Session 025 - Enemies Everywhere

General Summary

Date 12^th Azura (7) 720TR (Autumn)

The story so far

The heroes have returned to the City of Coranan.

The Order of the Eight Demons had previously summoned a Fire Element and sent it to kill Athena. To show that they have failed, the first thing she did on returning to the city was ride past the Temple of the Eight Demons, clearly wanting to antagonize or provoke the Priestesses.

Part 1 - Visitors at Quazzy's.

Quazzy, well aware that she is wanted by the Guild of Arcane Lore as a Renegade Spellcaster, uses illusion spells to disguise herself when traveling around the city. Fortunately, this allows her to evade a potential ambush from a shady character who is watching her hovel. Quazzy near perfect memory, recognizes a suspicious, looking man, who seems to occupy the same spot on the street regularly over the last couple of months, but he does not appear poor or a vagrant. Reading his surface thoughts, she senses that he is bored and frustrated that Quazzy is so evasive. He is also afraid of some woman.

After a while, he gives up waiting and makes his way down a sewer. Quazzy sends her familiar to follow.

Part 2 - Visitors at Athena's.

While staying at the Stake Inn at night Athena's rest is disrupted by a bang on the door, an injured and bloody Dominik is outside and closely being followed by a squad of Cohorts of Gashang killers. A fight quickly ensues, and Athena spectacularly kills their leader. As this knight strikes Athena, she shouts "Die" and simultaneously uses her Ring of Retribution to kill him. Seeing him drop dead apparently by only using her voice immediately demoralizes the remaining Cohorts which then flee.

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DM's Comments

A natural 1 on a moral check, the Cohorts run in a panicked state. Rumors of Athena's "Word of Death" quickly passes throughout the Cohorts and the Eight Demons ranks enhancing her reputation, she is now greatly feared and respected.

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The party leaves the Inn and makes its way to Quazzy's hovel. Dominik explains what have been the recent events at the Temple of the Eight Demons.

• The High Priestess Albalny Sunis received a letter from Athena's hated enemies, the Hamlen family. This included claims that included that Athena was working against her and has a spy in the temple. The letter is burnt.

• Enraged, the High Priestess had all the servants and slaves in the temple sacrificed in the Pit of Eternal Flame, and performed a summoning ritual, conjuring a huge fire elemental which was sent to kill Athena.

• After seeing Athena ride by, the High Priestess started another purge of the temple, Dominik was on the list and narrowly escaped with his life.

• The High Priestess has sent for the Cohorts of Gashang most feared warrior, Sir Scarow, the Sunset Killer who is based at Themeson Castle to personally deal with Athena.

• When Athena's is killed, the High Priestess wants her body is to be recovered intact intending to transform her into a Shroud Ghoul.

• Dominik draws a map of the Temple of the Eight Demons and says there are Shroud Ghouls contained in the crypts.

Part 3 - Visit the Church of Peoni.

The heroes decide to get Dominik out of the city, planning to get him over the city wall at night, likely using the wall at the back of the Temple of Peoni. Next morning Yureb asks Matron Aggatha if that would be permissible. The good matron is surprised and pleased, to see Yureb alive, thinking him murdered, agrees to look the other way while the players sneak Dominik over the wall, as the intention is to save a life.

However, they will have to do it tonight as there will be a large funeral held on the Temple grounds the following day. The heroes learn that Winneate Asarn, the 62-year-old spinster sister of Senator Melvid Asarn head of Clan Asarn was murdered on the way home from her embroidery circle, stabbed in the side by a razor sharp blade and dragged into an alley to die from blood loss. The city is shocked as she was much loved among the poor and rich alike and an elaborate funeral paid for by her brother is planned.

Part 4 - Visits with the Thieves.

Yureb meets with his criminal contact Rowe and finds out the thieves guild was not likely responsible for the murder. Rowe suggests that if it was a robbery, it was most probably done by a freelance operator. Yureb then meets with Koral the Bloody, thieves Guildmaster. Even the rather callous and brutal Koral is shocked by the murder saying it's bad for business. Yureb also learns that Clan Asarn do not pay protection money to the Guild.

Part 5 - The Escape.

That evening the party sneak Dominik out of the city over the walls, avoiding a gang of thieves on the prowl and narrowly miss getting caught by an unscheduled change in patrols on the walls.

Part 6 - Visit the Sewers Sewers.

The party then enter the sewers seeking out Quazzy's mysterious stalker. They follow Quazzy's familiar finding an overflow drain. Disabling an obvious trap, they enter an overflow chamber occupied by the mysterious Stalker and two Cultist with a large drain the center of the floor, a cage and a large heap of human bones.

The heroes attack and although the Stalker is a reasonably skilled warrior, with the ability to negate magical abilities, he is quickly cut down by Athena, while Yureb and Kalin shove the two Cultist down the drain to their deaths. However the bones suddenly pull together creating a horrifying monstrosity, and from under the drain, a huge Swarm of Ravens (likely magical) flies up. This is a difficult fight, with the Bone Golem immune to some of the heroes favorite magic spells and Quazzy is temporarily overwhelmed by the Ravens who attack her on sight.

As the Bone Golem collapses into a heap, the heroes note that the human skulls all have large holes in them as if something has fed on their brains. After a short rest the heroes them travel down the overflow drain into a cavern below.

To be continued next week...

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DM's Comments

The team finds evidence of the magical ritual used to create the Golem, this was a short term creation meant to be the guard if Quazzy was ever captured which was a possibility if the Stalker had seen through her disguise.

Missions/Quests Completed

Helped Dominik escape Coranan.

Killed Quazzy's stalkers.

Character(s) interacted with

Quazzy hires an elderly former scribe, bookkeeper, and cook, Gurtude to act as a door person at her Hovel, just in case messages arrive.

Dominik, Former Knight of the Cohorts of Gashang - On the run.

Matron Aggatha, Peoni Priestess - Mistress of the Guilty conscious.

Rowe - Yureb's Criminal Contact

Koral the Bloody - Thieves Guildmaster.

Created Content

Clan Asarn - A wealthy senatorial family.

Sir Scarow, the Sunset Killer - The Order of the Cohorts of Gashang most feared warrior.

Shroud Ghouls - The Eight Demons want to turn Athena into one of these.

Related Reports

Dominik, Former Knight of the Cohorts of Gashang - updated.

Temple of the Eight Demons - updated.

Temple of Peoni.

Notes

Players Character Status

Athena - Level 8 Paladin of Vengeance.

Yureb - Level 8 Arcane Trickster.

Quazzy - Level 4 Necromancer and Level 4 Warlock Disciple of Desridaen - Gained Warlock Level.

Campaign

Forbidden Pathways - Campaign Complete

Protagonists

Quazzy

Athena

Yureb

Report Date

31 Mar 2019

Primary Location

City of Coranan

Secondary Location

Sewers and Cisterns

NPC Player Companions

Kalin, Thief Henchman

Kalin, art by Paizo

Lucia Kalormar, Athena's Squire

Lucia Kalomar, art by Artbreeder