Session #61
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22 Hiddumont 7:30AM
Started your journey towards Tarsis on the morning of 22 Hiddumont, travelled the first day about 24 miles, while hugging the mountain range of the plains of dust.
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As you travel across the expansive Plains of Dust, the landscape stretches endlessly with dry, cracked ground and swirling dust. A relentless wind carries gritty powder that clings to your clothes and stings your eyes. The dry air enters your throats, making each breath a challenge. The horizon shimmers with heat mirages, and distant mountains appear as faint outlines, always seeming just out of reach. The sun beats down, offering no shade.
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As night falls, the temperature drops sharply. The stars shine brightly in the clear sky, and the silence is profound. Despite the harshness, the Plains of Dust hold a stark beauty, with breathtaking sunsets and sunrises.
First night is uneventful, next morning a hear of goats are present, eating away at the almost non-existent shrubs.
One of the goats is sacrificed for a meal, "bon appétit".
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23 Hiddumont, you head out south in the same direction stop for the night. At the end of the day at night fall, towards the south you all see a White Stag galloping out south.
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Awakened by approaching "uglies".
Combat, you win.... rest of the night is quiet.
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Next morning 24 Hiddumont, continue south, at mid-day, two giant eagles arrive and guide you towards the east. You continue until the evening, nothing happens that evening.
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Next morning 25 Hiddumont, you change direction towards the
east in the direction of the City of Hopeful. At about mid day,
you notice to the south, about 20-30 miles away, a very large
group of troops marching East
(there are at least 100 strong, maybe more).
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You arrive at Hopeful around 5pm and discover that the city has been attacked.
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As you approach the final stretch, the village of Hopeful comes into view, a sombre silhouette against the horizon. The city stands eerily silent. The high wall that encircles the village remains mostly intact, However, breaches and scorch marks betray the ferocity of the recent assault.
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Approaching the gates, you notice the heavy wooden doors, now hanging ajar and splintered from their hinges.
Inside the walls, the devastation is more apparent. The central square, once a hub of trade and community gatherings, is littered with debris. Market stalls are overturned, scattered and trampled. The fountain, a centrepiece of Hopeful, stands dry and cracked. Buildings that once housed families and shops are now crumbling ruins, with only a few structures still standing, their walls blackened by fire and marked by the ravages of battle.
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The air is thick with the lingering scent of smoke and ash. As you move deeper into the village, the signs of combat and destruction become more evident. Claw marks gouge the walls, and occasional discarded weapons and armor pieces hint at the fierce resistance the villagers put up. Hopeful now lies deserted. As you stand amidst the ruins, you can't help but feel the weight of the battle. The streets are completely deserted and no bodies are found.
As you wander through the abandoned village, you stumble upon a small community hall. Here, in the rubble and overgrown weeds, you find the equivalent of 2 armors, (after investigation you find that these are the remnants of Solamnic armor.) The armor is unmistakably from the Knights of Solamnia, bearing the insignia and craftsmanship unique to the order of the rose, but it’s severely damaged, with dents, scorch marks, and signs of violent struggle.
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After more investigation of the remaining buildings still standing, you surprise 4 Bozak draconians rummaging through stuff gathered from the villager homes, etc... They are surprised, combat, they are defeated.
From that area, over the West wall, you also smell a strong smell of burnt wood, flesh, a various other things. Korbin flies over the wall to see a 100-square-foot area where bodies of humans and centaurs have been burned.
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25 Hiddumont, 7PM
