The Fireball Gazette

A Bear or Perhaps a Deva?
Their mission led them to the chilly Cliffside where Wilma’s father was being held, but things got a bit chaotic when they were ambushed by what looked like a rather fierce bear, eh? As tensions rose - and we do apologize for the stress - the bear transformed into Deva, revealing the ambush was just a clever little trick. With Deva’s shapeshifting abilities, the party put together a plan to sneak into the camp. In her spider form, Deva quietly moved past the guards to scope out the layout, eh? She spotted some Fort Murray uniforms, which set the stage for a rather daring ruse, if you don't mind me saying.

Mad Matt’s Rather Wild Plan
Mad Matt, ever the unconventional thinker - pardon his methods - seized on Deva’s discovery. He sent Sir Spencer, his monkey companion, to retrieve the uniforms, eh? Once all suited up, Mad Matt devised a somewhat absurd plan to pose as a wounded soldier. To really sell the act, he insisted that Havi give him a few good punches - terribly sorry about the bruising - until he looked quite battered. With his injuries looking authentic, Matt limped toward the guards, claiming to be Sergeant Matthew from the Fourth Cavalry with some very important news. Vomiting on a guard added a bit of an unpleasant touch, but it worked, eh? The guards bought the story and rushed him to the infirmary, much as we would have liked to avoid the mess.

A Most Intriguing (and Awkward) Story
After the doctor patched up Matt’s more unfortunate wounds - please excuse the gore - Matt insisted on seeing Commander Stein to report the intel he’d supposedly gathered. Once inside the tent, Matt started chatting about the secret plans of Lysander von Trümmbach, claiming the Fort Murray government was building a fleet that would end the war in just a few days, eh? However, Matt was so caught up in his tale that he forgot his crew had actually switched sides - they were sent from Fairview specifically to recover prisoners. In other or words, the commander he was speaking to was a direct subordinate of Lysander and was not at all amused, terribly sorry about that! Luckily, Commander Stein just assumed it was a concussion and sent Matt back to the infirmary.

Taking Out the Guards
While Mad Matt's little performance was unfolding - pardon the disruption - Mabel and Havi handled the guards in their own way. Using magic to create a bit of a distraction, Mabel lured a guard away, allowing Havi to sneak up and swiftly finish him off, eh? Havi, being quite resourceful, masked the blood with some leftover vomit, if you can believe it. Deva, still in her spider form, accompanied Tiyana as they found more uniforms and blended in, quite smoothly, eh?

Matt Unleashes Some Tentacles
Back in the infirmary, Mad Matt didn’t let his cover stop him from causing a bit of a ruckus, eh? Drawing on his connection to the dark entity Nalzagoth, Matt summoned some shadowy tentacles that tied down the doctor. With the doctor quite incapacitated, Matt created a rather grim spectacle beneath the tent. When a guard came to check in - apologies for the suddenness - the rest of the party acted swiftly, with Havi launching a ballista bolt that took out the unsuspecting soldier. Mabel grabbed the guard’s uniform as they prepared to move on, eh?

Prisoners Freed
With Deva’s scouting revealing where the prisoners were kept, the team pressed forward, if you don't mind us saying. After freeing the captives, they had to carefully navigate their way back through the camp, which was a bit of a tight squeeze, eh? Mad Matt, still yearning for a bit more mayhem, nearly blew their cover. Havi saved the day with another quick-thinking move, pretending to be a bit too much into the fermented juice as he carried Matt in his arms, eh? This ruse worked just long enough for the group to sneak past the guards.

Final Showdown
As they neared their exit, one of the guards actually recognized Mad Matt and tried to send him back to the infirmary - so sorry about that! Havi’s drunken antics swayed the guard, who led them to a secluded area. Seizing the opportunity, Havi used Matt as a bit of a makeshift weapon - sort of like a heavy hockey puck, eh? - smashing into the guard with both Matt and his battleaxe. The ensuing battle ended with the guard’s rather messy demise; however, since there wasn't any vomit left, Havi covered the remains with some soup, if that's okay with you. The group slipped away, leaving the camp behind, eh?

Wilma’s Reward
Returning to Fairview victorious - and apologies for the delay - the adventurers were greeted by a relieved and grateful Wilma. True to her word, she handed over 80 gold, including the stolen amount plus a bit of interest, eh? She had also managed to recruit 12 eager interns for their ship - though only 9 stuck around after hearing the full terms, especially once Matt mentioned pledging loyalty to Nalzagoth, terribly sorry about that! With new allies and a fresh batch of recruits, the party left Fairview, ready for their next adventure, eh?