2023-04-01 Rescue: Tarhun
Player Characters
- Alystin
- Val & Soonie
- Quasar
- Malivette
- Green
Allies
Summary
The party traveled to Bazen Castle to visit Torrace in the Oakthrone dungeons. Torrace was the spymaster for the Order of the Emerald Feather, subordinate only to Verda and the Chief of Feathers.
They met Torrace in his dingy cell. They asked him about his work for the Order and learned that he was bitter about it; he did all the work for the spy network while Verda sat around prattling about her greatness. He made it clear his goal was to attain wealth, and that he'd be willing to help in exchange for money and/or freedom, claiming his bail was 2000gp. The party quickly found out it was actually 1500gp.
The party offered Torrace a chance to work again: in exchange for information, they would send former Emerald Feather agents to him to give him a chance to earn his way out. In addition, Mal paid 50gp to the guards to upgrade Torrace's bed, and the party gave him a spare Emerald Feather Signal Ring.
Torrace divulged how arrogant and annoying Verda was, and told about her lofty ambitions of world domination, followed by establishing a lair on one or both of the highest mountains of the world. He did not know exactly where she would go next, only that she had most likely left the Den of Eyes and took her hoard and followers elsewhere.
The PCs traveled to the Den of Eyes around the other side of the Bazen Hills. They followed the known trail to the Chief's old chambers, finding them empty save for a note scrawled by Tarhun. The note suggested Tarhun was embracing Verda's leadership.
The party made a detour to visit Granny Myrna. Mal gave her some tattooed flesh in exchange for a potted rose.
The party traveled east toward Solaki, believing Verda might have gone to the Suntouch Spires first. They stopped in Umberton along the way. Val met a half-orc Murid contact there, who indicated that no large, suspicious shipments had traveled that way recently. He mentioned that a member of the Red Hand had escaped jail and traveled east recently.
Re-examining the note, Mal found a code hidden in it, which provided directions.
The party doubled back and traveled to Quinder Hollow. Alystin summoned animal companions from his bag to help calm his nerves from being close to Subterranea. Quasar asked around the tavern and learned that a large group had passed through recently, traveling southeast with several covered wagons.
The party found the trail and followed it, finding a small impromptu village with a large sign reading "Verdaburg" nestled in a gulley. It consisted of uncomfortably small wooden huts, a huge work-in-progress stone dragon statue, and a large stone temple, and was surrounded by a simple wooden palisade with enormous thorned brambles weaving through it.
Val snuck ahead, creeping invisibly through the camp. She entered the large temple in the back, and found a pair of huge stone doors. Upon opening them, she came face-to-face with an armored Verda, who commanded her to surrender. Verda had forced Tarhun to destroy his special armor to build hers, and it glowed with empowered runes. Val teleported back to join her allies as they stormed into the village.
The party slew most of Verda's minions and entered the temple. Val had seen six arcane turrets lock onto her in the main room, so the group knew Verda had defenses ready.
They opened the door and assaulted the dragon. Verda fought back with poison breath and a thundrous blast emanating from her armor, although the thunder reverberated in the main room, harming her. As Verda chased after Quasar, Alystin unleashed a powerful salvo of beams of dark fire, and the party finished her off.
The PCs destroyed the arcane turrets and entered the room. Quasar ungagged and unchained Tarhun, uniting them again at last. The group scooped up a pile of gold and magic items, as well as a pile of adamantine to be used to make new armor for Tarhun. Mal kept Verda's dragon-shaped armor while Alystin collected some green scales and dragon blood.
Mal left a note claiming the village as his.
One of Val's eggs hatched a fire snake.
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