Sessions 38-39: The Siege of the River Forts

With Mawish on his way, and surrounded by thousands of their enemies, the companions had to think quickly. Thanks to a distraction by Thoranrai (which involved burning the Nalshbori camp's three-armed augur alive in his tent), the companions managed to break Sir Ralus and a few other prisoners away--including Klorpeim [played by Hope] and Amsotha [played by PJ], two soldiers who had been captured by Nalshbori during the course of their duties around the River Forts. Fleeing the camp, the Company opted to take the more direct--and more hazardous--route west through the Serth Hatama, as a result of which they managed to avoid most of the pursuing Nalshbori forces until nearly in sight of Hural Yalir, when they were set upon the Icebound--legendary frozen warriors rasied by Orkon's sorcery. Despite the fact that they were alone, hungry, and mostly unarmed, the Companions managed to defeat the Icebound (Sir Ralus snapping a couple of necks with his bare hands), entering the fort immediately afterwards where Feiala's (who had been wounded in the encounter and was in grave condition) were tended by the fort's leeches.

This ended the Fall of 452. During the fellowship phase of that year, the companions undertook various undertakings as they rested in the vicinity of Cheykor.

---

The Winter of 452 began with unseasonable war on the marches.

It is the 14th of Harkel, when Amborian children ought to still be sleeping off the their meal from the 10-day harvest festival with which this month began. But things have gone otherwise along the marches of the Cheyth: Nalshbori have poured out via the old King's Road from Gashund-i-Yalir, laying siege to the two eastern border forts of Hural Yalir (in the North) and Galal-i-Yalir (in the South). The forts are holding out for now, bolstered as they are by supplies and reinforcements fed to them via the river, but nobody is sure how long this will last. Come Spring, reinforcements will almost certainly come from the Red Isle, if not overland, but in the meantime the situation is bleak--as is the mood in Cheykor. With most of the men of the village mustered into militia and women, children, and old men removed to smaller villages in the hills, Cheykor is quiet and morose. Only a few elders and opportunists have stuck it out, the latter hoping to somehow profit by their proximity to the war. Onerama the Bald has opened up his vast estate, some six miles to the north, to whatever refugees should choose to look for shelter, food, and work there. There are even rumors that he has been mustering his own force of armed men, who can move into action should the Nalshbori win the crossings...

The adventure began with the companions being called before the village elders of Cheykor:
Kaneral, Inyanyer, and Falaru - Village elders. During the day they can typically be found in the town square in good weather, or in the Cracked Beaker in bad weather.

• Kaneral: Late middle-aged, has a stump for a left leg. Quite happy to tell you all about how he lost his leg fighting one of the great Tusked Beasts of the Cheyth Wood.
• Inyanyer: Old and toothless, has a keen and penetrating glance. Longs for the days when he was a famous hunter and warrior.
• Falaru: Younger than her two fellow elders, Falaru is rumored to be gifted with the second sight. Her husband and children were lost during a Nalshbori sortie some thirty years ago.

The elders introduce the Companions to Telini, the red-haired fletcher and go-between for Onerama the Bald who many of the companions had met previously. She was battered and bruised, and her story was one of ill news:

• She told how she was summoned to Onerama's chambers. She thought nothing of this--as someone who works for him, she reports to him frequently. When she entered, she found him and three or four of his closest foremen standing around a ritual circle. It had apparently become time for Telini to be inducted into the worship of Tauran-Tauror, the Red Vulture. Telini fled (though not before she was struck across the face and also managed to grab the small vulture idol the cultists were using) and headed for Cheykor.

The elders laid out the situation for the companions: Onerama has a small army gathered at his estate, not to mention hundreds of refugees. If he is in fact a servant of the Vulture Cult whose presence in the area was revealed during the previous year, he could take one of the border forts, or even Cheykor itself, by storm. The elders need someone to go to Leil Yalir and warn Captain Landras of the threat. He has enough men that they should be able to deal with Onerama. The situation is doubly delicate, since Leil Yalir is also vital for resupplying Hural Yalir across the water, which is currently under siege.

The companions traveled to Leil Yalir and, after a bit of discussion with Captain Landras, managed to convince him of the reality of the threat. Leaving a small force to man the fortress until he returns, Captain Landras mustered his company, and with the companions began the short march to Onerama's farm.