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April 24, 2019 Session

April 24, 2019 Session

Created by Daniel Bove
Last updated: Aug 11, 2019
4 min read

Setup

The previous session ended with the party calling a truce with the Orcish Unit from the Ancient Dominion of the Unending Lands. In exchange for being given Pinna and Castle Rend , the party has offered to help sneak Bonebreaker Dorokor and her cadre of orcs into Highbridge in order to allow them to attack and kill The Hate Incarnate clerics located in their stronghold, the recently consecrated temple of Lathander on Baron’s Isle.

The party was last located in a room on the bottom floor of the main tower of Castle Rend. Both Rhagal and Yornan recognized an old and worn statue in the room as being an image of Lathander. Based on a vision that Rhagal had, they were trying to light a magic beacon suspended in a contraption behind the statue.

Light My Fire

Yornan casts a Light spell on the beacon and it flames to life, riding the contraption up its rails, through the ceiling, and up to the top of the tower.

Next, Kelmen Longbottom and his friend Joc show up with about two dozen Highbridge constables and militia. They bring word and help. Apparently, Brother Pelliton is marching on the Castle with seventy or more troops, including brothers of The Hate Incarnate, to take back the castle and capture Bonebreaker Dorokor - living or dead - so that he can collect the reward offered by Prophet Ezekiern . These troops have divided into multiple groups and are approaching the castle from all directions.

The orcish warriors - tired of fighting behind stone walls - leave to intercept the one group moving closest to their camp located a few miles to the south.

An Ambassador

The lighting of the beacon has summoned Atha, an ambassador that explains that he represents the elves of Hold Erenlune and is responding to raising of the beacon - here at Hold Rendalia (Castle Rend) - that hasn’t been raised since the fifth age. Treaties bind Hold Rendalia to Hold Erenlune and he quickly offers to return just before dawn with troops to help support the castle.

At Dawn, We Fight

Atha arrives with approximately 25 archers and skirmishers. Combined with the HIghbridge troops that Kelmen and Joc brought, it looks as if the castle defenders - even if some are not quite as experienced as the attackers - will at least match the attackers in numbers.

At dawn, Brother Pelliton emerges out of the woods circling the clearing around the castle with his companion Feldric the Archer, as well as an 18 foot tall Fire Giant. Pellion walks to within shouting distance and demands that the party turn over Bonebreaker Dorokor (alive or dead) and the heretic Yornan.

As anyone familiar with the story might imagine, the party hurls insults in response. Except Rhagal, who decided to use the Called Shot power of the Bow of Alluria to plant a shot right between his eyes. Bloodied and enraged, Pelliton signals for the assault on the castle to begin.

The fight is long and bloody and here are some of the highlights:

  • The castle defenders are beaten soundly by the attackers, lose control of the walls, and are forced to flee into the upper level of the tower, defending the staircase with the last of their numbers.

  • Initialy, only Hurodash is willing to leave the walls and engage the fire giant on the field of battle. The giant levels a number of crushing blows and Pelliton charges with his horse doing massive damage with his lance and eldritch blasts until Rhagal shoots his horse out from under him.

  • Meanwhile, Ser Shadow had been hiding in the trees and uses his assassination powers to almost kill Feldric with a single blow. They spend the next few rounds playing cat-and-mouse in the woods with Feldric unable to serve his purpose of strategically attacking spell casters. In the end, Feldric slips up and Ser Shadow kills him.

  • Pelliton tries to use Mass Suggestion to cause the guards to flee the walls, but Corliss successfully counterspells each attempt.

  • Yornan casts multiple healing spells and uses his Divine abilities to keep the party from dying. Of course, a strategic blindness spells works and leaves the Giant swinging randomly on the field for a few rounds.

  • Rhagal performs a backflip off the 30' castle walls, shoots Pelliton in the back of the head with a natural 20, and tucks and rolls in order to land without issue.

  • The party then dispatches the giant and Corliss and Yornan rush in the gates.

  • Yornan casts Contagion which causes the nearby guards to shudder and spasm, while Corliss takes the form of the dead Pelliton in order to issues orders for the remaining Hate Incarnate troops to surrender. A quick thinking Hurodash dives on top of the body of Pelliton so that it cannot be seen from atop the walls.

  • The orcs surrender and the few survivors at the top of the main tower are rescued.

Aftermath

At the end, the Elves leave with Atha, leaving a small crystal that will allow Corliss to visit them in Erenlune. The orcs check and make sure that the party will honor their bargain to sneak them into Highbridge.

Pinna and Kelmen offer to stay behind and manage the castle as chatelaine and castellan.

Ser Shadow - feeling happy and charitable - recounts his tale to the party as the evening closes.

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