Session 184 - The Bloody Lodge
General Summary
20th and 24th of Savor (Third Month of Autumn) 723TR
The story so far
Jolanta, and her trusty bodyguard Blaine, are agents of the mysterious Order of the White Hand, hunting down unscrupulous mages and covering up magical mishaps.
This is the continuation of Session 182 - Monster in the Well.
Location - City of Tashal in the Kingdom of Kaldor.
Part 1 - Mission 12 - Khâl
Khâl, the Order of the White Hand agent, fire wizard and artificer, arrives in the city. The dwarf is on a mission and enlists Jolanta's help. Khâl is hunting a very dangerous and murderous opponent, Windreaper.
Seventy years ago, the renegade arcanist, Stryxian, was well known for his many questionable acts. The vilest was his creation of Windreaper, a cursed battleaxe. He wanted to forge an intelligent weapon, so he captured an orc berzerker, tortured it, and transferred its personality and spirit into the weapon. He successfully captured the foulspawn's pain, hate, fury, and rage. This dangerous weapon corrupts its wielder, twisting and eventually dominating them. Invariably the outcome is mass murder. The wielder goes on a killing spree until he is killed, and another warrior claims the weapon, and the cycle of death starts anew.
Windreaper is believed to be in the hands of Kaska Chimhien, an Ivinian housecarl from the Kingdom of Orbaal. He was recently exiled after murdering too many Jarinese thralls and was last seen, with four companions, heading towards the Dwarven kingdom of Azadmere. Khâl believes he will likely be traveling across Naniom Bridge, and he hopes they can intercept him before there are more deaths.
Before they leave Lady Bresyn Risai takes Jolanta aside. She warns that Khâl, being a fine and good man, has a problem. Sometimes he can't resist taking minor items he finds interesting. Jolanta is asked to keep him out of trouble.
Location - Silver Way in the Kingdom of Kaldor.
Part 2 - Swarm
The travelers make their way along the Silver Way trade route when half a day from Naniom Bridge, they see two knights charging towards them. The knights of the Order of the Lady of Paladins abruptly stop and warn the characters. An orc swarm, estimated at nearly 1,000 strong, originating from the Colony of Fana has been dispersed, a few leagues east of the Naniom bridge. The foulspawn survivors have broken up into small bands and scattered. Some have crossed the Nephen River and are likely prowling nearby. Khâl seems strangely pleased with this turn of events. "Orcs to kill" be mutters.
The knight was correct; the Orcs have crossed the river and not long after ambush the heroes. They charge forward with blood-thirsty screams. Jolanta unleashes disintegration blasts, and Khâl creates a bonfire from which bolts of fire emerge. The magical barrage kills half the orcs before they close to melee, then Khâl strikes with his great steel maul, Purge, which glows white-hot with magical energy as he swings it. Blaine makes short work of several foulspawn putting his sword Orc Bleeder to good use but is badly battered. Jolanta forces some of the orcs back with Thunder Wave, but the loud boom attracts more gargun stragglers. Eventually, the heroes win the day, all the orcs are slain, and Khâl is a happy man.
Location - Naniom Bridge in the Kingdom of Kaldor.
Part 3 - Naniom Bridge
The travelers arrive at Naniom Bridge and find two squadrons of knights, dozens of mercenaries, and even a dozen Taelda barbarians. Asking around, Jolanta learns that Kaska Chimhien had arrived yesterday. He joined the fight against the orcs and shocked the knights with the savagery he and his four companions displayed. Blood and entrails everywhere. However, he was a violent troublemaker, and luckily he decided to stay at the nearby dwarven hunting lodge. Khâl comments he must have a key to gain entry.
Khâl challenges Blaine to a drinking competition. As it happens, it's no contest, Blaine a former champion drinker is drunk under the table. It's been a good day indeed for the dwarf.
Jolanta and friends rest for the night and, an hour before dawn, quietly approach the hunting lodge.
Part 4 - The Ancient Lodge
There is smoke coming from one of the lodge's ventilation holes; it looks like the men are still here. Jolanta considers conjuring a CloudKill and sterilizing the lodge. However, Khâl convinces her that such an indiscriminate act of sorcery will fall outside the acceptable code of behavior of a White Hand Agent. They are not 100% sure that everyone in that lodge is their enemy.
Much to Khâl's entertainment, Blaine tries to pick the entrance's sophisticated magnetic lock. He fails. So the heroes make another plan. Jolanta will Reduce Blaine to quarter size, and he will enter through the ventilation shaft, using his Boots of Spider Climb, while Jolanta and Khâl Dimension Door into what they estimate is an entry chamber.
The plan goes badly almost immediately. Jolanta and Khâl appear in the lodge and face four alert opponents. These are skilled warriors, and the Priest of Sarajin leaps into the air, slashing Jolanta with a lighting-charged axe strike. This breaks her concentration on her protective magic spells, and Blaine also returns to full size and is noticed by the villains. The three heroes battle on, as despite some injuries, gain the upper hand. Eventually, Jolanta unleashes a blast of force, slicing into several opponents, instantly killing them. The last wounded warrior retreats downstairs. He does not get away and is executed by a well-placed Ice Storm from Jolanta's magic staff.
To be continued.
NPC Interactions
Khâl
Several Knights of the Order of the Lady of Paladins.
Challenges Overcome
Killed 25 x Common Orcs.
Killed 3 x Veterans and 1 Priest of Sarajin.
Created Contact
Khâl.
Related Reports
Order of the White Hand - Updated.
Player Character Status
Jolanta - Human - Level 9 Evoker.
Jolanta
NPC Companions
Blaine
Jolanta's loyal and often drunk bodyguard.
Khâl
Dwarven Fire wizard, Artificer and member of the Order of the White Hand.
LOL, we gotta get Blaine some help with his 'problem'