The Battle for Old Weir
With Tufus and Partridge shoved roughly to their feet, Rya and the Misfit Six weighed their options amid the mounting alarm ringing out through Old Weir.
Dala'gse thought his new friend Partridge would want to see Old Weir's Oak so ran off with her to show her. Zireael grimaced and pursued the drunk dwarf.
Ironica thought new friends in the thieves guild might have some advice for how to deescalate a situation with the guards, and slipped quietly into the shadows to make her way to the Lonely Stag's back room.
Slothrop, Safad, Nancy, and a distraught Rya escorted Tufus as quickly as possible toward the secret gate in Hurricane Mountain Stream's grate in the wall. As they sprinted by the edge of the building, Gallus Corm and a small host of Weir Watch rounded the building from the front.
“Halt! Criminals…what foul play has befallen, let the visiting dignitaries go! You’ve killed one, do not let more blood stain your hands! Please…Rya!”
But they were in too deep, and Rya had to trust her companions. Just as the party turned into a back alley the guards loosed crossbow bolts at the fleeing party, with one sinking into Nancy's calf. Slothrop cast Darkness behind them to befuddle their pursuers.
A breathless Tufus asked: “Who has hired you to kill us? I thought this was some sort of unity concert — the effect you had on Brosker and Olin. But then why would you assassinate us, from the Lord’s Alliance? You can’t be Weiran separatists — why would you attack an external party to your regional affairs? Are you enemies of Old Weir trying to ensure Waterdeep brings all its force to bear? I assure you that is what will happen when this gets out! Release us at once and we will be lenient on you and your troupe!”
Zireael caught up with his inebriated companion and told him Partridge did not want to go with him to see the tree. Dala'gse let her go. Zireael said they needed to get out of town and to follow him to the stream. They fled. As they crossed a back street Feesus Went, the VA twin guard and a few Weir Watch saw them, fired crossbows, and gave pursuit.
Around that time, above the din rising in town as more and more guards gave pursuit and townsfolk came out to see what was happening, a few of the party noticed something odd. Barely, through the heat of the moment, they heard something change in the background noise of Old Weir. The roaring rush of Hurricane Mountain Stream had slowed, the tide of snowmelt flow diminished.
That's odd, they thought. They kept running.
And then they heard something horrifyingly familiar. No, heard is not quite right, they sensed rather, a familiar intrusion in their brain, a telepathic alien presence, broadcast to everyone, it seemed: “People of Old Weir, surrender! Your leaders have abandoned you, the town is surrounded, the Weir Watch and your beloved Hibernal are under our control. Lay down your arms, turn in your neighbor and you will be spared!”
Rook responded with a telepathic communication of his own. "Oh, fuck."
The town erupted into panic. Townsfolk came out on the street and eyed each other warily. Guards ran about, looking for direction.
Nancy probed the alley behind her for a mind of a Weir Watch -- were they enthralled as the message indicated? She found Gallus's thoughts and the main things she felt were: fear, anxiety, dread, and resolve.
Slothrop and Safad turned to Tufus and asked if he knew anything about the Mind Flayers that apparently had just showed up--what was his connection to the Monarch's mines?
"Mind flayers? The mines!? I am from the Waterdeep we have nothing to do with Innesbyr's fucking mines!"
As Ironica, Zireael, and Dala'gse caught up with the others, things took a poor turn.
Looking towards their river grate egress, the brook suddenly ran dry. They heard an explosive scraping sound and turned to see the beautiful whitestone of Old Weir's famous bridge give way to black earth. It crumbled inward as the ground around it swelled up and exploded. They watched in horror as creatures of nightmare streamed out of the hole in the ground, denizens of subterranean depths and Underdark terrors. They recognized some of them: massive chitinous Umber Hulks bursting through the riverbed, serpentine Gricks swarming up the tunnel walls, floating many-tentacled Grells hovering out of the tunnels, savage humanoid Grimlocks streaming out in vast numbers, Cranium Rats darting in droves; the dog-like Intellect Devourers bounding onto the town’s streets. And finally, levitating slowly above it all, scores of illithids.
Similar scenes were playing out nearby as dozens of holes burst open throughout the town with monsters spilling out. There must have been three to four hundred beasts and anywhere between fifty and one hundred mind flayers. The town was in chaos. Some threw themselves to the ground, others found what weapons they could to arm themselves. The Weir Watch did what they could to organize little militias. Zireael buzzed Prex on the speaking stone, and told him to send the stone giants in. Tufus turned to the group and told them, "Run!"
The party decided the best option was to make for the bathhouse and head for the Hibernal Den through the secret pool.
The only problem was: aforementioned Underdark terrors. The streets were swarming with them. They raided houses, threw people on the the streets, cut them down if they resisted. It was a deadly melee of dirty claws, tentacles, beaks, and fangs.
Zireael got the draw on a hovering illithid, and fired off two arrows that struck true, digging deep into it's shoulder and breast. Grimlocks swarmed him but found no opening as he deftly spun around their feeble attacks. Ironica sprinted with her boots of speed, making it into the baths. Rya followed suit.
And then the first wave hit them. A jarring mental blast struck everyone in town as the illithids coordinated a wave of psionic energy. The sfos addicts resisted, but others were stunned and reeling from the damage to their minds, or worse. Some found themselves on the path to thralldom -- feeling compelled to obey the illithids.
As the party painstakingly tried to make its way to the bathhouse, wave after wave of these attacks hit them. Slothrop was compelled to turn on Safad. Zireael stabbed Rya. When the mind control wasn't forcing them on their friends, the monsters were swinging axes, flailing tentacles, swarming over them. Safad was paralyzed by an errant Grell tentacle. Zireael was attacked by a swarm of cranium rats. Dala'gse was bit at by a Grick. Grimlocks clogged the streets at every turn. Dala'gse found the paralyzed Safad and pounded him to pulp.
When the third wave of the powerful psionic blasts washed over them, the party knew it was over. They watched the town succumbing to the assault around them and they tried with all their will to reach their friends who were dying in the streets, to bring them to the perceived safety of the baths. The last of them looked around forlornly as another wave hit and they fell to the ground. As their eyes dimmed, time slowed. They saw familiar faces of townsfolk in agony, blasted by the same psychic energy. They saw Tallin Gale clutching a wounded Elgin Fallow. Elgin said something to him, Tallin shook his head but Elgin yelled over some immense pain and thrust a glowing piece of parchment into Tallin’s hand. Tallin looked helpless and sad as he blinked out of sight.
The world went dark.
And Old Weir fell.
Dala'gse thought his new friend Partridge would want to see Old Weir's Oak so ran off with her to show her. Zireael grimaced and pursued the drunk dwarf.
Ironica thought new friends in the thieves guild might have some advice for how to deescalate a situation with the guards, and slipped quietly into the shadows to make her way to the Lonely Stag's back room.
Slothrop, Safad, Nancy, and a distraught Rya escorted Tufus as quickly as possible toward the secret gate in Hurricane Mountain Stream's grate in the wall. As they sprinted by the edge of the building, Gallus Corm and a small host of Weir Watch rounded the building from the front.
“Halt! Criminals…what foul play has befallen, let the visiting dignitaries go! You’ve killed one, do not let more blood stain your hands! Please…Rya!”
But they were in too deep, and Rya had to trust her companions. Just as the party turned into a back alley the guards loosed crossbow bolts at the fleeing party, with one sinking into Nancy's calf. Slothrop cast Darkness behind them to befuddle their pursuers.
A breathless Tufus asked: “Who has hired you to kill us? I thought this was some sort of unity concert — the effect you had on Brosker and Olin. But then why would you assassinate us, from the Lord’s Alliance? You can’t be Weiran separatists — why would you attack an external party to your regional affairs? Are you enemies of Old Weir trying to ensure Waterdeep brings all its force to bear? I assure you that is what will happen when this gets out! Release us at once and we will be lenient on you and your troupe!”
Zireael caught up with his inebriated companion and told him Partridge did not want to go with him to see the tree. Dala'gse let her go. Zireael said they needed to get out of town and to follow him to the stream. They fled. As they crossed a back street Feesus Went, the VA twin guard and a few Weir Watch saw them, fired crossbows, and gave pursuit.
Around that time, above the din rising in town as more and more guards gave pursuit and townsfolk came out to see what was happening, a few of the party noticed something odd. Barely, through the heat of the moment, they heard something change in the background noise of Old Weir. The roaring rush of Hurricane Mountain Stream had slowed, the tide of snowmelt flow diminished.
That's odd, they thought. They kept running.
And then they heard something horrifyingly familiar. No, heard is not quite right, they sensed rather, a familiar intrusion in their brain, a telepathic alien presence, broadcast to everyone, it seemed: “People of Old Weir, surrender! Your leaders have abandoned you, the town is surrounded, the Weir Watch and your beloved Hibernal are under our control. Lay down your arms, turn in your neighbor and you will be spared!”
Rook responded with a telepathic communication of his own. "Oh, fuck."
The town erupted into panic. Townsfolk came out on the street and eyed each other warily. Guards ran about, looking for direction.
Nancy probed the alley behind her for a mind of a Weir Watch -- were they enthralled as the message indicated? She found Gallus's thoughts and the main things she felt were: fear, anxiety, dread, and resolve.
Slothrop and Safad turned to Tufus and asked if he knew anything about the Mind Flayers that apparently had just showed up--what was his connection to the Monarch's mines?
"Mind flayers? The mines!? I am from the Waterdeep we have nothing to do with Innesbyr's fucking mines!"
As Ironica, Zireael, and Dala'gse caught up with the others, things took a poor turn.
Looking towards their river grate egress, the brook suddenly ran dry. They heard an explosive scraping sound and turned to see the beautiful whitestone of Old Weir's famous bridge give way to black earth. It crumbled inward as the ground around it swelled up and exploded. They watched in horror as creatures of nightmare streamed out of the hole in the ground, denizens of subterranean depths and Underdark terrors. They recognized some of them: massive chitinous Umber Hulks bursting through the riverbed, serpentine Gricks swarming up the tunnel walls, floating many-tentacled Grells hovering out of the tunnels, savage humanoid Grimlocks streaming out in vast numbers, Cranium Rats darting in droves; the dog-like Intellect Devourers bounding onto the town’s streets. And finally, levitating slowly above it all, scores of illithids.
Similar scenes were playing out nearby as dozens of holes burst open throughout the town with monsters spilling out. There must have been three to four hundred beasts and anywhere between fifty and one hundred mind flayers. The town was in chaos. Some threw themselves to the ground, others found what weapons they could to arm themselves. The Weir Watch did what they could to organize little militias. Zireael buzzed Prex on the speaking stone, and told him to send the stone giants in. Tufus turned to the group and told them, "Run!"
The party decided the best option was to make for the bathhouse and head for the Hibernal Den through the secret pool.
The only problem was: aforementioned Underdark terrors. The streets were swarming with them. They raided houses, threw people on the the streets, cut them down if they resisted. It was a deadly melee of dirty claws, tentacles, beaks, and fangs.
Zireael got the draw on a hovering illithid, and fired off two arrows that struck true, digging deep into it's shoulder and breast. Grimlocks swarmed him but found no opening as he deftly spun around their feeble attacks. Ironica sprinted with her boots of speed, making it into the baths. Rya followed suit.
And then the first wave hit them. A jarring mental blast struck everyone in town as the illithids coordinated a wave of psionic energy. The sfos addicts resisted, but others were stunned and reeling from the damage to their minds, or worse. Some found themselves on the path to thralldom -- feeling compelled to obey the illithids.
As the party painstakingly tried to make its way to the bathhouse, wave after wave of these attacks hit them. Slothrop was compelled to turn on Safad. Zireael stabbed Rya. When the mind control wasn't forcing them on their friends, the monsters were swinging axes, flailing tentacles, swarming over them. Safad was paralyzed by an errant Grell tentacle. Zireael was attacked by a swarm of cranium rats. Dala'gse was bit at by a Grick. Grimlocks clogged the streets at every turn. Dala'gse found the paralyzed Safad and pounded him to pulp.
When the third wave of the powerful psionic blasts washed over them, the party knew it was over. They watched the town succumbing to the assault around them and they tried with all their will to reach their friends who were dying in the streets, to bring them to the perceived safety of the baths. The last of them looked around forlornly as another wave hit and they fell to the ground. As their eyes dimmed, time slowed. They saw familiar faces of townsfolk in agony, blasted by the same psychic energy. They saw Tallin Gale clutching a wounded Elgin Fallow. Elgin said something to him, Tallin shook his head but Elgin yelled over some immense pain and thrust a glowing piece of parchment into Tallin’s hand. Tallin looked helpless and sad as he blinked out of sight.
The world went dark.
And Old Weir fell.
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