The Battle of the Fens

The prepared ground burns, a trusted sergeant is exposed, and Praal discovers surrender.

Shannik entering the secret fen rendezvous while the party watches from concealment — Shannik is walking into a secret cult–bandit rendezvous while the hidden party holds its fire.

Scene 01 · A trusted uniform

The Sergeant Arrives

Naomi returned as the party settled into the island positions they had prepared for Praal. The oil was placed, the caltrops scattered and every narrow approach watched.

The first visitor was not a bandit. Shannik, Sergeant of the Keep’s own guard, walked alone into the rendezvous. His presence confirmed the conspiracy more cleanly than any confession could have done. Rather than expose themselves against one officer, the party stayed hidden and waited for everyone he had come to meet.

Praal arriving with two ogres and four bandits as Shannik meets him at the fen rendezvous — Praal, two ogres and four bandits are joining Shannik inside the party’s prepared killing ground.

Scene 02 · Two ogres and four bandits

Praal Comes in Force

Praal eventually appeared with two ogres and four bandits at his back. Shannik stepped forward to receive them as allies.

The force should have overwhelmed five adventurers and a henchman. Hidden among the reeds, the party let the entire company move onto ground whose bridges, islands and safe paths they already understood.

They had fewer bodies. They had chosen every other part of the fight.

Scene 03 · The ambush opens

The Fens Burn

The first volleys came from cover. Then the bridges caught. Fire divided the rendezvous into isolated scraps of ground while the hut burned behind Praal’s people.

Harvey, Norman and Naomi kept missiles and magic crossing the water. Fit and Bartho held the approaches that remained. Every enemy movement cost distance, balance or blood.

Ogres struggling through deep fen water and caltrops while the party holds burning island approaches — The ogres are losing their advance to mud, caltrops, fire and crossfire before they can reach the defenders.

Scene 04 · Preparation becomes action economy

The Islands Hold

The ogres could not bring their strength to bear together. One fought the sucking mud and hidden caltrops while the other forced a bridge already coming apart in flame.

The party kept using the battlefield instead of trading blows in the open. The larger force arrived piecemeal, spent actions merely reaching an enemy and died on islands it could not control. Shannik, both ogres and every bandit fell.

Praal begging and striking his own fallen ogre while the party surrounds him — Praal is attacking his own dying ogre and presenting the betrayal as proof that he was a victim.

Scene 05 · Innocent again

Praal’s Proof

Praal survived because surrender had always come more naturally to him than loyalty. He begged, claimed he had been a victim from the beginning and struck the killing blow against one of his own dying ogres to demonstrate his supposed innocence.

The party spared him, bound him and recovered Shannik’s body. They now possessed the conspirator who had framed Xanthe and the uniformed evidence that the corruption reached inside the Keep.

“He struck his own ogre and called it proof of innocence.”

Session 07 · Aftermath

What the Session Changed

“He struck his own ogre and called it proof of innocence.”

What changed

Shannik is exposed and killed.
Praal is captured alive.
The conspiracy inside the Keep is proven.
The party wins through terrain and preparation.

People in this chapter

**Bartho**Henchman and self-appointed leader

**Shannik**Corrupt Sergeant of the Guard