Session 25

General Summary

Freeday, Richfest 7, 591 CY

Evening

Harmon enters the town and the guards on the walls turn and fire in his direction. However, we can't see if they are actually shooting at him. We assault the gate and Dominique is able to fly over the wall on her broom. She sees Harmon on the ground with a bandit brandishing a sword over him and uses her magic to attack his aggressors. However, Nolf strikes the prone Harmon and shouts "Looks like there's an opening on the council!"
Tronus is able to vault from the back of his horse onto the wall and over to the other side. Maar, in his bear form, follows quickly after him and claws Nolf. As we press our attack, Nolf and his thugs disperse and flee into the town. Tronus opens the gate.
Maar rushes Nolf in an ursine fury and mauls him, nocking him down. As Nolf tries to crawl away, Travius pins him to the ground.
Dominique lands and uses magic to heal Harmon, as Thormyr applies his healing lore. Harmon regains consciousness.
Maar and I pursue the fleeing bandits and bring down as many as we can, which is few. With Noric, Dominique, and Travius assisting us, we are able to fell several more.
We bind Nolf and proceed to Steffan's nearby house. The door has been kicked in, the interior is in disarray, there are small blood stains, and there is no one there. Dominique interrogates Nolf as to what happened there, implying we may spare him if he is helpful. He tells us that they tried to "convince" Harmon to let Brakken take over (by attacking and nearly killing him!)
Dominique informs Nolf that we like the council as it is, and asks if he was present when Steffan's house was rifled. Nolf thinks Brakken took Steffan's family as "incentive" to cede leadership. With a bit of coercion from Tronus, Nolf admits the rest are hold up in the castle, and Nolf was to delay Harmon until the transition of power could be completed.
We rush to the castle, but on the way Dominique sends Snowfall (the familiar has now adopted the form of an imp) to check Kael's complex. It has one vigilant guard. On the way to the castle we see signs of fighting in the street, including dead civilian knights and bandits -- a handful of each, though perhaps a couple more bandits (perhaps representing both factions, as we see some who were apparently fighting each other.) The townsfolk look on in fear.
As we approach the castle, a couple of bandits flee before us. Dominique takes to the air on her broom and fires Eldritch Blasts at one of them, scorching him.
We pass by the stocks and find hettman Trant locked in them, naked. Two or three bandits have piled wood by the shrine and prepare to set it aflame. We hear the sounds of combat from the castle.
As we pass the shrine, I use Message to say to one of the arsonists: "If you are still here when we return, we will kill you. If you burn the shrine, we will kill you slowly, using fire." It makes the man hesitate. Tronus shouts at them and reinforces what I just said.
Maar and Thormyr head to the shrine. One of them lights a flaming brand, while the one I messaged stops him and shakes his head. They flee the shrine. We free Trant from the stocks. Maar swipes the kindling from the shrine with his mighty paw. I open the shrine door with Mage Hand. Two acolytes are in there. One is injured and the other is tending to him. A couple of women are in there, cowering in the corner. The healthy acolyte is relieved at the sight of us and thanks Rao. I suggest the move along. They cross the bridge along with Harmon and Trant. Harmon vows to rally the townsfolk. We put Nolf in the stocks to keep him safe.
We enter the manor and confront the bandits in the foyer. One shouts over his shoulder "Hey boss! They're back!"
Brakken is on the second floor balcony and has Steffan's family, as well as Orsun hostage. He holds a blade to Orsun's neck and tells us to back off.
Travius mounts the stairs and tells Brakken that with what they've done, there is no scenario by which he and his men can remain in the town and live. Doubt flashes across Brakkus's eyes.
We are soon in a standoff with the bandits as we stand on the stairs. I cast Melf's Minute Meteors and hold them ready. Dominique's celestial imp (now called Frostclaw) attacks Brakken after having approached invisibly. Tronus inflicts magical fear on two of the bandits, though not Brakken. Maar uses Moonlight on Brakken. Brakken throws Orsun into the persistent beam.
A bandit puts a blade to Thomas's neck. Rosa tries to stab a cowering bandit with his own weapon but fails. A bandit closes with me and grazes me with his blade. Travius strikes him through the railing to diminished effect.
Thormyr successfully uses Hold Person on Brakken with the assistance of Dominique's Slivery Barbs.
Steffan charges the bandit holding Thomas at knifepoint. He runs him through with his blade before the boy can be harmed. The dying bandit plunges over the balcony railing.
Tronus feathers Brakken with arrows and Maar moves his Moonbeam so it is on Brakken again. He then casts Healing Word on Orsun.
Dominique flies up to Brakken and hits him at close range with an Eldritch Blast. He is burned to cinders.
The remaining bandits surrender. Steffan tosses one of them off the balcony.
Tronus heals Orsun. We find Astar wounded in Lady Lenore's old room. Thormyr heals him.
We debate what to do with the remains of Brakken's gang, as they are still numerous. We meet with the council to determine the course of action. Orsun sits out the meeting as he is still fairing badly.
The consensus is that the remaining bandits are still needed to keep the town operational, and Steffan feels he can keep them in line. Trant whips Nolt in the stocks.

Report Date

24 Sep 2022