The Most Unfortunate Khatun Part 2

The next day, Bo-Jing, Tetsukichi, and Bangqiu met members of the Eagle Clans who explained the horrors of what they had experienced over the past several months. A group of beastmen, led by a sizeable number of giants, broke off from the larger force of invaders to pillage the lands of the Eagle Clan. They had invaded the khan’s stronghold, killing him and many of his people, driving away the rest. The heroes agreed that before proceeding to Khanbaliq, they should plan a sneak attack against the giants.

The Eagle Clan, together with the combined forces of Bo-Jing and Tetsukichi would give each other mutual protection while an elite number would find a secret way into the hall of the hill giants and make a sudden strike to compromise their ability to terrorize the Eagle Clan. Naransetseng of course would stay behind, under the protection of her brother.

The Eagle Clan had provided helpful directions and the heroes found the Eagle stronghold that had been overrun by the hill giants. The attack was very successful. They quickly and quietly eliminated the two giants who guarding the entrance and then began searching through the stronghold. An advance party of invisible scouts, including Bangqiu and Bo-Jing located and entered the central hall, where a large number of giants were gathered, feasting on the animals they’d stolen from the Eagle Clan. Making use of the Coin of the East, Bo-Jing created an atmosphere of confusion while Bangqiu trapped them in a wall of fire. While the majority of the giants fought each other in a confused rage, Tetsukichi led the rest of the party in a coordinated attack against the rest of the giants.

Next, the party found the smaller hall where the chief giant was in council. Using a similar combination of explosive magic, subterfuge, and expert swordsmanship, the chief giant and his strongest warriors were also killed. The party found their way to the dungeons below the stronghold and freed several dozen captives.

The heroes led the captives to safety and made an overnight camp outside the stronghold. The next morning, they broke camp and reunited with the Eagle Clan. They were of course glad to be reunited with their people, but they had some disturbing news. Two nights after the heroes set out to attack the stronghold, they were themselves, discovered by the evil flying deer and then attacked by hundreds of beastmen. Batzorig and Bo-Jing’s troops were ready to die to defend Naransetseng, but she would have none of it. She slipped out of her brother’s tent and then ran down to surrender herself to the beastmen. Batzorig, after surving many grievous wounds fighting waves of beastmen in front of his tent, did not understand the reason for their sudden retreat; he staggered into his tent and collapsed in exhaustion, not understanding his mistake until morning.

The Most Unfortunate Khatun Part 1

 When, Bo-Jing and his war band returned to Banua, the two sides had reached a stalemate.  Dead beastmen and other monsters littered the ground.  But the defending archers had nearly run out of arrows and the surviving monsters were seeking ways to clamber up the walls to the archers’ catwalk.

Bo-Jing and his war band, though tired from their long ride, were ready to relieve the exhausted archers. They charged into the compound on their horses in tight formation, methodically killing or driving out the remaining monsters.

Bangqiu, with Naransetseng, arrived in Banua late the day. He and the Khatun had found there way down from the mountains and camped outside another night, next to a stupa.  Naransetseng was greeted warmly by her brother and by Bo-Jing who presented to her once more her lost necklace, which she once more joyfully received.

 The joy of Naransetseng’s safe return did not spread far or last long.  The next morning, Ganbaatar summoned Bo-Jing to inform him of the bad news that everyone already new.  Naransetseng was not a member of the Bolad horde and the people of Banua had limited duty to protect her.  She should leave within three days and be prepared to leave sooner should the beastmen return.

Over the course of those three days, there was also some good news in the form of the arrival of Tetsukichi, a renowned warrior from the well-respected Sansar horde, whose herds roamed over lands to the west.  The Sansar were strong allies of the Eagle clan and Tetsukichi had answered his allies’ calls for help, riding with 60 able warriors.  And of course, Tetsukichi counted both Bangqiu and Bo-Jing as longtime friends, having joined them in many incredible adventures, most recently in thwarting the advance of the Master’s armies.  They agreed that the best way to protect The Bolad horde, the Eagle Clan, and the Valley of the Five Fires itself was to make the threat posed by the Master visible to the Emperor.  And the safest place for Naransetseng would be in Khanbaliq.  If the beastmen horde tracked her there, then the Emperor would be forced to fight them.  They had confidence that the Emperor armies would triumph, and if the Emperor were weakened in the process, that was also a gain, at least in the eyes of Bojing who abhorred the Emperor’s practices of slavery and concubinage.

Bo Jing and Tetsukishi, together with their friends and companions and a total of 200 warriors on horseback set out from Banua, with the aim of escorting Naransetseng to Khanbaliq.  As they reached the lands of the Eagle Clan, they founds signs of devastation greater than what had been visited upon the lands of the Bolad horde.  There were dead animals and people. Scores of bodies were hung in trees and splayed on rocks. For leagues, all trees had been cut and the scrub vegetation had been burned.  At the end of the second day of travel, strong cold winds from forced them to make camp in a shallow valley, sheltered from the winds on three sides.