Next Steps Game 22.5

General Summary

The Company of the Furies: Eumenides is at a decision point about the next steps of its adventures. The Company must first escape down the caldera of the necromancer's volcano, pass by Drow guards, and enter into the teleportation room; however, the Company will likely return to Sentinel Fortress. After at least some period of rest, for the first time have the freedom to choose what and where it wants to go.

Sentinel Fortress

At Sentinel Fortress, the Company is able to recuperate under the austere but protected care of the Katheroi. Lord Raymond Ilios, Marquess of the Reaches and Lord of Sentinel Fortress returned, successfully slew the demon doppelganger, and led a purification of the evil that was slowly creeping into the settlement. Joan has been fully resurrected and healed, and welcomes the Company with great warmth (which for this Katheroi war priestess means no hugs or kisses, but a faint smile and a warm glow in her eyes) and a sense of disappointment that she was unable to help in the final destruction of Yarlzedd, Calastryx and the Fire Giant King Snurre. Adrhal Lia the rock elf thief. She does not seem like a perfect its as her primary interests lie in the Wild Reaches, her skill set seems to overlap with Twim's, and she is a very cautious combatant. Using the Fortress's library, and the assistance of the mages Shubi Danso, Deval de Navarate and Etienne's lover Jeanne Tour, the Company is able to disable the necromancer's protection magic and access the spells in Necromancer's Spell Book.

What's Next?

The Company has preliminarily decided that it wants to visit the dwarven town of Hammerfast, a former dwarven necropolis that is a trading hub and now houses the greatest known library of dwarven lore and history in or around Fultar--the Grand Library, and the greatest center of dwarven learning left the Lore Spire. The Company could also decide to visit the town Hammerholme, which defends the northern most area of the Nearer Reaches from the forces of evil in the Wild Reaches and the pass which was closed at the end of the Bloodspear Orc Invasion, or the undergound dwarven town of Thunderdelve, once known as the Halls of Paradise before it was destroyed by Yarlzedd and Calastryx during the Arrival of the Great Worms. Grond Silverstar, the dwarven priest of Moradin that the Company encountered in Sentinel Fortress At Last: Game 12 lives in Hammerfast.

Grond Silverstar

Other options:

There are other storylines and adventure hooks that the Company can pursue. Note that many of these are overlapping and not mutually exclusive. For example, the Company could decide to attempt to root out the Order of the Necromantia, attempt to track down Carthain, but first go to Hammerfast to set up operations in preparation for these or other major tasks. There are also a number of non-player characters which could join or part ways with the Company at this time. I leave it up to the player characters to decide which, if any, remain with the Company. Joan could decide to remain in Sentinel Fortress having completed her primary mission and found the sanctuary of her persecuted cult. She is long standing member of the Company well positioned to continue to follow her leader Guilhem de Quéribus. The Company also needs a healer. Redcliff is a good candidate for continuing with the Company as a wrangler and animal handler will still be needed and he has proven himself time and time again. Lin Zenhi wishes to return to Seeker's Reach, and her goal of defeating the two headed black dragon and lich necromancer have been accomplished. The Company needs a healer, but Joan is a better warrior.

Latona would be happy to keep joining the Company, especially if they stay in the Inner Reaches. Remember, her main reason was to explore and map this territory. Basillea would likely wish to return to Bevil; however, she could be convinced to stay with the Company if it fit into her backstory--like tracking down the Order of Necrmantia and the other false worshippers of Hecate. Basillea is a very weak fighter, and can sometimes be a liability in action. The Company would need to convince her that will protect and value her life, despite the fact that she is a human. Grady Michel Fenimure de Villemain, we could keep the bard as an NPC, but I think it would preferable to have him wander off in search of something more interesting--unless Miles decides to return. Makael Floshin, if the Company decides to return to Eastpoint Castle or Barony of Atlan, then taking Makael makes sense. There are a number of low level Katheroi from Sentinel Fortress that the Company may wish to convince to accompany them. Bringing low level NPCs that might engage in combat, however, is not a recipe for their success. Some include the ranger Gerald Rivos, and three Katheroi warriors rescued from the Frost Giant's glacial rift in Lich's Ambush: Game 11: Roland the Fat, Henrietta and Zera Mufumo.

Return to the Fire Giant Lair

The Company left a considerable amount of treasure, as well as an evil temple, drow, giants, and human (and likely elf prisoners) that could be rescued.

The forces of evil wage their own war

The lawful evil devils, including the Horned Devil Dogretch, are set out to kill some of the chaotic evil demons, including Pencheska Natyssa. The extent of the this civil war between the denizens of hell could be further investigated. Also, Pencheska could be tracked down, as she was pregnant with the prophesied demon child that is to destroy all the world.

Underdark: Drow Lair

The Company has the ability to magically transport into the under dark regions where the Drow live. They could take the fight to the Drow.

Return to Eastpoint Castle

The Company could escort Makael Floshin back to her family in Eastpoint Castle, and her lord Prince Darfin Floshin, who has kept watch over the forces of evil overseesing the far-flung holdings of House Floshin in Eastpoint Castle and its nearby foothills. The Prince missed the awakening of the the great double headed black dragon and his lich master. Once he understood, however, he saw the greatest danger as the drow. He forecast that they Drow will be led by the High Priestess Dhaunee returning from the Underdark and the drow will retake the dwarven city of Thunderdelve. He believed that the war would be fought on three fronts: 1) Sentinel Fortress; 2) Kidwell and Eastpoint Castle, and 3) Thunderdelve, with demons supporting all three. He believed that the most important prize for the enemy is Hammerfast because there is a prophecy that if its necropolis falls to the drow, then there shall be 1,000 years of darkness. Also in Eastpoint Castle is the sister of Etienne, Lady Eva Ilios, who should have healed.

International and Interplanar Conspiracy

The Company could seek to root out the evil of Order of the Necromantia. The Order of Necromantia and their allies have choreographed a grant international and interplanar conspiracy. How far and manner in which their tendrils have reached out to conspire with the other forces of evil and chaos, and whether all of their connections are deviates of the dark forces is unclear. However, they seem to reach in at least the Inner Reaches, Eastpoint Castle, and the wild lands in Barony of Mabon.

Carthain's Gang

In Sentinel Fortress At Last: Game 12, the Company encountered the bandit/prospector Carthain and his group, including a kenku (Haruto), and a halfling (Serlek Undertoe), who is Carthain's lieutenant, Judith Egina, his best warrior, Ossian, the priest of Ohgma, Amira Foukal, a young bard, the hunter and scout Guiscard, and the hunter and scout Roul. Carthain and his gang ambushed the Company, and there is a score to settle.

The Fight for Kidwell

The town of Kidwell was under siege from the robber prince Sir Wren Arundel and his gnoll and orc allies. The rightful ruler Lady Lowri Arundel, the Countess of Kidwell has likely repelled these enemies. However, their forces may still run free in the wild hills of the Barony of Mabon threatening places like Halfling Downs, which escape the fate of towns like Abdera and Julkoun. The Company could help in these "clean up" efforts.

Wild Reaches

The Company could leave the "safety" of the Inner Reaches and leave into the Wild Reaches. Here lie the towns of Grahluk and Adlerweg Keep, and wildlands.

Atlan

The Company could return to the City of Atlan in the Barony of Atlan with many wonders, including its University of Atlan which has offered Twim a professorship. There at least contacts of the Order of the Necromantia, with the party knowing about a certain Constaine in Khyber.

Updated February 20, 2023

From reading the emails, it appears that the Company has three main goals:

Establish a home base of operations.
Continue to investigate and potentially take the fight to the Drow and/or Order of Necromantia, but not immediately dive back into the slugfest of another dungeon type adventure.
Maintain some NPCs, but not an army. Minimum NPCs to keep include Latona, Joan and Redcliff (who you may want to provide better weapons and armor for).

Lord Raymond Ilios is the de jure ruler of both the Wild Reaches (de facto control is limited to a few places like Grahluk and Adlerweg Keep), and the Inner or Nearer Reaches from Kidwell to Sentinel Fortress, including the dwarven towns and Seeker's Reach. Now that the giant invasions have been stopped (at least for now), and Lord Raymond has set things back in order in at Sentinel Fortress, he needs to report back to Fultar as well as take stock of how the Inner Reaches have fared. His father, Lord Alden Ilios, Marquess of the Reaches and Lord of Sentinel Fortress is the person who helped seal and protect the Inner Reaches and finally put an end to the Bloodspear Orc Invasion. Lord Raymond takes his obligations seriously and wants to ensure that there are not other potential invasions and root out the sources of evil, including those who may have sided with the Drow and the necromancers. Lord Raymond is sending out three groups: Report back to Fultar: Deval de Navarate, Sentinel Fortress's representative in Fultar's capital in Fulton will be sent back to report to the Empress. He will pass by Seeker's Reach, meet with the Zen master Han Kanlee (he will not speak with the mummy of Po Kanlee -that is just wrong), and check in with Lady Lowri Arundel, the Countess of Kidwell at Kidwell. Deval will spend at least a week and likely a couple weeks of time at each location gathering information. It is also the winter time, and travel may be difficult and slow. In the end, this will take him past Eastpoint Castle, and the northern Sua hill towns of Khyber and Durbai. Deval will take Makael Floshin back to Eastpoint Castle, and will also check in on the status of Lady Eva Ilios, who was left at Eastpoint recuperating. Explore wild areas in the Inner Reaches and check in on the Glacial Rift. Redmont Ilios will take an elite group of scouts and rangers to check on the wild areas and scout out who or what has survived at the frost giant's liar. They will also attempt to determine if the tunnel that the fire giants attempted to gain access truly has been sealed. Their prime goal will to use stealth, and they will return to bring the fearsome paladin Sir Roland Ilios if real combat is necessary. Check in on the dwarven towns. He will send Dame Agnes Ilios to investigate and make sure that the three dwarven towns do not need assistance. Each of these communities is a free town and self governing. However, they are under his nominal sovereignty, and he has been instrumental in keeping Hammerfast and Hammerholme free. Lord Raymond suggests that the Company assist in these efforts by investigating the how things stand at Hammerfast. The Company could travel south with Deval, Dame Agnes and Makael Floshin. After separating from Deval, Dame Agnes and the Company could continue northwards, and then the Company and Dame Agnes could go your separate ways with Dame Agenes going to Hammerholme and the Company to Hammerfast. Dame Agnes would plan to spend a week to a month in Hammerholme, she will then travel back westward through Hammerfast and then to Thunderdelve. The Company would arrive in Hammerfast, investigate the status of the town as unofficial representatives of Lord Raymond, and await Dame Agnes. Lord Raymond and Deval (who is one of the few people who have been provided access to the great Lore Spire at Hammerfast) can provide Twym a letter of introduction to the dwarves at Lord Spire to potentially gain admittance. In meta gaming terms, the Company can investigate and see if they can/want/are able to set up a base of operations in Hammerfast. If that does not work out, then the Company can choose to return back to civilization (Eastpoint Castle, the Barony of Atlan, etc.) as Deval will be waiting at Seeker's Reach, assist in mopping up duties in the Inner Reaches, or joining Dame Agnes on her last of the three dwarven towns of Thunderdelve. The Company could have a choice: go directly to Hammerfast or visit Seeker's Reach first. Looking at the map, it would be a more direct route for for you all to skip Seeker's Reach; however, it is not that far out of your way to go directly to Seeker's Reach. The Company and Dame Agnes could check with those at Seeker's Reach as well as provide additional protection to Deval on his trip south. In terms of NPCs, I suggest that you bring only one more (for a fourth) NPC: Basillea. I recommend that you not think of her as an individual that you would expect to join in combat. Instead, you think of her as a resource (her knowledge of the Order of the Necromantia, the Drow, Hecate, etc.) and she can help set up a base of operations and man the base when the Company is not there. There is an alliance of evil between the Order and the Drow, and she would like to help rescue Hecate's name from those who profane her.