Act 1 - The Ravenous Horde¶
Session 1¶
570Y 3M 15KAL
The Party exits the Tomb of the Alchemist several days later than expected. Time within the Tomb seems to pass slower than real-time on the material plane.
570Y 3M 11KAL
The Party meets up with the refugee caravan, led by Greghor Stonhyr, and proceeds to Noxwall.
570Y 3M 10KAL
Stonhyr delivers an address to the people of Noxwall, formally welcoming them into the Republic but warning of trying times to come.
Session 2¶
570Y 3M 9KAL
The Party leads a salvage caravan to the ruins of Cantfall so that precious documents and farming materials can be recovered.
570Y 3M 4KAL
The Party encounters gnoll hunting parties in Cantfall, indicating that a warband must be nearby. Taking refuge in the miniature Nonewallow of the Zhackson estate, the Party scares off a gnoll pack by exploiting their fear of the supernatural ash.
Session 3¶
570Y 3M 2NON
The Party arrives at Noxwall with the recovered supplies from Cantfall. Alderman Mylz welcomes the party back, and expresses his gratitude for the difficult job well done.
In the meantime, Azoth and Faelix have opened up a magical curiosity shop, identical to the one they were found in inside the Tomb. Marus has taken up a position as their store clerk.
A Unity Festival is being prepared in Noxwall. Merchants from nearby towns have arrived and are prepping their wares for sale. Local merchants departed for the nearest Republic cities. Some traditions are sacred, and not even a gnoll pack can put them off.
570Y 3M NON
Durgu leads a small group of hunters to track down an Owlbear. Although the group initially has a bad run, the re-focused group takes down an Owlbear using the techniques taught by the half-orc.
570 3M 8IDE
With the Festival well underway, the Party, acting on a wild rumor, discover that Marus has accidentally donated some of Azoth/Faelix's trinkets as carnival game prizes. The storytelling, spellcasting, and insult throwing games are known to have these trinkets. Additionally, the huckster running the shell game may have lifted an item from Faelix's shop.
Tym wows an elderly crowd at the storytelling competition by recounting the harrowing tale of two dragons, one red and one blue, vying for control of a golden egg. The tale of the flying half-orc was particularly amusing for the Alderman.
Nykolai is beckoned over by the shady huckster running the shell game, who reveals themselves to be a fellow thief. The two exchange a fragmented conversation in that most cryptic language, thieves' cant (or self-referrentially, français), the pair engage in a test of wits and cunning. Taking advantage of a distraction caused by Xalston's blatant mind-reading attempt, Nykolai tricks the huckster, and wins the stolen prize.
Session 4¶
The Unity Festival continues, as Xalston performs a magical extravaganza for Azoth and Faelix. Begrudgingly impressed, Faelix hands Xalston the grand prize: Faelix's Patented Lil' Wizards Kit.
While his owlbear finishes cooking, Durgu decides to participate in some of the more physical contests at the festival: the stump chopping contest and the slapping contest. As expected, Durgu excells at both, and easily claims the top prizes.
Tym and Xalston face off in Faelix's insulting contest, a half-assed attempt by the elderly wizard to get some cheap enterntainment. The two long-time friends manage to trade a few rounds of comedic insults, but Tym quickly emerged victorious.
As the first day of the festival winds down, a Republic sentry sounds the alarm, throwing the entire town into lockdown. Reports indicate that multiple sentries encountered lone hyenas and witherlings at random locations around the town, indicating the presence of a pack nearby. Surprisingly, no attack materializes, but the town remains on high alert.
Offering their services to the Republic Commander, the party is sent on a recon expedition to an abandoned camp, to search for clues as to the whereabouts and plans of the gnoll pack.
Session 5¶
Arriving at the gnoll camp, the party discovers branching tracks that indicate the gnolls have split up, with about 2/3 of their numbers heading in the general direction of Noxwall and the rest heading southward.
Following the southbound tracks, the Party passes through an area with several mangled but uneaten carcasses of deer and other forest dwelling creatures. It seems that a lot of the local beasts have been put into a vicious state for some unknown reason. The Party's owl is also attacked by an eagle. These uncharacteristic behaviors are concerning to the Party.
Arriving at an ancient abandoned mine, the party uses their owl's enhanced hearing to navigate the labyrinth of shafts and caverns, and discovers a demonic ritual being performed by the gnolls deep underground. A Maw of Yeenoghu leads the ritual with an idol of the demon lord. The sigils of Yeenoghu and Baltatrax are overlaid on the chamber floor, along with what appears to be a teleportation circle.
Session 6¶
Using a packet of Dust of Disappearance to stealth, the Party successfully sneaks up on the gnoll shaman. With a quick lunge, Durgu rips the idol from the Maw's hands and passes it to an invisible Nykolai, who must now escape with the Idol. Before most of the gnolls can react, the Party's familiars, including Ava and Squiggles, rain down beads of fireballs on the surprised gnolls, quickly neutralizing most of them. Thanks to Tym's deception, the majority of the surviving gnolls begin to chase him instead of Nykolai. As Xalston and Durgu pick off the last of the Cultists and the Gnoll Maw, Nykolai begins making her way out of the chamber. Xalston and Durgu dimension door out of the chamber as the ritual begins to destabilize, but Nykolai is caught in the necrotic energy blast of the collapsing ritual, and barely manages to drag herself to shelter as the chamber ceiling caves in.
Session 7¶
With the Flind, the sole gnoll survivor, staring down Tym's neck and Nykolai badly wounded, the situation looked dire. Spending the last of their resources, Tym disengages and flees to avoid the Flind's attacks while Xalston hastens Durgu. With his newfound speed, Durgu quickly reaches the Flind, but is surprised by the ferocity of the gnoll's attacks, which nearly fell the half-orc in three sharp blows. Tym shrouds the area in Hunger of Hadar in order to buy everyone more time, which proves a wise decision, as it allows for the Party to regroup and rethink their plan. Durgu, spending a precious charge of the Horn of Valhalla, manages to summon eight berserker warrior spirits, who make short work of the Flind.
570Y 3M 7IDE
With the Flind defeated, the Party takes a short break to regain their senses, and identifies the Idol as an artifact from the Demon Lord Yeenoghu. After making their way to Lake Gilly to rest some more, the Party splits up, with Durgu heading off alone to track the rest of the gnoll pack while Xalston, Tym, and Nykolai head back to help defend Noxwall from the ongoing siege.
Session 8¶
As Xalston, Nykolai, and Tym fly back to Noxwall to try to get some rest, Durgu proceeds on foot in the direction of the largest group of Gnoll tracks. It's clear that the gnoll pack dispered throughout the woods, most likely to reduce the likelihood of discovery as they prepare their assault on the town. At the loggers camp, Durgu finds evidence that the gnolls have re-groupred, as they are now close enough to Noxwall that their discovery would be only a minor hindrance.
Thinking ahead, Durgu sends Xalston's owl familiar ahead, rightfully deducing that the pack must be hidden within the trees. Indeed, as the owl spirit returns it indicates to Durgu that the pack is just up ahead, to the Northeast of the town, seemingly just waiting.
Armed with this crucial information, Durgu returns to town.
As Durgu tracked down the pack, the rest of the party makes a quick return to Noxwall to get some rest and recover from the brutal fight against the Flind. While Xalston heads directly to the inn to rest, Tym and Nykolai make their way to Stonhyr's command tent. There, they recount the previous day's events to the Commander in full detail. Stonhyr, sensing that the destruction of the Idol of Yeenoghu may be beyond the group's current capabilities, offers to take possession of the item, so that his greater resources can safely deal with the totem. Unsure of what else to do with the powerful and dangerous item, Tym agrees to hand over the Idol, which is promptly sequestered into a leaden reliquary.
Once Durgu arrives in Noxwall, he relays the gnoll pack's location to the Expedition Commander. Summoning the rest of the party, Stonhyr and his officers piece together their knowledge and the information provided by the party, and conclude that the ritual the party interrupted must have been meant to teleport the Flind and his gnolls into the heart of Noxwall to attempt a decapitation strike. Although this degree of planning is beyond most gnolls, Stonhyr believes that the cultists the party are an indication that the gnolls are joined by a more strategic ally.
As the ritual was disrupted by the party, the gnolls hiding in the woods outside the town must be waiting for some signal, but they won't wait forever. Deciding that now is the time to act, Stonhyr orders the main avenue to the city center to be isolated from the rest of the town with makeshift barricades. As soon as this is complete, the town will mock a state of panic, complete with burning bonfires and ringing temple bells. The town gate closes to the gnolls will be thrown open, and when the gnolls stream in hoping for a surprise attack, they will be ambushed by the Republic archers all along the avenue roofs and the Expedition soldiers hiding behind the barricades.
Session 9¶
The party decides to assist in the ambush, and make their own preparations to protect the temple, where a large portion of the townspeople are hiding. With the barricades allocated to them, the party seals off the sole entrance to the temple as best they can, and for good measure, Nykolai decides to use a card from her Deck of Illusions to create an illusory guardian for the temple. In true Nykolai fashion, the sole Ace of Hearts, a Red Dragon, is pulled from the deck, and the mighty scaled beast appears entrapped within the temple's portico.
With the preparations complete, the gates are thrown open as the temple bells begin to sound the alarm. As suspected, dozens of gnolls begin to flood through the opening. In their bloodlust, the gnolls fail to realize they've been tricked, and as the main body rushes down the avenue, the Republic archers fire a massive salvo, catching the gnolls completely off-guard.
In the central square, Stonhyr had staged a fight against his soldiers disguised in gnoll pelts. Seeking to capitalize on their supposed advantage, the gnolls charge right at the Commander, only to find themselves surrounded by the soldiers in disguise.
As the battle rages on, the party takes down wave after wave of gnolls before they can even get near the temple entrance. Suddenly, the archers cry down to the Commander "Fliers! In the sky." A group of gnolls, aloft on the backs of eblises, are making their way towards the temple roof, seeking to drop down on the trapped townsfolk through the occulus.Tym and Nykolai quickly rush into the temple, clambering over their own barricades, and set up an illusory swarm of blades at the opening. Although the illusion is quickly defeated by the gnolls, it buys the defenders time. As the people attempt to flee from the descended gnolls, Mylz Halcom, Alderman of Noxwall, is slain by one of the gnolls, before the party can neutralize the threat. Although the people are safe, the attack has cost the life of their beloved alderman.
As the invading gnolls are quickly defeated by Durgu and Xalston, a terrible demonic hound known as a Shoosuva arrives with the last of the gnolls. Armed with a paralyzing stinger and shielded by eldritch resistances to mundane damage, the Shoosuva manages to catch Durgu unaware. The half-orc, paralyzed by the stinger, realizes the true threat presented by the demon. Quickly recovering from the Shoosuva's poison, Durgu and Stonhyr begin kiting the demon, and with a few powerful blows, manage to bring the beast down. With the last of the gnolls dead, Noxwall is safe.
Session 10¶
570Y 3M 6IDE
With the town safe from the gnolls for the time being, the party is finally able to get some much needed rest. Although the situation is still dire, and the attack took the lives of several soldiers, nearly all the town's inhabitants survived the onslaught. Although the Alderman did not survive the attack, the Party makes arrangements for his body to be preserved for a short time, while Vogrit, the party's former companion cleric, can be found to resuscitate the alderman.
On the morning after the attack, the party receives a formal summons from the Expedition Commander. In the square outside the temple, Stonhyr announces to the town that conscription notices are being issued right now. Although Noxwall may be safe, Ravenhelm is still under siege from the Gnoll War Band, and every body counts.
After his short announcement, the Commander reassures Tym that his group is safe from these notices, partly in recompense for the services they have already rendered. Regardless, Stonhyr requests that Tym and the rest of the party lend their services to the Republic once again, and assist in the liberation of Ravenhelm in the coming days. Discussing the request amongst themselves later that day, the party decides to assist the Republic once again, before starting their trek into the ruins of the First Age.
570Y 3M 4IDE
The party heads to the command tent to inform the Commander of their decision. Major Nammeserian, Stonhyr's silent adjutant, informs the party (via a nearby lieutenant) that the Commander is currently at the temple. Not wanting to put off the conversation, the party goes off to find him.
Upon entering the temple however, it becomes evident that the Commander was not there to offer prayer to the Five. It seems that Stonhyr and Father Ahern, the cleric of Aniris with whom the party had made arrangements regarding the Alderman's body, are quarreling over the cleric's refusal to perform the burial rites. Durgu inserts himself between the cleric and the irate Commander, forcing the latter to pause his tirade.
Pulling the Commander aside to a private conversation, Tym explains the party's plan to resurrect the Alderman, which only further enragers Stonhyr. It seems the latter views the idea of resurrection as nothing short of sacrilege. With no other recourse and tensions rapidly rising between Noxwall and the Republic, Tym convinces the Commander to back off and put his personal feelings aside for the greater good.
570Y 3M 3IDE
As Vogrit, Azoth, and Faelix return to town, the party meets them outside the gates. The trio show up hauling a massive stone slab, a recovered artifact from a site near the Alchemist's Tomb. On Faelix's instructions, Durgu uses his newly acquired carpentry tools to expand the shop's entryway, allowing the massive slab to be rolled into the new chamber that appears therein. The party decides it best not to ask questions of the cranky familiar or the suspiciously-dragonlike wizard. Azoth informs the party that the enchantment circle will not be ready for a few more days.
Session 11¶
570Y 3M IDE
The party departs for Ravenhelm on a mission to secure the Southern Gate for the advancing Republic Army.
570Y 3M 17KAL
With the Noxwall gnolls dispersed, the journey to Ravenhelm passed mostly uneventfully. The party briefly met a suspicious old tarot reader, but determined to press on. The old woman would later be rescued by the advancing army. In gratitude for the food an supplies, the old woman reads the party's Tarot, which reveals a terrible prediction: "The devil's arrival at the fortress shall be marked by a terrible loss of life."
570Y 3M 15KAL
The party arrives on the outskirts of Ravenhelm. The gnolls are nowhere to be seen, but their aerial eblis spies dot the skies. A clandestine loop around the city's perimeter reveals that the river's water level has significantly dropped, and a thin pillar of smoke can seen coming from upstream. The party speculates that the gnolls have dammed the river as part of their siege. Dropping into the now ankle-deep water, the party enter's the city through the exposed water inlet, using their newly acquired bag of holding to get the larger party members through the grate. Upon exiting the underground cisterns and entering the city proper, the party is surprised to discover the streets deserted. The party decides to head in the direction of the Arther Trading House, hoping to use Tyman's pedigree to acquire falsified documents. En route, the party notices several shuttered buildings. Bold posters nailed to the door read: "By Order of the Crown: This building has been placed under quarantine. Do not enter under penalty of death." As the party nears the commercial districts, they run into a black robed figure wearing a bird-like mask. The figure chastises the party for breaking quarantine, but urges them to follow him, lest someone less understanding find them next. Along the way, the party is assaulted by a shambling, mindless abomination. Although the figure was at one point clearly human, it has been transformed into a monster through what can only be demonic means. The figure;s skin is translucent, making it appear to be made of nothing but bone and sinew. The party's newfound companion, an apothecary studying the mysterious plague that has afflicted the city. Once at the apothecary's shop, the doctor reveals himself to be a young half elf by the name of Jacques Manget. He'd avoided the Templar roundup of apothecaries and physicians, and has been studying the plague in secret. When the party reveals that they have been in the city's water system, Jacques is horrified and quickly dons his protective gear. The plague is waterborne, and a quick examination reveals that both Nykolai and Tym have been infected. They will soon begin to experience visual and auditory hallucinations, mindless aggression and impaired mental faculties, before finally succumbing to the disease. Jacques begs the party to help, both for their own sake and that of the residents of Ravenhelm. He has the party gather a live specimen, and samples from wells throughout the city. Azoth suggests the party also acquire a copy of Eber's Scroll, and ancient medical text from the early First Age, which may provide some insight into the cure. While the specimen and the scroll prove relatively easy to acquire, the samples prove slightly more challenging. As the party delves deeper into the poorer districts from where the plague originated, the streets are overrun by the deformed abominations in the last stages of the plague. To make matters worse, Nykolai is beginning to have hallucinations. She sees her lost mentor Harry, running through the throng of creatures, She takes off after the vision, but gives up the chase after losing it within a tenement. With the samples gathered, Jacques begins work on a cure while the party gets some much needed sleep.
Session 12¶
570Y 3M 16KAL
In the morning, a squad of Dusk Templars arrive to execute an arrest warrant for Jacques. The party quickly creates an illusory hiding spot, which fools the Templars into thinking that Jacques is not present.
Jacques then informs the party that the samples they collected have confirmed that the disease is indeed Mormal Morrassmas, which will require a large quantity of tincture of ichor to cure. The precious stone is typically only found in high-end trading establishments and major temples. Worse still, Xalston's cursed amulet of thought projection has deceived the wizard into thinking that Tym's condition is far worse that it truly is.
The party sets off to the local depot of the Gardnyhr Trading House, where they plan to use the Writ of Assistance given to them by Stonhyr to secure a large enough supply of ichor to produce enough tincture for the party, and cure the two infected members. Once at the trading house, the amulet concocts a betrayal on Tym's part, which Xalston unwittingly believes. The amulet's true nature is only revealed once the pair confront each other openly, nearly leading to a confrontation on the trade house rooftop.
With the amulet's deception revealed, the party secures a small supply of ichor from the trade house attendant, and rushes back to Jacques' shop. After alerting Stonhyr of the recent discoveries and the need for massive supplies of ichor, the party begins planning for the impending invasion and liberation of the city by Republic forces.
Session 13¶
570Y 3M 15KAL
With Tym disguised as a Dusk Templar, the party ambushes the gate house's defenders, but not before the Templar Captain is able to fire off a Wand of Pyrotechnics. The local guard, loyal first to the city and emboldened by the promise of Republic assistance, quickly surrenders as Durgu finishes off the Templar Captain in the city's moat. With the gatehouse secure, the party hunkers down, expecting Templar reinforcements. A quick examination of the Captain's body finds a set of secret orders, detailing a Templar retreat and flight from the city should any guardhouse come under attack. A quick survey by the party's familiars reveals that indeed, following the repetition of the pyrotechnics signal, the Dusk Templar presence in the city, along with the majority of the city's nobility, have abandoned Ravenhelm.
With the city's defenses neutralized, the party has completed their objective, and a few hours later, the Republic's relief force decisively routs the Gnoll War Band, and officially annexes the city for the Repulic of Siddarmark.