Session 23 - Sound of Silence

General Summary

Whispers of Death

The smell hit them first—smoke and blood, an iron tang in the back of the throat, carried on the wings of a million flies. Alistair Clancy and the party had been travelling south for what felt like days, but now, as they crested the final hill, the source of the stench revealed itself. Blackwall Keep stood grim and blackened against the horizon, a tower rising from a false hill, like a dark tooth in the mouth of the earth. They were too late to stop the slaughter. But maybe, just maybe, not too late to help.  

Echoes of Carnage

The scene before them was a tableau of war’s aftermath. Lizardfolk had surrounded the keep earlier that morning, attacking with a savagery that left bodies—both human and lizard—scattered like fallen leaves. The defenders, outnumbered and outmatched, had retreated into the tower. The door was a shattered ruin, hastily repaired, and wooden stakes jutted from the ground, ready to impale any who approached. The stable beside the keep was a charnel house, the dead horses a testament to the lizardfolk’s ruthlessness.   Vaz’non, eyes narrowing, recognized the red-tipped scimitars carried by the lizardfolk. Bloodfang orcs' weapons, unmistakable. This was no ordinary raid. The party split, ready to strike. Stealth and strategy would be their weapons against the eight groups of lizardfolk scattered around the keep.  

Twilight Assault

As the sun dipped, the lizardfolk surged again, desperate to breach the keep. Kushak, their leader, driven by ambition and fear of his own king, led the charge. He believed that victory here would secure his tribe’s future.   But the adventurers were ready. They struck with precision, sowing chaos among the attackers. They targeted the leaders—a druid with a crocodile companion and Kushak himself. Blood spilled on both sides, but tenacity overcame savagery. Kushak’s warriors, seeing their leaders fall and their numbers dwindle, retreated to the Mistmarsh, their morale shattered.  

Fortress of Despair

Inside, the defenders were barely clinging to hope. Lieutenant Garret Thorne, acting commander now, counted his remaining soldiers. Fourteen left from an original thirty. They had managed to don their chainmail, but arrows were scarce, and morale was lower than the dirt beneath their feet. Thorne’s voice was a rasp when he saw the party. “Help us. They took our mage, Marzena. They’re dragging our friends to be eaten.”  

Desperate Gambit

With the immediate threat gone, the party learned the grim details from Thorne. Marzena and three soldiers had been taken west into the swamp. They couldn’t wait. Alistair knew the stakes. With a flash of arcane power, he teleported away to summon reinforcements. The next morning, the party plunged into the Mistmarsh, a hellish landscape of mist and mud. Every step was a struggle, every mile hard-won. By the second afternoon, they encountered three lizardfolk dragging a dead crocodile. Wariness hung in the air, but the lizardfolk spoke, revealing a story of betrayal and fear.  

Betrayal in the Marsh

Gruul Bloodfang, a name that turned Vaz’non’s blood cold. The new chieftain, brought by Ilthane, a black dragon guardian who told them human arcanists had been poisoning their eggs. Ilthane’s egg lay among theirs, and Bloodfang ruled with a mixture of respect and fear. Mostly fear. The lizardfolk didn’t want war; they wanted their children to live. Vaz’non’s rage ignited at the mention of Bloodfang, and fire answered his anger.  

Showdown at the Temple

The party pressed on, hearts heavy with the weight of the truth. Finally, they reached the ancient temple of the Twisted Branch clan, a foreboding structure of stone and marble rising from the muck. The stage was set for a confrontation with Gruul Bloodfang. The Ruinlords steeled themselves for the fight ahead, determined to end the nightmare and rescue their comrades from the maw of the swamp.

Rewards Granted

• Red-tipped weapons (scimitar, spiked clubs)
• Masterwork quarterstaff

Character(s) interacted with

• Lieutenant Garret Thorne: de-facto leader of Blackwall Keep.