Editing WS:Chapter Two (section)

===Session Thirteen===

Sunday, 19th March (?), 12.30<br>
Game date - 13 May<br>

====Synopsis a la Red====

While my understanding was that we would wait a while, possibly up to a couple of days for Riso and Cadmus to return with the final ingredient needed for the potion to weaken and destroy Constantia (?) and her minions, we didn't pause very long at all.

The Baron, his usual perceptive self, noted before any of us a strange glow beyond the edges of the forest in the direction of his castle.  Deciding to investigate, we eventually saw, in the distance, the remnants of the Ostmark army, still some thousands strong, being attacked by foul creatures that flew and breathed fire.  The army was responding with missile fire of its own and seemed to be slaying many of the fell beasts.

We began heading towards the army, our strategists, ie the Baron and Thodric, or two of the three of us, deciding in their finite wisdom that taking control of the army from Constantia in the chaos might be easier.

About halfway there, a number of these flying Gargoyles came in our direction.  The Baron was able to summon an elemental to keep them occupied while we fled for nearby caves he had seen.  As we got closer, he, shapeshifting into a black feline form, can everybody except Thodric assume other forms!, noted dark forms around the cave's mouth.  We bolted that way regardless.  The dark forms turned out to be the burnt corpses of what I suspected to be felines, come far from Kartar.
=====Old Home Week=====
Inside the cave was a young woman, grievously injured by the flame breath of the gargoyle, but sufficiently faster than the rest of her ambush to escape crispy-critter death.  The young Shishireichou was near death, but Baronial intercession healed her wounds, and banished many of the old scars already upon her form.  I would have prevented that if I could.  She later introduced herself as [[WS:Mi Shang#Mi Shang|Qi Yüan Mi Shang]], a scout and leader sent to find, well, me.  Apparently some of our seers had earlier felt the coming of these demons from above and the Empire wished as much assistance as could be procured, including powerful mages.  Of course, due to my little story, she doesn't know that yet.  Wish she spoke High Kartaran though.

We spoke for a little while, and I assured her that I would, at some point, be able to put her in contact with the great Mage, and she should hang around.

=====A Fatal Misjudgement=====

Thodric decided to try and head towards the army, but misjudged things and got his horse burned out from under him by a Gargoyle moments after leaving the cave.  The Baron had to act quickly to save him.  Mi Shang and I bolted out to try and grab what I hoped would not be just a body.  Damn, that girl is quick.

Others of the original group of flying beasts, tired of being peppered by a rain of shafts from the army, began scattering as well, a group heading towards the forest despite the Baron's attempts to stop them.

As we were by this point already almost halfway to the army, it was decided to continue on, sans plan, sans poison, sans logic.  Thodric lent Mi Shang his Cloak of Shadows to hide her elegant felinity from the human army.

=====Constantia Falls=====

There was little difficulty for our little group to enter and walk through the camp.  Morale was clearly low, and there were the bodies of men and gargoyles everywhere.

In the habits of insufficiently paranoid leaders the world over, Constantia actually resided in the most visible and rich tent in the entire camp.  Outside stood a group of some dozen guards, odds on, her dark elves.

The Baron tried to overawe the guards, to force our passage with his very will.  He failed.  After some bluster and noise, the flaps of the tent flew wide and Alden was raised on high and carried into the tent.  Thinking quickly, the three others of us slipped through the spaces left between guards and followed him inside.

Other than the Baron struggling in the grasp of something invisible in the corner, the tent held only the evil elf and two of her people.  Thodric, as ever the thought and deed indivisible, strode directly forward, hoping to challenge the three.  He was basically batted aside.  As I moved forward to assist him, there was a noise from outside, and a huge man in ridiculously ornate and heavy armour strode, essentially unchallenged into the tent, trailing behind him the Baron's two young page boys.

While he stood a little surprised at the scene unfolding before him, Constantia helped our cause by crying out to him, ordering this fellow to attack those who threatened her.  Unfortunately, as any human would do, he assumed the dark elves near her were the threat and attacked them.

Combat ensued:
*Constantia summoned a second air elemental to assist her
*I attacked her, discovering her force field far to powerful to breach
*Constantia mind-controlled me, ordering me to attack Aeskil
*A. freed the Baron in time for him to weaken the force field and allow me to injure her
*Thodric beheaded guards as they attempted to enter the tent
*Realising her defences were weaking, she fled, as did her guards
*The body of the one unconscious guard was loaded about with Fire Blooms and sent home to explode within the dark elf citadel

Assumption of authority over the army proceeds smoothly, with many happy to follow men who provide clear orders, and don't waste troops in pointless and fatal scouting manouvers.

A. assists me in providing space for Mi Shang and for myself, both of us requiring a certain degree of privacy.  A. and I check, but there is little to be saved from our camp in the forest, now burning.  The Baron's silly little army is no more.

We pause, and consider.