As much as Azimi likes to report of success the latest escapade sat uncomfortably in her stomach.
The heroes did arrive in the military town of Heldemar, broken into districts (skyships, military, stockade, the pit where they burrowed out of, a civilian sector and the unfortunately re-education centre), contact was made through the staff to Mr Immortal Rheddrian who asked them to carry on and confirmation that magic didn’t work properly. Azimi was forced to speak Elven to communicate. The priests of Thor and Dwarven Immortal had to work very hard to receive their spells.
In a couple of weeks they were asked to go out and pacify a Nogata? something village to evaluate their skills. Poor peasant Skrogg disapproved along with Kurin and contemplated desertion. However, being lawful types they had agreed to go so their word is their bond. The local Neathar tribe apparently had been resisting the lawful and just (cough) Aegarian crusade and needed to be captured and re-educated. Thanks to Azimi’s navigation skill the path to the village was found.
As they approached Sven understood their language who had said “intruders” and four warriors approached the heroes an the accompanying arm fellows (all wearing red). Sven communicated the displeasure of seeing only stone weapons and no armour by shooting the front runner in the head with his heavy crossbow. The other warriors attacked as more village warriors armed themselves. Azimi courageously flew up into the air to avoid any unfortunate spear accidents. Thorsgrim blessed everyone. The heroes set about themselves with great joy knocking out all the village warriors who came at them. The regular army red shirts where having a very difficult time and Azimi began to throw dust into the air putting some to sleep with powerful sleep spells. After 17 slumped to the ground asleep, and the heroes knocked out many the rest of the warriors fled. However, the villages had released six dinosaur riding warriors at the party. These were big beasts with very sharp teeth. The sergeant incharge of this operation ordered that the villages be stopped from fleeing. As Azimi flew in the air she using magic unseen by the stone age village caused a mighty wall of fire some 200 yards long to trap the villages as the dinosaurs began to chomp at the party. Ragnar received a mighty wound causing everyone to gasp at the large teeth marks. Skrogg began to bash one to submission, likewise Ragnar. Kurin and Thorsgrim set to work chopping and hewing at the big beasts. Seeing the danger everyone now faced, Azimi cast a haste spell on her friends, but before it could take effect Ragnar was chopped, and scratched to unconsciousness. An extra beast had eaten a red shirt and had turned it’s attention onto Ragnar as well. The blurring swords of Sven and Thorsgrim finally bashed down their beast before, Thorsgrim rushed to the aid of Ragnar with a Cureall Spell. Skrogg bashed his dinosaur unconscious, as the rider above fell off and died of a broken neck. Kurin chopped his down as Azimi’s polymorph spell failed to work. As only two beasts were left they remaining dinosaurs were attacked from all sides. But as Ragnar arose from the ground the dinosaur popped him into it’s mouth and then began to do the same to Thorsgrim with out much fuss. Luckily Skrogg was there to knock his second beast out as Brother Stargard rushed up to ask if Thorgrim was wall right. With a display of gore, Ragnar with his head and neck inside the beast swung his sword four times and chopped the dinosaurs head clean off wearing the head and neck of the dinosaur like a great helm. The Rider fell off breaking his neck.
The village was rounded up after the wounds were seen too, by Thorsgrim and Kurin who could now almost cure all but death. The villages were led back to Heldemar for re-education much to the distress of Skrogg. Arriving back at Heldemar after a week of military drill and stupidity wearing short kilts the cleric accompanying them down to the hollow world had vanished, taking some gnomish tunnel digger craft and the heroes were brought into account. After being ridiculously questioned by officers the Alphatians agreed that the heroes new nothing of his vanishing. Obviously, the officers could no longer bear the worshipers of Thor attempting to convert them. The heroes were asked to go out a find trace of him. Thankfully after a day of walking through the jungle, a skyship “The Tipsy Tyrant” was used to likewise fail to find his whereabouts. The captain was a magic user and most of the crew marines were elves.
Arriving back to report their failure, they waited at Haldemar for their next mission, the lieutenant came running over saying that the they were about to be attacked by Heldannic flying vessels (warbirds) that look very cool and were hovering towards the outpost.
To action stations!