Act One: Prison Break
Having been sentenced to death for their various crimes against the people of fair Talengarde, the party have been shackled together in a large, squalid cell while they await the arrival of their executioner (in three days time). Sergeant Tomas Blackerly (who pretty much runs the prison in the absence of the reclusive warden) bangs on the bars of their cage and announces that ‘Bob' has a visitor. The surprised half-elf is unshackled and dragged into the interrogation chamber, where a hauntingly beautiful woman dressed for mourning awaits. After dismissing the glassy-eyed guards, she introduces herself as Tiadora. She reveals that they share a ‘mutual fiend’ who wishes for ‘Bob’ and his cellmates to join him at his estate beyond the saltmarsh east of the prison, to discuss a unique employment opportunity. To initiate their escape from Branderscar, Tiadora hands ‘Bob’ a Veil of Useful Items, containing the articles necessary to facilitate the first mass breakout in the history of the prison.
Their business concluded, the guards stumble back in as though summoned by Tiadora’s will (or maybe the Puppet power). The mysterious woman once again plays the part of the grieving lover and plants a kiss on ‘Bob’s cheek as he is hauled away. His flesh crawls where Tiadora’s icy lips caress his skin.
After being returned to his cell, ‘Bob’ produces a set of thieves tools from the enchanted veil and picks the lock on his manacles. He only releases the rest of the group after they promise not to eat him, stab him or sacrifice him to Asmodeus. The next patch he picks off the veil resembles a window and causes one to magically appear in the wall of their cell, overlooking the compound between the prison and the gatehouse. It doesn’t take the guards long to notice this glaring breach in security once the inmates begin spilling out into the courtyard. Horns are blown in alarm and armed men appear on the battlements, ordering the escaping prisoners to stop or be fired upon. These instructions are largely ignored as the inmates break for the gatehouse. Flexing his claws, Slithe burrows through the reinforced wooden portal. The rest of the party follow through the lizardman-shaped hole and engage the guards.
Vang petitions his dark god and is enveloped in a shroud of shadow that prevents the men on the walls targeting him. Unfortunately, this also blinds his own allies who are caught in the area of effect (I ruled that even though some of the other PCs had darkvision, only a card-carrying cleric of Asmodeus would be able to penetrate this murk). Live Tig applies his not inconsiderable strength to lifting the heavy bar from the exit, propping it against one wall while the group mop up the last few guards. Captain Grimwhiskers stumbles into the hefty timber and it topples, crushing one unfortunate guard (with a sickening crunch) and trapping Vang’s leg.
Their business concluded, the guards stumble back in as though summoned by Tiadora’s will (or maybe the Puppet power). The mysterious woman once again plays the part of the grieving lover and plants a kiss on ‘Bob’s cheek as he is hauled away. His flesh crawls where Tiadora’s icy lips caress his skin.
After being returned to his cell, ‘Bob’ produces a set of thieves tools from the enchanted veil and picks the lock on his manacles. He only releases the rest of the group after they promise not to eat him, stab him or sacrifice him to Asmodeus. The next patch he picks off the veil resembles a window and causes one to magically appear in the wall of their cell, overlooking the compound between the prison and the gatehouse. It doesn’t take the guards long to notice this glaring breach in security once the inmates begin spilling out into the courtyard. Horns are blown in alarm and armed men appear on the battlements, ordering the escaping prisoners to stop or be fired upon. These instructions are largely ignored as the inmates break for the gatehouse. Flexing his claws, Slithe burrows through the reinforced wooden portal. The rest of the party follow through the lizardman-shaped hole and engage the guards.
Vang petitions his dark god and is enveloped in a shroud of shadow that prevents the men on the walls targeting him. Unfortunately, this also blinds his own allies who are caught in the area of effect (I ruled that even though some of the other PCs had darkvision, only a card-carrying cleric of Asmodeus would be able to penetrate this murk). Live Tig applies his not inconsiderable strength to lifting the heavy bar from the exit, propping it against one wall while the group mop up the last few guards. Captain Grimwhiskers stumbles into the hefty timber and it topples, crushing one unfortunate guard (with a sickening crunch) and trapping Vang’s leg.
Another group of guards, led by Sergeant Blackerly emerge from the prison. Slithe uses the Zombie power to animate several dead guardsmen, then sends them shambling out to hold the gatehouse. Blackerly charges the cold-blooded necromancer, who burrows into the ground to escape. He gets disorientated (Gary rolled a Critical Failure) and comes back up in the kennels. Several of the hounds advance, growling menacingly.
Realising that the men atop the battlements will rain arrows on them the moment they emerge from the other side of the gatehouse, Betty and Captain Grimwhiskers scramble up the ladder and break through the trapdoor in the roof of the tower. Meanwhile, ‘Bob’ and Live Tig gang up on Blackerly and he (eventually) succumbs to his wounds. The guards are shaken by the defeat of their sergeant and the inmates take advantage of this momentary respite to make their bid for freedom!
Having broken their bonds, the escaped convicts flee from Branderscar Prison. Several stray crossbolts clatter off the rocks around them, but the stars do not provide enough light for much accuracy. Reaching the bridge to the mainland, Vang (who forgot to stretch before exerting himself) begins to fall behind the others. The landward gatehouse is blocked by an iron portcullis. ‘Bob’ and Grimwhiskers deftly scale the wall. While the rakashan pirate distracts the sentries, ‘Bob’ slips into the guardroom and begins raising the gate. Slithe reanimates several dead guard dogs, the undead hounds barrel into their former handlers, knocking them off the bridge and into the sea. Once everyone has ducked under the portcullis, Betty severs the ropes and it drops back into place, preventing further pursuit.
To avoid patrols, the escapees abandon the road and slog across the vast, trackless salt marshes. Betty (the only PC with the Tracking/Survival skill) takes the lead, unfortunately this brings him to the attention of the areas most infamous/dangerous denizen; a giant toad called Lashtongue. Snatching the gnome with its super sticky tongue, Lashtongue swallows the little fellow whole! Trying to hamstring the amphibious titan, ‘Bob’ gets a little carried away and cuts off one of its legs. Slithe finishes it off, then tries to reanimate the bloated corpse, but as the body is now missing a leg, all it can really do is thrash around in the muck.
Realising that the men atop the battlements will rain arrows on them the moment they emerge from the other side of the gatehouse, Betty and Captain Grimwhiskers scramble up the ladder and break through the trapdoor in the roof of the tower. Meanwhile, ‘Bob’ and Live Tig gang up on Blackerly and he (eventually) succumbs to his wounds. The guards are shaken by the defeat of their sergeant and the inmates take advantage of this momentary respite to make their bid for freedom!
Having broken their bonds, the escaped convicts flee from Branderscar Prison. Several stray crossbolts clatter off the rocks around them, but the stars do not provide enough light for much accuracy. Reaching the bridge to the mainland, Vang (who forgot to stretch before exerting himself) begins to fall behind the others. The landward gatehouse is blocked by an iron portcullis. ‘Bob’ and Grimwhiskers deftly scale the wall. While the rakashan pirate distracts the sentries, ‘Bob’ slips into the guardroom and begins raising the gate. Slithe reanimates several dead guard dogs, the undead hounds barrel into their former handlers, knocking them off the bridge and into the sea. Once everyone has ducked under the portcullis, Betty severs the ropes and it drops back into place, preventing further pursuit.
To avoid patrols, the escapees abandon the road and slog across the vast, trackless salt marshes. Betty (the only PC with the Tracking/Survival skill) takes the lead, unfortunately this brings him to the attention of the areas most infamous/dangerous denizen; a giant toad called Lashtongue. Snatching the gnome with its super sticky tongue, Lashtongue swallows the little fellow whole! Trying to hamstring the amphibious titan, ‘Bob’ gets a little carried away and cuts off one of its legs. Slithe finishes it off, then tries to reanimate the bloated corpse, but as the body is now missing a leg, all it can really do is thrash around in the muck.
Act Two: Into the Knot
Reaching the mansion on the Old Moor Road, the convicts find Tiadora waiting to welcome them. She assigns each of the fugitives a servant and instructs them to make themselves presentable before they meet ‘The Master’. ‘The Master’ turns out to be a devilishly handsome man who introduces himself as Cardinal Adrastus Thorne, the last high priest of Asmodeus left in the kingdom of Talengarde. Vang positively gushes with schoolboy excitement, Thorne is one of his personal heroes, he has his action figure and everything. Thorne congratulates the party on their daring escape from Branderscar Prison, but is careful to remind them that they would still be languishing in their own filth had it not been for his intervention. Thorne did not spring these scoundrels from their cell as an act of kindness, he has a job offer for them. The Cardinal plans to bring ruin upon Talengarde and raise a new, evil empire from the smouldering ashes. He offers each PC a place in his new world order – all they have to do is sign their souls over to Asmodeus (via a legally binding demonic contract). Vang and Betty have signed (in blood) before Thorne has finished speaking, Captain Grimwhiskers follows suit after being promised a fleet of pirate ships with which to pillage neighbouring kingdoms. Slithe is won over with the promise of a near endless supply of fresh cadavers upon which to perfect his art. ‘Bob’ tries to negotiate the terms of the infernal contract and quickly discovers the limits of Thorne’s patience, he signs – but is determined to keep looking for a loophole enabling him to wriggle out of his obligations. Finally, Live Tig refuses to sign his soul over to Asmodeus, having already pledged his loyalty to some ancient forest spirit. The rest of the party begin to edge away from the stubborn crossbreed. Thorne sighs and instructs Tiadora to destroy the truculent troblin. He is ripped apart in a cyclone of scything tentacles and hideous laughter.
RIP: LIVE TIG
While several servants scrub gore of the walls/ceiling, Cardinal Thorne instructs his latest recruits (the Ninth/Nessian Knot) on their first mission. An ogre highwayman called Grumblejack plagues the roads north of Matharyn and the local constabulary are drawing close to catching the monstrous menace. Thorne wants the group to find the ogre first and convince him to join their dark crusade. He hardly needs to remind them as to the cost of failure. Since the countryside is crawling with soldiers on the lookout for the escaped prisoners, Thorne gifts each of his new agents with an iron circlet that allows them to change their appearance (as the Disguise power) and move among their enemies unremarked. He also gives them each a silver medallion bearing the sign of Asmodeus, so that they may be known to others in service of the demon lord.
RIP: LIVE TIG
While several servants scrub gore of the walls/ceiling, Cardinal Thorne instructs his latest recruits (the Ninth/Nessian Knot) on their first mission. An ogre highwayman called Grumblejack plagues the roads north of Matharyn and the local constabulary are drawing close to catching the monstrous menace. Thorne wants the group to find the ogre first and convince him to join their dark crusade. He hardly needs to remind them as to the cost of failure. Since the countryside is crawling with soldiers on the lookout for the escaped prisoners, Thorne gifts each of his new agents with an iron circlet that allows them to change their appearance (as the Disguise power) and move among their enemies unremarked. He also gives them each a silver medallion bearing the sign of Asmodeus, so that they may be known to others in service of the demon lord.
Loading up a rickety, old wagon, the party masquerade as merchants, to lure Grumblejack into waylaying them. Rather than the ogre, the group are stopped by a group of mounted men led by Sir Balin of Karfeld, who is coordinating the search for the escaped convicts – specifically the tiefling warlock Vang, whom he bought to justice himself. Fortunately, all that the knight and his entourage see are a family of harmless tinkers on their way to market.
Boredom sets in as the wagon trundles back and forth between Matharyn and Varyston, it almost comes as a relief when the notorious Grumblejack erupts from the bushes, levelling what looks alarmingly like a ballista at the party. Flapping his silver tongue, Captain Grimwhiskers convinces the ogre to abandon his life of petty crime and join their merry band of murderers and thieves. Having completed their objective, the party skulk back to Thorne’s manor under the cover of darkness.
Satisfied that his Ninth Knot are not completely useless, Thorne entrusts the party with a more important/difficult task. They are to escort a shipment of weapons/armour and see it delivered to Warchief Sakkarot Fire-Axe, who is busy unifying the bugbear tribes in preparation for war! They are to sail north aboard ‘The Frosthamar’ under Captain Kargeld Odenkirk. Grimwhiskers well remembers that name and recalls Odenkirk to be a nasty piece of work who murdered his own brother to steal the ship he now sails. Soon after their departure, the rakashan pirate begins sowing the seeds of mutiny amongst the crew. As 'The Frosthamar' passes the coastal end of the Shield Wall, a lookout spots another ship – ‘The Blade of St. Martus’ – on course to intercept the smugglers....
Boredom sets in as the wagon trundles back and forth between Matharyn and Varyston, it almost comes as a relief when the notorious Grumblejack erupts from the bushes, levelling what looks alarmingly like a ballista at the party. Flapping his silver tongue, Captain Grimwhiskers convinces the ogre to abandon his life of petty crime and join their merry band of murderers and thieves. Having completed their objective, the party skulk back to Thorne’s manor under the cover of darkness.
Satisfied that his Ninth Knot are not completely useless, Thorne entrusts the party with a more important/difficult task. They are to escort a shipment of weapons/armour and see it delivered to Warchief Sakkarot Fire-Axe, who is busy unifying the bugbear tribes in preparation for war! They are to sail north aboard ‘The Frosthamar’ under Captain Kargeld Odenkirk. Grimwhiskers well remembers that name and recalls Odenkirk to be a nasty piece of work who murdered his own brother to steal the ship he now sails. Soon after their departure, the rakashan pirate begins sowing the seeds of mutiny amongst the crew. As 'The Frosthamar' passes the coastal end of the Shield Wall, a lookout spots another ship – ‘The Blade of St. Martus’ – on course to intercept the smugglers....
As the patrol ship catches up with ‘The Frosthamar’ (which has been made sluggish by its heavy load of smuggled weapons), the villains conceal themselves amongst the cargo. As the Talgardan officer comes aboard, ‘Bob’ puffs into his blowpipe. Startled, the man plucks the poisoned dart from his neck and stares at it, eyes widening in alarm. Before he can cry out, Grimwhiskers pops up and unloads both flintlocks into the poor chap’s chest, blasting him into the sea. As the officer’s marine escort gawp at his corpse, First Mate August Rustbeard unloads his dwarven blunderbuss into their little skiff.
As the battle rages between the two ships, ‘The Blade of St. Martius’ begins to tilt alarmingly, probably a result of Slithe paddling across and burrowing through the hull. Even as the patrol ship sinks, the lizardman loots the captain’s cabin.
Those Talgardan sailors not killed in the fighting soon wished they had been. After fishing the shivering wretches out of the drink, Vang and Slithe begin bickering over which of them gets to kill the prisoners. The tiefling wants their souls to please Asmodeus, while the necromancer needs corpses to swell the ranks of his undead horde. Vang gets a little carried away and does for all of them in one mass sacrifice. As ‘The Frosthamar’ continues to crawl north, he begins to wish he had paced himself.
As the battle rages between the two ships, ‘The Blade of St. Martius’ begins to tilt alarmingly, probably a result of Slithe paddling across and burrowing through the hull. Even as the patrol ship sinks, the lizardman loots the captain’s cabin.
Those Talgardan sailors not killed in the fighting soon wished they had been. After fishing the shivering wretches out of the drink, Vang and Slithe begin bickering over which of them gets to kill the prisoners. The tiefling wants their souls to please Asmodeus, while the necromancer needs corpses to swell the ranks of his undead horde. Vang gets a little carried away and does for all of them in one mass sacrifice. As ‘The Frosthamar’ continues to crawl north, he begins to wish he had paced himself.
Meanwhile, Grimwhiskers continues to nurture the seeds of mutiny that he planted in the crew earlier in the voyage. Unfortunately, the brash rakashan pirate is not particularly discrete and his traitorous whispering soon comes to the attention of Captain Odenkirk. Inviting Grimwhiskers into his cabin to pore over their course, Odenkirk serves the ambitious rakashan a glass of poisoned wine. When his guest seems disinclined to drink, the captain launches himself across the table, wrapping his calloused hands around Grimwhiskers’ furry throat. Tightening his choke hold, Odenkirk drags the spluttering usurper to the window and rolls him out! Fortunately, Grimwhiskers is able to grab a trailing line and swings around the starboard side of the ship. He smashes through the door of the captain’s cabin and rolls to his feet with both pistols trained on Odenkirk’s back! The rest of the crew (who never much cared for Odenkirk anyway) soon decide which side their bread is buttered and throw their lot in with ‘Captain’ Grimwhiskers. Magnanimously, the rakashan pirate allows Vang to sacrifice his rival to Asmodeus. Slithe sulks – as once a soul has been claimed by the Prince of Darkness, the body can no longer be used as a vessel for his necromantic powers.
Taking the helm, Captain Grimwhiskers makes good use of his predecessors charts to sail ‘The Frosthamar’ to the bugbear camp on the northern shore of Lake Tarik. Using the iron circlets to change their appearance, the party appear before the shaggy brutes as members of their own monstrous race. The villains demand to speak to whoever is in charge. This turns out to be Warchief Sakkarot Fireaxe, a mighty bugbear champion brandishing a flaming great axe! Speaking in heavily accented common, he welcomes the villains to the Savage North and announces a feast to celebrate the arrival of the weapons with which his armies will destroy fair Talengarde.
After the festivities, Sakkarot invites the villains to join him around his fire, where they discuss the next (and most difficult) stage of their mission. The party must cross the lake and travel to the town of Aldencross, which lies in the long shadow of Fort Balentyne. Until the citadel falls, Sakkarot and his army are stuck on the wrong side of the Shield Wall. The warchief entrusts ‘Bob’ with a signal rocket, with which to initiate the bugbear assault.
After the festivities, Sakkarot invites the villains to join him around his fire, where they discuss the next (and most difficult) stage of their mission. The party must cross the lake and travel to the town of Aldencross, which lies in the long shadow of Fort Balentyne. Until the citadel falls, Sakkarot and his army are stuck on the wrong side of the Shield Wall. The warchief entrusts ‘Bob’ with a signal rocket, with which to initiate the bugbear assault.
Part Three: Burning Balentyne
The villains cross the lake the next day, reaching its southern edge at dusk. Recalling Cardinal Thorne’s explicit instructions, re: loose ends, the party burn ‘The Frosthamar’ to the waterline (while trying to ignore Grimwhiskers’ mewling as they torch his new boat).
Arriving in Aldencross after nightfall, the villains take lodgings in ‘The Lords Dalliance’ inn/tavern. Using his iron circlet to blend in, Betty joins a group of boisterous dwarven engineers drinking at a corner booth. They are only too happy to boast about how they have been hired to reinforce the fortifications along the length of the Shield Wall. After proving that he can handle his liquor, Barnabus Eisenbauch drunkenly extends Betty an offer of employment (which he probably won’t remember making come the morning).
In the absence of Betty’s player, the murderous gnome falls ill and Grimwhiskers takes his place amongst the dwarven engineers. When nobody is looking, he mixes blackpowder (from a barrel he carried off ‘The Frosthamar’) into the mortar which Eisenbauch and his lads are using to strengthen the fortifications.
The rakashan pirate also puts the party in touch with his underworld contacts and arranges for the use of a derelict warehouse building, where ‘Bob’ sets up his alchemy equipment. The group can no longer return to ‘The Lord’s Dalliance’ after Slithe botched (critical failure on a Persuasion roll) an attempt to buy the tavern of the current owner and was (perhaps justifiably) accused of being a confidence trickster.
The villains are joined by another of Cardinal Thorne’s agents, a black-hearted elf called Drexab afflicted with lycanthropy. The werewolf is left in charge of interrogating the unfortunate guard that the group abducted at the end of the previous session, while Vang waits impatiently to sacrifice the poor man to Asmodeus.
Arriving in Aldencross after nightfall, the villains take lodgings in ‘The Lords Dalliance’ inn/tavern. Using his iron circlet to blend in, Betty joins a group of boisterous dwarven engineers drinking at a corner booth. They are only too happy to boast about how they have been hired to reinforce the fortifications along the length of the Shield Wall. After proving that he can handle his liquor, Barnabus Eisenbauch drunkenly extends Betty an offer of employment (which he probably won’t remember making come the morning).
In the absence of Betty’s player, the murderous gnome falls ill and Grimwhiskers takes his place amongst the dwarven engineers. When nobody is looking, he mixes blackpowder (from a barrel he carried off ‘The Frosthamar’) into the mortar which Eisenbauch and his lads are using to strengthen the fortifications.
The rakashan pirate also puts the party in touch with his underworld contacts and arranges for the use of a derelict warehouse building, where ‘Bob’ sets up his alchemy equipment. The group can no longer return to ‘The Lord’s Dalliance’ after Slithe botched (critical failure on a Persuasion roll) an attempt to buy the tavern of the current owner and was (perhaps justifiably) accused of being a confidence trickster.
The villains are joined by another of Cardinal Thorne’s agents, a black-hearted elf called Drexab afflicted with lycanthropy. The werewolf is left in charge of interrogating the unfortunate guard that the group abducted at the end of the previous session, while Vang waits impatiently to sacrifice the poor man to Asmodeus.
Having learnt from their prisoner that Fort Balentyne is garrisoned by 100+ men, the villains decide that a direct assault on the citadel is out of the question. Instead, they embark on a more insidious plot….
While ‘Bob’ cooks up a large batch of his fear-inducing hallucinogenics, Slithe burrows beneath the outlying farmland and sets to methodically sabotaging the spring harvest. As a result, the flow of fresh produce into Aldencross slows to a trickle. The group then flood the market with their own stock (generously laced with ‘Bob’s alchemical additives). As the villagers are driven to rioting by maddening terror, Lord Commander Sir Thomas Havelyn has no choice but to release men from their duties within the fort in order to restore order to the town.
With the fortress’ security so diminished, Drexab sneaks inside to sever their communications with the rest of Talengarde. The longer it takes for King Markadian V to learn of the fall of the Shield Wall, the longer before he can raise an army to meet the bugbears in battle. Breaking into the tower-top rookery, the werewolf kills the old hermit entrusted with the birds’ care, then poisons their grain with yet more of ‘Bob’s drug. The crazed ravens begin attacking the men of Fort Balentyne, who begin to whisper of evil omens.
Having sufficiently weakened the citadel’s defences, the villains decide the time is nigh to trigger the bugbear’s assault. Slithe tunnels into the fort, followed by Vang and Grimwhiskers. ‘Bob’ and Drexab remain in Aldencross to spread further discord and keep the soldiers busy. While the lizardman heads for the prison to release those most severely affected by ‘Bob’s drug (to create yet more chaos and confusion), Vang and Grimwhiskers make for the gatehouse, where they must raise the portcullis. They find Captain Barhold on duty and must defeat this brave officer if they are to control the gatehouse. Vang is grievously wounded. Realising he is outnumbered and outmatched, Grimwhiskers fires his flintlock at the section of wall built with explosive mortar, blowing the top off the gatehouse! Vang is obliterated along with Barhold and his men, Grimwhiskers himself is buried beneath a ton of rubble.
RIP: VANG
While ‘Bob’ cooks up a large batch of his fear-inducing hallucinogenics, Slithe burrows beneath the outlying farmland and sets to methodically sabotaging the spring harvest. As a result, the flow of fresh produce into Aldencross slows to a trickle. The group then flood the market with their own stock (generously laced with ‘Bob’s alchemical additives). As the villagers are driven to rioting by maddening terror, Lord Commander Sir Thomas Havelyn has no choice but to release men from their duties within the fort in order to restore order to the town.
With the fortress’ security so diminished, Drexab sneaks inside to sever their communications with the rest of Talengarde. The longer it takes for King Markadian V to learn of the fall of the Shield Wall, the longer before he can raise an army to meet the bugbears in battle. Breaking into the tower-top rookery, the werewolf kills the old hermit entrusted with the birds’ care, then poisons their grain with yet more of ‘Bob’s drug. The crazed ravens begin attacking the men of Fort Balentyne, who begin to whisper of evil omens.
Having sufficiently weakened the citadel’s defences, the villains decide the time is nigh to trigger the bugbear’s assault. Slithe tunnels into the fort, followed by Vang and Grimwhiskers. ‘Bob’ and Drexab remain in Aldencross to spread further discord and keep the soldiers busy. While the lizardman heads for the prison to release those most severely affected by ‘Bob’s drug (to create yet more chaos and confusion), Vang and Grimwhiskers make for the gatehouse, where they must raise the portcullis. They find Captain Barhold on duty and must defeat this brave officer if they are to control the gatehouse. Vang is grievously wounded. Realising he is outnumbered and outmatched, Grimwhiskers fires his flintlock at the section of wall built with explosive mortar, blowing the top off the gatehouse! Vang is obliterated along with Barhold and his men, Grimwhiskers himself is buried beneath a ton of rubble.
RIP: VANG
The fiery destruction of the gatehouse illuminates the darkness for several miles and is to Sakkarot Fire-Axe as sure a sign as he requires to launch his invasion of Talengarde. As the party neglected to neutralise Sir Thomas Havelyn, the bugbear warchief clashes with the Lord Commander atop the smoking ruin of the gatehouse. Fire-Axe triumphs over the old knight, but loses an eye in the process.