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It was raining. On them. And they were indoors. The roof was gone. The place had been burned and was just a shell of stone walls. They peered out through the smashed doorway into the stockade itself. Tons of lizardmen around. The main stockade gates were smashed.
Much excited and frightened discussions ensued.
Randy was sent out in his Psi Camouflage.
The town had obviously fallen. Several buildings burnt, many smashed. And lizardmen all about. There were sounds of fighting coming from the ford itself (about 500m away through the town).
Randy came back to the group (he can only maintain his camouflage for 100 seconds).
More frightened discussions ensued.
They had an ogre, so they decided to form a wedge and charge. With diligent use of Darkness spells from Opera & Bookem, and diligent use of Grunter's big club, they fought their way in a running battle through the town, to see the Hickford soliders (remnants of Lt Thwouse's company), on the far side of the ford, fighting a horde of lizardmen.
These lizardmen, now being attacked from both sides, broke and routed.
So the party met up with about half of Thwouse's company (the other half had evacuated the civilians of Hickford to Goldenton on the coast). Hickford was taken three days ago, and Thwouse was counter-attacking the town, trying to push the lizardmen out.
The two platoons of the Hickford garrison plus the party recaptured Hickford.
Thwouse (recently promoted to Captain) was expecting a Lizardman counter-attack in the next few days; the main lizard force, a battalion (one thousand strong), had gone down to Mouthton, but there were so many lizard survivors that they'd obviously know that they had lost the town. So he rounded all the town's survivors (the ones who didn't get away last time and who were holed up in hiding places), intending to evacuate the place entirely.
The party asked Nargo (Company wizard) if Dispel Magic would cure a Geas. He said maybe and there might be some risk (like death!). Thwouse overheard so ordered him to at least try it on the two captive wizard girls. Caroline tried to get away, but they tied her to a pole. Nargo cast. It worked. Her Geas was broken.
So they grabbed Catherine and Nargo tried it on her too; BANG! her head exploded and everyone was showered in blood and brain.
Caroline pledged her allegiance to Bookem and he returned her her spell book.
Someone mused that maybe Dispel Magic would work on Zippo too and his troublesome teeth. Nargo was happy to try. Zippo fled - towards Goldenton.
Stanley psi-contacted Capt Osterman back in Specularum and relayed the return orders to Thwouse and to the Party. Osterman also told the party to get the hell back to Antonio's castle as soon as physically possible. However, the party decided that training took precidence [ everyone had urges ] so Bookem and Oprah decided to head for Dromine to train, even though this would take ten days.
One of the survivors in town was the chief of the Hickford TG, so she agreed to train Lon Gon.
The party left for Goldenton (en route to Dromine), and found Zippo's tracks. Zippo's trail went cold at Goldenton, but some enquiries revealed that he had hired a boat to take him out to sea.
However, a new mercenary was available - Jabu Lani, a Pensive Island Fighter who was trying to become a paladin.
Stanley psi-contacted Grunter (he had returned home to his village) and Grunter met the group at the Hick river.
They headed back into the hills towards the castle.
Specularum had mobilized its army and was headed to this area of the Grand Duchy. Big cheeses had started to arrive in Hicktown and Goldenton.
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