Session 392 - Darobi Ruins
General Summary
7th to 12th of Nolus Summer 728TR
The story so far
A group of heroes battle the evils haunting the beleaguered Kingdom of Kanday.
Sir Odin, a former Erkan of the Checked Shield, has been raised to knighthood.
Remy, a former master thief and active gambler, has won and lost fortunes.
Abaddon has traveled the wilderness, perfecting his impressive martial skills.
Edelina, a scholarly priestess of the god of Knowledge Save K’Nor, joins them on their adventures.
This is the continuation of Session 390 - A Horrible Betrayal.
The heroes have destroyed the murderous undead knight Sir Morghan Cade. However, as an Amorvin or free-willed undead he has 13 lives as his physical body will reform in an especially prepared unholy sanctum after each death.
Clan Cade previously held Darobi Manor, formerly as part of the Kingdom of Rethem, but lost it during Ezar's War. Darobi is now a ruin, uncomfortably close to the border, threatened by the forces of the Company of the Copper Hook and the Companions of Roving Doom. The heroes speculate that Sir Cade’s Sanctum may be in these ruins and travel north to investigate.
Location - On the road near Dyra Manor, in the Kingdom of Kanday.
Part 1 - Lizards
The heroes pass through numerous villages. Crossing over the old Corani Empire era stone bridge the heroes hear an alarm being raised. From the river below huge lizards have emerged from the water and scuttling up the tall river bank. The four monitor lizards are dangerous; their long flexible necks allow them to quickly bite with their envenomed fangs. Edelina is badly hurt, woozily from the dangerous toxin, but backs off and offers support while the rest of the party engages them. The heroes are up to the task and dispose of the monsters.
As the heroes prepare to throw the lizard carcasses back into the river, the village tanner and hide workers rush to stop them. These are valuable resources. However, the villagers hold a feast in the party’s honor.
Location - The Ruins of Darobi Manor, near the northern border of the Kingdom of Kanday.
Part 2 – Bandits
The heroes make their way through the Order of the Checkered Shield controlled territory. Odin knows this region well, having operated around or over the border with the enemy. They approach Darobi ruin stealthily from the northwest through a patch of overgrown bush. Their sneaking pays off. The ruin, consisting of a dozen wreaked houses, is occupied. They spot several men around a well, hear more from a nearby building then note a makeshift cage containing with three large mastiffs. Odin is sure that they are bandits.
Listening carefully, the men by the well complain about a woman called Lena and how the dogs have turned on her. They miss playing with them and regret having them caged. Remy sneaks closer and conjures a band of copper, which wraps around the cage door latch, preventing it from being opened. The dogs hear him and go wild, baking and making a racket. From the building they hear a harsh female voice shout “Shut the F****ing dogs up”. Three bandits approach the cage and immediately notice the copper band. Then, they spot the heroes hiding in bushes. The alarm is raised.
Part 3 – What The Dogs Know
The three bandits attack. One is a skilled archer, and the others are well-armed for melee combat. Two more men emerge from the building, and another undetected works his way sneakily behind the heroes. Last, a pale, sickly-looking woman slowly walks forward.
The melee starts, Odin and Abaddon are the more skilled warriors and quickly kill two bandits supported by Rémy’s electrical blasts and Edelina's Bless spell. However, the sneaky warrior bursts from the foliage behind Edelina, face contorted with rage, attacking the shocked priestess. Remy comes to her aid, and although badly bruised, she manages to back off and Psionically inflict Phantom Pain on the thug. He is staggered and distracted with a massive headache, allowing Remy to impale him with metal shards.
Abaddon downs another bandit and battles the remaining two, including the Archer, with Odin. Then, the sickly woman looks at Abaddon and psionically clouds his mind. He is completely Confused, unsure of who is friend or enemy. Remy notes that when the woman came into view, the dogs were barking and snarling at her, so he takes a risk. He disintegrates the metal bracket, holding the cage door shut and releasing the hounds.
The dogs leap out of the cage and race towards the pale woman, but the confused Abaddon attacks one, and they enter a savage fight. Odin kills another bandit and charges after the woman as the dogs leap at the woman, savagely tearing into her. She fights back but is not particularly skilled with weapons. She attempts to psionically twist the dogs' minds, turning them on each other, but fails. The hounds are too enraged to be manipulated.
The pale woman does not show any emotion, instead turns Invisible, but to no avail, the dogs can smell her and continue to attack, which also giving away her location. Remy kills the last male bandit and starts blasting where he thinks the invisible woman is but misses. Then the still confused Abaddon kills the dog he is facing and races forward to kill another enemy, but his addled mind fixates on Remy. He delivers several solid hits, badly hurting Remy, almost knocking him out, only Edelina's healing keeps him in the fight. Remy has no choice and blast him with iron spikes, two hit, the pain from the first breaks Abaddon free from the enchantment, however the second spike nearly knocks the agile monk out.
Odin strikes at the invisible woman, misses, is frustrated, and attempts to grab her and succeeds. She is now visible and cold to the touch, so he thinks she is undead, asking Edelina to use holy magic on her, but the life-giving blast, which usually damages the undead, has no effect. Nevertheless, the angry Abaddon is now thinking straight. He rushes forward and slams his spear into a pale woman and her body quivers, and her head explodes. In its place is a malevolent creature, a brain with four short legs, an Intellect Devourer.
Now outnumbered without a viable host, the creature escapes down the nearby well. While the heroes take a moment to recover from the grueling battle, Odin and Abaddon placate the angry dogs. The heroes leap down the well in pursuit of the tiny terror.
To be continued.
NPC Interactions
Only a couple of hounds.
Created Content
Nothing this week.
Related Reports
Order of the Checkered Shield.
Player Characters
Odin - Human - L6 Ranger
Background - Martial Disciple.
Archetype - Investigator.
Abaddon - Elf - L6 Monk
Background - Martial Disciple.
Archetypes - Druid.
Remy - Human - L6 Kineticist (Air and Metal)
Background - Acrobat.
Archetypes - Acrobat.
NPC Companion
Edelina - Human - L6 Holy Sage Sorcerer
Background - Astrologer.
Archetypes - Psychic.
Next Session
NPC Companion
Edelina of Sprunstone
Edelina, a scholarly priestess of the Church of Save K'Nor, wanders the world looking for subjects to research. She has studied psionics and astrology.
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