Abbot Ceril turned to Edward and the rest of the adventurers, a look of grave concern on his face. "You are strong and bold. Please help us!" the abbot implored.
"How long until they reach the monastery?" Edward asked the monk who had brought the report. "They are no more than ten miles away!" the monk exclaimed. "They are making great haste toward us."
"What defenses have you?"
"About forty men able to bear arms live nearby. Beyond that, only our walls"
"How many of the enemy approach?"
"Hundreds!" the monk cried. "Trolls, orcs, hundreds of them!"
Edward conferred quickly with the other adventurers, then turned to the abbot. "We will aid you. Summon all men able to fight, then lock your gates and take up defensive positions."
Ceril thanked the party for their assistance. "Fulk will help you," he said, referring to one of the monastery’s clerics, a young man also having military training.
The party left Ceril’s office to meet with Fulk. After about an hour, when the party had buffed up with defensive spells and other magical enhancements, Edward and Green Arrow proceeded to organize the defenders. Once this was done, the two Enterprise heroes, together with Fulk and other fighters of the monastery, left the monastery and took up defensive positions. Firiona and Lina remained on the monastery’s battlements, positioning themselves to protect the defenders and attack the invading horde at range if necessary.
It wasn’t long before the enemy swarm came into view. Firiona could see a huge mob of orcs. She estimated them to be at least fifteen hundred strong, grouped in twenty bands. Behind them came one hundred trolls, followed by twenty more heavily armed and armored trolls, apparently some kind of elite fighting unit. And following them all came a troll of exceptional size and strength, massively armored and wielding a huge heavy flail. She relayed the information to Edward.
"The troll king comes. Hakk, King of the Swamps," said Fulk after Edward informed him of the enemy’s strength.
Firiona and Lina, together with two companies of defenders–twenty archers, twenty fighters–held their places on the monastery’s walls, watching as no less than twenty mobs of orcs approached at double-time. When they finally came within long bowshot, the archers loosed a huge volley of arrows. Firiona hurled an acid ball at the same unit. Almost fifty orcs were felled, and the survivors were badly shaken! But the remaining orcs, as well as the troll grunts and fighters kept advancing, then broke into a run, charging toward the monastery.
From the monastery walls, a barrage of arrows felled more of the surging orcs. Green Arrow shot at the troll fighters, while Firiona sent an admixed fireball their way. Three more of the armed trolls were heavily wounded, and another went down, fatally wounded.
Suddenly an ominous shape appeared next to the Troll King. As the two shapes advanced, Edward could see that Hakk had summoned a dragon. And no mere flying reptile. A great wyrm black dragon!
The enemy hordes continued their advance toward the monastery. More fell to arrows and to Edward’s sword. And another dragon appeared, as Firiona shapechanged into a huge gold dragon, panicking all but two of the advancing orc mobs and leaving the trolls shaken at the sight.
Suddenly, the Troll King quaffed a potion and took to the air! Edward, readying for battle, cast find the gap on himself, making his melee attacks even more deadly. From the monastery, the defending fighters charged at the orcs, killing four more of the evil creatures. Archers from the walls killed another dozen and shaking the survivors.
Green Arrow flew toward Edward, then loosed an arrow at the black dragon, piercing its throat for critical damage! Yet still the raging orc mobs continued their advance toward the monastery, with more falling to the defenders’ attacks.
The black dragon breathed a stream of acid at Firiona, seriously wounding her. In turn, she quickly cast time stop. While time seemed to stop for her, she quickly cast energy resistance (acid), displacement and true seeing. She then rushed toward the dragon, changing to solar form as she did. Lina shapechanged to large silver dragon, then flew toward the Troll King and dispelled his fly spell.
Sensing a shift in the battle, the rest of the trolls and troll fighters rushed up to back up their king and the black dragon.
Hakk advanced threateningly toward Firiona. But Edward flew toward the black dragon, taking opportunistic damage, then demanded that the Troll King leave the area immediately!
The monastery fighters continued engaging the orcs, some of which had finally reached the monastery wall. Six of the evil creatures from the first mob fell. The remaining orc mob finally had enought, and fled. Green Arrow shot again at the black dragon, hitting with four arrows for severe damage.
Fulk moved toward Edward as the black dragon attacked Firiona with teeth, claw, wing and tail, doing only moderate damage to the elven wizard. Firiona rushed toward Fulk, then cast maximized darkbolt at the dragon for huge damage. Lina, ignoring the dragon’s opportunistic attack, cast Otto’s Irresistible Dance on the beast, and it was forced to dance.
Eight trolls and the surviving troll fighters stayed with Hakk, while the remaining trolls rushed the monastery walls. The Troll King hurled a javelin at Edward, inflicting minor damage at the airborne paladin. Landing, Edward attacked Hakk for heavy damage. Meanwhile, as the fighters from the monastery ran toward Fulk, who was readying heal, Green Arrow launchee a volley of five arrows at the dragon, bringing it down!
Fulk healed Firiona on her way to blast the remaining orcs at monastery, who had now reached the near wall of the monastery and managed to scale a ladder to the top of the wall. The orcs’ escallade was finally repulsed, though, by the defending archers and a blast of fiery breath from Firiona, now in gold dragon form. The brave, but foolish, orcs were all cut down.
Lina attempted to cast Otto’s at the troll king, but failed. Hakk’s counterattacks against her also failed. He then tried to disarm Edward-- twice!–but failed both times. He then backed up a step and whistled to the other surviving trolls. An attempt to negotiate?
But it was too late. Edward was having none of it, and with a mad flurry of sword-strokes slew the Troll King, to the dismay of the remaining trolls. They quickly fled the battle, but managed to take the king’s body with them as they withdrew. The monastery was saved.
The adventurers and the monastery’s defenders stripped the remaining dead attackers of their valuables, then returned to the monastery and secured the gate.
The monks rushed toward the party, expressing their gratitude for their aid against the monsters. They rewarded the party for their efforts, supplying them with three scrolls of mass heal and two scrolls of true resurrection. Later on, the abbot conferred with Edward. He offered the party free use of the monastery library.
Edward explained the nature of the party’s quest. "We wish to keep it quiet," he continued, "so others aren’t endangered." The abbot was appreciative of Edward’s concern. The paladin went on to describe Firiona’s vision.
"I think I can help you," said the abbot. "Come, let us go to the library."
The two proceeded to the monastery library. The abbot consulted large and musty tomes, and asked the librarian to locate a number of other rare manuscripts and volumes for him.
After about an hour, the abbot returned to Edward with a map and a handful of books.
"The place you seek is the city of Chalons," said the abbot, pointing to a spot on the map in the heart of the Griff Mountains. "Ancient legends characterized it as you related to me, although any such vast wealth has long ago disappeared. The city was still fairly prosperous even afterwards. We here at the monastery used to receive visitors and traders from the city from time to time. The last one was about six months ago. Not long enough to create any concern on our part–years have passed between visits in prior times."
"I thank you for your research on our behalf, Abbot," said Edward. "I agree, Chalons, should be our destination." The paladin advised the abbot to keep their research and discussions confidential, to which the abbot readily agreed. "You should also secure the books and other documents you used in your research, at least until our mission has been completed, lest unfriendly forces gain the information," Edward added. "It shall be done," replied the abbot.
Edward requested that the party be allowed to remain for a few days to make their preparations. "Of course, you are welcome as long as you wish," answered the abbot.
"A question did occur to me, now that the battle is over," said Edward. "Why should the Troll King attack this monastery?"
"Most likely because it lies directly on the shortest path to Rakervale," answered the abbot. "Hakk must have prepared his force to ravage the city, not just to destroy this monastery. Sadly for him, he did not reckon on the intervention of powerful allies on our side!"
Edward again thanked the abbot, then returned to his quarters, together with Firiona and Lina. The two casters agreed to teleport back to Greyhawk, where they would advise the Enterprise agency there of the recent developments, and ask them to watch over the monastery to prevent any follow-up attacks. They also would find Elana and Arimir and invite them to join the quest.
A few days later, all the adventurers re-assembled at the monastery. Elana and Arimir were there. So was Edward’s griffon mount, and his cohort, Merovech. The party from Greyhawk had obtained provisions for three weeks, as well as replenished magic. Elana had acquired as well five overland flight scrolls.
"Would it be possible for Fulk to accompany us?" Edward asked the abbot. "Our road may be dangerous, and we may need more healing than I can provide." The abbot readily agreed to allow Fulk to join the party. "It will be good experience for Fulk," he observed. In return, Edward assigned Merovech to guard the monastery, with instructions to report any troubles that may occur.
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