Forest of Wyrd Session #22 - The Rescue

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
Vergarious (Changeling 3)
Ranza (Changeling 3)
Hobbs (Hedgefey 4)
Jonesomon (Specialist 4)

Thrax (Fighter 3)

After debriefing Vergarious and Ranza, the party formulated a plan to rescue the children and take out the giant. But it required help from the villagers. That took more than a little negotiation and even more arm twisting. There being no real leadership left in the village, they leaned on Sister Taritha and a few other stalwarts to recruit an angry mob. This, they hoped, would distract the giant and his minions by causing a ruckus outside the keep, while the party climbed the garderobe to the children's rescue. They received reluctant agreement  to do so, which was nearly derailed when Jonesomon and Ranza showed up with Vora Three Finger, whom they also were able to recruit to help lead the mob. It took little time for Vora's acerbic mocking to almost  kill the plan, but once more differences were papered over for the greater good. Think of the children! 

Just before dawn the next day, the plan rolled into action. The party (less Jonesomon), led by the pair of invisible and pass without trace changelings, climbed up the garderobe rope and onto the third floor of the keep. Scouting down stairs, they found the giant Fungin asleep, as well as several of the hobs. Just three were awake, feasting on the remnants of the spit-roasted villager the changelings had seen the previous day. While Thrax and Hobbs kept watch at the top of the stairs, Vergarious and Ranza then checked the children's room door. The children were certainly still in there, but the two couldn't quite tell if there was anyone with them. 

At this point, Jonesomon and Vora started up the riot out front. They crashed a burning hay wagon into the keep gate, and started to chant and shout. This shortly got the attention of the giant, and he stomped out of the main hall and to the battlements with a handful of the hobs. Fugin responded to the chanting and taunts (and the arrows/bolts of Jonesomon and Vora) with a fusillade of stone blocks ripped from the ramparts and hurled into the crowd. The villagers broke up and moved back (as did Vora after she was clipped by a stone), but Jonesomon stood out front and poured it on. In return he was plowed by a pair of hurled blocks, one of which hit him square and hard, and knocked him down and out. 

Meanwhile back in the keep, Ranza and Vergarious now heard other voices rising in the room with the children; hobs! After several failed attempts to get the doors open quietly (they were barred from the inside) the two smashed it down and charged into the room. It was a large room, but crowded with the children. There were also 6 hobbs; who seeing foes, moved into the crowd of children to use them as human shields. The cruel fey also started to cut down the helpless kids with their clubs, exulting as always when they hurt or killed one. Ranza and Vergarious responded with colour sprays which took out a good number of the hobs. But they were forced to wade into the crowd and try to take down the last pair the hard way, while at the same time trying to avoid inadvertently harming the children. This took time and unfortunately a few more innocent casualties, but soon the hobs were all dead. 

Out on the stairs, Hobbs and Thrax intercepted two more hobs that ran up the stairs, presumably to reinforce their comrades in with the children. One was killed, and the other turned and ran, so the  fighting pair rushed down the stairs to engage those in the hall. This resulted in a prolonged fight (think of the furniture!), as the hobs deftly danced away from the flashing blades. Eventually, Hobbs had to leave Thrax alone to deal with the last hob, so the hedgefey could rush up to help Ranza and Vergaious. And just moments later, the giant returned through the main doors with a crash. Thrax retreated upstairs, followed by the giant (who had a hard time squeezing up the narrow stairs) and the half dozen hobs of it's retinue. The party retreated into the children's room, Ranza ushering the young ones well to the back and hopefully away from further harm. She then pulled out the curious green statue she purchased from the goblyns, and summoned the warrior in green. By now, the giant was standing, blocking the door to the room. The green warrior ("Mac") rushed forward at Ranza's command, and lobbed a fragmentation grenade. Which, unfortunately, bounced off the door frame and back on top of him, blowing him to pieces. 

The brave Hobbs then called on this badger ancestry to get into a fighting rage, and rushed forward to block the door and engage the giant. He received a blow to the face from the giants tree-trunk club, and after lashing out in return, he retreated to give the archers behind him a clear shot. After several successful hits from the group, Ranza used one of her arrows of burrowing and drilled Fungin right between the eyes. The giant swayed and tottered, then fell crashing through the door and at the party's feet.  

Seeing their leader fall, the hobs turned and ran. Hobbs and Thrax followed cautiously, first out through the courtyard to the gate, and then down through the basement and out through the opening in the wall through which Vergarious and Ranza entered the day before. No sign of the hobs, so they returned to help with the children.  There they found that Ranza had decapitated the giant, and she and Vergarious had gotten all the children ready to leave. They led them out thought the basement, and around the keep to the waiting mob. There was much rejoicing when Ranza raised the giants head, and much more when the children appeared (though there was some sadness for those of the children who had been lost in the struggle in the keep).

The party, first checking to make sure Jonesomon was going to be OK, now prepared to re-enter  the keep and ensure there were no more of the dark fey ...

TOTAL XP

1225

GAINS
none

KILLS/VICTORIES
9 Hobs

Fugin the Giant 

LOSSES
none