It took 4 or 5 days and several
minor skirmishes for the group to reach the outskirts of Drezen. Our elite
units – the Dawnriders paladin unit led by Akaros and the archers Alexei
recently equipped with horicaclum bows – are with us and the rest of the Brevic
army is about a week behind. I, still in the palanquin where the party placed
me with only Mr Tiddles trying to comfort me, take a break from my prayers to
Erastil to speak to my husband. Noleski offers words of comfort, support and
courage as I weep to him my sorrows and fears. He will, I hope, plant a pot of
rosemary in my rooms. I feel better for talking to him and hope I haven’t left
him too concerned for me.
Whilst waiting for Howlan Garress
and the Brevic army proper to reach us, we harry some of the demonic troops
stationed outside Drezen and manage to capture a few key locations. A graveyard
(some mercenaries we freed advised that the crypt housed the remains of the
first Crusaders); a bridge into the main parts; 6 watchtowers (Aaron getting to
show off his awesome assassin skills). These reinforced with our own troops.
Our army arrived; we were
updating Lord Garess and our other generals etc when a battered knight on an
exhausted horse arrived at the tent. Through beaten breaths, the knight
explained the bridge was under attack. Apologising to the generals, we quickly
mounted Keiran’s griffon Brutus (cannot remember if it’s been mentioned before
that Mr Tiddles had enlarged the beast until he was large enough to carry all
of us if necessary) and requested the Dawnriders follow to helps us re-secure
the bridge.
The enormous beast on the bridge
had 3 heads – a snow leopard, a goat and an unfamiliar white, serpentine head –
and wings. It was happily eating any of our embedded troops who tried to move.
We landed behind it – I dismounted but the others stayed on as Brutus flew back
towards the beast: I used shadowstep to move forward near Alexei and Evander,
who’d jumped off a little earlier to be out of immediate threat range.
It took 3 rounds – 18 seconds of
combat – to finish the beast off. Brutus was nearly destroyed in that time and
the strange lizard-head* kept breathing ice on the rest of us, trying to hide
out of range. Much mythic power needed, but ultimately it was the celestial T
Rex summoned by Alexei that did the last few points of damage needed to wipe
the thing out. Alexei will later return to the bridge to ensure a frieze of the
battle is displayed along the side wall.
Another army in the Crusade is
due to be joining us in about another week, so we begin preparing the siege to
retake Drezen. Akaros, Lord Garess and the other more experienced military
minds suggest we enter when a breach in the walls is made, so that we can
recover the Sword of Valour and mount it once more on the wall. Akaros, as
paladin of Iomedae, will accompany us.
Somewhere in the sorrow and
excitement, I have missed my 20th birthday.
After about 5 days of laying
siege (and still before the other army has arrived), our bombarding troops
(with assistance from alchemist Ezekiel and Roland the gunslinger and his
companions) manage to create holes in the east and west walls and take down the
main front gatehouse: this is the path we take into the citadel.
*There are no dragons on
Golarion, not even dragon myths. We joke about sky lizards from time to time,
but definitely no dragons. So we wouldn’t recognise that head as belonging to a
white dragon.
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