Session 6 – Back With a Vengeance
Campaign II, session 6. Previous: Session 5. Next: Session 7.
A week after the survivors returned to Bastion, as Vierath was trying to drown his guilt and grief, he receives word that four jade figurines the party had previous posted for sale by a broker had suddenly been purchased, alongside a handwritten message from Lady Kerowyn, inviting him to discuss the business of returning to the Sunless Citadel. She agrees to provide a cart and driver, as well as guarantee purchases of further treasures they find at a fair price and facilitate turning that coin into better gear.
Over the next month, ‘Rath cleans himself up and arranges for masterwork weapons for a new crew of heroes, and together with Fenmyra then leads a new expedition to the citadel:
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Mexiffeles, the gladiator (a human fighter from Metrol)
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Vezhka, the skirmisher (an orcblooded Savage)
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Jan, the mendicant (a human cleric of Numilvara), with a pet hunting dog
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Cresilde, the surgeon (a dwarven diviner), with an owl familiar named Tawn
Mexiffeles also recruits a henchwoman – Arelle Vashti, an apprentice spinner (she’s stronger than she looks). Vierath recruits a lyrist named Jannis Roel and equips him with a bow and leather armor. ‘Rath also hires a few NPC spellcasters to join the caravan and travel with them to the top of the ravine.
The party hatches together a rope harness to drop down Jan’s dog. The poor thing bangs up against the wall of the ravine a bit as it was being lowered (1 hp of scraping). One of the NPC casters uses ogre strength on Mexiffeles before the rest of the party climbs down after the dog, and they make their way carefully down the switchback stairs.
Despite having lost their initial map (with Migs), Vierath has an excellent recall of the path towards the goblins’ lair. The goblins have re-stationed some of their guards at the outer posts (about a dozen), which the party manages to take down before they can retreat.
Despite some loud screaming, there don’t seem to be any reinforcements coming up as the party makes their way through the storeroom and takes a brief rest. The characters note a barrel labeled ‘black elf pudding’ next to the ‘elf pudding’ they had seen in the prior trip. Fenmyra sheds some tears, but Vierath has already grieved; his resolve deepens to become more than just the ‘younger brother’ of Lord Espada.
After a solemn moment of respite, the characters make their way through the torchlit hallway toward the chamber that holds the bulk of the goblin warriors, servants, and young…