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Kingdom on the Brink - Session 52

General Summary

The party leaves the failed ambush and goes until night falls, the party pushes off into the ruins and off the road and sets up camp for the night. Merigold starts cooking dinner and Del Varis starts to mediate over his chakra needles. As the party gets ready to bed down Rosemary and Merigold hear something in the distance, Merigold goes to investigate, she finds a figure with ghost like figures. Merigold asks who the figure is and they respond that they are the Lord of the Hunt (a fey lord), the fey asks if Merigold has seen a deer as they are on a blood trail (she hasn't). The rest of the party approaches the fey, as Del Varis approaches, the Lord of the Hunt recognizes his presence (it reminds him of his parents). The party is guarded towards the fey, but they invite him into their campsite, the fey takes a seat and Merigold offers him some stew. The fey savors the flavors and speaks of how the time adds a certain taste to it, Del Varis asks about why his parents were kidnapped, the Lord of the Hunt says that their allowance probably ran out and they needed to return to their place of duty. Del Varis says that his father disappeared in a dramatic flash and pulled out of this world, the fey says that the night court tends to be more dramatic but says it's their way of things to return to their duties and not to exceed their allowance. Merigold asks what the fey means by allowance, the fey chuckles and says it is time fey are allowed to be away from their duties. The fey also finds it strange Del Varis' father had to be taken in such a dramatic fashion (has trouble comprehending that Del Varis' father would overstay his allowance). Del Varis gets angrier, essentially saying the fey kidnapped his parents, the fey simply says it's their way, he also finds it strange that Del Varis wasn't brought back as well. The party mentions they did run into some fey earlier (Kingdom on the Brink - Session 41). The Lord of the Hunt explains a little more about the two courts how the difference of time between the two realms, Merigold asks if it's possible to go back in time. The fey finds this amusing and asks if he can have that idea, Merigold agrees and the fey takes the idea (Merigold forgets it). He finds the thought amusing and thanks her for the idea. The Lord of the Hunt begins and leaves the party with a warning, he has felt a darkness descend upon this land and only sees it getting worse the further the party goes. Uriel persuades the Lord of the Hunt to take a horse, the fey accepts and leaves the party to rest.

The group breaks camp and continues towards the south of the Berkmark mountains, they come across a field that stills have unharvested wheat (which is strange because the harvest season is almost done and winter is close by). The party approaches the farmers and asks about the unharvested wheat, the farmers say the royal wagons came in few numbers and stopped earlier in the season; all the grain in the field should be in a royal granary but isn't. Uriel buys the rest of the grain and goes into the village and buys 4 wagons to hall the grain, with some persuasion Uriel also gets some guards who will be willing to take it back to the Lakecliff Ruins (they still think it's dangerous). The shopkeeper also talks about some bandits that have been plaguing the area, Uriel says he'll take care of it. While Uriel was away Duromar keeps watch and sees there are scorch marks on the ground to the north, looking like steps that are leading away from the area. Uriel comes back and says they are going to look for some bandits, the party follows the path of scorch marks Duromar found. The party finds an overturned cart and a set of tents with some dead bodies, Duromar moves around the perimeter while Uriel goes directly into the camp. Uriel uses his gem of seeing to gain true sight and sees there is two Wickermen and two Shadow River Lord, the party moves to engage. Rosemary casts spirit guardians and Bob charges towards the Wickerman, the Wickerman slams against Bob and grapples him but Duromar dimensions doors them out. Del Varis, Rosemary, and Merigold move and destroy one of the Wickermen, the Shadow River Lord unleashes a necrotic fog but it has no effect. The second Shadow River Lord unleashes its necrotic fog for limited effect on Duromar and Uriel. Uriel smites the Shadow River Lord (finding out it's undead). Merigold and Rosemary destroy the Shadow River lord and move to help Uriel and Duromar, Del Varis moves up to flank the other Wickerman and Duromar fells it. Uriel destroys the second Shadow River Lord, the party searches the camp, finding some diamonds and sees the corpses were killed by strong bladed weapons. They find some heavy footprints and follow them into a wooded/swampy area.

As the party moves further into the wooded area they hear the sounds of running water, the woods open up and they see some deep creeks, there is an Archdruid and a Ouroban on the other side. Duromar casts a fireball on them, the Archdruid partially resists it but the Ouroban seems to not be effected at all. The Archdruid uses shapechange and turns into an Invisible Stalker, the Ouroban moves up and fires a crossbow bolt that strikes Uriel, the party charges at the enemy. Rosemary casts sacred flame at the Invisible Stalker and Merigold casts vicious mockery on the Ouroban, but they resist. The Invisible Stalker slams against Rosemary twice, Uriel moves up and uses a charge from his gem of seeing to cast true sight (allowing him to see the Invisible Stalker). Uriel charges the Stalker and smites it, Merigold moves to flank the Stalker and attempts to trip it but finds it can't be proned. Duromar charges in with Bob and tramples the Ouroban, the Ouroban unleashes abyssal fire on the party, which leaves Uriel poisoned, Rosemary uses her hands of healing to cleanse Uriel. The Ouroban attempts to cast divine favor but Duromar counterspells it, Rosemary and Merigold team up and strike the Invisible Stalker several times, forcing it back into its Archdruid form. The Archdruid shifts back into the Invisible Stalker, Uriel uses his conquering presence to attempt to frighten the enemy, it affects the Ouroban. Duromar uses steel wind strike and hits both enemies, the Ouroban strikes Bob twice with his great sword, Rosemary and Merigold move in and begin to strike the Ouroban. When Merigold uses her flaming sword she finds the fire heals the Ouroban, she commands the fire to cease. The Invisible Stalker sees the battle is going poorly and flees back to their camp, Uriel uses command to make the Ouroban drop it's great sword, but shortly after doing that the Ouroban gets struck down by the conquering presence. Uriel stabilizes the Ouroban and says to swear allegiance to Uriel, the Ouroban says Uriel's power is nothing compared to what it has seen, Duromar casts finger of death on him. After dying the Ouroban comes back as a zombie under Duromar's control, the party short rests.

Merigold scouts ahead and finds a swampy area with an island of dry land that has many tents set up, an encampment. Merigold reports back and the party comes up with a plan, they swap magic items and set to assault the bandit camp. Rosemary and Merigold use a cape to cast dimension door to disrupt the Ouroban, Uriel blows his berserker horn to summon berserkers. The Archdruid casts entangle, which restrains Merigold, The Ouroban charge her, nine great sword strikes come towards her but she shrugs off seven of them. Uriel summons his Nightmare and charges forward with Gregori and Del Varis close behind him, Duromar casts dimension door and appears next to the Archdruid and begins to sing his bladesong. The fight quickly devolves into a melee with the Ouroban fighting off a swarm of berserkers and the party, they attempt to use their fire breathe to thin out the party and heal themselves. Unfortunately, Duromar and Rosemary have ensured the Archdruid can't assist by keeping her stunned and she falls quickly to Bob's trampling charge. The berserkers whittle away at the Ouroban, Del Varis moves in and stuns a few, Duromar casts disintegrate on another. Uriel charges with his Nightmare and summons a magical lance with devastating effects on a charge, Merigold takes advantage of the chaos and surgically strikes with her short sword. For the few hits the Ouroban get in the party shrugs off, Rosemary summons her spirit guardians to mop up the stragglers and finally the dust settles, the camp defenders are dead.
It is currently mid-afternoon on the 20th day of Leranth 2517 AGF
Report Date
10 Feb 2024

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