Session VII: Clearing the Loop Report

General Summary

Chapter 14 (cont.) - Topaz Solutions

Searching the property, they locate a secret door that leads into the dark basement underneath the property. Going into the darkness, when they reach the bottom, they discover a damp and musty-smelling basement. As they enter into the basement, a clockwork toy in front of an image of Baphomet speaks, and the toy strikes a bottle, sending noxious fumes throughout the basement, and a Mandragora screeches out of a pile of moss, and attacks the party.   In the ensuing battle, the mist created by the bottle being struck makes it difficult for the party to react to the Mandragora attacking their feet, but they are able to kill the Mandragora and move back up to the main floor to wait for the fumes to subside. After the fumes subside, they notice that the toy and Mandragora was guarding a chest, and inside, they find a stack of symbols of Iomedae sitting on top of a note. Yuhia and Setra notices a paste that is covering each of the symbols, and they find it to be some kind of poison. Using prestigitation, they clean off the symbols safely, and retrieve the note, which they find it to be a mocking note from the previous owner of the box.   Then, the party turns their attention to the looter that they saved rather than killed. Interrogating him, they find that the plan was just to rob the store while it was unoccupied. The party decides to spare him and release him, and he soundly runs away as quickly as possible into the town.   After completing their time at Topaz Solutions, the party sneaks through the rubble to the Tower of Estrod. They discover a tower that it seems that the floors above the second floor were just destroyed and are off to the side. As the party approaches the tower, they discuss how they are going to approach the situation. The party approaches the door and knocks, and someone answers it, opening a small opening in the door, where the person asks “What?” Reid repeats the password, “We have more material for the archives.” The opening is closed, and the party hears unlatching of the door, and it swings out towards the party. The woman cultist shoos everyone to get in quickly, and he latches the door behind them. At the end of a ruined entryway, another woman, holding a halberd tells them to go up the stairs.   At the top of the stairs, the party finds a tiefling with a Morningstar, and they start approaching this man, introducing himself as Faxon. The party approaches the red tiefling, and they yell out their prepared word “Pumpernickle!” The party jumps to action and attacks the Tiefling before he gets a chance to act. Yuhia slices at the tiefling, and Reid launches a glitterdust bomb in the face of the Tiefling, and the new Wolverine in the party bites at the ankles of the person. Setra looses an arrow, and then Reid pushes a table against the doors to the south. Faxon then yells for backup while he fends off the party upstairs. The Tiefling moves back to the corner and uses his pet to attack the attacking enemy. The enemies downstairs start ascending to their level while the rest of the party takes down Faxon.   The two cultists from downstairs finally ascend to level 2 as Reid holds the south door, which does not move during the entire fight. The two cultists ascend and Yuhia and Emily engages the two cultists. They handily defeat the two cultists, and then search the area.   The party is able to find a stash of different items on the tiefling, and then they investigate the south locked door. One of the keys on Faxon unlocks the south door, and the party inspects a room, which contains numerous demonic decorations. A minotaur head hangs on the wall, and red star-shaped symbols decorate other walls. The party moves in and finds a chest that contains various items, as well as a note:   The party then decides to return back to Defender’s Heart to discuss the next steps in retaking the city from the invading demons. The party returns back to Defender’s Heart, returning with a lot of new information, as well as meet with Irabeth to discuss the information her teams have discovered. The party continues back to Defender’s Heart and sits down to discuss the next steps.  

Chapter 15 - The Kenabres Planning Committee

Returning back to Defender’s Heart, it appears that there is a lot of things going on, and the party returns to the Inn to be greeted by Irabeth. Irabeth then takes them up to the conference room to discuss with the party the next actions and to find what is going on.   The party presents the note from Faxon’s chest and they discuss the Templars of the Ivory Labyrinth with Quednys Orlun, Irabeth Tirabade, and her two lieutenants. Irabeth reveals that the Templars of the Ivory Labyrinth is a group of traitors well hidden that have been living amongst Kenabres, trying to find the best time to strike against the city and bring it down. It appears that they were successful in their endeavors, judging by the current state of the city. Irabeth reveals that she was able to root out, personally, the Hammers of Heaven, a group of the Templars that had been secretly working against the crusaders, led by a dwarf named Staunton Vhane. He might have been the very person that caused the problem of Drezen to fall.   After their discussion, Irabeth hands the letter over to Orlun which notes something about the Nahyndrian Crystals. The party asks what the crystals are, but it seems to be some kind of obscure Demon Lord thing. Knowledge is not very available on the subject, and Orlun suspects that spies may be at the heart of why he cannot find any more information on these crystals. Orlun then sits down and lets Irabeth know to let the party know on their plans on the counterattack. Irabeth then starts showing their plans to the party on their attack.  

Part 1: The Basics of the Counterattack

For some reason, the demons have left the city mainly, but the remnants that have remained have either been unorganized demons or concentrated in the Gray Garrison for some reason. Scouts believe that there is one last task the demons have with the city, and they did discover that there is one shard left of the Wardstone that was transported to the Gray Garrison somehow, and there are indications that it was done for a purpose, rather than simply destroying the remnants of the Wardstone. It seems that this attack was more planned, larger, and more concentrated than even the successful demonic attack on Drezen almost 75 years ago, and the attack plans are not yet done.   Orlun the Sage reveals why he was actually trying to head north to the Gray Garrison: a rod of cancellation. The plan all along was to destroy the remnants of the Wardstone with the rod to prevent their capabilities of using the Wardstone against the city, or the other cities with Wardstones.  

Part 2: Amass at Southgate

The start of the plan involves sending the forces currently in Defender’s Heart through to the South part of the city to amass at a holding area on the second tier of the city. This was planned on being the best location as they can host people overnight here at various buildings that haven’t been destroyed. The almost 300 people that are at Defender’s Heart were going to be joined by others that were currently undergoing missions to assemble at the southern meeting point.  

Part 3: Assemble the remnants of the Riftwardens

Along the way, the army was going to assemble the remnants of the Riftwardens, left mainly in disarray after they discovered many different traitors in the Riftwarden ranks. Led by Orlun the Sage, they were able to acquire a hidden safehouse that the traitors so far do not know about and were conducting subterfuge operations against the Demons. These Riftwardens were the ones that discovered the information on the Wardstone fragment and isolated the location of the rod of cancellation.  

Part 4: Wait for Mongrelmen to arrive

Finally, the invading force would wait for the Mongrelmen to come out of the Kenebres underground and join the now 800 strong force that would be seen as an invading party, but, in actuality, is the distraction.   The southern group would not be quiet about their attack, in fact, quite the opposite. Plans to put up massive tents, flags, and other items to make it easy to see a large force assembling at the southern area to the middle quarter.  

Part 5: Entice the demons to come out and stage away from the Gray Garrison

Inticed by the gathering forces, the Demons would be expected to move towards the exit to the southern quarter, one of the only publicly available entrances to the Old Kenebres, or the top tier of Kenebres. They would seek to defend this gap as it is a chokepoint for them to be able to control. The demons that were conducting random raids would see the oncoming attack and would assemble also in this area, making the rest of the city a lot safer for the next part of the plan.  

Part 6: Take a strike force to the North side of Old Kenebres

As the demons amass at the southern part, a strike force (the party, with Irabeth and some mongrelmen) would join the party in a safe house just outside of Old Kenebres. This safe house contains sleeping quarters as well as a secret passageway under the wall to Old Kenebres. It was used as an old escape route in times of need for those trapped inside the city during times of demonic attack, known to very few, due to its non-use over the decades. Fortunately, scouts have been able to discover that it is not only still in existence, but also operational, and made for an attack.   This strike force would include the PCs, Irabeth, and some mongrelmen.  

Part 7: Begin the distraction attack on the south

Once everyone is in position, the crusaders to the south would begin their attack on the Gray Garrison, but not to advance, but merely to draw the demons out into a confrontation, drawing their attention to the south, and not to the North.  

Part 8: Strike force infiltrates the Gray Garrison

While the demons are busy to the south, the Strike force infiltrates the Gray Garrison to the north and tries to locate the Wardstone shard. The plan can only work for so long, so the strike force only has about one hour each day to raid the Gray Garrison before the attackers to the south must retreat, and resupply.   After the party learns of the plans, they also ask about their prior companions, and Irabeth reveals that it has not been enough time (only about a day) since the scouts were dispatched on missions, so that would still take a day before anyone would return from their missions. The party then has three days until this plan would be put into motion, and the party starts resting and finding supplies for the upcoming attack on the Gray Garrison.