Previous Session

Lex bought 3 crates of Giant Fish Brewery beer. One was sent to the guard house “from master Lex”, and one to the king with his name and a letter “An important person from a foreign land wants to meet you. It would be polite if you could contact us”.

Lex also had sex with Charisma. Hilde bought the music sheets.

The party visited Abert’s Ruins for Jake, fought a Mind Flayer, and could save 3 guards.

Hilde sent a message to Bjorn and the King that the temple was tainted, as warned by Pelor.

Setup

The party arrive back in Drunah with the 3 guards.

Activities

Albert’s Ruins

As the players arrive at the city gates, the guards at the make-shift gate welcome the players and the 3 guards, which are brought to a hospital. They tell him Jake is busy in the barracks, and should wait 15 Minutes. They can wait inside.

After 15 Minutes, they hear a door open nearby, and two well dressed men come out (Good perception can reveal a dress style from Redford). Jake is still in the room. A guard walks the men out, and another brings the party to Jake.

Jake will ask them how it went in Albert’s Ruins, if it’s now safe, how many people they could save. He is sad that only 3 survived, but it’s better than nothing. He will reward the players with 30 gold each (10 for each person saved).

If the players press Jake about the two men, he will say they are from Redford with several interesting things to say. They also said it was important that the players meet the King.

They tell Jake about the mind flayer, and that there were no bandits. Monsters were following the mind flayer’s orders.

Adventurer's Guild

The adventurers guild has people who have travelled to the temple with the group of Charisma, bringing them there. But he came back after they couldn’t open the door during the first day. He doesn’t know what happened to them. But another man says he heard the door is since then open, that it required a special spell at dawn in both Infernal, Elvish and Common to be told at the same time. Something about “A door to a forgotten diety”.

Gods old and new, I seek your knowledge not. For the one I am bound to, is Vecna” with a symbol of a hand with an eye in the palm.

Lex went and questions them. A bald bearded dwarf owner told them what he could, and send him to the two guys.

Big Betty

The players enter the Big Betty tavern and see the two diplomats from Redford. They ignore the party, but  the players sit behind them.

A meeting with the king

At some point where the players are doing something (maybe when they are drunk), Jake will come for them, even if it’s at 3 am. “The King is waiting for you”. They are to come now. He will lead them the castle walls. They will have to leave weapons, bags, armour, everything except clothes (and rings). In a room next door is the beer crake, unpacked. Jake will lead them to the main building “enter, go up the stairs, and you are there. Good luck” as he isn’t allowed in the castle.

It’s a pretty small castle built 400 years ago. The stones are dark, the carpets rugged, the stairs a bit on the small size for humans. Each step echoes, the air is heavy, and the smell of cold food hits their nose.

Up the stairs, they are in the throne room. The king is sitting in the throne, looking intensely at the party. Next to him are two young girls. He does not speak, only listens and looks (sometimes mumbling). About 5 guards are on each side.

One of the girls (Sarisa, long black hair, human, 30-35 yo), says “Greetings, people of Arden. You have been summoned to Lord Bathair of House MacPhaiden, King of Othiria, Ruler of the free people, dawnbreaker and heir to the Kingdom of Herun. Lord Seathan MacPhaiden, brother of the King, has told the King about your actions in Redford. The King is pleased you have fulfilled your duty and shown your commitment to the peace talks.

Our deal is the following.

• Arden will give back the province of Ramfield to Othiria.

• Arden will transfer the knowledge used to protect the temple of light to Othiria.

• Arden will kill any people with this knowledge after the transfer.

• Arden will allow Othirian mages to enter Arcastle and take the temple and bring it to a safer place in Othiria.

• Arden will hand over the Stone of Hearts to Othiria.

In exchange, Othiria will do the following:

• Othiria will promise not to attack Arden again for 50 years.

• Othiria will not kill Princess Hildegard of Rosenberg, Princess of Arden.

To seal the peace treaty, the princess of Arden will stay in Othiria for 10 years. Any questions?”

The party can ask questions, but the same girl will reply the same things. At some point, the king will look at hilde, stand up, “it can’t be” and gestures Hilde to come forward to him. With one hand, he will try to cut the necklace off of her with a poisoned blade that (dex save 14, 2d8 poison).

He will talk with a weak and broken voice :

The Stone of Hearts… You have it… In that case… Forget the previous peace offer… Give me the Stone of Hearts, and you live. Arden can keep Ramfield and the temple… All I need is the Stone…

The players don’t really have a choice. Can talk about a minute. If the players accept, they give the necklace. Hildegard feels the cold directly, as she is underdressed. The king looks at the necklace with lustful eyes “With this, Caitir can come back”. And then goes back to his throne, and calls “Guards, arrest them!”.

Auron is invisible and leave the castle to the slums with the necklace. He goes to an inn in the slums. Hilde contacts one of the men from Redford to warn them, and to find Auron.

Hilde contacts also her father.

The players are taken to the prison cells where they are kept for a while. They can try and sleep, but Hilde is very cold, her body not used to the cold temperature (exhaustion for the players?). The next morning, a guard brings them some bread and water. They can notice a black band on his wrist. If they mention it, he just says “A friend is on his way”.

Hilde sends another message to her father, saying he should contact people in Redford. And another to Dalton about the king on his way.

Auron meets up with the 2 men from Redford after investigating the house from Dalton being searched.

After two hours, Jake comes with two guards and releases them. The men from yesterday were sent from Dalton and Jaddon. He needs to bring them in hiding, but they first walk past their equipment and the beer crate, still untouched.

Once in safety, he says they don’t need to hide. The guards of the Castle don’t leave the castle, so they won’t recognise them. He notices Hilde not feeling well and questions her. If she mentions the necklace, he says the men from yesterday mentioned it. They knew she was wearing it and the king wanted it, so now his guard will be even lower.

Jake brings the players to the Inn where Auron is. Hilde gets him and the necklace, Lex wears his clothes, and they leave for the house with Jaddon.

END

Next Session

Auron should get a letter back from her father regarding Charlie and Dion killing her son.