Shadows in the Harbor Session 27
General Summary
Adventurers to the... Rescue...?
The party raced through the fog-shrouded streets of Castleport to the Mages' Guild. They did their best to avoid unneccessary combat to the best of their ability, ignoring panicked screams for help and ducking raiders. They were almost at the guild when an old man emerged out of the fog seeking help. He was clearly terrified, but Keck and Tim the Not-so-Tiny were able to calm him. He refused to be left alone, despite the party trying to give him directions to the castle, so they agreed to let him tag along. He would be more than willing to stay out of the way of any danger they would encounter. A few minutes passed and the party neared the guild. They could hear the shouts of the attacking pirates followed by several loud and distinct "fwoosh!" sounds followed by screams of agony. They knew combat was occuring. The party skulked around the corner of a nearby building. They could just make out the glow of a magical ember in the distance, coupled with the familiar voice of Denisse Hillstrike, the mistress of the guild. They announced themselves before stepping any closer; clearly tempers were heated. As the party approached - Malark and the old man stayed behind by the building - they noticed the charred and bleeding bodies of two goblin pirates at the foot of a middle-aged human male. This was Vaelin Stormbringer and he radiated magical power. They barely had time to exchange pleasantries when a war horn blew nearby. Another attack was coming. Several pirates - humans, goblins, and ogres - came charging along two axes. A pirate mage could be seen charging up some spells in the distance as Damakos readied an attack. Vaelin got an attack off first. It annihilated a nearby goblin. Several more came charging in but the wiley battle mage was able to misty step out of the way of an attack. Tim swung his great sword with a growing sense of fury, cleaving one of the attackers in two. The party was mopping the floor with the attackers when another group arrived, this one with a large six-legged panther creature with a pair of tentacles reaching out from its shoulders. A second one of these creatures manifested in front of Keck, but he got lucky with his attack and struck the right one with his sword. Malark told the old man to stay put - he was too terrified to move anyway - and he joined the fray. The two of them engaged the creature but an ogre and several pirates began to bear down on them from the south. Denisse charged in. She made a gesture with her fists clenched, seemingly drawing out a line with her hands. At the same time, an invisible wall of force manifested itself at the end of the alleyway; it slammed into the walls of nearby houses and blocked the new attackers. Malark and Keck finished off the displacer beast but not before it ripped into them. With blood gushing from his wound, Keck downed one of their potions of healing and winced as the tissue magically grew back at lightning speed. The ogre on the other side of the force wall beat his fists in rage as what may have been his pet was slayed. Furious, he stormed off into the fog along with the last remaining goblin pirate. Vaelin and Denisse thanked the party for their assistance. The adventurers clarified that they had been sent by the Viscount in the hopes that the Mages' Guild - in particular Vaelin - would be able to help find a way to disrupt the fog. Vaelin confirmed that the fog was indeed magical in nature and that an anti-magic field could disrupt it. He and Denisse went back and forth for a minute, ultimately concluding that the Eclipse Orb may be able to assist, but that it would come with a price. They all agreed and went to retrieve it.Nice Day For Fishin' Ain't It?
The party headed for the Arching Creek, barely a little more than 100 meters north of them. Vaelin explained that the Eclipse Orb has the ability to set off an anti-magic field for a one mile radius that lasts about 10 minutes. If they retrieved it and set it off near the docks, that would be enough to engulf the entirety of Castleport and dissipate the fog, allowing a more rapid and focused response from the city's defenders. Vaelin further explained that it had been tossed in the river years ago to keep it safe from would-be thieves due to its power, and that it was defended by magical entities. They would need someone to go down into the water and retrieve it. Keck volunteered and the party got to tieing a rope around his waist. He took a breath and dove in, hoping to find it quickly. The water was slightly murky as the silt at the bottom was being swept toward the sea. The creek was a fair bit higher and faster at this time of year as the snow melted in the north and washed into the gullies. Nothing. Just a few fish that largely ignored him. He changed up his approach and he decided on a grid pattern. As he searched, he could feel his lungs stressing to keep him oxygenated while underwater. Again, nothing. Finally a sharp edge caught Keck's eye at the very edge of his search. He made for it, hopeful he'd found it. He grabbed a hold of the chest and realized he wouldn't be able to swim with it, so he gave a tug on the rope and felt himself start to get pulled up. At the same time he could feel something wrapping itself around him - and it wasn't the rope. It was pulling him in the opposite direction, but Keck wasn't able to see it. Damakos and Tim pulled their hardest on the rope. Keck felt like he was being ripped in two as he struggled to hold onto the chest. Success! The party pulled Tim out of the water quickly; he had begun to take on a few shades of blue from the lack of oxygen. They pulled him and the chest out. Vaelin opened it and pulled out an obsidian black, perfectly shaped orb. He sighed, and directed the party to follow him to the docks.The Fog Lifts
About half way to the docks, an explosion rocked the city from the direction of Hardingham Keep. They knew they had to hurry; the Viscount was in danger. The party arrived at the former battle site, careful to avoid any additional confrontations. Vaelin pulled out the Eclipse Orb and placed it on the bridge. He began an incantation. A wave of green and blue energy radiated outward from the orb in all directions. A gentle pop could be heard and the fog lifted. Vaelin, Malark, and Damakos could all feel a sudden emptiness in their very core. Their connection to the primordial forces of creation had been severed - at least temporarily. Regardless, they had 10 minutes to get to the castle and stop the attack...Rewards Granted
- 400xp per party member for dispersing the fog
- 1800xp per party member for defeating the pirate raiders attacking the Mages' Guild
Report Date
26 Apr 2024
Primary Location
Related Characters
Comments