SOTDL CAMPAIGN DIARY: THE END IS NEAR, PT 1, 10/10/17

The Heroes:

·     Ecna Lubma: dwarf priest grudgebearer healer

·       Gruntbelly: dwarf magician sorcerer wizard

·       Kane Arroway: human warrior fighter sharpshooter

·       Mathias: jotun jotun juggernaut spirit warrior

The heroes traverse the mountain paths rapidly, attempting to get far away from the massive demon that tore away from the Void and devoured the keep they had just left.  Having successfully acquired the Sword of Unmaking, the heroes seek out their ride, but sadly find the wreckage of the airship and the bodies of the crew and the captain, Corin Ironmonger.  They take the body of Corin, wrapped in funerary fashion, and continue their journey on their enchanted rug, flying over the Iron Peaks and on towards Foundry.  Mindful of the creature that took down the airship, they scan the skies for any signs of predators and as they leave the mountains they spot a dragon flying in the distance, but the heroes manage to duck into a cloud to avoid notice.

Upon reaching Foundry, the heroes make their way to the Ironmonger compound to take Corin’s body to his younger brother, Basch.  The young dwarf seemed unaffected by his brother’s demise and simply orders the guards to take him in.  The heroes inform Basch that Corin had promised the return of the Iron Titans to take back to their father in Crossings, but the youth simply told them to check back with him later.

The heroes spend the night in a lodge and the following day they head to where Corin’s offices were located.  Trying to get in to see Basch, they get the run around and have to force their way into the office, where Basch seems to be laying down his law of how things will be run.  The heroes again insist on the return of the Iron Titans and Basch initially refuses, but is convinced by the heroes’ insistence and his production manager’s reminder that Basch’s father wanted these in Crossings as defense against orcs.  Basch reluctantly agrees and the manager takes the heroes down to the hangar where the titans were being  fixed.  The titans remember the heroes and seem eager for battle, so the heroes ride upon them through the city of Foundry, drawing stares of awe and amazement from the citizens along the way. 

The journey back to Crossings is long and so the heroes take the titans through the Silver River country and go through a few orc villages.  Word of their heroism against the orc resistance tribe that had been sacking the orc settlements looking for and forcibly taking recruits for the resistance preceded them and they were allowed passage without hindrance.  It seems allowing the orc captive they found in the caves to live worked to their advantage.  They cross the Silver River at the only bridge that traverses it and pass by several small human settlements, where they hear the news that the invading orcs from the south have made it up to Thorpe and are making their way to Crossings.  The heroes continue on their journey and make it to the Crossings countryside where they see the orcs had just arrived before them – hundreds of them at the East and South Gates.  As they approach the city, they also note that the fey spires that have been dormant for centuries, are now glowing.

Mathias, somewhat hungry for battle, spurs the team on towards the East Gate where the orc force is smaller, and the three Iron Titans tear through the orcs in a bloody scene of mass carnage.  Many of the orcs flee to the South Gate to alert their army’s leader and the heroes manage to free the East Gate, which opens and allows them entry.  They are celebrated by the guards within the walls, but don’t stay long before moving towards the South Gate to deal with the main force of orcs.  As they move through town, the fey spires begin arcing magical energy from one to another.  When they get to the South Gate, they decide to leave the Iron Titans with the captain of the guard and they head towards the Purse district where the energy began emanating from.  The group goes to one of the spires and find it glowing so brightly that they cannot look directly at it without risking blindless.  They also note that a barrier of energy is preventing anyone from passing through the spires, and some who had tried were in the area, horribly burned.  

As they pass the West Gate, they note a force of orcs there as well, but the heroes continue on to address the activity with the spires as Gruntbelly has determined that this amount of power being summoned could only be for one purpose, which is to punch a big hole into the Void. 

They reach the Purse district and notice the tower of the wizard Caribdus is open and light is emanating from its peak.  Gruntbelly goes to investigate and finds the tower, which is normally larger on the inside than the outside, due to dimensional magicks, is now a normal stone structure with a stair leading up the wall to the peak of the tower where the light is coming from.  He rushes up the stairs, the others following behind, and bursts into the room to find several of the Brotherhood of Shadow involved in a ritual, and four demons protecting them.  The demons attack Gruntbelly and when the others arrive to the peak, they all fight through the demons and kill  off the cultists to disrupt the ritual, whatever its purpose.

End of session.

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