Session 039 - Preparing for the Apocalypse

General Summary

Date 5^th to the 9^th of Navek (11) 720TR (Winter)

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The story so far

The Church of Naveh is planning to summon the Greater Gytevsha Krasula on the night of Shadowmath, in less than a month. This will bring devastation to the City of Coranan. The heroes plan to intervene and are seeking allies.

While making plans at The Stake Inn the party are attacked by half a dozen skull masked Church of Naveh Priests and Assassins. They only just survived.

Part 1 - The Bodies

Shortly after the battle, a squad of Red Guard arrives to investigate. The Red Guard does not usually involve itself in the north side of the city but given the number of murders committed by the Church of Naveh this year they have sent Captain Berdoi to investigate. He finds the characters explanations inadequate and decides to interview them at the Castle Coranan.

On arrival, the Commander of the Red Guard, Azikain Gelber takes over the interrogation. Athena is able to come up with a plausible explanation (i.e. lie) as to why the Assassins wanted them dead, and the party is dismissed. However, Quazzy leaves her invisible familiar, observing the Commander, and he seems genuinely concerned at events. She decides to telepathically contact him assuring him that the party can be trusted and informing him that they are trying to prevent a greater evil.

The Innkeeper of The Stake, Umen Ewesan, is furious. This is the third time fighting and killings in his Inn has involved the party. He wants to evict them, but Athena makes a persuasive, although spurious, argument that they offer security.

Part 2 - The Diviner

Yureb and the party decides to visit Seross Thanga, a member of Coranan's Guild of Arcane Lore. Yureb learns that his staged "murder" did not fool him (refer Session 19 - Then You Will Die) therefore the party decides to tell him of the Navean Plot to destroy the city. He is very concerned with events, and suspects that the Assassins may well have infiltrated Wizards Guild, but does offer assistance loaning Quazzy a powerful magic item, a Rod of Absorption, for use until the crisis is over.

The party asks him if there a way to induce a deep sleep onto the cities population, and he will think about it.

Part 3 - Quazzy's plots.

Quazzy again attempts to infiltrate the hidden temple of Naveh, using her invisible familiar, to disrupt the ritual by substituting a holy book with a counterfeit version. Fortunately, she spot's magical warding at the entry of the temple and aborts the mission.

Next, she sends her familiar invisibility to visits the Master Apothecary Parmen Merros, at the Pipe and the Potion, who secretly manufactures poisons for the Assassins. The familiar terrorizes the man and instructs him that he is to make his poisons dilute from now on and do not ask any question. She leaves him shaken and confused.

Part 4 - The Stuck Carriage

The party leaves Coranan for a few days, heading to Castle of Themeson to meet with Sir Scarow and ask for his help. On the way they pass a carriage stuck in the mud, bearing the Code of Arms of a Green Dragon on Gold. This belongs to Clan Musbern, wealthy landholders from nearby districts. Young Turin Musbern is abusing several local farmers, bullying them into assisting him in moving his carriage. He looks about to strike several farmers with his cane when a middle-aged man with a floppy hat, discreetly casts spells. A drift of snow falls onto Turin, he slips on his butt in the mud, and several crows fly by and leave deposits on his head. This badly embarrasses the young aristocrat and then the man with the floppy hat "suggests" that he pays the farmers a large sum of coins for their efforts. Turin immediately pays them.

The man introduces himself as Carle Alfaro, and Athena notices several pendants, those commonly used by the Order of Rydequelyn. He says he is on a mission to embarrass and undermine Turin Musbern as his order believes he would be a poor choice to lead his family if his Senator father were to die. Either of his younger siblings would be better options.

Turin is on a mission to retrieve an artifact, an old Dragons skull, from an old and abandoned Musbern family crypt, only an hours walk away. Carle would like to get there first and steal it and asks the characters if they would like to help. They are intrigued and agree.

Part 5 - The Ruin

The party arrives at the old Musbern Sepulcher and find a ruin in a small marsh. Kalin and Yureb stealthily investigate behind the structure. As the rest of the party approaches they are met by a scruffy muscled, but a short man with blood on his clothing holding a massive maul. He claims to be Ansery, local woodsman foraging for herbs. Athena notes his maul is smeared with blood and his herbal pouch is dripping blood. After a heated conversation, the man, who has little in the way of patience, angrily attacks.

Meanwhile, Kalin notices in the muck two large creatures are approaching, well hidden giant boars which charge forward. Athena finds, although her weapons hit the man, his injuries heal almost immediately. However, he is hurt by her Balefire smites as well as Yureb's Shadow Blade. Carle uses his magic to put one of the boars to sleep, but the man continues to hammer on Athena. Eventually, he transforms, into a savage half-man half-boar, at the same time healing all the damage he had taken. Quazzy utters a curse, causing him to become disoriented, allowing the party to kill the other Giant boar. Carle surprises the party casting a Fire spell using the same Agrikian rituals that Athena uses. Eventually, the heroes slay the shapechanger using Yurebs and Quazzy's spells aided by Athena's Silvered Lance. On his corpse, they find only a herbalist pouch containing a human hand, and nearby they discover the bloody remains of what could be previous victims.

Questioning Carle about his fire spell, Athena learns that he has studied many of the Agrikian holy texts and learned that spell from them.

Part 6 - The Dragons Skull

Yureb's keen eyes notice a well-hidden trap door. It opens to a small vault and inside is indeed a large skull of a dragon. The damp walls however move and contort striking at Yureb with large pseudopods. These slimes badly corrode one of his quality Short Swords as he tries to escape. Quazzy casts a containment spell while Carle blasts them with waves of thunder. Eventually, they are all destroyed before they can escape the vault.

Inside they recover the Dragons Skull, Carle confesses that he would have liked to have retrieved some documentation as well, but none was to be found. The Dragons Skull is hidden in a nearby grove and Carle agrees to help the party in the future if needed.

Missions/Quests Completed

Retrieved the "Dragon Skull" from the Musbern Crypt.

Character(s) interacted with

Captain Berdoi - Captain of the Red Guard.

Azikain Gelber - Commander of the Red Guard and the Warden of Coranan.

Seaross Thanga - Wizard at the guild of Arcane Lore.

Umen Ewesan - Innkeeper at The Stake.

Parmen Merros - Master Apothecary at The Pipe and the Potion, and poison maker.

Turin Musbern - Arrogant son of a Senator.

Carle Alfaro - Order of Rydequelyn Priest.

Ansery - Local woodsman, likely serial Killer, and Wereboar. Killed.

Opponents Overcome

1 x Wereboar Battlerager + 2 x Giant Boars.

6 x Grey Oozes.

Created Content

Order of Rydequelyn.

Azikain Gelber, Commander of the Red Guard.

Carle Alfaro, Rydequelyn Priest.

Related Reports

The Stake Inn.

The Red Guard - Updated.

Coranan's Guild of Arcane Lore - Updated.

Session 19 - Then You Will Die - The fake murder of Yureb.

The Pipe and the Potion.

Notes

Players Character Status

Athena the Banshee - Level 10 Paladin of Vengeance.

Yureb - Level 10 Arcane Trickster.

Quazzy - Level 5 Necromancer and Level 5 Warlock Disciple of Desridaen.