Chapter Seven: The Stalemate At Loton's Cove

You all rest for a bit, taking turns helping Gethro clean up and watching the hills for orcs. Gethro's mind seems to still be racing, and he remains intent on making a second attempt to enter the fortress while the rest of you carry his letters back to Hazard.

During this rest, however, he tells you -- in a somewhat disordered fashion -- what happened to him.

Upon his arrival in the valley, he found it more or less stripped clean of clues by the army and various scavengers. He pressed on toward the location of the fortress where the Hierophant's diviners had scryed it, taking a series of narrow passes through the rocky southern edge of the Dulehans until at last he burst through a crevasse and found himself facing a high, steep slope with a small, angular citadel of black stone jutting out of it.

"The army would never have been able to reach it," he elaborated. "Just a single-file switchback trail leading up to it, gated and washed out in places."

After taking some time to observe the fortress -- Gethro saw two birds of prey light on its battlements, but no other visitors -- he headed back, soon after which he was set upon by an orcish scout. There were twice as many of them on the way back from the fortress, he said, as he had seen on the way up.

Back in the valley he found Old Hilltown occupied and impassable. After a couple more skirmishes that cut off his attempts to go around Old Hilltown, he negotiated for a parley with Tezu Nomo, an old ogre mage who the various local orc clans seemed now to acknowledge as their leader.

Lord Nomo was surprisingly forthcoming, explaining that the master of the fortress had declared himself Dragonlord and issued a formal challenge to Nomo, which the ogre mage's honor demanded he accept. At the fortress, Gorham the Dragonlord handily bested Nomo in a wizard's duel and demanded his fealty, which, again, the ogre mage had no choice but to give. He commanded Nomo to occupy Old Hilltown and gather the orc clans there, which he has done.

On the matter of Gethro's fate, Nomo was unyielding: the Dragonlord knew that Gethro had come to spy on him and wanted him delivered dead or alive. Unable to reach an agreement on that matter, the parley ended. Gethro has been waiting, watching, and fighting for his life against the occasional hunting party since then.

Is it worth asking to read his letters, or is it basically just going to be the info you've presented here?

Personally, I'm inclined to try and convince him to go back to Hazard while we head for the citadel. Mordred could put on a puppet show, if needs be.

Yes, the letters would be redundant info at this point, recapping what he just verbally conveyed to you.

Feel free to deploy the persuasion methods you deem most appropriate and roll accordingly!

Are the rest of you on board for that plan?

Does Gethro know exactly who or what the Dragonlord is?

Idk how feasible this is but if we could take down the dragonlord, might that free Tezu Nomo from his servitude and cause him to let us all go?

Sorry for dropping it in there in passing, but Gethro understands that the dragonlord = Gavrel Gorham.

Who's around and ready to move forward?

As Gethro's rest drags on, a gloomy demeanor overtakes him. He expresses doubt that he has the strength to return home, even with the infection healed, and warns you that six of you are far more likely to be caught sneaking in that one man alone. He sleeps only fitfully through the night, waking before dawn when wolfriders make a brief incursion into the valley. He watches their every move, but they do not come too close.

Everybody make an Insight check.

Not long after the wolfriders turn away, the entire party is awake and preparing for their next move. Gethro sits on a rock down below his tent, staring broodily into the valley.

Everybody make a Perception check.

Go ahead and count a long rest.

Mordred announces the party's plans to Gethro, who looks somewhat stricken but does not object. While the party finishes outfitting themselves, Zangua approaches him to ask his question. As he speaks, he notices something at the south end of the valley.

"When I was a young soldier, they sent me to Omenglore," Gethro responds. "The fighting was all over when we got there. Made it just in time to watch the tabernacle burn up and blow away into the sea. On the way back, I fell behind, wandered away from the column, got lost in the woods, and snapped my ankle. It was...a long time before anyone found me. Out here, eating wasn't my problem." He nods at the shapes at the south end of the valley. Zangua can make out humanoid shapes, more than a dozen, with one much larger figure leading them. "That's my problem."

He stands up, slowly. "Go. Go on to the fortress. I'll finish my business with Lord Nomo. You can stay ahead of them, even if I can't slow them down very much." He turns to face you all. "One of you must see to it that the letters are delivered. Not many who trespass in a wizard's stronghold return home again."

He steps down onto the valley floor and starts walking south to meet his fate.