The wagons were not long in packing up and soon, the assorted caravan teams were once again ushering the horses onward. The gentleman at the front could be heard shouting warnings of potholes and ditches as they moved forward along the road.
Morning had passed quickly with the late start. Everyone had elected to have cold lunch on the road as opposed to stopping to warm anything up. It would have taken too long to start the fires necessary and you could feel everyone’s excitement to be home.
“My wife’s pie is the best, I cannot wait.”
“My daughter will love what I got her.”
“Wait till they see this...”
Murmurs and happy discussions were everywhere as the caravan moved forward over the rolling landscape.
Tec was the first to notice that there was a problem. His eyes were looking at both sides of the road as he plodded forward. His feet clawing the soft earth as he walked. Something was wrong. Not that anyone else had noticed, they seemed blissful in their ignorance. Tec couldn’t blame them. He had noticed the problem due to his profession. He was a [Druid] and because of such, he was attuned to the natural way the world. And right now, something was telling him, screaming at him, that there was no animal life for miles. Tec scanned the rolling grasslands. The birds were gone, most of the bugs too. All animal and beasts seemed to be…. gone.
Adjusting his stride, he soon came upon his stumpy leader.
“We should be extra vigilant, Sir Fluffington” He spoke with no preamble.
The corgi’s ears twitched a moment before he spoke. “Just call me Stubbs, there is no rank between comrades.”
Tec considered this and before nodding.
“Stubbs then, there seems to be a distinct lack life in the surroundings, I sense no living creatures at all.”
Stubbs heaved a heavy breath, taking in all the smells and scents around him. His nose filtering and categorizing them with amazing accuracy. Tec was right. There were faint traces of the local wildlife, but nothing recent. Stubbs nose was every bit as good as a bloodhound, maybe even better with his Fae heritage.
“You’re right Tec, however, I do not smell anything abnormal though.”
Tec’s face didn't change, or, maybe it did. Sir Stubbs found trouble reading the Lizard Folk. His expressions all looked the same.
Bringing himself up and puffing out his chest he declared “Worry not, for I, Sir Stubbs Fluffington the seventh, blessed of Titania, will be ever vigilant!”
Tec turned his head away from the boisterous animal before rolling one of his eyes. Tec had learned quickly that Sir Stubbs Fluffington was a fan of the dramatic and would always take the chance to turn some heads if possible.
A few of the other caravan drivers gave credit to this, when they glanced at the duo briefly before turning focus back to the road ahead.
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The sun moved across the sky in its usual pattern and soon had begun to make its descent into the horizon. The air was warm and the stars we’re beginning to pierce the veil of twilight, dotting the clear sky. The caravan moved forward along the road making steady progress until a shout came from their leader in the front.
It was a call to halt.
Confused, the other drivers stopped their wagons and made their way forward on foot. They were followed by the trio of adventures. When they got to the front of the line, they looked at what was before them.
Over the hills, just beyond their sight, smoke rose into the sky. However, this was not the clean white smoke of hearth fires. Not the smoke that brought warm thoughts of a good meal and safe bed. Thin black fingers of smoke were reaching into the sky, clawing at the veil with their fading tips.
Looking at each other, the three ran to the crest of the hill. They looked down for the first time, into the village of Greenest.
Greenest had looked to be a small village. The buildings were graciously spaced apart from each other and it was clear that because there was no wall surrounding the village to keep people clustered, the residents had spread out. Almost all of the structures were built of timber and thatch, a few of the buildings could be seen with fire blooming from their tops, giving sauce for the black claws of smoke. A small river wound its way around the southern part of the village below a small hill. On either side of the river, copses of trees could be easily seen. The waterway looked to be relatively shallow as a few areas could be seen to allow travel or foot traffic across it. On top of the hill sat a Keep. the only stone structure currently visible from their vantage. Humanoid and other figures could be seen moving all over Greenest. It looked like someone had kicked a ant hill. However, it was not the village that captured the attention of Tec, Retiarius and Stubbs.
Looking to the sky, a massive presence demanded their attention.
Soaring over the Keep, a giant blue body hovered aloft with powerful scaled wings. A gout of lightning spewed from the monsters elongated maw as the energy dispersed into the twilight sky.
You have resisted [Dragon Fear]
Retiarius turned his head as footsteps announced the arrival of more onlookers. The caravan leader was there with a few other men in tow. The gentleman stood ridged and pale faced as he too, took in the sight. A few of the other men collapsed, stricken and gaping.
The fear seized them. Cries and shouts could be heard as the fear began to spread.
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The dragon took to the clouds after it’s fantastical display. It began to fly in deliberate circles overhead, letting the fear radiate from its form.
“Ah, so that was the cause.” Tec’s deadpan reptilian voice broke in among the cries of the men and women around him.
“What?” Gruffed Retiarius, never letting his eyes leave the monstrosity in the sky.
“The reason our travels have sported less beasts and monsters than normal. I was concerned that something might have greatly disrupted the balance.” Tec shook his head, the red frills around his head shaking. “It was the [Dragon Fear]. Every beast within several leagues has fled.”
“s…s-Sir Fluffington….” A strangled croak came out of the caravan’s leader throat.
Stubbs broke his gaze away from the scene before him. His soft brown eyes then looked at the gentleman, all life seemed to have been forcefully drained from his face.
“Please,..” He quietly spoke to the armored corgi. “Please help us....”
Sir Fluffington gave him a nod.
“By Titania’s will, we will do what we can.”
Sir Fluffington began moving off the hill, running as fast as his stumpy legs could carry him, towards the village of Greenest. His companions were right behind him.
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The twilight had faded to darkness as the three arrived at the outskirts of Greenest. The moon, Selune, hung early in the night’s sky. It promised a clear night for what was to come. Sir Fluffington’s ears could be seen twitching and turning, this way and that, as he ran. Shouts and cries could be heard faintly by him across the village. But as the trio ran between the first few building on the village outskirts. Two human children and a human male could be seen rounding one of the corners of a nearby building, behind them a woman's voice could be heard.
“Back you monsters!”
A high-pitched guttural scream followed the battle cry.
One of the children, crying and exhausted, stumbled and fell onto the dirt road. Then she was there, bolting around the corner was the woman. She held a broken spear in one hand, the top of it shattered. The would-be weapon was nothing more than a long stick. In her other hand she clumsy held onto a wooden buckler. She rushed to the two kids and the man who was trying to urge the child to their feet again.
“Get up!” she barked. “You have to keep running!”
At this moment she noticed an additional three pairs of eyes watching them. A dog in armor holding onto a Warhammer in his paws. One of the Lizard Folk, with a spear in hand. His eyes looking both to the right and left at the same time, scanning the area. Lastly a giant of a man who was holding an oddly forked spear and what appeared to be a net in the other hand.
There was only a moment of confusion, before fear flashed across their faces as the humans took stock of their new opponents. Behind the humans, a troop of Kobolds emerged from the darkness. Wielding crude iron daggers and a few holding onto slings. They were rugged in their hand patched armor. Their dark scales reflected no light, but a simple intelligence could be seen behind their silted eyes.
The Kobolds spotting their prey. They hissed at them through their fanged teeth and beady eyes.
“Givee it up Humansss! Theree isss no escapee!” it slurred, having trouble with a few of the words in common.
Taking a glance at the three new unexpected arrivals the kobolds only paused for a second before they shouted.
“You threesss… catch them!” One of the other kobolds hissed.
The troop of Kobolds waited for their reinforcements to make their move before stepping forward.
“FOR TITANIA!”
Sir Fluffington barked as he ran full force into nearest Kobold, swinging across his chest with the Warhammer in both paws.
You hit a Kobold for 4 blunt damage.
The Kobolds only had a moment after the attack to realize that this was not their reinforcements. These were adventurers.
The Kobold cried out as he was knocked off his feet by the blow. Lashing out, the other Kobolds were quick to strike at the strange animal in armor.
You’ve taken 6 slashing damage.
Sir Fluffington yipped as he caught one of the blades.
Roots suddenly sprouted from the ground as a word of magic fell from Tec’s lips [Entangle]. Lashing out only for a moment, the earthy tendrils quickly began to wind and wrap themselves around the Kobolds. Desperate, they began thrashing and biting the roots, trying to free themselves. Unfortunately, they were too close together and bound too tightly to escape.
A hiss and a gurgle came from one of the restrained Kobolds as he was impaled by a three-pronged spear.
You hit a Kobold for 6 piercing damage.
Retiarius easily pulled his weapon from the now dead Kobold with a grunt.
The humans watched the slaughter take place. They were frozen in place as the adventurers systematically killed the Kobolds that were bound and restrained.
You hit a Kobold for 8 blunt damage.
You hit a Kobold for 7 piercing damage.
You hit a Kobold for 5 piercing damage.
You hit a Kobold for 3 blunt damage.
Slowly the tension of battle waned as the last Kobold died. The Humans eventually found their voices again. The children began to softly cry as the woman took a few cautious steps toward the group.
“T-Thank you...” She hesitantly spoke to Retiarius. He was about to reply when a cheerful voice spoke from beside her.
“Fear not Mam! For I, Sir Stubbs Fluffington, Blessed [Paladin] of Titania, would never let evil go unpunished!” Declared Stubbs in full bravado.
Grimacing at the small Paladin, the woman dropped her now useless spear and spoke in an aggressive whisper “Quiet!... there are more about!” She scanned her surroundings momentarily before speaking again.
“Forgive me, but we must either flee the village or make it to the Keep.”
“The one on the hill?” Tec interrupted.
“Yes, Governor Nighthill and the guards blew the horn just moments after the attack began. We were on our way to the Keep before we were ambushed by these scaled bastards.”
“Pray tell, if you’re here to help us, could you escort me and mine to the Keep?” The woman looked pleadingly at the stout Paladin.
Stubbs took a quick glance at his teammates, Tec gave him a small nod and Retiarius … Retiarius seemed to be disinterested, looking inward to the village. Stubbs took his silence as acceptance.
“We will escort you m’lady.” He said in a more quieted tone as he turned back to her.
“My name is Linan.” Said the woman, visibly relaxing and introducing her children and husband.
Moving quietly, ushering the children between them, the group moved eastward on the wide dirt road. There was a tree line to the north, just on the other side of the snaking stream they saw previously. This was the shortest route they could remember to the Keep. Shouts and cries could be heard in the distance as well as the occasional roar as lightning brightened the sky. Crossing a patch of grass, the group was about to cross the water, when another piercing scream could be heard behind them.
Raising his head and sniffing the air, Sir Stubbs looked back to the road, “There’s more people over there.” Sir Stubbs directed with his nose. He had caught the mixed scent on the wind. “There might be more villagers.” He said almost as an afterthought.
Linan looked uncomfortable for a moment before asking. “Are you going to save them?” She was huddled around her family looking at the trio. Sir Stubbs didn't even look at his companions before answering her.
“We can try.”