News of War...

A news flash and dispatch from King Al-Alin was sent to Raifer at the outpost. It was most urgent and contained directives for Raifer to essentially pare down the manpower at the outpost to as small a force as needed to continue performing only patrolling of their area. He was to designate a new commander of the outpost and lead all other personnel back to the kingdom and castle for refitting and new orders. He designated Harry Albright and Kunder Broadfoot as the new leaders and shipped off back for a meeting with the King.

Upon arrival Raifer was given immediate audience with the King. News of an imminent war with Sudalon has come to Al-Alin. Based on the recent reports of trouble, corruption and treachery in Sudalon from the party that had travelled there to work on the new orphanage Al-Alin sent emmisaries to uncover the full story. Since Al-Alin had treaties with Sudalon they would have to return the self admitted criminals of the kingdom of Sudalon if there were proper grounds. But those emmisaries never returned and word found its way back to the king that they were killed by agents of Sudalon. Thus a defacto state of war now existed between the kingdoms. The king now needed information and a scouting party to find out what was happening and that would allow him to prepare for whatever was coming his way. Also invited to this meeting were the lead members of the troubled Sudalon mission. Among them, Cade offered to provide additional information if he could. He still has ties inside the city as a member of the local Thieves Guild based there, SUGAR (Street Urchin Guild Against the Regime).

Raifer and many others from the outpost were paid for their time in service to the kingdom at the outpost. With this new cash in hand, a new deal was struck to contract these adventurers to investigate what they could about Sudalon. The king offered equipment and support as he could and payment for services. Many in the group went off to spend their new found funds on better equipment and prepare for the journey. During this time, Cade sent word off to through his underground network back to Sudalon for as much information as they could provide before back before they left. But Al-Alin also had more news to tell. He reported that the security of his kingdom had already cought and killed 2 Sudalon Assassin teams in his own territory. Obviously, trouble had already found them.

They had a week or so before they needed to leave and they waited just 2 extra days before news from Cade's sources came back. The Dwarves of Sudalon were indeed on the march. Something in the area of a division sized force had left there a week ago. There were reports of 6 Assassin teams on the road and special equipment brought in from the Gnomish kingdom of Gulfmoor in the mountains along the coast northwest of Sudalon. There were siege styled weapons like the flaming ballistae they previous group had seen. What's more, they had no wheels and seemed to float above the ground. It was now imperative that they get on the road.

A new party formed with plans for reconnaissance and infiltration, they headed out. Raifer, Furion, Jeri, Indigo, Marci, Cade, Tyrade, Ruurik, Books, Juston, Booty, Ilikya, Bekki, Jimmi, Parker, Sasha and Meercon were the first group to leave with a few reinforcements planned to join them in a few days. They made for the wasteland and decided to head in a more or less straight line towards Sudalon. This decision provided immediate fruit when they reached the old potion salesman near the waste crossing. They bought his potions that helped folks survive the effects of the waste and he shared news of several groups of dwarves travelling back and forth across the waste, the last had passed through not 2 days before headed in the same direction as they were now going.

The protection potions consumed, they crossed the waste but Ilikya, Indigo, Furion, Jeri and Meercon all seemed to be affected and weakened by the area. It was a good thing they were riding in carts otherwise their force could have been thinned almost immediately. But as the group was able to ride no one had to be left behind. And it was a very good thing, as during one of their rest stops Ilikya spotted a strange area in the ground where the scrub and plants seemed to have been pressed down in an odd fashion. The group investigated and found left behind signs of adventurers that has passed this way. Jimmi revealed a skill he had that could help figure out what they had found. Apparently, he was Psionic and could read the psychic impressions left behid on objects. They had a number of things from which to choose. Garbage, droppings, and vomit were the most prevalent and they chose some of the trash. Jimmi was able to get a decent reading from the left behind trash of a rations pack. It was indeed from one of the Dwarven assassin teams and all was not well for that squad. One seemed to be ill and two others were attending to him. Additional inspection of the area by the rangers indicated that they were no more than a day behind their new quarry.

They decided to push the horses pulling their wagons just a little harder in an effort to catch up if they could. As they ascended to the top of a rise in the rolling fields they spotted something like a heat shimmer in the distance moving away from them but it was not nearly hot enough to cause such an effect. They moved quicker and made for the area of the spotted effect. By the time they got there it was close to nightfall so they decided to set up camp for the night and search the area for anything they could find. More trash was found and some blood that appeared to have been spit up but no additional insight could be gathered. They settled in for the night.

In the morning, Jeri and a few others heard a strange humming noise coming from not far away that started and faded after a few minutes. They pushed on as quickly as they dared figuring that their targets were likely not far away. As they emerged from the glan they had been travelling through they spotted a farm house. In front of the abode was an odd platform shaped device. The way to the house was wide open from their direction but there were woods that approached it from the north that came within 100 yards. A tema was put together that would circle around to through the trees and attempt a quiet assault from that direction. They gathered up 2 waves, 6 stealthy people and 4 more heavily armoured that would be much more noisy. The first wave moved quickly and as quietly as possible to cover the open space but Justin and Bekki both tripped and fell on the way, fortunately not make much additional noise. On they charged and were lucky to notice that the rear of the house they approached had no windows other that the one in the entry door. Raifer led the charge and as he reached the house he leapt through the air at the window in the door, crashing through in one swift move and cascading in to the kitchen of the house. Behind him, the door fell from its hinges opening the access for the remainder of the team. In they charged ready for a battle only to find that the Dwarven assassin team was in no condition to fight them. One lay in a chair already dead. One was in a near coma and 2 others writhed in pain, unable to even stand. The two conscious dwarves were knocked out and they were all tied up. Prayers wre applied to the comatose prisoner in an attempt to keep him alive as he appeared to be one of the team leaders but while the prayers seemed to help he did not improve much.

The next task was to investigate the 'platform'. This device was obviously one of these new 'floating' mechanisms. But it had no contour or distinguishing marks. It was just a box. A detailed search by the thieves did uncover several touch plates on the top side. Raifer and the team attempted to activate the device using these plates. When depressed it began a humming similar to the sound they heard earlier but it did not float. There were 4 plates found in all, and when all 4 were touched a rhythmic clanking began and eventually the touch plates began to emit a red light. And as they attempted to play with the device more a hissing sound started, a boom erupted from the device that deafened several of the party and then a gas come from the under side of the device that very nearly overwhelmed those on or near it. The only conclusion available was that the device was either broken or out of energy and was most likely the cause of the condition these dwarves were currently in.

Raifer used one of the Talking Crystals provided by the King to communicate with him and share the news they had. Raifer was directed to hold his position and wait for a backup team to come assist with their findings and take the dwarves prisoner.

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