Session #38: The Noise and the Fury

The party kicked in the front door to find a whole band of villains waiting for them - a few humans, a few demon-looking creatures, a few lizard-like creatures. A wild, close-quarters battle erupted in the entryway to the fortress. Arrows, spells, and swords flew through the air!

In short order, the humans they were facing were revealed instead to be Rakshasa, vicious, tiger-like humanoids with a flair for illusions. The party members hired by Baron Murchasen were naturally reminded of the time they faced some of these creatures about six weeks prior, but they could not make any connections. Not that they were particularly inclined to - they were fighting for their lives!

One by one, the foes that stood against the party fell. The last few hung on for a while, refusing to die, as the party wearied of fighting them, but in time they too succumbed. The fortress had been won!

Rewards

• 10,000 XP each!
• 11,000 GP total.

Session #37: The Meeting Behind Enemy Lines

As the party stopped to catch their breath after the fight, they became aware of two figures coming through the trees, an odd-looking human male and a Dragonborn female. The party was naturally wary and suspicious, and when the two figures saw them, they were on their guard as well. But they did not attack, and announced themselves to be Kurtz and Yseult, the only two survivors of a Brelish mercenary group sent into Droaam to strike back at raiders.

The party was unsure of whether to trust these newcomers, but it quickly became apparent they had the same goals and masters (Kurtz & Yseult work for The Lady Orla Donella, another Breland noble) and that they were going to charge into the danger that they could all sense coming from the fortress. This combined party made their way to the fortress walls, examining it and each other warily.

They looked around for a little bit, remaining unnoticed. Their investigations were not terribly successful, but they had all come too far to turn back now, especially when their employers would almost certainly expect them to finish the job. So they braced themselves for the fight ahead and made ready to kick in the front door.

Session #36: Wearied, Worried, and Warry

The party looked around at the goblins surrounding them. As the goblins began to move towards them, Taumir notched an arrow in his bow, Edge put his sword out, and Azeri tried to reason with them. The goblins were intimidated enough by the sight of these warriors putting down two illithids and their hired muscle, and charmed enough by Azeri, that they stopped coming forward and gave the party their inaction. Taumir had the pluck to ask them questions about the illithids, which they mainly answered with half-hearted grunts and pointed looks. From this the party was still able to learn that the illithids commands the goblins and their ilk, and that they came came from a spot further up the Scar River.

Edge stuffed Tselem's corpse in the bag of holding, and the three survivors hurried north along the riverbank. After about an hour's journey, they came to a copse of trees with a clearing in the middle that they felt they could hole up in for the evening (by now it was dusk). Azeri set to work casting Raise Dead on Tselem (the components for which cost every party member 1,250 GP). She did not finish till it was already the wee hours of the morning, and Taumir had long since fallen asleep. When Tselem finally rose, Azeri welcomed him back and then fell dead asleep in her bedroll. Edge also said hi from where he stood watch, then roused Taumir for him to keep watch for the next several hours. Tselem said little and lay down until morning, keeping a small magical light burning over his head the whole time.

Around mid-morning (16 Lharvion), Azeri awoke, and the party discussed what to do next. They agreed they should continue to head north, following the river - as much as Tselem was not keen on running into the illithids again, they had after all been hired to discover what they were up to.

About this time, a boat came sailing past on the river. The party tried to make themselves hidden, but the crew could clearly see them. The party changed tactics and shouted out, would they be willing to take them along as passengers, and the captain shouted back that it would be 100 GP each. The party decided that was too steep and let the ship pass on by.

For the next two days, the party followed the river going north. Around noon on 18 Lharvion, they began to feel psychic pressure yet again. They looked around and saw a building about 1,000 yards further inland. As much as they dreaded another illithid encounter, they began to make their way towards it, trying to be sneaky. They were not very successful at this however, and when they were about halfway there, they were set upon by two drow. The drow were able to web their opponents in place several times, but the party still dispatched of them easily.

Rewards

• 2,400 XP each. Time to level up!

Session #35: The City of Death

The battle in the docks raged on. In time, the trolls also fell, but the last illithid refused to expire. Again and again he dominated Edge and cut the knees out from under the rest of the party. His blows fell especially hard on Tselem, and in the end, the shapeshifter was unable to withstand them. In a final horrible move, the illithid knocked Tselem unconscious and split open his skull, killing him instantly.

The horrified party rallied the last of the their strength and finally tore the illithid apart. Exhausted and stricken with grief, they looked around and realized they were in the midst of a goblin city, surrounded by enemies, with not much left in the tank to face what comes next.

Rewards

• 10,114 XP each.
• Elven Cloak +4 (Player's Handbook, p. 250).
• Everyone has gained 1 action point.

Session #34: The City of Fear

Baron von Mucharsen turned out to be a very amiable individual who was more than happy to hire them. He said he was very impressed by how easily they dispatched those ogres, and was open to their desire to take on special assignments. He said that Breland had already sent two different forces to try and seize the city of Vralkek. Due to it's position on the central Scar River, taking the city would be a big strategic advantage, but both forces had been completely annihilated, and the Baron didn't know why. Would the party be willing to go and see what they could find, and report back (either in person or via sending a message)? The party agreed, to the tune of 100 GP per month (per member).

The party didn't have much to do in town, so they pretty much went straight to the boat the Baron had chartered for them. Their journey to Vralkek took three days, taking them down Wroat Creek, into the Dagger River, out into the Thunder Sea, and north to Manta Bay.

Around noon on 15 Lharvion, the captain of the ship landed on a cape about an hour's walk southeast of the city. The party made their way towards it, debating their course of action. When they arrived there, they found it had high stone walls with guards atop them. Tselem decided to disguise himself as a goblin and go look around inside the city. Taumir decided to sneak along the walls themselves and see what he could find. Edge and Azeri felt these course of action were not particularly wise, but they decided to try and sneak in themselves. They were seen almost immediately, but they managed to avoid the 'citizen' that had spotted them and start making their way down the coast towards the docks.

Inside the city, Tselem-goblin initially didn't find much of interest, so he headed down to the docks. Taumir utterly failed to find anything of note on or around the walls, but he remained unseen as he too made his way around the walls to the docks. Edge and Azeri were able to sneak onto the piers as well.

Down at the docks, Tselem was still loitering about when he noticed a strange figure in a dark cloak. This figure was giving orders to some trolls, and the goblins of the city were treating it with great deference. As Tselem watched, he noticed that he was having trouble concentrating, almost as if there was a psychic field present. Then the figure turned and Tselem saw the squid-like face of the creature. He wondered - could this be one of the feared illithids he'd heard such dark tales about?

Tselem decided to put some distance between him and figure. At that moment, he noticed Edge and Azeri staying out of sight behind some boxes, and started moving towards them. At this, the illithid began coming towards them. He apparently saw through Tselem's disguise, for he summoned another one of his kind, two trolls and three grimlocks, and they attacked the party!

At the sound of the commotion, Taumir finally located his fellows, but he had a lot of ground to cover before he could reach them. A close-quarters battle formed between the other three party members and the creatures. Azeri was in rare form - she used several well-placed divine attacks, and the party quickly dispatched the grimlocks and the second illithid. The trolls and the first illithid did not retire so easily, though, and by the time Taumir joined the fray, the outcome of the fight was by no means certain...

Rewards

• 1,000 XP each for Azeri, Taumir, and Tselem (I'm treating the repeated skill checks you did as a skill encounter)
• 1,000 GP total (this is found treasure - the Baron has not paid you yet).

Session #33: The Flight & the Mercy

The last two fire creatures did not make it easy, but in the end the party struck them down as well. Elane continued trying to attack Azeri as she lay there, but once the last of her allies died, she became strangely still and quiet. The party was exhausted, night had fallen, and while they were outside of town, they were close enough to populated areas that the fight was bound to have attracted some attention. They took their captive, hustled into the woods, and settled in for the night.

That night, as the party slept, Azeri awakened and, in a rather amazing display of stealth, slipped past Edge, who was keeping watch, and took the still bound Elane away, deeper into the forest. There, she confronted the Silver Flame cleric about her betrayal, demanding to know the reason. Elane gave none beyond what she had said earlier in the evening, and was dismissive and rude to her captor. Despite this, Azeri didn't have the heart to execute her, and set her free, telling her that this was her last chance. Elane pondered this for a second, then fled for her life.

When the rest of the party awoke the next morning (6 Lharvion), they were surprised and annoyed at Azeri's actions, but they decided the only prudent thing to do at this point was to get the heck out of here, especially considering the number of power players they were now wanted by had reached a half-dozen or more. They decided that they weren't going to have any luck with the ritual until they could gain more magical knowledge, and they couldn't do that skulking around in the bushes of the world. So they decided to head to Breland (specifically the capital city of Wroat) and try to join the war effort.

The party made their way south to the city of Sigilstar, a day's journey. Fortunately, despite their wanted status, the day passed without incident. The next day (7 Lharvion), they made it as far as Nathyrr, but there they were stopped by suspicious guards at a checkpoint. They were able to bluff their way through though. An hour or so later they passed over the Brey River into Breland, and breathed a sigh of relief - here they should be less hunted.

The next few days were uneventful as they traveled the major highway through the fields and plains of Breland to Wroat. Around noon on the 12th day of Lharvion, they finally arrived. After making some inquiries, they decided to seek out a certain Baron von Mucharsen, a man supplying the Brelish government with soldiers.

They approached his house in the center of the city and offered their services as elite troops or even spies. The chamberlain there seemed bored by their offer, and ushered them into a courtyard to give them a 'test.' The test turned out to be three ogres, whom the party dispatched with almost no effort at all. The chamberlain was stunned speechless, and invited them to come meet with the Baron personally.

Rewards

• 9,100 XP each! Time to level up to 16!
• You found a Spirit Shield +4 (Player's Handbook 2, p. 203).
• You found a Lifedrinker weapon +3 (Player's Handbook, p. 235).
• You found 8,500 GP (total).

Session #32: The Renewed Betrayal

As the party thought about it, they suddenly all saw in their minds a vision of Elfrich, who said to them: "Sentinels from Olath coming to apprehend you, dead or alive. Elane will protect you. Get out now. Meet us in Flamekeep." (Olath in a city a few hours journey away.)

The party decided to heed his warning and made the several hour journey to Flamekeep, arriving there that evening. They found the headquarters of the Church of the Silver Flame, and were there guided to a chamber where Elane and Elfrich were waiting for them.

Elane explained that political circumstances are conspiring against the party. Thrane and House Deneith were cracking down on past enemies, so the warrants for Taumir and Edge were being actively pursued now, and Azeri was still wanted in connection with the incident at Askelios (the victims had forgiven Azeri, but the law of course did not know that). Elane said that she wanted to help and protect them - she was very grateful for the work they did in bringing down Zelian. She proposed giving them new identities and sending them away from Aundair and Thrane. The party though this was a good idea, so they followed her to the outskirts of Flamekeep, to the church that they had launched their first expedition from.

Before leaving Flamekeep, Elfrich begged their forgiveness for his part in their troubles, and they frankly forgave him.

As they walked to the church, Elane seemed quiet, pensive. When she finally decided to speak, she said she had a confession to make.

"I think, considering the circumstances, that I should be honest with you. The day we met at Reita's home, well, that wasn't the first time I'd heard of you. You see, it was me who brought you all together in the first place. The day you all met in Passage - I had arranged for you to meet and come together. I knew what Zelian and House Deneith had done to your people, Taumir, and to your friend, Tselem, and to you personally, Edge, and I wanted to bring you together to defeat him. I had to let you come to your own realizations of why he was your enemy of course, since none of you knew."

The party was surprised by this revelation, but not concerned. They asked a few questions, and continued their journey.

When they reached the church, to their alarm. the doors came open and about a dozen creatures of fire and stone stepped out. The party immediately realized that Elane had double-crossed them. She did not even attempt to deny it. "You understand, of course, that I can't have Zelian's death linked to the Church of the Silver Flame, or me. I am sorry. But after all, you are all wanted criminals and a [racial slur for changelings]."

And with that, Elane stabbed Elfrich through the heart, killing him instantly, and began walking away.

The creatures rushed at the party, clearly intent on their destruction. Azeri and Tselem threw up magical barriers that slowed their approach, and sent forth several blasts of magical power that took out multiple opponents at once. They also weren't about to let Elane get away that easily either. The over-confident cleric was brought down under an overwhelming attack, and began to bleed to death there on the field. As the party dealt with the more serious opponents, Elane was bound and brought back from the brink of death. The treacherous churchlady proved to still be an annoyance - even bound, she managed to strike at Azeri a few times.

Within short order, only two of the attacking creatures remained, and the party was beating them down. Still, the creatures were not done yet...

Rewards
(Nothing yet, encounter is still ongoing)