Freedom – Session 4

Vulk: A small city in the central Bloodstones. Squat of feature and debauched of temperament, it’s an ugly, violent place. A base of operations for many of the mining concerns in the area, Vulk has become a thriving market not only for goods, but for pleasures of the mind and of the flesh. The Autarch of the city rules with a loose hand and a blind eye, letting travellers, miners, merchants and mercenaries indulge themselves as long as he receives his due.

Leader: AC 5. HP 12. Sword & Shield (1d8).

2 x Human Guards: AC 6. HP 6/2. Shortsword (1d6).

2 x Hyene Guards: AC 5. HP 4/11. Spear (1d6).

Round 1

With both swords drawn Mira runs at the leader. She feints left and thrusts right, driving a blade under his shield and slicing a jagged gash across his hip. The freed captives scatter to the corners of the room and Lana attempts to use the commotion to creep past the stairs and get behind the newcomers. She is spotted by a hyene who quickly moves to intercept, thrusting his spear with such speed the thief only just manages to avoid injury.

The other hyene guard charges towards Breka, who falls back against the wall to avoid the attack. A human guard lunges through the staircase railings and stabs Lana in the calf, whilst the other joins the leader in attacking Mira. The fighter frantically parries their blows, but they overpower her defences and manage to stab deep into her shoulder. She coughs a spray of blood and takes a faltering step back.

Regaining her balance, Breka attacks the hyene and cuts into his thigh. It barks in pain and shifts into a defensive stance.

Ostrik watches the fight and begins to panic. He contorts his fingers into eldritch shapes, a sibilant hissing escaping his mouth. Two humans and the nearest hyene begin swaying in time with the sound, their eyelids becoming heavy and tired. There is a clatter of dropped weaponry and within moments all three are on the floor asleep. With a sadistic smile on his lips, Dragos immediately crawls forward and begins slitting throats.

Meanwhile, Bordan runs to join Breka and attacks her opponent, but his swing goes wide.

Round 2

With all but one of her opponents asleep, Mira turns her full attention back to the leader, shifting her balance and attacking with both blades. The slaver ducks under one blow and blocks the other with his shield. He sends a lightning-fast riposte aimed high at her neck, but she parries. The clash of steel-on-steel rings out.

With a savage grunt the hyene pierces Breka’s abdomen with a well-aimed spear thrust. The half elf, already badly wounded, slides backwards and crumples to the ground, a pool of blood quickly seeping across the cold, stone floor.

Lana and Dragos creep back and forth, quietly dispatching the sleeping slavers.

Bordan, exhausted and in pain from his earlier wound, attacks the hyene again, who easily dodges. It lets out another bark and raises it’s spear high, mocking the barbarian. Subira fires her crossbow at the creature, but only manages to graze it.

Round 3

Blood pooling under her armour and breathing heavy, Mira prepares to attack again. Her opponent knows she is tiring and begins to smile. His grin is cut short, however, as Lana appears behind him and plunges her sword into his lower back. A breathless scream escapes his lips as Lana’s blade rips through his kidneys and he pitches forward onto the floor.

Mira takes a deep breath, nods her thanks at the thief, and moves to cut off the remaining guard’s escape route.

Passing his morale check but suddenly aware he is alone, the hyene snorts, boldly refusing to surrender as the characters close in around him. “Fuck the lot of you,” he growls, batting aside Bordan’s axe and impaling the barbarian on his spear.

Dragos joins the melee but fumbles his attack and slips on the expanding pool of Breka’s blood. The guard takes advantage and bludgeons the Orcan with the haft of his weapon.

Round 4

Dragos quickly regains his footing and lunges. The hyene blocks and returns the attack, which the Orcan dodges. Mira moves in and strikes, but the blows glance off armour. Blood up, the guard laughs in defiance.

Bordan, bleeding profusely and on the verge of passing out, roars with anger and swings his battleaxe. The blade connects and decapitates the foe, cutting him off mid taunt.

Q – Did anyone hear the battle?

A – No.

Battered and bruised, the characters take a moment. Subira tries her best to tend to the wounded and staunch the bleeding of the worst injuries, but the group is in bad shape. Bordan and Dragos both have 1 Hit Point left. Lana has 2, Mira has 4, and Breka could not be saved.

Subira closes Breka’s eyes whilst Bordan mutters a Zurranic prayer for her spirit.

Mira helps herself to the dead leader’s sword and shield, before gruffly addressing the group.

“A massive herd of people blundering around this place is foolish and will get us all caught or killed. Those without weapons or the skill to use them should hide in the room around the corner. The rest of us will come for you before we leave.”

The captives are doubtful and begin to voice objections, worried they will be left behind. Mira begins to snap off an angry retort but is cut short by Subira, whose soothing words calm the freed prisoners into acquiescence.

The characters leave the room and work their way down the corridor to the next door. Lana hears nothing and Mira cautiously enters.

Behind the heavy door is a 10’ by 40’ balcony overlooking a large cistern. The space extends downwards perhaps 30’ or 40’ and is filled with water. Rough-hewn support columns extend from the murky depths below to the ceiling above.

Q – Is this a static cistern?

A – No.

Q – So, can running water be heard?

A – Yes.

Q – Are there buckets?

A – Yes.

Ostrik takes in the surrounding space. Noting the buckets stacked around the balcony and the faint sound of running water, he turns to the other characters. “This must be their clean water storage. I can hear water coming in. It must be fed by one of the small tributaries that comes out of the Bloodstones.”

“So?” Bordan shrugs.

Dragos looks at the barbarian, incredulous. “If water goes in, water must go out.”

Mira removes her stolen armour, stacks it with her equipment, and without another word dives over the ledge. Dragos quickly does the same.

The cistern extends for 40’ or so past the walls of the room above, but after a few minutes of searching, the pair manage to find a drainage overflow on the far western side.

Q – Is it big enough for a person to fit into?

A – Yes.

Q – Does it have bars?

A – No.

Dragos and Mira swim back and climb up one of the support pillars onto the balcony.

Wringing the water out of her flaxen hair, the fighter grins for the first time since waking in the dungeon. “Perhaps we won’t have to fight our way out after all.”

Featured Image by Jeff Brown.