Session 042 - It's a Trap

General Summary

Date the 26^th of Navek (11) 720TR (Winter)

 

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The story so far

The Church of Naveh is planning to summon the Greater Gytevsha Krasula on the night of Shadowmath, in only a few days, bringing devastation to the City of Coranan.

The heroes plan to intervene and attack the temple through the secret tunnels in the sewers. They are joined by their former, and possibly future enemy Sir Scarow supported by a contingent of the Cohorts of Gashang.

Continuation of Session 41 - Assaulting the Assassins Stronghold

Part 1 - Yureb's Deception

As the Squads of Cohort soldiers move into position, Yureb disguised as an acolyte, enters the shrine room. He notes the holy book's location, previously stolen from the temple of Peoni a few months back. Yureb's purposely clumsy duplicity is detected instantly by the two Priest-assassins, and they attack. Feigning an injury, he falls past the book and skillfully uses his sleight of hand skill to swap the holy book with the forgery he prepared earlier. If the summoning ritual goes ahead, it is hoped that this deception will disrupt it.

Part 2 - The Battle of the Temple begins.

The alarm is raised, and the Cohorts scream with battle rage as they savagely attack all nearby priests, some of them ill from the food poisoning, and the heroes and Sir Scarow attack the chambers of the temple leadership.

The battle is fierce, and the assassins are well-armed, some striking with poisoned weapons, others with an array of martial arts, and some attack then melt back into the shadows.

In the shrine, a priest grabs the phony holy book and makes his escape only to be killed by Quazzy's spells. The book is claimed by Hennigar Gyll, a senior assassin who uses the false identity as one of the cities astrologers. Eventually, the Primate, Senator Baloth Nemirina makes an appearance, and the tide turns with Sir Scarow, Athena, and Yureb badly injured. Athena considers calling a retreat.

Part 3 - Quazzy's Intervention

Seeing that the heroes are beginning to lose ground, Quazzy summons a zone of chilling darkness onto to bulk of the priests. This slows their assaults allowing the heroes to rally and strike back in the confusion. Rapidly, Quazzy follows up with balls of fire, observing that the enemy's ability to evade was severely hindered in the darkness.

Part 4 - Battle on the Left and Right

Eventually, the Cohorts, after taking casualties, drive their Priest-assassins opponents back and eventually killing them all. Victory looks certain as these soldiers will soon be available to support the party.

Part 5 - It's a Trap

Only a few Priest-assassins remain standing, including their leader, the Primate. Seeing no possibility of winning, he orders the remaining assassins to commit suicide and activates a series of magical glyphs located throughout the temple. Suddenly billowing clouds of poisonous gas fill the chambers. Kalin is caught in one and falls to the ground dying. Quazzy is also very nearly killed; only the vitality she drained from the victims of her spells kept her alive. The remaining cohorts of soldiers are overwhelmed, and only Sir Scarrow and heroes remain. The Primate and the last of the Priest-assassins commit suicide with their blades.

Athena grabs Kalin from the cloud of death, and the party with Sir Scarow retreat to the entrance. Sir Scarrow very nearly dies from the toxic vapors.

Part 6 - The Wall

The party arrived at the entrance chamber and found that the exit door had disappeared. A stone wall blocks the way. Quazzy investigates, finding evidence of an illusion is eventually able to see through it. She assists the other heroes that failed to see the illusion for what it is, escape except the critically injured Sir Scarow. He cannot pass through without assistance, creating a moral dilemma for Athena, should she save him? He has challenged her to a duel to the death and is very capable, proving to likely be the superior warrior. As the poisonous gas floods into the chamber, she reaches through the Illusion and drags him to safety.

Part 7 - The Last Illusion

As the party makes its way back to the surface, Quazzy takes control over her familiar and investigates the dead priests. Even as the poisonous cloud was partially dissolving the corpses, her examination showed a skillful deception. These were not the bodies of the Primate or his senior priests. They are fakes. The real villains had staged their deaths and had escaped with all they need to summon Krasula. However, they unknowingly have the counterfeit holy book from a good god and the wrong Desridian Dagger (substituted earlier), which may disrupt their ritual and be their undoing.

Missions/Quests Completed

The heroes have successfully assaulted on the Temple of Naveh, killing most of the Priest-assassins, although several key figures have escaped.

They have swapped the Holy Book with a counterfeit.

Character(s) interacted with

Sir Scarow - Knight of the Order of the Cohorts of Gashang.

Hennigar Gyll - Assassin and Astrologer. Presumably faked his death.

The Primate, High Priest of Naveh - Who uses the secret identity of Senator Baloth Nemirina. Presumably faked his death.

Related Reports

Rite of Nao-Thian - The summoning ritual the Church of Naveh plan to use to Summon the Greater Gytevsha Krasula, the Hunter of Sleep.

Notes

Players Character Status

Athena the Banshee - Level 11 Paladin of Vengeance.

Yureb - Level 11 Arcane Trickster.

Quazzy - Level 5 Necromancer and Level 6 Warlock Disciple of Desridaen.