Solaris' Heroes Events (season 3: 20-29)
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Session 20: Those Who Will Rescue (1 Napay 785 to 6 Napay 785)
In Mydir, Clement and Gram start the task of finding a group that can rescue Emmerick from Hertoplowis. They need mostly faithful of Falan that are not known in Pacyr or Hertoplowis. They also need someone that can be trusted that knows Hertoplowis.
Gram first goes to a dwarven friend he has made in Mydir. A native of another nation and a person that knows Hertoplowis well enough. His name is Bandrig and he agrees to the job. Next, the two of them go to the town of Grimhold on the plateau. Gram knows it well. It is out of the way and has many devoted followers of Falan. Clement teleports them and once there, Gram shows Bandrig around the town. They go to the First Post, the temple of Falan, where they discuss what type of people they are looking for to help. That done, Gram calls in a few people he thinks fit their criteria.
The first is a human named Marston. He is a ranger of Falan and a respected member of the town watch. Next are two friends and business partners. Both tinkers and devoted to Falan as a cleric and ranger respectively. Artemus and Gnevil are their names. All three agree to join the effort, for payment. Gram then contacts Clement so that he can send Saren to the town and they can all meet. Saren will be going with them, but not Gram.
Once they all meet, Gram suggests that they get to know each other and that Grimhold is a better place to train, since Pacyr is calm and quiet. Bandrig loudly dissents, but finally agrees to take a few nights watch here with them, as opposed to trying to collect some bounty on an undead tinker gnome vampire or going to a pit of skeletons. The next night, Marston arranges them to take watch. The watch involves walking the perimeter of the town. Four hours into their eight hour shift, they are set upon by a flying skeletal crow of sorts. Bullets and magic missiles are loosed, but the thing manages to pick Saren of his horse and carry him. They fail to turn the creature. Artemus blasts it with holy rays. Marston hits it with pistol and shotgun. The creature drops Saren and attacks Marston and Artemus, draining Marston of his life and nearly killing him. Saren gets back onto his horse, Ardent, charges the hovering creature, and destroys it. The group heals and continues its shift.
Marston reports to the deputy on duty what happened, but since they are all still okay and no others were seen coming, they continue their shift. The next time they pass the perimeter closest to the Skull Lord's lands, zombies are there, crawling through the barbed wire. This time, they turn several of them and Gnevil uses his strange device to drain away the negative energy from tow of them. Bandrig uses his swords to cut one up, Saren chops into them with his ranseur. When those near are destroyed, they shoot down the fleeing ones until Saren catches them and destroys them.
The rest of that night and the next two are uneventful. The group decides that is enough and Gram contacts Clement, who arrives and takes them to Mydir.
Session 21: The First Leg is the Easiest (6 Napay 785 to 2 Progonust 785)
In Mydir, the group enters the University, the temple of Falan. After being shown quickly around, the go to a meeting room, one Saren has seen many times before. Clement expresses his concern that the group and their mission might be revealed. This room is the most secure there is from scrying and such in the temple. Gram leaves, not wanting to hear the plan in case he was compromised. Soon after, the last member of the group, and Icefian cleric and wizard of Falan is introduced. His name is Harrick. The group then plans out their strategy. Using Bandrig as the leader, they will pose as merchants in two wagons selling cloth. They will travel normally and do everything to make it appear as if this is just another trip for Bandrig into Hertoplowis as a merchant. Albeit, requiring more help. Artemus and Gnevil's time as shop keepers is helpful in the ruse.
Over the next two days, Bandrig collects what he needs to sell the mission. The tinkers tinker, Saren goes to where he stays in Mydir. Marston is left to wander the temple. When the days end, the group gathers a distance from the temple and sets off to Hertoplowis. They are stopped only once in the three weeks, by a human claiming to be an investigator for her Lady, Hemator. He warns Harrick about his familiar, but otherwise sends them on their way.
When they reach the border, it takes a time for the other who have never seen Hertoplowis to take in just how massive the city sprawl is. They are detained at the entrance to the city nation for over an hur, but are released without arrest. The first day, Bandrig makes his normal rounds, meeting with merchants and taking one or more of the others with him as he goes. The goal is to head north while stopping at merchants to not arouse suspicion. That night, an unsleeping Harrick sees the door to his and Bandrig's room open. He and Bandrig ready themselves. The intruder put up his hands and reveals himself to be a drow. He has been waiting for a merchant to arrive that can get him out of Hertoplowis. It has become much more challenging since the last group of smugglers was caught and stopped from performing that service. Bandrig agrees to do it, if the drow, named Emitx, helps them. The drow agrees, although he is not told exactly what the mission is.
Later that day, the group is stopped in the street by evangelists of Everentual. Seeing no way around, they are forced to listen to a story. At the end of which, Bandrig appears disoriented for a moment, but recovers and the group moves along. Waking up the next morning, the group sits next to a few dwarven merchants.
Session 22: But You Said Not to do Precisely That (2 Progonust 785 to 10 Progonust 785)
The dwarven merchants prove to have nothing useful, so the group continues on its way. Saren is 'haunted' every day by the figure at the edge of his vision which he can never get to, and no one else can see. The next two nights, the group is visited by constables of Falan, who question them, but do nothing else. They learn to begin to avoid the evangelists in the streets.
On the fourth night, a constable of Gruweas knocks on Bandrig's door. After entering, he questions Bandrig and demands to see papers. Bandrig refuses, spouts off legal precedents, and after getting butted by the human's crossbow, attacks with magic missiles. The constables are called out. Bandrig surrenders without a fight and is locked in a judge hole for a day while he waits trial. The others wait at the inn. THe next day, a Grean cleric arrives and after some debate with Bandrig, fines the dwarf and gives him a warning.
Six nights into their journey, while sleeping, they hear a ruckus. An elf sneaks into Marston's room after he opens the door to see what was happening. They hide the elf, who had just stolen from some faithful of Sutyr the group had seen staying at the inn. After a time, the elf leaves and they go back to sleep.
They find more merchants, and have particular luck with a apparently Dedestroyt worshipping undertaker.
On the ninth night, while at a large unaligned inn, Artemus and Gnevil are attacked by a shadow. It nearly kills Artemus, and begins to turn him shadowy before the others arrive to help. Saren fails to turn it. Harrick blasts it with searing light, Artemus with holy light, and Bandrig with magic missiles. The shadow survives and drains the strength from Saren and Harrick. Finally, Gnevil sucks the shadow into his device. They go to sleep.
When the wake the next morning, and pray for recovery, they also ask the waitress about the inn. Saren discovers an evil presence in the basement. They go to investigate. Harrick sound proofs the exit to prevent gunfire from being heard everywhere. Down one flight of steps, Saren detects over a dozen undead, one of which is clearly more powerful. Emitz and Bandrig leave the stairs, Artemus and Gnevil retreat as well. Bandrig sends a runner to get all of the Falan constables. Saren does not leave, Marston won't leave him, and Harrick to too curious. Saren yells out a challenge into the basement. He turns and destroys several. After a moment, he is charged by shadows. Emitx and Bandrig look for another way into the basement. Before the shadows reach Saren, Marston fires his shotgun and destroys two while hurting many others. Saren attacks. Harrick fails to turn any shadows. He then turns to his wand and burns them with light. A wave of cold comes up the stairs, chilling them. Gnevil helps to reload the shotgun and Marston continues to fire. Saren moves into the basement. Artemus comes to see what is happening. Bandrig and Emitx reach the storm doors and head down.
The lone man, an undead fitting the description of the proprietor, is in the center of the basement. With the shadows defeated, he tries to flee to the exit. He barely misses Bandrig who retreats. Emitx hits the creature in passing. The others give chase. Harrick blasts the creature with a searing way. Marston hits it with another shotgun blast. Harrick hits it with another ray and it collapses. They drag the creature into the basement and then the main room.
Session 23: Narrowly Avoiding Detection (10 Progonust 785 to 14 Progonust 785)
The group decides
that Saren and Bandrig will stay and give the story, while the others flee with the magic wagon. A few minutes after they leave, a group of four cleric evangelists of Han~Sui arrive and move towards the remaining two. After some discussion, they go to the crowd and begin to talk to them, as they all wait for constables and the clerics of Falan. More minutes pass, and the constables arrive, but seem unable to recognize Bandrig and Saren. After Bandrig makes an attempt to talk to one and succeeds, he is held magically. Saren notes that several evil presences have entered the area. The crowd flees as spells are cast and fear or panic overtakes them. Only the dwarf Fenric, one of the Han~Sui worshippers, remains. Three clerics of Falan, two human and an elf, are visible once the crowd is gone. They try to enspell the three, and succeed in drawing Fenric peacefully away. Saren and Bandrig resist the spells. Bandrig enchants himself. Saren tries to knock out the elven cleric, who retaliates by badly wounding Saren with his sword. Saren mounts Ardent. Bandrig sneaks up on the elf and cuts off half his leg. The other cleric move in the heal their companion. Saren charges in and knock on out, followed by a charging Fenric who knocks out
the last one.Bandrig asks Fenric to retrieve some judge, and he goes off to find a cleric of Everentual. Bandrig and Saren wait and collect their story. The others, who had returned a watched from afar, still wait. Six faithful of Everentual arrive, led by a judge. They survey the area and ask for a story from Saren and Bandrig. Bandrig gives an accurate but not complete story which holds up to their scrutiny. The judge dismisses any charges and gives Bandrig a formal letter absolving him on charges for any incident here. Saren, however, is required to go in for questioning due to his cult ties. Saren goes peacefully, letting Bandrig know that he will be okay. Bandrig leaves and meets up with the others.
For four days they travel. The sprawl gets sparse in this section. They sell a number of cloth samples at a general store. They stay at an inn in the Celetal section where they can all use telepathy and Bandrgi and Marston must sneak passed two constables of Celetal. On another night, a constable of the Oldest Orc warns Artemus and Gnevil that he has seen their home overrun by undead in a vision.
Just after the sun sets, on the 14th day of their journey, traveling through a brief empty section of the sprawl, the wagons are stopped by a bonfire that springs up in the center of the road, and a voice that calls on them to put up their arms and surrender their wagons. To punctuate the point, to heavy bolts come and, hitting both Bandrig and Marston, nearly killing them each. Bandrig goes invisible and Marston takes cover on the wagon. They spot the snipers on either side of the road at top of two buildings. Gnevil rolls out of the wagon and begin to fire at one of them. Marston targets that one as well. Emtix begin to climb the wall to that one. From in the wagon, Artemus has a magic sword attack the other sniper, who runs from it to the ground. Harrick, in the other wagon, is attacked by a third man who knocks him to the ground and nearly out. Harrick plays his bones with a magic fiddle and Bandrig sneaks in to stab him. The man flees and calls out for the other to do the same. Before they can get away, Artemus and Hirrck unleash magic swords, lightning, and magic missiles to stop them. Gnevil and Marston fire away. One gets away. The leader is about to when Marston blows his head off with his rifle. Emitx drops the third of the building. They strip the thieves of belongings and throw the bodies into the bonfire before leaving.
Session 24: Circling Central (14 Progonust 785 to 19 Progonust 785)
Harrick is able to
identify some of the magical items and the group divvies them up among themselves. They rest and heal. The next few days travel are calm other than an apparent fight in the inn they are staying at overnight between faithful of Smofarf and Gruweas, in which the group does not get involved. They also are wary of an inn dedicated to Habastly, where they see suspicious activity over night and the innkeeper seems nervous, but they leave well
enough alone and leave the next morning.Three days after getting ambushes, and two days into a rain storm, which slows the group by a day, they are on the road again. Still in the less inhabited, but not empty part of the sprawl. A sudden cloud burst makes it very difficult to see or move. The road becomes icy. Bolts and arrows fly in and hit Bandrig and Marston. They alert the others.
Emitz is quick is roll out of the wagon and hide. Bandrig turns invisible and protects himself. Marston takes cover. Harrick drops an obscuring mist over his wagon. Two men slide by and cut the reigns of both wagons, although Marston makes one pay with a bullet. Harrick's wagon gets frozen on one side. The door to the other wagon gets pulled open and a vial gets through into it. The bang and flash blinds Gnevil and Artemus. Harrick heals Bandrig, and the door to his wagon gets ripped open. Bandrig sees two men approach and try to cut the harness by freezing it and smashing it. Marston sees a man try the same with his, but a well places shot stops the man. The horse on Marston's wagon gets spooked and begins to try to flee.
The man in Gnevil and Artemus' wagon demands they surrender. They begin to and then the man trips of Artemus' trip wire. Gnevil shoots him and Artemus summons a sword to attack him. Marston shoots at the men in the rain, taking them out of action. Harrick holds the man the jumps into his wagon. Bandrig attack one of the men trying to free the horse on his wagon. Harrick then hits them each with a withering fell magic missile, enough to cause them to flee. The man in the other wagon flees as well. The held man breaks free and lunges at Harrick, nearly killing him. Bandrig returns and beheads the man. The rain and ice begin to clear. Emitx returns with three of the men unconscious.
The group ducks into an alley, heals, cleans up, strips the men on valuables, and wakes the least hurt. Bandrig questions him and discovers that they are after the group's magic items, particularly Harrick's ring. They are affiliated with the thieves that attacked days before and had been following them. Bandrig threatens them and sends them away, the one man dragging both his friends. The hide the dead body in an empty house.
As they travel, they are successful in selling cloth to several merchants.
Two days later, they reach the edge of Central. They are turned away at two guard posts, one to Celetal, one to Gruweas, before over a day later finding an entrance guarded by Smofarf. There, a dwarf lets them in, gives them information and directions.
Session 25: Searching for the Best Route (19 Progonust 785 to 22 Progonust 785)
The group spends two days at a Smofarf inn, where they rest and scout the area. They go to a shop and trade some items for a spyglass and potions. Using the spyglass, Marston and Gnevil are able to find what they home is the location of the temple of Falan and the paths to it. After Emitx does some scouting and they ask questions, they come up with a plan. They will go through a domain of Celetal to reach a smaller domain of Falan where they will hope to find an allied cleric. From there, they can go through a domain of Dedestroyt and then into the large domain of Falan.
The make their way after another day. In the domain of Celetal, they are stopped by an evangelist and his preaching sucks in a few of them. After nearly a half an hour, they are let go. Later in the day, they reach the shrine of Falan. Everyone except Bandrig and Emitx go into the shrine. The other two wait in the wagon at a nearby inn. After they go in, Bandrig notices a dog watching them.
In the shrine, they meet a cleric named Jacob. He tells them that Joseph, their contact had been here but left a few weeks ago. He tells them where the domains of Falan are and who the clerics in Central are. He does his best to give them a lay out of the temple, known either as Yorbone or Out Lord of the Other Life. When the meeting is over, he asks them not to return for his safety.
Once back at the wagon, they begin to discuss a plan. Emitx is outside the wagon. As they talk, a thud hits the wagon wall. They cast protective spells, and everyone but Marston exits to look around. Bandrgi finds the dog under another wagon. It attacks, but misses, and the group returns the favor. It flees and Bandrig gives chase. He doesn't catch it, but does hit it with several magic missiles before it escapes.
Session 26: The Last Leg of the Journey (22 Progonust 785 to 24 Progonust 785)
The group decides to
immediately leave the domain of Falan and head into Dedestroyt's domain nearby. Traveling through there, they stop and speak with the chief constable of the domain, a cleric of Dedestroyt named Paul. He questions them and then answers questions about the temple of Falan and its heretical clerics. The group thanks
him and leaves.In the next domain, that of Smofarf, the group stops for the night. They decide to send Emitx to scout the temple. Harrick makes him a scroll and gives him a wand to aid him while he is away. Emitx leaves early the next morning, with Bandrig for part of the way to plan. When Bandrig returns, he finds a cleric of Han~Sui and two constables of Smofarf outside the inn. They are accompanied by a familiar dog. Bandrig tries to get close enough to hear, but can't. They group goes inside. Bandrig waits for an opportunity and slips in the door unnoticed. He sees the men going towards the rooms and follows. They go to Harrick's room and demand he come with them. They do the same to the others until they are all seated in the dining room of the inn. Bandrig watches and listens. The cleric, Investigator James Valy, tells them he has been on their trail. After a long interview, he finds them guilty of failure to report the death of the bandits that attacked them. They agree and pay a fine and go on 30 day probation. Bandrig returns and bluffs that he has been sick in the water closet.
The investigator begins to write a documents listing what has occurred for them to sign. As he does, they talk to one of the constables of Smofarf, who tells the more about the nearby domain of Falan. Five hours later, they sign and then ask the investigator if he will do anything about the heretics. The investigator agrees to travel with them to the temple and investigate, the next day. The group rests and waits for Emitx. Bandrig goes to meet him at dinner time. He finds Emitx and they separate traveling back to the inn. Once there, they find the group and head to a room to talk. As they walk up the stairs, Bandrig and Harrick notice a strange shadow. Harrick tries to web it, but it turns out to be just a shadow. Artemus is able to quickly destroy it. They report the incident to the investigator, who begins to search around.
Once at the room, Emitx gives them the lay out of what he saw and who he saw. The group comes up with a plan to use the investigator as a distraction and sneak into the temple. They will use the magic compass they found to locate Emmerick from the outside for guidance. Harrick will pretend to be looking for the cleric Lotorn, a Disciple of Falan who is not a heretic who resides at the temple. They will leave the next morning.
Just as the sun is rising late in the morning, they arrive at the temple. The failed to find a cloth merchant on the way to stop and allow the investigator ahead of them. Bandrig starts to use the compass outside. The investigator marches inside. Harrick meanders in to look for the dwarf. The others move inside as well. They hear a shot from deep inside. It is the investigator yelling at a cleric. The four convince the door guard to go check on that. That allows them to go down a side corridor Emitx had scouted. Bandrig finishes locating Emmerick and meets up with them inside. Harrick, asks an acolyte for help, but the acolyte is too concerned about the fight about to break out between the investigator and one of the clerics of Falan. Harrick begins to leave, but before he does, he drops a globe of darkness on the investigator. He leaves just as the dog appears from the darkness.
Harrick finds the other and they make their way to one of the secret doors, the ones that leads down, since that is where the compass told Bandrig Emmerick was. Emitx leads them to the trap door, and Harrick knocks it opens. There is a narrow hallway and steps down. The group casts spells to protect themselves and walk down. As they near the end, both Gnevil and Artemus sense the undead. Before they can react, an undead man steps in front of them and releases a lightning bolt.
Session 27: Vampire! (24 Progonust 785)
Emitx dives passed
the creature, who then quickly realize is a vampire, and reads a scroll that hides himself from the undead. Bandrig tries to get by the creature but is hit and drained for his effort. Marston fires his pistol, as does Gnevil, Harrick and Artemus heal themselves. A barrage of missiles hits the four still in front of it, while Bandrig and Emitx begin to search the area beyond. Gnevil retreats up the stairs for cover. Marston continues to fire as Harrick and Artemus unleash holy light. The creature hastes itself, but Artemus responds be dispelling some of is spells. Marston uses the enchantment given to him by Clement to silence the creature. It dominates Marston and uses his as cover as it drains his blood and backs away. The others summon light, fire their pistols, summon magic swords. and for nearly a minute they try to destroy the creature. Marston is forced to shoot Harrick and almost kills him. Emitx, still hidden revives Harrick. Artemus gives Emitx his holy water pistol, but Emitx can't figure it out. The group, nearly exhausted, has the vampire near destruction. The vampire grabs Marston, draining him of more life and healing itself, but allowing Marston to break free of the domination. Marston spins around and calls out, "Die you
undead son of a bitch!" and destroys it with his holy shotgun.Far down the hall, Bandrig hears that blast as he search for Emmerick using the compass. The sound also alerts another prisoner, who Bandrig talks to. He is a cleric of Han~Sui named Blake. Bandrig finds the room with Emmerick and magically opens the door. He sees Emmerick bound to a chair by the ankles, in a helmet which is anchored in four places to the walls, and his chains are chained to the ceiling and floor. He begins to investigate when Emitx arrives. They debate for a time until the others arrive. Before he leaves the staircase, Harrick webs it. Once the group meets up, the look at the room. They find nine doors, five of which are magical. Bandrig sets to the task of freeing the cleric of Han~Sui. Gnevil begins to blast open the other magical doors. Marston begins to look into the rooms. Emitx, Artemus, and Harrick try to free Harrick. After analysis, the three go into the room. A stone wall drops down blocking them and a spinning device drops from the ceiling with a message about Emmerick. Hearing the message, they waste no time trying to free him. They quickly get his his free, and remove the anchors from the helmet. As they continue to think, another device begins to drop and spin. Artemus shatter the ankle shackles and they lift him out of the chair. The stone wall lifts. Emmerick grabs Emitx hand, and he runs in fear.
In the hall, the others have found three clerics of Han~Sui, but only Blake is conscious. They found a torture room and a room with a blue skinned celestial. They free them all, and carry them out. Moving back to the stairs, they find the web still there. Letting Emitx search before they go, they look for another way out. Emitx finds several corridors, but hears voices coming from one of them. The group hides down another corridor to let them pass. One of the undead traveling with a human cleric that passes by comes towards them. Harrick commands it to ignore them and leave. The group sneaks down the corridor those came from and finds a trap door. Emitx goes up, still hidden to the undead and finds two. he opens the door Gnevil blasts them with lightning, destroying them. The group rushes through a large house to the street.
Blake leads all but Bandrig and Emitx to another domain. Those tow go back for the wagons. The temple is a buzz, but they do not stay to find out what happened. They take the wagons to the others.
Session 28: Out Faster Than In (24 Progonust 785 to 3
Baston Sun 785)
Session 29: Cursed Clerics (3 Baston Sun 785 to 8
Baston Sun 785)
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Bandrig is forced to travel to Mydir in chains to stand trial. The others travel on the wagon with Clement for three weeks.
Epilogue
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Clement removes the helmet through magic, as well as dispelling all of the spells on Emmerick. Gnevil inspects the helmet and finds a symbol he recognizes from the plateau to be a tinker mark.
