Vhakizla – Chapter 7

"Summer of 67, Second Age. Vhak.
You ever wonder how the Commander got that scar?
Back during the Night of Twenty Moons, toward the end of the siege, it were the vampire lord hisself that made a move on her. Dead of night, bastard skitters like a spider over his own curtain wall, shapeshifts into a bat to flap across the contested territory, charms his way past the honor guard with a glance from those glowing eyes and gets his fangs into Chimera’s neck while she sleeps.
Thank the gods that axe of hers is silvered – and that she kept close to hand.
Took half a company to put the bloodsucker down and, when we had, all he did was turn to mist and drift back to his sarcophagus, high in his dark tower. By morning, he was right as rain, not a scratch on him. And the Commander? Still bears them scars to this day.
Don’t underestimate ‘em, is my point. One vampire’s equal to an entire army."
– Beholder's Log, Gnoson 20, 67 2A

Into the catacombs descended the Commander's Tent. Guided by Griffon, they followed the living rats through the mist-choked passages. Umber – with Remorhaz's help – cleared a passage blocked with rubble. Mouse scouted ahead and was the first to locate the Sanguine hideout.
In the ruins of an ancient bathhouse, the rebels made their camp. With a foul narcotic brewing in three great vats, the cultists were hastily loading a small riverboat with supplies when the mercenaries arrived. Making a distraction to draw away a pair of guards, the Commander's Tent quickly leapt into battle against a superior force of rebels.
Griffon fought on the front lines, cutting his way through warrior and priestess both – first with flaming sword, then with flawing claws. Mouse crept along the battle's edges, even swimming through the stagnant sewer water, to toss torches into the brewing vats and set them aflame. Remorhaz's attempts to leap acrobatically between the ledges was less than successful and, swarmed by Sanguine and summoned bats, he fell back to serve as a healer. Umber fell into another battle euphoria, smashing through rat swarms and Sanguine grunts and debating throwing himself onto the escaping riverboat.
Loaded with contraband, the riverboat managed to escape, a portcullis clattering closed behind it. The mercenaries were about to give chase when they noticed something bulbous – a great writhing cocoon – adhered to the ceiling. With a tear, the brucaloc, fully healed and ready for another fight emerged and screeched at the wounded and wearied heroes. Working together, they overpowered the creature and shoved it into a burning vat of slaver, from whence it could not escape.
Victorious but exhausted, they searched the Sanguine safehouse. In addition to some petty cash, they took a slaver sample and even uncovered some damning evidence – a cache of holy symbols and holy water – tying the Sixfold Faith to the Sanguine.
Upon returning to the Temple of Vhakizla, Hierarch Oskamos approached Griffon about some new recruits that arrived at the temple, looking to join the Menagerie. Stirge pulled Remorhaz aside with a startling revelation – she found Caliphar II's hiding place. At Pudding's request, Umber helped shift some heavy idols in the lower levels of the temple. Sleeping on a mysterious scaled tome, Mouse was awakened by Cerberus, Mermaid & Unicorn only to be chased away by Umber, who offered the young kobold a gift of Thanasian scroll.
As the groggy mercenaries gathered for another day of work, Girallon stumbled into the temple with a report of a fresh murder – Min, the previous night's informant.

Campaign: The Menagerie
Game Date: Gnoson 20–21, 67 2A
Starting Point: Izla
Player Characters:

• Griffon
• Mouse
• Remorhaz
• Umber