Sowing the Seeds of War!

Thorn Manor, Old Moor Road, Talingarde: Having completed the training and forging of the Nessian Knot, Adrastus Thorn was ready to start the downfall of Talingarde. Adrastus told the Woodstick, Ulmaticron and Brand about a plan to bring war to Talingarde and topple the followers of Mitra. They would deliver weapons and armor to Sakkarot Fireaxe, a bug bear chieftain, and his hordes who were gathering near Lake Tarik. With these armaments Sakkarot would unite the barbarous humanoid hordes (note: hordes not whores, Woodstick!) for a push into Talingarde. The Nessian Knot would travel by longship, the Frosthamar, captained by a berserker named Odinkirk. Due to Odinkirk’s inflexibility at bending the knee to the Asmodians, Adrastus ordered his and his crew’s death. The Nessian Knot was then to infiltrate the Tower of Balentyne, kill it’s commander, and throw open the gates for Sakkarot’s hordes. They were then to break the clay tablet that Adrastus had given them.

The Camp of the Fireaxe, Lake Tarik, the North: After a long journey along the coast and into the icy rapids of the Tyga, the Frosthamar, laden with crates with a flaming axe on them, reached a large encampment of bug bears, goblins, and free roaming polar bears, scattered around a rickety pier stretching into to the frigid waters. With Grimjack translating, the Nessian Knot was able to make contact with Sakkarot, a massive, highly intelligent bug bear bearing an enormous flaming axe, who commanded his hordes to honor (rather than eat) his guests. After feasting on a titanic dire boar, Sakkarot summoned the Nessian Knot to his yurt and questioned them on their motives for betraying Talingarde. Brand rambled ecclesiastic about being a weapon of Asmodeus wrapped in a meat puppet. Ulmaticron indicated that as an inquisitor Asmodeus was a more rewarding deity, and the Woodstick likely betrayed that he was in all actuality a spy of the Mitrans. Sakkarot would grow his horde over the next two weeks but would not be able to keep them in an idle state for more than four. The Nessian Knot had a month to topple the Tower of Balentyne.

Hidden Cove, Lake Tarik, Talingarde: Odinkirk and the Frosthamar delivered the Nessian Knot to the Southern shore of Tarik, upon which the Knot fell upon the captain and his crew. A pitched battle commenced with the raging Odinkirk grievously wounding Grimjack before the rest of the party could bring him a cold death. After restoring Grimjack they put the Frosthamar to the torch.

2nd Free Day* of Fall, Lord’s Dalliance, Aldrick, Talingarde: Leaving the monstrous Grimjack in the forest outside the town, the Nessian Knot disguised as simple laborers infiltrated the town, gathering at the only inn, the Lord’s Dalliance. Through the wit and guile of the Woodstick (surprising, we know) much rumor was gathered including:

• Surprisingly for xenophobic Talingarde, a gang of dwarves lead by the grouchy Barnabas are repairing the Tower of Balentyne. The tower is actually of ancient dwarf make. Barnabas can drink anyone under the table.
• Tassitus, the creepy magister, is working on something in his tower…something unnatural that was recovered in the North.
• Captain Varning is leading another patrol out of town tomorrow for 4-5 days. Most think that this is just an excuse for him to get out of drudgery around the tower and to go galavanting around.
• Mad Martin tends the rookery in the watchtower. He loves his ravens and is very eccentric.
• Lord Thomas Havelin is the most honorable and capable commander of the tower. If he can’t do it no one can.
• How did the ugly Captain Mott get and keep his wife, the most beautiful woman in town, Kathleen Mott?
• Captain Eddardly is handsome, gallant, and unmarried.
• There are about 100 soldiers in the tower.
• Mama’s beef stew is served every Mitra’s Day to the entire garrison at the Tower of Balentyne. Mama is a local legend for her cooking.
• The Lord’s Dalliance allegedly got it’s name because it used to be a brothel with a secret tunnel to the tower.
• A traveling theatre troupe is coming to a do a performance for the garrison next Thank’s Day.

The Nessian Knot then bought rounds of beer for Barnabas and his work gang, before offering them whiskey that they had “liberated” from the Frosthamar. Back in the dwarves quarters the Nessian Knot watched the dwarves crew drink itself into oblivion, except Barnabas who wanted to wrestle. Brand escaped several pins before putting Barnabas in a resounding slumber with a stunning fist. Woodstick stole the dwarves map of the Tower and then the Nessian Knot fled the inn and their assumed identities.

2nd Satyr’s Day, North of the Tower of Balentyne, the North: Captain Varning’s patrol was met with two felled trees one in their path and one behind them. The Woodstick sank a goose-quilled shaft deep into the captain’s side, while Brand and Grumblejack ambushed the front of the party, and Ulmaticron sealed their only avenue of escape while ushering them into the afterlife. Grumblejack smote the trees and earth around Captain Varning and his mount with great fury but could not smite the gallant soldier (Aside: I rolled a 3 on a d20..5 times…in a row. That happens 1 in 3,200,000 times). Brand used his lethal strikes to break the bones and burst the vital organs of the captain’s nearest men. The Woodstick struck exposed targets with hemorrhagic results. Ulmaticron used his arcane powers to destroy and suck life from the guards he killed. In the end, the Nessian Knot still stood and the patrol lay dead and dying around them. Time to make use of Captain Valentyne’s poor reputation and begin to break the Tower of Balentyne...

*The Mitran Week: Sun’s Day - Mitra’s Day - Two’s Day - Wedded’s Day - Thank’s Day - Free Day - Satyr’s Day

 

 

 

The Trials of Asmodeus, Part the Second

Catacombs Beneath Thorn Manor: Past the room with the fake sapphire jewel the party followed a winding passage way to the next chamber. Wary of the warnings from the tortured squire they backtracked until they found another secret door parallel to the suspected chamber of the shriekers. This second room held four barnacle encrusted driftwood coffins. Both the Woodstick and Brand slipped through the room like shadows before the midday sun. When Ilmaticron the Dickish and the walking cacophony Grumblejack attempted to slip through, they woke the slumbering undead who began to break free of their seaweed bedecked resting places. The party rapidly left the room and attempted to seal the door behind them. Ahead lay a locked banded door with the key awaiting on a hook, preparing for battle the party opened the door to find a perturbed knight of Alerion wearing the sapphire symbol of Mitra!

As they heard the door at the far end of the hall splinter, they attempted to recruit the knight to save his own skin. The fool preferred to be slaughtered so the grim four went about their dark business with Grumblejack dealing and receiving many wounds. With the help of Brand, Ilmaticron, and the Woodstick, they finally smote the knights head from his pretentious shoulders.

Their victory was short lived, they were trapped and without healing when the four brine soaked undead fell upon them. It was only the vicious bladework of Ilmaticron, Grumblejack, and the Woodstick that saved the day. Brand spent much of his time missing and receiving grievous wounds before losing consciousness.

The bloodied four return to Adrastus with their prize and he began their training in earnest, granting them new traits in their fight to liberate Talingarde from Mitra’s thrall. After the training was complete, Adrastus pronounced them ready and held a great banquet in honor of the new Nessian Knot in an infernal ritual involving blood and fire.  During the ritual, Adrastus summoned forth a barbed devil and offered it one of the slaves.  The devil gleefully ripped the screaming man apart and feasted on his still beating heart.  Adrastus then drew forth some of the devil's blood with a silver athame and traced the unholy symbol of Asmodeus on each of the party's foreheads.  Behold he proclaimed, "The Nessian Knot is forged."

The Trials of Asmodeus

Thorn Manor, Old Moor Road, Talingarde: The gruesome group was greeted by Theodora and led to the chambers of Cardinal Adrastus Thorn. A devilishly handsome, bald acolyte of Asmodeus, Thorn asked for the fealty of Brand, Ilmaticron, and the Woodstick. With some discussion they entered into a pact of the Bound with the powerful cardinal. Thorn told them that to complete their training they must complete nine lessons in the catacombs beneath the manor. While they waited and rested their every need was meet by Thorn’s slaves, however another group, the White Raven, who were also bound to the cardinal shared an icy tolerance of our villainous cohort. After they were adequately “rested" Theodora took them before Adrastus who challenged Brand, Ilmaticron, and the Woodstick to find a magical sapphire jewel hidden within Asmodeus’ Nine Lessons. He gave to them silver unholy symbols of Asmodeus as well as iron circlets of disguise. Grumblejack agreed to further service and also made his mark on a pact of the Bound. Theodora then brought them to the entrance to the catacombs.

The first chamber was a test of deception. Using a novel technique, the Woodstick and Grumblejack tripped the trapdoor trap and fell on the spikes below. After this stumble, the party did find two secret doors, one which held a gem of alchemist’s ice and the other which led to the next lesson. The next lesson was a test of independence, Ilmaticron noticing that two of the three exits to this room had many tracks in the dust, the one that did not was guarded by heat sucking mold which was quickly dispatched by the alchemist’s ice. The third lesson was one of darkness, the room swallowing light sources whole. Strategically using 10’ poles they were able to illuminate the magical source of the darkness, an obsidian orb that they shattered with a firm shove from another pole. The party was attacked by a bloodsucking leach foam that roiled through holes in the floor. Using oil and fire they battled it back while unbarring the door exiting in the room, Grumblejack taking the worst of the damage. The fourth lesson was a room with a torturer’s rack, with a young squire of Mitra hidden in a secret door. The vile quartet put the rack to use and extracted the following:

• Beware the metal cobras!
• Secret door opposite the stairs.
• Shrieker screams if there is light or movement.
• Four drowned men will rise when the shrieker cries!

The young squire was left on the rack, in case a diversion was needed later in the lessons.  The party then entered the next room and faced two metal cobras. Brand took much poison damage. The room following this contained, what appeared to be, the sapphire jewel they had been sent to retrieve. A flight of stairs rising to the left. Wary of deception, the party found the secret door opposite the stairs and sought the next lesson...