Arandor
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Chapter One. "Arrival"
Derien sighed heavily. Yes, by the seventh day of sailing, eating dried fish and listening to the captain's screams, their enthusiasm had noticeably waned. They were steering a course for Targos—a town currently under siege. The captain told them that many mercenaries had already headed there, but ships had stopped sailing to the port. Many were certain that Targos would fall soon. Reinforcements from Neverwinter were on their way to the city, but traveling by land through snow and mountain passes took a great deal of time. Oh, this same Neverwinter without its ships.
- LAND! - announced the lookout.
Targos finally appeared through the fog. The captain began rushing about, barking orders, while five penniless travelers trudged gloomily toward the side of the ship.
- The commander's name is Albrek, - the captain told them. - His headquarters are in the upper part of the city. He manages everything here and assigns the mercenaries. You can get your equipment at the warehouse. Be careful out there. The city is surrounded by a palisade, but some wolf riders manage to bypass it, and they carry out slaughters in the streets. Although I don't know how things stand here at the moment. So you should hurry to Albrek. Good luck.
The sailors lowered the gangplank, and Erkenbert jumped onto the pier first. He quickly looked around, ran to a pile of crates, and hid behind them. Making a hand gesture that "all is clear," he gave the signal for disembarkation. The bard sighed heavily again. Yes, this adventure would not be easy. How he missed the faithful Alanin...
The group descended along with half a dozen sailors. They immediately began bustling about and unloading something, while the travelers gathered and headed into the city.
- It's kind of chilly, - Alfary whispered through chattering teeth, shivering in his light attire.
- Do not focus on the cold; let it pass through you, - Kai replied monotonically, paying no attention to the icy wind blowing right through his thin cloak.
- In my opinion, the weather is excellent! - Garius declared; his eyes sparkled, and his gait became light.
The Wizard looked at his brother with concern, but didn't have time to say anything because an arrow whistled past him, embedding itself in a house wall.
- Cover! - roared the priest, rolling under the protection of a low fence. From both front and back, several slobbering goblins with crude short blades burst onto the street, while one tried to nock a new arrow to his bowstring, which kept slipping from its crooked paws.
The monk collapsed into a snowdrift, and Derien with the brothers took cover behind a cart.
- Those three are going to slaughter us like pigs, - the bard noted, pointing a finger at the approaching goblins.
- Let them try this! - Garius jumped up and shouted magic words, splashing the creatures with colored bursts emanating from his palms. One fell to the ground unconscious, the second continued toward them, and the third turned around and ran in panic in the opposite direction until a powerful axe blow took its head. A huge man with locks of hair fluttering in the wind stepped onto the street, rushed at the aggressive goblin and drove an axe into its chest, then carefully finished off the stunned one. Cleaning the blade of blood in the snow, he watched with interest as the black man sent the archer to his ancestors with a few strikes, while the priest beat the last goblin with fists burning with fire until nothing was left but a pulp. Then the deacon mastered his anger and began wiping the blood from his clothes.
The bard approached the stranger and nodded gratefully.
- You've been a great help, thank you, - he extended his hand. - My name is Derien L'elor, and these are my companions.
- Sarg. Just Sarg, - the fighter smiled. - I never miss an opportunity to finish off those bastards.
- Are you from the local garrison?
- Partly. I was born, raised, and live here. Many left their homes, but I stayed to protect the city. You're new mercenaries, aren't you? Arrived on the ship that entered the harbor today.
- Correct. We were heading to Lord Albrek so he could register us and issue equipment. I didn't think it was so dangerous within the city walls.
- It happens. I don't know where they came from, but this is my third skirmish on the city streets today. As for equipment—don't count too much on getting it at headquarters. We have a shortage of weapons and armor today; we have to strip the attackers, - he pointed to the goblin corpses. - Don't be shy or squeamish. For now, this is the best you can get.
Grimacing and critically inspecting the acquired gear, the travelers divided the weapons among themselves.
- Essential items for the time being, - Sarg continued. - However, there is a garrison warehouse nearby; I can escort you to it. Maybe something is still left there.
There were no skirmishes on the way to the warehouse. Inside, they were met by a bored man who allowed them to rummage through the supplies themselves and take what they needed. "Lord Albrek would have sent you to me anyway," he said.
Kai took a long two-handed axe that looked more like a halberd.
- A monk has no need for weapon proficiency. But I loved axes in my youth. I spent too much time within the walls of that monastery.
Erkenbert dug up a mace and a shield, and his stern face softened slightly.
- A shield will allow effective advancement under enemy fire to suppress opponent firing points, and a mace will help crush any armor.
Derien acquired a short sword and a small shield, and tucked a dagger into the top of his boot.
- I can't carry iron on me.
Alfary triumphantly waved a small crossbow in the air.
- What a treasure I managed to extract from the far corners of this warehouse! Remember how father let us shoot?
Garius nodded and smirked.
- I remember. And you always won at shooting... I found some, uh... saltpeter in those barrels... yes. I'll mix... - he patted his knapsack with one hand, leaning on a long wooden staff.
They left the warehouse and headed to Lord Albrek. They didn't get a chance to test their new equipment. The lord received them, wrote their names in a little book, and sent them to the palisade.
The palisade was high and strong; archers stood on the walls, catapults were positioned behind the walls, and inside, tired and frozen people sat by campfires. The group went to the headquarters to see the garrison commander.
- Mercenaries from Luskan have arrived at your disposal! - roared the deacon.
- Excellent news—we need men. According to the latest intelligence, a large-scale attack by the horde on our positions is being prepared today. Here and here, - he pointed to a map spread across the table. - We must hold out until the reinforcements promised by Neverwinter finally arrive. We can hold back the infantry, but their cavalry and shamans pose a danger to us. Wolves jump over the low parts of the palisade that are covered in snow or damaged. We've had almost no encounters with shamans, but we have no protection against magic provided.
- We have two skilled mages with us, - Derien pointed to the brothers. Alfary was picking dirt off his crossbow, and Garius was amusing himself with small bottles, smoking a pipe with some strange tobacco.
- Good, if they can help us with that. Now we need to prepare for the attack; go to the northern part of the palisade and speak with the sergeant.
The sergeant turned out to be a typical sergeant—shouting loudly, spraying saliva, and giving orders to his subordinates. He briefed the fighters.
The group froze in anticipation. Garius departed somewhere with a suspicious look, Kai silently watched the tongues of flame by the campfire, Alfary chatted and drank with a small group of mercenaries nearby, the deacon wandered around the camp assessing the fortifications' defensibility and arguing something with the garrison chief, Sarg tended to his weapon, polishing it and checking the blade's sharpness, and Derien stood on the wall trying to make out something in the twilight and fog. You couldn't see a thing—it was pitch black. He mentally pictured countless hordes of bloodthirsty non-humans. His gaze slid past a tent from which Garius was emerging. The latter walked with a springy step, coughing and rubbing his nose. What had he been doing? The mage approached his brother, sat down with the guys, and took a swig from his own flask.
Evening fell quickly. And then finally, a resonant sound of a horn echoed from the darkness. Soldiers grabbed their weapons and rushed onto the walls—the attack had begun. The party gathered inside, near the tents. Archers successfully mowed down waves of advancing goblins with almost no losses.
- We'll hold Targos, I think, - one of the warriors tossed out.
- This is just a trial attack, - a second noted skeptically. - Soon they will strike with their main forces.
An explosion shook the palisade walls; twenty meters away from them, snow and logs flew into the air—the palisade had been breached.
- Close the breach! - ordered the sergeant.
Warriors rushed to the wall, behind which goblins were already pouring in. There weren't many of them on this section of the perimeter—none of Derien's group even had time to enter the fray. However, another section of the wall was immediately demolished. Some of the warriors stayed to build a barricade at the breach, while others hurried to the new point of breakthrough.
- What is that? - the bard asked on the run, but no one answered him.
The fighting here was much more brutal. In addition to cannon fodder, wolves and armored goblins seeped through the fortifications. Sarg let out a war cry and crashed into the crowd of enemies, slaying the runts with his axe. The cowardly creatures died one by one, but the elite did not yield. Sarg struck blow after blow, but the cursed goblin parried the hits and dodged, hitting the warrior several times. The fighter felt his body gradually numbing, his strength fading. A battle raged around him, and he began to retreat cautiously. A couple of times he nearly stumbled, and only by a miracle did he manage to avoid the blade of the annoying goblin. Sarg was already gasping from the strain and was ready to commit to one last furious strike—one which, if dodged, would have allowed the opponent to finish him—but a crossbow bolt whistled through the creature's skull. Alfary climbed onto an elevation and winked at the Barbarian from there, only to be hit in the leg by an arrow the next moment and roll off the roof into the snow.
Finally, the warriors broke the attackers' onslaught and put the rest to flight; however, before they could catch their breath, a third and most powerful explosion completely blew away the gates. In the chaos, Derien spotted an elderly goblin draped in talismans and skulls, from whom a glow emanated.
- Incinerate that son of a bitch! - roared the sergeant.
But the brothers did not incinerate. Alfary, grimacing from the pain in his leg, limped to a woodpile and leaned on it, while Garius rummaged through his bag. The battle shifted toward the gates. The bard easily avoided the strikes of crude goblin weapons, attacking targets occupied with other opponents. He fenced quite well, and adrenaline added to his mobility. In this skirmish, he had already killed three. Out of the corner of his eye, Derien barely managed to notice a wolf rider charging at him and jumped aside, but received a glancing blow to the back. A sharp pain pierced his body, and he couldn't get up from the snow. The rider didn't lose initiative and struck again—in the arm. A huge wound gaped on the bard's forearm. The vile goblin shrieked and clearly enjoyed it. He wanted to strike the second arm, but the poll of an axe split his skull, and the blade halved the wolf. Kai dragged Derien into some tent where about half a dozen wounded were already located, and a medic began fussing over the bard.
Derien lost consciousness.
He woke up on a cot in that same tent; his companions were nearby. Alfary, with a bandaged leg, was arguing about something with his brother, Sarg lay sprawled on the floor, leaning against the wall with eyes closed, the deacon had disappeared somewhere again, and Kai sat at his feet looking at the bard.
- We won, - he answered an unasked question. - At the cost of great losses, the garrison managed to fight them off. However, we won't survive another such attack, so the commander is developing some kind of plan.
Won. Derien leaned back and replayed the events of the battle in his head. Glancing at his bandaged and treated wounds, he felt a sense of bewilderment.
Erkenbert entered the tent. His clothes were bloody again, and a scratch gaped on his temple.
- Albrek personally thanks us for overcoming the enemy assault and rewards us with this, - he tossed the bard a bag of clinking coins. - A good sum to get our supplies in order. They have few men left, but reinforcements from Neverwinter should be arriving soon. The city will be held.
- Good... - Derien thought. - And tell me, Father, umm... Would you not apply your healing art to our group?
The deacon looked at the bard with disdain and declared:
- I am not a healer. I fight; I do not heal. Medicines will put everyone back on their feet quickly, - he left the tent.
Derien looked at Kai in shock but saw nothing on his impassive face. He looked at the silenced brothers, and another thought dawned in his head.
- Hey, guys. Why didn't you unleash the full power of destructive combat spells on the goblins?..
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by the way, we are playing on hard difficulty and don't use magic nukes (maybe with rare exceptions from my side, but not from the combat school)
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This is the ship we arrived on, the Barbarian is already with us)
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we approached the port warehouse\dock or something similar, I don't remember. A man standing nearby said there were goblins inside and asked us to kill them. More accurately, he asked to call some mercenaries from the tavern, but we decided to solve this problem ourselves and went inside.
this is basically us already inside, goblins are attacking us, and Garius summoned a beetle))
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after clearing the room, we found a strange staircase leading down... we decided to check what was there and descended.
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the stairs led us into an underground tunnel where we also encountered goblins. True, the tunnel was blocked and we had to go back, but that was enough for us to understand how the goblins penetrated the city. Here we also found half of a strange scroll...
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Then we headed to the warehouse, where the owner allowed us to search chests, barrels, and crates for items that might be useful in battle with the enemy.
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Afterward, we went back outside and continued the fight. On the way, we met a dwarf craftsman
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This is us already in the tavern) Alphi is trading with some guy, Sarg and Derien are waiting at the table for ale which Garius went to get
and on the right are exactly three mercenaries who need to be called for the warehouse cleanup, but they probably wouldn't have gone anyway, too arrogant. And yes, these guys didn't come to town alone; with them was a priest of Myrkul (the dark God) and a wizard, who actually hired all of them
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epic place. This is the house of a blind old lady (mother of our ship's captain). Her house is full of cats, but despite this, she told us many interesting things) And yes, most importantly... when we were at the warehouse, Lok found a dead cat and took it with him. We showed the kitty to the grandmother and she recognized her pet named Loki in it))) damn, I screenshotted this moment of dialogue, but it didn't save x( eh, it was so funny... Loki the cat)) and then this old woman called us fools for carrying a dead cat around =[br][/br]
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This is us already in another part of town, we entered an inn. The owner said that in one of the rooms, a ghost of a woman appears at night and cries. He asked us to deal with her and maybe help somehow so that her soul could find peace
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so we went up to the second floor and found this room) We talked to her and she told us a sad story about how her husband went to sea and didn't return (there was a storm). In grief, she threw herself out the window and now comes at night. Eh... we could have helped her properly, but unfortunately our priest is not a supporter of good deeds and therefore simply banished the spirit, after first making her cry a couple of tears into a bottle for us. The spirit promised that we would meet again... well yes, probably in hell for sinners))
the ghost's crying is creepy by the way, it was scary
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the next morning we went to the shop. Sarg went to look at weapons, Derien at some bottles and junk, and Gariy headed for powders and scrolls)
the merchant's name is Deidra.
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Albrek's house, he's kind of like the mayor. And his wife is an elf) she actually treated our dagger with a ghost tear and it became magical, though we sold it anyway... cheaply, although we could have just given the tear and received 500 gold! oh well, we aren't munchkins.
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and here is the traitor who helped the goblins penetrate the city. This is that wizard who arrived in Targos with the mercenaries from the tavern. He gave the scroll to the goblins, and the second half was maybe with him or is located somewhere else... the scroll allowed teleportation. Either from one to another or something like that) I never quite understood
and yes, unfortunately I didn't screenshot the house of the priest who also arrived with the mage and mercenaries) but as it later turned out, neither he nor those fools knew about the wizard's evil intentions
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gnome alchemist and inventor from the first part, but older now) yes, he managed to leave Kuldahar, but crashed his airship again, this time in Targos)) he also has a granddaughter, but she is apparently somewhere inside, you can't see her
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We went into the next part of town, the northernmost. This is exactly where the city gates are located.
funny mission by the way. A guy asked for a hammer (more accurately we volunteered to help him) to fix a catapult, drive nails... and we gave it to him)))
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and this is the sergeant and recruits. He tried to inspire the fighters with coarse speech and swearing, but Alphi showed him how to properly command and lead
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oh, that was also a very funny moment)) again the sergeant and soldiers. He's training them in combat on a barrel... I actually decided to practice too and beat the barrel))
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this is the beginning of the goblin attack on the city. we are in the house of some guy, can't remember his name, but he's kind of like the commander
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Here is the first serious fight. There are goblins, wolves, and goblins on wolves
we went upstairs later, killed a tough goblin in armor there. He was a strong villain
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and this is already a goblin shaman who destroyed our little fence with his magic x( the mercenaries from the tavern are next to us, two of them, because the third is already dead. And also Loki is lying there in a white cloak, pretending to be dead so they wouldn't hit him
that's basically all for now) we repelled the attack and further we need to go beyond the city.
eh, unfortunately I didn't screenshot three guys, also mercenaries) they were standing by a fire in the street. They told us how they got here, what quests they did. One told us that he was ordered to get rid of rats in the warehouse and so that he wouldn't have to do it himself, he stole a cat from the blind old lady and planted it in the warehouse. Yes, that's how we found out Loki died of overeating =( and the second mercenary was mute and answered everything with "hhhnnn-nhhhnn". It was funny reading how he told us things. A knife was driven into his throat, and he never took it out, so that's how he talked
there were also two guys arguing for 4 coins over who of them would hit the barrel with a bow. In the end Loki hit it and took the bow from one of them.
we also met a soldier guarding a shelf with gear. We tricked him by saying his name was called and he left, while we searched the shelf in the meantime. mwahhaha
Derien sighed heavily. Yes, by the seventh day of sailing, eating dried fish and listening to the captain's screams, their enthusiasm had noticeably waned. They were steering a course for Targos—a town currently under siege. The captain told them that many mercenaries had already headed there, but ships had stopped sailing to the port. Many were certain that Targos would fall soon. Reinforcements from Neverwinter were on their way to the city, but traveling by land through snow and mountain passes took a great deal of time. Oh, this same Neverwinter without its ships.
- LAND! - announced the lookout.
Targos finally appeared through the fog. The captain began rushing about, barking orders, while five penniless travelers trudged gloomily toward the side of the ship.
- The commander's name is Albrek, - the captain told them. - His headquarters are in the upper part of the city. He manages everything here and assigns the mercenaries. You can get your equipment at the warehouse. Be careful out there. The city is surrounded by a palisade, but some wolf riders manage to bypass it, and they carry out slaughters in the streets. Although I don't know how things stand here at the moment. So you should hurry to Albrek. Good luck.
The sailors lowered the gangplank, and Erkenbert jumped onto the pier first. He quickly looked around, ran to a pile of crates, and hid behind them. Making a hand gesture that "all is clear," he gave the signal for disembarkation. The bard sighed heavily again. Yes, this adventure would not be easy. How he missed the faithful Alanin...
The group descended along with half a dozen sailors. They immediately began bustling about and unloading something, while the travelers gathered and headed into the city.
- It's kind of chilly, - Alfary whispered through chattering teeth, shivering in his light attire.
- Do not focus on the cold; let it pass through you, - Kai replied monotonically, paying no attention to the icy wind blowing right through his thin cloak.
- In my opinion, the weather is excellent! - Garius declared; his eyes sparkled, and his gait became light.
The Wizard looked at his brother with concern, but didn't have time to say anything because an arrow whistled past him, embedding itself in a house wall.
- Cover! - roared the priest, rolling under the protection of a low fence. From both front and back, several slobbering goblins with crude short blades burst onto the street, while one tried to nock a new arrow to his bowstring, which kept slipping from its crooked paws.
The monk collapsed into a snowdrift, and Derien with the brothers took cover behind a cart.
- Those three are going to slaughter us like pigs, - the bard noted, pointing a finger at the approaching goblins.
- Let them try this! - Garius jumped up and shouted magic words, splashing the creatures with colored bursts emanating from his palms. One fell to the ground unconscious, the second continued toward them, and the third turned around and ran in panic in the opposite direction until a powerful axe blow took its head. A huge man with locks of hair fluttering in the wind stepped onto the street, rushed at the aggressive goblin and drove an axe into its chest, then carefully finished off the stunned one. Cleaning the blade of blood in the snow, he watched with interest as the black man sent the archer to his ancestors with a few strikes, while the priest beat the last goblin with fists burning with fire until nothing was left but a pulp. Then the deacon mastered his anger and began wiping the blood from his clothes.
The bard approached the stranger and nodded gratefully.
- You've been a great help, thank you, - he extended his hand. - My name is Derien L'elor, and these are my companions.
- Sarg. Just Sarg, - the fighter smiled. - I never miss an opportunity to finish off those bastards.
- Are you from the local garrison?
- Partly. I was born, raised, and live here. Many left their homes, but I stayed to protect the city. You're new mercenaries, aren't you? Arrived on the ship that entered the harbor today.
- Correct. We were heading to Lord Albrek so he could register us and issue equipment. I didn't think it was so dangerous within the city walls.
- It happens. I don't know where they came from, but this is my third skirmish on the city streets today. As for equipment—don't count too much on getting it at headquarters. We have a shortage of weapons and armor today; we have to strip the attackers, - he pointed to the goblin corpses. - Don't be shy or squeamish. For now, this is the best you can get.
Grimacing and critically inspecting the acquired gear, the travelers divided the weapons among themselves.
- Essential items for the time being, - Sarg continued. - However, there is a garrison warehouse nearby; I can escort you to it. Maybe something is still left there.
There were no skirmishes on the way to the warehouse. Inside, they were met by a bored man who allowed them to rummage through the supplies themselves and take what they needed. "Lord Albrek would have sent you to me anyway," he said.
Kai took a long two-handed axe that looked more like a halberd.
- A monk has no need for weapon proficiency. But I loved axes in my youth. I spent too much time within the walls of that monastery.
Erkenbert dug up a mace and a shield, and his stern face softened slightly.
- A shield will allow effective advancement under enemy fire to suppress opponent firing points, and a mace will help crush any armor.
Derien acquired a short sword and a small shield, and tucked a dagger into the top of his boot.
- I can't carry iron on me.
Alfary triumphantly waved a small crossbow in the air.
- What a treasure I managed to extract from the far corners of this warehouse! Remember how father let us shoot?
Garius nodded and smirked.
- I remember. And you always won at shooting... I found some, uh... saltpeter in those barrels... yes. I'll mix... - he patted his knapsack with one hand, leaning on a long wooden staff.
They left the warehouse and headed to Lord Albrek. They didn't get a chance to test their new equipment. The lord received them, wrote their names in a little book, and sent them to the palisade.
The palisade was high and strong; archers stood on the walls, catapults were positioned behind the walls, and inside, tired and frozen people sat by campfires. The group went to the headquarters to see the garrison commander.
- Mercenaries from Luskan have arrived at your disposal! - roared the deacon.
- Excellent news—we need men. According to the latest intelligence, a large-scale attack by the horde on our positions is being prepared today. Here and here, - he pointed to a map spread across the table. - We must hold out until the reinforcements promised by Neverwinter finally arrive. We can hold back the infantry, but their cavalry and shamans pose a danger to us. Wolves jump over the low parts of the palisade that are covered in snow or damaged. We've had almost no encounters with shamans, but we have no protection against magic provided.
- We have two skilled mages with us, - Derien pointed to the brothers. Alfary was picking dirt off his crossbow, and Garius was amusing himself with small bottles, smoking a pipe with some strange tobacco.
- Good, if they can help us with that. Now we need to prepare for the attack; go to the northern part of the palisade and speak with the sergeant.
The sergeant turned out to be a typical sergeant—shouting loudly, spraying saliva, and giving orders to his subordinates. He briefed the fighters.
The group froze in anticipation. Garius departed somewhere with a suspicious look, Kai silently watched the tongues of flame by the campfire, Alfary chatted and drank with a small group of mercenaries nearby, the deacon wandered around the camp assessing the fortifications' defensibility and arguing something with the garrison chief, Sarg tended to his weapon, polishing it and checking the blade's sharpness, and Derien stood on the wall trying to make out something in the twilight and fog. You couldn't see a thing—it was pitch black. He mentally pictured countless hordes of bloodthirsty non-humans. His gaze slid past a tent from which Garius was emerging. The latter walked with a springy step, coughing and rubbing his nose. What had he been doing? The mage approached his brother, sat down with the guys, and took a swig from his own flask.
Evening fell quickly. And then finally, a resonant sound of a horn echoed from the darkness. Soldiers grabbed their weapons and rushed onto the walls—the attack had begun. The party gathered inside, near the tents. Archers successfully mowed down waves of advancing goblins with almost no losses.
- We'll hold Targos, I think, - one of the warriors tossed out.
- This is just a trial attack, - a second noted skeptically. - Soon they will strike with their main forces.
An explosion shook the palisade walls; twenty meters away from them, snow and logs flew into the air—the palisade had been breached.
- Close the breach! - ordered the sergeant.
Warriors rushed to the wall, behind which goblins were already pouring in. There weren't many of them on this section of the perimeter—none of Derien's group even had time to enter the fray. However, another section of the wall was immediately demolished. Some of the warriors stayed to build a barricade at the breach, while others hurried to the new point of breakthrough.
- What is that? - the bard asked on the run, but no one answered him.
The fighting here was much more brutal. In addition to cannon fodder, wolves and armored goblins seeped through the fortifications. Sarg let out a war cry and crashed into the crowd of enemies, slaying the runts with his axe. The cowardly creatures died one by one, but the elite did not yield. Sarg struck blow after blow, but the cursed goblin parried the hits and dodged, hitting the warrior several times. The fighter felt his body gradually numbing, his strength fading. A battle raged around him, and he began to retreat cautiously. A couple of times he nearly stumbled, and only by a miracle did he manage to avoid the blade of the annoying goblin. Sarg was already gasping from the strain and was ready to commit to one last furious strike—one which, if dodged, would have allowed the opponent to finish him—but a crossbow bolt whistled through the creature's skull. Alfary climbed onto an elevation and winked at the Barbarian from there, only to be hit in the leg by an arrow the next moment and roll off the roof into the snow.
Finally, the warriors broke the attackers' onslaught and put the rest to flight; however, before they could catch their breath, a third and most powerful explosion completely blew away the gates. In the chaos, Derien spotted an elderly goblin draped in talismans and skulls, from whom a glow emanated.
- Incinerate that son of a bitch! - roared the sergeant.
But the brothers did not incinerate. Alfary, grimacing from the pain in his leg, limped to a woodpile and leaned on it, while Garius rummaged through his bag. The battle shifted toward the gates. The bard easily avoided the strikes of crude goblin weapons, attacking targets occupied with other opponents. He fenced quite well, and adrenaline added to his mobility. In this skirmish, he had already killed three. Out of the corner of his eye, Derien barely managed to notice a wolf rider charging at him and jumped aside, but received a glancing blow to the back. A sharp pain pierced his body, and he couldn't get up from the snow. The rider didn't lose initiative and struck again—in the arm. A huge wound gaped on the bard's forearm. The vile goblin shrieked and clearly enjoyed it. He wanted to strike the second arm, but the poll of an axe split his skull, and the blade halved the wolf. Kai dragged Derien into some tent where about half a dozen wounded were already located, and a medic began fussing over the bard.
Derien lost consciousness.
He woke up on a cot in that same tent; his companions were nearby. Alfary, with a bandaged leg, was arguing about something with his brother, Sarg lay sprawled on the floor, leaning against the wall with eyes closed, the deacon had disappeared somewhere again, and Kai sat at his feet looking at the bard.
- We won, - he answered an unasked question. - At the cost of great losses, the garrison managed to fight them off. However, we won't survive another such attack, so the commander is developing some kind of plan.
Won. Derien leaned back and replayed the events of the battle in his head. Glancing at his bandaged and treated wounds, he felt a sense of bewilderment.
Erkenbert entered the tent. His clothes were bloody again, and a scratch gaped on his temple.
- Albrek personally thanks us for overcoming the enemy assault and rewards us with this, - he tossed the bard a bag of clinking coins. - A good sum to get our supplies in order. They have few men left, but reinforcements from Neverwinter should be arriving soon. The city will be held.
- Good... - Derien thought. - And tell me, Father, umm... Would you not apply your healing art to our group?
The deacon looked at the bard with disdain and declared:
- I am not a healer. I fight; I do not heal. Medicines will put everyone back on their feet quickly, - he left the tent.
Derien looked at Kai in shock but saw nothing on his impassive face. He looked at the silenced brothers, and another thought dawned in his head.
- Hey, guys. Why didn't you unleash the full power of destructive combat spells on the goblins?..
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by the way, we are playing on hard difficulty and don't use magic nukes (maybe with rare exceptions from my side, but not from the combat school)
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This is the ship we arrived on, the Barbarian is already with us)
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we approached the port warehouse\dock or something similar, I don't remember. A man standing nearby said there were goblins inside and asked us to kill them. More accurately, he asked to call some mercenaries from the tavern, but we decided to solve this problem ourselves and went inside.
this is basically us already inside, goblins are attacking us, and Garius summoned a beetle))
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after clearing the room, we found a strange staircase leading down... we decided to check what was there and descended.
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the stairs led us into an underground tunnel where we also encountered goblins. True, the tunnel was blocked and we had to go back, but that was enough for us to understand how the goblins penetrated the city. Here we also found half of a strange scroll...
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Then we headed to the warehouse, where the owner allowed us to search chests, barrels, and crates for items that might be useful in battle with the enemy.
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Afterward, we went back outside and continued the fight. On the way, we met a dwarf craftsman
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This is us already in the tavern) Alphi is trading with some guy, Sarg and Derien are waiting at the table for ale which Garius went to get
and on the right are exactly three mercenaries who need to be called for the warehouse cleanup, but they probably wouldn't have gone anyway, too arrogant. And yes, these guys didn't come to town alone; with them was a priest of Myrkul (the dark God) and a wizard, who actually hired all of them
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epic place. This is the house of a blind old lady (mother of our ship's captain). Her house is full of cats, but despite this, she told us many interesting things) And yes, most importantly... when we were at the warehouse, Lok found a dead cat and took it with him. We showed the kitty to the grandmother and she recognized her pet named Loki in it))) damn, I screenshotted this moment of dialogue, but it didn't save x( eh, it was so funny... Loki the cat)) and then this old woman called us fools for carrying a dead cat around =[br][/br]
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This is us already in another part of town, we entered an inn. The owner said that in one of the rooms, a ghost of a woman appears at night and cries. He asked us to deal with her and maybe help somehow so that her soul could find peace
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so we went up to the second floor and found this room) We talked to her and she told us a sad story about how her husband went to sea and didn't return (there was a storm). In grief, she threw herself out the window and now comes at night. Eh... we could have helped her properly, but unfortunately our priest is not a supporter of good deeds and therefore simply banished the spirit, after first making her cry a couple of tears into a bottle for us. The spirit promised that we would meet again... well yes, probably in hell for sinners))
the ghost's crying is creepy by the way, it was scary
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the next morning we went to the shop. Sarg went to look at weapons, Derien at some bottles and junk, and Gariy headed for powders and scrolls)
the merchant's name is Deidra.
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Albrek's house, he's kind of like the mayor. And his wife is an elf) she actually treated our dagger with a ghost tear and it became magical, though we sold it anyway... cheaply, although we could have just given the tear and received 500 gold! oh well, we aren't munchkins.
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and here is the traitor who helped the goblins penetrate the city. This is that wizard who arrived in Targos with the mercenaries from the tavern. He gave the scroll to the goblins, and the second half was maybe with him or is located somewhere else... the scroll allowed teleportation. Either from one to another or something like that) I never quite understood
and yes, unfortunately I didn't screenshot the house of the priest who also arrived with the mage and mercenaries) but as it later turned out, neither he nor those fools knew about the wizard's evil intentions
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gnome alchemist and inventor from the first part, but older now) yes, he managed to leave Kuldahar, but crashed his airship again, this time in Targos)) he also has a granddaughter, but she is apparently somewhere inside, you can't see her
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We went into the next part of town, the northernmost. This is exactly where the city gates are located.
funny mission by the way. A guy asked for a hammer (more accurately we volunteered to help him) to fix a catapult, drive nails... and we gave it to him)))
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and this is the sergeant and recruits. He tried to inspire the fighters with coarse speech and swearing, but Alphi showed him how to properly command and lead
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oh, that was also a very funny moment)) again the sergeant and soldiers. He's training them in combat on a barrel... I actually decided to practice too and beat the barrel))
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this is the beginning of the goblin attack on the city. we are in the house of some guy, can't remember his name, but he's kind of like the commander
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Here is the first serious fight. There are goblins, wolves, and goblins on wolves
we went upstairs later, killed a tough goblin in armor there. He was a strong villain
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and this is already a goblin shaman who destroyed our little fence with his magic x( the mercenaries from the tavern are next to us, two of them, because the third is already dead. And also Loki is lying there in a white cloak, pretending to be dead so they wouldn't hit him
that's basically all for now) we repelled the attack and further we need to go beyond the city.
eh, unfortunately I didn't screenshot three guys, also mercenaries) they were standing by a fire in the street. They told us how they got here, what quests they did. One told us that he was ordered to get rid of rats in the warehouse and so that he wouldn't have to do it himself, he stole a cat from the blind old lady and planted it in the warehouse. Yes, that's how we found out Loki died of overeating =( and the second mercenary was mute and answered everything with "hhhnnn-nhhhnn". It was funny reading how he told us things. A knife was driven into his throat, and he never took it out, so that's how he talked
there were also two guys arguing for 4 coins over who of them would hit the barrel with a bow. In the end Loki hit it and took the bow from one of them.
we also met a soldier guarding a shelf with gear. We tricked him by saying his name was called and he left, while we searched the shelf in the meantime. mwahhaha
Be strong. Believe