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Moonday, 5th Pharast, 4710
The adventure begins with Janiven meeting with 6 adventurers in the city of Westcrown: Inquisitor Thorien, a pale-skinned, tall elven Solomon Kane who serves Desna and hunts for the answer to Westcrown’s darkness; Cassandra, a pale, provocative elven woman, warrior of Callistria and former guard of one of the few orphanages in Westcrown (currently being rebuilt after arson) on a mission of revenge against the unknown perpetrators; Pharangese, diplomatic human noblewoman and Paladin of Shelyn, in Westcrown tracking down her scandalous aunt somewhere in the Westcrown theatrical community; the two firebrand ex-gladiator blood brothers, Corva, a burly human who uses his strength and notched axe for devastating effect, and Dor’rand, a tiger-aspected anumus who disdains weapons in favour of his claws, both with a grudge against humans in general and nobles in particular; and the shadowy, secretive Tsaren, of noble background but with an upbringing on the shadowed streets of the city of Twilight. These are the heroes who will be participating in the Council of thieves campaign.
Asked to meet her at Vizio’s Tavern, Corva, Dor’rand and Thorien arrived two hours early, finding Janiven busy with preparations. She put off their few questions, preferring to tuck into the snacks and drink available, although they did notice she glanced frequently at the large window. Arriving at the same time, Tsaren sequestered himself across the street, watching the tavern closely for an hour before he decided it was prudent to enter, still an hour ahead of their appointed rendezvous. He kept silent as he was seated, awaiting developments. As Pharangese and Cassandra arrived, only slightly early, Janiven provided them their food.
As they ate, Janiven began her impassioned speech, thumping the table for emphasis, concluding with her treasonous railing against the Thrice-Damned House of Thrune. As it became clear that none of the assembled was going to stand up and protest, Tsaren slipped his dagger back into his sleeve. However, before anything more could come of it, they heard a frantic hammering on the door and Janiven opened it on a panting teenager who gasped out that they’d taken Arael and were on their way. The regimented clank of armoured feet along the street soon confirmed this as Janiven threw the bar on the door. She apologised for involving them in this, while she and the boy threw open the trapdoor. Dor’rand leapt down first, followed swiftly by the others. Thorien muttered a prayer to Desna, causing his blow to glow with starlight and allowing them to see down the cramped sewer passages. Pharangese was not pleased and insisted on stepping very carefully along the walkways. Tsaren took the lead, cautiously checking every inch for traps as Janiven explained the marking system and they set off.
Several turns and intersections later, Tsaren spotted an odd pile of rubble and discovered a chest inside it. Rather than waste time opening the rusty lock, he shouldered it and they continued rapidly on their way.
Some time later, Thorien’s keen senses heard, and identified, the shuffle of zombie feet. Tsaren slipped into the fetid sewer waters while Thorien called on his judgement to harm the foul things and fired off an arrow, to no effect. Cassandra charged forward but her short blade stabbed through the rotting corpse to little effect. Dor’rand’s claws proved far more effective, ripping one of the undead trio in half, while Korva’s axe decapitated another and Tsaren rose from the waters, driving his sword up through the jaw of the third until it emerged from the back of the skull. Pharangese said a quick prayer over the twice-dead corpses and the group hurried on.
An hour of turns later, they saw a light behind them and ducked around the corner to prepare an ambush. Thorien cast his light spell on Dor;rand who stood in plain sight while Tsaren once more slipped into the sewage to hide, spreading caltrops along the walkway. Pharangese, Janiven and the teenager kept back around the corner with Thorien standing behind Dor’rand, his bow nocked and Divine Favour cast. Corvar stood at his blood-brother’s shoulder around the corner with Cassandra behind him. On spotting the light, the Hellknights charged forward, laughing about how they’d put the freak back in his cage. They were saying the same thing right up until Dor’rand’s javelin and one of Thorien’s arrows dropped one of them. Their jokes turning to rage, they charged forward, one of them stumbling in Tsaren’s caltrop field, the other meeting a swift end on then end of Dor’rand’s claws as he unleashed his fury at humans in general on the hapless armiger. Tsaren leapt up to stab the slowed Hellknight but his blade skidded of the chain armour, at which point Corvar and Dor’rand caught up and quickly put the knight down. Tsaren then ensured they stayed down with his knife while Dor’rand ransacked the bodies, distributing the crossbows, swords and potions. Tsaren then slipped the bodies into the sewage and covered them expertly as the party again fled.
Some time after the Hellknights, they encountered a trio of Goblins, all wielding two rusty and cracked dogslicers. Pharangese, tired of serving as guard to Janiven stepped up to intercept them. The three goblins swiftly fell to the party and Cassandra stayed behind to loot their pitiful lair before running to catch up with the others. The only item of note was when Corva tried to push his way past Pharangese, almost knocking her into the sewage. Aghast, she sidestepped him and he ended up fighting in the muck instead.
Later, at a crossroads, Tsaren failed to notice a light chittering and was attacked by a swarm of ooze-bugs, taking a painful bite. Deciding to let his blood-brother have some fun, Dor’rand stayed back with Janiven, while the others attempted to kill the tiny vermin. Cassandra and Tsaren got painful bites each but their diminutive size made fighting them difficult. At least until Dor’rand got bored and started carving through them. Eventually, the remaining bugs fled.
Finally, they reached an arrow pointing upwards that led to the safe house. Dor’rand insisted on leading the way, while Tsaren doubled back, concealing the previous way marker. And, as they emerged into the late evening light, we left the party for the week.
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Announcement: Pharangesse and Tsaren’s players could not make it and were played by committee.
Moonday, 5th Pharast, 4710
The party concealed the entrance from the sewers and Janiven led them through into the decrepit temple of Aroden. The first thing she did was indicate a bathroom to one side and strongly suggest that they wash off the dirt, especially Tsaren after his repeated dives into the sewage.
Once this was done, they entered the main chapel, Thorien's sensitive elven ears picking up the argument before they entered. Inside, they interrupted the argument between those who wanted the Knights of Westcrown and those who favoured the Children of Westcrown. The party declined to take sides, pointing out that with Arael captured, they had far more important issues to deal with. This succeeded in quelling the argument. After some heated exchange, Janiven explained that if the Hellknights succeeded in getting his custody, they'd have to break him out before they reached the Citadel. As night fell, the party argued and debated what they should do, with many extravagant plans being discarded. Eventually, having agreed to a variant of Janiven's split ambush plan, they decided to sleep.
Toilday, 06 Pharast 4710
The party borrowed horses from Giorvio and his uncle and set up their ambush. Cassandra and Thorien took up positions in trees on the far side of the river, while Tsaren and Dor'Rand hid directly under the bridge, with Corva and Pharangesse off to either side. All were disguised with heavy cloaks and had spent part of the night practicing their bandit impressions.
As the prison carriage crossed the bridge, Janiven staged her ambush and drew off the mounted hellnights. Thorien waited until they were out of sight and the carriage was starting to try to turn and let fly, his arrow catching the driver in the chest. Cassandra followed with a crossbow bolt that dropped the driver down to zero hit points. Meanwhile, Dor’Rand emerged from one side of the bridge and Tsaren from the other while Corva charged up and Pharangesse began to make her way over. Acting faster than the surprised Hellknights, Thorien let fly with another arrow while Corva used his heavy flail (“it’s a blunt instrument, it’s less lethal”) to knock one down, while Dor’Rand clawed at the others on that side of the carriage. Tsaren missed with his strike and found himself in trouble as Pharangesse continued her progress in. One of the Hellknights left to deal with Pharangesse, as Corva was sent around the van to help Tsaren while Dor’Rand sliced at the Hellknights forcing one to flee with his savage wounds. Shanwen stood up from the driver’s seat, healing himself, only for Thorien to unleash another perfectly aimed arrow that dropped him from his perch. Thorien proceeded to run up to the bridge to stabilise the Hellknights while Corva and Dor’Rand routed the others, but not before Tsaren had been struck several times by his attackers. In the end only Shanwen and a lone Hellknight needed healing as the others limped off for reinforcements.
Thorien and Tsaren set about the locks, but that problem was solved when Cassandra found the keys, along with on Shanwen, unlocking the door and the strongbox before Arael was rescued. When Arael asked who they were, “the rescue committee” was the reply, further explanation saved for the ride back. Dor’Rand managed to calm down the horses and unhitched them, allowing Arael to ride with them, at high speed, back to the city.
Once in the city, Dor’Rand, Pharangesse and Corva returned the borrowed horses to Giorvio’s uncle, interrupting the berating from Thesing Umbero Ulvauno. Dor’Rand interrupted explaining he’d just come back from taking the horses on their warm-up journey of the day, but this did not impress the arrogant opera star who proceeded to harangue him. With a superb display of diplomacy, Dor’Rand managed to raise his attitude to Indifferent at which point he was promptly ignored as Thesing had finally noticed Pharangesse and turned his attentions to the “dear lady”. Finally satisfied about the horses, especially as he managed to secure a date after the performance with Pharangesse, Thesing departed. Jacovo, the uncle in question, refused all offers to transport the horses to the theatre, insisting he handle it himself. Dor’Rand staked out the theatre to watch the performance (and Thesing). Some time later, a shadowy figure (who looked exactly like Thorien under his hood) brought in two brand new horses to Giorvio, who was able to swiftly purchase them at a very serviceable price. Sadly for Thesing, the performance did not go well as he was knocked down by a horse and suffered a glancing blow from its hooves, leaving a delightful bump on his forehead. He cancelled the dinner, and was heard to mutter about the fools who would over-excite his horses so.
Wealday, 09 Pharast, 4170
Lying low, the party took up lodgings in one of the modest inns, trying to find out about the Bastards of Erebus who were mentioned in the mayor’s note to Shanwen. They uncovered the bald facts: that the gang was stealthy, nocturnal and tieflings and that somewhere in the ruined part of the city was their lair. They also heard about Bluehood’s bounty but decided the shadow beasts were out of their league, and that a gang of bandits was preparing to rob a merchant caravan leaving tomorrow. They also prepared their uniforms as the Children of Westcrown, dark blue hoods and red and black armbands. Dor’Rand also purchased sleeves to conceal his fur and a dragon-mask to hide his distinctive feline face for when they were active. He also purchased a red cloak to augment his intimidating appearance and to make sure he was associated with it rather than blue. Then the party prepared themselves to counter-ambush the bandits. Tsaren dug a pit for Dor’Rand and they settled in for the night.
Oathday, 11 Pharast, 4170
As the caravan pulled into the bandit’s trap, the party readied themselves: Dor’Rand in his covered pit, Tsaren in the trees above him and Cassandra further along the edge of the woods on one side and Corva and Pharangesse concealed nearby with Thorien some distance away on the other side of the road. A volley of arrows stopped the caravan and the bandit leader stepped forward, demanding they surrender their valuables or surrender their lives. At this point an arrow arced into one of the bandits and the ground at the leader’s feet erupted as Dor’Rand leapt up roaring. The battle was swift and decisive. Within 30 seconds, all dozen bandits were dead, with Dor’Rand eviscerating the leader and driving his claws into a nearby throat as Tsaren plunged his blades through the eyes of another bandit. Pharangesse called on Shelyn to smite one bandit while Corva carved up the others with deadly arrows and quarrels flying amongst them. Corva was injured from a strike that slid through his armour and into his chest but after decapitating the bandit felt a lot better. After waving the astonished caravan on with the words “Go in peace, in the name of the Children of Westcrown.”, the party levelled up and returned to the city. Cassandra took a level of rogue, Pharangese took one in bard, while the others took levels in their existing classes.
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Announcement: Cassandra had to leave early and Corva’s player could not make it and were played by committee.
Also, the wrong month was used. All prior adventures took place in Gozran, not Pharast.
Fireday, 12th Gozran, 4710
As the party came down from their rooms to try and find more bandits to deal with the innkeeper handed them a note. It said, in fairly rough hand, “Meet me at you know where. Janiven”. The party took a circuitous route, Tsaren splitting off to proceed on his own and made it to the abandoned temple without incident, or being followed.
Once inside, they found Janiven and Arael waiting for them. After thanking them for resolving the naming issue, although he did mention that Yakapulio was still grumbling, and for making such a promising start to helping the city, Arael turned to other matters, the Bastars of Erebus. He detailed their latest crime, the murder of Benodar the swordsmith and his wife with his own blade. He also explained that he was investigating the Bastards when he was detained. Still if the authorities can’t, or won’t, deal with the fiends, he asks the party if they’d be willing to. After checking that they wouldn’t have to worry about keeping their enemies alive this time (it was decided that the forces of law and order, even oppressive laws, should not be killed if possible but murderous thugs could be paid in the coin they dealt in), the party agreed and Arael revealed the location Janiven had uncovered. The party decided to leave the city, changing into their cloaks and masks out in the forest before coming back in through the many gaps in the ruined walls. This was to make their jobs easier, and to make the authorities, if they cared, think they had a secret base in the woods. Dor’Rand wanted to know if they could really have a secret base and was assured they did. No one mentioned they were currently standing in it.
The party left quickly, splitting into three as soon as they spotted the bell tower, Thorien and Tsaren seeking better firing positions. Pharangese cast lullaby at the guard, but couldn’t tell if it had had an effect from the distance they were at. Tsaren, Cassandra and Thorien both let loose, but their attacks all bounced off the parapet of the tower. The guard, no longer surprised, grabbed for the bell, only to spectacularly fail his save against Pharangese’s sleep spell and tumble to the floor of the parapet.
With the spotter no longer relevant, the party hurried to the door. Dor’Rand tried to hook his grapple on the tower but failed. Tsaren succeeded , swarming up to dispose of the unconscious tiefling. The others looked for a means of ingress, finding the door locked, they decided on a two-pronged assault, with Dor’Rand breaking open the door, while Corva took out the boarded window. Sadly, Dor’Rand found the door too stiff to be opened. Corva’s axe had less troubled with the window. As they crashed through, Tsaren cut the ropes on the bell, sending it crashing down the tower and distracting the tieflings. Corva brought their attention back to him as he charged them after clambering through the window. Thorien fired at another, as did Cassandra but the third managed to get to the stairs, where he was intercepted by Dor’Rand. As Dor’Rand prepared to rip him apart one of Thorien’s black and red fletched arrows arced over his shoulder and took the thug in the eye. Corva made swift work of the others, and their rabid dog when it bit him savagely, too. Tsaren stabbed each rogue under the chin and through the heart to make sure they didn’t come back and the party proceeded down the stairs into the Bastards’ lair.
At the first door, Tsaren heard hushed voices and the party readied itself before bursting through. The appearance of Ostendo caused a moment of panic, but Dor’Rand and Corva both charged into the tieflings, while Pharangese and Tsaren decided to take on the mummified creature, especially after Ostendo charmed Dor’Rand, trying to get his new friend to help him. As she smote the fiend and supposed undedad and Ostendo started bleeding, the party realised he wasn’t a true undead, breathing a sigh of relief. Corva and Tsaren flanked Ostendo as Dor’Rand and Thorien killed off the remaining tieflings. Wounded, in a poor position and heavily outnumbered, Ostendo tried to withdraw, almost making it to the door before he was killed.
Tsaren opened the door Ostendo had fled towards, revealing three baying dogs charging towards him. Pharangese tried to cast sleep on them, but two made their saves and the spell fizzled against the last. With this, plus their burning red eyes, the party was concerned they were Hell Hounds. Thorien shot at one but missed and Tsaren slammed the door shut. The party prepared itself as the hell dogs barked and scrabled at the door. As Tsaren threw the door open, Dor’Rand tumbled past the dogs, setting up a flank with Tsaren as Thorien shot at them and Pharangese played her flute to inspire them. Two of the dogs turned on Dor’Rand and the remaining kept biting at Tsaren. Dor’Rand fell victim to the dog’s tripping bites, falling to the floor before rising. Eventually, all three dogs were silenced.
As they proceeded along the corridor, Thorien called for a halt, pointing out a slightly discoloured section of the wall, and one loose brick. After Tsaren had given it the once over for traps, he pulled on the brick and the secret door to Palveen’s study swung open.
Before Palveen could react, Corva, Dor’Rand, Pharangese and Tsaren had all rushed in, surrounding him as they pushed him back against his desk. Thorien rushed past to get a clear shot. At this point, Palveen did the only sensible thing he could and channelled negative energy, catching everyone in its radius. Tsaren tried to leap onto the desk to get a flanking bonus but slipped on the papers. Meanwhile, two skeleton wolves clacked up behind Thorien, biting him savagely. He immediately withdrew back to the corridor to drink one of their healing potions, Meanwhile, Corva and Dor’Rand carved up Palveen, depriving Tsaren of his kill so he settled for mutilating the body while Corva grabbed his heavy flail and charged at the skeletal wolves. Dor’Rand and Pharangese followed, while Thorien and Corva searched the body and desk. It was only when Dor’Rand and Corva both fell to ther wolves’ trips that Tsaren picked up the dead cleric’s morningstar and ran over, smashing at the wolves.
As the party recovered, drinking several of the healing potions, Derango the Digger and his cohorts burst through the door. Things didn’t go well for the Digger as arrows and quarrels stabbed into his chest. It was made worse when Corva strode up to him while Dor’Rand went for the tieflings behind him. Tsaren snuck Derango and as the enraged tiefling turned, Corva buried his axe through his skull. Dor’Rand kept moving past the tieflings, slashing open one’s throat, while another managed to sliip AND strike his face with his mace (two fumbles one after the other) before Tsaren put him out of his misery.
And there, recovering from their wounds but not quite finished, we left the party for this week.
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Announcement: Pharangese and Tsaren’s players could not make it and were played by committee.
Fireday, 12th Gozran, 4710 (Continued)
As the party moved into the barracks, Tsaren slipped into the edges of the light of the tiger, tiger glowing bright (with apologies to Blake) and proceeded to the steps they could see. As he reached them, the light went out and several crossbow bolts launched out, stabbing into Tsaren. Dor’Rand tried to light his torch but this proved useless against the darkness. Thorien and Pharngese both tried to detect evil, identifying where the bolts were coming from. Corva got hit badly and stepped out of line, while Cassandra drew her sword and strode towards her attackers. She was rewarded with some devastating sneak attacks by the crossbowmen and was reduced to bleeding on the floor. Thorien continued to refine his detection as Dor’Rand came back into the corridor, roaring and charging into the darkness, while Pharangese and Tsaren both moved towards the sound of their comrade’s scream, undoubtedly acting on their attraction to the elf. (Pharangese would like me to point out that the motivation is in no way correct and that she acted as a shield wall while Tsaren poured healing potions down Cassandra’s throat. She also asked that the other’s stopped trying to pimp her out when her player’s not around)
Thorien used Detect Evil to pin down one of the tieflings and fired into the darkness, his arrow punching through the tiefling’s throat. This meant that he became a target, crossbows and magic missiles firing at him. Dor’Rand bullrushed one of the crossbowmen who was forced to drop his bow to draw his mace. One of his comrades did the same, surrounding Dor’Rand while the third plugged away at Thorien. After getting clubbed badly by both tieflings, Dor’Rand lashed out with his claws, ripping open one throat and disembowelling the other. At this point, the tiefling sorcerer rapidly chanted out a charm person spell which Dor’Rand failed to resist. Of course as the tiefling crossbowman then fired again at Thorien who fell with a grunt, which made him a target (albeit a frustrating one as the darkness prevented Dor’Rand from landing an effective hit). Tsaren (fresh from pouring healing potions into Cassandra) moved back to help the “bloody poncy elf”, with Pharangese providing cover as he went. Cassandra struggled towards the fight, as Corva arrived and, despite Dor’Rand’s pleading to save his new friend who was “mostly alright” cutting into the sorcerer’s leathery chest.
The sorcerer backed up, dazing Corva and while Dor’Rand continued to miss, as did the tiefling. Then the sorcere made a serious mistake and tried to daze Dor’Rand. Despite his abysmal will save he resisted and became enraged at this betrayal by his ‘friend’. As Cassandra stepped up behind him, Dor’rAnd managed to roar “If you’re a tiefling, you’re dead!” and promptly drove his claws through the tiefling’s chest. Cassandra was very quick to say she definitely wasn’t a tiefling. The sorcerer tried to affect Corva with his corrupting touch and when this failed he withdrew quickly. Corva, Dor’Rand and a healed Thoren pursued him and as soon as he was out of the darkness, Thorien hit him with a light infused arrow, outlining him in the tunnels. Dor’Rand and Corva surrounded him after that and when he tried to flee he had his heart pierced and head cut off in one joint motion.
The party then set about exploring the tunnel he had been running towards, but upon finding it contained two skeletal wolves (or as Dor’Rand put it “Not them again!”) they shut the door and waited while Dor’Rand was given the Morningstar, Corva put away his axe for his flail and Cassandra and Pharangese both equipped themselves with maces from the bulging bag of loot. Then they opened the door again. Cassandra was tripped before she had a chance to act but Dor’Rand succeeded in shattering one of the wolves and when Cassandra got up, her vengeful strikes managed to finish destroying the other. On finding a nailed down table, Tsaren and Dor’Rand investigated but even after lowering himself into the cellar, Dor’Rand found nothing.
By this point the darkness had lifted, so the party backtracked to the passageway that had started all the problems. They climbed the stairs and as Dor’Rand stepped through the tieflings on either side, still not fully armoured swung at him. Cassandra killed the female tiefling and before her enraged paramour could seek revenge, he found Corva’s greataxe buried in his chest.
They continued around, next finding the three tiefling guards, the lead one already holding his mace. Dor’Rand ignored him and proceeded for the far crossbowman, easily avoiding the mace strike that swung at him and killing the tiefling in one hit. The other bowman drew his mace and Dor’Rand whirled at the distraction, tearing open his chest. As the final tiefling tried to hit him, Corva stepped up behind him. As the tiefling turned at the slight sound, his severed head bounced off the wall to lie on the floor.
Then they found the boarded up door and, on hearing a soft thump from inside, debated whether this was something that had been locked up for being good, and therefore an ally, or for being too much even for the murderous Bastards of Erebus. They prised the door open anyway, Dor’Rand holding his morning star in anticipation of more skeletal bloody wolves but instead found himself staring at a grub the size of a large dog. Cassandra fired into its bulk, while Dor’Rand stepped around it, smashing with his morning star and Corva hacked at it with his axe, drawing its ire and a nasty bite. Fortunately, he proved too tough for its poison and too strong to it to attach itself. Cassandra’s next shot cracked the crossbow so she simply grabbed a replacement from the sack while Corva hacked the grub apart. Dor’Rand proceeded to pulp both halves because “worms can are still alive if you cut them in two so better not take chances”.
The party finally returned to the crypts under the temple and Corva, Dor’Rand and Cassandra easily shattered the two skeletal wolves that remained. After making sure the crypts hadn’t been further desecrated, the party proceeded to decapitate all the tieflings, burn their bodies and begin to make their way out of the ruins.
However, before they could leave, they encountered six goblins with shortbows who demanded “Shinies for Whitechin!”. Rather than fight, Dor’Rand upended the sack of bloody tiefling heads and said “We just killed the Bastards of f*+%ing Erebus. Go away or we do it to you.” The goblins went, only to return with reinforcements including a goblin with a white beard clutching his staff. This time, the party decided enough was enough. Unfortunately the terrain hampered their movements. Tsaren shot one goblin dead, while Thorien and Dor’Rand unsuccessfully hurled javelins and arrows at Whitechin himself who began casting a spell. One of the goblins managed to shoot himself through the foot, running around yelping while the others peppered the party with their tiny arrows. Dor’Rand managed to make it up to Whitechin himself but the goblin’s magical protections prevented him from actually striking. Thorien turned his attention to the archers, hitting one who promptly started rummaging for something in its filthy clothes. Corva managed to reach the goblins and, seeing the massive barbarian looming over him, they ran leaving the way open to Whitechin. Whitechin’s Reduce Person spell failed to affect Dor’Rand, and he and Corva carved up the goblin bandit, but not before he managed to hit Dor’Rand in the chest with a bolt of fire. Seeing their powerful chief cut down, the remaining goblins fled. Whitechin’s head, along with the Bastards’ were all mounted along the roadway with a sign proclaiming this the work of the Children of Westcrown stuck beside them.
On returning to the Temple of Aroden, Arael congratulated them, but was a little concerned for their health given the amount of healing potions they’d consumed (leaving with 30 and coming back with 7). The party tried to return the goods to their respective owners, selling the rest and levelling up. Pharangese took a level of Paladin, Cassandra took a level of Rogue and everyone else continued in their class. Arael also offered his help in manufacturing potions for them for cost in future, as long as they could provide him with the right ingredients.
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The party spent a week trying to find other bandit groups but found slim pickings as the sensible ones had gone to ground after the recent startling rise in death by adventurer. Cassandra also began to look into who had been behind the fire at the orphanage she had been guarding (backstory). This almost caused a problem with Tsaren (whose experiences with orphanages involved slavers).
Fireday, 19th Gozran, 4710
As the party was getting ready, Giorvio rushed in, amber eyes bright, saying Janiven wanted to see them. After traditionally circuitous routes to the Temple of Aroden, the party was introduced to Senorina Ailyn Ghontasavos, Pathfinder. She explained how the old Lodge had been shut down and only a few weeks later the shadow menace had emerged in Westcrown. However, as much as she’d like to investigate immediately (also the party’s first plan), House Thrune had put up several defences and with whatever happened to Dalehaven also still a threat, more information was needed. Given the Thrunes rather malleable approach to the historic record, public information couldn’t be relied on, so they needed to get into the Mayor’s residence. Fortunately, one of his favourite plays will be performing soon and needed a competent cast. Thorien managed to leap ahead to where this was going as Janiven ticked off the benefits of the plan.
The party decided that they could handle the play and set off for the casting, watching as another group slunk off after the director’s tongue-lashing. Undaunted, they stepped up and scored spectacularly well on their check (having a PC with Skill Focus (Act) will do that), inspiring Robahl to say they might almost be competent. As to their roles: Thorien took the part of Dentris with an insult involving the nest of weasels sprouting from Robahl’s head and the moustache that was wider than he was tall, not that that was difficult; Cassandra managed to acquire the role of Drovalid after a particularly effective strike against the deadly bucket, and a dismal tryout for Larazod where she began the wrong role; Tsaren easily took on the acrobatic King of the Gypsies; Dor’Rand and Pharangese competed for Larazod and Tybain, especially after Dor’Rand caught sight of Calseinica, but Pharangese managed to snatch the title role (Skill Focus (Act) again); while Corva took the role of Monris Blaksward after a truly terrifying performance on the bagpipes.
During their fitting, Milech muttered a lot as he acquired a full face helm for Dor’Rand to hide his feline features, a lot of strapping to hide certain features of Pharangese’s physique, and a leather vest for Cassandra as “usually Drovalid’s topless, but the nobles might have a problem with that. Well, their wives might anyway’. He had fewer problems with Corva (deciding to make Blaksward a giant dwarf for this play), Thorien (‘An old elf can be as cantankerous as an old human and everyone knows elves love their bows’), and Tsaren, who got the many and varied layers of the King of Gypsies outfit.
Starday, 20th Gozran 4710
The rehearsals proper begin, with Pharangese and Dor’Rand both getting closer to Calseinica, while Thorien befriended the crusty Milech and the Visabarontess, the latter with some of the most outrageous flattery heard, even in the theatre. Tsaren, being Tsaren, was suspicious of Calseinica’s naivety about the nature of the play, but was eventually convinced she really was that naive. No one got close to Thesing, but all parties liked that. Thorien also spoke to the other cast members, finding out that their plan involved saying their lines then running like Hell to the pub across the road. He also discovered the Visabarontess’ history with Calseinica, prompting Tsaren to trail her.
Sunday, 21st Gozran 4710
More rehearsals, with Dor’Rand getting closer to Calseinica, taking her out to lunch during a break in their performance. Thorien used his detect alignment on the Visabarontess but uncovered nothing from it.
Moonday, 22nd Gozran 4710
More rehearsals, with the added stress of a fan accosting Thgorien for a performance. Sadly, a one on the dice reduced their performance as the fan blurted out “Dark Lord, I could do a better Dentris than that!” Corva maintained his inability to act or play the bagpipes, but the others were building up a respectable popularity score.
Weakday, 24th Gozran, 4710
The final day of rehearsals before the dress performance saw Corva continue his inability to roll above ten on the acting check. With a frustrated grunt of “Wear this because even in a silent part you can’t seem to learn your lines properly!” Robahl declared them as “good as they were ever likely to be”.
Oathday 25th Gozran, 4710
The dress rehearsal. Thanks to Pharangese’s spectacular acting talent, with some help from the rest of the party (even Corva during the Trial of the Beast), meant the play went completely smoothly, to Robahl’s astonishment and the disappointment of rotten tomato sellers everywhere, although Tsaren did manage to collect an armful of hurled apples before the crowd settled down.
Fireday, 26th Gozran, 4710
The day of the performance itself. (NOTE: The players decided they would not be reading their lines [spoilsports that they are], so failed Act checks were decided to reflect missteps in the performance instead.)
ACT 1 (Condemnation): This passed off mostly satisfactorily, with the exception of Corva’s bagpipe solo.
ACT 2 (Trial by Torture): This also passed off well, with Cassandra really getting into her role. She was sensible enough to not whip Tsaren, at all (given that he’d explained why this would be a bad and quite painful idea), concentrating on Dor’Rand.
ACT 3 (Trial by Pleasure): This did not go so well. Tsaren, Cassandra and Corva all failed their saves as the grubs burrowed through their bodies, grimacing in pain rather than pleasure. Fortunately, the enchanted knives did their work well and none had to endure more than a round of the grubs feasting.
ACT 4 (Trial in the Belly of the Beast): Now joined by Calseinica, the party entered the Beast: Dor’Rand leading the way, followed by Corva, Pharangese, Cassandra, Thorien, Tsaren and finally Calseinica herself. As soon as the beast’s jaw re-opened, Dor’Rand boosted Calseinica into the mouth where she dropped lightly to the stage. The party came out in reverse order, Corva jumping ahead owing to his repeated failed saves, acid burns covering him. Tsaren tied a rope around the beast’s teeth first and slid down the rope, making life easier for the others. After Dor’Rand emerged to the cheers of the crowd, the party retreated backstage to heal and we left the show for the week.
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Announcement: Cassandra’s player could not make it and so she was played by committee.
Fireday, 26th Gozran, 4710 (continued)
ACT 5 (The Birthing Trial): Sadly, Corva and Cassandra (but not Calseinica) failed their saves and spent several rounds vomiting. As the lemures appeared, they were quickly attacked. One managed to blunder into the scenery and blinded itself with dust. That one was swiftly attacked by Tsaren, rolling across Corva’s back to get into position. Dor’Rand ignored the one attacking him, mostly because it had just blinded itself, and rushed at the one menacing Calseinica. Bellowing out that he was going to smite it, he slammed his morning star two-handed into the Lemure, killing the foul thing instantly. Calseinica realised her little dagger wasn’t going to be much help and retreated.
As more Lemures emerged, Thorien cast Expeditious Retreat and (now at speed 70!!) retreated across the stage (and halfway into the next county) to get a decent firing angle, but his arrows proved ineffective against the devils, bouncing off their tough hides. Dor’Rand charged at the Lemure ponderously following Thorien and with another ‘smite’ killed it. As Corva was recovering himself by now, Dor’Rand called over “two ahead”. This provoked Corva into slicing open the nearest Lemure while Tsaren slid his blade through the eye of the blinded Lemure, just after it had managed to hit itself in the shoulder (stupid Critical Fail deck). The last Lemure to appear rose up behind Casandra, raking across her back while the other Lemure tried unsuccessfully to attack Pharangese who expressed peoper disdain, playing her flute to inspire courage rather than bother to defend herself. Dor’Rand killed another lemure with his ‘smite’, while Corva ripped apart Cassandra’s opponent, eliciting a “still one up” from Dor’Rand. As they approached the last lemure, still swiping (mostly ineffectively) at Pharangese, Corva was really keen to deal the killing blow but sadly didn’t do enough damage to put it down. So Dor’Rand dropped his Morningstar and grappled the lemure, thus providing an ‘assist’ when an infuriated Corva swiped it’s head off, fuming at Dor’Rand who still claimed victory because Corva needed help to kill his last lemure. Still arguing, they left the stage.
ACT 6 (Trial by War and Love): Upon seeing the looming skeletons, Corva took up his flail and hit one, but the giants ignored him swinging at Pharangese. As Cassandra crept in to strike, the skeleton swung an arm back, claws ripping across her stomach and causing her to retreat. Corva and Dor’Rand proceeded to slowly demolish the skeletons, a task made easier when one swung so low that it headbutted the floor. Cassandra took another major wound, retreating quickly.
ACT 7 (Trial by His Own Dark Hand): As Asmodeus carried off the villainous magistrate, only Thorien noticed that not all the rage, fury and disappointment expressed was feigned, taking some pleasure in Thesing’s annoyance.
After the third encore (the performance score was over a thousand, after all), the party was hustled off-stage to where a beaming Robahl gave them their money, Thesing having stormed out muttering about ‘horse-thieving amateurs’ and Calseinica whispered something to Dor’Rand and they left together.
As a result of their performance the party levelled up.
Starday, 27th Gozran, 4710
Before Dor’Rand returned to their accommodation, a smartly dressed footman in the official crimson and black uniform approached them and announced their formal invitation to the Cornucopia held by the Mayor that night. In costume. Dor’Rand returned to find out this, and endured some ribbing about where he’d spent the night, mostly involving concern about any future kittens the relationship might bring about.
Janiven then arrived to pass on the information the Children had gathered during the week of rehearsals about where the notes on Dalehaven were, locked away in a Chelish Crux, a strange type of storage puzzle, and to give Arael’s latest batch of potions. This gift somewhat annoyed Thorien who had just taken Lesser Restoration as one of his 2nd level spells.
Noting the day passing, most of the party went shopping, purchasing a mithril chain shirt (Tsaren), mithril longsword (Pharagese) and +1 chain shirt (Corva with help from Thorien name-dropping). Dor’Rand acquired several heavy waterproof cloaks as he saw the skies darkening. These enabled them to arrive at the villa without looking like drowned rats. The party made a spectacular entrance, especially Pharangese (but what do you expect when you combine a bard and a paladin), with only Cassandra getting below 17 on the entrance roll.
During the first course, Dor’Rand found himself seated next to General Vourne. After politely enquiring about his views on slave fighting (‘waste of bloody time. If the slaves can fight, put them on the front lines’) which meant his name wasn’t immediately added to ‘the list’, he found out about the Pit Fiend powering everything. Dor’Rand wrote a note for Pharangese asking “What’s a pit fiend?” to which the shocked response was “What? Where did you hear that?”. Fortunately, she wasn’t eating much or the poor palabard may have choked. The good general also mistook Corva for a waiter, demanding more wine, which he got, with only some splashing as the decanter was forcefully placed on the table. Thorien continued his amicable relationship with the Visabarontess, discovering lots of interesting stuff about his fellow guests, while Pharangese was politely snubbed by Chammandy Drovence, but found the mayor far more sociable, learning about the ‘blasted gremlins and ghosts making the mansion’s fittings faulty’. Having learned of the power source for the mansion, the party started to become a little nervous about what they’d face in the Knot. Sascar Tilernos earned herself a spot on Tsaren’s list after she responded “I don’t have to do anything, you ignorant oaf, I am of noble blood.’ when he asked her why she was here. After the first course, General Vourne left, still rigid-backed.
Thorien, later in the evening, found herself in conversation with the utterly fale but charming Eirtein Oberigo, discovering much information about the Asmoden Knot and its possible location. And if ‘certain competent individuals’ were to find a way in ‘other individuals might be prepared to offer a substantial gratuity for such services’. Thorien, in return, started to spread a rumour about the departed servant to the effect that “servants only leave like this for two reasons: they leave with someone, or with the contents of the silverware drawer. But as the festivities approached their conclusion, the party began its raid on the Knot, plans that now have to include Calseinica as she couldn’t be parted from Dor’Rand all evening.
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Announcement: Pharangese’s player could not make it and so she was played by committee.
Owing to new options becoming available (Archer Archetypes and Rangers Renewed), Thorien traded out Judgment[and Bane] for the Sharpshooter package, while Corva traded his Wild Shape for Great-Axe combat Style and his Favoured Terrain for an additional Style feat. Cassandra took a level of Phantom (from Kobold Quarterly) as her fourth level.
Starday/Sunday, 27/28th Gozran, 4710
The party, still including Calseinica, decided the best place to find a hidden portal was the attic. They climbed to the first floor and, after a slight diversion into the dusty trophy storage room, which Thorien dissuaded the others from exploring by pointing out the lack of tracks, they found the locked door. They also examined over the balcony but decided it wasn’t of much interest to watch the partygoers from above.
After a few minutes with Tsaren, the door became unlocked and they climbed up into the attic. Following their standard procedure, they tried the first door, which proved to be a tough test for Tsaren’s skills, but he eventually disabled the black iron padlock (and pocketed it). Cassandra then spotted the secret door (bloody elves!). This lock proved too much even for Tsaren, so Corva and Dor’Rand employed a more direct approach to getting it open. This forced Tsaren to relock the previous door from the inside as a barbarian and ranger going at a door makes a fair amount of noise. Once the door was ‘open’, Dor’Rand stepped through into the room, finding the mirror. It was only when he noticed that his reflection was now smiling with very pointed teeth that they began to get concerned. With a rope tied around him, Dor’Rand proceeded through the mirror and into the Asmodean Knot.
Once inside the demiplane, he found a corpse and everyone else came through, including Calseinica as being alone in a ‘spooky’ attic, especially one that she shouldn’t be in wasn’t a good idea. With Thorien covering him in case the corpse proved rather more lively than they’d like, Dor’Rand turned it over. He then took up the backpack and, after looking inside, dumped it out on the floor. Thorien proceeded to scour the necromantic debris, indentifying the scrolls with judicious use of Read Magic, the pearl of power, which he took as the only member of the party who could cast 2nd level spells, and examining the fragment. With his knowledge of the tricks of Infernal, he recognised something was wrong with the parchment and identified it as a runecurse. The scrap was left behind, unclaimed, along with the odd spell components. Dor’Rand has decided to only read anything in this dungeon with Thorien’s direct approval that it’s safe to do so.
They listened carefully at the door, detecting a frenzing howling, as if from an animal in pain. Dor’Rand and Corva were about to play Fisties for who opened the double doors but Corva got bored and shoved them open himself. The three howlers immediately moved to attack, but not as immediately as the party. Dor’Rand charged one, followed by Corva, while Thorien and Tsaren fired at the others and Pharangese, at Corva’s instruction, slammed the door shut leaving the two ex-gladiators in the room and swiftly surrounded, while the third howler lived up to his name, his keening wail cutting through the minds of everyone. Only Cassandra’s sanity was truly shaken, losing a point of Wisdom and her bonus spell. Undeterred, she cast Guidance on herself and opened the door, to be confronted by the howler on the other side. Pharangese and Tsaraen stabbed at it with glaive and short sword, while Corva and Dor’Rand slew one of the howlers, the other biting Corva and impaling him with its spines. Cassandra tumbled past the howler to set up a flank from Tsaren which he promptly critted, resulting in a skewered howler that took enough non-lethal damage to render it unconscious and, thanks to the Bleeding Attack rogue talent, slowly bleeding to death. Dor’Rand, Thorien, now with a perfectly clear shot, and Corva all damaged the last howler, before Cassandra whirled on it, her new elven curve blade severing its spine. After seeing Pharangese coup de grace the last howler with her glaive, and more importantly not get spines embedded in her body in the process, Corva decided that he needed to add a two by four to his great axe to increase the reach.
Searching the room, they found several old, and quite valuable, books and the tale of Drowned Jabe. Although deeply, deeply suspicious of the book, especially when the pictures were moving, they nonetheless added it to the handy haversack with the rest. Cassandra and Tsaren gave the rest of the room a quick once over but realised it would take hours to search closely and proceeded through the exit into the Escherian landscape of the staircases.
Somewhat disoriented, the party had a brief argument about how they were going to mark the doors they’d come through, rejecting chalk as “some bastard could come along and wipe it off again”. While they were discussing this, a pair of shadows glided towards them. Cassandra spotted the pair, but all this did was draw their attention to her and Thorien. Thorien managed to dodge the tenebrous fingers, but Cassandra was hit. Corva, Tsaren and Calseinica all fled immediately, while Cassandra cast spontaneously Cure Light Wounds and touched the shadow, wracking it with light. Pharangese tried to use her lay on hands, but missed, drawing the attention away from Thorien who started using his Acid Splashes to good effect. Pharangese was hit twice, rendering her almost unable to move as Thorien and Dor’Rand’s morningstar managed to kill one shadow. Corva pulled Pharangese out as Cassandra withdrew. The shadow managed to drain some of Dor’Rand’s strength before he and Thorien were able to destroy it, retreating to the library. After one healing potion and one of Thorien’s spells (recalled with the pearl) were successfully used to push Pharangese back up to fuller health, the party quickly proceeded to find the shadow’s secret spawning lair (bloody elves!) and shattered the mirrors, just as another shadow was reaching through, its arm fading away. They walked back to the doorway and Dor’Rand marked it with his morningstar.
After this harrowing encounter, they walked all the way around the circuit of stairs before ending up where they started. Annoyed, they moved back to one of the pits and Dor’Rand, with a rope tied around him, leapt across the gap (and 15 feet into the corridor, almost crashing into the door at the other end). Corva proceeded to hammer in a dagger to serve as a mounting and tied off the rope, while Dor’Rand did the same at his end and the party scrambled across the infinite drop. They proceeded to investigate each of the cells, Dor’Rand leaving a coin in one then doubling back to make sure it didn’t disappear. Cassandra explored the empty cell, but found nothing. On opening the last cell and finding out it contained a creature, Corva decided to hit it, thus sparking conflict with the mad bearded devil. As soon as Thorien recognised the creature, he cast Align Weapon on Tsaren’s short sword. Corva and Dor’Rand tumbled past, to set up flanks, power attacking to beat its DR, while Cassandra made it to the last free space in the room. As Tsaren’s newly good blade pierced the devil’s hide, Cassandra channelled her holy power into invisibility and then slashed at it with her curve blade for a sneak attack. Another devasting sneak attack from Tsaren followed before the fiend eventually died. As Dor’Rand picked up the glaive, he detected such a wave of imperious revulsion that he dropped it. After explaining that “there’s something in the blade”, Thorien detected alignment on the glaive coming back with a strong signal. Dor’Rand then carefully picked it up and threw it into the pit where it continued to tumble end over end.
Continuing down the corridor, they stopped at the door as Tsaren was very nervous about the sounds of water beyond. Despite trying several tricks to see what was in the room, he found each of them countered by “those sneaky Asmodeans who wrote the Evil Overlord list, and then wrote the better versions for internal uses” (Dor’Rand has such a way with words occasionally). Cassandra faield her save to resist the mind-numbing after effects of the howler and dropped another point of Wisdom. Opening the door, Tsaren decided to sneak ahead, knowing there was something dangerous there but hoping to bypass it. Sadly, Drowned Jabe was too perceptive and four undead howled out of the water. Once again, the party reacted quickly with Thorien sending deadly accurate arrows into the fray while Corva swam out to them and Dor’Rand decided to show off, leaping over the lacedons, somehow managing to avoid any hits to claw at Drowned Jabe himself. Both got clawed several times in return and Dor’Rand failed one of his saves, sinking under the muddy waters. Corva dropped his axe, diving under the water to drag his blood-brother to the surface. Thorien continued his deadly strikes, putting out both of Jabe’s eyes before the foul undead died again. More archery managed to seal the fate of the other undead. Corva then shook off his armour, diving down for his axe, while Dor’Rand followed as soon as he recovered having seen “something interesting” down there, retrieving several items, although Calseinica’s eyes especially lit up at the wedding ring, much to Dor’Rand’s discomfort. And there we left it for another week.
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Announcement: Pharangese, Corva and Cassandra’s players could not make it and so were played by committee.
Sunday, 28th Gozran, 4710
The party stepped through the door beside Jabe’s pool and almost all of them managed the slippery descent without incident. The almost was Pharangese who managed to fail every single Reflex save and tumbled all the way down to the bottom taking a prodigious amount of non-lethal damage and collapsing unconscious at the bottom. With great concern for his teammate, Thorien asked “Is it bad that the bouncing’s continuing but the screaming’s stopped?”
With some healing from Dor’Rand, Pharangese was returned to battered consciousness and the party continued their ‘right first’ approach, sneaking into the room of chains. As Dor’Rand crept past the rattling ball of chains attacked him. The chain sphere was eventually cefeated but only after several serious slams on Corva and Dor’Rand as they power attacked to get through its defences, while Cassandra used Guidance repeatedly on Thorien so his Acid Splashes would be more effective, while Tsaren did his best Touché Turtle impression to aid Corva’s strikes.
As the sphere crashed and rattled down into the ruddy darkness, the party healed up and continued into the Escherian pits. They took a swift route through, taking only 3 pits, and had almost got out when Sian Daemodos attacked them with her poisoned crossbow from the middle of the pit. Sadly for her, even with the shadowy conditions, the party had enough very observant people to constantly stymie her attempts at sneak attacking and enough tough people that not one of her poisoned bolts did more than cause a rash. Pharangese’s attempts to put Light on Cassandra’s quarrels were foiled when the elf kept missing. Eventually, frustrated at Sian’s constant rehiding out of reach, Dor’Rand knotted his silk rope into a lasso and, after a couple of near misses, managed to snag her arm with it. Tsaran emptied caltrops over the edge of the pit to form an aerial minefield, while Dor’Rand slowly pulled her in. With some appalling luck, aided by the fact she had to keep twisting to avoind Pharangese’s glaive as the palabard tried to disarm her, she only managed to sever the rope when she was within arm’s reach and Dor’Rand swiftly pulled her in, pinning her to the floor. At this point he noticed the extremely black look her was getting from Calsenica and tried to protest that he wasn’t having any fun doing this. Tsaren and Corva, meanwhile, took full advantage of Sian’s flat-footed nature and inflicted some serious wounds, as did Thorien, burying his arrows in her with lethal precision, and a fair amount of protest from Dor’Rand. Sian just managed to escape, but, bleeding heavily, as she tried to rise off the ledge to relative safety, Corva grappled her and Dor’Rand lashed out with his claws, eviscerating the tiefling as she bled out over his arms.
While the party looted her body, Tsaren eagerly claiming the short sword, Dor’Rand did his best to talk to Calsenica, which was tricky with blood-soaked hands as she refused to let him touch her. Eventually, he managed to get to the “It’s all fine!” stage and decided that was good enough for now.
Pressing on, Tsaren found the stairway of shadow, but leapt back from it at the first spongy step.
Continuing their right first process, the party found the Flawed One in its supply room. Pharangese led the charge with a smite on the foul mummy, but forgot that she was badly beaten and fell unconscious at the first hit. Corva, meanwhile powerattacked through its resistance, while Thorien sent strategic arrows in until with a final blow, Corva beheaded it, but not before contracting Mummy Rot (and taking an absolutely pathetic one point of damage to Constitution and Charisma. Lucky b*****d). With some help from Detect Magic, Thorien found the Rope of Climbing and they moved on, opening the door into a square room with three exits opposite. Reasoning that the book might lead to where the records they were after were kept, Thorien opened the door onto an identical room. Deciding this was more planar fakery or a cunning trap, they closed the door and walked back to the corridor.
Finally, they entered the mire that housed the Outcast King. Making short work of his minions, especially after Thorien had enchanted Corva’s great axe with holy power, Corva charged up to the infernal creature. As Dor’Rand tried to run past, it smote him with its keen longsword. Sadly, despite the power of the blow, it only caught him with the flat of the blade, sending him stumbling past it. It turned its tentacles on Corva but was unable to latch hold. Cassandra joined them in the mire, turning invisible to gain surprise, while Pharangese sang and Tsaren slid in opposite Dor’Rand, bleeding the foul thing as he stabbed through its thigh, gifting it a limp. Despite the threats of the King, it soon fell to the bleeding from its leg and Corva’s axe.
The party eventually opened the two chests, putting all the papers inside into the haversack on the chance they contained what they were looking for. The gold followed, over some protests from Tsaren who wasn’t sure he trusted the extradimensional space to hold it safely. And then they discovered the Chelish Crux. Having found what they wanted, they retreated from the Knot, and levelled up.
Moonday, 29th Gozran through Weakday, 1st Desnus
The party went shopping, Thorien acquiring a magical longbow, Dor’Rand getting his chain shirt enchanted and Tsaren replacing Sian’s shortswrod with another enchanted one of mithril. Corva and Cassandra managed to get themselves cured, although that did lead to an interesting set of conversations with Arael about how they’d acquired their maladies.
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Announcement: Pharangese, Corva and Cassandra’s players could not make it and so were played by committee.
Oathday, 2nd Desnus 4710
The party were awakened by Aiylin Ghonstavos, pointedly asking if they were planning on looking at the Crux before Aroden returns. Dor’Rand’s response, when he looked up from playing with his new animal companion, a cheetah named Callie, was “I’m leaving that to the smart people.” One of said ‘smart people’, Thorien deciphered the runes and, after a couple of burnt fingers, opened the crux to have an infernal head scream obscenities calling into question their parentage and honour for the last five generations. Thorien silenced the head with a sock in her mouth. Aiylin also identified the symbol on the portfolio.
Having read through the documents, Thorien pulled the sock out and replaced it with a silver arrow nocked. Glowering, but briefly sane, Khazrae detailed her limited past with the lodge and her role as oracle and, reluctantly, plaything. But when she started raving again, he put the sock back and bundled her back into the Crux. They then decided to go after the Sisters of Eiseth.
First they went to the woods to change into their Children of Westcrown uniform, which included a coat of black dye for Callie. Her namesake was not coming as the last time was “scary and dirty and icky and...”. They then approached the Massacre House, using the Wand of Rusting Grasp to gain entry. Despite taking great care to enter stealthily, Dor’Rand then turned around and said loudly “Coasts’s clear, guys!” He was immediately met by the sound of a tolling bell, at which point he said “Looks like they’ve got a magical alarm!” At this point, Tsaren very nearly strangled him as three of the nuns burst into the room. They very effectively used their scarves to trip Callie, Tsaren and Corva but that didn’t stop Thorien and Dor’Rand from perforating them. Corva managed to rise, resisting the nun’s attempt to stun him and tore through her with his axe. Tsaren managed to rise but failed to hit the agile priestess while Callie twisted her foot. During this time, Pharangese and Cassandra were arguing about who should take possession of Pharangese’s mirror to make sure they looked their best for the slaughter.
The next three nuns burst through one door as Dor’Rand and Corva swapped, Dor’Rand to take out the ‘b#!!! who hurt my cat!’ and Corva just because. Both fell, Corva’s foe in two pieces which really annoyed Tsaren. Dor’Rand bullrushed the middle priestess back through the doorway, while Callie tried to flank but only succeeded in biting her own paw. With a clear shot, Thorien’s arrows did horrendous damage as Dor’Rand and Corva, as usual, contended for the most kills title.
Once they’d defeated the nuns, they searched the place, Dor’Rand leading the way down to the ossury. Unable to identify anything, he shouted up and Tsaren and Thorien, both speakers of Infernal, spent two hours examining the jars until they found one for Corinda. They left the building with a note on the door proclaiming it closed of business by the Children of Westcrown, and the severed heads (Dor’Rand’s idea because “we did it last time”) mounted at each corner. Back in the woods, as Dor’Rand washed Callie clean, Thorien and Tsaren planned their questions, managing to get the spirit to answer their questions on the artifact, Bisby’s paranoia, and decipher the code to the poem, although she could tell them nothing about the fate of Loremaster Lirian.
On reporting back to Aiylin, and presenting her with the urn, they began to prepare to investigate the petrified Ghaelfin. Given it involved the bloodsports and a noble family, Thorien’s preparations consisted of checking he had enough grave candles as both ex-gladiators have little love, and a lots of hatred, for those involved in bloodsports.
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Announcement: Pharangese’s player could not make it and so was played by committee.
Corva took another level of Hunter Barbarian taking evil outsiders as his second favoured enemy, while Cassandra unlocked a hidden talent for magic taking a level of Witch and acquiring her viper familiar.
Fireday, 3rd Desnus 4710
The party did some digging and found that Rance Lucca, the last of the Lucca line, who they believe have the statue of Ghaelfin lives and operates out of his arena, the Devildrome. They opted for a direct approach, walked straight up to the ‘Drome and asked to see him. The guards, as all guards are, were a little surly and uncooperative, but Lucca himself intervened before things could get too ugly, inviting them up to his office.
After complimenting them on their performance, and the sad news that it would be the last such performance by such a talented director, he asked why they wished to see him. On hearing about their interest in sculpture, he explained how he acquired his Hall of Champions, including Ghaelfin and said that before he could risk such historic artworks, he needed them to do one little favour. After explaining his trouble with the far too successful Thrask, he politely shot down the party’s suggestions that involved injury or poisons, of which there were several. When he found that none of the party was a skilled summoner, he reluctantly raised the options of a more risky alternative, at which point both Corva and Dor’Rand volunteered, playing fisties for the right to go in. Despite winning (on the 4th attempt) Dor’Rand was persuaded that Corva would be a better choice. Lucca explained that the Hellcaller Cup was in a couple of days and that he’d make the arrangements known. The party was well satisfied with this and went home for the day.
Starday, 4th Desnus 4710
As the party relaxed, and made plans for how to defeat Thrax, they noticed the innkeeper point a noblewoman towards their table. Charmandy Drovenge approached, apologising for ignoring them but “it was a dreadfully dull affair and I had no idea you would be so interesting”. On finding out that Corva would be their champion, she looked him over and said “ah, yes, the giant-dwarf.” This brought a few moments of confusion until people reminding him of his role in the Sixfold Trial. Chamandy gladly explained the rules of the Cup, Thrax’s usual tactics and the odds against him. She also agreed to put a bet on for Dor’Rand once the high odds were known. In order to maximise their profits, Corva went shopping for a magical great axe, (suggestions that it should be mithril were nixed owing to cost) while Thorien went to see the children of Westcrown, arranging for more bets to be placed, but not so much as would upset the odds too much, and purchasing a potion of Divine Favour from Areal.
Sunday, 5th Desnus 4710
The day of the Hellcaller Cup itself. Dor’Rand and Tsaren, both lacking spellcasting ability mingled with the crowds, spending several gold on front row seats, with the encouraging words “I’ll still beat you” from Dor’Rand, while the others prepared themselves in the cages. As Thrax began summoning, Thorien cast Align Weapon on Corva’s new axe, while Cassandra cast Protection from Evil on the barbarian. Corva then rushed to the ziggurat, drinking the Divine Favour potion along the way, but was beaten by Thrax’s three lemures. With one mighty Cleave, there was only one devil left, causing Thrax to change his tactics and just keep summoning rather than buffing his creations. Unfortunately he could barely keep up with Corva’s destructive tendencies, especially as the Protection from Evil meant the summoned creatures couldn’t harm him until he attacked them, after which they were dead and so not a problem. Once the summons stopped, and responding to calls from the crowd and the cage, Corva forwent his axe and punched the oozing devil in the face. He then waited while it flailed ineffectually before finally scoring a couple of minor slashes, at which point Corva took things seriously again and smote it.
At this point, Thrax, clearly having lost went a little mad, hurling a Stinking Cloud into the opposing cage. Corva roared out “CHEAT!” as Dor’Rand leaped into the arena and Tsaren pulled out his crossbow, launching a bolt at Thrax that skittered off the bars. Thrax ignored this and focused his ire on Corva, sending a bolt of acid into his chest and doing far more damage than his Lemures had done. Corva continued bearing down on the cage as Dor’Rand leaped into the air, transforming into an eagle to fly over the cage bars. Tsaren took another shot but fumbled the shot and fell over from an indelicate shove from the crowd as they struggled to get away from the madman with a crossbow, especially before the wizard he was shooting at decided to do something about it. Corva started to climb the bars, while Dor’Rand resumed his normal shape, dropping behind Thrax and grappling him. Thrax promptly teleported out of the cage and to shouts of “Don’t kill him!” from Dor’Rand Corva slammed the butt of his axe into Thrax’s stonehard skin. Tsaren recoverd from his fall and leapt into the arena while Dor’Rand clambered over the cage bars. Thrax stepped back, casting glitterdust at Corva who made his save and became instantly more fabulous as he was now covered in glowing glitter. Dor’Rand repeatedly grappled Thrax, who equally repeatedly Dimension Hopped out of his grasp, while Corva and Tsaren gradually wore down his protection. Teleporting all the way to the top of the ziggurat, Thrax launched an acid arrow at Corva which also managed to frighten the barbarian on critical hit. He was then grappled again and finally snapped completely, teleporting to the other side of Dor’Rand and hitting him with his mithril staff. This allowed Tsaren to flank him but the blow skittered off the stony skin. Dor’Rand grappled him again, but Thrax teleported to the opposite side of the ziggurat and cast Haste on himself. He also opened himself up to archery fire. Dor’Rand finally got bored and bullrushed Thrax off the ziggurat going over the edge himself. However both men easily made their acrobatics checks and tumbled to the floor to cheers from the crowd. Dor’Rand proceeded to unleash his claws on Thrax while Tsaren followed him off the ledge. Taking damage from a no-longer fearful Corva, Dor’Rand and Tsaren, Thrax teleported back to the top of the ziggurat and blasted them with acid until Cassandra’s quarrel pierced the last of his defences and sank deep. As he turned to her, Tsaren and Corva made it up to the top of the ziggurat and both struck him hard. Thrax fell to the ziggurat, bleeding profusely from Tsaren’s strike. Dor’Rand immediately raced up to stabilise him and the crowd slowly dispersed, the group’s fame growing for stopping the insane wizard without needless bloodshed.
Despite Tsaren’s urgings, the party did not a) kill Thrax out of sight or b) drop him into the privies. They did search him and confiscated his wealth under their “being naughty tax”. They then went to see Lucca who gave them the cup, compensation and led them to the Hall of Champions where we left them.
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Announcement: Tsaren’s player could not make it and so was played by committee.
Pharangese took a level of bard
Sunday, 5th Desnus 4710
The party lit the grave candle while Lucca worked out what to do with his former champion. Sadly, Ghaelfin was, in the words of Thorien, the “least helpful ghost ever”, being unable to add almost anything to what Coriana had told them.
That night, they made their way out to the Cove, finding the door fairly easily. However, as Dor’Rand was climbing inside, Thorien noticed that some of the darkness was trying to move closer to them from both sides. Fortunately, most of the party noticed the shadows before they struck with Thorien loosing an arrow and Pharangese unleashing her new Songstrike on the other side of the boat, drawing her new defending longsword. Then the shadows struck, draining Corva and Cassandra. Before Dor’Rand could clamber out, the shadows struck again, draining Cassandra so much that she was immobile in her armour. Thorien continued the archery assault, taking the risk of an attack to use his magical bow, while Corva chopped on with his axe. At this point, Dor’Rand finally managed to clamber out of the cache to rip shards of darkness from one shadow (and thank the gods that he bought an amulet of ghost touch) while Cassandra went invisible and the shadows continued to drain their opponents reducing Thorien’s strength by half. Dor’Rand’s next move ripped one shadow in half and then stabbed into the one menacing Thorien putting an end to the creature while Corva and Tsaren killed the third. The fourth missed Pharangese and the rest of the party then slaughtered it. At this point, they removed the strongbox from the cache and let Tsaren work at it while Dor’Rand, the only undrained member, rowed back to shore and Thorien began distributing potions and spells of Lesser Restoration.
Moonday, 6th Desnus, 4710
Dor’Rand spent the day with Calsenica, while the others nursed their bodies back to full health. Cassandra visited one of the local enchanters to have her curve blade enchanted.
Toilday, 7th Desnus 4710
During the night (after Cassandra’s player had asked what the chances were of them not being attacked. Never, ever tempt GMs like this), the party’s rooms were broken into. This did not go all that well for the intruders. Dor’Rand’s keen hearing alerted him to their presence and he rolled over, growling “If I have to get up, you’re dead.” He was rewarded with the sound of two bodies legging it. The pair trying to sneak on Thorien and Corva fared little better. Thorien shot one as he climbed through the window, throwing his body back into the street. At this point the window very quietly closed as the other decided on discretion over valour. Cassandra dealt with her intruder by casting grease on the windowsill, sending him plummeting down after cracking his jaw on the slick frame while Pharangese sent hers to sleep resulting in another midnight plummet.
Weakday, 8th Desnus 4710
Fully ready, and having prepared numerous stakes and, in Dor’Rand’s case, purchased a symbol for every non-chaotic non-evil god, and Asmodeus, in case one doesn’t work, the party headed for Delvehaven. Ignoring the warning signs, Tsaren picked the rusty lock and they quietly entered the grounds. Despite his precautions, Tsaren activated one of the force globe traps, only just springing back to avoid it. This rather worried the party and they took extra specials care in their approach to the Pathfinder lodge.
Once inside, they looked over the ruined paintings and the empty stand before taking the Foyer of Fellowship deeper into the building. Corva’s axe was enchanted as their light source. At the end of the foyer, Thorien detected evil in the darkened room and as Corva moved close enough to reveal the source, the triceratops skeleton attacked. Dor’Rand and Tsaren sprinted past it to flank, while Corva and Cassandra charged. Cassandra was hurled back after her first strike, the shadowy horns goring her deeply. Pharangese used her lay on hands as a cure while Thorien’s arrows kept getted deflected by the shadow stuff. Tsarren stabbed the creature, but that merely caused it to whirl on him, leaving him barely clinging to consciousness as he slowly limped away. Thus it was left to Dor’Rand and Corva to slay the beast. Cassandra fixed it with her Evil Eye to reduce its attack potency and then cast Ray of Enfeeblement to further weaken it. Eventually, after Cassandra threw him the Morningstar, Corva managed to slay the beast, but not before it had gored him horribly.
And as the party healed, we left them for another time.
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Apologies (to the three people reading this) for the lack of updates.
Announcement: Everyone made it (woot!). We also started using the Plot Twist cards as an experiment: Pharangese got Way with Words;Tsaren got Unwelcome Arrival; Corva got Agony of Defeat; Dor'Rand got Something Lost, Thorien got Not As It Seems; and Cassandra got All in the Details.
Weakday, 8th Desnus 4710 (Continued)
After the fight with the shadowy triceratops, the party decided to continue their 'right first' policy and marched bravely into the privy, before quickly going into the armour room. Tsaren faield his save and fled from the Shadow Mastiff's horrific baying. Cassandra moved up to secure his dropped weapon and she and Dor'Rand were savaged. Corva, with the light source rushed up and sliced off his fingers, blood flowing from his wounds. Faced with the brilliant light stealing their shadows, the mastiffs withdrew, one getting gutted by Dor'Rand as it did so. The other's howling bay unsettled him, though, and he joined Tsaren in flight. Corva, Pharangese and Cassandra all rushed up at the remaining mastiff. Cassandra was knocked to the floor, while Thorien, getting bored of his arrows missing, cast Lesser Restoration on Corva, restoring the strength ebbing from his restored fingers. He shouted out for someone to grab the severed fingers “so some necromancxer can't use them”. Surrounded by light, the second mastiff was swiftly dispatched. At this point, Tsaren angrily confrotned Cassandra about stealing his sword, although she insisted she had only taken int for safekeeping from their enemies. Tsaren's response, at least the printable parts, was: “They're dogs. I don't think they'd want a sword very much!” Pharangese reluctantly took Dawnhunter, despite the fact that it clashed awfully with her colours, opting to change to red rather than blue in order to justify its protections.
Despit some mutual taunting between Crova and Dor'Rand over who fled and who still had the most kills, the party moved into the tangled garden. As Tsaren searched for traps and Dor'Rand decided to climb up to the bridge above, the toys attacked. Fluff Gugg slashed at Crova, but missed. Mr Straw almost hit Thorien's foot but was slightly too slow against the nimble elf. Molly Missy's doe eyes proved ineffective against Pharangese, while Draggy's flame only singed Dor'Rand's fur. The Fetish however, scored a direct hit with its spear into Cassandra's foot, but she suffered only an itching from its venom. The party then retaliated. Thorien's shaft was tossed aside by Mr Straw's pitchfork, while Corva slashed open Fluff Gugg, opening the vicious teddybear up for Tsaren's lethan strike that punched through his head and briefly holding a glass eye on the end of his sword. Cassandra hacked at the Fetish, while Dor'Rand mutterign about how “I can't fight toys! They're toy's for f*!* sakes!” merely grabbed Draggy, holding the snapping jaws well away from him. As Fluff Gugg collapsed, Molly Missy let out a shriek of anguish and the toys fled. With the exception of Mr Straw, they didn't get far with Pharangese and Tsaren (whose experience with toys and childhood in general are not pleasant) cracking open Molly Missy's porcelain features. Dor'Rand tossed Draggy aside, hoping he'd explode (he didn't) and Corva severed the dragon's neck while Cassandra hacked apart the twisted fetish and Thorien's deadly arrow was again tossed aside by Mr Straw's whirling pitchfork. On seeing his friends all dead, Mr Straw turned to the party and unleashed black lightning against them. Thorien abandonned his bow, resorting to splashes of acid that bypassed the whirling pitchfork, while Dor'Rand hurled his javelin that the tiny effigy did succeed in hurling aside. Mr Straw swiftly collapsed under the blades of the party, which resumed the argument between Corva and Dor'Rand, the latter refusing to count the toys as valid kills because “THEY'RE TOYS!”.
In the midst of this argument, Tsaren was investigating the blue dais in the centre of the garden. Cassandra placed her hands on the dais., and, from the party's view, ceased to exist. Tsaren was in full wrath about not waiting for him to finish checking for traps, while Thorien used his magic to determine what the dais was, to little effect merely getting the sense of ancient, powerful illusion magic. Cassandra jumped off the dais and tried to draw attention to herself, which caused even more arguments. Thorien, got thoroughly bored and exasperated and cast See Invisible pointing at the empty air and saying “She's over there. She's fine. Can we get on?” Dor'Rand climbed up to the bridge, but came down at Thorien's call, at which point the aged ropes snapped and the whole bridge fell to one side.
After Tsaren had checked the doors for traps, they moved in. Thorien's exasperated casting proved bvery lucky as he spotted the floating Will o' the Wisp and shot at it, to the rest of the party seemign to be shooting at nothing at all. They found out what he was shooting at when Xycerace swooped down on Thorien, shocking him hard. The party tried hard, but Xycereace was too afgile and hard to see for them to hit, except Thorien, who got shocked again. After another round where only Thorien's expert aim did any damage, Xycerace shocked him again a, dropping him sizzling to the ground and dropping him to -9. Dor'Rand stood guard over him, while Corva poured out a healing potion into the inqisitor, saving his life but failing to restore him to consciousness. Seeing his meal threatened, Xycerace began targeting Corva, especially when he poured another potion into Thorien. Now conscious, but only barely, Thorien crawled away. Xycerace ignored him, but foolishly let himself be surrounded. As he tried to flee, Tsaren's sword stabbed out and ended the wisp's life. The party continued exploring but there we left it.
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Announcement: Pharangese’s player could not make it and was played by committee.
Weakday, 8th Desnus 4710 (Continued)
The party explored the upper rooms of the council chamber but had to return to ground level owing to the lack of a rope bridge. First they explored the kitchen. And while the arcane lock proved impossible to defeat, the door didn’t. Finding nothing but a pantry beyond, the party was rather confused about the Pathfinders protection against midnight snacks, but nevertheless pressed onward.
Finding the library, and finding the magical books therein, Dor’Rand immediately read the Lycanthropy of Evran Townsend and suffered the trauma of the the experience, shocking his intellect into retreat. This prompted Thorien to remark “What did we say about not reading books in strange places until the experts have said it’s safe?” Dor’Rand protested complete ignorance of anyone ever saying that and given the Intelligence damage people believed him. Thorien then took up the tale of Scorin Kastel and the Siege of Moenspire, but his mind proved more resilient taking the useful hints from the tale without the trauma. Cassandra then, under protests from Thorien who felt the books were too dangerous for those with weaker wills, read the Shipwreck of Hoakrem Krin and also survived with her sanity intact. Tsaren and Corva both refused their opportunity to read the books.
The party then went back upstairs, finding the rooms empty. On finding the pool of water, Thorien ordered everyone back as he investigated. The bound elemental reared up in his perfect mirror image as he did so. As the seal appeared unbroken, Thorien decided this wasn’t that interesting and left the room, ignoring the repeated urgings of Dor’Rand that they should break the seal.
Descending into the gloom, all the party’s many light sources flickered, provoking a comment from Thorien at the others’ discomfort: “Great, this place has a spooky atmosphere. Move on.” They continued their policy of right first, although Dor’Rand did have to turn round to make sure the insect room was on his right before he would proceed. Triggering the haunt, Cassandra and Corva both suffered significant damage from the biting ghost swarm. And when Cassandra claimed she was still beautiful, Phanragese’s response was a derisive snort. Everybody stepped out of the room, but still wanted to see what was in the room beyond, so Dor’Rand borrowed Corva’s axe and roared across the room, easily breaking open the completely unlocked door, but fortunately managing to stop before he reached the stairs. He then turned back to the others, holding the light-bearing axe behind his back and said they needed to run over at full speed to avoid the bugs. Thorien called back “There’s stairs there, aren’t there?” and Dor’Rand lied shamelessly, and ineffectively, coming back when the party promised to explain what was funny to him.
They then returned to their old routine rather than risk the bug room and turned right straight to the locked iron door. Fortunately, Thorien had the key from the Pathfinder cache, so the thick iron proved little obstacle. The skeletal scene beyond gave them pause, though, so Thorien began probing for magic and evil, finding much of the former but little of the latter. At which point, Bisby’s skull rose from its skeleton, declaring them thieves and trespassers as two shadows rose behind it. Corva charged for one of the shadows, while Pharangese used her Lay on Hands to injure the other and Corva clawed it. Thorien then put an arrow through the shadow to destroy it, while Cassandra shot her non-magical crossbow through the other one. At this point, Bisby’s skull turned blazing red eyes on Thorien as the one that had awakened it and unleashed a fearsome spectral beast. Sadly, Thorien succumbed to the phantasmal claws of the dark beast and he collapsed to the ground dead. The shadow scored a critical hit on Corva, draining him of 6 points of Strength. Tsaren then attacked the skull, scratching it with his sword. Cassandra took out the wand of Restoration, curing Corva of his strength damage as Pharangese used smite evil on the skull, to no effect as despite its lethality it wasn’t actually evil. Corva and Dor’Rand tore open the shadow, while Tsaren again attacked the skull. Turning its attention to him, the skull unleashed another lethal phantasm but Tsaren saw through it and was unharmed. Corva them slammed his axe into the skull, which settled onto its neck and the shade of Bisby rose up. Cassandra also cured her Charisma damage and Dor’Rand’s intelligence damage before he drove everyone insane.
After confirming they were Pathfinders, Bisby apologised for their comrade and explained to them about the Morrowfall and Totemrex, and about the dark spirits that had passed by. He also complimented Dor’Rand when he made the leaps through the chain of events with “Well done, that...whatever you are, well done.” After more apologies, he outlined the history of the artefacts, and how to get through the warded door into the basement before sinking back into the skeleton. Dor’Rand, in tribute to his fallen comrade, took up Thorien’s hat, placing it over his head.
The party then continued to explore, crossing to the other side of the crossroads and finding the bar. Tsaren swiftly spotted the secret door behind the bar, and the stash of aging elven wine (which he quickly grabbed before Dor’Rand could use them as a toast), and the alcoholic potions (declared by Dor’Rand to be the “best invention EVER!”). They ignored the stairs along the secret passageway, following the corridor around and out. After briefly investigating the shrine, they decided to try the double doors as, according to Dor’Rand “I like double doors. They have interesting things behind them.” Recognising the red door from Bigby’s description, they pressed the appropriate runes and were rewarded with a hugely grating sound as the stone desk moved. Dor’Rand played his plot twist card, preventing their enemies below from hearing this, however.
The party crept downstairs and into the crypts. Tsaren managed to catch a glimpse of the Mazeflesh Man’s tattooed skin, catching him the cheek with Bisby’s crossbow. The Mazeflesh Man attacked him in turn, then, dropping his crossbow, he charged at Tsaren, almost knocking him down with his powerful blows, although fortunately unable to leech any life out of him. The rest of the party clustered around, Cassandra healing Tsaren while Corva and Dor’Rand tried to harm him to little effect as the undead flesh turned aside their blows. Pharangese called on Shelyn’s power to smite the foul creature, inflicting some damage. The Mazeflesh Man then battered Corva, but was forced to retreat when Corva pulled out his chain of holy symbols, presenting the symbol of Asmodeus to drive him back. Sadly, even when Tsaren had recovered and rejoined the fight, harming the Mazeflesh Man proved difficult. Corva tried to grapple him, but to no effect. Frustrated, Tsaren’s player used his Plot Twist card, calling down a hostile creature on the vampire. Bisby’s spirit floated through the roof, pointing at the Mazeflesh Man. The vampire gave a strangled gasp, clawing at his face to remove the phantasmal predator and them dropped dead, dissolving into a mist that flowed into his coffin. Dor’Rand quickly staked the vampire there and Tsraen lopped off his head.
The party recovered and pressed on, entering the Chamber of Treaties where the shadow-wrapped figure of Jair waited. Corva snatched a holy symbol of Gorum off Dor’Rand’s chain, almost choking him in the process, driving the vampire back. Jair hissed out “Norgorber is greater than that oaf!” but his spell failed to take hold on Corva. Dor’Rand hurled a javelin of lightning at Jair but the undead stepped aside, the bolt barely singing him before the shadowy flesh repaired itself. Dor’Rand grappled the undead and the rest of the party piled in, killing him quickly with a stake through his foul heart.
They then proceeded to the corridor, where Corva again drove back the vampire spawn with his new holy symbol, while Tsaren and Cassandra used crossbow and Thorien’s longbow to damage the undead. Dor’Rand hurled a javelin at them, but missed. The vampires tried to dominate the party, but only one succeeded, commanding Dor’Rand to “Get rid of that holy symbol!” which he did, only to have Pharangese pull out hers to drive the advancing vampires back. Freed from having to hold out his symbol, Corva charged the vampires, holding the breach. One vampire dropped, but the one commanding Dor’Rand ordered him to “Get rid of that one!” which he did. Cassandra then cast Protection from Evil on him to break the vampire’s dominate while Pharangese picked up her holy symbol and presented it again to drive them back. At this point, another vampire succeeded on his dominate attempt and ordered Tsaren to “Kill that b%!!~!” As a result, Tsaren’s sword stabbed through Pharangese’s back, piercing her lung Cassandra quickly cast another Protection from Evil on him while Pharangese healed herself of a single point damage, just enough to prevent the blood from flowing. Tsaren, quite furious at having his mind controlled, tumbled to flank the vampires and stabbed his bloody sword through one as Dor’Rand grappled another, wrestling it to the ground. Corva continued to wreck havoc with his axe, while Cassandra joined in the battle with a wand of Cure Light Wounds and Pharangese attacked with her glaive. Corva beheaded the vampire foolish enough to control Tsaren and Tsaren returned the favour by staking the vampire Dor’Rand had pinned to the ground, beating its head into the ground as he did so. The final vampire managed to dominate Corva and ordered him to “clear a path for me!” which Corva did, stepping out of his way and bowing low to let him through. The rest of the party made swift work of the vampire before it could take the escape route.
The party continued down the corridor, finding the Morrowfall. Dor’Rand grabbed it after only one bolt of starfire, while Tsaren took up Whisperslash. On approaching the final room, they confronted Vahnwynne Malkistra. Before she could move, Dor’Rand activated the Morrowfall and the vampire ex-vampire hunter found peace in a burst of sunlight that reduced her into ash. The party then proceeded to carry all the vampire’s bodies out into the sunlight, watching them catch fire before they carried Thorien’s body into the woods, erecting a massive pyre for their dead comrade. And with that, the party levelled up and we left them in their mourning.
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Announcement: Pharangese’s player could not make it and was played by committee.
Oathday, 9th Desnus 4710
Dor’Rand returned from a night with Callie to join the others for a meeting with Ailyn Ghontasavos. During this tale, she introduced them to a colourful, piratical figure named Otro whom she thought would be an interesting addition to the group. Dor’Rand handed over the two remaining books from Delvehaven, but and Otro asked why he was being given a necromantic book? On it being explained as an initiation, he flipped through the Memoirs of a Hatchling Nursemaiden while Corva decided to read the final book. Sadly, the imprisonment of Marcus Trom proved too shocking an experience for him, dealing significant damage to his Charisma. Aiylin applauded the floorshow but had to leave for Absalom to organise a team to fully reclaim Delvehaven. As she left, she warned Otro that if she ever found him in her room uninvited again she’d castrate him.
Oathday, 9th Desnus 4710 to Starday 11th Desnus 4710
While Corva recovered from the book’s effects, the party went shopping, observing children arguing over who got the hat and who got the silly mask in their playing of Children of Westcrown, which amused Dor’Rand immensely.
Starday, 11th Desnus 4710
The party were approached by Chammady Drovenge who requested their help. Blinking back a tear with a muttered comment about how she was “Chelaxian, not some weak-kneed Andoran doxie”, she haltingly told them that she needed their professional services. When Otro piped up, she decided to ignore the handsome half-elf’s existence and directed her request to those she knew of by more than reputation. She’d discovered that her grandfather, the man who’d brought her up, was a monster. Not literally, but a man of evil on a par with the fiends. A high-up in the criminal underworld, she said that he’d had an orphanage burned to the ground to cover up some of the less than legal business he had conducted. This got Tsaren and Cassandra’s attention. They pressed for details but Chammady was unable to tell them much more, only that she wanted him removed from her family tree. The party then fell to planning how to conduct the deed given the defensive nature of the Drovenge estate ion Imperiax. They dismissed several plans that required them to smuggle themselves across the canal, gain invitations to a social event or blackmail one of his neighbours for access, finally settling on purchasing some scrolls of water breathing to make the trip that way, despite some protests for Pharangese over the state the canal water would leave her hair.
While the others continued their planning, Cassandra went to get the scrolls they’d need. As such, she was the only one to directly witness the explosion that rocked the city, although the others did emerge quickly to stare at the mushroom cloud that bloomed over the city, ignoring the panicked shrieking of the crowds. Identifying the direction, and likely location, of the cloud, they set off, witnessing the territorial disputes of the Dottari and Hellknights and the mixture of numbed shock and end of the world terror in the populace before they reached the outer barricades. The Dottari asked them to step aside and explained that if they should encounter the mayor, the Dottarri would be most grateful if they could ensure he reached one of their chapter houses rather than the Hellknights. When asked why, he replied “We are the legitimate forces of order in this city, sir, and he is the mayor. We’d like to ensure the forces of government are safe. And we might want to ask him why his Asmodeus-damned house just exploded!”
As the party made their way back into the city proper, Corva (playing the ‘What are the odds’ card) spotted a figure beckoning them from the shadows. On approaching they found it was the Mayor himself, singed, battered and somewhat stabbed. On retreating to a vacant building, the Mayor explained what had happened with “that traitorous halfbreed b&*#+, Croseal! To think I employed one of those things!” He showed them the contract, Cassandra translating and finding it legalistic but with only a few easily avoided subclauses. The party signed, becoming co-authorities with regard to the engine. Arabaxi also pointed out how to prevent the engine from being destroyed when shutting it down. Cassandra was just mentioning that they should put their current plans on hold when Dor’Rand shushed her. As they got more information about what was going on (mostly in the region of thieves and devils and cultist, oh my) Dor’Rand was explaining things to Tsaren about how they would have to leave shiving the orphanage burning noble scum for later as this threatened the whole city. He concluded with “Sometimes I’m much smarter than I appear!” At which point, it was pointed out that the mayor was still present and the table burst out laughing as the player was mortified. Otro warned the Mayor about the Hellknights and that the Dotarri wanted to talk to him. And Arabaxi left. Tsaren was, reluctantly, persuaded that he couldn’t kill the mayor to keep their security. However, they decided they’d have to perform this mission without disguises as Arabaxi now knew they were involved.
They returned to the barricades, explaining that they had a contract from the Mayor authorising them to investigate and deal with the Engine. The presence of the contract seemed to sway the commander whom, whilst looking at them as if they were crazy, let them through. Tsaren and Dor’Rand noticed that after they left, the tent flap opened and closed behind them. Alerting the others to their suspicions, Otro cast Detect Magic and followed the illusory blur, throwing Glitterdust over him to make the invisible figure stand out. Dor’Rand then charged and grappled him, aided by Corva unexpectedly casting a Bless in the name of Gorum. Despite Cassandra and Tsaren’s threats, and his inability to break out, the sparkly spy refused to drop the invisibility or explain who he was. Meanwhile, the guards were preparing their bows as precaution but making nothing that could be construed as a hostile move. Eventually, they managed to get him to speak: “I must return to the Master.” The party then knocked him unconscious, revealed with was the Lieutenant, handcuffed him, explained things to the guards and left Pharangese and their pets to guard him while the rest went looking for the Master. Otro first summoned his eidolon, a suit of silvery plate armour crackling with electricity.
They explored the guard house, surprising the House Mhartis guardsmen. Tsraen shot one with a crossbow, while Corva charged past and cut down the second. Dor’Rand, unable to charge the others, settled on ripping open the guard Tsaren shot. The eidolon moved into the room, while Cassandra and Otro held back. Before the party could do much else, a door at the back of the room flew open and Jerusen attacked. Corva drove him back with his holy symbol, while Dor’Rand drew out the Morrowfall firing a sunbeam at Jerusen but the vampire dodged it. The eidolon, meanwhile, tore apart one of the remaining guards. Tsraen tried to stab Jerusen but failed. Jerusen locked eyes with Dor’Rand and ordered him to drop the Morrowfall, which he duly did, moving up and turning into a small fire elemental as he did so. Cassandra reached for the Morrowfall as the final guard tried to get at Corva and was cut down by Dor’Rand and the eidolon. Cassadnra picked up the Morrowfall but was also dominated and told to drop it. Instead she moved up to Dor’Rand who was in the process of trying to kill Tsaren under his new master’s orders. Tsaren continued to attack the Vampire while Corva drew a stake out his belt and cast a spell. Cassandra tried to cast Protection from Evil on Dor’Rand, but the flames burned her too badly for her to finish the incantation. Fortunately, the spell Corva cast was True Strike and he slammed the stake into Jerusen’s heart. Dor’Rand and Tsaren proceeded to burn and slice the vampire until it was finally dead.
And there we left them for the week.
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Announcement: All players were able to make it this week.
Starday, 11th Desnus 4710 (Continued)
The party checked out the remainder of the House Mhartis Guardhouse, but found nothing of interest and proceeded around the edge of the pillars of fire to the Rasdovian Gatehouse (collecting Pharangese on the way). On entering, Tsaren crept to one door and managed to surprise the three giant lemures inside. The party methodically tore it apart and were moving in on the second (whoever stuck these things in a room barely big enough for them has a lot to answer for). Cassandra went invisible and slipped past to the last lemure, striking it with her silversheened blade. The lemure responded by clawing her viciously, as the opposite door burst in and a lemure squeezed its way through.
Otro shouted that his Eidolon could take care of things in the first room, so most of the party went into the courtyard to deal with the new wave of Lemures as they slowly squeezed through the door. The first lemure made it into the room, bullrushing Dor’Rand back. At this point it got itself surrounded and a combination of sneak attacks, Dor’Rand’s favoured enemy’s stealth attack and Pharangese smiting it soon reduced it to a pool of slime. Meanwhile, Otro was busy fortifying his Eidolon with Barkskin, Shield and multiple charges of his wand of true strike as the eidolon ripped the lemure apart and moved eagerly onto the third.
Meanwhile, Dor’Rand lined up his javelin of lightning, blasting it through the open doorway, and the other lemures before it gouged out a pit in the far wall. As the lemure bull rushed him back, the rest of the party tore into it, allowing Dor’Rand to leap at the last lemure as it squeezed through, trying to claw at its eyes but failed to blind it. The Lemure thrashed at him, clawing at him but not moving through the door. This quickly proved a fatal mistake as it collapsed under the mithril blades of the party (except Corva who’d thrown his axe down in disgust at not hitting anything for several swings and gone to sulk in the corner) just as the eidolon proceeded to rend the last lemure in halves. The eidolon proceeded to stand guard over the door left in the right hand foyer as Dor’Rand investigated the smoking hole in the wall, and then the doorway into the study and the rest of the pary healed up through Corva’s channelled energy.
As Corva stepped through the door into the study, Nyxervex turned, dropping the limp and bloodied body of a half-orc he’d been torturing to pass the time, and put a wall of ice in the doorway, smiling coldly. As Dor’rand approached, he got stabbed through the chest by the osyluth’s stinger, feeling his strength ebb away, but managing to still get in a good solid hit, while Cassandra tried to hex it, to little effect.
On the other side of the wall of ice, Corva hacked at the foot thick sheet, while Otro cast a bolt of acid into it. Pharangese then rendered the whole thing moot by unleashing the Morrowfall and sending a ray of searing light into the ice, quickly melting a hole for the Eidolon whose lightning-fueled claws struck at Nyxervex. Nyxverax, a little non-plussed at how quickly they’d blasted through his barricade, nonetheless proceeded to attack the party hitting Dor’Rand again with his stinger and biting and clawing at the eidolon. When Corva charged up, he managed a mighty blow and led the devil to stab itself through the bicep, leading to immense pain and a howl of outrage. However, it was Pharangese who made the most impact with another Searing Ray that burned ichor off the devil’s bony form. In response, Nyxervex teleported, landing directly behind her.
The party then proceeded to swarm at the devil, hacking at it, and getting both Corva and Tsarin stung, both feeling weaker before, heavily wounded, Nyxervex teleported away. The party then used several charges from their wand of restoration to get everyone back on their feet, while Dor’Rand managed to find a nearly empty wand of align weapon (playing the “Where Did That Come From?” Plot Twist Card to do so). Otro and Tsarin both heard the devil’s frustrated rampage from the other side of the building and, newly fortified, the party headed off in pursuit. Nyxervex , having fortified himself with his stash of potions waited for them and when the party attacked was badly wounded. However, when he tried to teleport out, he found his tail caught in the wreckage and managed to move less than five feet, thanks to Tsarin’s player playing the “Erratic Behaviour” Plot Twist card. Somewhat shocked by his failure to move, Nyxervex was swiftly slain by the party as their newly aligned weapons completely ignored its otherwise impressive damage reduction.
The party returned to the half-orc, healing him up. He croaked out that there were other prisoners kept behind the rubble and the eidolon began to clear it away. Dor’Rand left the group, rather shocked by his poisoning and suddenly finding himself unwilling to die and leave Calsenica. Or, as the other party members put it, he went to spend more time with his kittens.