Disaster on Ry'leh

The Band was coming along quite nicely for once. Five yeomen, a drake, nine pegasi, a knight and of course Ruburnel. And we've done the raid on Ry'leh more than a few times. We know the drill. I defend the Band, they whittle down the gogtzul. I have to defend the Band because them gogtzul will tear them apart in a round or two. But it's hard to take me down when I'm on full defensive and with Yrenasand, man I'm tough.

Fledge isn't.

She wimpied on me and fled. And without me defending the Band in the round or two it took me to get things under control again, the Band was scattered and/or dead. Me and Ruburnel fought on as long as we could over the bodies of our compatriots, but the gogtzul not only swarmed but were regenerating. Ruburnel covered my escape, knowing that I held the stones and the charms to bring back as many of our followers as we could. I retreated back to the beach where I caught my breath. I realised as well that through some error I'd left my drake's stone actually on the drake. I'd misnamed Trije's stone as the drakestone and on activating it I prematurely activated my squire. I summoned my other charms and waited for Fledge and Ruburnel to rejoin me. We considered retreating and licking our wounds but there was one major problem. The gogtzul held the Battle Standard of Prince Gavadel of Amber. And that was just not acceptable. Our small rag tag band once again reclimbed the slopes to the city. Two pegasi, ruburnel, nerus (now one-armed), my squire (now without protection), and two yeomen. We charged the city and were soon outnumbered once more as the gogtzuli swarmed our small band. But despite the tiredness and fatigue the Band fought on, Squire Trije whom we all thought would make it to Knight fell on the field.

As the battle raged on, my eye fell on a peridot, knowing this to be my missing stone I reached for it, claimed it and recalled my drake back into the fight. The battle last well over half an hour, but eventually the city was ours. And there, lying in the blood, was our Standard. Ruburnel claimed it and insisted on carry it back to Avalon.

When I have the time, I need to once again recruit a squire, though I fear they'll be more reluctant. And of course, comb the skies above Kentaur Isle to mount the Band once more.