etched into her blade flares to life, reaching out to restrain the orc with fiery shackles. A burst of heat radiates through his body and he roars in pain, muscles tensing as he brings his scimitars together in a powerful clash. His brute strength overcomes the rune magic as he resists the binding force.

The halfling cleric's hands glow with divine light as she reaches out, muttering a few hurried words. Healing energy flows from her fingers and into her large companion, knitting his flesh back together; he gasps and stands a little straighter as the wound closes up somewhat. Her eyes, icy and full of spite, lock on Valeria once more. “You will be shown the errors of your wicked ways!” Necrotic energy pulses from her hand as she lunges, but this time Valeria is prepared. She steps aside with ease, the cleric’s cold touch missing by inches.

Using Fey Step to blink around behind the cleric, Yávië’s summer aspect causes flames to lick at all four of the nearby bandits. They recoil in agony, skin blistering as the fire scorches their exposed flesh. Yávië’s gaze hardens as she reaches toward the cleric. Dark energy swirls around her fingers as Inflict Wounds sends a necrotic surge through the halfling’s body. The cleric gasps, blood dripping from her nose and mouth. She coughs and sputters as she wipes a smear of blood onto her sleeve.

The orc leader steps forward with a snarl. “I will bring your heads to Red Viper!” He brings both scimitars swinging down in quick succession.  Valeria, forced to one knee, braces as the blows hammer against her shield. The vibrations rattle her arm, but she holds firm, uninjured beneath the onslaught.

The dwarven woman takes a well-timed swing at Valeria, slicing into the knight’s armpit with her scimitar. Valeria winces as her stance falters and blood begins to drip down her armor. She pivots to face them both as best she can.

Nimly, seeing the cleric still standing and her healing magic at play, narrows his eyes and raises his hand. A crackling Eldritch Blast shoots from his fingertips, striking the cleric near her bloody sleeve. Her body stiffens and her eyes go wide as the force spell slams into her chest, knocking the breath from her. She crumples to her knees, then to the ground, the once-bright glow of her magic now gone. Nimly’s fingers twitch as he shifts his strength Hex from the cleric’s corpse to the large bandit leader, who gives a momentary shudder as he feels the subtle spell take hold. He calls in a high voice from the bushes, “Sir, I have some bad news about Red Viper!”

Thorn, blood dripping from the quarrel, snarls as he leaps off the drow’s corpse to circle the woman with the crossbow in one hand. His sharp teeth snap at her calf, but she twists away just in time. He manages to catch the fabric of her trousers, tearing away a small shred of cloth as she glares down at him with fury.

Round 3

The human whirls around, eyes ablaze as she slashes her shortsword at Thorn. The giant rat pivots nimbly, spitting the torn fabric back at her as the blade slices through the air just inches from his fur, missing him completely.

Valeria, seizing the moment, locks her eyes on the orc leader. She gestures with her shield. “Red Viper? Big guy, broad shoulders, crushed skull?” The orc bellows in rage, his mind reeling and his eyes flickering to the bodies of his fallen comrades strewn across the battlefield. Fury lights his gaze, but the weight of their deaths is clear; his morale falters. His next attack will come less sure, his resolve wavering. Without hesitation, Valeria follows her taunt with a powerful swing of her sword. The blade arcs through the air, crashing into the orc’s collarbone with a sickening crunch. He staggers, nearly brought to his knees by the force of the strike, shaking his head to clear his blurred vision as he refocuses on the knight before him.

Yávië steps back and raises her loaded crossbow from a loop on her belt. She takes aim at the orc leader, still reeling from Valeria’s blow, and fires. The bolt pierces his thigh, sinking deep into the muscle. The orc roars in pain, blood seeping down his leg, weakening his stance even further.

Roaring in defiance, the bandit leader keeps his focus on Valeria, anger and pain driving his attacks. His first wild swing misses entirely, his scimitar cutting through empty air. The second blow, however, slips past Valeria’s defenses, slicing into her arm. She grimaces but quickly raises her shield once more. 

The dwarven woman, eyes filled with determination, lashes out at the knight with a vicious kick. With Valeria focused on the orc, the dwarf lands the strike and knocks her prone as the weight of her armor and collapsing stance leaves her vulnerable. “Yer lying and we’ll pull the truth outta ya in good time.”

Nimly’s eyes narrow as he sees Valeria go down, gathering green energy in his hands. “This ends now!” he shouts, unleashing an infused Eldritch Blast toward the orc leader. The force slams into him with a thunderous impact and sends him flying ten feet, both scimitars scattering from his grasp. His body bounces once and splays out in a boneless fashion, his eyes glazing over in a sightless stare at the starry sky.

Thorn sees his opportunity and snaps at the human woman again. This time, his sharp teeth find purchase in her calf, tearing a large chunk of flesh free. She lets out a scream of horror, clutching at the wound as it pours blood. Her eyes widen in terror as she looks down at the snarling rat. “Ye vicious, stinkin’ beast!” she shrieks as she staggers back, the pain and fear taking hold.

Round 4

The human grits her teeth as she favors her injured leg, eyes wide with desperation. She swings her shortsword at Thorn as blood drips from his sharp teeth. Her blade slices across his shoulder as he crouches to take the blow and a long red line of blood wells along the rat’s fur. Thorn yelps but keeps his position, baring his teeth at the woman in a snarl.

Valeria struggles upright and swipes her sword at the dwarf, but she is quick on her feet and hops back to avoid the deadly arc of the blade. The knight glares at her foe. “You dance pretty well for someone on death’s door, dwarf.”

Yávië’s eyes narrow, a cold smile forming as she sets her sights on the human. Gripping her mace tightly, she steps forward and swings with deadly intent. The mace connects with a sickening crunch, caving in the side of the bandit’s head. The woman crumples to the ground in a lifeless heap, blood pooling beneath her. "You may join Eddie now," Yávië mutters coldly.

Feeling very alone while seeing her companions dying around her, the dwarf makes a split-second decision. She turns on her heel and bolts toward the treeline, panic driving her forward. Valeria swings her sword in reaction, but the dwarf ducks low, narrowly dodging the blow and sprinting for the cover of the trees.

The Hex spell moves with a thought to the runner and Nimly’s fingers crackle with dark energy. With a familiar gnomish phrase, he releases an Eldritch Blast that slams into the dwarf’s back. She grunts, shoulders squaring as she absorbs the hit, but her legs keep moving. Determined to escape, she pushes on toward the trees.

Nimly quickly moves to Thorn, hopping astride the giant rat with practiced ease. "After her!" he commands, and the two dart forward at full speed, racing for the treeline in pursuit of the fleeing dwarf. Thorn’s powerful legs propel them forward, the forest growing nearer with every stride.

Round 5

Valeria sheathes her sword with a determined glance. It’s a long throw, but not beyond her skill. She takes a few running strides, muscles coiling as she hurls her handaxe. The weapon spins end over end, tumbling through the night air until it thuds into the fleeing bandit’s back. The force of the impact causes her to stagger, dropping her to her knees, but she regains her feet and pushes forward in desperation. 

Yávië, calm and focused, raises her crossbow, eyes tracking the bandit as she struggles to regain her balance, the handaxe embedded deep in her back. With a practiced motion, Yávië pulls the trigger, the satisfying click followed by the deadly whistle of the bolt. It flies true, striking the bandit squarely between the shoulder blades. The woman gasps, her legs giving out beneath her as she collapses to the ground, the weight of her choices and the weapons in her back pulling her down into eternal silence.

The battlefield is quiet and cold for a solid minute as the party stares around at the carnage. The cost of their mission is climbing and they are making an unmistakable mark on the bandit operations. Dawn is hours off yet and their work is far from done.

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Intrepid adventurers and DMs, I hope you enjoyed this tale!

May your rolls be critically high or dramatically low, adding flavor and excitement to your campaigns!