Session 109 Report

General Summary

During the party’s downtime, Mogi Delvin left a message for Arnell Devons of the Vigil of the Weather Eye. On November 30, 499 AV, Arnell came to visit Haymin’s Heroes. Mogi asked him about any current activities of the Doom Bringers. Arnell told the party the Doom Bringers had been quiet since the fall of the Eye of Doom. But they were beginning to hear whispers of something that might be coming. At this point, it was just speculation, but it is believed they are planning something for Valorous Day, the 500th anniversary of the birth of Viribus, God of Valor. On December 14, 499 AV, Thomes Bolen, Chief Court Wizard and advisor to King Haerodian Ormyr of Kainan, came to Heroes for Hire. He made a request on behalf of the crown that they come with him to West Andaria for a private meeting. King Haerodian wished to hire them for an urgent matter. They agreed to go with him and planned for Thomes Bolen to return for them on the next morning. Before he left, he asked them if they had encountered the Red Star Alliance. They told him they had not and he asked them to keep everything they spoke about strictly confidential. Immediately after the meeting, Jenivar Albyn went to summon her sister, Lady Dyora Albyn for a meeting with Haymin’s Heroes. When the sisters returned, the party asked her about the Red Star Alliance, trying to learn everything they could about them. The RSA was trying to negotiate a trade with Embrillians for knowledge of the Mystic Arts. In return, they would introduce them to technological advancements. Thus far, most Embrillians powers were cautious about agreeing to such an exchange. Thomes Bolen returned on the morning of December 15, 499 AV, and teleported the party to West Andaria. They arrived in the Administrative Hall within the Government District of the city. They were asked not to leave the Administrative Hall and given guest rooms for their stay. The meeting with the king was scheduled for December 17th. The party waited patiently while other dignitaries arrived at the Administrative Hall. The first night after dinner, Haymin’s Heroes walked the gardens outside and saw two men also enjoying the views outside. Selia Roselyn Maxwell saw their true forms, however, through her True Seeing. One was a red dragon and the other a blue dragon. Later in the evening, they encountered these two again in the sitting room while having drinks. The red was named Rhyghraloc and the blue Tantrizamax. They were part of the Zamilon contingent here for the same meeting as the party. The next evening, the party found themselves in the sitting room again when they saw a familiar looking man walk by. It was Idarin Black who had escorted them to Merrywind Onyx’s private box at the viewing of A Bard’s Tale. Selia’s magic revealed him to be a doppelganger. On December 17, 499 AV, the party was summoned to the meeting. They were the last to arrive. The meeting hall was lined with royal guards and some private ones as well. Several guests were seated in a round. Thomes Bolen introduced everyone, starting with King Haerodian Ormyr. Emperor Razcaczar of Zamilon and Caliph Whishoo Honoru of Jaathridarr were in attendance as were ambassadors and counselors from Garamoor and Tenthell . The Merlin, Olvilar Altrimere was also in attendance, as was Idarin Black, representing the Unseen. Finally, Thomes introduced Haymin’s Heroes and named them in turn as he had with all the world leaders and their advisors. King Haerodian then spoke. He stated that due to efforts from the Unseen, the Red Star Alliance were revealed to be enemies of Embril, criminals and space pirates here to take advantage of the people and steal the resources of the planet. The RSA had been kidnapping citizens from every nation represented in the meeting, to be used as slaves. They had also taken numerous other creatures, further specimens to be studied in their laboratories. When confronted with these claims, the RSA’s attitude turned hostile. They threatened Kainan with conquest if they did not fall in line. Furthermore, the RSA took the king’s nephew prisoner as added insurance against any thoughts of insurrection. Because of this, King Haerodian believed that the RSA was not as strong as they would like to be perceived. The various nations assembled had decided to strike at the RSA in an attempt to drive them from Embril. However, the captives must be rescued first to prevent them from being placed in additional danger. For this task, they wished to hire Haymin’s Heroes. The party agreed to the task and they began discussing the details. The Red Star Alliance had demanded a regular supply of prisoners in the form of inmates from Kainish prisons, in order to prevent anymore free citizens from being targeted. The first such delivery was scheduled for December 19, 499 AV. Haymin’s Heroes would pose as the prisoners. Unseen agents would pose as the pilots of the shuttle that would come down to pick them up. The party would then be taken to the RSA flagship, the Ex Machina, hovering over the Andarian Gulf. The captives were kept on the ship. The Unseen would take Haymin’s Heroes to the Menagerie, the prison/laboratory of the ship. Haymin’s Heroes and the Unseen would then take out the guards there and free any sentient captives. They were also instructed to find five dragon eggs, one for each color, black, blue, green, red, and white. Razcaczar was very adamant about recovering these eggs. Any non-sentient monsters captive that could not be reasoned with would have to be left aboard the ship in order to protect the others. Haymin’s Heroes would also be given a Teleportation Circle scroll by the Merlin which they could use to return to West Andaria with all the rescued captives. The spell takes ten minutes to cast, so the party would have to keep any prisoners safe until then as surely the rest of the ship would be alerted to their presence by this point. As the discussion continued, Haymin’s Heroes learned they were recommended for this mission by the Black Requiem, the “new” leader of the Unseen. They were also informed that the RSA were immune to mind reading attempts by the Unseen’s doppelgangers. They wondered if this had something to do with the RSA’s apparent inability to use magic. Haymin’s Heroes returned to their rooms after the meeting was adjourned and discussed this mission. They did not like that they would be dependent on the Unseen’s help and were prepared for their eventual betrayal. They talked about what spells they would prepare and how they could complete the task at hand while protecting those they were sent to rescue. They were expecting at least 100 prisoners. And there were probably around 100 RSA crew onboard the ship. On December 19, 499 AV, Haymin’s Heroes were taken to the prison. They were given worn commoner’s clothing to wear to complete their disguise, but Selia instead cast Veil on the entire party to disguise them with magic. To their knowledge, the RSA had no way of detecting this. When the RSA shuttle was approaching, the party cast a few more spells to prep before they were marched out to the guards awaiting them. The RSA guards were armored head to foot, making it impossible for Selia and Kyrie Eleison Thatcher-Stone from seeing if they were doppelgangers with True Seeing. The guards led them into the shuttle and to a room, instructing them to sit down on the seats against the wall and strap in with the restraints. Just outside this room, in front of the door across the hall, Titta Morco noticed a couple drops of blood on the floor as she walked past. Then the guards asked them if they brought the second singularity bomb. Haymin’s Heroes did not know what they were talking about, and were concerned. When it was clear the guard did not know what they were talking about, he dismissed the matter and left them alone. Eventually, Titta and Auren Sylynn got up and decided to investigate the drops of blood. The rest of the party remained behind. In the room across the hall, they found a handful of crates. Opening the two largest they found the bodies of two doppelgangers. Titta and Auren returned to the party and informed them of their find. They returned to the room with Kyrie this time who attempted to cast Raise Dead from a scroll on one of the doppelgangers. To her surprise, the spell did not work. Then she realized this doppelganger was still alive, but barely. She healed him and then tried to heal the other. But this one was truly dead. The doppelganger remembered being ambushed by the RSA before they set off in the shuttle. The last thing he remembered was being blasted in the chest by an energy weapon. They asked him about the singularity bomb. He told them they were going to use it to destroy the Ex Machina, winning the upcoming battle before it even began and claim the glory for the Black Requiem. When they asked him about the second singularity bomb, he was purposely evasive. Titta promised to breach that topic again later. But for now, the mission. The doppelganger recommended taking out the RSA before they reached the ship. Once there, the enemy would be waiting and they would be terribly outnumbered. Their plan would no longer work and they would have to improvise. The party agreed and lined up by the door to the shuttle’s cockpit. When Pyzar Zim pressed the button to open it, it did not respond. The doppelganger responded with dismay. Then, a few moments later, the door opened. Two RSA guards in full armor were standing with their rifles pointed at the door. Two RSA pilots were next to them with pistols in hand. The guards immediately fired at Titta and Pyzar who were in the lead.

Campaign

The Heart of Embril

Protagonists