Session 04
General Summary
Magma Force found themselves in a cell block inside the Malachite Fortress under the city of
Cauldron. A quick search of the cells revealed four captives and Harley quickly had them out of
their prison. One was a beaten up and surly but handy seeming warrior and the other three were
half scared to death townsfolk. The warrior, Krylscar, wanted revenge on his captors and to find
his friend Gryffon who was also a prisoner elsewhere in the complex. It was agreed that they
would leave the fortress with these prisoners, take them to the church of St. Cuthbert and then get
healed up and return ASAP.
Within 30 minutes the group had made their way back through the Fortress, ascended the elevator
after Camero had climbed 200 ft. up the elevator chains to pull the lever and set the elevator in
motion again - made their way through Jzadirune, beaten off a skulk who ambushed them, and
reached the surface. They spoke briefly to Keygan, who was still at home, his shop locked up and
he asked if they had found Starbrow. They explained they thought they knew where he was but
had not rescued him yet. Then the group crossed town and took the three townsfolk they had
rescued, plus Krylscar, to the church where Jenya was very pleased to see them. The clerics there
healed them up and gave them a few more scrolls and potions of healing and encouraged them
back into the depths again.
Krylscar following them, keen to rescue his friend, the group returned to the Malachite Fortress
without incident. Things had changed in there though - hobgoblin bodies had been recovered from
the places they had been stashed and what was left of the treasure that they left behind had been
moved.
Arriving back at the cellblock they discovered it guarded by three hobgoblins who they made
short work of. A further captive was now in this locale, a woman called Corystone who agreed to
help the party. They gave her back her walking cane that they had found earlier and she unscrewed
the handle and drank deeply from the insides, her wounds instantly healing. She said she wanted
revenge upon the jailer who had just been torturing her and lead the group forward to the torture
chamber. Rushing in the seven adventurers quickly overpowered and slaughtered the two
hobgoblins there and the one armed ebon skinned jailer hobgoblin who Corystone took great
delight in skewering with the shortsword she had picked up.
It was agreed that it was time to hit the main hallway where the slaves were taken to be sold now,
as Corystone and Krylscar told the party that the four kids had been taken off there to be prepared
to be sold off.
The party ventured out onto the bridge approaching the main hall and Harley snuck up and had a
look. He saw a slave bazaar going on with 4 chained kids being sold by a stout looking plate
armoured humanoid to a short ashen faced strange looking dwarf creature. The humanoid's pet, a
weird spiny half skeletal dog creature spotted Harley peering in and began to howl. The group
collected together ready to fight on the bridge when the door opened and a hobgoblin guard
looked out, saw them standing there, looked surprised and alarmed and slamed the door shut.
The group formed up, moved forward and opened the door, charging into the room. There were 6
hobgoblin guards but the first four of these were felled almost as a side issue as the tide of 7
adventurers swarmed into the chamber. Up some stairs was the platemail clad humanoid and his
spiney dog companion, plus 2 more hobgoblin guards. Here also were chained the four children.
There was no sign of the ashen faced dwarf who appeared to have been buying the slaves.
Braken and Coryston enganged the two hobgoblins, Corystone using magic to put one to sleep and
then execute it, whilst Braken held up the other long enough for her to move in behind it and run it
through. At the same time two more hobgoblins arrived from the corridors, drawn in by the
howling and wailing of the dog. Kyrlscar broke off and charged them both, holding them up and
eventually killing one.
Meanwhile the rest engaged the humanoid who turned out to be Kazmojen, a half troll-half dwarf.
He wore black platemail and wielded a dwarven urgosh - an axe head at one end and a spikey
point at the other. Him and his dog were a fearsome pair. Both picked out Morgan the paladin as
their first target but this left everyone else to lay down some serious hurt on them both. The
howler went down before it was able to do too much and then with Morgan frantically healing
himself, and eventually with Braken's healing aid, the rest were able to take the creature down.
Finally Gotrek swung his trusty axe and Kazmojen's head flew from his shoulders.
Morgan quickly rushed to the children to calm their fears and make sure they were okay, as the
others rushed to Krylscar's aid cutting down the last hobgoblin guard as it tried to flee.
The battle was over, the children saved and the bad guys were all dead. Or so it seemed.
As the party were searching the dead a figure appeared in the doorway, it was the same ashen
skinned dwarf who Harley had earlier spotted haggling with Kazmojen. This creature who Braken
recognised as being from the layers of Hell was flanked by two lemure devils. He asked for his
property back - the three kids he had bought off of Kazmojen. The party refused, intimidating him
and threatening him with what they would do if he came any closer. The creature looked them all
over, warned them that he knew who they were and would not forget them and then turned and
strolled off into the fortress, his lemure guards trailing after him.
That incident over the party lined up ready to escort the kids to where Krylscar said the other
slaves who had not yet been sold were being kept. Suddenly behind them there was a barely
audiable 'pop' and everyone turned to see a creature of legend floating before them.
The beholder was about 7 ft. in diameter with one great eye in the center of its body, now shut.
Below that was a toothy maw and atop its head were about a dozen stalks, each one of which had
an eye on the end. The beholder spoke in a soft, quiet, yet menacing tone. It demanded that the
group hand over Terrem, one of the boys, saying he should never have been taken and that the
beholder would see that he was returned safely to the orphanage.
Morgan stepped forward, showing his lack of fear of this evil creature and in a nutshell refused to
hand over the child. The beholder asked his name and commended him on his bravery but
demonstrated the futility of his position by disintergrating a nearby cage holding a fire beetle.
Braken then tried to turn the beholder, calling upon the power of St. Cuthbert. The beholder
laughed, asked his name and then scolded him for not realising he was no undead menace.
Meanwhile Morgan detected evil and sensed that this creature was indeed powerfully evil. Harley
tried to find out why the beholder wanted this child and why he could not teleport all of them back
to the orphanage. Again the beholder asked for his name, but refused to explain his reasons or to
take the group anywhere. When asked for his name in return the beholder said that in their tongue
he might be called Orbius.
Eventually, having little choice as the beholder disintergrated another fire beetle cage to prove a
point, the party handed Terrem over to the fiendish creature, figuring it was best to save three of
the children. The beholder and Terrem disappeared with the 'pop'.
Dazed and somewhat overwhelmed by their experience, Magma Force and their new companions
moved quickly through the rest of the Fortress killing off a few remaining goblins and rescuing a
few more captives, including Gryffon, the bar keep from the Tipped Tankard Tavern - the friend
of Krylscar. They then moved slowly back up through the Malachite Fortress to the elevator room,
where one of the dwarven captives spotted a secret door which lead to a room with a lever for
operating the elevator. This made getting back up a lot easier.
They passed uneventfully through a few secret passages in Jzadirune and back into Ghelve's Locks
where Keygan still waited for them to return. Overjoyed to see so many prisoners returned safely
he was still very sad to see that Starbrow, his rat familiar was not among those rescued. Morgan
promised to return and rescue the rat the next day however and Keygan appeared molified.
The group escorted to the prisoners to the church of St. Cuthbert where they were warmly greeted
by Jenya. They told her all that had happened. Those who had seen the beholder were warned that
they should not speak of it for fear of causing a panic in the city and the children were escorted
back to the orphanage where it turned out Terrem had been returned safe and sound by a lady in a
dark veil. He did not know her and did not think to ask her name. The group stayed for an
impromptu party at the orphanage to celebrate their success.
Returning finally to the Church of St. Cuthbert Jenya once again thanked them and told them to
come back to see her in the morning when they would be given their reward. The party thought
about heading out for a celebratory drink but decided that bloodied, battered and bruised as they
were a hot bath and a good sleep was called for, so they headed straight back to the Drunken
Morkoth and a cosy bed.
Report Date
11 Apr 2024
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