Session 25 - Of Demons and Destruction
General Summary
The adventure picked up from last session. While at Solianna's Keep, the Black Sheep of Eriad pondered what to make of the roar they heard from the mountains. They set up lookouts on the walls, and ran their concerns by Marshall Phillip Greaves. After they talked with him for a bit, they went into the keep to talk to Sophietta Slatemourne, who was in the keep's library with Merl, researching demons at their request and identifying the party's magic items. Sophietta then gave them back the Rod of Sickness, revealing its magical properties. Varan Boggs went back outside to assist the kobolds, and Fennwick Darkhallow went outside to begin planning his Puke Rod Man Trap. AzKhan talked to Merl about the ancient weapons (Frostbite and Daybreak), the Heralds of the New Morning, and the Witnesses of the Last Sunset. Ikari stayed in the study to help Merl and Sophietta research.
The next morning, the group met back up with Sophietta and Merl and received their magic items back, identified. Sophiettta told the group that from what she reasearched, the demons that they encountered in Duvik's Pass Mine were lesser demons. These lesser demons would have been subservient to a more powerful demon. A demon of that power wouldn't provide lesser demon minions to a mortal without some sort of deal.
Sophietta then told them about a passage of a poem she discovered while researching. She told them that poem was written shortly after the end of the Great Rive. She recited it to them:
The party decided to track the thing that erupted from the mountain, and started towards Duvik's Pass (town) to ask the inhabitants there if they had noticed anything or had any information on the creature. On the first night or travel, Varan used his Wand of Wonders at a nearby tree, which caused a small localized rainstorm that drenched the party for a minute before quickly dissipating.
After a few days travel, the party arrived at Duvik's Pass, and found the town dead. They noticed a cloudy, light green haze throughout the town. As they went into the town, their nose and lugs started burning, and they had a burning chemical taste in their mouths. They also noticed some of the houses in the front of the town had structural damage. AzKhan noticed large tracks at the front of the town and claw marks in some of the buildings. Varan casted his Wand of Wonders at the town, which caused one of the peasant's corpses to vanish.
The party then traveled to Wakefield Garrison, and noticed it also has the same light green haze, and also noticed soldiers' corpses on the ground and some structural damage to the buildings.
The party then headed up to Cascadia. They noticed that this town has seemed un-attacked, and appeared to have not suffered the same fates as Duvik's Pass and Wakefield Garrison. AzKhan and Varan Boggs entered Cascadia, after Varan transformed into a female dwarf and posed as AzKhan's wife. Once inside, they went to Quintinius Ulnan's house and found it guarded by two posted guards. Varan altered himself into Quintinius and walked up to to the guards outside Quintinius's house. He intimidated them into learning the Victor Bainbridge has stationed the guards there. Varan and AzKhan entered Quintinius's house and searched it, although it appeared to have already been thoroughly searched. AzKhan found some letters from Quintinius about coming up with the idea of the Tasks of Justice, finding a group that might be "up to the task," and about having that group come to meet the king.
Varan (still self-altered to look like Quintinius) and AzKhan then left the house, and saw that one of the guards was no longer outside the house. Varan polymorophed the remaining guard into a turtle, and took the turtle with him. AzKhan and Varan left the city and met back up with the rest of the party in the a little ways into the Whispering Woods. Varan dispeled the polymorph, and the party tied the guard to a tree and questioned him. They learned his name is Braeden Dunport, that he was ordered to guard Quintinius's house, and that the other guard went to report to their superior that Quintinius had returned to his house. The party spent some time debatin on what to do with Braeden. They finally decided to give him 100 gp and let him go. Varan then polymorphed Braeden into a pigeon and let him fly away.
The party decided to press on through the night and head to Misers Swamp. They arrived and Varan lead them to his parents' house. They met his mother, Anrea Boggs , and his father, Kimmler Boggs. They spent the rest of the day at the Boggs's, and slept the night. The next morning, they decided to make for the Dwarven kingdom of Forlothor in Menoroth , but Varan lagged behind, saying he would catch up with the party. Before he left his house, he told his family that he and the rest of the Black Sheep of Eriad murdered King Elliott Pennington and that they were an evil group. He told his family that the only safe place is at King Elliott's castle, and told them to tell Victor Bainbridge that the Black Sheep barely let them live. He then intimidated his family into leaving their house, and then destroyed the house with a fireball.
Fennwick Darkhallow - Level 8 Rogue - Thief
Ikari - Level 8 Monk - Way of the Open Hand
Solianna Loranan - Level 8 Paladin - Oath of Devotion
Varan Boggs - Level 8 Sorcerer - Wild Magic
Merl: I really don't know anything about them, unfortunately.
AzKhan: Also, I have no idea who you are. I never met you before.
Merl: Very forward for our first meeting...
AzKhan: Thanks! I get that a lot!
Merl: ...I guess that's the dwarf way, though.
Fennwick's Player: I'll ask a couple of the bigger folk to help me dig a puke pit.
Peasant: Now, when we dig this pit, we don't have to actually fill it ourselves, do we?
Fennwick: No.
Peasant: Oh, Ok. I just wanted to make sure, cause--
Fennwick: Do you think we're actually going to puke in this pit?
Peaseant: Well, that's what it sounded like. What else would a puke pit be?
Fennwick: ...that's actually not a bad idea.
Fennwick: See that guy? He's going to puke in a minute.
Varan: ...Why?
Fennwick: Because I told him to.
Varan: Why would you tell him to puke?
Fennwick: 'Cause its funny.
Varan: What--I--These are our citizens!
AzKhan: No no no no! He's got a point.
Fennwick: Yeah. I do have a point. He just doesn't know what it is, which makes it even funnier.
Varan: I've experienced puking. It's not fun!
Fennwick: Well, what's gonna happen is, we're going to bring the Puke Rod, we're gonna bury it, he's gonna puke on it.
Varan: Why would you puke on the Puke Rod??
Fennwick: When somebody digs down to try to find it, they're gonna see the puke and be grossed out.
(beat)
Varan: Eh...Is there--?
Fennwick: Listen, it all makes sense.
Varan: Ok. I'll give you the Puke Rod.
Fennwick: Not yet. He's got to come back. I told him to go eat a lot, to make the puke more potent.
Varan: ...I'm going to go help the kobolds.
Fennwick: Believe me, this is going to save our town.
Varan: This makes no sense. There has to be something in here!
AzKhan: Right. There's got to be a reason.
Varan: Yeah. Why would they just put two guards outside an abandoned building?
AzKhan: ...That's already been ransacked.
Varan: Yeah.
AzKhan: Unless they didn't want Quintinus to come back.
(beat)
Varan: Should we burn it?
Fennwick: We're already wanted here. What is him going back and telling a tall tale going to do? I'm giving him 100 gold.
Varan: Yeah, but, I don't want him in our keep, is what I'm saying--Not that we have a keep!
Ikari: St. Mojak's is not a keep.
Varan: You're right!
Ikari: Let's call it what it is...
Varan: It's a temple!
Ikari: It's a temple we happen to be living in.
DM: Roll Deception.
*rolls*
Ikari's Player: It's actually a zero. Ikari no talk no more.
Ikari: Braedon, I'm going to tell you something, and I want you to think about it really hard. You've seen how incompetent we are when trying to deal with you. Do you really think we are capable to kill several monarchies?
DM: Make a Persuasion check
*rolls*
Ikari's Player: Zero.
Anrea: Are you hungry?
Varan: I am hungry, mother.
AzKhan: I am also hungry.
Anrea: Who's this?
Varan: I have some friends here. This is AzKhan, Fennwick, Ikari, and Solianna. And they're my friends.
AzKhan: Aye.
Anrea: You made friends?!? That's so great!
Varan: Yes....I have...
Anrea: I told you you would eventually!
Varan: Yeah, well, thank you mother.
AzKhan: I mean it took him a while. Warming up. We put up with him.
Anrea: It's so nice you decided to be his friends!
AzKhan: He did pay us well enough..
Anrea: How did you all meet?
Varan: It was the Task of Justice. Have you heard about them?
Anrea: Oh yes. Your brother had to go for our house.
Varan: Ah, he did. Goil?
Anrea: (unsure) ......Yes.
The next morning, the group met back up with Sophietta and Merl and received their magic items back, identified. Sophiettta told the group that from what she reasearched, the demons that they encountered in Duvik's Pass Mine were lesser demons. These lesser demons would have been subservient to a more powerful demon. A demon of that power wouldn't provide lesser demon minions to a mortal without some sort of deal.
Sophietta then told them about a passage of a poem she discovered while researching. She told them that poem was written shortly after the end of the Great Rive. She recited it to them:
“And lo the great beast of the end-times towered
With its toxic presence, in the world’s final hour.
Heroic guardians, with weapons of might
Drove back the beast into the night.
They excavated a mountain grave
Where they buried the beast alive, and the world was saved.
Buried under rock, to now from then
It patiently waits, until summoned again.”
The party decided to track the thing that erupted from the mountain, and started towards Duvik's Pass (town) to ask the inhabitants there if they had noticed anything or had any information on the creature. On the first night or travel, Varan used his Wand of Wonders at a nearby tree, which caused a small localized rainstorm that drenched the party for a minute before quickly dissipating.
After a few days travel, the party arrived at Duvik's Pass, and found the town dead. They noticed a cloudy, light green haze throughout the town. As they went into the town, their nose and lugs started burning, and they had a burning chemical taste in their mouths. They also noticed some of the houses in the front of the town had structural damage. AzKhan noticed large tracks at the front of the town and claw marks in some of the buildings. Varan casted his Wand of Wonders at the town, which caused one of the peasant's corpses to vanish.
The party then traveled to Wakefield Garrison, and noticed it also has the same light green haze, and also noticed soldiers' corpses on the ground and some structural damage to the buildings.
The party then headed up to Cascadia. They noticed that this town has seemed un-attacked, and appeared to have not suffered the same fates as Duvik's Pass and Wakefield Garrison. AzKhan and Varan Boggs entered Cascadia, after Varan transformed into a female dwarf and posed as AzKhan's wife. Once inside, they went to Quintinius Ulnan's house and found it guarded by two posted guards. Varan altered himself into Quintinius and walked up to to the guards outside Quintinius's house. He intimidated them into learning the Victor Bainbridge has stationed the guards there. Varan and AzKhan entered Quintinius's house and searched it, although it appeared to have already been thoroughly searched. AzKhan found some letters from Quintinius about coming up with the idea of the Tasks of Justice, finding a group that might be "up to the task," and about having that group come to meet the king.
Varan (still self-altered to look like Quintinius) and AzKhan then left the house, and saw that one of the guards was no longer outside the house. Varan polymorophed the remaining guard into a turtle, and took the turtle with him. AzKhan and Varan left the city and met back up with the rest of the party in the a little ways into the Whispering Woods. Varan dispeled the polymorph, and the party tied the guard to a tree and questioned him. They learned his name is Braeden Dunport, that he was ordered to guard Quintinius's house, and that the other guard went to report to their superior that Quintinius had returned to his house. The party spent some time debatin on what to do with Braeden. They finally decided to give him 100 gp and let him go. Varan then polymorphed Braeden into a pigeon and let him fly away.
The party decided to press on through the night and head to Misers Swamp. They arrived and Varan lead them to his parents' house. They met his mother, Anrea Boggs , and his father, Kimmler Boggs. They spent the rest of the day at the Boggs's, and slept the night. The next morning, they decided to make for the Dwarven kingdom of Forlothor in Menoroth , but Varan lagged behind, saying he would catch up with the party. Before he left his house, he told his family that he and the rest of the Black Sheep of Eriad murdered King Elliott Pennington and that they were an evil group. He told his family that the only safe place is at King Elliott's castle, and told them to tell Victor Bainbridge that the Black Sheep barely let them live. He then intimidated his family into leaving their house, and then destroyed the house with a fireball.
Adventurers
AzKhan Thrallfjord - Level 8 Ranger - HunterFennwick Darkhallow - Level 8 Rogue - Thief
Ikari - Level 8 Monk - Way of the Open Hand
Solianna Loranan - Level 8 Paladin - Oath of Devotion
Varan Boggs - Level 8 Sorcerer - Wild Magic
Quotes
AzKhan: You think, is there any place we can go to find out? ...Perhaps a side quest of sorts?Merl: I really don't know anything about them, unfortunately.
AzKhan: Also, I have no idea who you are. I never met you before.
Merl: Very forward for our first meeting...
AzKhan: Thanks! I get that a lot!
Merl: ...I guess that's the dwarf way, though.
Fennwick's Player: I'll ask a couple of the bigger folk to help me dig a puke pit.
Peasant: Now, when we dig this pit, we don't have to actually fill it ourselves, do we?
Fennwick: No.
Peasant: Oh, Ok. I just wanted to make sure, cause--
Fennwick: Do you think we're actually going to puke in this pit?
Peaseant: Well, that's what it sounded like. What else would a puke pit be?
Fennwick: ...that's actually not a bad idea.
Fennwick: See that guy? He's going to puke in a minute.
Varan: ...Why?
Fennwick: Because I told him to.
Varan: Why would you tell him to puke?
Fennwick: 'Cause its funny.
Varan: What--I--These are our citizens!
AzKhan: No no no no! He's got a point.
Fennwick: Yeah. I do have a point. He just doesn't know what it is, which makes it even funnier.
Varan: I've experienced puking. It's not fun!
Fennwick: Well, what's gonna happen is, we're going to bring the Puke Rod, we're gonna bury it, he's gonna puke on it.
Varan: Why would you puke on the Puke Rod??
Fennwick: When somebody digs down to try to find it, they're gonna see the puke and be grossed out.
(beat)
Varan: Eh...Is there--?
Fennwick: Listen, it all makes sense.
Varan: Ok. I'll give you the Puke Rod.
Fennwick: Not yet. He's got to come back. I told him to go eat a lot, to make the puke more potent.
Varan: ...I'm going to go help the kobolds.
Fennwick: Believe me, this is going to save our town.
Varan: This makes no sense. There has to be something in here!
AzKhan: Right. There's got to be a reason.
Varan: Yeah. Why would they just put two guards outside an abandoned building?
AzKhan: ...That's already been ransacked.
Varan: Yeah.
AzKhan: Unless they didn't want Quintinus to come back.
(beat)
Varan: Should we burn it?
Fennwick: We're already wanted here. What is him going back and telling a tall tale going to do? I'm giving him 100 gold.
Varan: Yeah, but, I don't want him in our keep, is what I'm saying--Not that we have a keep!
Ikari: St. Mojak's is not a keep.
Varan: You're right!
Ikari: Let's call it what it is...
Varan: It's a temple!
Ikari: It's a temple we happen to be living in.
DM: Roll Deception.
*rolls*
Ikari's Player: It's actually a zero. Ikari no talk no more.
Ikari: Braedon, I'm going to tell you something, and I want you to think about it really hard. You've seen how incompetent we are when trying to deal with you. Do you really think we are capable to kill several monarchies?
DM: Make a Persuasion check
*rolls*
Ikari's Player: Zero.
Anrea: Are you hungry?
Varan: I am hungry, mother.
AzKhan: I am also hungry.
Anrea: Who's this?
Varan: I have some friends here. This is AzKhan, Fennwick, Ikari, and Solianna. And they're my friends.
AzKhan: Aye.
Anrea: You made friends?!? That's so great!
Varan: Yes....I have...
Anrea: I told you you would eventually!
Varan: Yeah, well, thank you mother.
AzKhan: I mean it took him a while. Warming up. We put up with him.
Anrea: It's so nice you decided to be his friends!
AzKhan: He did pay us well enough..
Anrea: How did you all meet?
Varan: It was the Task of Justice. Have you heard about them?
Anrea: Oh yes. Your brother had to go for our house.
Varan: Ah, he did. Goil?
Anrea: (unsure) ......Yes.
Behind the Screen
Show spoiler
The poem was a late idea. I came up with a few hours before the session.
Character(s) interacted with
Related Reports
Previous Session:
Session 24 - A Fell Ritual Next Session:
Session 26 - A Luxurious But Withering Road to Forlothor
Session 24 - A Fell Ritual Next Session:
Session 26 - A Luxurious But Withering Road to Forlothor
Report Date
06 Mar 2019
Primary Location
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments