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A small update paper, including some story hooks and side quests.

Last we saw, the party was playing chicken with a massive undead… thing (think Dragon-Terrasque hybrid with a bit of stone giant tossed in for good measure), before using the Lich’s Portal to escape at the last moment.

After the portal dumped them out in the lower city of Mare, Rug & Erak quickly managed to break stealth, drawing the attention of Orcs that were looting city and starting a vast running battle against hundreds of the greenskins. Each PC dropped unconscious at least once in the following battle, before it ended at the steps of the Royal library, as Karandar and Erak shared a mid-air cleaving of a mountain troll, it’s head (and a good chunk of shoulder) falling to the dirt with the ‘thunk’ of a leaden weight.

The PCs were thanked by the three members of the [[Items#300 of Mare |300 of Mare]] who were guarding the library at the time ([[Items#67|67]], [[Items#113|113]] & [[Items#201|201]]), and were ushered inside, where they were they met the [[Reader]] for the first time, who was sitting reading the deck, flicking cards out of the deck held in his left hand, for them to hover when released, turning in the air to face him in place. The Reader made some comments as he first saw the players, observing each of their auras and remarking upon it, as below

He reads off each card in order

• “Weaver of House Life, she has returned to our world, fighting to remake her place, yet I sense already how she leans on you to follow her goals Destriant. Remember, she should serve you as much as you do her.”
• “Captain of House Fire. You have been claimed, Karandar, yet surprisingly not by darkness. “
• “Lodestone, a new role for you prophet, from blazing dawn to the striking light. Befriend Striker, he can show you the way.”
• “Soldier of the Forrester House. Huh.” stops for a second “That’s actually honestly surprisingly, I did not expect that of you warrior!”
• “An interesting group, surprising at the lack of a warren walker, yet still, I sense great power and potential here. Thank you for aiding us with the greenskins here, yet again they crash upon the walls of Mare, seeking for that which they cannot have.” (Note: Lugdush)

He looks again at the cards

“Call over those of the 300, and I will retry my reading, with you all together”

He then performed a reading with them all there, as is detailed here: [[Reader#Siege of Mare – 1156|Siege of Mare – 1156]]

After the reading, as they rest in the Library, Erak is visted by the Lady of the Living Wood and given a message:

//”Destriant. I have a boon to ask of thee, A cult whom worship mine graces resides on the second Layer of the City you are within. I prefer if these worshippers would remain among the living if this could be arranged I would be most grateful
I have a gift for the exchange in mind already, but it is time sensitive as you see, one of my IRON BARKS have fallen in the chaos of my return and I wish to keep it’s memories alive. if ‘you can save the cult, I will assist you in finding materials for your golem project, if you allow me to place the soul of CRADDATHUS within your finished product.
If you can neutralize the Shaman of the Warboss, I can give aid you with my warren, however I am too weak to Challenge Slerikek as I am now, so he must go first.//

May moisture find your roots, Destriant, and may your creepers find soft loam.””

====The Relief of Mare====

[[File:1156-Mare.jpg|thumb|The ‘Tactical Map’]]

The Party chose to send Erak and Karandar to infiltrate the Warcamp, striking for the Shaman and Warboss, while 67 would make a stand by the gates, drawing as much attention to himself as possible. The plan was that once the Shaman was removed, the veil of Slerikek’s foul energies would disperse, and the Reader would be able to Retrieve E & K.

They set off over the northern hills, looking down upon the Orc camp. As Dvoik and 67 started their distractions, the two heroes launched downhill, Karandar using his winged cloak, Erak running behind, each of them decimated handfuls of goblins with each turn. Barely a few minutes have passed before the PCs wade their way though the goblins, and find themselves charging a pack of ogres. Karandar, using his cloak, lifted and launched Erak up and at the Ogres, killing a handful on the first blow, before the barbarian joined him and completed the slaughtered.

67 & Dvoik were falling back, into the “The Killing Ground” (a local name for the 300 meters outside the walls, that the siege weapons of the upper cities were designed to strike. The men on the siege weapons, seeing the mass of orcs below start opening fire on the fight, creating even more carnage and confusion.

E&K finally make their way to the Warbosses tent, dealing with the elites at the front door, before Erak makes a risky move and offers Terranc his Ancient Blade back, on the condition that he assists them here. Terranc accepts his bargain, taking and the blade and with 2 Devas at his side, start decimating the camp even further. Terranc mainly concentrated on the Hill Giants.

[[File:20170929 215339a.jpg|thumb|The Kill Count]]

Karandar rushed the tent, engaging the mutated Ogre warboss and his Troll Shaman, who put up a decent fight for the Barbarian. Meanwhile, as per her message, The Destriant of the Wood (Erak) was given access to the full might of Illoshiana, Path of the Living Woods, and started slinging waves of energy around the camp, killing thousands of Greenskins per round.

Karandar, failing his perception save in the Warbosses tent, missed the sneaky fingers stealing the second half of the Vord blade. Erak was first to find it, as The Don dropped stealth, cackling like a mad-man and drove the anti-order blade deep into the Destriants back, severing his ties with the warren, and for a brief moment, exposing him to the Ever.

The Fight was all but over, Karandar having slain the warboss and his Shaman, Terranc had returned to his Warren, Erak was drained, and the Greenskins in disarray, having lost 10,000 of their original 45,000, and quickly fled the field.

====After the Fight====

The party zapped back to the city at the side of the Reader, and started the process of recovery, before setting off on their way back to Nestor.

While the fight outside had been raging, Rug headed out to hunt the Orcs in the city, bringing back 36 scalps and 2 new tattoos (?!). Rugs wolf is also with him suddenly, when asked Rug replies “Rug call, wolf come, is how work.”
Aloi edged away from the wolf giving it sideways glances and the Reader drew a card quickly, and stared at it for a moment before slipping it back into the deck.

Oromis had held the Library, holding off a small tribe of Ogres with the Reader and the 300.

67 and the 300 head back to the keep to report in, saying they will let the Duke know of their presence. The Reader offered to take them to the leafy cult, or up to the keep, or sneak them to the docks to avoid pomp.

First Erak chose to visit the local Cult of the Wooden Lady, finding a opium den filled with a priest and his Harem, who use Naruniga’s blessing to aid in growing their uh… stimulants. Yeah. Stimulants. Anyways, think whacked out hippies (Like, whatever maaaaan.)

They then visited the Duke, who gifted K & E with a single Stone of Recall each as a reward. Each stone will summon 67 (and anyone he choses to bring with him) to aid them.

After this, they head down to the docks, meeting up with Captain Horn of the Nestorian Marines, who briefs them on the situation, highly recommending they NOT fight Captain Moss when he tries it.

“I’ve heard of this ship,” stated Aloi, “if the rumors are true, this is either going to be a smooth sailing, or an adventure in it’s own right.”

Captain Moss ran a hard bargain, gaining 75gp per person, and challenging them to a fist fight, but no one accepted. The party them retreated to one of the Inns on the side of the docks, finding significant amounts of alcohol, and set to trying to dry it all before morning.

==== On the Ocean ====

As they set off the Captain chained himself to the poop deck with 2 cold, rune emblazoned bronze chains and starts bellowing orders. Legion Captain Horn will explain if asked that the captain refuses to pay a debt to the demi-god spirit that resides under Greenskin bay, and uses the chains to stop the spirit dragging him down to it.

They were met with days of storms and rough weather, exhausting the crew and party both, leaving them 5 exhaustion stacks down, but eventually the weather cleared around the time they turned at the Zardik Point and started to the head north.

Pirates set upon the ‘fleet’, and once successfully vanquished, the rest of the alcohol emerged, with a rather wild night in tow. Karandar and Aloi were rumored to have hooked up below decks (can anyone say “heir”?), and post that the journey was nearly over. A large part of that time was absorbed by Aloi guiding the party members in rudimentary secrets of the Warren, and guiding them towards access to their first warren point (3 for the Destriant) and a single ability each.

The Party reached Delagore safely, and chose to go by road to Port Pardue, instead of by the river (DM: Lucky choice.), and finally arrived in Nestor, to be surprised by a grand Triumph that Morrowdown and the Council had thrown for the parties benefit, selling their excellence to the mob.

==== Back in Nestor====

After the triumph died down, they went shopping, finding a new store in Adventure Lane (Jeremy’s Store – “Now, will you be paying in gold, or in terrible sacrifice?”) and experiencing Bruce having a fist fight with the new pastry vendor (and losing).

Here the session ended

Previously: [[Recap – 1156NR – Imperial – Convergence of Dr’Ang]]

Next: [[Recap – 1156NR – Imperial – Into the Halls of the Fallen]]

==== Into the Ways ====

The Party found themselves in a cave of quartzite and strange growths, requiring several feats of Acrobatic and Athletic strength to escape. Passing a scar torn into the walls, they came to the chamber of strange darkness that hid within it a creature of poison, savagery and pain. The beast had long fed on the items contained within this chamber, and had gained from it some of the powers it releases.

The party erupted into disorganized confusion, some attacking immediately, some fleeing, others casting invisibility to see how it was going to pan out. Karandar suffered successive hits of unexpected strength, dropping him to quarter health in the first round, with Erak soon to improve on his record and hit 1HP shortly thereafter. The Don held the beast in place, and skipped past, while Sal did her best to avoid contact, restoring to the Wand of Wonders as an option. The Blast of Wind from the wand dislodged all the Creatures young, which swarmed the little Sorceress, dropping her to 3HP, while the party watched helplessly.

The fight turned desperate, Karandar loosing half his left leg (just below knee) in round 3, with Sal finishing off the swarm with a lightning blast by the wand, and hits from Don, Karandar and Erak’s Radiant blows sending the mother creature running.

Inspecting the room, Karandar found a large chunk of the vord blade lodged in the wall of the warren, causing the walls to seep the blood and mucus the creature had lived off of. They jointly deduced this to the be the chunk of the blade sent flying in its final moments, that sundered the Emerald Tower, and pinned Dr’Ang in the Mistwave woods.
After finding the blade, and the blood drying up, the party elected for a short rest, with all of our learning about hit dice 😀

==== The Moaner ====

The next chamber was filled with a pool of blood, and the great tentacle ‘Moaner’ within it. The beast contained a great gem in it’s forehead, and off set the Don, leaping onto its back, then head, and finally tearing the gem from it’s head. Re-joining the group he deposited the gem before flying off again to distract it while the group made their escape at the speed of a fast hop.

A banishment spell when awry, sending the moaner back to its home plane and leaving The Don no where to go but down, down into the sweet, goupy pool of blood below, that he would soon learn flows to the very feet of Slerikek himself.

==== Lady of the Living Wood ====

The party moved on, with little to no mourning for the loud-mouthed bard, before arriving at the Warren of Naruniga, the new patron of Erak. Opening the way and releasing his patron back into her home, the party were given a guide to get them to the other side of the warren, before they set down to take a long needed rest.

Trivia: Karandar and Oromis have now saved two gods.

Recap of “The Battle for Dr’Ang”

Last we played, you held the line for the PCs, fighting off Lengat’s forces for as long as possible before the Dragonborn heavy with questionable loyalty was the sole survivor.
The group arrived safely at the Temple that Oromis, Prophet of Dawn, had setup in, and quickly exchanged information with him. The group shared the truth about Lengat, while Oromis revealed his suspicions of Terranc’s duplicity, and plan to get answers via this Temple to Basoran.

Basoran’s Warren (Dr’Ang) had long been trapped in the Mistvane Forest, far to the east of Ran, under siege from the dark denizens of those woods. The Temple, once used in blood sacrifices to the Elder God, still had a strong linkage to the lord, and with it Oromis could seek his truths. Learning of Lengat’s betrayal and pursuit, he decided sooner was better than later, and soon the ritual had started.

We chose to skip this part, so in summary: you fought off her attempt, but was unable to kill her or her lieutenants.

==== The Path of Stone ====

The ritual finishes with a portal opening, and the party (along with Oromis and the Humble Lady) are wept into the Warren of Dr’Ang, or the path of Stone.
Standing in a stony cave like hallway, behind you is a large chasm that drops down in the inky depths below, showing no fathomable end in sight. The walls of which are dotted with massive forest-like outcroppings of quartz of all colours and sizes. Among the crystals foundations, great flowing veins of precious metals and stones that glitter in the refracted light.

While you watch, out on a small ledge below one of the outcroppings of pure and clear stones the size of small trees (stone sense: probably diamonds), a small party of figures can be seen.
The party is made up of mostly dwarves, and what appeared to be a single stone golem. As you watch the golem rears back, smashing a fist into the gem cluster, crackling and splintering off huge chunks, most of which fall in the bottomless depths below on into the hands of the waiting dwarves.
Clutching the crystals, the dwarves toss them through a small portal behind them, back to the Warren of the Forge Master, ready for use in his next epic construct.

You proceed forward, finding a pack of Deva’s of Terranc fighting in a kennel for Bulettes (Land Sharks). The Deva’s, singing the Ballad of Terranc, slowly fall, especially once you join the combat. The leader of the Shark Trainer’s guides you onwards to Basoran’s Throneroom, as they prepare for the next attack.
In the next chamber the part found two StoneMelders, magic users and reality benders of stone, fighting a Planetar. Helping the Melders, the party cleared the room and proceeded onwards to the throne. There they found a desperate defence being assembled by the god’s forces, as he himself put on his armor.
Time was short, and the Lord of Stone asked for assistance in his defence, but before anything could really be agreed upon, Terranc appears at the head of the large group of his Dawn Angels, and the battle was joined.

==== The Battle of Dr’Ang ====

The party held the steps, alone except the assistance of a few Nestorian Legionaries that arrived mid-fight, desperately fending off assault after assault, as they also commanded the Galeb Duhr, Melder and Bulette forces on the field against the swarms of Angels and Demons that came.
In the centre of the room, Terranc and Basoran danced a deadly duel that ended all too quickly, with Basoran impaling himself on Terranc’s sword (Crit Fail), and leaving the Throne of Dr’Ang unoccupied.

Late to the fight, but arriving in time to prevent Terranc’s Ascension, Xenth and Danath arrived to combat the God briefly, before falling and being replaced by Morrowdorn and Azzanan (who received little praise :P), who barely held the god back. The desperate holding action was interrupted by Sorrow and his revenants of Death, that swamed into the Dawn Angels, gaining the party a little reprieve as the Gods and Demi-Gods discussed an unheard topic.

The conversation failed, and Terranc, Sorrow, Morrowdorn and Azzanan erupted into a fight both Martial and Warren based, with the two unascendeds taking the brunt of the hits before finally both pulling out. Terranc looked to have the upper hand on Sorrow, before his twin, Telem, arrived to attempt to drive off both. Before he had a long chance, the Preserver (Elder Light) acted through Telem and Delcared the Warren to be off limits to all except someone worthy, and the room erupted in a savage and violent light that forced all to leave.

Continued: [[Recap – 1156NR – Imperial – Escape from Dr’Ang]]