Session 285 - King Torasta's Bane

General Summary

28^th to 29^th of Peonu (Second Month of Spring) 726TR

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The Story So Far

The Heroes have discovered a lost artifact, one of the Bells of Mercy, sacred to the Church of Peoni, in a dismal sewer. The Priests and Priestesses of the Church will want this broken artifact repaired.

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Meanwhile Rycon has made both enemies and friends in Order of the Lady of Paladins and its sponsoring clerical order The Spear of Shattered Sorrow after opposing the infamous Solora Crusade.

This is the continuation of Session 284 - A Cursed Locket.

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Location - The City of Tashal in the Kingdom of Kaldor.

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Part 1 - A Warning

The day after the character's smelly adventures in the sewers of the City of Tashal, a man in a back alleyway wearing a dark cloak throws a stone at Rycon, missing and hitting Valeria instead. The dark-cloaked figure backs off into the shadows beckoning Rycon forward. Rycon's suspicions are allayed when he spots the cloak poorly hides mail armor and the red and white clothing, the colors of the Order of the Lady of Paladins. The knight introduces himself as Sir Wylan Capal, and he has a warning for Rycon. His presence in the city has been noted, and the Grandmaster of the Order has written to his allies in the kingdom asking that he be dealt with. Sir Wylan warns him that the fanatical High Priest of the Temple at Minarsas, Serolan Margon Irin, who is also called the Lion of Dolithor, wants to try him for heresy. He has hired a bounty hunter named Eldark of Berony to apprehend him.

Sir Wylan Capal says he is a member of the Swords of Valor, a fraction of the Lady of Paladins appalled with the actions of the Melderyni Chapter. They believe in the highest and true ideas of the Church and do not condone the Solora Crusade. Rycon thanks Sir Wylan for the waning and observes with amusement the knight's poor efforts to remain inconspicuous as he returns to the city's temple. The ungainly Sir Wylan does not appear to have any stealth skills.

Rycon, now a little paranoid, asks the beggars around the city gates if they have seen anyone match the description of the Bounty Hunter but learns nothing of value. Even his contact in the thieves guild Silan the Forger knows little except Bounty Hunter Eldark is a skilled warrior specializing in hunting down heretics for the Church of Larani. He is said to use a heavy dwarven-made crossbow.

Part 2 - The Bell of Mercy

Meanwhile, Dryueh has been volunteering his medical skills at the city's Temple of Peoni, the Church of the Eternal Harvest. The recovery of the Bell by the Heroes generated some excitement. The Church plans to have it repaired and knows just the craftsman, the priest Brother Hardwin. This former weapon crafter now applies his skills to more peaceful pursuits. However, the good brother has not returned from his most recent excursion to collect broken metal weapons from former battle sites and reshape them into something more useful, such as pots, pans, and other tools. He planned to seek out a battle site in the Kathela Hills, where the warrior King Torasta, father of the current King Miginath, suffered a mortal wound while campaigning against the Kath Barbarians around 50 years ago. King Torasta and forty knights were ambushed, and only around five escaped with the dying monarch.

The good priest is overdue, and Pelnala Marnyle, the high priestess of the temple, asks the party to see if they can find him. The vicious Kath do not like trespassers in the lands they claim.

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Location - The Kathela Hills, territory claimed by the Kingdom of Kaldor.

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Part 3 - Hunters

Not long after crossing the River Kald and entering the densely forested Kathela Hills, the party is spotted by one of the Kingdom's patrols, a knight, and a small contingent of light cavalry. Sir Alcok questions the party's plans and warns them not to cause any trouble with the barbarians. King Miginath's decree to leave the barbarians alone unless they are causing trouble stands. The elderly king clearly wants to improve relations with the savages; however, Sir Alcok seems a little skeptical; but obeys orders. He also warns the party that Orcs have been seen in the hills.

The next day, the characters encounter the biggest wolf they have ever seen, and it causes considerable chaos before being killed and expertly skinned by Dryueh. Later that day, they spot a poorly concealed ambush.

Ten Gargu Araka, or small Orcs, are on a ridge and pepper the heroes with arrows. They are little more than an annoyance, with Dryueh shooting back, killing a couple, and Valeria eliminating more with various magic spells. The few remaining stragglers are no match for Rycon once he climbs the gully and enters melee.

Part 4 - King Torasta's Bane

Then Rycon spots a series of landmarks from the various war chronicles he has read; he finds the lost battlesight, also called King Torasta's Bane. His military mind judges this is a lethal ambush site, a natural choke point allowing enemies to shoot arrows down from concealment and allowing no cover and limited routes to escape. The ravine is covered with sun-bleached bones of humans and horses, and along the ridge, the Kath barbarians have placed crude stone statues of their various tribal totem animals, creating a holy site. The area has a menacing aura and is staked to the ground; the characters spot a man, Brother Hardwin.

The priest is in a sorry state, and worse, the battle site is haunted; the spirits of the slain rage on, hurling rocks, bones, and broken weapons at the heroes. Eventually, they are able to appease them, at least temporarily, while they rescue and tend to the priest. The appreciative priest joins the party as they attempt to escape; unfortunately, they have drawn the attention of the nearby Kath Barbarians and are being hunted down for the desecration of their holy ground.

To be continued.

NPC Interactions

Sir Wylan Capal - Knight of the Order of the Lady of Paladins.

Silan the Forger - Thieves Guild contact.

Pelnala Marnyle - High Priestess of the Church of the Eternal Harvest.

Sir Alcok - A knight patrolling the Kathela Hills.

Brother Hardwin - Metalcrafter and Priest of Peoni.

Challenges

1 x Dire Wolf

10 x Small Orcs.

Pacified angry spirits of the dead.

Rewards

Nothing this week.

Created Content

Nothing this week.

Related Reports

City of Tashal.

Baronial Revolt 599 to 603TR.

Kath Barbarians.

Order of the Spear of Shattered Sorrow.

Order of the Lady of Paladins.

Player Characters

All characters gained a Level.

Valeria - Human Magical Experiment - L3 Shadow Sorcerer - Beastmaster.

Rycon - Human Rebel Knight - L3 Fighter - Liberator Champion.

Dryueh - 1/2 Elf Scout - L3 Thief Rogue - Medic.

Next Session

Session 286 - Shadow and Hunters.