Alea Iacta Est - Part 2

Written by Chrundle_the_Great

General Summary

After hefty preparations, Kapital marches into the ruined city, which swells with factions, all drawn to the dowsing rod, like moths to a flame.

To cleanse Redgaard, we must burn away the darkness, until it is naught but ash and smoke.

— Knight-Captain Theodore Marshall

Session Notes

• The group stands at the base of Eckerman Mill, ready to enter the city
1. Ships sail the Drann River, and more lights than before glow in the Haze
2. Peter sees two petrified Lanterns, recognizing his sister's handiwork
• Ratlings scouts, a mage, and an ogre-sized brute sneakily ambush the group
• Thorak's new sword and Grimgar's new rifle make quick work of the mutants
• The group previously prepared the following:
1. Cecil inspires the group with an encouraging speech, and Tim casts aid
2. Mizzryn entrusts Aloadae's leaden executioner's sword to Thorak and crafts him armor to shield his namesake lung-wound
3. Also, she helps Grimgar make his magnum opus, Careless Whisper
4. Sarlen sabotages the Queen's Men supplies and frames the Lanterns
5. Eldemir uses a scroll of sending to finally contact the Archwizard
1. The Academy are willing to trade Eldemir for the vorpal sword
6. Peter convinces River to invest in the group for the upcoming mission
7. Also, he uses a scroll of commune to beseech St. Tarna for advice
1. She typically appears to the devout on the eve of great changes
2. According to her, the rod is uncorrupted and within the chapel
8. The group trades "rare" meat, courtesy of Friend, to Oleg, who is vegan
1. St. Brenna and a converted priest still reside within the chapel
2. No one has entered because an armored warrior stands guard
3. Silver Order knights are already there, with old allies on the way
4. "One-eyed gremlins" patrol the labyrinthine crypts below
5. In the courtyard, there is a secret entrance into the crematory
• As the group arrives, Lucretia offers them timely advice with a sending
1. "Long live the Flame, it burns within me."
• Sers Inigo and Isabella, with four squires, argue about the path forward
1. More knights are coming to battle S3NT1N3L, the shield guardian blocking the way into the chapel
• Injured Wounded Hearts discover a small tunnel leading into the crematory
1. The statue above holds a staff, that seems to hold the opening shut
• Lady Livia Astorio, minor noble whose house is loyal to House von Myr
1. She senses the group and, being wounded, invites them to speak
2. They begin negotiating for passage, as the Lanterns block all exit routes
• During the conversation, Grimgar presses a button hidden on the staff
• A column of bright holy fire falls from the sky and reveals the tunnel to all
• Inigo brutally charges the "heretics," while Isabella advocates for mercy
• Meanwhile, Sarlen and Grimgar move the immovable rod, opening the tunnel
1. Livia nonmagically charms Grimgar into handing over the inert rod
2. Her guard, Cedric Altammer, distracts the knights to allow her escape
• Eldemir and Peter narrowly escape with shocking grasp and darkness
• The group and Cedric dive into the tunnels; one squire is crushed by debris, as Grimgar set up a timed explosive to collapse the entrance
1. They unearth his body and preserve him with a scroll of gentle repose
• Frescoes depict the mummification of holy warriors, who may be needed after their death; usually, devout of the Sacred Flame are cremated
• Three nothics greet the group, and they trade knowledge and scrolls
1. The creatures fear slugs and seethe at the word "void"
• Without the immovable rod, Grimgar crafts a replacement for the winch that opens the heavy stone doors in the crypts
1. Uneasy about the nothics, Cedric stays behind to operate the winch
• Molten-stone golems and immolated ghosts attack in burial chambers
1. Lucretia's message pacifies the stone sentinels, but not the immolants
2. They were priests who burned themselves to escape the starfalls
• The group finds St. Vitruvio's statue, and Lucretia warns about the future
1. Elyrian armies surrounds Redgaard; St. Vitruvio rides a gold dragon
2. The Knight-Captain believes the saint's relics can awaken his old ally
3. Also, Peter knows St. Vitruvio's winged helm is another seal
• The group finds St. Brenna's tomb, which was doused in contaminated water
• St. Brenna rises, a waterlogged mummy, radiating with twisted saintly magic
• She breaks Sarlen's bowstring, infects Peter with mummy rot, and shrugs off Eldemir's longsword attacks, even infused with fire and light
• Lining up the perfect shot, Grimgar blasts her with Careless Whisper and dissolves the mutated saint in a flood of acid
• Guided by St. Vitruvio, Peter casts light on himself to move the dowsing rod
• Three goblins and an orc bandit hold a knocked-out Cedric hostage
1. They demand the dowsing rod, but the group quickly overwhelm them
2. Because Peter was injured, Eldemir commands the bandit to run away
• Mummy rot prevents Peter from being healed, but the group stabilizes him
• Eldemir trades combine, a 9th-level spell he mysteriously learned while using the vorpal sword in battle with the Consort
1. "Never do that again," the voice of his god chastises him.
• Grimgar offers to take on the curse, accepting that he may not live
1. The nothics perform a ritual, transferring Peter's curse to Grimgar and some of Eldemir's vitality to Peter
• Astounded the group fought for him, Cedric promises to help them escape
• The group ascends the stairs and breaks into the now-otherworldly chapel
• Smiling, the Writhing Prophet says, "Welcome to the void."

Character(s) interacted with

Thorak the Lungless
Cecil Goldmane
Mizzryn Ironheart
Freddy
Tim Ward
Archwizard Eldrick Runeweaver
River
St. Tarna
Oleg
Lucretia Mathias
Ser Inigo de Maravilla
Ser Isabella
S3NT1N3L
Lady Livia Astorio
Cedric Altammer
Knight-Captain Theodore Marshall
St. Brenna
Chor
The Writhing Prophet

Report Date

24 Aug 2024

Primary Location

Chapel of Saint Brenna

Related Characters

• Eldemir Barling
• Grimgar Boomshot
• Peter von Drakken
• Sarlen Broadwing