Rescue at the Ivory Thone

Since my last adventure, I have been deep in prayer and training. Upgrading my equipment has been a blessing straight from Kelemvor. While meditating, I am approached by Mal. We have adventured in the past and he had need for some support on a rescue mission. Some of the names are familiar, and one, well one name was infamous. It seems they tried to fulfill a bounty and failed.
 
We set out to find this Ivery Throne located in a tavern off the beaten path in a forest. Apparently, the leader Rascavar is becoming too powerful for someone in Urithiru. I am not fond of these sort of missions. Who is to say we are killing the good guy, so the bad guy can get control. Or frankly, replacing one villain with another. Oh well, I just have to keep us all alive. No small task.
 
We arrive at a tavern. It has a foreboding presence with no windows. Mal appears to be taking point, I follow surreptitiously. As we enter, Mal takes point. I just recede into the background and keep my eyes open. Some focused discussion seems to be occurring between the bartender and Mal. We are asked to listen to an offer, an job offer. The barkeep apparently is our target!!!! He says he is Rascovar and is entertaining us with a fascinating mission of retrieving an egg from a huge reptile. Rascovar invites us to hang around for a couple of hours so he can compile the information needed to retrieve the egg
 
I simply keep watch while the others entertain themselves with food, drink and mingling. As the bar empties, Rascovar returns and invites us downstairs. We slip behind a tapestry, and through an Illusionary wall. As we head downstairs, I see this room is one gigantic trap. I alert my comrades to the danger. Here is not the place for an ambush. We talk about the price to get the egg. The offer is insulting frankly. So much so I don't think it is even real. I wonder if he suspected our ruse? Through negotiating, we come to a fair price. Apparently, his insulting offer was his way of testing our intelligence. I stand strong in our demand for more. He agrees and asks for time to draw up contracts. He leaves further downstairs, leaving two guards at the door.

We wait for a time and I suggest now is the time we do something. The party agrees and we take out the two guards. I rely on my new training as a fighter, and fail miserably. My target raises the alarm. We eventually dismiss the two guards and he further down.
 
Rascovar apparently relies on beasts. They are apparently training a beast called Mohlers. They're kinda cute! We head across the room and a fountain and two more guards. We attack them and as you would have it, there was an assassin in the fountain! We dispatch the guards easily, but the assassin is slippery and almost escapes. We find a lone Mohler who apparently burrowed into another room and ransacked it. Thrawn gives it some rations and it appears to be happy. WE find another hallway and continue down until we come to two Ivory doors. Mal picks the lock, after a try or two. A rogue he yet may be!

We stumble upon Rascovar and his bunch. Raascovar, sitting on his throne gives a small monologue, then yells KILL THEM! Freya apparently has been training also, unleashing many fireballs throughout the battle. I take up a defensive stance, summoning the protection of Kelemvors Guardians. For the most part, the rabble is handled easily, until Rascovar changes the field by letting loose the Scyza he already HAS!!!!!!
 
The beast charges us and proceeds to cause a dust up. The dirt blinds me. Thank goodness for the guardians, as I maintain my concentration. The beast forces us back into the hallway. Frankly, strategically, the best thing we could have done. I wipe the dust from our eyes as we get flanked. Many rapscallions fall, until one grabs me into a bear hug. The squeeze causes me to lose my concentration, and my guardians fall. The tide seems to have turned. The battle continued to rage. Rascovar apparently we around so he could flank us. As he arrives, I am able to recall my guardians, and Mal, Freya and Thrawn lay into him. On deaths door he drops his weapon, surrendering. Mal and Thrawn back off. I am not so sure I believe him. I look to Freya who also doesn't believe him as she is casting a spell to kill him. I retain my concentration. It is my last protective spell and I do not wish to drop it and then he pick up and attack again.
 
Rascovar sees Freya is not relenting and grabs his weapon. I am not sure if he always planned that, or if he just saw Freya about to lay into him but, we kill him outright. The Scyza returned to its pen, where we are happy to leave it. With Rascovar dead, any surviving rabble leaves. We find the jail, but only 3 of the 4 members of the party are there. The infamous one is missing. I wonder if his presence was a ploy all along. Did Rascovar plant him in that party knowing they were coming? Based on what I have heard about Treznak, that wouldn't be out of character for him.
 
The jailer happened to be another assassin, which we dispatch easily, and the humorous part of our story is the key is a mimic! Rascovar has a sense of humor. As we started to return home, a mohler comes running up to the party tail wagging! I kneel and open my arms and he just runs up to me kissing me and cuddling. I think I will call you.......... Pummba! Irony, I don't need to eat, but I know have to carry rations!
 
In the end, we succeed on dethroning Rascovar (not sure if that was the right thing to do), we rescue 3 of the 4 party members. Upon return I report that Treznak is either alive working for Rascovar or he died in the initial attempt. We are rewarded. I continue my training and, I begin training Pummba. I think I like this life.......