17/08/2021 - Fierce n’ Fiery Fortress Fighting

## Back to the fort

* On the way back…

* We decide if we want to get to Kunai’s family (the tribunal) via the cities using the pass given to us by Christo, or via the back supply route. The former being riskier for the non-humanoids, who are clearly not trusted by the locals.

* We discuss whether king Tupelo knows his wine is magical. He probs does, he’s powerful as.

* The sky is more orange that we’d expect… in the direction we are heading. Bayul smells smoke!

* Narko grabs Ves and charges forward. The others take a more cautious approach and take a good look at the skyline before following.

* See flames within the fortress. Elements are on fire. The gate has taken damage, as has the walls. Can hear commotion, some fighting maybe. But hard to tell. People running away. Hear some clanging of steel.

* Narko grabs a Satyr running away and Ves asks what is going on. She says that people are attacking, burning them. And that we shouldn’t go in.

* Whilst waiting for the others, Ves turns into a giant eagle and flies over the fortress. Sees that several parts of the fort are damaged and/or on fire. Can see fighting, Tupelo leading his warriors with his sick gauntlet – swords. Appear to be fighting people with myriad portions of armour with side-capes, each cape is emerald green.

* Ves starts guiding injured people outside to Narko. Who looks after them whilst waiting for the others.

## Fight time

* The others arrive. Ves explains the situation. We charge in.

* Two giant warriors block our path to Tupelo. Bayul fires at the guys behind the warriors with his long bow, as Galdor, Elyan and Narko attack a minion nearby. Ves does a metric ton of lightening damage to one of the big dudes.

* The fight is brutal. The big guys do much damage to Narko and Bayul. Though they do a fair amount back. Galdor is on point with his longbow, whilst Ves does all the lightening and Elyan does sneaky bard things like make one of the big guys attack the other. Elyan also does some baller cutting words.

* We eventually kill one of the big guys. Galdor does a creepy kiss-heal on Bayul. Ves summons some fiery snakes! We quickly now take down the other one, with Narko clefting it in twain.

* Their bodies then begin to leak weird black puddles and almost start shrinking and dissolving. Ves has never seen this before. The big guys eventually return to the size of a normal humanoid. Ves collects some of the weird blood they were oozing.

* We go and speak to Tupelo, Ves with her snakes in tow.

## Chat with Tupelo

* Tupelo is giving everything a thousand-yard stare, breathing heavily. Coming down from the battle high. He says that they came out of nowhere, no one raised the alarm. There was an explosion. They poured in and started slaughtering. They look like the people of Echs. Ves says she doesn’t think this was the people of Ves. Thinks the big guys were not from Echs, that they were impersonating the people of Echs to try and spark war between the two groups.

* No sign of Zorrah and Cirrah…. Everyone is suspicious that they were behind the attack.

* Tupelo thanks us for fighting for his people. Says he is in our debt.

* Bayul points out we have now helped the people on both sides of the Island.

* Tupelo’s next steps are to arrange the re-defence of the city and work out who attacked them.

* He also needs to deliver the supplies we got to D’esterre, and asks if we will do that on his behalf as he cannot spare his own people.

* Bayul says he will go and secure the supplies and check over the defences of the city with his battle tactics expertise.

* Tupelo now considers himself honoured members of his tribe. He then raises his finger and clicks with a thunderous boom. Someone trots up behind him and hands him a long wooden box and a black metal cube, with silvery letters and a tigers eye set into one of the silverly channels. He presents us with a gift, a device of his pride. In the long box are a series of bracelets, each carved into the lion symbol of his tribe.

* He then asks us to gather around, looks at Ves, and holds out the black metal cube. It is disconcertingly black, masterfully crafted. Tupelo says that if we get into a sticky situation from which we need to hide, we can use the cube. But we need to solve the puzzle first. When we do, we can press the tigers eye and it’ll help us (will take a short rest to solve, Rubik cube style, that casts darkness centred on the box, though Ves will be able to see through that darkness. After 10 mins the spell ends, and the box reconfigures and needs to be solved again. Can be used once per day.)

* Tells us where to find the path to the Tribunal. But warns it’ll be dangerous. Asks us to keep an eye for his daughters and says to Elyan that the questioning of them will have to wait.

* Elyan says he will message him in a few days to see if Tupelo has found them.

We are then invited to stay the night and feast before we go tomorrow.

Bayul comes back with the cart. Only about 40% is left, but thankfully most of the Tribunal’s stuff is still there.