War for Gateway Session Recap #15

[GM Mad]

War for Gateway Session Recap #15

April 21st, 569 CR


Night has fallen and the group relaxes with the rest of their allies outside of Bollo's Shield. The dwarves are getting rowdy off in the distance. Suddenly a crossbow bolt flies in from out of nowhere and embeds itself into Saladino's back! The bolt is poisoned and it very nearly kills Saladino. Ma Granite neutralizes the poison.

A note is found attached to the bolt. It reads “Greetings from Cassio”. Saladino explains that he fled from his guild in Minrothrad as he crossed one of the higher ups. He had been assigned to protect the daughter of a powerful guild member, but instead had an affair with her. Her father took exception and in a duel Saladino nearly killed him. That man was Cassio.

The poison used is yellowish in color and is called Venom's Blood. This is a combination of other natural lethal poisons and is usually fatal. It is also the calling card of an assassin named Athos. He is known to kill his targets from a distance and then melt back into the shadows.

The rest of the night passes uneasily.


April 22nd, 569 CR

Next morning Saladino's health is mostly restored. Supplies are given to Wyvern Squad and they are set out on their mission. They walk back to the Sunken Temple accompanied by the Goblin Kickers. The group realizes that numerous goblins were killed there when they returned through the portal. Have they animated into skeletons?

Those fears turn out to be unfounded as more carrion crawlers are found eating the corpses. Smaller versions of the beasts are noted as well. The crawlers are not disturbed and the group passes through the portal into the basement of Mardura's Temple in the Valley of Fangs. Pausing only to grab more of the Pyramid Power Control Rods, the group then takes the portal to the Hub.

After escorting the dwarves past the Mardura Statues, the group reaches the area where they last encountered Herit, her pet giant snake and her followers. The bodies of her followers are still here, but they remain just plain dead. Once more Wimzy insists on the bodies being cremated. The dwarves help and have their own ideas on just how one purifies a corpse. They turn stacking the bodies for burning into a throwing game. This draws the ire of Wimzy but the bodies are cremated in the end.

The dwarves work to clear the debris from the two hover barges that were left on this dock. The work takes the rest of the day. Once cleared the group tries to figure out how the barges work. A hole is spotted near the front of the barge and the Pyramid Power Control Rod fits into it. After some experimentation, the person controlling the barge places one hand on the top of the rod and uses the other hand to control the barge. When activated, a large fiery lion appears underneath the barge causing it to rise into the air. The fire from the lion is very real and singes the beards of a few dwarves. With the barges ready to travel, the group sets up camp for the night.


April 23rd, 569 CR

The groups set out on the barges to find the back door to Bollo's Spear. Tomorrow the Cynalonian Army is set to attack the main entrance to the fortress while Sir Justin's group is looking for a way in from the road passing through the mountains. There's just enough room for both groups to fit on the barges. Anik and Eris control the barges and the fiery lions appear underneath both of them.

The water is flowing right to left as the group looks out at the canal. They recall back at the underground lake the channel the enemy used to move supplies was upstream. The canal is wide enough for the barges to fly side by side. The dwarves marvel at the craftsmanship of the canal. To make something so big and yet so uniform impresses them. The canal itself is about 30' wide and the ceiling is 20' overhead. Experimentation reveals the water to be about 10' deep.

About three hours into their trip the canal the explorers are traveling in merges with another canal and together they continue forward. Up ahead one of the enemy barges is being poled forward by four ogres. On the deck of the barge are many hobgoblins, two priests of Hextor and another Hobgoblin Incinerators. This barge is much like the one that was used to transport supplies that was burned at the back door to Bollo's Shield. A large chest is chained to the deck in the middle of the barge.

The attack starts with Anik and Eris tossing Fireballs at the enemy barge. The spells take out the vast majority of the hobgoblins. The hobgoblin Incinerator drops an Ice Storm on one of the barges, wounding all on it. Anik falls victim to a Hold Person spell and he stops controlling his barge. Eris drives her barge up and over the enemy barge, using the fiery lion to burn them. Many more drop from this attack. As the barge passes overhead, many of the dwarves drop off the rear to directly engage the enemy. The locked chest is now burning and many of the dwarves fear that the treasure inside will be destroyed!

The battle is one-sided and the enemy quickly falls. The dwarves advance on the chest and put the fires out. Much of the barge is still burning. The chains holding the chest down are loosened and it opened. What looks like a snake shoots out, but then falls to the deck dead. Inside is the body of a snake-man! His head is like a hooded cobra, while instead of hands his arms end in snakes! He is another Son of Set and he is now dead. Reddish energy rises from his body and then flies off in the direction the enemy barge was heading. It is feared that Herit is off in that direction and she just became more powerful.

The working theory is that the Hextorites were fleeing Bollo's Spear with this prisoner as they are also fighting the forces of Set as well as Cynalonian. Perhaps this snake man was an important hostage that they didn't want to risk being freed. Just where they were going remains a mystery.

The barge must have come from the other direction the canal goes from the mergers. While the group considers going after Herit, they ultimately decided to complete their mission. The enemy barge is dragged to block the canal going that way as it is longer than the canal is wide. They'll then fly the Hover Barges over top of it and towards Bollo's Spear.


Now what?