Tairn

Play date: 7/7/09

1533.2.7
Arch Magister Adrone addresses you all: “I will make a portal within the Temple to transport everyone  from here to the Temple of Andreja in Lysoria. It will take me some time to complete the portal, and then some time to move everyone through the portal to safety. Keep the giants from breaching the wall while I work. High Priest Calum and Right Hand Andre will stay with you as well as Magister Brens. Varende, I can enchant some arrows for you that will burst into flame when you fire them.” Serk says if a longbow can be provided for him, he too could fire arrows at the giants. Monwyn leaves with Adrone and returns shortly with two quivers of arrows and a long bow. The gate chain is disabled and people mount the wall. Everyone sees a hill giant who appears better dressed than the others. He is clearly a leader. Calum and Brens are discussing a plan to magically assault him when Malperder breaks in to their conversation with the same idea. They tell Malperder to let Varende, Banic, Serk and everyone else to await their coordinated attack and then assault the leader at range. The area in front of the Keep is filling with ogres, little giants, and hill giants. Six hill giants are carrying a huge piece of the outer wooden wall thirty feet long and twenty five feet tall. Columns of fire erupt on the leader. Banic tosses a sound lance and arrows arch towards him. He begins casting spells. Brens is struck with a ray and stands listless next to Malperder. The hill giants rush the wall and plant the piece of wooden wall as Calum conjures a Blade Barrier. Hill giants rush up the wooden wall but are heavily hurt by the barrier. Calum leads Brens to safety in the courtyard while everyone else is repelling the giant attack. Calum eventually shouts to step back and creates another barrier near the top of the wall. The ogres and little giants move west towards the end of the barrier and Andre leads a charge down the wall towards them. People stream from the refectory and storeroom towards the temple ushered by Gwyn and Gregor.  As everyone moves west to head off any ogre intrusion, Varende spots four hill giants gather around the leader; the leader casts a spell and appears with the four giants within the walls of the keep. The embiggened Banic jumps down as does Malperder. Andre jumps down in a corner while Calum creates a third blade barrier on the other side. Calum begins mass healing people near him. Monwyn comes out the gatehouse door to join the battle. Hill giant clubs wreak a terrible toll, but Calum’s magic keeps all but Banic from falling. The leader has turned invisible, but he doesn’t seem to be involved in the fight. Adrone appears in the sky as lightning arcs between the four hill giants in the courtyard. The giants felled many people before they were assaulted. Adrone flies west as the battle with the giants carries on. As the last of the giants fall, Calum gathers everyone by the well for healing. Banic is brought back to consciousness by Varende’s potion. Adrone returns and tells everyone to get inside the Temple. Once everyone is in, he places a wall of stone across the door. People are still moving through the portal at the far end of the room one at a time. While still outside, Varende saw no sign of the hill giant leader. Varende warns Adrone and he casts a spell to see invisible things. He sees none within the room. Eventually everyone moves through into the Temple of Andreja in Lysoria. Adrone remains behind to close the gate. He then appears in the Temple. Calum confirms that Keddick would want to be brought back to life. Varende says he will arrange the five thousand crowns worth of unguents for the spell. Malperder gives him a thousand crowns. Calum says he should be able to do it tomorrow.
Malperder and Banic report to Thorgar about what has transpired.

1533.2.8 - Six bells in the evening
Each person receives a sending to come to The Temple of Andreja at six bells to greet the newly risen Keddick over supper. When all five have arrived, you are escorted to Calum. He ushers you into a room where Keddick sits in a simple shift eating and drinking tentatively. Calum says he will return shortly with Arch Magister Adrone. A short discussion ensues before the High Priest and Arch Magister return. Adrone says he wishes you to all come with him. Part of the party links hands and disappears with him. He returns and brings the others including Calum.
You are standing in a large circular room. The walls are cut stone. <Malperder and Banic didn’t ask, but they sensed they were deep underground – ½ a mile or more>. There are no exits from the room. Fifty chairs sit in a wide circle and twenty-five to thirty people are standing or sitting. You see other luminaries of the Kingdom including Amelanril, High Druid  Aglandar, King William, and some wizards Keddick recognizes as Magisters of the Guild. Adrone says, these are the Defenders of Tairn. We ask you to join our number. You will swear an oath to the Arch Magister, High Priest, and King of Tairn.  Will you join?
Varende steps forward as well as Banic and Malperder. Serk follows the Dwarven lead. Keddick thinks a bit and questions the oath a little concerned for his family allegiance. Adrone reassures him, but says the oath would transcend family alliance in times of need. Keddick agrees. Jack demurs. He says something diplomatic about being honored but feels he is unable to join without personal gain. Adrone says he understands. He touches Jack and disappears.