Adventure Journal - Session 21
The Folkestone heroes had reunited after most of the party's sortie into the Shadowfell. Ur-Kadar, brave paladin dedicated to slaying demons in the name of Bahamut; Jaeren, bane of demons, rebuking them with Pelor's radiance; Marik, wielder of eldritch powers; Luke, caster of apocalyptic magics; and Barrack, as indomitable as the hammer he wields. The group had regrouped in Folkestone after battling the fell forces of the dark fey and Barrack had nosed out some information regrading the Cult of Orcus' activities in Carrowheel.
The group spent the morning organizing their things about Folkestone, obtaining a letter of introduction from Lord Jessup and Luke went looking for his friend Pendingle. Pendingle was out of town on an “errand” for Neltharian. Luke sent a message to Pendingle, with Pendingle responding that he was fine and just in Inequity on en errand for Nelly. Luke questioned Nelly on what this errand was to which Nelly was evasive.
The group debated pursuing Pendingle to find out about his mission, but decided to travel to Carrowheel to investigate the cult of Orcus activities there. Early in the morning Neltharian gated the stalwart heroes to house Talnivarr to meet with his associate Rudifer Crumbley, a fellow agent of the Order of Candrical. Rudifer met the group and took them to a local inn to discuss what the cult of Orcus was doing in town. The Cult was doing their usual MO of kidnapping sailors on shore leave along with some of the other easily overlooked people in the larger town.
After the meeting with Rudifer the group headed to the towns keep to deliver their letter of introduction from Lord Jessup to Lord Blackwell. Lord Blackwell received the group and they exchanged information regarding these disappearances. The group was also warned against going into the Downspout, as it is commonly regarded as a “tough place”. The next stop for the party was Pots equipment store. Pottengal Mottlesworth, or Pots as he is known, is a disgustingly obese, unhygienic individual who was widely known to buy and sell enchanted items. Unfortunately, Pots required a password to do any business and was quite unhelpful in his disgusting way.
Next the group went around the corner to The Down Spout, a hive of debauchery and villainy that most respectable folk avoided. The group of course felt right at home. After speaking to the barkeep, looking for information, Marik and Barrack were directed to talk to Tarran Bradlethun. Nestled like a spider in the middle of a web of informants, Tarran traded what he new on the subject of the kidnappings for a small fortune in platinum. His prices were high, but his information was good and two days later the group had the locations for the houses the cult was using.
Upon receiving Lord Blackwell's blessings the group broke into the cult's safe house in town. After a brief search it was easily confirmed that this was a house being used to traffic in people. Blankets were strewn about the floor mixed with chains and manacles. After a little more searching some foul concoction was discovered, with Luke and Jaeren determining that this liquor would render any non-dwarf insensible for a time.
Verifying that Tarran's info was accurate at least this far, the group tromped out into the wilds, heading towards the manor house the Cult was using for it's base of operations. After a brief rest and reconnaissance, the group marched up the path to the manor's front door. Walking up under the bright mid day sun, there was no pretense at stealth. The front door to the house flew open and a troop of people marched out. The leader of the cultist demanded to know what the heroes wanted, with Barrack rapidly answering in a curt manner. Battle rapidly ensued. The fight went back and forth until Marik let loose with a series of attacks, blasting their warlock leader with his rod and then scorching two other minions with his acidic breath. With their leader down and their support gone the remaining soldiers were overcome, though even in dying they inflicted grievous wounds on the heroes.
Forcing their way inside, the heroes were immediately confronted with new foes. Another warlock, with his accompanying acolytes and guard and a fearsome canneloth demon! Jaeren and Ur-Kadar eagerly rushed the demon, unleashing their holy powers on it. Barrack broke right and began hurling his lesser hammer, menacing the foul warlock. Luke and Marik moves left rolling through another acolyte, further flanking the warlock and demon. The foul agents of demons put up some resistance, but Marik struck true, felling both the warlock and and his guard after the “avatar of Pelor” fell back out of the melee with the demon. After fumbling initially, Ur-Kadar finally connected with the demon, slaying it. Rapidly searching the main and upper floors revealed living space, but nothing sinister. The group then headed down the stairs into the basement to explore further.
At the bottom of the stairs the heroes discovered a secret door, through which an unfinished tunnel and a pool of drinking water were found. Further along this secret passage was a series of cages containing three still living captives in individual cages. All three captives were unconscious and the adventurers figured this was a mercy and let them sleep while they emptied out this den of evil. Through the next door our heroes encountered a summoning circle complete with a large tentacled demon. Combat ensued with the hapless demon beset on all sides. In addition to being stunned at the outset of combat it was confined by a blade barrier. As soon as it evaded the barrier it was thrown back into the whiling wall of blades by Barrack. It was quickly dazed forcing it to stay within the barrier, and it made short work of it. Behind a pair of curtains it was determined that the underground passage continued onward.
Shortly after the summoning circle room there was another intersection with a type of corrupted, foul chapel at the end with more twisted people in service of the cultist in desperate need of release from their lives. To this end the heroes quickly complied, dispatching the demon worshipping heretics with alacrity. During the battle, the party noticed a series of decorative skulls aligned at the end of three dead end passages. Upon touching two of them traps were set off, blasting Jaeren with lightning and scorching Barrack’s shield with fire.
Marik however was rapidly teleported to another room where a cultist was frantically turning dials on a dais in the middle of a pentagonal room. Marik noticed that the cultist had only had time to change three of the dials and that two of them were untouched as he sent the cursed pawn to his end on the end of his mighty spear. One each wall of the room was a door. Each of the dials were numbered 1-26, with the two untouched set to 5 and 18. Upon experimenting with one of the dials, turning one of the altered ones one increment, a door popped open and minor ape demons jumped out attacking the party. They were banished quickly, when Barrack pointed out that he knew of another mystical series containing 26 characters... the alphabet. Despite the protests of the wizard, the group discerned that this probably indicated that the dials formed a cipher with each number meaning a letter and they needed a password to move forward. Never crediting cultists with much creativity Barrack suggested they try the word “enter”. Turning the dials to the numbers that would correspond to the remaining letters in the word enter, another skull appeared for the group to move forward with.
