Fir backed away from the approaching guards hands up, pleading ignorance to his actions. The guards ordered him to stay put while one of them ran off to get their leader. Fir took the opportunity and attempted paralyze the remaining guard with his magic. Seemingly resistant to magical effects, the guard shrugged off the spell and sought to bind Fir with magic of his own, channeling the powers of hemocraft to root the druid in place. The other guards of the fortress were alerted to the struggle in the courtyard and sounded the alarm. From the tree line beyond the fort, the exterior members of FCG heard the sounds of conflict as well and sprang into action. Endrin gave arcane flight to himself, Malcolm, and Triple J, while Eris sprouted wings of her own. The group flew off towards the fort in search of Fir.
Meanwhile, Fir found himself quickly surrounded by a handful of guards. Fir attempted to hide, utilizing his firbolg gift of invisibility and then shapeshifting into a small mouse. Unfortunately for the druid, the blood magic held fast and he was unable to flee. The rest of the party came flying over the ramparts just in time to see Fir cut down in place by the guards, whose swords were now alight with crimson flame. As more guards came streaming into the courtyard from within the keep, Endrin knew he had to act quickly. Floating just above the walls, the dunamancer created a gravity sinkhole amidst a group of the swarming guards, sucking them backwards into it as well as some nearby crates, which Endrin used to dole out even more devastation by amplifying the force with which the crates collided with the guards. The impressive display of destruction drew the attention of many guards within the courtyard who took aim at Endrin with their crossbows. Malcolm landed atop the ramparts and engaged another of the guards in single combat.
Triple J soared down into the courtyard to Fir’s aid, restoring the druid to consciousness with a healing word. Fir awoke with a fire in his belly, gifted by Triple J’s spirit tales, and belched flame upon the approaching guards. Seared and angered, the guards closed in around Triple J and Fir. Triple J’s blink spell failed to activate and both he and Fir were left slashed and bloodied in the dirt. Eris arrived above the ramparts and channeled her holy power to wither away the guards surrounding Triple J and Fir, simultaneously granting Triple J a portion of their life essence. Having dealt with one guard, Malcolm too flew down into the courtyard after Triple J and Fir, while Endrin took cover in one of the nearby guard towers hoping to avoid any more crossbow bolts. The timing of Endrin’s defensive positioning was ill-fated however, as a priestess emerged from within the keep and dispelled the gift of arcane flight from Malcolm, stranding the fighter in the courtyard.
Malcolm managed to shove a healing potion into Fir’s mouth, restoring him once more. The brief moment of consciousness allowed Fir the chance he needed to misty step up to the top of the nearby wall. Malcolm then grabbed Triple J and flung a grappling hook upwards, securing it on the ramparts above. At the same time Endrin flew across the courtyard, wreaking havoc on the guards below, trying to clear a path for his friends to escape. As Malcolm tried to climb and carry Triple J up to safety, the would-be hero was cut down by the endless tide of guard reinforcements. As Endrin returned to the ramparts, Eris used her powers to restore vitality to all of her allies. The party’s newfound hope was quickly snuffed out however, as Malcolm was immediately knocked out again by a large armored troll, and Endrin was knocked out by a pair of flanking guards as he attempted to take cover. Fir finally managed to free himself from the blood curse and leapt from the wall into the river just outside of the keep. Eris rushed to Endrin’s aid, smiting the guards in her path and restoring Endrin.
Meanwhile, down in the courtyard, Triple J pulled a collection of gems from his robe of useful items and pleaded with the guards to let he and Malcolm surrender, offering the gems as incentive. The guards stayed their weapons and allowed Triple J a moment to revive Malcolm. One of the large armored Trolls grabbed the pair and began carrying them towards the keep. As Eris watched the scene unfold, she felt her divine wings beginning to fade. The paladin made the decision to fight another day and grabbed Endrin, who’d become ensnared by a blood curse, and flew out over the river just as her wings disappeared. The two fell into the cool, clear, water and climbed out to the banks alongside Fir.
Back in the courtyard, the Keep’s commander, a large lycanthrope with a grizzly blade emerged and began barking orders to his men. One of the guards approached Malcolm and ripped the sword from the fighter’s grasp, sending Malcolm into a frenzy. As the troll brought Malcolm and Triple J towards the lycan, Triple J’s blink spell finally activated, and the bard disappeared into the ethereal plane. Simultaneously, Malcolm managed to pull free from from the troll’s grip. Malcolm made a mad dash towards the guard who had taken his blade, dodging many a spell and slashing attack along the way. Ultimately however, Malcolm was cut down by the very sword that had seen him through his lifetime of adventures. Triple J then reappeared only to be crushed into the dirt by a nearby troll. The unconscious duo was collected and brought within the keep.
Outside the walls, hidden in the safety of the tropical tree line, Endrin, Eris, and Fir began to plot the daring rescue of their friends…
