Against the Forsaken

Second Ptolus Campaign Journal, #40

Session LXXVI -- The 21st of Yearsend

Back at the house of the Tolling Bell cult, Calista and I realize that the tentacles of the creature in the well have done us some harm. Archinemus is unconscious and I have a nasty burn. We need to find out what we can about the Temple of Maleskari from these cultists, as we know they were invited to join. But we need to do it fast.

Todias, our captured priest, claims to have a Natharlnac'na in the well in the basement. He admits that someone named Morund invited him to join the Temple of Maleskari, but Todias didn't want to. "I do not believe they follow the true path of chaos," he says. Morund offered them power, wealth, and revenge, but he prefers to stay true to his faith. Forsaken affiliates of Shigmaa Cynric have been approached and agreed to join, apparently, but Todias doesn't know which ones. He suggests they have a stronghold in Oldtown. We could ask about them at the Siege Tower or seek more info from Shim.

The chaos priest strongly advises us to speak to the Cinderpriest in a ruined manor house in the Nobles' Quarter. I don't care for this option too much -- Calista learned from the gossipy mage Mirialam Tedesta that Bergathor the Cinderpriest was quite dangerous.

After taking poor Archinemus to the Temple of Gaen for healing, we meet up with the rest of our group, who bring us up to date about their amazing trip to the Temple of Teun. (Barbatos manages to take much of the credit.)

The 22nd of Yearsend

Diethan spent the night scouting for information and tells us he learned of two potential sources of chaositech: the Balacazars and the dark elves. Of the two, the Balacazars are more likely to sell. The cultists may have gotten the weapon from them.

The priests of Gaen were able to save Archinemus from the magical disease he had contracted, but he needs to take it easy for a day or two. Next we head over to the Temple of Asche so we can set up an appointment with Aprata Nachov, a local chaositech expert whom he's helped us meet with before (while there, we meet Mand's young nephew Talesan). It's always nice to see Mand. He warns us not to get too caught up in the alarmist attitudes of the priesthood of Gaen.

Next stop, the Siege Tower. We update Phadian Gess on our vampire-hunting mission. She was amazed to hear of our success and extremely complimentary. In gratitude for slaying one of the Covenant of Blood, she offers us ten healing potions and a wand of light. When we tell her about Karee's vampiric-draconic transfusion device, she wonders whether Father Claw's adherents were behind this barbaric act. Calista remembers that Karee's writings revealed that a halfling named Ged Morrowlost could lead us to Lilith's Womb -- probably the very Forsaken we're looking for. Phadian says that the Dark Reliquary where the temple of Maleskari used to be has been quiet.

Back at the shop, we learn that Seanus knows a halfling carpenter named Ged Morrowlost. What a stroke of luck! We head over to the Ged's store on the pretense of getting a new cabinet for Tharn and Seanus' apartment; after some discussion, the halfling seems willing to take us to the Forsaken locale tomorrow, if only we could tell him the password. Hmm... that we did not expect. We agree to meet him at the Clock Tower in Oldtown tomorrow shortly before dusk with 500 gp. Ged proudly tells us that he knows how to find lots of places. But as we leave, Tharn looks worried -- is the halfling trying to set us up?

To answer that question, Barbatos turns himself invisible and sends an arcane eye spell down Ged's chimney. He spies five tough-looking human women in the back room with Ged and his wife. And these are no carpenters -- they have lots of weapons and leather armor. Brooke Morrowlost, Ged's wife, casts a spell: arcane eye! Is she watching us? We go invisible, just in case. We can't tell exactly what's going on (other than a mediocre game of Green Dragonscales), but we decide to follow the well-armed women as they leave. They head over to a seedy bar on Tavern Row called Kerrik's. Barbatos uses disguise self to go in there and spy on them -- a good plan, but the whole thing goes south when he walks over to their table and challenges them to a game of Dragonscales. (He loses first on purpose, then wants to go double or nothing...until he notices that he's been pickpocketed.)

Tharn sneakily follows the three women out of the bar again and sees that they were the ones who stole Barbatos' purse. When they see how much money it held, they mutter, "Who WAS that guy?" Barbatos emerges not long after and follows after them into the alley. When they move to slay him, we come to his aid. After the resulting struggle, the women give up the purse and reveal that Ged had planned to have them "take care of" us tomorrow at the Clock Tower. The women, Abel, Ladiana, and Solah, get a lot more cooperative once we have them at our mercy. They tell us all about Ged and his business -- he works with everyone, it seems, but is beholden to neither the Balacazars nor Killraven. We bribe them to leave the Clock Tower tomorrow without fighting us or helping Ged. They agree and warn us not to underestimate the halfling.

This evening we go to meet Shim, our skulk friend. He says he knows of the Maleskari recruiter named Morund, a creature who is "more shadow than man" (a soulshade, Barbatos gathers). He also knows of "the threats" -- apparently, after the high priestess of Teun died, all who can bring back the dead have received threats on their lives from an unknown source, saying they will soon be dead, too. Someone wants to eliminate everyone who can bring people back to life, and of course that includes the priests of the Temple of Gaen. Shim says he will see what he can do to locate Morund, the Forsaken stronghold, and/or the password. At the close of their conversation, Tharn invites Shim over to his apartment for Yearsend Day. Surprisingly, Shim agrees -- and he looks a little more solid and substantial. Sadly, Tharn doesn't know that among humans, Yearsend Day is bad luck, a day better spent at home alone than in social settings. But hey, everyone has to start their social life somewhere.

Session LXXVII -- The 23rd of Yearsend

We gather to head to the Clock Tower and discover that Shim has learned the pass phrase for us: "Lilith's Womb." Thank you, Shim!

On our way to meet Ged, we stop off at the Siege Tower to alert the Keepers of the Veil that we are planning an assault on the Forsaken stronghold beneath Oldtown. Sir Othun Jaber there floors us with compliments the likes of which we've never heard -- their order speaks our names with honor as the slayers of Karee! He is pleased to offer a few powerful knights and clerics to aid our assault.

We leave the Siege Tower and take our carriage to just a block or two from the Clock Tower. Those of us who have never met Ged become invisible and remain on the lookout for ambush. Ged is there waiting for us along with his wife Brooke (but she's invisible) and a tall Uraqi bodyguard. We hand over the money and tell him how much we look forward to finding a path to Lilith's Womb. Our use of the pass phrase seems to confuse him. He tells us that we're bad for business, but Calista counters with a veiled threat that the people who come after us (the Keepers of the Veil) will get the information from him the hard way. When we finally manage to convince Ged that there won't be anyone left at the stronghold to come after him for telling us, he agrees to take us: for double the price.

Archinemus uses his magical helm to send a message to the Keepers of the Veil, who approach in force in all their glittering might. Not subtle, these guys, but I have to admire their weapons and bold resolve. Sir Othun arrives with four comrades. "The Keepers of the Veil are at your service," he says. His companions are Sir Mhavas of Nall, Kareth Timberos, Renar Kabernal, and Thogmun Bleakmine.

We all make our way down beneath the Clock Tower through what appears to be a crypt. According to the Delver's Guild records, the passages down here ultimately lead to the Giant's Staircase, which descends into a grand cavern called the Eternity Cave. I'm going to have to go down there sometime. I track our way with chalk markings. The passages are very confusing -- our guides seem to ignore most doors and choose some randomly. Part of the trip parallels a rushing underground stream. When we reach a bit by a waterfall, Ged turns to us. "This is as far as I go." He instructs us to take the first right, next left, next right, and then straight ahead through some caves to the stronghold in a hewn cavern. Then he and his bodyguard wish us good luck and head back the way we came.

We climb down the pit and make our way according to the directions. The footing here is treacherous and we have to traverse a deep ravine via a hasty rope bridge. We emerge in front of an unmarked iron door. We get through that one, past some traps, and through another set of doors into a large room. There we see three large ankhs upon which are crucified human men in a horrid parody of the holy symbol of Lothian. The Keepers are wrathful at the sight and charge in.

A spirit rises from one of the poor bodies and says, "Join your god!" to Sir Mhavas, a paladin of Lothian. The knight rises up into the air and begins bleeding with stigmata wounds. He cries out in pain. All attempts to turn this spirit fail, although we are able to injure it. A couple more Keepers and Charnoth get crucified aerially, but then something even worse happens: two of the knights turn on us! We are betrayed!

Darkness from the spirit tears at us, but Barbatos manages to destroy the crucifixion spirit with his powerful magic. Then we all turn on the betrayer knights, Renar and Kareth. Renar is about to strike a coup de gras on Sir Mhavas when Calista fires a blast of magic at him that takes his traitor's head right off! Kareth meets his end at our swords.

Just then we hear a gutteral howling as hideous creatures pour into the room from a hallway. They may once have been human, but now the hairless things have long curved claws, sharpened teeth, and carry bones with pieces of meat still stuck to them. The air around us reeks of rot. Ghasts! With the power of his god, Thogmun turns three of them. Diethan lays them low with a bead of force, and Barbatos finishes them off with magic missiles.

We take a moment to regroup and heal our wounds, but then a new assault arrives: a diseased giant undead creature and a bunch of spellcasting ghouls. Diethan and Archinemus fend off the ghouls with pistol and sword, while I join the loyal Keepers hacking away at the giant diseased mummy.

All this, and we haven't even gotten to Lilith's Womb yet -- or have we?

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