A Test of Defenses
| A Test of Defenses | |
|---|---|
| Date | 6/6/25 |
| Storyteller | Slayzo |
| Tier | Trainee |
| Player Characters | Ken, Lilith, Mahra Flamewalker, Raiya, Theodore Leafchewer |
| Rewards | 270 gp, 300 xp |
| Result | Success |
| Author | Raiya (frosty) |
| Downtime | 2 |
Associates help a village fend off attacks from daemons and oni.
Log
We began our expedition at the portal to the Old Country in Lancaster, and after arriving at the village in question, a guard flagged us down. Upon getting an update about the current happenings of the battle, we learned that there were three fronts: one in the west, headed by an undead pirate army handling an incursion of daemons, another to the north defending the town from snow oni, and a third in the nearby forest to the east in which hired bandits were fending off snow oni as well.
We decided to split up to best suit our strengths and go where we were needed most; Houzen and Lilith aided the undead, Mahra helped injured troops get back on their feet before joining me in the north with the village guards, and Ken and Theo went to assist the bandits in the forest. We made rather good work of the enemy forces, and in time, they began to thin.
However, as the fight dragged on, a fourth attack became imminent as another group advanced upon the village from the south. Assured that the battle in the north was nearly handled, Egg and I headed over to help shore up our defenses against the encroaching attackers. While scouting, I saw swarms of cacodaemons flanking a massive, lumbering monster that spewed lava indiscriminately, razing all in its path. Trailing behind the massive creature and its tiny flying army was another being, though it did not engage in combat.
As the fighting cleared up elsewhere, the others joined me as we prepared to take on the last wave of enemies. The cacodaemons were swiftly dealt with, but the creature continued to lumber forward, moving past the guard with ease, despite taking a grievous hit from one of the pirates’ cannonballs. We made chase, hot on its trail as it threatened to wreak havoc on the rest of the village.
Aided by some of the guardsmen, we then banded together to take the creature down. One such guard stood out to me—there was a fury in him I have only before seen in cornered beasts. He fought with such ferocity that, despite our foe seeming quite formidable at first, we were able to take it down with relative ease, though everyone’s efforts were commendable.
In the aftermath of the battle, we inspected the creature’s remains. Such a thing is far from my area of expertise, so I left the investigation to the more knowledgeable members of our group. From what I was told, it is both a construct and a daemon that has been modified in some way—an experimental weapon that is likely one of few. However, beyond that, we know very little of what this thing might be. My own knowledge lies among the creatures of the natural order, and this thing is certainly not one of them.
While searching through its remains for anything useful, I came up empty-handed, however, the others seemed to have found items of interest. Metal made from siccatite was among the most prominent, though there were not enough salvageable pieces to make anything significant.
While regaining our bearings, the daemon that had been trailing behind the mechanical creature advanced further, though we were soon to realize that we were not its targets—the fallen beast was.
It seemed uninterested in the battle itself or any of its participants—aside from the construct, that is. It inspected the remains before turning to me and asking a question in Tien, which Theo surmised to be it asking about what we did with the creature.
After I replied in common, it switched to speaking it as well, threatening to kill us if we didn’t answer its question about what had been the creature’s fatal weaknesses and caused its armor to crack.
As the daemon began to leave, Houzen inquired about whether or not it owned a horse, to which it replied that, yes, it does, but he was confusing it with something that it is not. It declared itself to be a herald—second in command to an apocalypse rider, not the rider themselves.
Soon after, it picked up the massive remains with ease, departing without another word.
In its wake, the rest of the battlefield had died down, all daemons and oni successfully repelled and the day won. Finally having the chance to settle, we relaxed and collected our payment, before making our way back to Onadbyr. All’s well that ends well, I suppose, though it’s plain to see that this is only the mark of something far greater.