Chapter 10 - Return to Wasteward

Days 18-20

As the figures of the warg riders faded into the mist, the party resumed their trek eastward. The fog still restricted their ability to see the surrounding countryside, but the sun was slowly burning it off. The battlefield was soon left behind, and soon after there was no more sight of large scale troop movements. Through most of the afternoon, they journeyed in silence, not encountering any other beings on the small rural trails that they followed.

In the late afternoon, as Blixhaven scouted in advance of the party, he espied a figure along the side of the trail ahead. Hailing the figure, he found it was a sentry for a Genasi supply depot. The sentry revealed that a commander of the scouts was currently in the depot, overseeing the Genasi scouts in the region. The battle of the previous day, followed by the current day's fog, had left some confusion as to the disposition of Empire and Genasi forces. As they bantered, Blixhaven made a error in a mention of attacking Genasi, and the guard became suspicious. Seeing through the scout's bluff, he turned to run and alert the camp but was dropped by an arrow between his shoulder blades. Wary of attacking a camp that contained at least one senior officer, Blixhaven decided to lead the party on a circuitous route via game trails that circumvented the depot.

Evening came and the party pressed on, eager to reach the safety of Empire-controlled lands. As Blix, again scouting in advance of the party, came around a curve in the trail, he spied figures in a clearing ahead. They appeared to be bent over, looking at something on the ground. Again choosing a cautious approach, he waved the remainder of the party to a stop and crept forward under the cover of some overgrown hedges alongside the path. As he made his way closer, he was able to make out that the figures were humans, wearing an armour that was not one of the familiar Genasi types. There were three of them, bent to the task of looting what appeared to be Genasi dead. Hoping that these were Empire soldiers, Blixhaven and Neela approached them, and were happy to discover that they were soldiers of the local militia. From them, they were able to find out more details of the previous day's battle. The men were on their way back to the town of Riverside on the Folyoba River. The soldiers agreed to the party joining them for the remainder of the journey.

After passing an uneventful night, the party and their new guides set off, hoping to reach Riverside by shortly after mid day. They were successful in doing so, but did meet one other group of Empire soldiers on the path in the mid-morning. A war mage, Geza Gyoni, under escort of two dozen soldiers, was hastening to join the local Empire forces, having journeyed from farther downriver after hearing of the Genasi invasion. The party tried to convince him to accompany them to Wasteward, but he could not be convinced to change his destination.

Reaching Riverside, the party hired a riverman to take them upriver to Wasteward by boat. As payment, they offered him the horse that they had been using to carry their elven prisoner. They began their journey immediately, stopping for the night at a deserted village on the eastern bank of the Folyoba. Resuming their journey in the morning, they saw signs of the conflict, once encountering battered Empire troops returning from the battle and loading onto boats along the riverbank. In general the western bank seemed to be deserted, and there was little activity on the eastern bank either, but river traffic remained heavy with refugees fleeing the frontier and heavily-laden supply barges en route to Wasteward.

Reaching Wasteward after noon, they found it much changed in the three weeks they had been away. The town watch was out in force, questioning all who entered the town, and a tent camp had sprung up on the southern edge of the town, appearing to contain at least as many people as the town itself. The Legion Camp was atypically quiet, and few goblinoids could be seen.

The party made their way directly to the Keep, finding it too to be busier than any could ever remember it being in the past. Negotiating the bureaucracy, the part was able to secure an audience with the governor, but had to wait in the antechamber of the main hall as other important delegations were heard first. Unlike their last audience with the Governor, this time he was seated with about a dozen of his senior advisors. The party overheard heard reports from militia captains telling how many troops they had mustered, from merchants asking for more guards to prevent looting from the warehouses, and a Legion messenger who reported further setbacks in their attempts to delay the Genasi west of the river.

When their audience finally came, the adventurers told the tale of their journey to the tower and back, of their encounters with the elves Elros and Gimilzor, and their many battles with the Genasi and elementals. They handed over their elven prisoner for interrogation.

As they finished their report, the governor told them that he could use their help in guarding the walls, and asked them to report for daily shifts with the defenders. He gave them the bad news that their rooms in the Keep had all been given over to senior officials, and that they would therefore need to find a place in the town. Remembering the presentation from the merchants, the governor made arrangements for the party to be given space to camp in one of the warehouses, in return for guarding it through the nights.

After finding their new lodging, Neela set off for an audience with her master, while the others decided to take care of some errands in town. First stop for Blixhaven, Jrak, and Trykaar was the Temple of Isten of Napsut

To be continued by the DM as time permits...

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