Epic - Saving my People

Hunters Turned Hunted

I called Grelt close and set about trying to convince him of the danger I knew we faced ahead. In the end he agreed to my plan to set an ambush for the ambushers on the basis that if there was a foe then I was right, and if not then I was mad! We made our way up to slope with a little difficulty and then tracking along the contours until we reached a position above the ambush site that I remembered. We stopped and dismounted, as I wanted to observe and not be seen until I knew that the foe was in place. Thankfully I was proven not to be mad, as the Kharash arrived and began to set up the ambush. I pulled back out of sight and gathered our small force, ordering a charge into the foe and to maintain the pressure so that they could not regroup and organise a defence as they had the advantage of numbers.

They were taken by surprise and scattered as we bore quickly down on them, one falling to his death as my halberd lifted him from the rocks. We gave chase and I was grateful to see Fulgar calling to me as we crested a spur on the mountain side. Grelt looked ashen-faced at the sight of the wolf-man closing with us, and I yelled that Fulgar was a friend and to leave him alone. Fulgar asked if we were attacking or fleeing, and I urged him to join us in harrying the foe before they realised how few we were. At that he charged into them and literally ripped one apart! I later learned that Fulgar had spoken to his father about the threat and had been heeded; he had directed them to the sacred valley and they were amassing their pack, but had warned them to stay away from the Githyanki due to the power of their minds and their ability to strike down warriors without fighting. They were gathered on the side of the valley, seeing that the people had not yet been attacked, and Fulgar had come looking for me.

I continued my charge to aid Fulgar, and between us two more of the foe fell dead. I rode into the rear of them, disrupting their line, but urged Grelt to go back and get the runestone and the tiger to the safety of the city. Fulgar was slashed by one of the Kharash weapons, but he swiped at the attacker with his claws and another body rolled down the slope as he moved on to the next prey. One of the monks was killed, and I was stabbed as I tried to get back to support them but kept myself in the saddle. Fulgar took another hit, but thankfully we were about to be reinforced.

Garuk had arrived with the warband he had spoken of, effectively outflanking the foe and leaving them vulnerable. Their leader, Mardhan, conjured magic missiles that struck Fulgar's attacker, killing him. Garuk had spoken to Mardhan about the real reason for their mission, that he was to be captured in order to understand the Githyanki intent and that the rest of them were expendable. Now that he had the knowledge from our adventures there was no reason for lives to be lost and he convinced them that they should head to the valley if they wanted to thwart the Githyanki plans. We were glad of that as they were just in time to stop the Kharash from mounting an effective defence.

Garuk's people, the Githzerai, engaged from the rear; more magic missiles streaked from Mardhan into one of my attackers, and Garuk himself cut a foe in half from top to bottom. Fulgar disembowled another and hungrily ate what I guess he considered to be particularly tasty organs, blood splattering all over him. He then lifted the heart from the body and held it aloft shouting "Shang-Ti in your honour we kill those that don't follow the way" dropping it into his jaws. Grelt and the monks finished off the lone Kharash in their way and started to withdraw as I had directed.

Garuk killed another as Mardhan shouted to the remaining Kharash to surrender or die. Thankfully they saw sense and threw down their weapons and sank to their knees. Fulgar warned that a warband was moving towards the valley, and I told him to go and be with his pack, saying that we would follow as quickly as we could. He changed into his wolf form and loped off. We could see about a score of Kharash riding down the valley looking to slaughter the people there, but Mardhan offered to help me stop them. I took him on horseback to the valley floor and he dismounted to throw a fireball that exploded within the enemy troops. I turned away at the intense flash and a wave of heat washed over me; when I looked back there were only four of the riders left alive and they were not really a threat. I took Mardhan back up the slope to where he wanted to rally his people.

We saw another warband further down the valley, so I dropped him off and spurred my horse to charge at them. Mardhan conjured strands of thick web across the rocks around them and trapped four within them. I continued my charge beyond that, skewering one of the foe and charging past. I shouted, hoping it would serve as a warning to the citizens below (more were still arriving unaware of the danger): "beware the Kharash are here; for Shang-Ti"!

Garuk restored his mind using a scroll, wary that Githyanki might attack at any moment. I was hit with an arrow as the Kharash started to respond - these were better organised than the last band we surprised. I wheeled around and killed another foe but this time a bardiche caught my armour and unhorsed me. Thankfully it was that moment that the Hengeyokai pack joined the fight and Fulgar made the first kill, eager to lead the attack. I got to my feet and leapt into the saddle again, riding up and down shouting "Shang-Ti protects! The Kharash cowards would attack the innocent, defeat them!", and struck one with my halberd and followed up to kill him as Garuk arrived and felled another.

I was joined by Fulgar and between our blows another Kharash fell quickly, and Fulgar pushed into them, ripping the throat of another open. Garuk killed one too, and the Githzerai were doing damage to the Kharash although they still held. I rode around and thrust my halberd into another, estimating that they were about halved in number. Fulgar was in amongst them now, ripping one apart from behind as his pack fell upon them from the front. The ones left alive threw down their weapons in terror and surrendered, trying to avoid being eaten. I knew the Hengeyokai had honour, but the Kharash might not so when the pack started feeding gruesomely on the fallen some of them soiled themselves.

Turning away from the slightly disturbing scene, I looked across valley and saw both Kharash and Githyanki riding down from the far ridge into my people. I had to do something! Garuk said that he would come with me, so we set off with Garuk holding on desperately. There were some figures left up on the ridge, so I headed for them thinking perhaps they were leaders of some kind. The riders between us intercepted me so I stuck one with my halberd and drove through. Thankfully his own weapon glanced off my armour. Fulgar stayed on the ridge, fearing for his unprotected mind as well as his pack. I charged past their main force and spurred the horse on towards the couple at the back. There were people being slaughtered but there was nothing I could do with just the two of us, all I could hope was that attacking the leaders might draw some off.

I speared what I hoped was the enemy leader with my halberd and he was lifted off his horse and fell dead to the ground. He had braced, though, and I took a solid hit in return. I reined my horse in, hoping that Garuk would dismount to fight the other figure, as it was clear now that he was Githzerai. There was no point, though, as the honourless coward was riding away! Garuk's people were moving carefully into the valley using their minds to attack the Kharash at range, but were wary of being ridden down if they got too close.

I gave chase to the Githyanki and caught up enough to strike with my halberd. Realising he could not escape he turned but aimed his attacks at Garuk rather than me. A mental battle went on between them, and I think he had tried to strike at me in some way but it hadn't worked. He rode off again, with us on his heels, until he reached the sacred caves farther up the valley. He quickly dismounted and rushed into the central cave... perhaps this was another means of traveling between worlds?

Fail to find an offering to Shang-Ti, despite having the fire mouse. Get a dangerous sense of foreboding. Have to ride off in search of an offering, riding through the slaughter. Too early for the offerings to be there.

Strike off NE to try and get ahead of the slaughter and turn people back before its too late. Cannot face them in open battle.

Ride hard and reach first nobles with troops muster some defenders, about a dozen, and charge to slow down the enemy. I kill their magic user but just too late as a fireball explodes in amongst the troops. Five fall, along with a couple of foe.

Garuk severely hurt. Killed a few more, but needed to get Garuk and unseated riders out of there.

Managed to get Garuk and one other out but so badly damaged that we have to withdraw. Ride hard away and veer off the path to try to draw them away.