Session 23: A Fateful Tale Report

Without significant gains acquired in Methven, the party traveled along the western coast. They wished to gather information, possible allies, and send a second version of Orin’s letter, lest the suspicious Nevanese refuse to send it. After further days of bitter travel in the snow, the party arrived in the coastal town of Vezehen. The day was young when they finally arrived, and the sunlight shone dull upon the jagged earthwork defenses. They entered the city and chose to split into smaller groups to achieve whatever ends might be prudent, such as resupply, and others. Ballisar and Blackwolf were together, and noticed something outstanding and ominous, the ruined husk of a ship. It bore the purple foundation and golden flame iconography of the Mitras dynasty! They rushed toward it.

Arriving on the dock, Ballisar and Blackwolf called out to the ship. After some time, a somewhat drunken man clambered out into the open from the aft-castle. He spoke with the party and identified himself as Lyndos Venon Menar, and was at ease when the party divulged their alignment. He allowed them aboard and lead them inside the aft-castle where seven other weary men sat. Ballisar asked him questions about his position here in Vezehen, and Venon recalled his story. It was long winded, but covered everything from the garrisoning of Illidost “moon tear” for the winter to the sudden arrival of Syrgus. The siege lasted for only a few short days as the Syrgisian army flooded into the lower city. A few days later the second wall was breached and the defenders fled aboard ships. However, along that voyage some soldiers mutinied and the ships were nearly grounded. He didn’t see the exact fate of the Tressonara, but his ship and its few loyalists barely reached the sea. During the conversation, the remainder of the party began to reunite not far from the docks. Orin then witnessed something strange. A gathering of cloaked figures, horridly suspicious therein, were watching the ship intently.

Orin rushed over to inform Blackwolf and Ballisar about the danger, but was horrified to find the cloaked men stalking down the dock after them. Blackwolf and Orin leapt off ship onto a barge while Ballisar remained back to fight the enemies. It was a brutal battle of Ballisar alone against many, suffering many wounds from blades and Vojun. Yet, he continued to valiantly fight. Meanwhile, Cravin and Calista attempted to assist Blackwolf and Orin in getting back to shore from the barge they leapt upon. Amidst all this, Demhezzar warriors charged aboard the ship with heavy wooden clubs banded in iron. The battle reached a final, feverish crescendo, wherein Ballisar was impaled by a Tarphry warrior and tumbled into the icy harbor along with his enemy. The Demhezzar slaughtered those remaining on deck.

The beleaguered warriors returned to the warehouse wherein the wounded members of the party were dragged and reported that all belligerents were slaughtered. This might have included Ballisar! Blackwolf and a few others rushed from the warehouse and returned to the ship. They witnessed the horrid scene sprawled before them. Mutilated and slaughtered corpses were scattered across the deck, and blood was slathered across the deck like varnish. Blackwolf searched about the bodies and over the railing of the ship, eventually discovering Ballisar’s motionless body in the frigid water. She called forth the surviving guards, who lifted up Ballisar’s body with ropes and helped bring him back to the warehouse. Thank Lysander and Euboa that he retained him, though only barely. Blackwolf and the others helped tend to the vicious wounds and placed him beside the fire.