Session 151 - "A Warm Welcome"

General Summary

Hyannis

12.30p

As the Fellowship walks around town, they notice various dwarven thugs that either amble around or are leaning against buildings and keeping watch. Kelath walks up to one and says "good morning", but the sentinel only indicates that he should move on. He inquiries about Lytha Boldbrow, and the dwarf tells him they are going in the right direction towards imperator's hall. Drago indicates towards a pair of shockingly familiar halflings to the northwest pushing a cart when he returns. As Pip and Twip seem to gain notice, they turn around and go in the other direction. Kelath moves northward in an attempt to intercept the halflings around a building. Kyrrn moves to the intersection as Kelath rounds the corner only to find the halflings gone, their cart abandoned.   Kyrrn casts detect magic and senses illusionary magic inside the building. She gets Drago's attention as the rest of the party looks for a way in. The Soul pulls open the boards on the shack and finds that there is a hole in the floor leading to a tunnel. The source of the illusion has moved out of detection range. The Fellowship debates to pursue and Kyrrn begins to read the cart's aura. The owner of the cart was murdered, his last breath, as he gurgled on his own blood, was,     Upon hearing this, Neferu guesses that they are doppelgangers of sort. The Soul goes inside and begins to find a way down with the tunnel descending quite far. Kyrrn remembers how the halflings they encountered before had slits on their necks and could have been a sign of alghollthus. Known to themselves as aboliths, she is also able to dredge up that faceless stalkers, shapeshifting creatures, have known dealings with the ocean-dwelling monsters. It is decided to the board everything up and return if there is time.   The Fellowship moves into a different section of town that appears to have been nice and grand two hundred years ago, but is now rundown and neglected. Up ahead a group of halflings that appear to be straining under a long bundle wrapped in a dirty sheet or blanket. It is roughly the size and shape of a large man and they struggle to move it towards a cart. Drago wonders aloud if they are in fact carrying a body as they finally muscle it in. Drago is then accosted by a nearby old woman. He remarks to her that their load must be a heavy rug and begins conversing with her after giving her a silver. She remarks that's what happens when you cross Svingal.  

1.30p

Suddenly there is a high pitched scream and the sound of crashing glass coming from the east. Kelath draws his sword and strikes an inspiring stance and raises his shield. There is a blast of heat and glass as an explosion erupts from a nearby building, expelling a body in the process. The front wall of the building disappears as the party is caught in a fireball.   Kyrrn feels like a vacuum sucking in... a disturbance in the fabric of reality to the east.   Within the remains of the shop there is a robed figured crackling with electricity. The figure stands saying they could use some help and settles two wings on him like a cloak. The mysterious newcomer recognizes Drago and greets him before drawing two thin blades and steping around the corner. The halflings scatter and there is a high-pitched whistle from the person who ducked around the corner. A bolt suddenly flies into the shoulder of X, causing a grievous wound. A previously unseen assailant readies another arrow on the roof. They fire two more times and miss. Drago says that he fought with X in the war and Kyrrn steps forward and flings a good portion of the debris back towards the assassin. The woman Drago was speaking with earlier appears to panic and run towards him, but then draws a hidden dagger and attempts to attack him. Kelath attempts to interrupt her attack, but misses. Makeup sloughs away from her face, revealing a man beneath. He strikes Drago, needling him with a poisoned rapier. Drago returns the favor, striking back with Crissagrim. Neferu follows their attackers lead and drops a fireball in front of the first assailant, blowing out another wall in the process. With nowhere to go, the fireball is especially potent. The building begins to catch fire under the barrage of magic.   Kelath attempts to devise a stratagem, but is unable in the chaos. His evangelization likewise is unsuccessful. With grim determination, the investigator raises a shield. The first assassin gives a high pitched whistle, moves out of the burning building, and then begins casting a spell. A bolt of magical lightning flies forth striking X, Drago, Kelath, and the Unworthy Soul. Drago takes the full blunt of the spell. The mysterious man moves forward and says,     X sets his sights on the assassin and strikes him both with his twin swords. The rooftop assassin continues firing down upon X. Kyrrn waves her staff and wracks the first assassin with phantom pain. The previously old crone lashes Drago with his rapier and then moves away to the south. Drago takes off after him and scores a blow himself. The Soul gives chase as well.   Kelath moves to engage X's target, but misses with his strike. They take a step back and begins casting a spell, resilient sphere. X strikes against him just as the air around the assassin begins to waver. X inhales mightily and then breathes a gout of flame on the assassin and the one on the roof. The sphere absorbs most of the damage, but the building catches on fire. The rooftop archer continues firing arrow after arrow at X. Kyrrn dimension doors onto the roof behind the second assassin. The third assassin steps back and then runs off around the building. Drago gives chase after him, slashing at the man's exposed back. Neferu without hesitation runs to the building now on fire and calls for people to get out.   Kelath strikes at the resilient sphere in an attempt to destroy it with some effect. The assassin inside begins casting fleet step, but continues to be racked with phantom pain. X begins pounding on the sphere, bringing it down, much to the man's dismay. The man on the roof whistles urgently and continues shooting at X. X goes down and the man whistles again. Kyrrn telekinetically shoves the man as he runs along the roof's edge, who promptly falls off. Kyrrn calls Nyrrk forth. The running assassin rounds the corner and stops to assess the scene. Drago charges him as he skids to a stop, skewering him with Crissagrim. Neferu hears someone call out in response to his cries from within the smoldering structure.   Kelath lands a palpable blow against the first assassin, cutting him down with his dragon-winged sword. X exerts his will and is able to recover into unconsciousness. The prone bowman stands, drawing a wicked wound from Kelath. He draws a short sword and attempts to repay the favor, but chokes under the pressure. Nyrrk strides to the edge of the roof and shadow blasts the bowman. The third assassin gives two short whistles and begins to carefully move away from the encounter. Drago continues to chase him, vaulting over a cart and slashing him viciously. The Unworthy Soul moves forward but misses with his claws.   Kelath savagely jabs his dragon winged sword into the injured bowman, who steps back and attacks Drago's flank. Nyrrk flings a smoking splinter at ballistic speeds at the bowman who is skewered and smashed violently into a nearby wall, falling prone at its base. The third assassin continues fleeing with Drago directly on his heels as the Soul advances on the prone assassin.    

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