The march is mostly uneventful save for two encounters. The first is a party of foragers, on the wings of the barbarian horde. They spot the party and head inland. The barbarians indicate that the group should follow and they do so. A bit later on they are spotted by a cavalry company – presumably outriders from the city’s defense force. There are some tense moments, but the troopers seem content to watch and do not try and make contact. Eventually, they ride in the same direction as the party of foragers.
Within a couple of hours, the group runs into signs of struggle. Dead troopers, dead horses, blood spatter and trampled foliage all indicate contact between the groups. One of the barbarian bodyguards is dispatched to run a head of the short-legged party members and eventually returns with a large contingent of the horde.
The ‘king’ is recognized and welcomed back. Although the party is viewed with some suspicion, the rescued barbarians inform the rest of the group to leave the party unharmed. Over the course of the next few hours, they are escorted to the main pavilion, where finally there is an interpreter who was taken as a slave.
The barbarians and party members have a chat and efforts are made to convince the invaders that the plot to kidnap was not the work of the city folk, but that of crazed cultists. The barbarians are happy to leave after having pillaged and plundered the entire way. Their wagons are full and they have many new slaves to use. Still, some good faith is in order so the group is provided with four barbarians to act as bodyguards and private security. The chief further offers the group all the treasure that was taken from the captives if they will bring him Wuntad’s head as recompense for the insult of being kidnapped. The group ponders. Maybe we will and maybe we won’t. Either way, it is time to return to the city.
It is a long walk towards the city gates but they trudge onward. Upon reaching the closed gates, Kegdrain announces the withdrawal of the horde and claims credit for the result. This spurs some activity, but the farseeing spells of the wizards on the walls give credence to their claim. This leads to an intense debriefing session and eventually the group is hauled before the council of the 12 warchiefs of the city. Once again, questioning ensues and the party is scrupulously honest in their replies.
A day of celebration is announced and the martial law is lifted once it becomes clear that the horde is retreating. Celebrations spring up around the city and against this backdrop the group is given the deed to an estate in the Noble Quarter. Taxes are waived for a five-year period and servants will be hired to maintain the house for the same time. The group arrives, scouts the house and neighborhood and is given the hairy eyeball by any and all within the area. Who are these interlopers? They don’t look very well bred, nor do they seem particularly wealthy. Really, they’ll let just anyone into the quarter these days. Harumph.
Although the lure of the house is strong – and the discovery of a locked, secret trapdoor underneath the dining room table is every so interesting, it seems the cultists have not given up their quest to bring about the end times. More prominent personages have been kidnapped in the period of celebration and it looks like it is time to bring an end to Wuntad’s schemes.
With the aid of a private militia and a couple mages from the inverted pyramid, the Knights of the Pale propose a temporary alliance with the party to storm the temple and bring an end to this terrorist operation. While the militia rings the block, the knight, paladin, men-at-arms and the party storm up the steps to the temple. As curious onlookers gossip and gawk, the temple clerics are admonished to offer no resistance. Most listen, but two do not. They are slain and the group moves towards the secret door.
The door is opened and a terrible demon lurches into the room, surrounding itself with a shield of impenetrable darkness. Digin does not care, and hews at it blindly – chopping it to death in a matter of rounds with a bit of help from knight and paladin.
Descending the stairs pits them against a demonic duo that summon a trio of reinforcements before they are slain. The battle is long and pitched and it seems like this has given time for reinforcements to assemble, because the hallway is positively stuffed with fighters. There’s a spell for that and it is called lightning bolt. Zaal unleashes it and decimates one wing of the ambush party while the rest fall back in disarray. The group pursues and there is a pitched battle in the meeting room with a couple of friendly casualties.
The group pursues and enters the main chamber of the ritual, wherein rifle-toting ratmen sit in barred cells to provide harassing fire. There is a line of glass tanks connected to a strange disc. Each tank contains a person standing in a billowing cloud of gas. At the top level stands a transformed Wuntad. He now looks like a human-cicada cross. As he chants and gesticulates with the intestines of some hapless soul that is sprawled atop the altar that resembles a black hand, two additional demons come to his aid.
The group braves the rifle fire, smashes the tanks and engages the demons and their mad master. Luckily, the paladin’s aura helps with several of the more damaging effects and the knight swings his greatsword with a bloody vengeance. Although the paladin is reduced to dust at one point, in the end Wuntad is slain and the demons are banished. The knights gather their dead and head out of the temple, leaving the group to explore to see if they can find the king’s treasures. After that, it might be time to take a breather and see if they can settle into polite society. Or not. After all, secret locked trap doors are just begging to be opened and explored, no?
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