Session 9 : Gorthok the Thunder Boar

General Summary

After entering Neverwinter Wood, the party took a long rest. The next morning a much larger storm started building to the north.

Arrival to Falcons Lodge

A thin fog surrounds a fortified compound standing in a clearing on the east side of a narrow river. A ten-foot-high log palisade surrounds the compound, whose main building is a two-story stone-and-wood affair with a high-pitched roof, gables, window shutters, and a stone chimney. Attached to the main building is a blocky tower of gray stone, its high roof lined with battlements. Other structures include a two-story stable house and a gatehouse whose flat roof is enclosed by iron railings. A stone bridge spans the river, ending before an oaken door set into the gatehouse’s outer wall. Mounted next to the door is a bell with a short rope hanging from its clapper. The party was met by a young mute boy named Pell who escorted them to the side cottage where a sick old lady, Corwin laid deathly ill. Doc stayed behind to help.
The party then joined Falcon for brunch after he invited them into his home. Falcon the Hunter wears a fur-lined cloak over his studded leather armor. He stands 6 feet, 6 inches tall, and has black hair and broad shoulders. His eyes are as blue, cold, and sharp as ice, and he sports a neatly trimmed beard. Falcon moves with the casual confidence of one who fears nothing, and he greets every concern with nonplussed indifference. He loves good wine and treats other people as he would like to be treated—fairly and with patience.
He shared information about the orcs in the surrounding area. Having seen Betty in the area before, he also shared the he was familiar with her home, the Kryptgarden Forest. He was there just five years prior, on a hunting mission for a young green dragon. He and his party killed one of Claugiyliamatar's children. "Old Gnawbone" is an ancient green dragon that has resided in the forest for hundreds of years.
Traveled to the Woodland Manse when the party battled grey orcs and a hostile Gulthias Tree.
Return back to Falcon’s lodge to find it destroyed. Cart tracks exit to the west and humanoid footprints enter and leave from the northeast. Party follows the tracks and travel northeast, until they come upon a ridge. The storm brewing has now grown violent. Arcs of lightning flashing more and more frequently. From this vantage point, watch as the orcs gather, eventually the clouds descend so low, it requires you to move closer.

Circle of Thunder

Come into the clearing, Tobias seeks higher ground and lines up a shot on Grannoc. Massive arc of lightning comes from the sky down to the Golden Bell, Tobias takes his shot. Grannoc's shoulder is blown out and turns to look in Tobias’ direction; chain lightning emanates from the gold bell, blinding everyone momentarily. When your vision returns, you see that all the caged prisoners, the army of orcs and orcs all lie lifeless. Their sacrifice accepted As the party charges the cairn, bright white light can be seen flashing from the cave under the cairn. Xi’ing peers in and can see a bovine like atropal made entirely of arcing lighting floating in the middle of the chamber.
Betty dashes straight into the fray, charging Grannoc. As she does so, two other green orcs make their presence known. Grannoc unleashes a super charged bolt of lightning towards Tobias, toppling the tree he’s set up in. He lands, rolls and carries his momentum to a tree adjacent to the one he was posted in. A large hypnotic pattern suddenly appears in the sky, rendering the other two green orcs useless. Syndrel flashes a coy smile.
The atropal of lightning continues to grow as the tether of lightning to the bell ensues. Suddenly a piercing boar’s squeal echoes from the cave.
Betty rushes Grannoc, finding purchase with her claws. Grannoc shapeshifts into her boar form, making her retreat into the cave below. The party rushes the cairn, Grannoc no longer in sight. A moment later, the tether lightning to the bell suddenly stops. The surrounding storm halts momentarily. An eerie silence falls over the battlefield.
Suddenly a bright flash followed by A boar’s crackling squeal pierces from the cave below. The party sets up to attack whatever is about to exit from it. Gorthok the Thunder Boar, Avatar of Talos the Storm Lord enters the fray:

• Gorthok tears through Xi’ing
• Tobias retreats into an extra dimensional space
• Gorthok gores Syndrel, breaking his concentration on the hypotonic pattern and releasing Grannoc’s ally’s from his spells hold
• A shot rings out, Tobias dropping one of the green orcs, currently shapeshifted
• Party continues to lay into Gorthok, before he tramples Betty, leaving her lifeless.
• Xi’ing gets a spell off and commands Gorthok to flee, buying a moment of time before the giant boar returns. The remaining green orc closes in on Xi’ing
• Xi’ing narrowly survives his attacks, and moves into position to deliver one final desperate blow on the Thunder Boar
• Gorthok, is released from the spells hold and returns with vengeance, it’s tusks arcing with lightning as it charges. Xi’ing reels back and with a final act of desperation, manages to decapitate the Avatar of Talos, Gorthok dispersing it in a flash of sparks.

Battlefield falls silent, realizing that both Betty and Syndrel did not survive the fight.
Regretfully, Tobias sends a message to Milo letting him know about the passing of their comrades.

Xi'ing's Offering

Realm of the Shadow Glass

Tobias looked on as Xi’ing was down on her knees in front of Betty’s lifeless body, gently holding her hand and openly weeping. Rather than intrude on the moment, Tobias set himself to loading Syndrel’s lifeless body onto the back of the cart. He gently placed his hand on Xi’ing’s shoulder and together they reverently lifted Betty’s body onto the back of the cart and covered both of their fallen comrades so they could be buried once they made it back to Axeholm.
The thunder and lightning of the storm had passed, but the rain continued. Tobias took to the cave that Gorthok emerged from for shelter. He started a fire and both he and Xi’ing decided to settle in for the night. Xi’ing still had not said a word, but Tobias didn’t feel like talking either.
As soon as Tobias fell asleep, Xi’ing stepped out into the storm, oblivious to the rain.
Raising her head to the sky, Xi’ing began speaking into the darkness, “I don’t know who you are. I don’t know why you’ve brought me back. You seem to have some kind of plan for me, for good or evil, I don’t know and I don’t care. I just know one thing: I can’t lose Betty. I will do anything, take me instead of her, but bring her back.”
Xi’ing’s eyes roll to the back of her head and she falls unconscious. Finds herself alone in a dark realm of endless landscape.
Standing there alone, she hears a soft hissing voice call out, “Revenant of the Cinder Sabre… Your soul was harvested because you were a true Champion of Bahamut. The Oath to the Platinum Dragon you’ve broken was not by your doing, but the will of the Princess of the Shadow Glass. I ask you now to reflect on what you’ve become and decide.”

Queen of Air & Darkness

Xi’ing watches as a shadow grows from your body and shatters like glass and forms into the likeness of a 9’ foot tall slender woman. Her body is composed of a dark, shadowy glass-like material. She is wrapped in a "cloak" of darkness that consumes the light that surrounds her. She has a piercing gaze with green eyes that shine as if they were made of fire itself.
Without moving her lips her soft hissing voice calls out, ”I am the Queen of Air and Darkness. I am your dark passenger and the source of your gifts. I will ask you for the final time… Will you prove yourself in order to join my crusade and carry out my judgments without prejudice…. Or will you forsake me and abandon your gifts?”
Xi’ing asks, “Are you good or evil?”
The entity remains silent.
Xi’ing looks at the shadows curling around the entity and is reminded of the “gifts” she’s been given and the fear that she brings to the people who look upon her and her heart knows the answer.
“I don’t know your purpose and I don’t care. I can’t lose Betty. Bring her back.”
Calmly, the dark entity replies, “So be it.”
Again, darkness falls over Xi'ing as she enters into a void of nothingness.

Report Date

09 Sep 2022