Chapter Nine

As morning comes, the guerilla force praises Illmanar for its victory and surveils the remains of their fallen foes. Nazeem the Terrible eyes up the coats of the Hyena-men and decides that it would be a fitting tribute both to his skill as a commander and the men who were injured in the battle that he should take the skin of these fallen enemies and fashion it into a magnificent coat that will serve as a warning to all ne'er-do-wells who might question the rule of the Turknanate or the might of the Constellation of Illmanar.

As the small force continues its scouting of the hills, the group encounter Hippogriffs. Through the judicious application of a hail of arrows and the conjuring of a magical web, one of the beasts is subdued. This leads to much discussion as to what it to be done with the best. Should it be fed on the bodies of our fallen soldiers? or the bodies of the gnolls? Naseem considers the possibility of training the beast by beating it into submission using a stick. However, the group decide that this is not the time for such a project and the beast is beheaded. No trophies are taken this time.

During the day Hamar is sent forth under a cloak of invisibility to scout out the possibility of conducting a raid upon a bandit watchtower. Hamar Ant-Slayer discovers the tower to be equipped with guards and watchdogs.

Once night comes, the group venture forth and put the guard dogs to sleep. They also use their puissant magics to send the guards to sleep before realising that the cursed knaves have underhandedly barred the door from within. Mercifully, the group are able to wake one of the sleeping guards and magically charm him, allowing them to gain access to the guardhouse whereupon the group heroically butcher the sleeping brigands and use gnoll-feet-on-sticks to mask their presence and their role in the slaughter.

Scouts observe much to-do in Aq'Qallat in the morning. And the raiders lie low. In the night though a great fear comes upon the camp, and a sentry is engulfed in darkness, with horrible results. The Magi fireball the blackness and a great Toad-Demon is revealed! A barrage of mage-bolts later, and the demon topples, to dissolve into ichor.

In the morning, scouts report the bandits to be searching the hills, and a large force are drawn into an ambush and routed.

Spirits raised by this victory, the guerilla force turn their wrath upon the Bandit citadel. The group fireball the gates and create a zone of darkness in front of the citadel's gates, hoping to lure the bandits out. However, Nazeem is magically silenced, forcing him to flee from the combat, lest the treacherous magics prevent his companions from using their spells. In the confusion Mazanakill rides forth and the Turkhanate forces retreat in order to fight the villain on better ground such as a nearby ford where the battle for the Citadel truly begins.

• Chapter Ten

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