Effruin remains mounted beneath dripping alders, overlooking Duskford Mill. His wounded shoulder throbs as the wheel turns below, and covered lamps flare one by one along the roofline.
Hooves approach from the western road. Grahamin’s column emerges through the mist, while the veiled courier rides at his side and points urgently toward reeds beside the river.
The Veiled Courier
There. A second force is concealed along the bank. They are waiting for the mill’s signal before closing the road.
More covered lamps answer from the mill roof, blinking through the rain. Below them, shadowed figures shift among the riverside reeds, keeping the mounted column between themselves and the fort road.
High Marshal Grahamin
Effruin, hold your position. If we charge blind, the Ashen Oath will split us between the mill and the river.
Grahamin raises a closed fist, halting the column behind the trees. His soldiers dismount in silence, while the lamps above continue their measured signal and the hidden bank force waits.
High Marshal Grahamin
The alliance stands only if neither of us acts alone. Choose your ground, and I will make the column follow your strike.
✓ Quest Accepted
Establish a battle plan with Grahamin
“I order Grahamin’s soldiers to flank the reeds while I approach the mill.”
SUCCESS (Great Reasoning, rolled +1)
Effruin
Flank the reeds. I will approach the mill.
Effruin gives the order with quiet finality. Grahamin’s soldiers slip from the trees in two files, spreading along the riverbank while the veiled courier marks their path.
High Marshal Grahamin
Do it. Keep your blades sheathed until the reeds close around them.
The column completes the flank without a shout. Shadowed soldiers now hold both banks, hemming the concealed Ashen Oath fighters against the river and the mill’s outer wall.
Effruin rides from the alders toward Duskford Mill. Covered lamps glow above him, and the great wheel turns steadily beside the black water.
The Veiled Courier
The reeds are sealed. Their signal has brought them into the trap.
Effruin reaches the mill’s open yard beneath the answering lamps. Behind him, Grahamin’s flankers hold position, while the river force remains hidden among the reeds.
Quest Complete
Establish a battle plan with Grahamin