Brief Recap: Last turn the party subdued Bibi and discussed what to do with the captured human fighters.

. . . Journey, Journey, Journey. . .

Ghotu and Bardock administer the salve to the six fighters. The six men recover as if having awakened from a dream. They remember their service to the Githyanki clearly. They thank the party and ask about how they were freed. When they are told that they must take the salve twice a day to remain sane, they decide to accompany the party wherever they go. [I offer a plot point to anyone who wants to develop one or all of these human fighters, give them a background and make them say something appropriate. At least a paragraph. The only known detail is that they were from Thedrickstand Keep.]

Ghotu and Mog scout the area around them to find any sign that they have been discovered. They both return to report that this bunch must have been put here to ambush anyone trying to flee the city, and no others (Gith or humans) are in the area.

The party therefore lets Bibi lie within the net, hoping she will calm down. They considered loading her onto a horse, but she is very large and when anyone approaches her she fights furiously. So the company leaves her alone for a few minutes, which leads to half an hour. When they are beginning to consider another plan, they hear Bibi's confused voice calling from inside Ghotu's net. They release her. Bibi is unharmed, and naked. Mog brings her her cloak as she is released from the net.

[Insert any conversation here you like. Feel free to continue the conversation with Humphrey...]

The company sets out for Eldorath, the closest port city.

(...journey, journey, journey...)

After nearly a week on the road, the company reaches the port city of Eldorath. Mog transforms into a crow to survey the city before they approach.

Mog returns with bad news. The city is occupied by Githyanki already. Mog flew down by the docks and there are very few ships, and those that remain are heavily guarded by Gith. Worse, there appear to be many Gith sorcerers and clerics in the city. Finally, Mog reports that in his scouting he discovered another Githyanki force west of the city (the party is east of the city right now). "This entire place is overrun with them," reports the orcish shaman. The party considers trying to steal a ship or take one by force, but no one knows how to sail a ship and all crews on the ships now are Gith.

The company must find a port and a ship to take them to the island tomb where the Obsidian Stone is hid. The only port cities in the Kingdom are west of them and north. All cities to the north are overrun by Gith, and now it appears that all cities to the west are also overrun. The company therefore decides they must head south, on the long journey overland back to Galay and the Free Cities. This will have the added advantage of letting the party drop off the six fighters with the mages at Galay, so they can be tended by Oorialith and the magic there.

So the company sets out to the south, their provisions extremely low for such a journey. There are no cities for hundreds of leagues to the south, and the first civilized land that will be reached is the Magocracy. However, that dark land must be avoided, as none who enter are allowed to leave. So they must travel even farther south and east, to reach a free port city.

(...journey, journey, journey...)

The journey south is long and hard. After the first three days of their journey, winter arrives in earnest. They awake on the fourth morning to a blanket of snow a foot deep. Thankfully they are well attired for the cold, another gift form King Ozrik. However, their food supply is now dangerously low, especially since they took on six more mouths. Ghotu estimates their provisions won't take them half way to the free cities.

So the company tries to hunt along the way. But this slows their progress tremendously, wasting days while Ghotu and the others try vainly to kill an animal. They make slow progress for a few days before Bibi shoots a stag with her bow.

...(journey, journey, journey...)

After a long and torturous trek, the company finally makes its way to the free city of Hackleford. They are nearly starved by this time, and the winter seems to have followed them. Snow covers the lands and the sky is lead colored, threatening to bring more snowstorms.

The company stays one night in Hackleford to recuperate and to eat. Bronk orders no less than five full dinners before he is finally sated, washed down with enough ale to drop a horse. Blade too enjoys his first civilization for weeks, carving his name into the table with his silver dagger while winking at Bibi.

The next morning the company takes ship to Galay. As they leave Hackleford, they notice that the city is fortifying its walls and soldiers are training openly in the streets. "They must have gotten word of the Gith," says Mog.

"If they had really gotten word of what comes this way they wouldn't be fortifying. They would be fleeing," says Ghotu glumly.

(...journey, journey, journey...)

The company arrives in Galay. Humphrey disguises himself once again with his magic, and they send a message for Egmund to meet them in town.

They inform Egmund of what has happened, and he already has heard of the overrun of Heklamar--Ozrik warned the southern city states via carrier pigeon before Heklamar fell. Egmund says they expected the Githyanki horde (which reportedly numbers in the millions now) to wait until spring before they march on the southern city states, but other reports claim that a large force of Githyanki is marching south through the snow.

The company also introduces the six fighters to Egmund, who examines the tattoos on their necks. He says that more such people have been found, some in high posts of the city state governments. He promises to take them to the Keep so they can be helped by Oorialith.

Egmund also tells the party that he can charter a ship to take them to the tomb. The island is far from Galay, over a week of sailing. He says he will make arrangements and meet us the next day. The six fighters depart with him to go to the Keep and to be examined by Oorialith. They bid the company fare well.

The next day the company gets up early to board the ship Egmund chartered. It is just before dawn, when they are to meet Egmund at a dive in the dock quarter called Little Dick's Halfway Inn. However, before they arrive at the lewdly named establishment, they are confronted by armed men.

Humphrey just led the company across an empty intersection and is headed down a narrow street (two story buildings on both sides, no alleys between buildings) when three men armed with heavy crossbows step out in front of them to block their way. A fourth man who wears no armor and carries no weapons also steps out before them. He is young and handsome.

The unarmed man says, "I am Thaddius." He bows, keeping his eyes on the company, particularly Humphrey and Blade who are in front. Humphrey recognizes Thaddius, a mercenary wizard who, though he is still a member of the Guild, rarely attends the assembly meetings. "I would be pleased if two of your companions, Blade and Bibi," he smiles at Bibi and bows again, "would accompany me. I would be very displeased if you did not." His eye darts to either side of the company, and they notice two more unarmed men standing on second- story balconies, one on either side of the company. They also notice three more men with heavy crossbows close in behind them, bringing the total to six heavy crossbows and three unarmed men. Those with crossbows wear chain mail and also carry various melee weapons.

"The rest of you are free to go." He then says quietly to the crosbowmen near him, loud enough so the party can hear, "Target the old man and kill him if they resist." They train their weapons on Humphrey.

Thaddius awaits a response, clearly ready for anything.

[In the battle map below, the party was walking north (toward the top of the map) and Thaddius (represented as the "M" in front of the party) is in front of them with three crossbow men (represented as "X"s). The "M"s are mages. The two mages on either side of the party are on balconies, second story. Three crossbowmen are behind the party (bottom of the map). There are no alleys, though the buildings on either side of the party have windows (shuttered) and doors. It is dawn, in the winter. Cold. We are all dressed warmly. No one else is in the streets.]

Posting Instructions:Please post your actions, TWO ROUNDS worth if you plan to fight or flee. Also PLEASE NOTE that I am using different weapon damage than listed in the PHB for heavy crossbows. Heavy crossbows do 3d6 damage. You can see the tables for weapon damage here:

http://eternalwarriors.freeservers.com/rules-tables.htm

Also, note the rules I am using for initiative for spellcasters and non-spellcasters, listed under the heading "Magic" on that page linked above. I also re-posted these rules recently. The main point is that if a spellcaster loses initiative, he is considered to be in the middle of casting his spell when the enemy attacks. This can interrupt spellcasting. This does not apply to spells or abilities cast from items, which are not interruptible.

If the party decides to fight, there will be initiative rolls for everyone. No possibility for suprise on either side.

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