Erevan teleports into the city of Neuss. The town is shrouded in the dark of night. The hunter takes a few steps forward, eyeing a guard running to him, watching for ill intent. The guard stops a few feet from Erevan.

“You’re the backup from the adventurer’s guild?” The guard asks.

“Yeah.” Erevan nods as the other six adventurers teleport in behind him.

“Good, we think they are coming from the Southern wall soon.” The guard says before turning back. “Follow me.” He starts jogging towards the outskirts of the town.

“Who's the ballista guy?” The female orc asks Krenshaw.

“That’s Burkwood,” Krenshaw says as Erevan turns around to face the group.

“I’m Erevan Burkwood, who am I fighting with?” He asks openly. Valerie and Krenshaw introduce themselves.

“Joseph Roland, I’m a duelist.” The tiefling says braggadociously.

“Tzegave of the Frost Blood Clan.” The orc woman pulls one shield after another from her back. Putting one shield on either arm.

“Bashar Agathos.” The mage states coldly.

“Isrador.” The Raven woman says. She has a small dagger in her hands akin to a letter opener.

“Alright. Let's keep each other's backs safe out there.” Erevan nods and turns back away from the group.

They start to walk towards the wall when there is a blast of fire. Part of the wall crumbles away and a shower of gore rains around the area.

“They’ve breached!” A guard yells out from on the wall.

Valerie, Isrador, Joseph, and Tzegava run towards the breach. Erevan looks to Krenshaw and Bashar.

“You two, come with me up the wall. We need to support them.” Erevan orders them.

“Understood,” Krenshaw says. Bashar just nods.

The three of them run behind the others, veering off to the left, and take a ramp up to the top of the wall. Erevan notices Krenshaw muttering a warding incantation giving himself arcane armor. As Erevan reaches the top and starts to set up his ballista he hears something. Drums and horns break the silence of the night. Marching soldiers draw nearer.

“Is that marching?” Krenshaw asks.

“How organized are they?” Bashar rubs his chin.

“We’ll defend the town no matter what.” Erevan leans over the wall looking at the others below. “What happened to the wall?”

“Looks like some sort of suicide bomber!” Valerie shouts towards Erevan.

The adventurers down below form a semi-circle around where the breach is. Isrador stands behind Joseph on the left. Valerie stands behind Tzegava on the right.

Joseph Roland takes a deep breath, embers escaping his mouth as he exhales. He holds himself with confidence as he steps forth to be the first line of defense. Tzegava Gildedshield takes a few moments to chant a prayer to Torag, creating an aura around her to bolster her allies before she takes her place next to Joseph. Joseph flicks his wrist, a blade of fire ignites to hand

"Goddamned savages. They like to make themselves obvious, don't they?" Krenshaw says.

"Good to meet you all, to arms, friends! For Glory!" Tzegava Gildedshield readies herself, raising her dual shields.,

"Glory and coin, my pretty green friend," Krenshaw yells back.

Bashar Agathos mutters a spell summoning shadowed duplicates of himself to stand near him.

A Warband marches through the trees. Four light cavalry, one heavy cavalry, four wolves, two berserkers, and eight marauders. Most of them seem to be what one would expect from the barbarian kingdoms. But a single member, the heavy cavalry, seemingly the leader, bears actual steel armor instead of leathers.

"Hmm. Interesting bunch. Shame they chose to attack when we got here." Krenshaw says.

Bashar fires an arrow at the leader of the barbarians and the arrow dings off his armor. Joseph steps forward and waves a hand goading the barbarians to attack him. A berserker charges him, Joseph swings his flaming sword at him slashing down the man’s arm searing the flesh. The berserker slams his axe into Joseph's shoulder.

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Another berserker charges Valerie and slashes her side. Valerie tries to dodge but the blow still grazes her. Krenshaw sends a ball of fire at the berserker attacking Valerie. The berserker staggers backward. Valerie then kicks upward, slamming her foot into the man’s chest, sending him stumbling back further.

Tzegava charges into the fray with Joseph shield bashing the berserker. A destructive blast of arcane energy bursts from the shield. With the berserker staggering backward, Tzegava places a hand on Joseph's shoulder and channels healing energy into his wound.

The armored man seems to gaze upon the party. He seems to take note of Erevean, Tzegava, Isrador, and Valerie. He casts something on his horse, which seems to grow more feral. Erevan sees the spell he casts and identifies that its Bestial spirit from the Alteration sphere The horse will now throw itself into combat with no regard for its own health or safety.

Krenshaw casts banish on the rider of the horse, he disappears for a second, before reappearing even angrier.

“Worth a shot,” Krenshaw mutters.

“Was pretty cool.” Erevan shrugs.

Erevan fires his ballista and it skewers through one of the marauders. Isrador dashes into the fray and a shadow tendril whips off of her stealing one of the axes out of a berserker’s hands. Erevan notices this and stares at her with wide eyes. Krenshaw blasts the same berserker with a bolt of fire. Killing the man. Krenshaw spat off of the side of the wall as he watched crimson and black flames burn a hole through the savage's chest.

“Good riddance,” Krenshaw says.

The wolves charge into the fray snapping at Tzegava and Joseph. One of the dogs manages to clamp onto Joseph's leg before he slashes down, killing it.

The Light cavalry circle around the group with javelins in hand. As they do this, Tzegava notices and starts to laugh. The orc is thoroughly enjoying the thrill of combat!

Basher fires an arrow at one of the light cavalry. Wounding them. Joseph cuts down the other berserker with his fire blade. Tzegava channels arcane energy into herself and Joseph, sending both of them into a rage. Krenshaw slings an explosive burst outwards blowing up a wolf, two marauders, and a light cavalryman.

The leader of the barbarians charges forward, its horse pouncing towards Joseph. Isrador quickly blinds the horse, Joseph rolls out of the way, and Tzegava bashes the horse from the side.

The heavy cavalry rider swings their sword at Valerie. Tzegava pushes past the horse, takes the hit from the rider, but catches it with one of her shields.

"Come one, come all! There's enough shield for all of you to eat!" Tzegava yells. "I bring two for a reason!"

Bashar raises his free hand, muttering an incantation, and then jerks his hands up quickly. A solid slab of stone with a thin-edged top, springs from the ground in a fifteen-foot-long line from the bottom of the wall out to the left. Not only does it block off half the battlefield but it cuts three marauders and a wolf in half.

A marauder charges into the fray in front of the wall. Isrador uses a shadow tendril to throw sand in their eyes before Tzegava bashes them into the ground.

Valerie steps to the side, putting a hand on Tzegava’s shoulder, as she pushes herself up off the ground. In one fluid motion, she kicks the rider of the feral horse, her other foot hooks around his neck underneath his helm, and pulls him right off his horse. He lands on his feet, going down on one knee, and maintains the grip on his sword.

As he rises to attack Valerie, a ballista bolt blows through his chest, the other marauders look at each other in panic. Their leader’s steel breastplate punctured like a cloth, his chest demolished. The heavy cavalryman is dead.

"Fight and die with honor, scum!" Tzegava yells out.

Isrador steps towards the nearest marauder and steals their axe from their hands with a shadowy tendril. Krenshaw fires a magic missile spell, and the barrage of arcane darts hits a light calvary soldier killing them.

"Another soul for my master! How many more will I be sending him!?" Krenshaw calls out.

The other two cavalry turn to flee.

"Smart men." Krenshaw mutters.

"Cowards!" Tzegava calls out as she grabs the last wolf and breaks its neck with a snap.

Bashar fires a bolt of electricity at a light cavalryman killing them.

Joseph swings his sword down at the feral horse, killing it.

"Hmmm. Well, that was less dramatic than I expected." Krenshaw says.

“Good job Erevan.” Krenshaw hops down from the wall grinning ear to ear as he strolls up toward the group. "Damn fine work, all of you."

Erevan reloads his ballista seeing one last cavalryman fleeing through the woods.

"It makes sense to capture him and learn what is going on with his people, and the potential of future attacks, but whatever you want to do with him is ok by me," Bashar Agathos says to Erevan.

“No prisoners.” Erevan fires the ballista. It sails three hundred feet through the woods before slamming into the back of the bandit killing him.

Bashar nods to Erevan before turning and leaving. He quietly walks to the waystone and leaves. Erevan notices Isrador and Joseph have left the battlefield as well. The hunter packs up his ballista and goes down to Tzegava, Krenshaw, and Valerie.

“Where did Joseph go, he fought well.” Tzegava looks at the group.

“Left with Isrador. Probably has a thing for domination play.” Krenshaw wiggles his eyebrows.

“No one dominates Tzegava.” The orc looks between the three and her eyes stop on Valerie. “Are you free?”

“No, I was actually going to walk home with Erevan.” Valerie links arms with the hunter.

“Agh, he was my next choice,” Tzegava says.

Valerie turns around with Erevan and the two walk towards the waystone.

“Guess it’s just you and me,” Krenshaw says to the orc woman.

“I would break your fragile hips,” Tzegava growls.

Valerie touches the waystone, choosing to teleport back to Tamwall, while still linking arms with Erevan. The hunter is pulled through the portal with her into the sunny streets of her town.