Starday Morning, Fireseek 15, 591 Common Year

Dawn in the Hool Marshes is cold but at least clear and sunny. As expected a group of armed and armored Deathwalkers head out from the large mound, stroll down the long pathway across the bog, and into the surrounding swamp. There are ten hunters armed with longbows, hand axes, and long spears in leather armor. With white paste and ashes they are marked with images of bones and skeletons. From beneath their helmets their auburn hair hangs down in dreadlocks. The leader is dressed in the same kind of banded armor that was found at Newt’s hut. The group chatters in Amedi, but as soon as they come among the trees they fall silent. They sense something is wrong, perhaps they saw a reptilian footprint, or glimpsed a broken branch, or heard someone shifting in the muck. Whatever it was they begin to look around as they ready their spears.

Then the attack is on, Fingol and Indranil let loose with their bows, both arrows embedding themselves in the rings of bronze encircling the leader’s chest. They don’t seem to have penetrated very deeply though as the leader pulls out a horn and blows three mighty blasts upon it. Gar calls upon the power of Obad-Hai and the lizardfolk are filled with such a joy of battle that they overcome the sluggishness induced by the winter chill and with their atlatls they send a rain of darts down upon their foes. To their credit the Deathwalkers do not panic but instead begin to withdraw in good order back to the pathway, though all of them have taken hits, some more than one.

Chief Rahk, his lieutenant Raz, and their squad of ten come out of the reeds to cut off the hunter’s retreat. Chief Rahk is a fearsome sight as he is fully armored in the shell of some gigantic turtle with a matching helmet and bearing a large darkwood shield. He and those with him cast their own darts at the Deathwalkers to deadly effect as three of the cultists fall to this new onslaught. From the tree line Indranil fires again and hits the leader in the right elbow. The leader drops his spear but picks it up again in his left hand and hurls it in desperation at Chief Rahk, only to bounce off the lizardfolk chieftain’s shell armor. Gar spits out a flame burst from ten yards away that engulfs the leader in flames, soon he is nothing more than a charred husk to be kicked aside in the general melee.

The Deathwalkers know that they must break through Chief Rahk and the warriors with him and get back on the path across the bog. They lower their spears and charge but the lizardfolk warriors quickly form a shield wall. Only three of lizardfolk warriors are even hurt and the charge is easily driven back. Ahsk, Chief Rahk’s other lieutenant, is unable to control his battle lust and he charges out of the tree line along with the other warriors he led in the initial ambush. With their clubs they mercilessly fall upon the seven remaining Deathwalkers, eventually abandoning their clubs to rend at them with claws and teeth.

Seeing what is happening Chief Rahk abandons all pretense of strategy and bellows a challenge in the Common tongue from the end of the pathway to the Deathwalkers in the shrine. “Come out and face me cowards! It is I, Chief Rahk of the Malarat tribe, come to bring vengeance and the wrath of Semuanya down upon you! We will rend you limb from limb, feast on your remains, and your skulls will be our chamber pots! Come out you wretched killers of women and children! Face real warriors!”

The only answer is a hail of arrows from the large mound, it seems that there are at least a dozen archers at various places on the mound. Most of their arrows fall harmlessly around Chief Rahk, but a couple stick in his shield and a few others bounce off his shell armor. The Chief’s tail lashes back and forth in a fury and he pulls forth a battleaxe of exquisite dwarven make and brandishes it at the shrine roaring in fury. His lieutenants and warriors are all now clustered around the beginning of the pathway beating their clubs on their shields, lashing their tails, roaring and hissing and working themselves up into a frothing rage.

Fingol says to Sir Indranil, “Sir, we may not have drawn out more Deathwalkers, but our situation is still good. We have destroyed their hunting party and outnumber the remaining defenders – if our guess is sound. I say we still try the push into the large mound. And if we are to try it, let’s form up right away before they can fortify the entrance further.”

Indranil responds, “I agree Sir Fingol! No time to lose. Let’s use the battle lust of our allies to lead the assault on the shrine! Chief Rahk! You and our party to the midpoint and then onto the small mound! The rest of you warriors – Charge!”

Indranil, quickly turns to Sir Lorindel, “Brother, lead the archers and follow the lizardfolk.  See if you can direct and concentrate your archers’ fire on one enemy target at a time to kill them.”

Lorindal nods to his brother. He signals to the archers to ready for the next wave.

Rain, hearing Indranil’s new plan, nods her head and says, “Newt, stay close to me. Aramek, you too.”

Newt says, “I know!” through clenched teeth, but does stay very close behind Rain, long spear at the ready.

Rain puts her arm on Newt’s shoulders affectionately for a few seconds and says, “Yah… I do that to Aramek all the time too. Old habit.”

As everyone moves into position under Indranil’s direction, Aramek takes hold of Rain’s arm and mutters an incantation, “Sorch-kiraso.” As an invisible field of tangible force surrounds Rain, Aramek winks at Rain and puts his finger to his lips. Then he performs the same protective spell for himself.

Rain turns to catch Aramek’s eyes briefly and smiles warmly. She turns back and says under her breath, “Nice.”

Rahk leads his warriors onto the pathway and the lizardfolk warriors march forward with shields interlinked in a steady stride, but after their initial burst of rage at their foes they again succumb to the chill that has left its frosty mark upon the ground as revealed by the rising sun. The further they march upon the path the more lethargic and sluggish they become, but sheer outrage and willpower spurs them on where otherwise they would be able to do nothing more than sun themselves upon the rocks. Arrows continue to rain down on them from the archers on the large mounds who appear to be concentrating their fire upon Chief Rahk but not a single arrow is able to penetrate his shield or shell armor. Bringing up the rear of the advance, Lorindel and the Guard concentrate their fire upon individual archers on the hill, but it is difficult because they are more than 200’ away and using the trees and brush on the mound for cover. Nevertheless, three of the Deathwalkers are hit. Lorindel finishes off one of those wounded with his own shot. Indranil finishes off another wounded Deathwalker with a shot that hits his foe squarely between the eyes. The third of the wounded Deathwalkers is hit a second time by Indranil, but is still able to duck back behind a tree despite his wounds. Fingol also fires upon the Deathwalkers but is unable to hit any of them. Aramek and Gar use their crossbows, but the range is too far and their bolts land among the trees and brush of the mound.

It is beginning to look like Chief Rahk’s invincibility, the lizardfolk shield wall, and the archery skills of the Keolanders will be enough to get them all the way to the mound, but halfway across the pathway the lizardfolk are attacked from the bog. Chief Rahk stops the advance and points to the side, but it is too late, on the left side of the pathway a large nightmarish crustacean with a maul surrounded by tentacles erupts out of the bog and lurches across the path, its slimy bulk partially blocking off the pathway and menacing the rest of it with its massive claws. Its small dark eyes fix on Chief Rahk and his warriors with a hungry stare, and the tentacles dripping from its mouth squirm excitedly as it reaches out and grabs one of the warriors with a claw and snips him in two. Its other claw reaches for Chief Rahk, who ducks beneath it and tries to chop it away at the joint, but the mottled armored carapace is too strong and withstands his blows. The lieutenant named Raz and other lizardfolk warriors rush the creature but their clubs are also ineffective against it. With a surprising nimbleness the creature dodges away from blows and scuttles back and forth snapping it pincers angrily. Chief Rahk keeps hacking away at it with his axe, and does manage to put a dent in it, but it is hardly enough to put the creature down.

The Deathwalkers in the meantime continue to fire down upon the lizardfolk, wounding two of the warriors who managed to move around to the back of the creature, and in doing so exposed their own backs to the mound. The Keolanders return fire, but only Fingol manages to wound a Deathwalker archer. Aramek sends a magic missile careening unerringly at the creature. It hits it between the eyes, and causes it to lurch back just a bit, but otherwise it does not appear to be greatly injured.

Indranil yells, “Brother, keep your squad firing on the mound, see if you can get their archers suppressed while we deal with the monster.”

Indranil keeps firing on the mound as well, as does Fingol and Rain.

The creature tries again to grab Chief Rahk but its claws slip off of the chief’s polished shell armor. One of the other lizardfolk warriors is not so lucky. The other claw grabs him and cuts him in half, scattering the pieces into the bog.

In the back ranks, Gar cast aside his shield and calls out, “Obad-Hai, grant to me the wings of the sea!” He then dives into the bog and begins swimming at great speed alongside the path.

Aramek fires another magic missile at the creature which again impacts for what seems to be little or no effect, though once again the half-elf sorcerer has drawn its ire.

The lizardfolk warriors at last surrounded the creature on all sides except the bog side. They continue hammering at it with their clubs but only once in a while does the creature even seem to feel the blows. As they do so, arrows from the mound continue to fall on them, wounding the two warriors nearest the mound who were previously injured. Some of Chief Rahk’s blows with his dwarven battleaxe finally seem to crack the creature’s carapace, yet still it shows no signs of weakening.

Lorindel and the Keolanders continue their own barrage against the Deathwalkers on the mound, concentrating their fire on one position at a time. Though Lorindel doesn’t get a hit, Sergeant Apone and one of his men manage to take out one of the archers who had been wounded previously.

Indranil continues shouting instructions, “Aramek keep casting your magic at that creature to stun it. Fingol, get your oil out and start throwing them towards the monster!” Indranil fires off another shot and wounds one of the archers on the mound.

Fingol immediately begins rummaging through his pack to get out the flasks of oil.

The creature continues trying to grab Chief Rahk but is growing clumsier in its attempts, though one snapping claw does grab and viciously bisect yet another lizardfolk warrior.

Gar finally reaches a point just below the large aberration and when he does he shouts, “May the fires of Obad-Hai cleanse this marsh of its defilers.” He then breathes forth a great gout flame from his mouth that engulfs the entire creature. Unfortunately the flames are not enough. Though its slimy covering is now burned away and the creature chitters in rage, it looks no less able to continue the fight than before.

Rain continues firing upon the mound but again her shot only buries itself in the underbrush.

Aramek casts his last magic missile and as before it strikes the creature right in what passes for a head. The creature shakes itself, chitters again, and snaps its claws angrily.

Encouraged by Gar’s example, the lizardfolk warriors dive into the bog and begin attacking the creature from that side, as others edge along the right hand side of the path to help surround the creature. They all keep bashing at it with their clubs from all sides, but the creature is quick and even when struck the clubs can’t seem to even dent its hard shell. The Deathwalkers on the mound succeed in wounding another of the warriors, and one of those who had already been hit twice before succumbs to his wounds when a third arrow buries itself in his back.

Lorindel also fires back, but again his shortbow just does not have sufficient range to hit anything on the mound.

Chief Rahk continues to hack into the creature’s shell with his battleaxe.  With the creature surrounded, he has an easier time hitting in and around the same spot.

Sergeant Apone and his guardsmen manage to concentrate their fire on the same Deathwalker that Indranil wounded and another arrow finds it target, the Deathwalker ducks back behind his tree, hurt but still alive.

Indranil yells, “Father Gar, get ready to do that again. When Sir Fingol starts throwing oil upon the creature burn it to hell.”

Fingol, having moved up closer now that the forward ranks of lizardfolk warriors have moved off to surround the creature, lobs it over the heads of those still in front of him and the oil flask lands and breaks on the creature’s back sending oil running down its carapace and even stinging its eyes.

The creature, harried as it is, is quite open to Xalakae, who slips in to observe its thoughts. “Argh! These little nibblets are putting up too much of a fight, and those death-worshipping morons aren’t helping! Screw this! I’m leaving!” Having had enough the creature lurches away, dives off the pathway over the heads of the lizardfolk in the bog, and scuttles off towards the small mound.

Gar scrambles back up onto the pathway and spits a flame bolt at it, but the bolt lands in the bog next to it with a fizzle and a cloud of steam. By that time the creature has already immersed itself in the bog enough to rinse off the oil from the flask.

Eight lizardfolk warriors head into the bog after the creature, but Rahk calls out to all his warriors in Draconic, “Stop! Let it go! Our true enemy is up ahead! We will finish the wretched thing off later. To the shrine! For the glory of the Malarat!”

As the lizardfolk rally around their leader, the contest of archery continues. The Deathwalkers concentrate their fire on Gar, seeing the power that he wielded and sensing an easier target than the heavily armored lizardfolk chieftain. Two arrows bury themselves in Gar’s side, they are painful wounds but his chainmail shirt prevents them from becoming lethal. Sergeant Apone and the guards manage to kill another of the Deathwalkers in their return fire, but sharp eyes can see that more reinforcements are showing up from within the mound to replace the casualties.

Indranil says, “Rahk you and those eight kill the monster. The raiding party will join. Gar with me! Fingol give me two oil flasks. You lead the main assault!”

Fingol hands off the oil flasks and moves forward to lead the advance on the fortress.

Arrows continue to fly back and forth between the two sides. Gar is hit once again in the ribs, this time targeted by a Deathwalker leader in banded armor from atop the mound. One of the lizardfolk warriors leading the advance is also hit. An arrow from one of the guardsmen in turn wounds one of the Deathwalker archers.

Chief Rahk pauses for a moment and then barks out new orders to those warriors on the pathway, “Let Sir Fingol lead,” then he dives into the bog and says to the eight still there, “We shall go after that thing.” With swift strokes he begins to catch up to the eight warriors as the creature crawls up onto the small mound and it turns to defend its lair.

Frost runs up through the ranks with Gar’s shield and turns it over to him, and then prepares to head back to his unit.

Gar sets his shield and not a moment too soon, for the Deathwalker leader overhead is still targeting him, but this time his arrow hits the shield. Gar raises his right hand and calls out, “Obad-Hai, grant me power to bring forth the dark way!” With that the shadows in the surrounding area deepen and begin to coalesce, becoming a 5’ wide ribbon of darkness that stretches from the pathway to the mound. “You now have your bridge milord,” says Gar to Indranil.

Indranil moves to cross the bridge quickly with a cry of “Ehlnestra!” Unfortunately, he is too heavy for the bridge and he slips through it and into the bog with a splash, to the great amusement of the Deathwalkers watching from the large mound. He has no choice now but to wade over to the smaller mound in water up to his waist.

Gar looks at Indranil and shrugs, “Sorry milord, I did tell you it could only take up to 200 lbs.” He then hurls his shield over to the small mound and then dives in after it, swimming almost as fast as the creature did, even with his chainmail shirt and other equipment on. He is soon right up near the edge of the creature’s lair.

Indranil trudges through the bog and up ahead he can see that Chief Rahk has managed to catch up to his warriors. They are about ten feet from the mound.

Rain moves across the newly formed bridge. Speaking to Aramek and Newt behind her she says, “This should hold us, but if not prepare to swim”.

Newt shouts, “Let the creature go! It’s done fighting. Get the Deathwalkers!” As she does this she follows Rain after rain makes it across.

Aramek, reaching into his inside pocket to be ready with the invisibility potions, yells to both Rain and Newt, “Wait for me,” and heads across the bridge, hoping it will hold him as well. He also makes it across without any problem.

The other Deathwalkers begin targeting Fingol who has moved to the lead on the path. He is struck in the ribs and right shoulder, but the hits are mere scratches, the main force of them stopped by his magical chainmail shirt, though they are still quite painful.

Fingol pulls out his longsword and shortsword and in Draconic shouts, “The archers! Charge the archers!” as he begins running as fast as can down the pathway – right into a patch of quicksand wherein he quickly sinks up to his shoulders. Fingol can’t help but notice the laughter issuing from the mound. Fortunately he is able to toss both of his swords back onto the path.

Lieutenant Raz and his warriors were too sluggish to charge but they do make it up to the edge of the quicksand. Lt. Raz quickly stretches himself as far he can over the quicksand and holds out his club, Fingol is able to get a hold of it and hang on, but Raz is too enervated by the cold to pull him back to the edge.

Lorindel and the guard continue to fire upon the mound. This time Lorindel manages to wound one, and one of the guardsmen wounds another.

Rain, Aramek and Newt now stand on the edge of the small mound among the reeds and the skull topped poles. At the far side of the mound they can see the creature curled up unmoving near the reeds and poles.

Rain shoots it with her bow but her arrow just bounces off its shell. The creature doesn’t even stir.

At the same time, Xalakae knows that it is thinking, “Yes, that’s it. Fire at my old shell you little nibblets. Just a little closer to these reeds and you’ll be mine.”

Newt warns the others, “It’s just a shell. The creature is probably hiding in those reeds.”

Aramek, seeing that the creature has temporarily abandoned its shell in order to lay a trap for Chief Rahk and his warriors, whispers, “mesagho” and his voice sounds in the Chief Rahk’s ear, “Beware, the shell is empty and the creature is lying in wait.”

Chief Rahk gets the message as he emerges from the bog onto the mound and begins signaling to his eight warriors to encircle the mound while submerged in the water.

The Deathwalkers begin to target lieutenant Raz as he continues to try to pull Fingol out of the quicksand. One arrow nicks him in the shoulder but he barely seems to notice it. Other lizardfolk warriors crowd around to help him pull Fingol back or to hold up their shields to cover Lt. Raz.

Indranil finally makes it up onto the smaller mound. Chief Rahk crouches down and motions for the others to do so as well. Gar comes up as well and confers the protective spell of resistance to harm on Chief Rahk with a touch. Chief Rahk nods in silent appreciation. The eight lizardfolk warriors continuing circling around submerged beneath the waters of the bog.

On the pathway, arrows continue to rain down, and one of them wounds one of the lizardfolk trying to help Lt. Raz get Fingol out. Fingol yells to Lt. Raz, “I’m going to swim for it. Get under a shield!” he takes a deep breath, lets one hand go and pulls with the other for a boost and begins swimming back to the edge of the quicksand.

Lorindel and the guard continue to fire back, and this time Lorindel’s arrow finds its mark and takes out one of the Deathwalker archers.

Lt. Raz is hit again and so, no longer having to try to pull Fingol back, he takes out his atlatl to return fire, but the enemy archers are too far away and his dart merely hits a tree. One of the Keolanders manages to wound another of them however. At the same time Lt. Ahsk leads the other ranks of lizardfolk off the path and into the bogs now that the creature has been chased back to the small mound and the pathway is blocked. They swim submerged beneath the waters where the archers can’t track their movements.

Gar confers resistance upon Rain and continues waiting with the others.

Finally the eight warriors emerge from the water and begin clubbing the creature on the mound that was trying to hide behind the reeds, it swings around in surprise and snaps at them but is unable to grab any of them, but neither do their clubs seem to have any effect on it.

Rahk moves in, “For Oro! For Semuanya! For the Malarat!” He begins hacking at it repeatedly with his battleaxe but is unable to break it open or hit the area he broke before.

Indranil lobs a flask of oil at the creature, but it slips off its back unbroken into the water. He yells, “Aramek, keep hitting with your magic missiles!”

“I’m all out! I still have my crossbow though!” Aramek responds.

Rain and Aramek fire at the creature, careful to avoid hitting Chief Rahk in the back, but their arrow and crossbow bolt bounce harmlessly off its shell.

Newt stays in place not wanting to get in the way of Rain or Aramek and wondering why they are all risking themselves fighting a creature that had already tried to leave the battle.

Gar comes over and bestows his blessing of resistance upon Newt as well.

On the pathway, Lorindel is struck in the right foot, while Apone manages to wound another enemy archer.

The creature continues to flail around as it is beset on all sides. The clubs of the warriors, and Aramek’s second crossbow bolt rebound off of it. Rain’s second arrow passes over it harmlessly. Chief Rahk however is able to hit it hard enough to split its shell open again.

Then Indranil succeeds in hitting its back with the second flask. As oil again runs down the creature’s shell he calls out, “Father Gar, hit it with your fire now!” Gar spits a bolt of fire at it and its back goes up in flames. It clicks and chitters in rage and pain and fixes its black eyes on Gar.

Fingol finally pulls himself back onto the solid earth of the path in time to see Lorindel, who had just wounded yet another archer, take two more hits, once more in the right foot and another in the right leg. Lorindel collapses on the path not ten feet from Fingol. An arrow lands right near Fingol’s outstretched hand before he can even get to his feet.

Sergeant Apone and his guards keep firing, wounding another of the Deathwalkers, but it is clear that it is not enough, as there seems to be no end to their reinforcements.

Up ahead in the bog on either side of the final part of the pathway flanked by the skull topped poles the water churns and boils. Then it erupts as the lizardfolk who were trying to swim beneath the waters reemerge as do their new foes – the skeletal remains of the lizardfolk warriors who died during Chief Rahk’s last attempt to destroy the shrine. Though their scales and flesh have sloughed off, they are still bearing shields and wielding clubs.

On the small mound the desperate creature finally manages to catch Chief Rahk in one claw and one of his warriors in the other. Chief Rahk’s ribs pop from the pressure and he roars in agony and flings away his axe and shield. He struggles with the pincers to keep them from closing all the way and shearing him in two even as the warrior is sheared in two like the others. The creature lumbers forward, crossing the island swiftly as it is determined to get at Aramek and Gar, the only others besides the Chief who have been able to hurt it at all. The flames on its back continue to sputter but the creature only seems all the more enraged by it.

Then amazingly, Chief Rahk’s roar changes to one of triumph as his mighty arms actually break the creature’s grip. He pulls the pincers apart and actually goes on to snap the claw in two. The creature reels back in shock but Chief Rahk has already leaped for its tentacled maul, rending into its soft flesh with his bare claws. The Chief pulls his claws out of the beast dripping with gore and viscera, turns and raises them over his head as the creature collapses behind him and howls his triumph so that all in the marshes will know that Chief Rahk avenged his fallen warriors. The other warriors on the small mound also take up the cry, as do those still fighting the skeletal remains of their brethren in bog. Then he pauses and the humans standing near him can see that he can barely stand, his chest and back are bloody and broken from the creature’s claws and he is panting struggling for breath. It is all he can do now to stand unbowed in the face of the ongoing battle in order to continue to hearten his warriors.

Indranil calls out, “Aramek help me with the Chief. We must move him away from the carcass. Father Gar, heal the Chief. Rain and Adelina look for an entrance but don’t go in.”

Even though Rain has not fully agreed with Indranil’s plan so far, she continues to follow his orders. She immediately begins looking around for some kind of hidden entrance or passage and Newt joins her as asked.

Gar calls back to Indranil, “There’s no time to move him!” Then he calls upon Obad-Hai to cure the wounds of the Chief. Chief Rahk’s immediately begins to breathe easier as the healing energy allows his broken ribs to knit themselves back together.

On the pathway arrows continue to fly back and forth. One catches Fingol in the back before he can be fully covered by the shields of Lt. Raz and the three other warriors waiting to help him back up. Two other arrows hit Lt. Raz as well, but they don’t seem to have penetrated too deeply into his thick scaly hide. He is still in pain from the multiple hits he has taken, but he bears it stoically. Apone and his guards manage to sink two arrows into one of the Deathwalkers, but they can’t tell if he is dead or just hurt. Lorindel still lays unmoving on the pathway.

Fingol calls out to Indranil, “Reinforcements!” He then moves over to help Lorindel. Lt. Raz and the lizardfolk cover him with their shields as he does so. Soon he has taken the arrows out and begun binding Lorindel’s upper thigh to slow the bleeding to a trickle.

Indranil calls out to Gar, “Hurry to heal Lorindel and Fingol. Everyone else, retreat to the tree line to regroup.” Indranil’s spirits sink, for his plan failed and perhaps his brother is dead because of it.

Gar is already crossing the mound. He flings his shield back towards the pathway and then dives into the bog after it, once more swimming with the speed of an eel or large fish.

Chief Rahk gathers his remaining seven warriors on the small mound and dispatches them, submerged, back into the bog to ring the large mound and make sure that the Deathwalkers do not try to escape.

Just as Rain hears Indranil’s call for a retreat she stumbles across a rotting sack in the underbrush.

Hearing Indranil, Aramek calls to Rain, “Let’s go!”

Rain says hurriedly, “Aramek and Newt… follow Indranil back to the tree line. I’ll follow shortly”. She then, from a concealed position in the reeds next to the sack, begins to provide support fire while the others retreat. She is keeping half an eye on the retreating group on the pathway so that she can begin her own full retreat to catch up with them when the time is right.

Aramek is deeply conflicted. He’s ready to go with Rain but he also doesn’t want to endanger Newt. Reluctantly he says to Rain, “Okay but be careful.” Then to Newt, “Come on, let’s get back to the tree line.”

On the pathway, Fingol picks up Lorindel as Lt. Raz and his warriors continue to shield him, as the enemy continues to target them. They back up on the pathway alongside the warriors in the bog who are withdrawing in an orderly fashion from the skeletons.

Gar finally makes it back to the pathway, with Rahk right behind him. As soon as he gets over to Fingol and the others he intones, “Om,” and sends out a healing radiance that embraces Chief Rahk, Lt. Raz, Fingol, and the withdrawing lizardfolk warriors.

Lorindel revives saying, “Thank you, I’m okay now.” He is still shaky but otherwise able to stand on his own two feet and keep up with the retreat.

Arrows continue to fly back and forth, two lizardfolk in the bog are wounded, but so are two of the Deathwalkers on the large mound. Sergeant Apone shouts to Fingol, “Sir Fingol, we’re down to our last four arrows!” Fortunately the skeletons break off their pursuit.

Indranil calls out to Rain, “Come on, its time to get out of here!”

After wounding one of the Deathwalker archers, Rain puts her bow away and grabs the sack, holding it under her cloak as she heads off the small mound and through the bog back to the tree line.