Episode Seventy-three - Beyond Skyfall
General Summary
As the slightly cool air of the summer morning graced faces of the Champions of Destiny, the saw, off in the distance, Skyfall. Pulses of light assaulted the earth where once the Last Titan of Urgrund stood. Met by a thick, black smoke cloud in the middle distance, they adjusted their eyes to the present moment and knew, having seen chimney fires all their lives, that a home nearby had burned in the night. As they witnessed the plumage the bloodflow strengthened in their hearts and pulsated through their veins. Where they'd met peace the prior day, they found only trouble they stood among their captives and the dead. Looking to Sir Pelliton's men-at-arms, the heroes saw their anger furl in their faces and felt their hate boiling in their hearts. In the distance beyond them, to the northeast, they then saw a rider leading troop of servants away from the village as they heard the patters of boots behind them. Turning, the heroes were approached by a simple man in a padded gambeson. He came skidding to a halt. As he lurched forward, his kettle helmet launched from his head and bounced on the ground. Standing properly, panic flowed through him and beset his face as he beheld the dead body of a Knight of Three Roses.
Arion did his best to ease the man but was in no mood for the squawking's of the uninitiated. He pulled forth from the guard the events of the prior night and learned that Pinna, the local wizard's house had burned down. He learned then that the town was gathering in the church and thusly devised a plan. Aldrich, Annabelle and Sol were to go investigate the shop whilst Arion and Kelaryn were to go an speak with the locals.
The investigators were all able to determine that there was a struggle in the shop. Annabelle was able to discover that there was an explosion, more specifically that a knocked lantern had reacted with some alchemical supplies. Whilst she conducted that portion of an investigation Sol and Aldrich looked for a body but were unsuccessful. Back outside Annabelle picked up on tracks that crossed the river by the town toward the forest Rend. She determined that the tracks were made by orcs and one was heavier when they left, likely carrying Pinna.
Meanwhile, Arion left Kelaryn outside with the prisoners as he went inside the church and addressed the crowd. He talked to the mayor, a prominent local, and a few concerned citizens from atop the pulpit and was able to convince them that they should stand down, though Arion grew in distrust for the entire situation. In his suspicion and to save the prisoners from the town's confession techniques, Arion let the prisoners go and took up the quest to rescue Pinna.
After the veterans were released on the north side of town, thanking Arion for his mercy, the heroes left town heading southeast over the bridge. Annabelle, Kelaryn, and Sol attempted to trade with a Kenku that met on the road but Kelaryn scared it away with a piece of gold offered freely. Having taken a moment to consider their situation during the trade, Arion suggested that the group double back and catch the tracks of the orcs to ensure that they were headed to the castle near Gravesford.
As the group followed the tracks, they entered a clearing and lost the trail. As they considered doubling back, they noticed the glade was full of holes. As Arion found the tracks some forty feet back, two ankhegs burst from ground, with a horde of giant centipedes, and grabbed Annabelle and Sol. Arion rushed back in and cut down the ankheg holding Annabelle with a hefty cleave to the back. As it struggled, he cut clean its hind leg and watched as blood gushed from the creature. The Ankheg then snapped down harder on Sol and drug him below ground. In a frenzy Aldrich then jumped in after Sol and landed on the back of the monstrosity. In a similar state of shock, Annabelle bowed her head and prayed. She reached out to her goddess as she clutched her holy symbol and called forth a titan from Epione's care. As the massive man spawned from the heavens, Annabelle asked him to save her friend. He then pounded his fist into the ground, separating the earth, reached down, and grabbed ahold of the ankheg. He slup the beast up from beneath the ground and flung it up into the sky.
As the monster soared through the air with Aldrich on its back and Sol in its mouth; he turned to Annabelle and then stated, "this is your first, it will be the simplest, and it will be the fastest. Now I return."
Stretching his arms out wide as Aldrich and Sol spilled out onto the ground he shouted, "Olympus," before disappearing.
The giant centipedes then rushed forth from the new hole and attack Annabelle and Aldrich. Aldrich and Kelaryn then defeated them as Arion killed the ankheg. As insect goo doused the battlefield, Annabelle clutched her holy symbol and melted a diamond against it with white light. That white light engulfed her and then Sol as she revivified him.
Bursting awake and alarmed he shouted, "bugs!"
Startled, he watched as the last giant centipede slipped away then took a moment to savor a breath of life restored. In that period of rest, Aldrich made his way back, under Arion advisement, to check on a bunny he'd seen in the heat of the moment. Taking the time to cast Speak with Animals on himself, Aldrich then spoke to the unicorn horned bunny, called an Almiraj. From the almiraj, Aldrich learned that the party was being followed and that the orcs had brought with them a girl, likely Pinna. After an hour's rest off into the woods, repairing Sol's missing eye with Aldrich's regeneration scroll, and hoping those following would show their faces; the party set off toward their goal once more with the bunny to boot.
It was in those woods beyond that they would find the bottom of a few boots. After dodging the resting location of two shambling mounds, the party was ambushed by their followers. Running in and drop kicking Annabelle, Kelaryn, and Sol, the party were attacked by four redcaps. Hacking her with their wicked sickles, the redcaps made short and bloody work of Kelaryn. As Arion defeated one and rescued Annabelle, Aldrich was attacked and resting on Aldrich's neck, the bunny was cut from life. Then, a still moment fell as one of the redcaps grabbed Kelaryn and threatened to cut throat if not for a surrender.
Arion looked to Annabelle and ensured she had another Revivify prepared and then continued the fight warning, "if you do this, I will kill your entire village."
As Aldrich's axe hit the ground the redcap cleaved off Kelaryn's head with a gleeful laugh. Annabelle then pulled forth her symbol and swore that the creature would pay with holy flame and as it burned him hate and fear burned within her, for she knew the devastation. Sol then aged a redcap to his death as Aldrich and Arion captured the final creature. Quickly they made travois for the redcap and Kelaryn, then escaped toward their destination.
Still heated, still angry, as Aldrich thought of the last respects he'd given to the rabbit, Arion lead the group into a smattering of sentry tracks. Swearing to kill the redcap's village he climbed a tree and spotted the castle which the tracks ahead lead towards. Back down, the group gave into to hatred and argument as orc boots and dog barks rapidly approached. Indecisive and unsure, they met a blue orc and two dire wolves. Uneasy of them but asking who they were, Arion offered only that he wanted to speak to the chieftess. Lead onward, the company met a clearing and a large castle wall.
Rewards Granted
660xp
Missions/Quests Completed
Fated Entropy Grand Campaign Started, Of Gods and Men Campaign Started, Quest of Fate Continued, Subquest Forging Fate Continued, Sidequest The Siege of Castle Rend Continued
Notes
Notable Party Damage:
- Aldrich has a horrible burn scar on the left side of his neck in front of the ear from an azure fire elemental summoned by Seldra Tylmarande. His armor and shield are extremely claw marked from many Lizardfolk. His shield has a large fist shaped dent in it from when he was crushed by a Sacred Statue.
Noted Effects: Horrible Scar (Neck). You are disfigured to the extent that the wound can't be easily concealed. You have disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks and advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks. Magical healing of 6th level or higher, such as heal and regenerate, removes the scar. - Annabelle has a noticeable bend in her scale armor about the stomach where she was crushed by a Sacred Statue.
Noted Effects: None - Arion came from Arda with a scar that won't seem to heal.
Noted Effects: Minor Scar (Head). The scar doesn't have any adverse effect. Magical healing of 6th level or higher, such as heal and regenerate, removes the scar. - Kelaryn has two faint hand-print shaped scars on her left arm. She has a scar from the stab of a spear that she received valiantly fighting an ice devil on her stomach. She has a scar that emanates infernal essences from a horned devil's tail above her right breast. Kelaryn has a large scar that runs down over her left breast, across the center of her chest, and then down to her right abdomen where the large axe of a minotaur split her open. She has two large gore hole scars from a minotaur on the left side of her stomach. Her back is also tweaked from the hard battering she took from the minotaur. The scales of her Khuzdûl armor are dented above the left breast from a hit she took from a lizardfolk. She had her head cut off by a red cap.
Noted Effects: Minor Scars (Left Arm, Right Breast, Torso, and Stomach). The scar doesn't have any adverse effect. Magical healing of 6th level or higher, such as heal and regenerate, removes the scar. Mild Limp. Your speed on foot is reduced by 5 feet. You must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw after using the Dash action. If you fail the save, you fall prone. Magical healing removes the limp. Horrible Scar (Neck). You are disfigured to the extent that the wound can’t be easily concealed. You have disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks and advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks. Magical healing of 6th level or higher, such as heal and regenerate, removes the scar. Dead. - Sol has tear marks across the back and chest of his shirt, as well as down the sleeve, from the claws of lizardfolk. He has a burn mark on his cheek where a water droplet seared his flesh.
Noted Effects: Minor Scar (Left Cheek). The scar doesn't have any adverse effect. Magical healing of 6th level or higher, such as heal and regenerate, removes the scar.
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