Journal – Session 9
Having explored the crypt of the dread Necromancer Marzoth and his wife Lucritica, a party of six bold adventurers – Barrack, a plain-spoken dwarven Fighter, powerful wielder of the hammers favored by that strong and dour race; Marik, a reptilian dragonborn Warlock, heir to an ancient and proud lineage, but inescapably bound to a pact granting him supernatural powers; Jaeran, an elven Cleric upon whom the gods have granted a measure of divine power as a reward for his faith; Luke, a cloaked half-elf Wizard of mysterious origins and arcane might; Syxia, a tiefling Rogue, dark daughter of a cursed bloodline, her ancestors given to the infernal worship of fiends; and Ur-Kadar, dragonborn Paladin of Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, a holy warrior dedicated to upholding the tenets of his faith and protecting the weak with his battle axe – returned to the town of Folkestone to rest and re-equip before setting out on their next quest.
As the party departed from the crypt, they were set upon by the tiefling Rogue Forras Nooramor and his force of bandits, who were attempting to abduct Syxia; Forras was seeking to collect on a contract placed on the girl with House De’Nethryn. The attacking band was routed, and Forras was captured. In exchange for his life, the scoundrel pledged to tell the House that Syxia was killed in the fighting. She decided to travel for the present under the name Darenzia, claiming to be a Fighter. The party agreed to assist her in this subterfuge, in order to better secure her (and their own) safety.
The return journey to Folkestone was uneventful, and the party decided to visit the money changers of House Golhyrr and deposited their extra wealth before leaving town. The party returned to their usual lodgings at the Crested Cock, and the innkeeper Meldrick and his wife Ethyr gladly welcomed them back. The party enjoyed the comforts of civilization for the evening, and most spent the evening in the tavern area of the inn, sitting before the fire drinking dwarven ale. Syxia retired early to take a warm bath and wash her long, silky, midnight blue tresses before being forced to tough it again in the wilderness (which she hates to do).
Rising late, the well-rested party thanked Meldrick and Ethyr, and made ready to depart Folkestone. The Wizard Neltharian stopped the party before they left through the town gates, and handed over several weathered, eldritch manuscripts and ancient scrolls to Luke. He told the young Wizard to study them intently, because he suspected that the answer to the location of the Lost Temple of Shar-Ngrond lay within their crumbling pages. Neltharian stressed that this was of the utmost importance, and that Luke should focus solely on this task to the exclusion of all other endeavors. Luke heeded the Wizard's counsel, and he spent almost every second of his time awake pouring over the materials which had been entrusted to him.
On the second night out of Folkestone, during the cold watches of the night, the encamped party encountered the two experienced scouts that Lord Jessup had dispatched to investigate the road to the port of Inequity. While the hardy woodsmen were wary at first, they quickly recognized that the party was no threat, and that the heroes had also been dispatched by Lord Jessup. The men then discussed their findings openly. They reported that Orcs had taken up in Skylde Gate Keep; the monsters appeared to be laying low and not attacking travelers on the road (as the ruined Keep is situated near to the road through the pass). The scouts watched for three days, even making their presence boldly known; still, the Orcs did not attack or move against them in any way. They also stated that a man had walked up to the Keep and voluntarily surrendered. To their surprise, the man was not slain on sight by the brutes, but was instead bound and taken inside the Keep. As the scouts were already late in reporting back to Folkestone, they decided to return to the town and make their report to Lord Jessup. The scouts were fairly certain that the Orc band was not the reason for the lack of trade caravans or travel between the Inequity and Folkestone. Although this came as good news, it brought to light yet another mystery – why then was there no trade and travel between the two settlements? The scouts ended up staying in the party’s camp for the rest of the night, and then they shared breakfast and went their separate ways.
The group rode to the Keep and observed the Orcs lairing there. After much debate, they decided to ride by the Keep, in the hope that the Orcs would attack or send out scouts that ended up getting too close (and who could then be seized for questioning). To the heroes’ disappointment, the Orcs kept their distance and did not attack. The party therefore decided to make for Inequity, instead of attempting to sneak into the Keep somehow, recognizing that their most important task was to deliver the message that Lord Jessup had given them for Braccus von Jallach, Lord of Inequity. After they delivered the message, they felt that they would have plenty of time to return and free The Fish (as this is who they assumed the man who surrendered was). There was some concern among the party that the cause of the trade and travel stoppage lay between the pass and Inequity, or even that Inequity was under siege, was leveled, had been reduced to ashes/rubble or was for some other reason isolated or deserted.
Once past the Keep, the road was clear, and the party arrived in Inequity. Although it was clearly a wretched hive of scum and villainy, it appeared to be a free port, and was neither besieged nor deserted. They made for the Keep to deliver their message to Lord Braccus, despite having to show the seal on the message to three separate sets of guards, having to hand over their weapons (friends and guards alike marveling as Syxia produced many daggers hidden in numerous and surprisingly improbable places), and then waiting for what seemed to Barrack to be an intolerable amount of time, they eventually were escorted into an audience with Braccus and his administrator and advisor, Zurin Troyas (with two guards carefully watching the party from the shadows in the rear of the great hall). It was immediately apparent that Braccus was the polar opposite of Jessup. He was a large man with a barrel chest and a booming voice; it was clear that the man rose to power through well-rendered military service. He appeared impatient and quickly read through the note; as he did so, his face visibly began to turn red. For a moment, he seemed to forget that the party was there and launched into a string of curses involving Erathis, Melora, Kord, Pelor and two more deities the names of whom the party couldn't clearly hear. He yelled about it being just one more thing that he had to deal with. Between the Sea Drake stopping all traffic (and more importantly, revenue), the bold raids of the “fish people” upon coastal dwelling, and rumors about murderous cultists, he simply didn't have time to deal with this now. He says he would like to see King Danold, monarch of Ithacar, again but he simply did not have the time to spare, and in any case, his report would be no cause for confidence given the difficulties and dangers threatening to engulf Inequity.
Barrack spoke, and Lord Braccus started as though he had completely forgotten that the party was there, and offered him the assistance of the party, and indicated that they would like to investigate the matter of the Sea Drake. Braccus let out a hearty laugh, and said that he would like the help, and that if they were successful they could also collect a 1,000 gold piece reward for defeating the fell serpent. Braccus told them that the drake had attacked and sank a ship a little over two months ago, and since that time it has completely shut down the harbor. He said that he would appreciate their help, but thought there was little that they could accomplish against such a dreadful and terrible wyrm. He suggested that the party might wish to talk to the harbor master of Inequity, Thulmir Runkin, as well as to the soldiers in the coastal guard tower for more information. The fish people were not a concern as of yet, because they had not injured any townsfolk thus far. He also added that the rumor of cult activity seems to come from the fact that there have been a number of missing persons recently; he went on to note that such disappearances really are not all that rare in Inequity (by choice or otherwise), but the rumors still persist. Braccus personally doubted that there is any validity to the rumors of cult activity.
The group decided to find an inn in which to spend the night, and where that could obtain food and drink, stable their mounts and discuss their options before deciding upon a particular course of action to pursue. Barrack wanted to pursue the Sea Drake; Ur-Kadar wanted to root out and destroy the evil cultists; others felt the need to rescue The Fish. In reviewing their option of inns, they considered the Bilge Rat (a massive inn located in the heart of The Hive – the wretched thieves quarter of Inequity – next to the town brothel), the Silk and Spoon ( an upscale inn located inside the Keep) and The Black Gull (a good-sized and seemingly reputable inn located near the docks). They decided upon the Black Gull, as it was most likely safe, fairly priced and in an area where they could gather much useful information.
On the way to the Black Gull, the party stopped in Knaves and Knives –a disreputable drinking hole crawling with sailors, cut-throats, thieves and worse – for a quick drink and an opportunity to gather information. While this tavern technically had rooms for rent, these were essentially a mere repository for those too drunk to leave the establishment under their own power. On their way into the place, a huge, hulking man semi-blocked the door and demanded a one gold piece deposit for entering the establishment. Syxia, not wanting to draw attention to the group, paid while the others decided what to do. With that, the large man pocketed his gold and then walked off down the docks. The party then entered the tavern unmolested and went to the bar. Barrack ordered a draught of their best dwarven ale, along with a round for the rest of the group. While the price was steeper than expected, the party paid it and then struck up a conversation with the barkeep and owner, Geirston Murtha. He told the party that there have been eyewitness accounts that the Sea Drake is almost 50 feet long, and that the beast is reportedly capable of smashing small ships with ease and swallowing several men whole. It is also said to belch steam that can causes a man's flesh to fall right off his bones. Geirston said that the downed ship, The Eastern Wind, did have a few survivors that made their way to Inequity. He wasn’t sure who they were or where they were now. The sighting of the thing had been good for business, at least for the present time; but Geirston confessed his fear that once the sailors run out of coin, it could get ugly. Melora forbid he runs out of ale! Barrack paid Geirston 10 gold pieces to keep an ear out for anything related to the drake, and told him that the group would check in with him later.
The party then made its way to the Black Gull, where they met Radak Carmona, the owner of the inn. He made small talk with the group and they eventually settled on a price for four rooms and stabling for their horses. After that, they made for their rooms to unpack and agreed to reconvene later that evening to discuss their options. They decided that Ur-Kadar would go and talk to the guards in the harbor tower, Jaeran would go to the Sun Temple and try to gather information on the rumored cultists and Marik would make his way through the town and see what information he could gather. Syxia and Barrack paid another visit to Lord Braccus in an attempt to gather more information. Luke remained secluded in his room and continued to study the texts provided by Neltharian.
Ur-Kadar and Marik learned, independently, that the Sea Drake seemed to come back every 2 - 3 weeks, and that it had been sighted in the waters off Inequity, within striking distance of the town, just a couple of days ago. The soldiers said that they had managed to keep it out of the main harbor by catapult and ballista fire when it came too close. However, the sea monster had completely shut down the port, as no ships dare to come or go. Marik also heard a great deal of information about the great wyrm, but there appeared to be a wide disparity in what people were saying. After listening to all the various sources, he concluded that the Sea Drake was more likely between 20 - 25 feet long, but does possess a breath weapon of steam. It is almost always spotted going east to west along the coastline. Ur-Kadar found out from the soldiers that the fish people have been raiding the fishing villages, particularly those east of town, and are stealing their catch. They have not harmed the villagers, yet. Still, the party surmises that there is a connection between the appearance of the fish people and the Sea Drake. Given that these creatures were only stealing food, it was considered possible that the Sea Drake had been depleting their food supply. Jaeran learned that the cultists are thought to worship the demon lord Orcus.
The group reconvened at the Black Gull to discuss what they had learned. While they would like to embark on a quest to slay the Sea Drake, they all agreed that trying to find it would take some time. They would prefer not to have to fight it in open water, and would instead prefer to engage it in its den. In light of the fact that the Sea Drake had recently been seen (and if it held to its pattern, would not be back for several days, at the very least), the group decided to sojourn back to Skylde Gate Keep in order to rescue The Fish. There was also some concern voiced that the lack of aggression from the Orcs may mean they are being controlled, or possessed, by a more powerful agent. With their decision made, they retired for an uneventful evening at the inn (with Syxia taking a bath, washing her hair and going to bed early and rising late). On their way out of town the next day, the party made a quick stop into Snick’s Swap Shop to see what wares were for sale. The shop was very large and well-guarded, but appears to contain a various assortment of mundane items like cooking pots, clothing, weapons, armor, adventuring gear, tools and dried food stuffs. The proprietor of this establishment was a weasely-looking man named Finneas Snick. After talking to him for a few moments, it became clear that the man had more expensive, unique items for sale. Barrack specifically inquired after potions of Water Breathing, and Snick confirmed that he had two, but more could be had if he were given time. Jaeran pointed out that a ritual scroll of Water Breathing would be even more helpful. Snick again confirmed that he could acquire such an item if given the time. It wouldn’t come cheap, of course, but he could make one available for sale.
The journey back to the pass went without incident, and the party arrived in the valley watched over by the Keep. The group devised a plan to lure out a scout patrol, ambush them and then interrogate a survivor. Barrack, Marik and Luke hid off of the main road while the others approached the main gate. Approximately 120’ from the Keep, a group of four Orcs and a timber wolf emerged and began to slowly move forward. The remaining Orcs in the Keep raised the old (but still solid) drawbridge and sealed the Keep. Jaeran, Ur-Kadar and Syxia then slowly retreated, drawing the Orcs into the ambush. When the trap was sprung, the Orcs tried to retreat, but it was too late; the party cut down all but one of them, and killed the wolf. The fearsome dragonborn Warlock roared in an attempt to intimidate the remaining Orc, who quickly submitted to questioning. Though his trembling, guttural voice the party made out that the Orcish leader, Groshnak, had left the Keep with a majority of his forces. The Orc told them that there were roughly 20 or so Orcs remaining in the Keep to go along with many Goblins, two Ogres, two Orc shamans and one of Groshnak’s fiercest warriors. The captive also confirms that the Orcs are holding two prisoners in the dungeon, an elf and a human. It was clear to the party that the Orc prisoner was merely a grunt soldier, and that this information was all they were going to learn from him. Fearing that the Orc might alert the rest of the guards in the Keep, Barrack thumped him on the head, perhaps a bit too hard.
After contemplating their next course of action, the party decided to wait for nightfall, at which time Syxia and Marik would drink the two potions on Invisibility she had been given by Neltharian, scale the walls, descend into the towers and lower the drawbridge. The others would be waiting a short distance from the Keep under cover of darkness and would rush the gatehouse when the drawbridge fell open. The party waited for nightfall, and the execution of the plan went well - at first. Syxia and Marik drank the potions, quietly approached the gatehouse towers, skillfully made their way up the walls and into their respective towers, where each saw the lever on both sides of the gatehouse that controlled the drawbridge. At the appointed time, they both pulled on the rusted, ancient levers that would release the drawbridge and allow their companions to enter the Keep. The huge Marik, his muscles rippling under the scales of his reptilian hide, easily pulled his lever with no problem, and a loud clanging accompanied the heavy chain as it began to fall. The slight (but toned) Syxia, however, wasn’t so lucky. Her lever refused to budge and the drawbridge remained standing. Despite her very best efforts (including riding the lever like a horse; rocking it back and forth; sitting and kneeling on the floor while reaching up and pulling down on the lever with all of her might; and even standing on the lever, bracing with her hands against the wall and using her legs to force it down), she utterly failed to move her lever even one inch.
Upon hearing the noise from the chains that was the agreed-upon signal, the party leapt forth and quickly made for what they assumed would be an opening into the Keep. Unfortunately, the Orc guards in the gatehouse also heard the noise, and they sprang into action, coming to investigate. Fortunately, the majority of them rushed to Marik’s side of the gatehouse, in response to the origin of the noise. While remaining invisible, Marik quickly used his skills to ascended to the top of the tower. Barrack arrived at the drawbridge only to find the door closed. He began slamming the door with his war hammer while Ur-Kadar attempted to climb one of the towers into the gate house, albeit slowly. Jaeran climbed the crumbling wall of the left tower not knowing if Syxia had been engaged by the enemy or not. Syxia, still invisible, continued to pull unsuccessfully on the lever, using whatever positions and combinations she could. The Orcs were focused on raising the chain on the right tower until they saw the hulking, massive dragonborn Paladin climb over the wall of the right tower; Jaeran also appeared near the top of the left tower. By then, the alarm had been raised and reinforcements begin to pour into the main courtyard. After what seemed like an eternity to Barrack (seeing how he was “on the outside looking in”, so to speak) the lever finally gave after Marik arrived to move it for Syxia, and the drawbridge lowered to the ground with a thunderous boom.
The inhabitants of the Keep had not been idle while the party was assaulting their lair. An Ogre and an Orc shaman charged Ur-Kadar and Marik, while a majority of the mob of Goblins, Orc drudges, and a brutal Orc bloodrager rushed toward Barrack and the now-visible Syxia. Jaeran remained on top of the crumbling left tower for a few rounds, raining down sling stones upon the Goblins and Orcs. The Ogre hurled a javelin that hit Ur-Kadar, while Marik unleashed the eldritch power of his forbidden pact, causing a horrible power to cloak the Ogre, the shaman and several Orcs in a zone of swirling, maddening shadows. The lesser Orcs were destroyed, but the powerful Ogre charged out of the pulsing necrotic blackness with his massive club. Ur-Kadar and the Ogre clashed in a mighty exchange of punishing blows. The shaman somehow shook off the crippling damage to his psyche that he endured at the hands of the Warlock, and stepped out of the zone and targeted the party with a nasty incantation that drained both the ability to press on while causing damage at the same time. On the left side of the battle, Barrack engaged the bloodrager, and the ancient courtyard of the Keep rang with the sound of steel on steel, as they engaged each other with a hatred that seemed as old as time. Barrack’s wide, powerful swings managed not only to hit the bloodrager, but also crushed the skull of the Orc grunt that stood beside him, causing a tremendous gush of black, ichor-like blood to gush from the Orc’s shattered skull. Syxia used her elusiveness in combat to continually reposition herself to inflict maximum damage, and she and Jaeran teamed-up to take down the Orc raiders. Within a few rounds, the courtyard was littered with Orc and Goblin bodies. With a final blast of eldritch power and a deafening roar of triumph, Marik finished off the blood shaman acolyte.
The Ogre and the Orc bloodrager remained standing, and proved to be powerful combatants. Jaeran commanded the Ogre to lie down, helping Ur-Kadar and Marik. The bloodrager’s huge axe continued to rain down mighty blows on Barrack, but the sturdy dwarf refused to yield; he was staggered by one blow in particular, but recovered quickly thanks to his magical dwarven armor. However, for every attack Barrack made, it seemed that the bloodrager made two. The bloodrager seemed to grow stronger as Barrack weakened, so Jaeran continued to chant divine prayers to energize and heal Barrack. The combined strength of the five party members finally won out and the Ogre and bloodrager both fell. However, seeing the strength of these two foes combined, the party worried mightily about what Groshnak was doing with his four Ogres, two bloodragers and a score of Orc troops.
With the main defending force now destroyed, the party cleared out the Keep and found the entrance to the dungeon underneath it. They descended underground and faced a small horde of Goblin minions (all of whom fell quickly). The last fight began in a large, funnel-shaped room, as the party found itself facing several Goblins, a few Orc drudges, an Orc shaman and an Ogre. The room played to the advantage of the party, as the two dragonborn unleashed their powerful breath weapons and swiftly cleared the room. The Ogre, though tough, was unable to threaten both Ur-Kadar and Barrack; the shaman held back and attacked from the rear. Suddenly, out of nowhere, one of the doors in the back of the room hurled open, and a dark-haired man wearing a long black cloak appeared and charged, cutting down the shaman in one blow. The party was unsure of his motives, but they anticipated that this was The Fish. With the rest of their enemies now dealt with, the newcomer introduced himself to the heroes – he was indeed The Fish. He chuckled at the notion that Neltharian thought that he needed help/needed to be rescued, but he did appreciate the old Wizard’s concern. He explained that he was gathering information on the Orcs, and that the best way to do that was by being inside the Keep. He intentionally surrendered after Groshnak left; he knew that the best source of information would be the Goblins, so he willingly joined them in the dungeon. When the Goblins were otherwise occupied, he would escape his cell and wander the dungeon only to return to imprisonment, slipping back into his cell before the Goblins returned, in order that the Goblins would think that he was securely held prisoner. He suspected that the large force of Orcs under Groshnak was moved here in response to King Danold Galifor's impending visit to Folkestone. The Fish concluded that Groshnak must be doing someone else's bidding, and must expect to be exceptionally well-rewarded if he succeeds in doing so. The Fish stated that he must to return to Folkestone, in order to warn Neltharian and probably Jessup as well. The Fish also mentioned that there was also another prisoner who was being held in the Keep, and that Groshnak took the other prisoner with him when he left. The prisoner was an elf, and probably a Ranger. His identity was unknown to the Fish, as they were held in separate cells. The Fish could not be certain, but he thought that Groshnak led his troops into the wild lands of Wysteria, the remote and isolated border country to the east. Wysteria is now an unknown land, cloaked in mystery and danger, and is wholly uncivilized. None could know what Groshnak might do there.
The group then parted ways with the Fish; the Rogue headed north to Folkestone, and the party returned to Inequity. After their return to the port, they returned to the Black Gull. While drinking ale around the fire, Luke, staring into the flames, recounted that it was possible that the captive elf Ranger was his father, Erdan. Luke had always planned to following in the footsteps of his father, an adventurer. Luke also spoke of his mother – she was human, and was rescued from a raid on a ship somewhere on the Whytehorn River by his grandfather. She was taken back to the elven lands, and Luke’s grandfather never sought to return her to her own kind; Luke never forgave him for this – it is for this reason that Luke hates both his grandfather and his elven heritage. That said, he still holds his father in high respect. It is for this reason that Luke demanded that the party seek to find the elven prisoner and free him from Groshnak’s Orcs. Luke reasoned that if they found and rescued the unknown elf, and he was not Luke’s father, the party would be able to rest easy in the knowledge that they have freed a fellow adventurer from the evil Orcs. Turning an ominous stare on his companions, with ice in his voice, Luke stated “But if this elf is my father, and you keep me from saving him, I will never forgive you.” Nearly overcome by emotion, Luke then retreated to his room to turn his mind again to the eldritch manuscripts entrusted to him by Neltharian.
The next day, the party struck a deal with Braccus. If the Lord of Inequity could provide a ship and crew, the party agreed to track the Sea Drake to its lair and destroy it. The party also thought that the priestess at Melora's temple might also be able to help locate the drake. Failing that, the party could also concentrate on finding the cultists and laying them low.
Luke, by spending all of his time pouring over the ancient, crumbling manuscripts, finally made what he believed to be a very important discovery; he believed that he had at last learned the general location of the Lost Temple of Shar-Ngrond.
Having explored the crypt of the dread Necromancer Marzoth and his wife Lucritica, a party of six bold adventurers – Barrack, a plain-spoken dwarven Fighter, powerful wielder of the hammers favored by that strong and dour race; Marik, a reptilian dragonborn Warlock, heir to an ancient and proud lineage, but inescapably bound to a pact granting him supernatural powers; Jaeran, an elven Cleric upon whom the gods have granted a measure of divine power as a reward for his faith; Luke, a cloaked half-elf Wizard of mysterious origins and arcane might; Syxia, a tiefling Rogue, dark daughter of a cursed bloodline, her ancestors given to the infernal worship of fiends; and Ur-Kadar, dragonborn Paladin of Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, a holy warrior dedicated to upholding the tenets of his faith and protecting the weak with his battle axe – returned to the town of Folkestone to rest and re-equip before setting out on their next quest.
As the party departed from the crypt, they were set upon by the tiefling Rogue Forras Nooramor and his force of bandits, who were attempting to abduct Syxia; Forras was seeking to collect on a contract placed on the girl with House De’Nethryn. The attacking band was routed, and Forras was captured. In exchange for his life, the scoundrel pledged to tell the House that Syxia was killed in the fighting. She decided to travel for the present under the name Darenzia, claiming to be a Fighter. The party agreed to assist her in this subterfuge, in order to better secure her (and their own) safety.
The return journey to Folkestone was uneventful, and the party decided to visit the money changers of House Golhyrr and deposited their extra wealth before leaving town. The party returned to their usual lodgings at the Crested Cock, and the innkeeper Meldrick and his wife Ethyr gladly welcomed them back. The party enjoyed the comforts of civilization for the evening, and most spent the evening in the tavern area of the inn, sitting before the fire drinking dwarven ale. Syxia retired early to take a warm bath and wash her long, silky, midnight blue tresses before being forced to tough it again in the wilderness (which she hates to do).
Rising late, the well-rested party thanked Meldrick and Ethyr, and made ready to depart Folkestone. The Wizard Neltharian stopped the party before they left through the town gates, and handed over several weathered, eldritch manuscripts and ancient scrolls to Luke. He told the young Wizard to study them intently, because he suspected that the answer to the location of the Lost Temple of Shar-Ngrond lay within their crumbling pages. Neltharian stressed that this was of the utmost importance, and that Luke should focus solely on this task to the exclusion of all other endeavors. Luke heeded the Wizard's counsel, and he spent almost every second of his time awake pouring over the materials which had been entrusted to him.
On the second night out of Folkestone, during the cold watches of the night, the encamped party encountered the two experienced scouts that Lord Jessup had dispatched to investigate the road to the port of Inequity. While the hardy woodsmen were wary at first, they quickly recognized that the party was no threat, and that the heroes had also been dispatched by Lord Jessup. The men then discussed their findings openly. They reported that Orcs had taken up in Skylde Gate Keep; the monsters appeared to be laying low and not attacking travelers on the road (as the ruined Keep is situated near to the road through the pass). The scouts watched for three days, even making their presence boldly known; still, the Orcs did not attack or move against them in any way. They also stated that a man had walked up to the Keep and voluntarily surrendered. To their surprise, the man was not slain on sight by the brutes, but was instead bound and taken inside the Keep. As the scouts were already late in reporting back to Folkestone, they decided to return to the town and make their report to Lord Jessup. The scouts were fairly certain that the Orc band was not the reason for the lack of trade caravans or travel between the Inequity and Folkestone. Although this came as good news, it brought to light yet another mystery – why then was there no trade and travel between the two settlements? The scouts ended up staying in the party’s camp for the rest of the night, and then they shared breakfast and went their separate ways.
The group rode to the Keep and observed the Orcs lairing there. After much debate, they decided to ride by the Keep, in the hope that the Orcs would attack or send out scouts that ended up getting too close (and who could then be seized for questioning). To the heroes’ disappointment, the Orcs kept their distance and did not attack. The party therefore decided to make for Inequity, instead of attempting to sneak into the Keep somehow, recognizing that their most important task was to deliver the message that Lord Jessup had given them for Braccus von Jallach, Lord of Inequity. After they delivered the message, they felt that they would have plenty of time to return and free The Fish (as this is who they assumed the man who surrendered was). There was some concern among the party that the cause of the trade and travel stoppage lay between the pass and Inequity, or even that Inequity was under siege, was leveled, had been reduced to ashes/rubble or was for some other reason isolated or deserted.
Once past the Keep, the road was clear, and the party arrived in Inequity. Although it was clearly a wretched hive of scum and villainy, it appeared to be a free port, and was neither besieged nor deserted. They made for the Keep to deliver their message to Lord Braccus, despite having to show the seal on the message to three separate sets of guards, having to hand over their weapons (friends and guards alike marveling as Syxia produced many daggers hidden in numerous and surprisingly improbable places), and then waiting for what seemed to Barrack to be an intolerable amount of time, they eventually were escorted into an audience with Braccus and his administrator and advisor, Zurin Troyas (with two guards carefully watching the party from the shadows in the rear of the great hall). It was immediately apparent that Braccus was the polar opposite of Jessup. He was a large man with a barrel chest and a booming voice; it was clear that the man rose to power through well-rendered military service. He appeared impatient and quickly read through the note; as he did so, his face visibly began to turn red. For a moment, he seemed to forget that the party was there and launched into a string of curses involving Erathis, Melora, Kord, Pelor and two more deities the names of whom the party couldn't clearly hear. He yelled about it being just one more thing that he had to deal with. Between the Sea Drake stopping all traffic (and more importantly, revenue), the bold raids of the “fish people” upon coastal dwelling, and rumors about murderous cultists, he simply didn't have time to deal with this now. He says he would like to see King Danold, monarch of Ithacar, again but he simply did not have the time to spare, and in any case, his report would be no cause for confidence given the difficulties and dangers threatening to engulf Inequity.
Barrack spoke, and Lord Braccus started as though he had completely forgotten that the party was there, and offered him the assistance of the party, and indicated that they would like to investigate the matter of the Sea Drake. Braccus let out a hearty laugh, and said that he would like the help, and that if they were successful they could also collect a 1,000 gold piece reward for defeating the fell serpent. Braccus told them that the drake had attacked and sank a ship a little over two months ago, and since that time it has completely shut down the harbor. He said that he would appreciate their help, but thought there was little that they could accomplish against such a dreadful and terrible wyrm. He suggested that the party might wish to talk to the harbor master of Inequity, Thulmir Runkin, as well as to the soldiers in the coastal guard tower for more information. The fish people were not a concern as of yet, because they had not injured any townsfolk thus far. He also added that the rumor of cult activity seems to come from the fact that there have been a number of missing persons recently; he went on to note that such disappearances really are not all that rare in Inequity (by choice or otherwise), but the rumors still persist. Braccus personally doubted that there is any validity to the rumors of cult activity.
The group decided to find an inn in which to spend the night, and where that could obtain food and drink, stable their mounts and discuss their options before deciding upon a particular course of action to pursue. Barrack wanted to pursue the Sea Drake; Ur-Kadar wanted to root out and destroy the evil cultists; others felt the need to rescue The Fish. In reviewing their option of inns, they considered the Bilge Rat (a massive inn located in the heart of The Hive – the wretched thieves quarter of Inequity – next to the town brothel), the Silk and Spoon ( an upscale inn located inside the Keep) and The Black Gull (a good-sized and seemingly reputable inn located near the docks). They decided upon the Black Gull, as it was most likely safe, fairly priced and in an area where they could gather much useful information.
On the way to the Black Gull, the party stopped in Knaves and Knives –a disreputable drinking hole crawling with sailors, cut-throats, thieves and worse – for a quick drink and an opportunity to gather information. While this tavern technically had rooms for rent, these were essentially a mere repository for those too drunk to leave the establishment under their own power. On their way into the place, a huge, hulking man semi-blocked the door and demanded a one gold piece deposit for entering the establishment. Syxia, not wanting to draw attention to the group, paid while the others decided what to do. With that, the large man pocketed his gold and then walked off down the docks. The party then entered the tavern unmolested and went to the bar. Barrack ordered a draught of their best dwarven ale, along with a round for the rest of the group. While the price was steeper than expected, the party paid it and then struck up a conversation with the barkeep and owner, Geirston Murtha. He told the party that there have been eyewitness accounts that the Sea Drake is almost 50 feet long, and that the beast is reportedly capable of smashing small ships with ease and swallowing several men whole. It is also said to belch steam that can causes a man's flesh to fall right off his bones. Geirston said that the downed ship, The Eastern Wind, did have a few survivors that made their way to Inequity. He wasn’t sure who they were or where they were now. The sighting of the thing had been good for business, at least for the present time; but Geirston confessed his fear that once the sailors run out of coin, it could get ugly. Melora forbid he runs out of ale! Barrack paid Geirston 10 gold pieces to keep an ear out for anything related to the drake, and told him that the group would check in with him later.
The party then made its way to the Black Gull, where they met Radak Carmona, the owner of the inn. He made small talk with the group and they eventually settled on a price for four rooms and stabling for their horses. After that, they made for their rooms to unpack and agreed to reconvene later that evening to discuss their options. They decided that Ur-Kadar would go and talk to the guards in the harbor tower, Jaeran would go to the Sun Temple and try to gather information on the rumored cultists and Marik would make his way through the town and see what information he could gather. Syxia and Barrack paid another visit to Lord Braccus in an attempt to gather more information. Luke remained secluded in his room and continued to study the texts provided by Neltharian.
Ur-Kadar and Marik learned, independently, that the Sea Drake seemed to come back every 2 - 3 weeks, and that it had been sighted in the waters off Inequity, within striking distance of the town, just a couple of days ago. The soldiers said that they had managed to keep it out of the main harbor by catapult and ballista fire when it came too close. However, the sea monster had completely shut down the port, as no ships dare to come or go. Marik also heard a great deal of information about the great wyrm, but there appeared to be a wide disparity in what people were saying. After listening to all the various sources, he concluded that the Sea Drake was more likely between 20 - 25 feet long, but does possess a breath weapon of steam. It is almost always spotted going east to west along the coastline. Ur-Kadar found out from the soldiers that the fish people have been raiding the fishing villages, particularly those east of town, and are stealing their catch. They have not harmed the villagers, yet. Still, the party surmises that there is a connection between the appearance of the fish people and the Sea Drake. Given that these creatures were only stealing food, it was considered possible that the Sea Drake had been depleting their food supply. Jaeran learned that the cultists are thought to worship the demon lord Orcus.
The group reconvened at the Black Gull to discuss what they had learned. While they would like to embark on a quest to slay the Sea Drake, they all agreed that trying to find it would take some time. They would prefer not to have to fight it in open water, and would instead prefer to engage it in its den. In light of the fact that the Sea Drake had recently been seen (and if it held to its pattern, would not be back for several days, at the very least), the group decided to sojourn back to Skylde Gate Keep in order to rescue The Fish. There was also some concern voiced that the lack of aggression from the Orcs may mean they are being controlled, or possessed, by a more powerful agent. With their decision made, they retired for an uneventful evening at the inn (with Syxia taking a bath, washing her hair and going to bed early and rising late). On their way out of town the next day, the party made a quick stop into Snick’s Swap Shop to see what wares were for sale. The shop was very large and well-guarded, but appears to contain a various assortment of mundane items like cooking pots, clothing, weapons, armor, adventuring gear, tools and dried food stuffs. The proprietor of this establishment was a weasely-looking man named Finneas Snick. After talking to him for a few moments, it became clear that the man had more expensive, unique items for sale. Barrack specifically inquired after potions of Water Breathing, and Snick confirmed that he had two, but more could be had if he were given time. Jaeran pointed out that a ritual scroll of Water Breathing would be even more helpful. Snick again confirmed that he could acquire such an item if given the time. It wouldn’t come cheap, of course, but he could make one available for sale.
The journey back to the pass went without incident, and the party arrived in the valley watched over by the Keep. The group devised a plan to lure out a scout patrol, ambush them and then interrogate a survivor. Barrack, Marik and Luke hid off of the main road while the others approached the main gate. Approximately 120’ from the Keep, a group of four Orcs and a timber wolf emerged and began to slowly move forward. The remaining Orcs in the Keep raised the old (but still solid) drawbridge and sealed the Keep. Jaeran, Ur-Kadar and Syxia then slowly retreated, drawing the Orcs into the ambush. When the trap was sprung, the Orcs tried to retreat, but it was too late; the party cut down all but one of them, and killed the wolf. The fearsome dragonborn Warlock roared in an attempt to intimidate the remaining Orc, who quickly submitted to questioning. Though his trembling, guttural voice the party made out that the Orcish leader, Groshnak, had left the Keep with a majority of his forces. The Orc told them that there were roughly 20 or so Orcs remaining in the Keep to go along with many Goblins, two Ogres, two Orc shamans and one of Groshnak’s fiercest warriors. The captive also confirms that the Orcs are holding two prisoners in the dungeon, an elf and a human. It was clear to the party that the Orc prisoner was merely a grunt soldier, and that this information was all they were going to learn from him. Fearing that the Orc might alert the rest of the guards in the Keep, Barrack thumped him on the head, perhaps a bit too hard.
After contemplating their next course of action, the party decided to wait for nightfall, at which time Syxia and Marik would drink the two potions on Invisibility she had been given by Neltharian, scale the walls, descend into the towers and lower the drawbridge. The others would be waiting a short distance from the Keep under cover of darkness and would rush the gatehouse when the drawbridge fell open. The party waited for nightfall, and the execution of the plan went well - at first. Syxia and Marik drank the potions, quietly approached the gatehouse towers, skillfully made their way up the walls and into their respective towers, where each saw the lever on both sides of the gatehouse that controlled the drawbridge. At the appointed time, they both pulled on the rusted, ancient levers that would release the drawbridge and allow their companions to enter the Keep. The huge Marik, his muscles rippling under the scales of his reptilian hide, easily pulled his lever with no problem, and a loud clanging accompanied the heavy chain as it began to fall. The slight (but toned) Syxia, however, wasn’t so lucky. Her lever refused to budge and the drawbridge remained standing. Despite her very best efforts (including riding the lever like a horse; rocking it back and forth; sitting and kneeling on the floor while reaching up and pulling down on the lever with all of her might; and even standing on the lever, bracing with her hands against the wall and using her legs to force it down), she utterly failed to move her lever even one inch.
Upon hearing the noise from the chains that was the agreed-upon signal, the party leapt forth and quickly made for what they assumed would be an opening into the Keep. Unfortunately, the Orc guards in the gatehouse also heard the noise, and they sprang into action, coming to investigate. Fortunately, the majority of them rushed to Marik’s side of the gatehouse, in response to the origin of the noise. While remaining invisible, Marik quickly used his skills to ascended to the top of the tower. Barrack arrived at the drawbridge only to find the door closed. He began slamming the door with his war hammer while Ur-Kadar attempted to climb one of the towers into the gate house, albeit slowly. Jaeran climbed the crumbling wall of the left tower not knowing if Syxia had been engaged by the enemy or not. Syxia, still invisible, continued to pull unsuccessfully on the lever, using whatever positions and combinations she could. The Orcs were focused on raising the chain on the right tower until they saw the hulking, massive dragonborn Paladin climb over the wall of the right tower; Jaeran also appeared near the top of the left tower. By then, the alarm had been raised and reinforcements begin to pour into the main courtyard. After what seemed like an eternity to Barrack (seeing how he was “on the outside looking in”, so to speak) the lever finally gave after Marik arrived to move it for Syxia, and the drawbridge lowered to the ground with a thunderous boom.
The inhabitants of the Keep had not been idle while the party was assaulting their lair. An Ogre and an Orc shaman charged Ur-Kadar and Marik, while a majority of the mob of Goblins, Orc drudges, and a brutal Orc bloodrager rushed toward Barrack and the now-visible Syxia. Jaeran remained on top of the crumbling left tower for a few rounds, raining down sling stones upon the Goblins and Orcs. The Ogre hurled a javelin that hit Ur-Kadar, while Marik unleashed the eldritch power of his forbidden pact, causing a horrible power to cloak the Ogre, the shaman and several Orcs in a zone of swirling, maddening shadows. The lesser Orcs were destroyed, but the powerful Ogre charged out of the pulsing necrotic blackness with his massive club. Ur-Kadar and the Ogre clashed in a mighty exchange of punishing blows. The shaman somehow shook off the crippling damage to his psyche that he endured at the hands of the Warlock, and stepped out of the zone and targeted the party with a nasty incantation that drained both the ability to press on while causing damage at the same time. On the left side of the battle, Barrack engaged the bloodrager, and the ancient courtyard of the Keep rang with the sound of steel on steel, as they engaged each other with a hatred that seemed as old as time. Barrack’s wide, powerful swings managed not only to hit the bloodrager, but also crushed the skull of the Orc grunt that stood beside him, causing a tremendous gush of black, ichor-like blood to gush from the Orc’s shattered skull. Syxia used her elusiveness in combat to continually reposition herself to inflict maximum damage, and she and Jaeran teamed-up to take down the Orc raiders. Within a few rounds, the courtyard was littered with Orc and Goblin bodies. With a final blast of eldritch power and a deafening roar of triumph, Marik finished off the blood shaman acolyte.
The Ogre and the Orc bloodrager remained standing, and proved to be powerful combatants. Jaeran commanded the Ogre to lie down, helping Ur-Kadar and Marik. The bloodrager’s huge axe continued to rain down mighty blows on Barrack, but the sturdy dwarf refused to yield; he was staggered by one blow in particular, but recovered quickly thanks to his magical dwarven armor. However, for every attack Barrack made, it seemed that the bloodrager made two. The bloodrager seemed to grow stronger as Barrack weakened, so Jaeran continued to chant divine prayers to energize and heal Barrack. The combined strength of the five party members finally won out and the Ogre and bloodrager both fell. However, seeing the strength of these two foes combined, the party worried mightily about what Groshnak was doing with his four Ogres, two bloodragers and a score of Orc troops.
With the main defending force now destroyed, the party cleared out the Keep and found the entrance to the dungeon underneath it. They descended underground and faced a small horde of Goblin minions (all of whom fell quickly). The last fight began in a large, funnel-shaped room, as the party found itself facing several Goblins, a few Orc drudges, an Orc shaman and an Ogre. The room played to the advantage of the party, as the two dragonborn unleashed their powerful breath weapons and swiftly cleared the room. The Ogre, though tough, was unable to threaten both Ur-Kadar and Barrack; the shaman held back and attacked from the rear. Suddenly, out of nowhere, one of the doors in the back of the room hurled open, and a dark-haired man wearing a long black cloak appeared and charged, cutting down the shaman in one blow. The party was unsure of his motives, but they anticipated that this was The Fish. With the rest of their enemies now dealt with, the newcomer introduced himself to the heroes – he was indeed The Fish. He chuckled at the notion that Neltharian thought that he needed help/needed to be rescued, but he did appreciate the old Wizard’s concern. He explained that he was gathering information on the Orcs, and that the best way to do that was by being inside the Keep. He intentionally surrendered after Groshnak left; he knew that the best source of information would be the Goblins, so he willingly joined them in the dungeon. When the Goblins were otherwise occupied, he would escape his cell and wander the dungeon only to return to imprisonment, slipping back into his cell before the Goblins returned, in order that the Goblins would think that he was securely held prisoner. He suspected that the large force of Orcs under Groshnak was moved here in response to King Danold Galifor's impending visit to Folkestone. The Fish concluded that Groshnak must be doing someone else's bidding, and must expect to be exceptionally well-rewarded if he succeeds in doing so. The Fish stated that he must to return to Folkestone, in order to warn Neltharian and probably Jessup as well. The Fish also mentioned that there was also another prisoner who was being held in the Keep, and that Groshnak took the other prisoner with him when he left. The prisoner was an elf, and probably a Ranger. His identity was unknown to the Fish, as they were held in separate cells. The Fish could not be certain, but he thought that Groshnak led his troops into the wild lands of Wysteria, the remote and isolated border country to the east. Wysteria is now an unknown land, cloaked in mystery and danger, and is wholly uncivilized. None could know what Groshnak might do there.
The group then parted ways with the Fish; the Rogue headed north to Folkestone, and the party returned to Inequity. After their return to the port, they returned to the Black Gull. While drinking ale around the fire, Luke, staring into the flames, recounted that it was possible that the captive elf Ranger was his father, Erdan. Luke had always planned to following in the footsteps of his father, an adventurer. Luke also spoke of his mother – she was human, and was rescued from a raid on a ship somewhere on the Whytehorn River by his grandfather. She was taken back to the elven lands, and Luke’s grandfather never sought to return her to her own kind; Luke never forgave him for this – it is for this reason that Luke hates both his grandfather and his elven heritage. That said, he still holds his father in high respect. It is for this reason that Luke demanded that the party seek to find the elven prisoner and free him from Groshnak’s Orcs. Luke reasoned that if they found and rescued the unknown elf, and he was not Luke’s father, the party would be able to rest easy in the knowledge that they have freed a fellow adventurer from the evil Orcs. Turning an ominous stare on his companions, with ice in his voice, Luke stated “But if this elf is my father, and you keep me from saving him, I will never forgive you.” Nearly overcome by emotion, Luke then retreated to his room to turn his mind again to the eldritch manuscripts entrusted to him by Neltharian.
The next day, the party struck a deal with Braccus. If the Lord of Inequity could provide a ship and crew, the party agreed to track the Sea Drake to its lair and destroy it. The party also thought that the priestess at Melora's temple might also be able to help locate the drake. Failing that, the party could also concentrate on finding the cultists and laying them low.
Luke, by spending all of his time pouring over the ancient, crumbling manuscripts, finally made what he believed to be a very important discovery; he believed that he had at last learned the general location of the Lost Temple of Shar-Ngrond.
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