Session XVIII: The Battle for Black Pearl Keep Report
General Summary
Having escaped from Black Pearl Keep safely with the aid of Demeter Tarron, who appeared as if from thin air, the party return to an encampment set up by both the cultists and Commander Vordokov's company. With tension brimming from their previous encounters, the party are wary of Demeter's actions, treating her with an appropriate amount of suspicion. Niamh, however, is overcome with emotion and unable to control her desire for answers.
Faced with the contorted and pale visage of her mother, twisted into an emotionless, cold, and cruel stillness, Niamh follows Demeter into her tent. Alone, the two exchange words for the first time in many months, since Niamh's father first went missing. Just as her expression would augur, Demeter is detached with her answers. As the twin voices, one old, decrepit, and masculine, the other the familiar though equally dispassionate tone of Demeter, overlap each other in her mind, Niamh hears every word doubled and fighting for her attention. Demeter reveals that she is seemingly searching for something within the Boreal Valley, displaying a map covered in crosses and hatching, noting locations she has already searched. Mentioning to Niamh that, should she come across a Pegasus or Unicorn within the region, she should like to know about it, she finishes the conversation, turning to the closed bedroom of the tent, vanishing shortly after, as Niamh follows her inside.
As Arthur and Gek finish bathing, Arthur goes to check on the Lieutenant to whom they doubtlessly owe their lives. Her wounds have stabilised and, though she is still unconscious, Vordokov stands over her. He and Arthur exchange thanks before discussing the logistics of tomorrow's operation. Before long, it becomes evident that the best plan is to get the party into the Keep as safely as possible, without them expending any energy. High-skilled individuals to assassinate a high-threat target means they'll need help getting there, but any more would just slow them down and cause problems before the fight. As morning comes and the sun rises behind the Eastern Mountains, Arthur returns again to the tent, with Niamh and Gek, to speak with Liang. She thanks them for saving her, though her fatalist attitude towards it falters towards the end as her tears betray a more sorrowful mood. Without a leg or arm, her usefulness to the Ariel Company has declined to near nothing and that revelation is clearly taking a toll on her mental state.
Titus Scipio arrives with a unit of Goblin Infantry, wearing his homeland's black and purple livery. They line up and offer aid in the assault, along with the Ambassador himself, before the small army begins their march towards the castle. Entering through the same breach the party used to escape, they pour out into the crater at the heart of the city, butchering Goblins within seconds. As soon as the Ariel Company catch the attention of a pack of Worg-Riders, Vordokov gives the signal for the party to break and run for the keep, beginning the final confrontation as soon as they can, so as to retain the element of surprise.
Arthur, Niamh, Gek, and a Medic, enter through the main entrance of the keep, staying low to the ground and masking themselves in magical camouflage, hoping to take advantage of their foes' current ignorance. Prior to their assault, they attempt to gather some information on what Kugnarz and his Hobgoblins are discussing, however due to the limitations, only a few words get through. All they managed to discern was: "Ambush, Survived, and Ralken", piquing the interest of Arthur immediately. With nothing else to do, however, the attack begins.
Arthur is nearly discovered, however a mysterious benefactor swiftly removes that potential threat from the equation, lightly traumatising Gek in the process, by spilling blood from the gallery above. Arthur continues his progress towards the nest in which the Dragon currently rests, as Gek is discovered by the Warlord. After some deliberation, they begin to toss javelins towards him, though he expertly, and miraculously, avoids all of them. Just as this happens, Niamh unleashes a spell upon the Warlord's armour, heating it to forging temperature, and burning his flesh beneath. He can't immediately drop the armour, but dashes back to safety, so he doesn't suffer from the distraction. Taking advantage of this opening, Arthur makes one final dash for the dragon, readying the Life-Stealer Greatsword and coating it in the poisonous brew they created previously. He raises the blade and strikes, landing a thrust directly beneath it's shoulder, spreading the poison directly into its bloodstream.
As the beast rears its head, it lashes out once before seizing up as the poison takes hold. It drops, still, to the ground, and Arthur finds himself quickly surrounded by frustrated Hobgoblins, parrying as many attacks as he can before Kugnarz himself joins the fray, putting immense pressure on him. As the strain builds, a red-skinned Oni reveals herself as the aid they received earlier, saving Gek from an imminent Hobgoblin threat and dashing to Arthur's aid. As soon as she arrives, her blade is against Kugnarz' back, dividing his attention and giving Arthur the opportunity to swiftly cut down the remaining Hobgoblin warriors. Between them, a flurry of strikes overwhelms the Warlord, bringing him to his knees.
As he falls, a greatsword swings for his neck while a nodachi mirrors the action from behind. In a flash of speed, he raises his shield and sword, parrying both attacks but destroying his protection in the process. With his shield gone and his armour still searing his flesh, he draws a shortsword by his side and slices the remaining pieces off his body. The pair are relentless, however, barely allowing him a moment's breath to call for reinforcements. Worg riders immediately put pressure on both Niamh and the Medic, causing a drastic shift in positions, allowing the Dragon enough time to shake the powerful paralysis and awaken. It grabs Kugnarz and begins to soar, but not before unleashing a devastating assault of ice breath, knocking Arthur unconscious and putting Gek immediately on his last legs. As the medic races to restore Gek, a potion curing Arthur to full vitality, and Niamh and Kayumi cutting down the remaining Worgs, the Dragon soars to the roof, out of range.
Enraged, Niamh begins to float an inch off the ground, hovering slightly, as her eyes glow a bright white. Her face and hands crackle with blue energy, electricity arcing between her fingertips as she swirls them around her, as though catching the air and pulling it in towards her chest. In an impossible feat of raw power, the Keep goes silent as the air around it begins to speed up, once calm winds now rapidly matching the anger of their summoner. As the clouds begin to form spirals, Niamh herself becomes the living eye of an enormous storm, her wrath calling down bolts of lightning that strike at the Dragon upon the roof, loosing tiles and shattering the already ruined gargoyles perched atop it. With each strike, the storm grows, thickening to blot out the sun, blackening the sky above.
Unable to reach Kugnarz, the party finish all but one Worg, as Demeter Steps out from behind Kayumi, previously unnoticed. She brutalises the final beast, before offering the party a lift to the roof, to finish off the fight. Sceptical but without much other option, they accept and are teleported to the roof, surrounding the gaping wound in the tiles. Demeter tells Arthur he can have the Hobgoblin, but the Dragon is hers, drawing a pitch-black blade adorned with nine skulls about its hilt at his affirmation. Rain hails about them, soaking what little of their clothes weren't already stained with blood, as lightning continues to fall with each scream from Niamh. The storm refuses to ease, closing around them as even the wind begins to tear the roof apart.
As the group land, they steel themselves for the last bout with the Warlord and his beast. Kayumi and Arthur surround the beast and strike at it while it's surprised. It retaliates with a second blast of ice, turning the harsh rainfall into shards of ice that slam against Arthur, though he holds fast, bearing the brunt of the attack. Soon, a bolt of lightning crashes into the Dragons skull, snapping its attention away and giving the Veteran the opening he needed. He dashes for the rider, climbing up its back with his sword and allowing Kayumi to distract Kugnarz one final time, before plunging the greatsword into his back, ripping his spine out through his chest. As he pulls back, he drags the body with him and rolls onto the tiles, slamming into them as he lands. They give way beneath the force and, though Arthur catches himself, the corpse of Kugnarz the Warlord plummets to the tiles far below, flesh and bone spilling from the cavity in his stomach as he falls, before being obliterated on impact.
Arthur stands once more, readying himself for the Dragons next attack, but Gek easily counters it with spears of flame from across the gap. Demeter calmly walks up the Dragons tail, raising the onyx greatsword and slowly sliding it into the beasts back. As it sinks deeper, the Dragons eyes glow a bright red, soon followed by its heart, the light piercing its snow-white scales. Just as quickly as it arrived, the light fades, the giant beast's body going limp and lifeless, filling one of the skulls upon her blade. Demeter rides it to the throne room, down into the dark, leaving the party in the finally waning storm, to catch their breath.
Rewards Granted
- Demeter's markings on the Map of the Boreal Valley
- Freedom for Black Pearl Keep
- Renown with Izzet League
- Renown with Nishrek Theocracy
- Potion of Resistance
- Cap of Water Breathing
Missions/Quests Completed
- Defeat Kugnarz the Warlord
Niamh Tarron
Gek Ferox
Chaotic Evil Kobold (Rakdos Cultist)
Sorcerer 1
Sorcerer 1
8 / 8 HP
STR
10
10
DEX
13
13
CON
15
15
INT
7
7
WIS
13
13
CHA
17
17
Arthur Clarke
Report Date
07 Feb 2022
Secondary Location
Related Characters
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