Arrows of Slaying and Adlerweg Keep: Game 13

General Summary

The adventure was divided into two parts. First, The Company of the Furies: Eumenides rested, recuperated, and researched at Sentinel Fortress. The party convinced the Claudine Peronne and Lord Raymond Ilios, Marquess of the Reaches and Lord of Sentinel Fortress to resurrect Joan, the party's priestess. Second, the Company planned and attacked the Adlerweg Keep, surprising and ambushing the gnoll and other forces of chaos and evil.

Key Learnings

Arrows of Slaying

Etienne Ilios, Twim and Lomilgamir Thraswen researched in Sentinel Fortress library in an effort to discover whether the unborn fetus (or more accurately the zygote) of Ettienne and Jeanne Tour was really necessary to create the arrows of dragon, demon and necromancer slaying. Both Jeanne Tour and Deval de Navarate welcomed their assistance and explained their research. Etienne, Twin and Lomilgamir have concluded that the zygote is not necessary to create the arrows of dragon and demon slaying, but it will make them more powerful, and that is likely necessary for the creation of the arrow of necromancer slaying.

Fire Giant Invasion

The Company stopped the main Fire Giant army that traveled through under underground tunnels to reach the Glacial Rift. The party caused a cave in Lich's Ambush: Game 11, which blocked the Fire Giant army from reaching the Inner Reaches, and the army is without sufficient food for at least some of them to return home. The Inner Reaches were well defended from invasion by Sentinel Fortress and Hammerholme, and this secret passage would have allowed the army to have bypassed these mountain passes in their effort to destroy the human lands. The Company learned prior to arriving at Sentinel Fortress that there was another army of Fire Giants, with many of their noncombatants camped/besieging Sentinel Fortress. This smaller army was supposed to be let into the Inner Reaches after Sentinel Fortress was attacked from the rear by the Fire Giant army that passed underground. Now, however, the second, smaller Fire Giant army is trapped outside of Sentinel Fortress, potentially unaware of its great predicament. Lord Raymond and Dame Agnes Ilios (Lord Raymond's niece, the Fortress Steward and heir apparent to the title of Marchioness and Lady of Sentinel Fortress) can allow the Fire Giants, gnolls and their allies to depart safely. They have a two step plan to trap and destroy the Fire Giants. There are two potential paths to escape. First, the giants can travel along the narrow mountain Adlerweg Road past Adlerweg Keep, which is currently captured by gnolls. Second, they can take the Valley Road, a more easily traveled path that passes by the human allied town Grahluk. Lord Raymond and Dame Agnes wish to close the Adlerweg escape path, force the Fire Giant army down the Valley Road, and then ambush and totally annihilate them. The first step is retake Adlerweg Keep, which the Company volunteered to do.

Adlerweg Keep

The Wild Reaches have a number of scattered human and human aligned communities, including Grahluk and Adlerweg Keep. The Keep blocks a key mountain pass that leads to Sentinel Fortress, and has been guarded by the Counts Berghof for generations. Count Berghof and his retainers recently were all slain or captured in a bloody siege lead by the necromancer Yarlzedd and his great two headed black dragon Calastryx.

Sentinel Fortress

While the mages researched, the remaining party members rested and recuperated in their own unique manners. Grady Michel Fenimure de Villemain focused on drugging the dour Katheroi into having a good time. In contrast, Guilhem de Quéribus enjoyed a sense of peace, home and open display of faith that he has never felt before. The constant oppression and discrimination of the Fultonian Religion is a monumental weight lifted from his shoulders. Using his magic ring and strong judge of character, Guilhem knows that none of the Katheroi are lying to him or attempting to mislead him. Even when the make different decisions than he might (e.g,, using the Fultonian laws of succession to help choose their next Lord, or using the zygote to create Arrows of Slaying), he discusses with the wisest of the Katheroi and understands why they are doing what they are doing. And more importantly, he accepts what they are doing. These people are pure of heart, acting with the purpose of kindness, and surviving in literally one of the most hostile environments in Fultar.

Adlerweg Keep

The Company was informed of an underground passage to a secret rear entrance to Adlerweg Keep, and directed to use it to sneak and free the Keep. The Company, however, hatched another plan to sneak in to the Keep through the roof. Hiding in a magical extradimensional space, the Company observed the Keep learning that it was well defended with organized humanoid soldiers. The Company watched two great human like leaders that came to the roof to observe the setting sun, as if waiting for something to arrive in the sky. One was a large 9 to 10 foot tall creature with great horns or a horned helmet, and the second was all wrapped in black robes. The gnoll guards were clearly in great fear of the two. The Company’s plan succeeded, and the DM's plan for the party to make more of a frontal assault was foiled. The Company bowled over and ambushed the guards, broke into the top floor, and destroyed the gnolls on the top floor with their magic. The Company has surprised the Keep, and understands that they have initiative. The guards were not expecting an attack from the top floor, and great devastation has been wrecked upon an entire contingent of the enemy. The Company also understands that is it likely that, given time to organize and regroup, that they are in a precarious situation with enemies in the Keep below and the roof. The enemy is caught off guard and on their heels, and the Company will need to move quickly with daring and skill to keep them from reorganizing. In meta gaming in terms, you have a great opportunity to take the Keep, but you must move with speed and alacrity.