Grallak Kur and Paelex

General Summary

Ready'reat 13th, 595 CY

2024-01-01

As the Topknots finished their rest in the Citadel of Hextor, they heard Delilah yell out, "Incoming!". Those near her saw her cast a spell, and change her appearance to that of one of the tiefling guards of Hextor . After a quick conversation and getting everyone out of sight of the entrance hallway, she opened the door and let four tiefling guards in. The two middle guards had a bound captive between them, whose head was covered with a sack.
As soon as they were beyond the entry hall, the tieflings saw the Topknots. Dropping their captive, they prepared to attack. Tolman dropped a magical bonfire on the rear tiefling, somewhat blocking the exit as Argan charged the one in front and slashed viciously with his battleaxe. The tiefling tried to get in a strike as Argan closed, but missed. Kaszu targeted the same one with his infused crossbow.
Delilah, still appearing as one of the tiefling guards moved out of the way, when she saw Crichton barreling down on her, she used her own voice and let him know it was her, Delilah. Crichton then attacked the first tiefling, serious wounding the already hurt cultist.
Argan made another strike with his axe and the tielfling got in a good hit on the goliath. One of the tieflings in the corridor pulled out their crossbow and shot at Crichton, but missed. Malakai charged the second guard, but his shillelagh wasn't able to get through the guards armor, though his halo of spores did some damage. Kaszu then sent his spider up to distract the guards' attacks, but even distracted, the second guard got a brutal strike on Malakai. Delilah eldritch blasted the first tiefling guard, who could barely standing after the blast. Tolman was having no luck with his bow as Argan finished off the lead guard.
After a series of wild misses on both sides of combat, Malakai's shillelagh struck true and the spider deflected the counterattack, the spores just added insult to injury. While Argan's stone endurance lessened the damage the next tielfing inflicted on him.
As the combat raged, the captive managed to free himself from his bonds, removing his hood, he was revealed as another tiefling. He cast a burst of acid on one of the guards, and misty-stepped to a better position. Delilah continued to blast the tielfling engaged with Malakai as Tolman took aim at the next one and got a brutal surprise shot as Argan engaged the same guard. While Argan's first attack went awry, his second swing struck true, severly wounding the third guard. Kaszu got two shots at the lead tiefling as his spider finished the job.
Crichton finished off the third and then closed with the last guard, smiting the guard and nearly staggering him. Malakai closed and finished him off.
The Topknots took some time to heal up a bit. The new tielfling, named Paelex, told a story of adventuring in the Cairn Hills. His party was almost wiped out in one of the cairns, with only he and a friend escaping. As they started to make their way to the Free City of Greyhawk, the tieflings ambushed them. He is now the last of that group. Delilah offered him the chance to stay with her in the Citadel, but Paelex decided to join the others as they headed back into the grimlock caves.

Grallak Kur

Heading up a northern passage, the came into a large cave. Three grimlock scalphunters stood ready to protect their true leader, a grimlock on the upper ledge threw a handful of herbs onto the fire. Where other grimlock had empty eye sockets, he had two eyes sewn into his, and he seemed to be able to actually see.
The wild-eyed grimlock said, "Grallak Kur has seen you. You are the heroes who aim to stop the Age of Worms and the coming of the Overgod. Once Grallak Kur kills you and feasts on your corpses, nothing can stop the return of the herald Kyuss and the birth of the new age." Malakai responded, "Blah Blah Blah, I'm an evil minion.' While Argan told him to die in the fire. With that, they attacked, but not before Grallak Kur unleashed the hunger of Hadar on the cave mouth, blinding the Topknots in front in magical darkness. Crichton felt the cold darkness of the void as he made his way out of the spell just before Malakai dispelled the magic.
The first scalphunter engage with Argan, getting a strike with its spiky bone club while Tolman created a magical bonfire under one of the grimlocks. Paelex used his sorcerous burst on the same one as Argan charged in a chopped it down. Grallak Kur then tried to drive Argan mad, but the goliath resisted the spell. Crichton moved up to another scalphunter and with a few well-placed slashes, took the next one out. Kaszu started shooting at the third with his infused crossbow, wounding it severely. Moving his spider up to deflect attacks from the last scalphunter
Tolman then turned his attention to Grallak Kur, creating a new bonfire under the grimlock caster. As Argan finished off the last scalphunter, Grallak Kur attacked him with a mind sliver. Argan again resisted. Climbing up the ledges to attack Kur, Argan was the first to pierce his defenses, striking him and wound him. With his enemies closing in Grallak Kur invoked a supernatural fear before being taken down by a divine smite from Crichton.
In Grallak Kur's nest they found a stack of papers with his insane ramblings along with a silver key. A passage that may once have led deeper into the Underdark had been collapsed. With nowhere else to go, they took some time to heal up as Kaszu started to identify some of the items that detected as magical.

Campaign

Against the Ebon Triad

Protagonists

Paelex Cavian

Chaotic Neutral Tiefling (Noble)
Sorcerer 5

32 / 32 HP

STR
8

DEX
14

CON
12

INT
11

WIS
13

CHA
18

Tolman K’hurzz

Malakai Steelbuckle

Delilah Raincloud

Crichton Eogen

Argan Agu-Ulakanu

Chaotic Good Goliath (Outlander)
Ranger 4

36 / 36 HP

STR
18

DEX
14

CON
14

INT
10

WIS
12

CHA
8

Kaszu Billowcase

Chaotic Good Rock Gnome (Guild Artisan / Guild Merchant)
Artificer 3

24 / 24 HP

STR
8

DEX
12

CON
14

INT
17

WIS
14

CHA
10

Report Date

19 Jan 2025