There Actually IS a Plan

After some discussion with the Fomorii Shaman, the group decides that the best course of action is to go up the old road to the back of the fort. They will take one of the trained Spiretop Drakes with them, and when they are in position, they will release the Drake, which will return and alert the Fomorii that they are in position. The Fomorii will attack the palisade from the front, the group will hit the fort from the back at the same time.

The Iron Hand Fort

The old road is ancient and overgrown, but still level, and with the occasional cobblestone visible. Clearly, the Iron Hand Empire made roads that were marvels of engineering, for it to have lasted so well for so long. With Danmya and Erdan in the lead, it is easy enough to locate the road and follow it up the back of hill.

Coming near the crest, the massive bulk of the old ruin becomes visible. Some of the exterior walls have fallen, leaving piles of rubble along the side and front of the great structure, but the main bulk of the fort in intact. Square-cut blocks of black stone, mortared together 30 feet high. The structure is solid, although the roof seems to be long gone.

The road ends at a massive gate – the doors that once filled it have long since rotted away, but the spear-wielding warriors carved into the pillars and the black gauntlet symbol above the arch are both still visible. Moving stealthily through the trees, the group is nearing the gate, when the howling war-cries of the Fomorii can be heard, coming through the trees to the east, around the side of the fort. The attack is under way.

Fence, what Fence?

At a sprint, Erdan, Enark and Agard Mac dash along the ruined wall, keeping low to stay out of sight. From the shrieks and shouts, the bandits at the palisade have been alerted, and are being attacked by the drakes.

Damnya, Penny, Bruno and Malganis also approach the gate, meaning to follow the others inside the ruined outer walls, but they spot an archer deeper inside the keep, who looses an arrow, and the huge wolf chained at his feet. The wolf lunges at the stragglers, while the archer shouts an alarm.

His long legs and massive strength driving him, Enark reaches the fight at the palisade first. The bandits have built a 10-foot high wooden wall along the east side of the old fort, linking it to the ruined wall with a couple of tall platforms and a platform to shoot from. Behind the palisade is a cluster of tents, a fire-pit, and a spiked log used to block the trail that leads into the camp.

Several bandit archers are stationed on the walkway. One is shooting down at the oncoming Fomorii, but the other two are busy – a frenzied flying lizard the size of an eagle trying to rip out your throat will distract even the most alert sentry. Within the camp, bandits are streaming up onto the ramps that lead onto the platforms and walkway, intent on driving off the drakes and to repel the Fomorii.

Say Hello to my Little Craghammer

Nobody sees Enark until the huge Fir Bolg vaults through a gap in the tumbled wall and splashes a bandit’s brains with his craghammer. Several more bandit rush the massive Warden, but he crouches behind his shield and slides backwards into the gap in the wall, keeping them from getting around him. Suddenly, arrows catch them in the side and neck as Erdan opens fire from along the wall, having darted up inside the wall at the same time as Enark came up outside it.

As the first wave of bandits go down, a huge, axe-wielding warrior releases another massive wolf and sends it at Enark and Erdan, who have been joined by Agard. The axeman rallies another group of bandits and sends them after the trio as well. Backed by the hulking Fomori Ranger and the Shifter War-Priest, Enark tears into the bandits, hammering them into the ground. As Erdan and Agard engage the wolf, Enark turns and leaps up the ramp.

Still struggling with the flapping drake, the first bandit archer barely has time to scream when the Craghammer knocks the life out of him. The second fares little better, as the Fomorii have reached the wall. Goat-herders and hunters who live in high, rocky mountain valleys, the Shattered Cliff Fomorii are expert climbers and leapers. A 10-foot wooden wall might as well be a beaten path. In a heartbeat, they are up the wall, axes and knives flashing. The archers and bandits remaining on the wall are overwhelmed in an instant, and Enark, followed by the howling Fomorii, leaps down to engage the bearded warrior who seems to command the camp.

Swarmed by Fomorii and a raging Fir Bolg, the bandit captain goes down almost instantly, chopped and hammered apart. The wolf and the rest of the bandits are also down – the palisade and camp have been cleared in a few moments of brutal violence. One Fomorii is dead, another wounded, and Enark has taken a few minor cuts, but otherwise, the attackers are largely uninjured.

Rear Guard Woes

Back at the gate, things are going… less well. Between the shadowy bolts of energy hurled by the tiefling, Malganis and the crackling, weirdly darting forces from the halfing, Penny, the archer has been cut down, and Bruno’s slashing greataxe has dealt with the wolf. Damnya holds back to watch the rear as they begin to explore the corridor that leads further into the keep.

Shouts come echoing down the corridor, as well as the sounds of running men – it seems like the bandits inside are coming out to aid their friends at the palisade, and the rear guard is right in their path! At the same time, Damnya hears shouting and the howling of wolves from the west side of the keep, also coming closer – seems like more bandits are coming from that direction!

Bruno, Penny and Malganis beat a quick retreat back to the gate, just in time to meet the wolves from the west side of the keep, who are followed by more bandits and another axe-wielding bandit captain. Damnya shifts into the form of a massive mountain lion, and backed by the magic of the conjurers and Bruno’s axe, the rear guard hacks, blasts and claws into the attacking patrol.

Bitten and stabbed, Bruno staggers back, even as his massive axe inflicts terrible wounds on his attackers. Finally, the bandit captain slams the flat of his axe into the side of the barbarian’s head, crumpling him to the ground. More bandits and wolves come pouring out of the corridor into the keep, forcing Penny to leap wildly to safety. Swirling shadows seem to wrap around Malganis, carrying him away from the new attackers.

The Cavalry Arrive

Surrounded, with the sorcerer and warlock falling back and the barbarian down Damnya fights on alone, ripping at the bandits in a whirlwind of claws and teeth. It only seems a matter of time before she is brought down, but a thunderous shout distracts the attackers – Enark has arrived. Hurling himself into the fight with deadly arrows from Erdan’s bow whipping past him, the Fir Bolg smashes into the bandits, crushing the skull of the bandit captain. A few steps behind, Agard reaches Bruno’s side and calls on the healing power of Tempus, giving Bruno the strength to sit up and rejoin the fight.

The return of the rest of the party is timely, for Ortho, the bandit leader, as well as his shaman and henchmen have joined the fight. Unfortunately for the bandits, the Fomorii have joined the fight as well. The shaman calls down a swarm of spectral hornets, blanketing the gate in shimmering swarms of insects, but the Fomorii, as well as Enark, Bruno, Damnya, and Agard, charge through to attack the bandit leader.

He proves no match for the numbers that beset him, and is cut down by the rampaging Fomorii. Seeing Ortho fall, the shaman and scout, all that remains of a once-powerful bandit warband, surrender. With barely a thought, Agard nods to the Fomorii – these raiders attacked their camp, after all. A few swift ax-blows, and the matter is settled, with typical Fomorian finality. Carrying the heads of their foes, the Fomorii return to the palisade camp to gather supplies and foodstuffs and tend their wounds.

To the Victor, go the Spoils

The party searches the bandit camp then finds their way inside the fort. The interior of the fort is a large open area, with chambers built around the outside walls. Since the roof is gone, the bandit leaders had set up tents in the different chambers, as well as a massive bonfire and an old well, for drinking water.

Looting the camp and the bodies of the fallen gathers a few handfuls of gold and trinkets, as well as a finely-crafted waraxe, and a pair of iron-trimmed leather bracers, both of which are identified as carrying enchantments. It is agreed that Erdan would benefit most from the items, so he replaces one of his Fomorii battle-axes and dons the bracers.

Unlikely Allies

A great mass of foodstuff and supplies are also found, which the group offers to the Fomorii warriors, to assist their village. Agard also expresses his admiration and thanks to the warband, and asks if their recently-raided village could use any additional assistance. The shaman admits that the village is reduced to only 30 souls, with a bare few warriors and little food. Even with these supplies they are unlikely to last the winter, to say nothing of the raiders that inevitably prey on a tribe that is so weakened.

Agard, on behalf of the entire warband, offers their assistance in relocating the tribe closer to Mothyn, where they will be safe. The Fomorii shaman and warriors are deeply impressed by this offer, and agree wholeheartedly.

During this time, Penny discovers something strange in the chamber that once housed the two bandit shamans that the warband has defeated. A carved wooden statue of a man, featureless, but wrapped completely in black thorny vines. It is not any kind of spirit or god that anyone in the warband recognizes, but Agard guesses that it might represent one of the Autumn Fey, a dark group of The High Fey who are occasional allies and often enemies of the Seelie Court of the Summer Fey. Stranger still, the massive grey wolves that fought at the side of the bandits – considered by all to be feral and un-tamable, have collars of black thorn vines around their throats. Even Penny’s strange senses cannot detect anything else about the statue, only the faint scent of rotting leaves.

Detecting another rotting stench, the group moves to the southern interior wall of the keep, where the smell comes from a pair of archways.