Session 202 - Nightmare in the Sewers

General Summary

15^th of Kelen (Third Month of Spring) 724TR

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 166 - A Hanging.

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Location - City of Tashal in the Kingdom of Kaldor.

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Part 1 - An Old Acquaintance

Valter Pike, art by Artbreeder

After a long night drinking, Blaine stumbles out of his favorite tavern and runs into three ruffians. "The Boss wants to talk," they tell him. He is escorted to a dirty dark alleyway. He is met by a familiar figure, Valder Pike, one of the city's criminal gang leaders.

"You made a promise for a future favor for our help," he says. "Now, keep it" (refer Session 166 - A Hanging). The thieves guild has a problem. One of their highways, the sewers under the city, has become hazardous. Three of their guild are dead, their corpses were found shredded. The thieves think that some monsters are lurking in the sewer tunnels, and he wants Blaine and the magic woman he serves to deal with this situation.

Part 2 - Enter the Sewers

Blaine convinces Jolanta to help out, and the pair enter the sewer under the city's Mangai Square district. Soon they note an unusual, somewhat familiar smell they can't quite place is among the foul sewerage. They later learn that this is a fragrance used by the Priests of the Order of the Yellow Hand to protect themselves against certain dangerous underground fungi.

As they make their way in, they find the dismembered remains of several thieves. Seemingly out of nowhere, huge disgusting insects attack. As the Chuuls are dispatched both Blaine and Jolanta feel a strange sensation, like a form of magical tugging. Both resisted the magic for the moment.

Later the characters spot a suspicious section on the wall. It looks far too clean. Blaine investigates, feels a magical tug again, and this time disappears.

Part 3 - The Nightmare

Jolanta checks the wall more closely; it is an illusion. Walking through, she finds a freshly dug passage into a dark and gloomy cavern.

Meanwhile, Blaine finds himself in a cellar basement of an inn. Barrels of various alcohol line the walls, and fresh food is on the table near a stove. Inspecting the alcohol, he pours himself a drink. The beer is tasteless, the food has the flavor of paper, and the stove is cold. Something's not right. He tests another three barrels of ale; likewise, they taste like muddy water. Opening the door, exiting the cellar, he finds it opens to a blank wall. Puzzled he fails to notice something lurking on the roof behind him.

Meanwhile, Jolanta moves into the cavern and finds Blaine in a side passage. He is staring at a wall while a hideous tentacled monster, attached to the roof, attacks. Jolanta strikes with powerful disintegration magic getting the creature's attention, eventually Dimension Doors Blaine and herself back into the sewers. Blaine breaks free from the illusion he was ensnared in. Unfortunately, before they can consider tactics, the creature appears out of nowhere behind them. The Balhannoth is extremely dangerous, possessing a crude, but cunning intellect and formidable physical presence. Blaine is nearly eviscerated, and Jolanta is almost bludgeoned to death. Eventually, her magical blasting attacks prevail, and the creature of nightmares is destroyed.

Part 4 - The Investigation

Jolanta applies her analytical skills to understanding what has gone on. Her deductions are as follows.

The elves trapped some ancient evil in a cavern in the long past. It was long forgotten about when they abandoned the city. Recently one of the priests of the Order of the Yellow Hand discovered a well-disguised ancient side passage while searching for a mystical holy book. He excavated an entrance into a lost cavern and disrupted the ancient magical wardings freeing the Balhannoth. After feeding on the priest, the horror grew strong and started to hunt nearby intelligent creatures such as the thieves and enslave the Chuurls from deeper underground caverns.

To be continued.

NPC Interactions

Valter Pike - Thieves Guild Gang Boss.

Challenges Overcome

Killed 3 x Chuurls.

Killed 1 x Balhannoth.

Created Contact

Nothing this week.

Related Reports

Temple of Ilvir - Church of the Yellow Hand.

Player Character Status

Jolanta - Human - Level 10 Evoker.

Campaign

Agents of the White Hand - Campaign Complete

Protagonists

Jolanta

Report Date

20 Dec 2021

Primary Location

City of Tashal

NPC Companions

Blaine

Jolanta's loyal and often drunk bodyguard.

Blaine, art by Artur Sadlos