Session 82: Slaughtered Lords

General Summary

12th-13th Unndilar 836PD   12th Unndilar   The bloodied Klughig calls down a fire storm on nearly all the party, Sabali manages to evade the flames entirely. Krak, Zeni and Simeon finish off the last of the orc bodyguards in blazes of raging war picks, critical firebolts and the final tolls of the death. Raph sets up his deceptive plan shouting out for the party and Klughig to hear “Kardar wants him alive, to gut him themselves as an example”. Orlando and Sabali kill off the last orc troops, now the Slaughter Lord stands alone.   Klughig tries to call on his last magics, however his divine guttural words fail to bring the Unbroken down. Frustrated the large ravager focuses his fury on Raphael, knocking him down and plunging each of his great swords into a dying and then dead Winter Knight. Krak wild shapes into a giant hyena to protect Raphael’s body from any further mutilation. Quill makes sure he gets their bounty, and drives his handaxes into the back of the orc legs and knocks him unconscious with the axe handles.   Simeon and Orlando help to revivify Raph, Sabali checks the rest of the camp to make sure all clear. Party takes some time to heal, Orlando finds a map with an unknown location on Klughig. Quill, Sabali and Krak hold the Slaughter Lord in place, with dimension and cobalt shackles for good measure. Krak produces some goodberries and Sabali feeds one to the unconscious orc, nearly losing a hand as the brute awakens.   Raph restates the claim that Kardar had hired them to kill him off, Klughig is sceptical that Kardar would hire such ‘weaklings’ but is unsure. Before the party can ask any more questions, Klughig breaks the dimension shackles and tries to attack, but a well-placed punch from Krak knocks him back down. Raph had fortunately heard enough to mimic Klughig’s voice, and Sabali pulls on his dagger chain to slice the orc’s throat. Quill takes the head as a bounty, whilst group clear up the camp site to remove any evidence.   The Party climb back onto the Storms Call, Quill and Kalcyra plot with the stolen map where to go next. The map marks a stronghold, about 15 miles closer to Westruun than Kardar’s previous camp, this must be where they are gathering for the war council the next evening. The party take time to rest as they travel. Orlando mends Quill's dimension shackles physically back together, but it needs re-enchanting to restore its magic.    13th Unndilar   Around 2am Raphael casts a spell to enter the dreams of the orc informant, Luvak. Through the dream Luvak is able to describe the stronghold, giving details of the forces, watchtowers and that Kardar’s meeting point is inside the mountain where the base is built around. At dawn, the party finalise their plan. Whilst Raph originally was going to disguise as Klughig, he didn’t know orcish which would rumble his interactions with anyone. Simeon fortunately did know orcish, he could disguise as Klughig and Orlando’s potion of growth would give him the same large build as the Slaughter Lord. Raph and Zeni would disguise as smaller bodyguards, Krak wildshapes into a flea and the rest are invisible.   The group successfully walk through the gate, and Simeon’s short gruff orcish helps to get them into the mountain base. Tennakar, the second Slaughter Lord, waits outside in the doorway. Tennakar taunts "Klughig" for his arrival with a small war band. Sensing the prime moment to take out another Slaughter Lord alone, Simeon gives the ‘shazam’ code word to engage. Orlando covers the area and Tennakar in silence, and the party unleash an unrelenting barrage against the surprised Slaughter Lord. The barbarians hack into him, Sabali hurls slash after slash with his sword. Zeni blasts through with a heavy orb of lightning, and Simeon slices with his spiritual Khopesh. Raphael wreathes himself in the cold shadows of his patron, and deals the killing blows with the chilling smites of Frostweaver.   With two Slaughter Lords now dead, the party ready themselves to face Kardar once again, and one way or another for the finale time…