Pilgrimage to Ethbir part 3

General Summary

The party sort themselves out after destroying the mirror, bring Cat around who was lying uinconscious, and evacuate from the tent
Luell - Ed and Flint Derek , upset about how the owners of the spice shop had sold them magic items that did not work as advertised, go and burn down the spice shop. Flint watches, while Luell climbs the building, sneaks in through a window (rolled a 30 on stealth - totally invisible). He finds the top front store room, which contains spiced candles and other magic items - and sets light to it all, burning down the building. They then retreat to a distance and watch, while the occupants run around screaming in anguish, while the neighbours concentrate on stopping the fire spreading to the properties next door.
The party then retreat to their quarters. Next morning they wake up feeling good about themselves and feeling refreshed, despite the odd bruise. They get a good breakfast, a great bowl of porridge. As they are eating, a young lad runs in and puts up posters about the destruction of the Mirror and the death of Raphael. The poster confirms a funeral march for Raphael, maker of the magic mirror in Ethbir - at 3PM, organised by the apprentice who has hired the The order of the mask a grevious loss to the town. It goes on to highlight how Raphael was building a key item to be uncovered at the celebration of the opening of the The Well in Ethbir. This poster also highlights that no stone will be left unturned in finding the culprits, and puts a bounty on their head. The party think back on the bell that was left in the tent, something made by the Bell makers guild. The party leave the pub, and make there way to the library to investigate Lord Kargoth, The order of the mask, and Bell makers guild. On the way they note they are being followed by a street urchin but Luell noting this throws a gold coin. the child runs off after this, and leaves them to get to the Library unnoticed.
The party uncover that there are 13 Bells being made by the bell makers guild, 1 large but 12 smaller bells will be taken and placed in the "Well" ready for the celebrations of its opening in 2 days. These will be tested in front of the large crowds this afternoon around 3pm.the 13 matches perfectly the knowledge of the 13 knights of Ethbir they have uncovered. 1 Bell to wake or sumon each knight including Lord Kargoth . 
The party get to the Library at around 6.30 well before the door have opened, and they politely knock on the door and wait for Aegis, Librarian of Ticonderogas library in EthBir to answer. They explain this and look into who Kargoth is before checking also on the bell makers guild and the masks, eventually leaving around 1pm.
They plan to go the Well, and ensure the Bells, that they have uncovered will be used to summon the The Knights of Ethbir are not raised and rung. As they arrive they find that the area is being managed by the Devils Guard, who are comfortably allowing the crowds to increase, mingling with the food stalls, makers of ornaments etc. However they obstruct the residents from leaving, with their mission to keep the plebs within the area around the Well.
Luell takes on the image of one of theDevils guards and convices a number of there thugs to move men north, so that escape routes for the coming bedlam and fight can be prepared.
However as they hear both the prosession of the Bells, and the prosession for the funeral, the party review there strategy and decide an ambush of the parade bringing the bells is the way to go.
The parade, led by Quill, Cultist of Demogorgon , with 4 Hell Knights, 2 priests/cultists and 20 plus guards, taking the bells through on 2 wagons moves up a main road.
The party set themelves with Sha Alfie and Luell - Ed on the roof tops, David Tenth - David to run in while Flint Derek and Cat Owen line up to attack or disract from the rear
There are a couple of other charecters on the roof tops, but these are ignored.
The party prepare, Cat casting Freedom of movement, Warding Bond, Prot from Good/Evil and Sanctuary on David Tenth, and Longstrider on everybody, Sha casting Invisibiility on David Tenth, Luell is diguised, Flint cast Death ward on himself, Aid on himself, Sha and David Tenth, Luell casting armour of Agyths, and David Tenth casting Bless.
Well buffed and prepared and with a plan, the party strike, with David Tenmth running with a bottle of acid, jumping onto the lead cart and poring this onto the holy and magical writing around the bell, which would take some 10 turns to etch away.
Cat casts sanctuary on himself, and turns into a Dire Wolf, strides forward and Howls. The gaurds turn and attack unsucessfully.
Sha casts fire ball killing guards, horses and causing constenation, Flint casts spirit Guardians, and Luell then adds plant growth, causing the hole encounter to drop to a crawl.
Cat holds his own, untill the Death Knights, unable to move let loss with there Hellfire Orbs taking Cat down and Flint down 9but who is back up by his death wartd spell - both taking some 240hp damage each.
The buildings around start to combust and a healthy fire develops
Quill casts spontenous combustion on Alfire causing lots of damage. David Tenth holds his ground 
The engagement takes around 8 turns as with area looking like hell afterward.
Quill goes down quickly, Flint goes down again and again eventually getting a chance to hit back at a Hell knight. The fire balls destroy the guards, horses and carts. The hell knights are slowly taken down, with Quill and the 2 acolytes quickly taken down.
Luell shifts position and moves past the figure on the roof tops, and carrys on a little further as he makes out the hude voice and shadow of what must be Gorthir, Half Troll Half Demon, wields famous magical Hammer of the Underworld .
Negotations take place about the bells, with Gorthir taking the large and the party taking the 12 smaller bells, which they disaemble and break to avoid there future use. However they have sold Gorthir a pup, a destroyed non magical lump of Gold and Bronze bell.
The bells are artifacts no more and more than 100,000 gold gone
The party then make there way to deal with the funeral prossesion noting that over 100 people have on Lesser masks of Raphael , but they identify the one with the Mask of Raphael , and engage him, grabbing the mask and smashing it. Luell then sweet talks the crowd with his roll of 30 into understanding the masks are evil and cursed, they take these off quickly and smash these.
The mask of Raphael, an artifact worth 100,000gp, as it seems it may have passed down to Rapahel, in fact who was the original owner - what knowledge did it empower its owner with. Even the lesser masks, marginally cursed past on some evil knowledge.
The party then go up to the plaza around the well, and deal with the Devils guard, sending them off, and get the crowd away before resting and being proclaimed heros by Aegis, Librarian of Ticonderogas library in EthBir and the Bishops that are left.
The party were then asked to clean the areas under The well, historicall blocked off before the new temple was built.
They prepare and drop down into the crypt housing thre bodies of the knights of Ethbir, but the party are disturbed to find a temple housng the souls of 13,000 bodies, sacfricied and in torment around the skulls and bones of the corpses, long dead. Flint steps in and destroys the undead. The area is unnerving the group can see there breaths in front of them, there hair stands on end terror nearly gripping them. The statue of the Demogorgon at the end with its red eyes, mist coming from its mouth and an unnerving look of madness, but one that cannot quite comprehend that it is failing to move and deal with the intruders beforew him, having not been brought through any portal, and the knights not having been summoned by the bells. Flint himself becomes gripped with maddness and the scenes overwhealms his sanity, while Cat wails, crys and screams in despair at the sights ebfore him.
However they pull themselves together and they get stuck in. With Sha casting lightning bolt and hitting 5 with his first, the party deals with the 13 animated corpses. They then arrange for the area too be consecreated and cleared with the Bishops over the next few days
The party are renowned as heroes, go up a 2nd level, and get given gifts and riches
However at their last feast, a message arrives at their table - a cows head which animatedly speaks - "you only double cross me once - you have now been marked and will find my rath unsparing."...It seems Gorthir was not best pleased.
Meanwhile the party find a disturbing mask of each of their own faces on their pillows as they slide back to bed at the end of the feast

Report Date

27 Jan 2024