Session 225 - Dogs of War

General Summary

15^th Halane (Second month of Autumn) 724TR

The story so far

The heroes are on a secret mission, having crossed the border into the hostile Kingdom of Rethem. They plan to stop priests of the evil fire God Agrik from sending demon-possessed war dogs into the Kingdom of Kanday's border settlements.

So far they have killed two of these Hellhounds and now have started searching for their hidden base.

This is the continuation of Session 224 - Fire Storm.

Location - Altona Forest, between Selvos and Henwe, in the Kingdom of Rethem.

Part 1 - Dogs in Cages

The characters continue searching, and soon after, Abaddon's keen eyes register light in the distance. The hidden base of the evil Order of the Fuming Gate.

They note a cave entrance with cages outside, three containing large wardogs. The characters sneak up using the strong breeze to conceal the sound of their movement and smell. Examining the cages, they have a simple latch locking mechanism, so Remy sneaks up and uses his thieves' tools to jam the latches. He succeeds with two but makes too much noise, awakening the dogs. They howl in alarm, and Remy darts forward, sabotaging the last latch as two men emerge from the cave.

One is a priest of the Order of the Fuming Gate, and the other a Copper Hook Warrior. They spot the characters and attack. The warrior puts up a spirited fight but is mobbed by the heroes. The priest utters an incantation, and the runes and brands carved onto the dogs flare to life, and in seconds their bodies are possessed by demonic spirits. They transform into Hell Hounds, but fortunately, the heroes have trapped them in cages. The priest conjures a few fire spells but is cut down.

The Hellhounds spit flames and attempt to break free of their confinement. Nevertheless, the heroes kill two, but one eventually smashes through his pen. At the same time from the cave, an enormous, dangerous-looking Hell Hound emerges. This huge beast is immediately stunned and killed shortly after along with the now no longer caged Hellhound. There is light in the cave, so the heroes sneak in.

Part 2 - Hidden Shrine to the Fire God

The cavern opens into a chamber, well lit by eight glowing torches and a flaming pit in the center. Three priests and another warrior spot the heroes and attack. They were in the middle of a summoning ritual which the heroes have effectively disrupted. The Agrikians fight well, unleashing a barrage of incantations. Blasts of flames and balefire scorch the heroes, while fiery demons and conjured weapons push the heroes to their limits. However, one by one, the villains fall.

The heroes examine the dead, they find several books containing summoning and other dark rituals, which are incinerated in the fire pit. Odin attempts to implicate the Fuming Gates rivals, the Order of the Eight Demons, as the culprits for the massacre; however, this is far from convincing.

They return home undetected, smashing the cages and anything valuable on their way out.

Location - Castle Menekod in the Kingdom of Kanday.

Part 3 - Another Meeting with the Knight Commander

Grandmaster Syman, art by Artbreeder

Back at the Checkered Shield's fortress of Menekod, the heroes debrief Sir Syman Tolfane. Sir Syman is pleased that they have dealt with the threat cleanly and effectively. they are rewarded for their efforts.

Now the characters plan some downtime over Autumn and Winter. During this period, Odin will start his knightly training with Sir Beroldus Himaldy.

The heroes will take a short break while the campaign catches up with another band of adventurers in the Thardic Republic.