Alliance Session #46/Total Session #57
This session was attended by Throgg, Salzar, Ozymandias, and Middle_Snu. Thewamp also came, but he was a little late. We used Skype for voice and video and Roll20 for tabletop interactions.
Torin's method for finding the assassin was a discern location. Infallible and able to penetrate all but the greatest divinations, the party used it on King Ballard. The spell revealed that Ballard's body was kept in the bag of holding of R, leader of the assassins guild of Nomingburg. Specifically Ballard's body was between the bodies of Staynard and Shasta.
Next Torin cast the same spell on R. The spell revealed his location as in the assassins guild hall in Nomingburg.
The party cast their buff spells and teleported off. Clank insisted on coming with them. They arrived outside the guild hall and Hektor shouted, "Give us the body of King Ballard or we will burn your guild hall to the ground!"
A few moments later and Ballard's body was tossed out the front door by two men in black.
"And the other two as well!"
Staynard and Shasta's bodies were tossed out next to Ballard.
Clank rushed forward and checked the bodies for signs of life while Amalius began casting a divination. Clank found that Ballard and Shasta were dead, but Staynard was still alive. Staynard was comatose or something, but alive.
Amalius' divination probed into the status of Ballard's soul. He got this response:
“Ballard's soul is imprisoned
Not to roam wild and free
Ballard's soul is held
By the Betrayer, Amalgami.”
Cursing, the party returned to Yuettencal with the bodies.
The group had a quick mental discussion of what to do next while Clank broke the news to the king's entourage.
The party decided that they needed to act quickly on the information Amalgami had granted them about the Xorians attempting to meet with Invernix and Sartoria. Guessing that Devanane would be the one sent, Hektor tried a scrying. It failed. Eathirilu, hoping for better luck, tried a greater scrying which proved successful.
Eathirilu saw Devanane flying on the back of a shadowy dragon. The group teleported to Lakatia and picked up Tagenadi for extra muscle. After prepping their buff spells once more they teleported off to catch Devanane with his pants down.
They ported in and Amalius led off with a dominate. It was successful and Amalius ordered Devanane to shout out, "I am under the control of Amalius!"
Ignoring this obvious news, Eathirilu cast a sunburst spell and Tagenadi moved to engage. Devanane wheeled his dragon around and darkness fell on the party. Those with true seeing (Torin, Amalius, and Eathirilu) could still see Devanane and his dragon, but the others could not.
Eathirilu and Tagenadi stopped attacking and Amalius ordered Devanane to land on the ground a mile below them. Hektor, wanting to get in on attacking a foe who couldn't fight back, cast acid fog on Devanane. Amalius practically screamed at the party, "He's under my control! Stop!"
Devanane teleported past the acid fog and continued towards the ground. As he did so, Amalius asked him about the magical items on his person. He begrudgingly gave them this list:
Spoiler+5 Keen Flaming Burst Vampiric Silver Heavy Pick (Vampiric deals +1d6 vs. living creatures and heals user for same damage)
+3 Human Bane Unholy Ghost Touch Distance Returning Dart x3
+5 Mithral Chain Shirt of Greater Sneaking
Ring of Protection +5
Belt of Pockets
Immovable Rods x2
Tunic of Physicality +6 (all 3 physical stats)
Ring of Invisibility
Amulet of Wisdom +6
Earpiece to Jevaninada (Devanane described it as a constant direct link to the King. And that the King could hear him right now.)
Bracelets of Resistance +5
Boots of Teleport (3/day)
+5 Hidden Shield (The group ooed and awed, but Amalius did not ask Devanane to clarify)
Upon landing on the ground the group interrogated Devanane.
“What were you trying to do?”
“Meet with Invernix to convince him to join us.”
“What were you going to offer him?”
“A space in the new pantheon Blendegad is creating.”
“And the dragon you’re riding? What is it’s name?”
“Her name is Briasanon.”
“How do you control her?”
“By dominating her.”
Amalius ordered Devanane to allow Briasanon to speak freely and turned to her, “Would you like to eat Devanane?”
“Very much so, but Blendegad wouldn’t approve.”
“You care what Blendegad thinks?”
“Of course. He’s the greatest thing to ever happen to dragonkind in living memory. He will restore draconic dominance to the land and overthrow the Olympians. Why wouldn’t I serve him as fully and completely as possible?”
“But you want to eat Devanane?”
“Oh yeah. He’s a huge *******. I’d love to grind him up for all the **** he’s given to me these past few years.”
“I see.”
The group moved out of earshot to discuss their plan. They weren’t going to get much more information out of Devanane. Amalius could feel him fighting the domination with all his will. They decided it would be best to eliminate him, a complicated prospect given the exception to dominate, “the target will take no obviously suicidal action.”
Amalius asked Devanane, “How long does your dominate on Briasanon have left?”
“Four days,” Devanane answered.
“Good. Order her to fly north for two days then back here.”
Devanane looked at Briasanon and she took off to the north.
After Briasanon had flown a good way off the group tensed for action. Hektor led off with a sudden maximized irresistible dance. The spell ripped through Devanane’s spell resistance and he set to dancing. The rest of the group moved in and chewed through Devanane’s hit points. They broke him in seconds. He began to crawl away, but Torin stepped forward with a cure spell and executed him.
“Well that’s the end of that.”
The group gathered up Devanane’s treasure, the Hidden Shield was unfortunately nowhere to be found. They scattered his ashes to the winds and teleported back to Lakatia.
At this point there was a large discussion that is still ongoing through emails about what the next objective would be in the campaign. There were fifteen things we thought of:
Spoiler1. Attempt to rejoin the Alliance (obstacles include Tagenadi being undead and Amalius being related to Amalgami).
2. Attempt to get other citystates in Cimmeria involved in the war. Other citystates include Nomingburg, Mars' Oasis, and Balin's Holt. Nomingburg has the assassins guilds and a few people ready for militia, but how can you motivate them without money? Mars' Oasis has other problems to deal with (Formians and Bavastatner). Balin's Holt is heavily anti-magic and thus hates both sides in this conflict.
3. Attempt to get Aractrash involved in the war. King Ballard was already headed in this direction after the assassination attempt. Will Staynard continue or will other forces in the court influence his decision? Could you be one of those forces?
4. Something in Greshendale? There's still more orbs there for you to blow up. There's also a Dragovinian population that is taking over the city by converting people.
5. Find the Lots for Tagenadi because Hades said so! Hermes has the Lots. Contacting Hermes just requires spending money. Then you "play a game of chance" with him to win the Lots.
6. Find the Bow of Apollo for Aldarian because Helios said so! The bow is certainly powerful, but why would you do things for a Titan? Also, isn't Apollo using it?
7. Danar's got some stuff he wants to do related to the orbs and his past life.
8. Go beat up Bavastatner or something?
9. "Divide" Nomingburg to get the Pitchfork of Doom from the Dahak for the prophecy to revive Zeus.
10. Figure out what the Alliance and the dwarves are up to (This seemed to be the #1 priority).
11. Do something with the giant undead armies. One at the Lich Shade. One at Crux. And all the undead dwarves underneath Xoria.
12. Figure out who enchanted the Antenator (Big reward for Tagenadi if they do this!).
13. Puzzle out more of the prophecy that Torin got from Athena that Tagenadi deciphered:
"When the black blade marches,
pay it no heed,
for I control it.
Of intervention, there will be no need.
Instead, turn your heads
to others of kind,
for with them the horse marches
and he plows his own seed.
And with the horse comes
the lone lost, return
to the own maid of bones
and the family he spurned."
Or my version:
"When the black blade marches
Pay it no heed
For I control it
Of intervention there will be no need
Instead turn your heads
To others of kind
For with them the horse marches
And he plays his own side
And with the horse comes
The long lost return
To the one made of bones
And the family he spurned"
14. Play shuttle service to the lower level party to get the rest of the clues.
15. Hunt down Amalgami. (The guys shied away from this one because it doesn't bring them closer to the end goal of stopping Blendegad.)
The one objective the party took a step towards was finding the Bow of Apollo (#6). Amalius cast divination and received this answer from the universe, “Follow your rage and the answer will come to you.”
The continuing discussion has favored securing Aractrash's involvement in the war (#3).
We ended the session there, but before we did, we finally played out Torin’s sidetrip back to his family home in Jord! This trip was mentioned back in Alliance Session #41/Total Session #52. This was immediately after the group destroyed the Red Orb of Dragonkind and Torin had gotten a tip from his friend, Erick, that his position as an absent member of the royal court might be changing to a position of banishment. Torin's intention was to see if Amalius' family could be installed as caretakers of his old home. The hope is that if they are in Jord they will be safe from further Xorian attention.
Spoiler: Torin's Side TripTorin teleported to his suite of rooms in Jord and found them still deserted. Sheets covered the furniture and a fine layer of dust had settled over everything. After a brief look around Torin exited, keeping his head down lest anyone recognize him. He made his way to the home of his childhood tutor, Lasrar. Torin knocked on the door and was soon answered by a familiar face.
Lasrar gasped upon seeing his old pupil. He stuck his big red nose out the door and glanced in both directions. He motioned to Torin, "Come on in laddie."
Torin stepped inside and Lasrar closed the door behind him. The old dwarf spun around and opened his arms while saying, "Come 'ere laddie! I haven't seen you in ages!" The two friends shared a hearty hug with many slaps on the back before they broke apart.
"Lets talk in the den. I'll get us some of this new mead I've been trying lately."
Torin looked around the home that he'd spent many years in learning the ways of Athena. A few furniture pieces and wall hangings were different, but most of it was the same. He walked the well worn path to the den and was soon joined by Lasrar with two tall flagons of fizzing mead.
"It's lemon flavored." Lasrar handed the mug to Torin.
Torin took a drink and said, "Surprisingly good. I wouldn't think lemon and honey mixed well."
"Right? Amazing isn't it?" Lasrar took a deep breath and sat down on one of the creaky ornate benches in the den. "So I imagine nothing cheerful brings you 'ere?"
"No..." Torin paused, unable to come up with the right words to start.
"I'd 'eard you and your fellows 'ad broken the Red Orb of Dragonkind out in Greshendale."
"Yes..."
"You know the king's talking about exiling you? Not that you 'aven't done that already to yourself in a way."
"I'm doing what needs to be done."
"I'm sure of that laddie! You know I'll always believe you on that! On anything. You must've 'ad a good reason for blowing up that Orb. I'm jus' worried that the rest of the court won't think the same way I do."
"What are they saying?"
"Bad stuff laddie. I think you need to come back home to protect your reputation. Of course Athena may say different than me, but if you gallivant around the way you are now, trying to save the world and all, you're going to find nothing much is left for you when you're done."
Lasrar continued, "Now if you returned and you had a good explanation for the destruction of the Orb, well... You might have a good shot of getting high up in the royal court. Maybe even to the top."
"I... I need some time to think about it."
"Sure! Sure! Take all the time you need. Tell you what, I'll sound out what people are thinking around 'ere. When you've 'ad your think come on back and I'll tell you 'ow things sit 'ere."
"Of course."
"Well enough of serious things! Let me fill you in on the latest gossip..."
Torin spent another two hours talking with his old mentor before excusing himself and teleporting back to Lakatia. He informed the others of the important content of the meeting, and that he was seriously considering leaving the group to return to Jord.
TL;DR: Torin talked with his old tutor from childhood about giving up adventuring and returning to Jord. He's seriously considering doing it. Salzar plans to retire Torin soon and switch to a new character. As he said, "It no longer makes sense for Torin to continue to associate with the party."