Windmill Rumble

The Vast

Legolars, Gates and Rob meet up with Said, Jaden and Rista, the last of the band at the altar stone as planned.

After talking things through they decide to head further to the east where a small village can be found.

The journey is fairly pleasant with warm spring weather blessing their trek. En route they meet a family of half ogres who are in the process of emigrating to the lands around the Moon Sea. When asked why this is the adventurers learn that the half ogres and several others in the region are moving out too on account of "too much weirdness going on".

Since this fits in with the previous goings-on the band presses on, after Jaden has purchased the wagon and the mules from the half-ogres for a handsome sum of gold. Included is a 100-gallon barrel of salted pork.

As they keep going Legolars notices that there are gnoll in the woods, although the normally bellicose man-beasts seem keen on keeping their distance. Eventually the adventurers reach the village unmolested.

Brother Gates and Rista are soon engaged in blessing everything from piglets to trade deals. While Rob, Legolars and Jaden hang out in the wagon, squabbling over what to do next they spy a small band of gnolls attempting to burglarize a tool shed. They run off when they notice that Rob and Jaden are heading towards them. The shed itself seems to contain nothing of interest.

Meanwhile Said asks around the village and find out that the most weirdness takes place out east by a transhumance and the wide creek beyond. There is also a bridge across the creek somewhere. Across the bridge lies an old windmill. All of this is a mere two days journey away.

After adding all this information the heroes set out on foot, leaving the wagon in the village, aiming at reaching the old mill at dawn the second day.

They reach the transhumance without trouble but find it empty but despoiled by gnoll graffiti of unknown meaning. Rather than risking extraplanar beings coming through the graffiti, Yassir and Rob sets the transhumance on fire as the band prepares to leave.

When they reach the creek the weather has worsened and there is a slight but increasing rainfall. Since they don't know where the bridge is they decide to cross the creek on a makeshift rope bridge.

As darkness falls they make camp inside the woods near to the creek. In the early morning hours Said, sitting guard, hears a faint commotion outside and sneaks out to investigate. The rope bridge has been cut and after rousing the others from their slumber they notice a band of gnoll having hidden in the bushes on the western bank of the creek, trapping the heroes between the water and the windmill.

Almost as if on cue they spot a line of skeletons coming marching through the woods. A score and a half of undead horrors!

Said reacts swiftly and hides in the undergrowth, allowing the skeletons to pass him by. Rob and Jaden move forward, preparing to charge.

Battle is joined and the holy chants of the clerics blast several skeletal opponents into oblivion even as Jaden and Ron chop the others up, Legolars engaging them, sword in hand as they try to get to the clerics.

Meanwhile, Said notices an armoured figure in the gloom that seems to direct the undead. He stealthily approaches and deals what he hopes is a lethal blow. To his dismay the heavily armoured enemy is tougher than expected! He is a Blackguard of Velsharoon! Although badly hurt by the unholy warriors counter attack Said manages to cut his enemy down just as Rob and Jaden arrive to assist.

Having eventually dispatched the undead horde, the heroes gather to look to their wounds and discuss what to do next.

In the distance they see the old windmill beyond an open stretch of land.

After some deliberation our heroes set out across the open patch only to face a swarm of manes poring out from the windmill!

Having fought these disgusting little Giger-esque shmoo-wannabe's before prepare to take measures to avoid their acidic death burst. This is pioneered by Legolars who's tired of seeing his sword blows being deflected by the supernatural resistance of the demonoids and the elf grapples the little scumbag and hurls it into a tree where it bursts with a disgusting noise.

Soon enough everyone is putting the boot in and kicks manes both against trees and at other demons. Said, meanwhile skulks closer and closer to the windmill.

As the demon-soccer approaches it's climax a man emerges from the windmill and proceeds to blast the heroes with wicked magics! Brother Gates and Jaden are both felled by successive blasts of Scorching Rays, surviving only through the swift action taken by Rista who heals them before their lives leave their bodies.

Said leaps into action and brutally stabs the wizard through the back and coupled with a well-aimed arrow from Legolars the arcane enemy is struck down.

Said hurriedly peeks inside the windmill and finds a rabbit's cage. Dumping the rabbit into the other cage he rushes back out to join the fight with the remaining manes who've rallied after being kicked around. Charging the tiny brute, Said slams the cage over it and locks it up, capturing it.

Jaden and Said then leave the others to destroy the remains of the demons and go inside the windmill to secure it.

They find the insides to be in a far better shape than the outside as well as food stores, magical paraphernalia and a batch of scrolls of demonic summoning.

When the others finally join Jaden and Said they all decide to stay indoors while planning their next move. Not before Jaden takes petty revenge on the wizard's corpse by dumping a heavy cauldron on it though.

Thus ends the third episode.