Rangers of Shadowdeep – The Beacon Tower – Tor Varden Upper Level
For some reason, several of my photos turned out very bad. So there are unfortunately fewer photos than usual in this post.
Dogbreath dashed up the stairs to the roof of Tor Varden, smashing the trap door wide open. Sir Lucien and Etienne followed, at a more controlled pace. “Boss! Boss! BOOOOSS! Sneaky gitz is in da tower! Dey’s crawlin’ all up in it, dey is!” Sir Lucien and Etienne exchanged glances. Was Dogbreath betraying them, or was he just moving into better position to attack?
Three orc archers walked the wooden walkways surrounding the tower roof. In the center of the tower stood an orc fighter and the Shadow Knight, standing next to the signal pyre. Someone was tied to the top of the pyre, struggling to break their bonds.
While Sir Lucien advanced, Etienne followed, casting the Magic Bolt spell he had saved in his spellbook, injuring one of the archers.
Two of the archers fired at Etienne, one grazing him, drawing blood. The third fired at Sir Lucien, but missed. The fighter and the Shadow Knight advanced towards them. Etienne could feel the chill of the Shadow Knight and he involuntarily shivered.
Etienne drew from the well of power he held on to, casting two enhanced Magic Bolts from his fingers. One struck the Shadow Knight, weakening it. The other missed the archer.
Dogbreath, figuring he was close enough to drop the ruse, fired his bow at the nearest archer, missing. Elarion, climbing up to the top, enchanted his arrow using the magic inherent in the heritage, firing at the Shadow Knight, nearly destroying it. However, the Shadow Knight was hanging on to its existence. The orc archer that Dogbreath fired at returned the favor, dropping Dogbreath.
The orc fighter attacked Etienne, who parried the attack, injuring the orc and pushing him back. The Shadow Knight attacks Sir Lucien, its blade striking, but Sir Lucien's armor held, and the injury was minor.
One of the archers fired at Etienne, injuring him severely.
Sir Lucien attacked the Shadow Knight, but the Shadow Knight was ready for his attack, striking Lucien hard, but Aenur moved foward, and struck the Shadow Knight down, sending its cursed soul back to the void.
As the Shadow Knight fell, the team saw a green light in the distance. The beacon of Tor Dargos was lit, but with an evil, corrupt fire. Etienne, Lucien and Elarion felt ill with despair.
Aenur, seemingly unaffected by the cursed fire in the distance, attacked the orc fighter, who was emboldened by the event. However, the orc was tougher than Aenur expected, and Aenur was badly wounded. Etienne focused and recalled the Magic Bolt spell from his memory, casting it again at the orc archer - this time killing the orc.
Elarion fired a smoke shot arrow, blocking line of sight between the group and one of the archers, trying to give them some breathing time. The effort paid off, as the archers missed.
Etienne, out of Magic Bolt spells, cast Armour on himself, while Aenur attacked the orc fighter, and this time his blade snuck under the fighter's defenses, sinking deep into the orc, and pushing him back. That gave Elarion an opening, and his arrow dropped the orc fighter.
However, it also gave the orcs an opening, and one of the archers fired at Aenur, killing him. The other fired at Elarion, but missed.
Sir Lucien contined to move towards one of the archers.
Suddenly, the beacon of Tor Hammel lit with a green fire, shaking Etienne to his core.
Etienne moved behind the unlit pyre, concealing himself from the archers, while Elarion fired a Fire Arrow at one of the archers, killing him. Sir Lucien continued to advance. The remaining orc moved to get Etienne into his sight, firing at him and nearly killing him.
Elarion fired at the orc, injuring him, while Sir Lucien continued this advance. Etienne cast Teleport - without a ranged attack, he could continue to hide, or he could advance, and hope to either take out the orc, or buy his companions time.
Unfortunately for Etienne, it was the latter, as the orc moved to attack Etienne, dropping him.
The orc then redrew his bow, firing at Sir Lucien, but missed, as did Elarion when he fired at the orc.
The orc fired again at Sir Lucien, missing again. This time, Elarion's shot was true, and the orc dropped.
Sir Lucien and Elarion moved to check on their fallen comrades, while the person on the pyre shouted for help. Dogbreath was badly wounded, but would live. Etienne was just shaken, but the orc's attack destroyed his spellbook. And Aenur would walk among the living no more.
Sir Lucien undid the chains that bound the prisoner. The group expected an Alladorean guard, or perhaps a Lorenthian prisoner. But instead, it was a Tollonian. "Thank the Many! I thought I was going to be roasted, and they didn't even stuff an apple in my mouth."
The Tollonian looked at the fires blazing in Tor Dargos and Tor Hammel. "Poor souls. I am Waldemar Beitz, Swordmaster. I was guarding a caravan in Alladore when Lorenthia fell, so I volunteered to help defend this nation. We were taken by surprise, and many of the other guards were killed. I didn't know why they kept me alive, but now, of course, I see the reason." Etienne looked at Aenur. "We can't leave his body here. We will send him off, using the beacon pyre. Only without the magic of the Shadow Deep, his pyre will burn clean, letting all who see know that Alladore is still defended."
As they laid Aenur on the pyre, Elarion sang him to the next life.
The team prepared to leave. "Waldemar, the way back is clear. We have to continue on." Waldemar picked up Aenur's sword and one of the orc's daggers. "Nonsense, my saviors. My sword is yours."
Sir Lucien, who was staring into the land that was once Lorenthia, spoke up "There is a fissure that looks like it leads to the Shadow Deep. We should scout it out."
The group scouted out the fissure. It was clearly not natural - rough stairs led down through the mist that sat like a sea over the land that was once Lorenthia. Etienne cast a simple enchantment to relay what they found back to the Rangers, who responded, asking them to head down the stairs and scout out as much of the Shadow Deep as they could.
The group, alert and watchful, began their trek down into the Shadow.
Three orc archers walked the wooden walkways surrounding the tower roof. In the center of the tower stood an orc fighter and the Shadow Knight, standing next to the signal pyre. Someone was tied to the top of the pyre, struggling to break their bonds.
While Sir Lucien advanced, Etienne followed, casting the Magic Bolt spell he had saved in his spellbook, injuring one of the archers.Two of the archers fired at Etienne, one grazing him, drawing blood. The third fired at Sir Lucien, but missed. The fighter and the Shadow Knight advanced towards them. Etienne could feel the chill of the Shadow Knight and he involuntarily shivered.
Etienne drew from the well of power he held on to, casting two enhanced Magic Bolts from his fingers. One struck the Shadow Knight, weakening it. The other missed the archer.
Dogbreath, figuring he was close enough to drop the ruse, fired his bow at the nearest archer, missing. Elarion, climbing up to the top, enchanted his arrow using the magic inherent in the heritage, firing at the Shadow Knight, nearly destroying it. However, the Shadow Knight was hanging on to its existence. The orc archer that Dogbreath fired at returned the favor, dropping Dogbreath.
The orc fighter attacked Etienne, who parried the attack, injuring the orc and pushing him back. The Shadow Knight attacks Sir Lucien, its blade striking, but Sir Lucien's armor held, and the injury was minor.
One of the archers fired at Etienne, injuring him severely.
Sir Lucien attacked the Shadow Knight, but the Shadow Knight was ready for his attack, striking Lucien hard, but Aenur moved foward, and struck the Shadow Knight down, sending its cursed soul back to the void.
As the Shadow Knight fell, the team saw a green light in the distance. The beacon of Tor Dargos was lit, but with an evil, corrupt fire. Etienne, Lucien and Elarion felt ill with despair.
Aenur, seemingly unaffected by the cursed fire in the distance, attacked the orc fighter, who was emboldened by the event. However, the orc was tougher than Aenur expected, and Aenur was badly wounded. Etienne focused and recalled the Magic Bolt spell from his memory, casting it again at the orc archer - this time killing the orc.
Elarion fired a smoke shot arrow, blocking line of sight between the group and one of the archers, trying to give them some breathing time. The effort paid off, as the archers missed.
Etienne, out of Magic Bolt spells, cast Armour on himself, while Aenur attacked the orc fighter, and this time his blade snuck under the fighter's defenses, sinking deep into the orc, and pushing him back. That gave Elarion an opening, and his arrow dropped the orc fighter.
However, it also gave the orcs an opening, and one of the archers fired at Aenur, killing him. The other fired at Elarion, but missed.
Sir Lucien contined to move towards one of the archers.
Suddenly, the beacon of Tor Hammel lit with a green fire, shaking Etienne to his core.
Etienne moved behind the unlit pyre, concealing himself from the archers, while Elarion fired a Fire Arrow at one of the archers, killing him. Sir Lucien continued to advance. The remaining orc moved to get Etienne into his sight, firing at him and nearly killing him.
Elarion fired at the orc, injuring him, while Sir Lucien continued this advance. Etienne cast Teleport - without a ranged attack, he could continue to hide, or he could advance, and hope to either take out the orc, or buy his companions time.Unfortunately for Etienne, it was the latter, as the orc moved to attack Etienne, dropping him.
The orc then redrew his bow, firing at Sir Lucien, but missed, as did Elarion when he fired at the orc.
The orc fired again at Sir Lucien, missing again. This time, Elarion's shot was true, and the orc dropped.
Sir Lucien and Elarion moved to check on their fallen comrades, while the person on the pyre shouted for help. Dogbreath was badly wounded, but would live. Etienne was just shaken, but the orc's attack destroyed his spellbook. And Aenur would walk among the living no more.
Sir Lucien undid the chains that bound the prisoner. The group expected an Alladorean guard, or perhaps a Lorenthian prisoner. But instead, it was a Tollonian. "Thank the Many! I thought I was going to be roasted, and they didn't even stuff an apple in my mouth."
The Tollonian looked at the fires blazing in Tor Dargos and Tor Hammel. "Poor souls. I am Waldemar Beitz, Swordmaster. I was guarding a caravan in Alladore when Lorenthia fell, so I volunteered to help defend this nation. We were taken by surprise, and many of the other guards were killed. I didn't know why they kept me alive, but now, of course, I see the reason." Etienne looked at Aenur. "We can't leave his body here. We will send him off, using the beacon pyre. Only without the magic of the Shadow Deep, his pyre will burn clean, letting all who see know that Alladore is still defended."
As they laid Aenur on the pyre, Elarion sang him to the next life.
The team prepared to leave. "Waldemar, the way back is clear. We have to continue on." Waldemar picked up Aenur's sword and one of the orc's daggers. "Nonsense, my saviors. My sword is yours."
Sir Lucien, who was staring into the land that was once Lorenthia, spoke up "There is a fissure that looks like it leads to the Shadow Deep. We should scout it out."
The group scouted out the fissure. It was clearly not natural - rough stairs led down through the mist that sat like a sea over the land that was once Lorenthia. Etienne cast a simple enchantment to relay what they found back to the Rangers, who responded, asking them to head down the stairs and scout out as much of the Shadow Deep as they could.
The group, alert and watchful, began their trek down into the Shadow.
