Flanking Strike

6/18/2016

     Word was sent to the Faraak force, the Qur'rok'tar army would be prepared in a few days and the attack would commence.  A guerrilla unit was formed to attempt an attack on the enemy leadership.  The unit consisted of Zorak, Mareg, Bastion, Kaszuk, Kriskahn, Raptor, four specially chosen Orc warriors Maluz, Ollisk, Garine, Fulah and the bard, Elyon.  The plan was to use the hidden tunnel system to sneak behind enemy lines and locate Palara's tent.  Then, during the battle they would eliminate her, sending the harpy forces into chaos.

     In only a few hours the strike team reached the closest tunnel.  The tunnel was narrow, with a five foot clearing and only six feet wide.  It carried on for a bit over a mile before the team began hearing voices.  Mutterings of goblins and grimlocks, and maybe some harpy voices as well.  Unsure of what to do next, Kaszuk used augury to communicate with Semmuanya.  The spell yielded a "woe" result, meaning that pressing forward was a mistake.  When Kaszuk presented this information to the team he was met with conflict.  Mareg went as far as to claim not to believe in the goddesses words.  Kaszuk, offended and insulted, but knowing the delicate situation they were in kept his anger in check.  He turned his back to Mareg and headed back towards the entrance to the cave.

     The remaining members decide to scout ahead a bit.  They discovered a room filled with cages, the cages contained various goblins and grimlocks with a few harpies were standing guard.  They devised a plan, Bastion would use his flute to unlock the cages from a distance.  Mareg, using his explosives, would cause a cave in, covering their escape.  The plan, went off quite well, the song was able to open many of the locks, freeing the prisoners and the cave in effectively closed off the path.

     The team rejoined Kaszuk at the exit of the cave where they waited, allowing Drogon, Kriskahn's familiar, to scout.  With the coast clear it was decided that the strike team would head west along the south ridge of the mountains, then head north and follow the lake to the chief's hut.

     In a few hours time the group had reached a pivotal point.  The treeline ended near the stream leaving a few hundred feet lacking the cover they were relying on.  Kaszuk stated that he could cast a few spells and cover that distance in order to reach their target.  Not a single member of the party agreed.  Most felt that it would be suicide and that a better course of action would be to aid the primary force.  Mareg stated his concern about their survival, he felt that even if they could defeat Palara that they would have no means of escape.  Kaszuk viewed his self preservation as the last straw.  He called the man a coward, and asked if anyone would be willing to follow him to accomplish their mission.  No one was willing to follow him.

     Exasperated, Kaszuk took matters into his own hands.  He stood on the edge of the treeline and prepared to make the run.  He first cast the spell silence, ensuring that his run would be unheard.  Then he cast obscuring mist, providing visual cover where there was none.  Then, without looking back, he sprinted to the safety of the treeline far on the other side of the stream.  Luckily for him, it was only a few seconds until the remainder of the strike force joined him on the other side of the fog.  Finally in position behind the chieftain's tent the team now only had to wait for the best moment to strike.