Sandpoint is under attack!
Interestingly enough, I used that line way back in the Episode 2 recap! Something about things changing but always being the same.
The Northern Gates
Our heroes rush to the northern gates, which are barricaded with an assortment of overturned wagons and heavy barrels. They scramble up the ladders to the parapets and see three stone giants taunting the terrified militia. One of the giants is hurling boulders at the walls, sending bits of broken stone and rubble flying in all directions.
With the dragon circling overhead, the party wastes no time. Two giants approach the wall and engage with the melee characters. Their massive greatclubs are no joke; if they can smash chunks out of the parapet, then imagine the damage they can cause to Barnaby’s fragile bone structure.
As the screams from Sandpoint’s citizens echo through the streets, Fyn realizes the urgency of quelling the giant attack. He summons a magnificent war rhino who immediately charges towards one of the stone giants. The giant steps out of the way, but it gives Fyn the opportunity to take advantage of the distraction. He sends a half-dozen magic missiles into the stone giant who falls unconscious.
The rhino turns its attention to the stone giant hurling boulders, giving Krask enough time to rain arrows down on the other one. Trace tanks a couple blows and Fobias uses his lance to finish off the enemy.
Somewhere in the middle of this first battle, Sheriff Hemlock rides up on a mighty steed and shouts out that this was just a decoy; the stone giants are approaching from the east in greater numbers. A trio of bestial roars ring out from Tanner’s Bridge.
Hustling against the flow of frightened villagers, the party sprints towards the latest threat. Overhead, the dragon swoops down over the Sandpoint Garrison and engulfs it in flames. Luckily, the building is constructed of stone and fire only catches on the supplies stored on the roof. The dragon pumps its leathery wings and ascends back into the sky, breathing fire down on the villagers as it flies back to the north.
Fight at Tanner’s Bridge
When the party arrives at Tanner’s Bridge, a pair of stone giants and three dire bears have already crossed Mill Pond into Sandpoint proper. Sheriff Hemlock rides past again, looking worn and determined as he spurs his horse towards the dragon.
Immediately, Fyn sees how closely the enemies are grouped together and launches a freezing cone of cold in their direction. Barnaby flashes back to Theo rushing into the fray (and the macabre result), and hurries to Fyn’s side to help repel the onslaught.
The dire bears and stone giants shrug off their sluggishness and move in. Fyn and Barnaby quickly find themselves surrounded on all sides by these terrible creatures. It becomes a race against the clock for the party to thin the herd and save their friends!
Despite the limited space, Fobias and Trace launch themselves into the fight. The half-orc orders Richard to stay back, since he is a prime target for the stone giant hurling boulders. Fyn casts mirror image to make himself more difficult to hit, while Barnaby manages to blind one of the dire bears. Unable to see, this bear lashes out at everything around it in confusion.
Unfortunately, the dire bear behind Barnaby scoops him up in a meaty claw. Because of this, one of the other stone giants has a perfect opportunity to bash away at the dashing halfling. As the battle progresses, Barnaby takes several vicious hits before cutting the dire bear’s arms and wriggling free.
Across the pond, three more muscular stone giants begin tearing through the town, swinging at villagers and issuing challenges that fall on frightened ears.
Bearing Down
Once again, Fyn comes through in the clutch and casts Slow on the enemies. It might not be clear in the moment, but this single act probably saved Barnaby’s life. The enemies become sluggish and can’t attack as rapidly, but it doesn’t stop a club from knocking him out cold.
The rest of the party continues their advance. Above all, they need to create an opening for Barnaby to escape before he becomes entirely overwhelmed. Trace bursts through to Barnaby’s unconscious body. Holding his shield aloft, the paladin heals Barnaby with holy power.
It’s an iconic image – a venerable paladin of Sarenrae challenging the forces of evil in a vital attempt to protect a helpless ally, while a red dragon soars towards the recently rededicated Sandpoint Cathedral in the background.
Will Barnaby survive his current predicament? Can Sandpoint withstand the giant onslaught? Is there such a thing as a competent town guard?