Session 14: Droaam Attacks Again

General Summary

A Reinvigorated Party

• After wading through the horde of kuo-toa and frightening off their adopted deity, the party spent their week refining their specific skillsets to better handle the challenges that lie ahead of them.
  • Ashpin left his glaive to be worked on by Ellarian while he trained at the High Hopes Silver Flame Temple. With the help of the celestial elephant-like creature Elder Adonai, he finally tended to the wound granted to him by Rikus Nicol.
  • N'nchyk studied with Professor Quillicarious von Palting at Morgrave University in association with the thanatology department to accomplish something that, according to the Professor, had never been done before. And at long last, after decades of study, N'nchyk managed to incorporate the study of fungi into that of necromancy, and created life from undeath.
  • Maleakos took to performing on the town, and his newfound prominence brought him crowded taverns that he had never seen before. All the while he improved his magical arts and combined his magical drum from Theobald with his own claviodica to create a formidably captivating instrument.
  • Dooturr continued to study the way of the bow, and managed developed an uncanny method of dodging out of the way of any attacks he could see.
  • Viribus spent his week acquainting himself with the city further, and extended invitations to potential employees in the hopes of starting a business in the pursuit of generating a stable influence for his new life in Sharn. He visited with an old acquaintance, Alden d'Orien, in his endeavors.
  • Verin returned to the orphanage he himself was from, and offered his services in helping to restore the place. He reunited with old acquaintances and made good progress in its restoration.
• All the while, during the week, the Crypt Crew spread word of the upcoming meet & greet at the Phoenix Orphan Home through the social connections they could muster: Alden d'Orien, Hadrian of the Sharn Watch, Silver Flame templars and friars, Professor von Palting, and even average taverngoers.
• Philip had already shared his week, saying he had found whatever information he could about the Harbingers of Aegis, and intended to speak to a tortle monk that lived in the temple district of Upper Dura.
• After sharing their experiences of the week, Philip expressed his intentions to go with them to the meet & greet, slyly saying he wasn't exactly a member of the Crypt Crew, but that he expected another friendly face would be welcome nonetheless.

The Meet and Greet

• The Phoenix Orphan Home had been decorated for the occasion: shabby wooden tables with small snack bowls littered the courtyard, and an old linen served as a banner that said "Welcome, Crypt Crew!" Small, child-sized handprints were painted onto the banner.
• Loud, rambunctious kids ran around the courtyard while almost all of the guests invited on behalf of the Crypt Crew were present. Familiar faces like Hadrian were present, as were House Orien members, Silver Flame friars and templars, and the taverngoers from Maleakos' performances and from Dootur's Weary Bones. Unfamiliar faces were there as well, including reporters of the Sharn Inquisitive, as Katrina seemed to have managed to spread the word a bit.
• Katrina herself was there, and was dressed in her best for the occasion. She was particularly excited to see Ashpin, though she was quite clearly elated to see the entirety of the Crypt Crew in all their unique glory. She thanked them profusely for coming, and invited them to come speak to the eager guests.
• And eager they were, as kids and adults alike seemed to want to speak to the Crypt Crew. Incredulous questions about their goings-on and adventures and imploring about rumors - nothing the people couldn't have read about in the papers, but they seeemd to love hearing from them in person. One man, Terrowin Stonesworn, was supportive of the rumors that they were supposedly running the Boromar Clan out of the city. He used to own a casino, a legal one, but was left bankrupt after the Boromars began to monopolize the industry.
• After a while had passed, and the conversations had grown dull, Ashpin suddenly grabbed his head as it was wracked in pain. He managed to shake it off, but it was rather unlike anything the Crew had seen from him before.
• Shortly after this, a familiar, yet entirely unpleasant, face arrived at the meet & greet. Brucos wore his typical opulent tunic and smug grin as he kissed Katrina's hand and introduced himself - "T.M. Brucos of Skyway, pleased to make your acquaintance.” Katrina was flabbergasted when she heard he was from Skyway, and tripped over herself to make him welcome.
• Brucos said he had merely heard the Crypt Crew was to be hosting a charitable event, and wanted to meet the altruistic men himself. Though, as he proceeded to say, he had read about Ashpin - and implored him to tell Katherine where he was really from. Brucos was delighted to hear that Ashpin didn't know - "You’ve lived your 27 years of existence thinking you’re...what, a half-elf?”
• This was clearly the view Ashpin had subscribed to, though he conceded he had always thought he was a little different. After all, didn't everyone else hear a voice inside them all the time? And couldn't everyone else talk to other people in their head? The Crew was stunned to hear this, and even more stunned when Ashpin effortlessly communicated to Maleakos inside his mind.
• Brucos clapped his hands in delight, but confessed he was not simply there to meet the Crypt Crew. After all, a big house in Skyway can get lonely - but perhaps with a generous donation, he could adopt some of the more...spirited children. "Who wouldn't love children?" he said as he traced his finger along the neck of one of the kids. "So young...vivacious...full of life..." Katrina had long since zoned out after Brucos had mentioned a generous donation.
• Before the party could respond, Brucos set the child down, and informed Katrina that, unfortunately, the Crypt Crew had other places to be. Just at that moment, an elven woman with tears running down her face sprinted into the courtyard. “Oh thank the gods! The Crypt Crew — please — it’s Droaam again, they’re attacking the Stoneguard gate in Lower Northedge! Please — they’re killing everyone!”

Droaam Invasion 2: Electric Boogaloo

• Philip immediately hurried off after hearing Northedge, and the party was quick to follow. They followed Verin, who managed to get them there in rapid fashion. People cheered as the Crypt Crew ran by, apparently unaware of their intention. Maleakos stopped to graciously kiss the baby of a Crew fan.
• The heroes prepared themselves as they approached the sounds and sights of battle - plumes of smoke, distant roars and screams, and frightened people fleeing. Philip handed Ashpin a platinum ring, giving him a firm nod and wishing him the Silver Flame's protection.
• Ashpin galloped atop his newest steed Sylvain. N'nchyk's newest companion Mont-Canisi trailed close behind the party. Maleakos prepared his new instrument amalgamation. Dooturr prepared his bow for some steadily aimed arrows. Viribus' scarlet shield and bloodred pendants glimmered. Verin's mage armor cast a golden sheen around his body. And thus, the Crypt Crew met the new foe head-on.
• It was a hauntingly familiar scene of terror and destruction in the civilian Lower Northedge — buildings ablaze, gruesome corpses everywhere, bloodied gnolls tearing through the streets, and massive beasts massacring any civilians in their path. A loud alarm starts blaring, and a stone gate starts to fold in upon itself and slams shut. Ogres were abound and murdering Sharn Watch guards left and right, and devious kobolds scuttled about causing as much destruction as they could.
• It was a hectic, drawn-out battle. Spiked kobolds were hurled at the party, as the ogres were outfitted with new fortress-like apparatuses. Civilians cried for help from the three burning buildings as pieces of rubble broke off. All the while, ear-splitting roars could be heard from the opposite side of the wall. The valiant Crypt Crew managed to shake the attention of several of the beasts, and draw them in.
• Ashpin's training paid off in dividends, as he was a menace on the battlefield atop his new steed. The kobolds' traps could hardly slow him down. He managed to gracefully catch a child from one of the burning buildings, and immediately after, heroically caught a piece of debris that would have crushed him, Maleakos, and the child.
• Dooturr and his sidekick fended off a majority of the minotaurs and gnolls, and even resisted several of a metallic bulls' attempts to coat him in stone. He even used his ability to reach beyond the grave to show the gnoll commander a vision of what was soon to come: his demise. At one point he was knocked unconscious in the middle of the square, but Philip managed to sacrifice some of his life force to bring Dooturr back to full fighting strength.
• Maleakos stuck to the back lines, largely unaffected by the fire caused by one of the kobolds. He tended to any allies that fell, and inspired teammates with his dazzling performances. Additionally, he managed to obliterate one of the ogres' fortresses, slaying every kobold that resided within it. However, right at the end of the battle, the green gas of the metallic bull managed to immobilize him in a statue of stone.
• N'nchyk took special precautions to protect his new creation, but it was not meant to be, as a well-placed arrow from a gnoll prematurely ended the undead life of Mont-Canisi. After which, N'nchyk planted himself largely within the front lines of the party, and even managed to overcome his disgusted aversion to water, summoning a wall of it to extinguish one of the ablaze buildings, rescuing dozens of civilians inside.
• Verin, too, did his best to stick to the back lines, shooting golden blasts of arcane energy and assassinating gnolls with his new divine weapon. When the occasion called for it, he, too, managed to help heal some of his downed allies.
• Viribus was growing accustomed to his new powers as his friends were exploring theirs. He chose a strategic position in the brush of the main square, squaring up against the meanest ogres and fiercest metallic bulls. Additionally, the bloodred pendants that had been full for weeks were finally emptied as their energy was funneled into a single weapon strike that severely wounded the bull.
• Midway through the battle, another minotaur crashed through the front of a building. It was being slashed at by two tortles and an armored orc, each of which the tattoo of the Harbingers of Aegis was visible on. And yet, they fought alongside the Crew, before the two tortles were slain.
• Eventually, after several massive carts, rocks, and shards of debris had been hurled over the wall, an incredibly massive giant figure broke through the stone wall with ease: a humanoid-shaped individual with red glowing runes over its body, and shards of stone patchwork armor covering its body. It towered over the other ogres, and even hurled one at a group of the heroes. Two tieflings and skeletons scurried through the gate, hissing insults at Dooturr and, presumably, Maleakos before they were handily slain.
• Torfe and Frederick managed to arrive at the scene with the guild skycoach, with Torfe immediately charging at the enemy closest. He took several blows, but in conjunction with Ashpin and Verin, managed to take the giant figure down. Verin did not escape unscathed, however, as a well-placed tree to the face left him greatly disfigured.
• The area was devastated, the heroes were exhausted, and the square was full of dead bodies, but the buildings were still burning. The Crypt Crew, however, steeled their resolve and managed to empty the burning buildings before they collapsed.
• The Sharn Watch reserves slowly filtered in, ushered in by a wounded Verin. Sila Zakona, a Watch chief introduced herself to the party amidst her horror at the scene. The guards began tending to the bodies, while a couple Jorascan healers were scrambled to tend to the civilians.
• Torfe rounded up the Crew and spoke to Sila, who solemnly thanked the Crew for their duties. Philip, aided by Frederick and the skycoach, set off to make sure Alice was alright. Each were present as Torfe suggested they head back to the Loft, giving a concerned look to the now-petrified Maleakos. All but N'nchyk - as he angrily gathered 4 corpses, hucked them into a makeshift tarp, and dragged them away as warhorse.

Date begun:
21 Zarantyr, 998 YK
Date ended:
21 Zarantyr, 998 YK
Party level:
5

Report Date

11 Mar 2021

Related Historical Events

• 998 YK
  Tragedy of Lower Northedge
• 998 YK
  Phoenix Orphan Home Meet & Greet