Session 16: 1/16/15

Your faithful chronicler has been a bit lax about posting updates. However, suffice it to say, things have been happening: at the present, the party, having discovered the nefarious plots of the cultists encountered in session 13, went on to disrupt their diabolical plans as much as possible. Unfortunately, in the session previous to this, the high priest, via an ancient secret ritual, transformed before their eyes into a salamander, which led to a hasty retreat to regroup.

Party: Curate Burkey (C:5), Polarion the Conjuror(M:3), Taylor (F:1), Durbin (F:2, hireling), Elf (E:1, hireling, I forget his name), Ogre(HD:2, lost 2 HD to a wraith)


Summary:

A few days of healing and brainstorming were spent on coming up with a way to stop the bad guys from opening the portal to the Abyss.

Due to the threat to the village of Gorgoroth, the village notables were willing to throw in to help - Gar Draka, the sage: potions of fire resistance, Sister Ingrid of the Shrine of the Punishing Ox: promised healing and possible reincarnation for casualties, and Sheriff Arnax and Deputy Gygenson rounded up some volunteers to operate crossbows and provide covering fire for the party during their assault.

With their ranks filled out, the troop cautiously approached the hill where Trelleborg sits. As the neared the site, they could hear a dark and wild rite being performed. They spied on the proceedings undetected, their approach covered by the frantic drum beats and wailing. 

It was then that they caught glimpse of some of the cult's hired muscle hiding out in the entrance of the tower ruins watching the main event.To the party, this was a slap in the face.

The ruins of the tower are their ruins.

Rather than a frontal assault which would expose them to clerics of various levels and the salamander, they took the hidden side entrance to the 2nd level, worked their way up to the tower, and surprised the unsuspecting berserkers completely.

Polarion and the Elf worked their magic (literally) and one sleep spell and one charm spell later, the party prepared to attack the priests, with one charmed berzerker in their ranks (offered glory in battle to persuade him and also took his shield from him, convincing him of the need to gift it to another in the party. It is the first magic armor the party has found - a simple Shield + 3).

The crossbow-armed militia were sent to the roof of the tower, while the remainder moved back through the dungeon, out the hidden entrance and around to the front of the hill and charged. 

A hail of crossbow bolts rained down on the cultists and were incredibly effective. The battle was fierce and when it was over, the ogre and the charmed berzerker lay dead, along with all but one of the priests (who was held by a spell cast by Curate Burkey), lay dead. 

The salamander was destroyed and the portal closed.

A victory for the party, who headed into the dungeon to look for the cultist treasure, which they found after not too much searching. So much was found that they headed back to town with what they could carry, and returned for the rest later.