Counterattack!

The Temple of Elemental Evil isn't taking the loss of their temple in Civula lying down, and sends raiders to take it back. The raiders were told not to engage if there was a big huge Roman army there, but there isn't, so they attack.

First a dozen goblins come running out of the woods. SYLVIA the ranger shoots all of them down with arrows. Miraculous, you say? Well, yes, at least in part: Brother Aquila has Blessed the defenders of the chapel tower with accuracy, and his blessing seems to work particularly well since St. Cuthbert was, in fact, martyred by arrows. So she seemingly can't miss!

One, out of 12, goblins makes it to the door of the chapel. VESUVIUS drops a stone on him from above. RETARIUS, holding the gap, feels like he's not working very hard today.

Then someone suggests everyone clear out of the tower, because it has been identified as the strong point of the defense. And lo, four wizards in the woods start shooting fire and lightning and ghost warriors at the tower! Vesuvius returns one of the fireballs, which another mage extinguishes in mid-flight. But he also returns a lightning bolt, which makes one of the wizards yelp with pain.

Then Vesuvius fumbles a fireball and slightly injures everybody near him.

A ghost wolf made of purple lightning attacks the North wall. RETARIUS slams it with his wooden shield, which does it some harm, and survives its frenzied claws and teeth. Then ROSA sends the village's cattle herd to stomp the wolf, which they do! Brother Aquila is knocked down and Sir Gerald, the squire, is run down and killed. But the wolf is shredded, and the cattle not seriously injured.

The second rush comes against the west side of the village, consisting of Air archers and Mermen. The Air Archers have crossbows firing puffs of wind at lethal velocities! Fortunately, GNORFANK the Ogre takes all the arrows. Fortunately, did I say? Indeed, for Gnorfank has tough skin, wears armor, and has a Barkskin enchantment on him, so the arrows bounce off.

While the Air Archers reload, the Mermen wade in and confront JUNIUS' reserve squad.

When the third attack comes, in the south, there's no reserve left. Junius points at the clerics and bellows, "FILL THAT HOLE!" so Brother Aquila and Rosa find themselves facing a dozen Fire and Earth warriors!

Brother Aquila Rebukes Evil and the fire warrior's Everburning Spears go out. They step carefully away from the wall, unwilling to face two clerics without their elemental magic.

The Earth Warriors, wearing armor of baked brick, shatter the wall with their iron clubs! They run right into a wave of angry cattle directed by Rosa, and all but one are carried away or flee on their own.

Rosa and Brother Aquila clobber the surviving Earth Warrior until he surrenders. His name is Peter, and he cannot join our cause,he says, because his soul has been stolen. All the souls of the elemental warriors are held in Ghost Jars in the Mother Temple. Without their souls, they can hold mighty enchantments without harm, but they also cannot disobey their masters, the Four Lords of the Elements.

The wizards are dispersed by archery and spellcraft. One runs off alive, one is burned by a Fireball, one has a tiny hole poked in his Fire Armor and is consumed by a Fire Elemental, and the last one is hit in the throat by a deadly arrow but is captured and saved from dying by Brother Aquila.

This captive, Vathek hiVthanid, Keeper of the Keys of the Hidden Library of Kaza-Korum, has lots of information about the Temple of Elemental Evil. It has four towers, as you might expect, and three levels below ground.

Everyone earns 1 experience for the Battle of Civula (or will it be later known as the First Battle of Civula?)