Session 8: Assault on the Mountain Stronghold Report

General Summary

Ronn, Sesos, and Krookk accompanied by Syrik and a group of Murlocs move to infiltrate the stronghold of Garrukk while the rebels conduct Guerilla operations throughout The Mooring Isles. Sailing north around the populated center of the mainland, the infiltrators avoid detection and direct their boat into a river that flows north from the center lake to the sea. They disembark halfway down the river, near to the mountains and Ronn gives the fireworks provided by the Kobolds to the Murlocs, instructing them to launch them far away from the mountains and draw the dragons armies outwards. After some searching the party locates one of the Kobolds secret entrances into the mountain, a tunnel guarded by a Manticore, which the party quickly dispatches of. Deeper within the tunnel, a beautiful gazebo sits in a chamber of stone. Syrik gives the party some fleeting information on this device in between moments of awestruck reverence. This structure is a wayshrine, an arcane terminus of an ancient race. They all take some hours to meditate on the carvings and glyph-work on the stone. After two hours they are interrupted by Kobolds making their way through, dispatch of them, and journey through the portal. Ronn notes that his undead were not granted entrance through.   During this, Kayrus is still a prisoner in the Stronghold, short an arm and a pet. Once more the fiendish voice of Dispater rings deep in his mind "SACRIFICE. GIVE ME THE RUNE. GIVE THE RUNE TO ME AND I SHALL SET YOU FREE." Accompanied by images of a hot fire. Deep in his desperation, Kayrus agrees, and signs his name in Blood on the floor. At once the shackles and locks that bound him burst asunder, and he can feel the regeneration take affect in his arm, however slowly. He sets to the macabre task of building and fueling a white hot fire of the books and scrolls found on this floor of the stronghold, and gives the runestone to the fiend. A sharp cracking sound, and the fire is extinguished. The lightless and lifeless shards of the runestone remain amongst the ashes and Kayrus pockets them. He spends his remaining time searching for Iggy, but does not find them before bumping into his companions.   At first meeting after their fight, Ronn and Kayrus set once more to killing one another, but Krookk manages to stop them before any damage is done. The obvious questions are asked and accusations made; Where had he gone? Why was he here? and where is the Rune-stone? The answer to the last question earned Kayrus a duel in the future with Syrik, the Sea Elf has promised to kill him for his actions, though refused at this point to explain the full gravity of them. For now though the party, now whole again, had a dragon to kill.   Andronaxes lay in what appeared to be a deep sleep upon the horde of what meager collections he is allowed to have on this island. Roots of trees, bundles of moss, veins of ore and boulders of massive size make up the bed of this sleeping dragon. As the party approached stealthily, they thought they had the drop on the wyrm, but when they entered attacking range he opened his eyes and revealed that this was indeed expected, the blood lust coming off Andronaxes was palpable. Combat ensued as the dragon leapt forth into the air, spinning as he rose. The peerless aim of Krookk the ranger sent three arrows into the same scale, knocking it loose, and a fourth into the flesh beneath. A cry of pain issued forth from the dragon's maw as a spell of ice cast by Ronn froze the meat beneath his iron scales, and punished his attackers with a torrent of poison rained from above in a furious caustic storm. This attack was nearly enough to lay Kayrus to sleep, and gravely wounded Ronn internally. The healing magic of Sesos brought Krookk back to fighting condition while Kayrus and Syrik both attempted to damage the dragon further, Kayrus with his eldritch magic, and Syrik by leaping onto the Dragon from a wall he had scaled and attacking downwards.   The Dragon threw Syrik down to the ground, and landed seeking to put the party to their just end. But this arrogance would be his undoing, for the next round of attacks by the party was so righteously fierce that his force was undone, and he was killed, the last arrow being placed in the same weakpoint by the ranger. Upon his death, Krookk issues forth a scream of defiance and challenge, having slain the pet of his nemesis. After a tense moment, a scream recognizing and accepting Krookk's challenge returns from the tunnels above the lair, and Garukk descends cradles by a divine wind.   Damaged as they were from the fight with Andronaxes, combat with the stronger Garukk proved near deadly to the heroes. The exile moved with the speed of a tornado, and struck with the force of a hurricane gale. He unleashed terrible magics that battered and dashed the party against the walls as if they were ragdolls, and nearly had all the party unconscious before Sesos was able to lull him into sleep with his bardic magic.   Questions were asked of Garrukk, unhelpful or defiant answers were given. It was learned that Iggy was fed to the Kobolds before Krookk sepereated Garukk's body from his head, and the party settled in for a much needed rest. Ronn soaked his spellbook in the Dragon's Blood, and it hungrily drank up the latent arcanum within. That night, Krookk had a vision of an Elder Tempest, which beckoned him to it's service.

Rewards Granted

• Level up
• +1 Maul
• 100gp worth of metals
• 100gp worth of gems
• 100gp worth of pearls

Missions/Quests Completed

Escape the Island:

• Incited a Murloc Rebellion
• Slew Andronaxes
• Slew Garrukk

Character(s) interacted with

Gained Reputation

• Syrik (Slew Andronaxes)
• Murloc Rebels (Started an assault)

• Syrik (Destroyed Light Rune-Stone)