The Dungeon of Graves: Session 39
General Summary
Getting Their Steps In
Report Date
17 Jul 2021
Out of the marshy waters a large alligator had emerged and seemed to have had a specific taste for Lords. Thevius was forced to run for his life as the massive creature continued to chase him away from the others. From behind the group, Amo had been prepared to protect the Damned from behind if an ambush had occurred. Fortunately for Amo, the group had been ambushed from the front and now the warlock had started to close the distance, joining the fight. Near the water, on the northern side of the cabin, the small kobold scurried from the edge of the water to hide under the wagon. Kachuun was still focusing on the Hypnotic Pattern that currently had three of the bandits occupied. Moments ago the toad, presumably the Wizard’s familiar, had been jumping around the half-orc dwarf trying to slap the wizard awake. Emil had tried his darndest to smack the jumping creature but as the paladin glanced at the toad goo, he made eye contact with Sinestra and gave her a nod. He then crossed the battlefield, as once again Emil was nowhere near the active combatant.
The older half-orc boss had moved to the squishier members of the Damned and Kaertas found himself face-to-face with the quick and dangerous rogue. Trying to make them a smaller threat, the necromancer focused their magic, shrinking them. However, with his new height he was able to notice Kachuun’s hiding spot. Meanwhile, one of Kaertas’ skeletons patted the fire out of Vai’len and offered her shortbow back to her as Lilyandra had taken her crossbow. The other one landed a mighty hit on the small bandit boss. From across the battlefield Ace, the bard, placed a small alligator that only threatened the wee sized bandit who was obviously afraid of the phantasmal force. Ace then moved his dancing rapier joining Lothar in melee with the bandit. The rogue bandit boss safely disengaged from the group swinging at him and moved under the wagon and right before he cleared it, Kaertas released his spell, causing the boss to hit his head on the wagon. He was still able to reach and attack Kachuun and as his blade was coming down, the bard caused him to miss.
At what seemed like an excessive distance away, Amo joined the fight. The warlock first summoned his undead companion who resembled the raven skull that he had acquired from Bago a few weeks ago; however, the left hand looked to be glittering darkness and the other looked like a bow. Sinestra had tried to target the now normal sized bandit boss but nailed the wagon instead, she then fell back behind the trees and had her two raptors follow Lilyandra down the trap door. One of the raptor’s talons snagged on the ladder and tumbled, falling to their death while the other one landed safely and continued their pursuit. On the western side of the cabin, close to the water a familiar bolt flew toward Kaertas who was able to dodge it at the last moment. It seemed that Lily wasn’t following her ‘mother’s’ orders and had stayed to hinder the Damned. Vai’len, now armed with her original shortbow, moved from the cabin and nailed the bandit rogue in the thigh. The damned continued their attack on the bandit boss. Some of them had turned their attention to Lily who had entered the pond. Both Kaertas and Lothar were able to deal damage to the sneaky rogue. The wizard was able to slow Lily down while Lothar sent what looked like matted and sickly wolves to attack her. Lily yelled out in pain as the wolves’ touch caused her to wither in pain. The bandit boss could hear Lily’s cries and with a look of empathy on his face he turned his attention back to the bard who had his fellow bandits occupied.
Kachuun had moved from under the wagon in an attempt to get away from the rogue. Unfortunately the bandit boss disengaged from Emil, Kaertas’ skeleton and the tiny dancing rapier and moved closer to the kobold. Instead of getting up close, he dropped his rapier and brought up his crossbow and yelled “Lily, the kobold!” His shot missed but now it was clear that Kachuun would be Lily’s next target. Amo, from his distance, targeted the boss, nearly killing the rogue. It was Sinestra who finished off the boss with a well placed eldritch blast dead center into his chest. The bandit boss ragdoll fell into the wagon before slumping to the ground. From the water, Lily slunk deeper into the murk, keeping her eyes on Kaertas’ the entire time and fires Vai’len’s crossbow at Kachuun. The bolt caused the bard to drop her concentration and grip the wound in her chest. Near the smaller building the three that were hypnotically distracted shake themselves from their stupor. The drunk wizard puked while the two bigger brutes slapped themselves awake. Vai’len could smell the puke and turned her attention to the elderly wizard, sending one of her few arrows into the wizard. Kachuun fell back behind the sea elf as she brought another spell upon the trio across the battlefield. This time only the two half goliaths were affected.
Getting his steps in for the day, Emil once again was forced to double move to the active enemy but he did shield Kachuun, hoping to boost the bard’s protection. The Damned turned their attention to the wizard; however, unknown to Kaertas the bandit boss’s relentless endurance triggered. The rogue stood and fired at Kaertas before falling behind the wagon and drinking a potion. Amo was able to bring the wizard down with the help of his undead companion but as the rogue popped up the wizard did as well. Blood dripped into the wizard’s stained beard as he uttered a spell. In a whirlwind the wizard attacked, he bounced off of Emil’s shield, however Lothar’s skeletal friends were downed. From her position behind one of the mangroves, Sinestra witnessed the onslaught but could only send more eldritch blast in response unless she wanted to join the skeletons. Meanwhile across the battlefield her raptor had made it out of the tunnel and had attacked Lily. However, Lily responded and the raptor perished. Emil lashed out at the wizard, slaying them and as he went for his second attack he made eye contact with one of the big brutes while he delivered another deadly blow. The large half goliath managed to smack Emil in response and then feed the wizard a healing potion before he bled out. They then used their body to protect the older wizard. The other half goliath turned his attention to Emil, smacking him twice and stunning him with a donkey kick to the chest; they then ran across the battlefield towards Vai’len and Ace.
Lothar had his attention on Lily but had Lupus finish off the bandit boss once again. The cleric then moved to join the others near the cabin. Amo fired at what he could aim at, both of the larger bandits while Sinestra tried to take out the wizard. While she landed a hit on both the cover and the wizard, she was countered when she tried to heal Emil off the ground. From around the smaller building, the bandit wizard dropped a fireball on Ace, Vai’len and Kachuun. Only the rogue was able to dance her way out of the blaze, the others laid singed on the ground. With one of the larger bandits in front of her, Vai’len stood her ground knowing that if she moved safely away the bandit would turn on her fallen companions. She aimed for the soft spot between two ribs but the brute barely held his ground.
During one of his attacks, Amo had managed to fear the bandit that was using his large body to block the wizard from being attacked. His fear took over and he called out to his father. “Dad, mom’s dead...brother is dying…I’m scared…” It seemed like he was trying to convince the drunkard to stop attacking. The wizard called out to cease fire. Lothar healed Emil while Amo called out for the bandits to give them the chest the wizard was sleeping in. Sinestra called out form the wizard to come out and show them that they were surrendering. While the older bandit moved he tossed his component pouch into the chest and moved to his rogue son. His eyes rested on the dead form of his hag wife and sighed. Vai’len used the time to feed a potion to Kachuun and when the bard became conscious, she walked to Ace and fed him a Goodberry. Emil wearily stood up and used his Lay of Hands and a potion to regain his health. It was obvious that the paladin wanted vengeance but he held his attacks. The wizard called out to his son to feed his brother a potion and while the bandits gathered, Lothar asked why they should spare them and gestured to the tree which had bodies hanging from it. As the older man turned to respond to Lothar’s question, Amo had casted and held a spell that he released as he approached. “So much for letting them surrender.” One of the bandit brothers collapsed over the body of his father, bleeding profusely from his ears; the echoes of his roar could be heard across the water. Vai’len ducked behind the cabin and threw her dagger out at one of the bandits. The monk turned and caught the dagger but it still pierced his heart and the bandit collapsed. Emil moved closer to the water where one of the half goliaths was ready to feed the rogue bandit a potion. As the potion was unstoppered, Kaertas' skeleton sliced the dying bandit’s head off. The fist closed around the healing potion and he turned to look at the skeleton with white hot rage.
With only one living bandit alive, the Damned turned all of their firepower on the half goliath. All except Lothar who voiced his concern on if they had turned to being real agents of the Shrike. Ace tried to reason with the cleric by stating that these weren’t good people and that they would stab them in the back. Vai’len who had approached the bandit she had thrown her dagger into, brought her boot up and placed it onto the hilt, driving into the body. She joined Ace in trying to explain their actions to Lothar, “The more we let go, the more we have after us. It's not like these were innocent. You tried to help them and look what it got us.” Amo had finally joined the others in the thick of the battlefield and while the dying were bleeding out he used his staff to launch the wizard’s head into the water. Between Emil and Sinestra the rest of the bleeding out bandits shuttered their last breath.
The Damned gathered the dead while Lothar approached his skeletons and carefully removed the armor. Sap was gathered from the trees and Lothar started to dig graves for his skeletons and the bodies in the trees. Meanwhile the area was investigated and the loot gathered. They discussed bringing the bodies to Inako or burning them. Kachuun simply stated that it was a waste of resources if they didn't make use of the spoils. During their investigation they had found a diary that had belonged to Lily. It was written in common and described the girl’s exploits in Gylidd Syn Aethri. There was a bounty for a wraith-like girl that was killing people. She would take them back to her family. The brothers were part of Laurent’s Marvels and Eccentricities known as the Waytt Family, Brayce, Urk and Lurk. The hag was referred to as Momma Agga and the wizard was Roddrick. The Waytt family had spent many years out here avoiding the Brume. In the back of the diary were old wanted posters of Lilyandra.
It was clear that Lothar was upset about the actions the others had taken. They tried to convince him of their point of view but the cleric held strong to his belief that everyone deserved a chance at redemption. Efferil and Orir's bodies, Lothar’s skeletons, look shattered by the Steel Wind Strike, but some solace could be found in how peacefully they lay as Lothar interred them in the earth. The others had decided to reach out to Inako about the bodies and Ace sent a message to the Prime Thrall asking her to scry on their location. Feeling a bit guilty, Vai’len approached the graves that Lothar and Kaertas had prepared for the dead; she asked the wizard to create another one. The farm and location would have been a place that Mogg would have loved to make a homestead for himself and his friends. With that thought she dropped an arrow into the grave and said a prayer for the fallen scout.
Meanwhile, Ace received word that it wouldn’t be Inako who collected the bodies. The Shrike arrived in dramatic fashion. Where they could see the Shrike’s actual body through the dark clothing, it looked to be necromantic, all bones and avian in nature. They hoovered midair calling out “Well done, Wren slayers.” The temperature instantly dropped to near freezing. “Yes, these ones will serve us well. You will be rewarded handsomely...they have much strength in them. Powers that I will soon possess.” The Shrike scanned the environment, “I sense this area is teeming with life...we are far enough from the influence of the Other.” An ear piercing shriek exploded out from the Shrike as they casted spirit guardians. The entire area around them is blanketed with death. Much wider than the normal spell. Life got slaughtered all around them and it felt like they were in a hurricane that wasn't touching them. The necromantic energy was drawn in and in abyssal “RISE” every dead creature within 500 feet rose at the Shrike’s command. Those without heads had their spirits drawn. The bodies of Lothar’s skeleton friends were even brought back and turned. Kaertas was able to retain control of their skeleton but barely. The undead approached the Shrike; 200 birds, alligators, but no Lilyandra slinking from the water. Tendrils from the Shrike lashed out and then the Shrike teleported all of the new army with them and only a chest was left.
