Session #45: The Shifting Alliances

The morning after the counter-ritual was created (3 Barrakas), the party was gearing up for their next move. As they did, the surly half-orc who'd brought them to Arashuul the previous week stomped into the room and announced that some bounty hunters were here to arrest Edge. Naturally, the party was a bit thrown by this development, and they watched in surprise as three Goliaths entered the room. Apparently the price on Edge's head had not gone down in the months since he escaped apprehension in Varna.

The rest of the party readied themselves to resist, but Edge said no. He said he was tired of avoiding this, and that he was going to go with them. So he bid them a terse farewell and the group of four taciturn warriors left the enclave, Edge whistling somewhat sardonically.

The party was a bit nonplussed by this turn of events. Their disaffection was quickly compounded by the House Tharashk leadership kicking them out, saying they didn't want to be associated with such criminals. The clerics of the Order of the Lantern let it be known to the party as they were leaving that they didn't care about such things (and made sure the party had their copy of the counter-ritual) but for political reasons had to side with the House.

The party decided to leave the enclave without a fuss, and indeed the whole city of Arashuul, where they were feeling very unwelcome now. Before their departure, they had decided to head for Korth, in Karrnath, to try and ply their newfound power against House Deneith. They trekked about an hour into the swamps in order for Tselem to cast the portal ritual.

As he was casting it however, they were attacked by three rot harbringers: ugly, undead creatures reeking of death. As the party moved to defend themselves, a Tiefling male emerged from a clump of reeds and joined in fighting the creatures. Killing off the foul things took a good bit longer than they thought it would, but everyone escaped unscathed.

Naturally, the party was grateful, though a bit wary, of this newcomer, whomever he was. He said his name was Maaktol, and he was just resting from his own journey when he heard the party's battle beginning. He didn't feel right about leaving them to die in the swamp, so he stepped in. The party thanked him for his help, and was there any way they could be of help to him?

TO BE CONTINUED...

Rewards

• 8,400 XP each (this should put Maaktol up to 127,400).
• 35,000 GP total

UPDATE 11/17/2016: Some errors in the sequence of events were corrected.