Ghosts Legions of Rome

RECAP:

Last week, we almost wrote the entirety of ACT 3 in a single post (there was much abridgement. So, this week we pick up with our heroes, the Irish Knights, deciding that they must leave Donegal if they are to protect Donegal.

They have been cursed by Ulthorion, marked in such a way that he can find them and teleport enemies to kill them. Currently they are only safe in Argo’s manor, as it is protected from scrying. But the elven Arch-wizard has sidelined them until he can find a way to break the curse. Our heroes are bridling under house arrest, as such they have decided to leave the city and seek their fate out in the field. They believe if they kill enough of Ulthorion’s troops he will just give up on sending more.

Mercs and Ghosts?

Rumors of ghosts and armies marching to the east of Donegal have reached Argo’s house. Besides that, the “baron” of Castle Berg was supposedly invaded by unknown mercenaries, who have turned Castle Berg into their HQ. This is also close to Donegal and needs investigation.

David trades his .45 Colt for Argo’s wheellock and then the trio leave the safety of Donegal. They decide to try riding, and take horses from Argo’s stable. While this allows the trio to travel much faster than Ragnall’s slow pace, it also colors their day with his complaints about his ass in the saddle.

The road:

They quickly travel down the road and pass through Straben, peasants in the field refuse to return their greetings. Keeping their gazes down and ignoring the trio as they pass down the road, through the town, and into the rolling farms beyond. Their path takes them on a far more southerly route than their previous journey and David points out all of the many changes from Core Earth.

Ash and Ragnall care little for this but they nod and make comments as expected. Ash is bothered by lack of greeting from all of the peoples in the fields. The fact that they passed through the middle of the town without a word. Just as he’s expressing his displeasure at this situation, a voice yells out a HELLO.

Ghost Legions of [Rome]:

A farmer out in his field jogs toward them, waving and calling out to them. The trio stop their horses and turn to face the man as he closes the distance and comes to a halt with a short bow.

Ragnall: “Stop all that.”

The farmer asks if they are here to deal with the ghost army has conquered his southern fields. They had heard rumors of ghost [romans] but that is not their main mission. They are more interested in what is happening in Castle Berg. They ask him why he thinks they are here to deal with ghosts?

Farmer: “A priest with two warriors? What else would you be doing out here. If you’re going to head toward Castle Berg then you must pass through the lands claimed by the ghosts. Usually you just see them marching back and forth, but if you see their leader, a man in a chariot. Then they will form up and fight you. Good luck reaching Berg without a fight.”

The farmer returns to his field, shaking his head and the trio mull over his words before they push on.

Fall of Night:

The trio push themselves, reaching a town just before dusk they decide to push on even further into the south and on into the night. As the sun slowly goes down, they start to see the first signs of the ghost legion. The smoky outline of men on the march appears out in the distance away from them. The sound of marching, men talking, armor clanking… fade in and out to their ears.

As the sun finally fails and argent moonlight guides their path, they see the chariot. Up on a low hill the chariot stands, a man stands besides the horses, surveying the field. Behind him a smaller figure holds a standard, a golden eagle. The chariot and the standard bearer are wispy, insubstantial, but the man seems real enough. He raises a hand and points at the trio and then vanishes from the hill.

A roar, a challenge fills the air, and the sound of thousands of men marching in lock step fills the air. But only the chariot and ten soldiers move into view. The centurion in the chariot surges ahead but comes to a halt 40 meters away from the trio. His 10 legionnaires form up into two ranks of 5 men, locking their shields. The sounds of hundreds more, unseen, soldiers fills the air.

The Challenge:

Maximus: I am Varo Maximus, and all soil beneath my feet belongs to [Rome]. Who are you that marches across my lands?

Ragnall: (makes a rude noise, half raspberry half laugh) “You’re a bunch of ghosts who don’t have the sense to know you’re dead and gone, as is your Empire. Go back to sleep and trouble us not.”

Maximus sneers: My legions march across all of these lands and hold them still, and will hold them for eternity. We—

Ragnall: Hold them ineptly.

Maximus is shocked by the interruption and immediately goes into a rage. The legionnaires march forward, throwing pila into the air on the run.

Of course it’s a Fight:

A pilum strikes Ragnall right out of his saddle, knocking him to the ground and almost pinning him. Davey and Ash drop off their horses as well, merely cut and knocked about by the javelins. As they go to counter charge the troops, Maximus swoops in with his chariot, driving it right across the duo he leans in with his sword extended.

Ash rolls under the sword strike and leaps up to the yoke between the two horses, he swings his sword in a wide arc, aiming for one of the horses, the driver, and Maximus. His sword passes through the horse and driver, but punches into Maximus’s armor.

Davey has switched from using his cheap machetes to wielding the massive hammer they found back on the road back to Donegal. The hammer seems to be slightly more effective when it strikes the ghost chariot. The horses rear away from the massive hammer and the chariot goes into a wide turn, preparing to come around. The legionnaires are still marching into the trio, they unleash their second pila and a rain of javelins strike none of the knights.

Light in the Dark:

Ragnall has managed to pull the pilum from his thigh and get back to his feet. He calls a bolt of lightning down from the heavens, driving it directly into Maximus’s heart. But for some reason the driver of the chariot is struck and the ghost is turned to Ash. Davey charges into the chariot, his Hammer unleashes a wave of thunder as he strikes. Maximus leaps from the back of the chariot as the vehicle shatters and bursts into flames. The horses fade away.

Ash closes in on Maximus, his black blade darting in on the Centurion. Maximus raises his sword to parry, and Ash deflects the short blade and drives his blade through Maximus. The centurion drops to the ground, pinned directly through as Ash drives his full body weight through the man. The centurion laughs, Ash wrenches his blade to the side, and Maximus coughs blood and dies. The charging legionnaires disappear like smoke on the wind and the sound of an army is gone.

Communion:

Ragnall: That seems far too easy… let me see if the spirits are lingering.

Davey tries to chase down their horses, but the animals fled as soon as the knights left the saddle. Ragnall looks into the spirit world and finds that some of the legionnaires are still lingering around. They are angry and restless, but their anger is with their leader and not with the Knights.

Maximus is cursed, and in turn he has cursed his legion as well. The centurion can not be destroyed, but he will return in a few days. As long as Maximus is walking the land, he can summon the spirits of the men of his legion to keep fighting forever. The legionnaire is glad to be resting for the rest of the night and maybe for several more, but he knows that he will be summoned to fight again.

Dave: Horses are gone.

Ragnall: Well, Maximus is gone for tonight guaranteed, so I say we rest right here. I have to see to this hole in my damn thigh anyway.

END of ACT 3

Ok, this was rather short… I debated starting ACT 4 right here, but ACT 4 starts with a massive and awesome fight scene, and this whole post has already been a huge fight scene. So I don’t want to give you 3000 words of just fighting.

Next week we introduce Ravagons…. The Seelie Sidhe, and a big change up in things to come. We also break the curse on our heroes, and also mess with the timeline a little.