The onrushing guards encounter a sleep spell followed by a volley of arrow fire. The survivors are bound and offered a choice – death with the old regime or an opportunity to be part of something new, and remain breathing. The sergeant is a wise man and accepts his promotion. He tries to negotiate with the captain and the rest of the guards, but the captain is not as wise as his sergenat and within moments he is no longer among the living.
The party rushes the Duke’s bedroom, surprising his wife – who faints at the sight of a bloody band holding the severed head of the Duke. They bind her and toss the bedroom, then venture downstairs to confront the rest of the guards – Goldpiece (disguised as Miles) holds the duke’s head in one hand and the captain’s head in the other. Resistance in the Duke’s compound melts away.
Next, the intrepid regimistas take on the quartet of towers that guard the bridge by which Miles’ troops plan to enter the city.
Parely is attempted, then a fireball is used to punctuate the proceedings. Once the cries of the flaming troops are heard echoing across the water, the rest of the Duke’s forces capitulate.
Miles and his forces enter the city and take control of the gates. The city guard helps out and the members of the wool merchant’s guild try to help identify members of the cabal that was attempting to control the city. It becomes increasingly clear that this is all part of an elaborate plot to return the entire region tot he control of the Horned One.
A journey to Botkinburg and consultation with the mage allows the group to glean information about the axe carried by the Duke. It is clearly a tool of evil, and the group learns that it originated in a place called Festung Akt, a fortress somewhere in the blighted landscape that lies beyond Ludensheim. Equally alarming is the prospect of further raids from the Blacktooth Ridge. The group is concerned that Mile’s grasp on the region may be dislodged by an attack from the ridge while the group is away, so they decide to investigate and lead a punitive expedition.
The journey is largely uneventful and eventually the party enters a complex of tunnels and begins to investigate…
Leave a reply