The Twice-Damned Prince - Session 49: Bringing Out the Dead

Dramatis Personae

Alfaren “Alfred” Eredel – Elf transmuter

Alizander Carmelizzia - Human (Varisian) sorcerer

Boecca – Half-orc inquisitor of Erastil

Carlos Santiago - Half-orc (Alkenstarian) evoker

Slavé/Jancen – Tiefling (in guise as a human) rogue/assassin

Tavo Dechirent - Human cleric of Pharasma

Moonday, 2 Gozran, 4709 A.R.

Carlos, Alfred, Slavé, Tavo, and Boecca attack Sunset Gate head on, confronting a horde of zombies led by a female devourer. They defeat the undead host, and searching through the devourer’s necromantic lab they discover that her name was Irimeian, a name Alfred recognizes as belonging to a legendary villain that resided in the city decades ago. They also discover a link between Irimeian and a being called Melavengian, another name familiar to the elf wizard. Alfred recalls the name Melavengian from books retrieved from Delvehaven and believes it belongs to a powerful barbed devil cleric of Mammon. They also find several lists of commands, presumably to another group of undead in the area. The commands are fairly generic, consisting of the usual undead activities – kill, terrorize, devour, destroy. Curiously, the name Palaveen appears several times, perhaps another leader. The Returners recall the name Palaveen as the leader of the Bastards of Erebus, the tiefling bandits defeated by the party almost a year ago.

The Returners continue on to Massacre House, which they find deserted. Boecca picks up the faint scent of vampire, but loses it outside of the structure. The party decides to shore up defenses in Massacre House and stay overnight. Slavé teleports back to Taranik House and checks on developments between the Hellknights and dottari. He also heads down to the docks to gather information on the Hellknight heretic, Ara Verennie. He doesn’t find out anything about Verennie, but does hear rumours that some Hellknights have been torturing, beating, and mugging citizens on the streets. Hellknight beatings wouldn’t be unusual, but random muggings and beatings without reason (however justified) are not typical Hellknight behaviour. Perhaps they are being perpetuated by the Hellknight heretics under Verennie.

Back at Massacre House, the group is joined by Alizander, who tells them that the brother of the young actress Calseinica Nemmis tracked him down in the Adventurer’s Quarter and told him that Calseinica has recently gone missing. Calseinica’s brother, Georni, says that the family found several pieces of correspondence between her and the actor Thesing Umbero Ulvauno. They fear that Calseinica has run off with the infamous womanizer, and hope the Returners may be able to help save her.

Toilday, 3 Gozran, 4709 A.R.

The next day, the group decides to take care of the Blacknapes before continuing their search through the northern ruins. Carlos uses divining magic to scry on Midpier Island, the home of the Blacknapes, and acquires a clear picture of the Blacknapes’ hideout. The group teleports directly into the Blacknapes’ midst. Beocca sets Cinnamon upon the shocked cutthroats. The liger is only too pleased to pounce and tear into the thugs. Carlos rolls out the portable hole containing his golem creation, which promptly grabs the ankle of a nearby Blacknape and pulls him into the hole to meet a gruesome end. The remaining Blacknapes are defeated summarily. One of the thugs surrenders, and is only too willing to cooperate under Boecca’s inquisition while Slavé and Tavo aid the few Wiscrani still prisoner to the Blacknapes.

From the captured Blacknape, the party learns that the organization was tasked with gathering funds via kidnapping and extortion by none other than Chammady Drovenge. The Blacknapes began their nefarious activities over a week ago, and have not heard from or seen Chammady since, though they have had some success in their efforts to procure funds. The Drovenge daughter was, of course, very reticent to provide the Blacknapes with an address.

Treasure

· From Irimeian:

o Rod of thunder and lightning (worth 16,500 gp)

o Piece of devourer flesh and bone

· From the Blacknapes

o Potions of cure moderate wounds (6) (worth 900 gp total)

o +1 Studded leather armour (4) (worth 2350 gp total)

o +1 Buckler (4) (worth 2330 total)

· From the Blacknapes’ ill-gotten gains:

o 2600 gp worth of jewelry, silverware, artwork, etc.

o Necklace of adaptation (worth 4500 gp)

Experience

· Fast zombies (20): 4000 xp

· Irimeian, devourer: 12,800 xp

· Blacknapes (4): 6400 xp

· Story Award (breaking up the Blacknape gang and rescuing their prisoners): 9600

· Total: 32,800 xp

· Per PC (5): 6560 xp

Fame/Popularity

· Fame Check bonus: +32

· Fame Points Remaining: 20

· Popularity Points (breaking up the Blacknape gang): 1

· Popularity Points (slaying Irimeian): 1

· Total Popularity Points: 11

Current XP Total per PC

· Carlos: 179,129 xp

· Slavé: 175,129 xp

· Tavo: 171,684 xp

· Alfred: 168,374 xp

· Boecca: 162,354 xp

Alizander: 150,000 xp

The Twice-Damned Prince - Session 48: Playing with Fire

Dramatis Personae

Alfaren “Alfred” Eredel – Elf transmuter

Alizander Carmelizzia - Human (Varisian) sorcerer

Boecca – Half-orc inquisitor of Erastil

Carlos Santiago - Half-orc (Alkenstarian) evoker

Slavé/Jancen – Tiefling (in guise as a human) rogue/assassin

Tavo Dechirent - Human cleric of Pharasma

Moonday, 2 Gozran, 4709 A.R.

Events in the city of Westcrown continue to deteriorate the morning of Gozran 2^nd. The Returners discuss whether to pursue the Blacknapes or an alternate course of action, and settle on paying a visit to the Parego Dospera. There they hope to track down the undead marauders that were responsible for destroying both the Order of the Scourge headquarters and the Massacre House that was appropriated by Tavo. Prior to leaving, Carlos tracks down a small quantity of diamond dust for his dwindling spell component pouch, while Boecca continues to train and bond with his newly-acquired animal companion, the sleek Cinnamon, a female liger larger and more muscular than either of its parent kin.

On the way to the ruined northern section of the city, the Returners are approached by a group of distressed citizens who beg their urgent assistance. Following the Wiscrani, the Returners round a bend to face a massive conflagration at the Gargling Gargoyle tavern. The flames threaten several nearby buildings, and the Returners waste little time rushing into action. Carlos flies to the second floor, shouting inside to determine if anyone is inside, while Boecca, Alfred, and Tavo rush into the heat and smoke engulfing the ground floor. Alfred and Boecca suffer the effects of a fiery backdraft within the tavern, and come face-to-face with the obvious cause of the blaze – a spiny hamatula, better known as a barbed devil, flinging jets of fire to and fro.

In the fierce battle that ensues, the Gargling Gargoyle tavern is eventually consumed by the fire. The Returners defeat the hamatula and send it back to Hell. They are lucky to escape the crumbing, burning ruin intact, and help the citizenry douse the fire as it spreads to nearby buildings using fire-quenching cone of cold spells.

Moving on, the Returners arrive at the Parego Dospera in the early afternoon, where they are joined by Alizander, who has been shoring up defenses and guarding his daughter over the last week. The northern ruins were never a hospitable or safe place, but it is clear the region has deteriorated markedly. The place is quiet, silent as the grave. The evidence of undead activity is apparent upon closer inspection – the odd human or tiefling body part, even a half-eaten corpse or two. The Returners head north towards Massacre House. Before reaching the ruined church of Erastil and former Order of the Scourge headquarters, however, Boecca spies movement to the northwest, near the Sunset Gate. Alfred, invisible, flies over and scouts the area. He counts four zombies, fast-moving, not the typical lurching variety, led by a more powerful morhg. Alfred continues past and examines the Sunset Gate itself. Once a major entrance and exit into Westcrown, the Sunset Gate has been barred and unused for decades. It features two squat towers flanking a stone parapet over the bricked-in gate. Alfred uses his detect undead spell to scout the area, scanning each narrow arrow slit as he flies by. He estimates at least 15 zombies within the gatehouse, and detects one significantly stronger aura within the north tower, an overwhelmingly powerful undead presence. Alfred flies back to report his findings to the rest of the group.

Experience

· Barbed devil: 12,800 xp

· Story Award (dousing the fire at the Gargling Gargoyle): 12,800 xp

· Total: 25,600 xp

· Per PC (4): 6400 xp

Fame/Popularity

· Fame Check bonus: +32

· Fame Points Remaining: 20

· Popularity Points (defeating the barbed devil and dousing the fire at the Gargling Gargoyle): 1

· Total Popularity Points: 9

Current XP Total per PC

· Carlos: 172,569 xp

· Slavé: 168,569 xp

· Tavo: 165,124 xp

· Alfred: 161,814 xp

· Boecca: 155,794 xp

· Alizander: 150,000 xp