Retaking Rannick, Part 4 (Wednesday, Kuthona (XII) 4th, 4707 AR)

The heroes continued their infiltration of Fort Rannick.

Workroom. The lathes, sawhorses, and other tools in this workroom lay in scattered, shattered ruin on the floor. The walls were smeared with gore, in some places forming messy graffiti.

The graffiti, written in Giant, included such phrases as: "Me Big-a-Big, You Small-a-Small, I Eat Your Head!" and "You Never Think Me Write All Over With You Bloody Neck, I'm Holding You by Mig-a-Mug and Use You as Paint Brush! Har!"

The happy painter of these verses was taking a break from his work to chew on the mangled, decapitated body of his latest "paintbrush". He laughed and hurled his "paintbrush" at the heroes when he noticed them, then drew his weapon and went to bloody work. The heroes defeated him.

Armory. This large room was filled with several wooden racks, all bristling with pikes, longswords, and quivers of barbed arrows. The wall where the door once was had been smashed in.

Two ogres were at play, trying on human-sized suits of armor and helmets. The two had also started their own collection of heads mounted on the pikes. When they heard battle in the keep, they ran out, still bedecked in tiny clinging suits of armor and with silly miniscule helms balanced on their giant heads, to join the fray. Both ogres could not fight or avoid effectively while wearing the awkward clothing, and the heroes killed them.

Barracks. These barracks were once comfortable and well-appointed, but they were now filled with nothing but splintered bunks, torn bedding, and smashed tables and chairs.

Four ogres squatted and squabbled here, constantly arguing over who got to wear the hollowed-out horse head. The heroes killed them.

Ramparts. These stone platforms were shielded by crenelations spaced at even intervals, offering those behind them cover against archer fire and a perfect killing angle on foes charging the keep below.

Commander's Quarters. The walls of this room were decorated with finely crafted longswords, stuffed animal heads, and a map of the Hook Mountain environs. A large oak table surrounded by several chairs had been smashed to splinters, and an immense bed had similarly been ruined. An open cabinet that once contained several bottles of wine had been crushed as well, and broken bottles and the faint scent of wine lingered around its ruins.

This is where the commander of the Black Arrows, Lamatar, once resided. The current occupant was a spellcaster. The ogress was attended by one of her lovers. His teeth were replaced with a specially forged set of metal teeth strapped to his face by a too-tight leather harness.

While her lover tried to distract the heroes, the spellcaster cast shield. The heroes killed both ogres, but not before losing Vale to their attacks.

Although the Kreegs had done a number on the contents of this room, they weren't quite observant enough to have noticed that the bottom of the wine cabinet contained a hidden compartment. The compartment was partially smashed open from the top, so it was relatively easy to notice - the latch to open it was broken, so the thin slats of wood above it had to be pried away to expose what was hidden within: a flat wooden coffer, a pair of soft green leather boots, and a tiny jewelry box.

The coffer contained dozens and dozens of parchment sheets, all containing beautifully-written love sonnets to someone named "Myriana", who (if the sonnets are to be believed) is so beautiful that the moon itself was "blinded when it spied her dancing on the tarn", and who is "the truest grace to know Whitewillow's soft embrace". The heroes realized that "Whitewillow" was a section of the Shimmerglens said to be particularly close to one of the portals to the First World.

The boots were a pair of boots of the mire. The jewelry box contained a silver locket on a chain; inside the locket was a lock of silky golden hair. The heroes identified this as nymph hair.

All three of these items were surprises to Jakardros - he didn't know Lamatar had a creative side, much less a poetic side, and nothing about him having a mistress. After a few minutes of thought, Jakardros remembered that Lamatar did in fact leave Fort Rannick for 2 to 3 days at a time, once each month, on what he called his "communion walks", lone treks made through the region, supposedly to put him closer to the realm he had been charged to guard. Jakardros noted that the commander was on just such a walk the night the attack on Fort Rannick came.

Jakardros became hopeful upon learning of Lamatar's affair, and clung to the possibility that his beloved commander may yet live, and is only hiding out in Whitewillow - perhaps preparing to strike back against the ogres. He eventually suggested a journey into the Shimmerglens to determine his leader's fate.