Session 22

Date: 2/15/2015

Attending: Jake, Justin, Dave, Chris, Joey, Aaron, Martin as Guest

Absent: none

Start Time: 7:05 p.m.

End Time: 10:08 p.m.

XP awarded: 500

Game time elapsed:  1 day

Enemies Defeated: 7 Steel-Toes

Notes:

The session begins with the end of the discussion with Bertram. The party beds down in his tower. In the morning they awake to find Marcus gone. Bertram tells them that Marcus has returned to Waymeet to resume “his duties”. Grigor tries to interrogate Bertram about Marcus’ true purpose in Waymeet, but he is politely rebuffed (to his ongoing frustration).

Bertram introduces the party to Orius Kegbreaker, a dwarven ranger who will help escort Bertram and the Knights to Appleton for the meeting of the sages. Orius has a pet bulldog named Snort who also accompanies them.

The group sets out and travels through the countryside. The temperature, already cold, drops significantly in the evening and the wind picks up. Bertram suggests trying to seek shelter from a local farmstead and the party agrees. They turn off the road and head to the nearest, but realize that it’s lights are off – unlike the other farm houses they have seen that evening.

Investigating they find that the home has been broken into and the family abducted or killed. Checking out the barn reveals several dead cattle and a dead creature – identified as a Steel-Toe – pinned beneath the slain bull.

Bajol and Frumious ride to the next farmhouse to warn the residents only to see the home go up in flames upon approach. They find that the farm family is recently abducted, and the group unites and uses Orius’ tracking skills to follow the attackers.

The trail leads to a large rock supporting a collapsed tree, which is hiding a recently excavated tunnel. Heading in they confront a group of 7 Steel-Toes in a large room. The Tainted Ones have apparently dug out the tunnel and the room, revealing an old stone slab with runes and deep groves cut into it. A stack of bodies (the local farmers) is on the floor, and the most recent abductee has been beheaded and held upside down over the slab, her blood draining out into the grooves. Meanwhile two Steel-Toes were rhythmically beating drums made out of gigantic skulls in a pattern chillingly similar to the profane Redcap ritual witnessed so long ago.

The Knights immediately engaged with the Steel-Toes. The drummers continued despite the fight and the blooded slab began glowing in response until the Knights were able to attack the drummers and disrupt the music. After a very hard fight the Knights were victorious and the Tainted Ones slain to a man.

Examining the stone slab with the aid of Read Magic, Grigor was able to read an inscription describing it as being a lid to where the “Lord of Eyes” was locked away. They party determined that this was an Awakened that had not yet been released. Realizing that they did not have the means to open the lid to slay whatever lay within they discussed their options. Orius revealed that he was part of a dwarven “group” that could monitor and or deal with the situation. Grigor then attempted to ask about the Dwarven organization and was again eluded. The Knights agreed to let Orius’ “people” deal with the issue and Orius rode off to set things up. The party then spent a restless night in the burrow, intending to continue on in the morning. End Session