# Session S05 ← `=this.prev` | **`=this.campaign`** | `=this.next` → > [!overview] > | **Session** | `=this.session` | > | --- | --- | > | **Session date** | `=this.date-session` | > | **Campaign date** | `=this.campaign-date` | > | **PCs** | `=this.pc` | > | **Active NPCs** | `=this.npc_active` | > | **Discussed NPCs** | `=this.npc_discussed` | > | **Active locations** | `=this.location-active` | > | **Discussed locations** | `=this.location-discussed` | > [!summary]- > To write. > %% > tldr:: To write. > %% ## Notes - They start fighting the rats. Astrid is swarmed and blocking the rats' route through the door. - Another rattok… - We defeat them - We creep down the hall, and hear a voice… and another fight. - The rat king engulfs Leonard, but he escapes. - …and engulfs him again, but Shava casts englarge reduce and it spits out Leo. - Lenore is swamred by rats, and she uses her spiritual weapon to keep attacking the swarm. Lenore summons her spiritual weapon, which emerge as a golden light and wind behind her head, and then seven golden orbs flow out from the light - …eventually she kills the rats. Woohoo! - After a long battle, Astrid slays the rat king - Marisa is found, unconscious and chained to a bed. - Lenore is able to cure her wounds, but she still has a fever and is unconscious - Astrid smashes the bed posts, while Leonard finds a key under the rat king's corpse but doesn't tell anyone. - Eventually Astrid gets them from him, but there is tension. - Huxley keeps the manacles, even though they are rusty. - Lenore goes searching the rooms. - In amongst animal bones: "You find a shield depicting two knights facing each other. And a metal ring with a light glowing from where a jewel would typically be." - Golden band, four circles on it, a yellowish glow. - Lenore tells them about the shield, but slips the ring into her pocket before anyone sees.. - Astrid carries the shield for Lenore. - Lenore silently heals Astrid while touching her. - They decide to short rest outside the cave. Thirty minutes, they are interrupted. - 3 Rattoks swarm Shava and Huxley - Leonard bites a rattok… very suspicious! - Huxley is very hurt, so Lenore pulls him away from the fight - They defeat them - Astrid doesn't sheath her sword, interrogates Leonard - Lenore steps in and tells them all they need to agree to watch each others' backs until they're back at Greenest. She's very serious, and it catches them off guard. - They keep arguing, and she says she'd rather walk back on her own than be amongst people who are going to fight. Shava tells her that's not wise to be along, and she says she'd rather take her chances. - Astrid and Leonard have an uneasy truce, but this isn't over. - They walk back to Greenest after a short rest - Astrid and Leonard continue to argue on the way back - Everyone else is somewhat quiet - Lenore walks a good 50-ft back away from the rest of the group, and examines the ring while they are distracted. - We arrive to the outskirts of town - Quiet in town, but a lot of distruction centered on the eastern section - Damage near the church - Lenore scans for people and tries to be stealthy upon approach - Residential buildings set on fire - Demon corpses turned into goop - They decide to head towards the [[The Keep|The Keep]] - The northern side of the keep is undamaged, south eastern side of Greenest and large fight on the south eastern of the Keep - We find [[Langdedrosa Cyanwrath]] heavily damaged, and Lenore heals him a small amount - There were devils, not demons, came from the south - They attacked the church - They evacuated into the Keep - Leonard heals both Langdedrosa and Lenore, and Lenore offers to support Langdedrosa into the Keep, which he smiles at this - They enter the Keep, go to the medic bay - Lucette and Eadyan are there, healing people - Astrid brings Marisa over to Eadyan - Eadyan casts Lesser Restoration, and [[Marisa]] no longer has a fever - Eadyan goes to take a rest - Astrid and Langdedrosa take Marisa to a guest room, and lock the door. - Langdedrosa and Astrid walk to Markus, Astrid wants to talk with him - She tells him they found the rat king; unlikely to return? - Sometimes the things you kill don't stay dead. - Despite being exhausted, he walks pretty quickly up towards Markguth - Astrid tells Markguth that Marissa is back and safe - An hour after we left, there was an incursion from the southeast by fiends - Langdedrosa identified them as devils - Devils aren't common in these parts - Invisible smaller ones with barbed tails - Some look like animals - They set fire to different buildings and appeared to be searching for something. - Need to investigate the temple and seeing if anything is missing from there - Greenest was lucky that Langdedrosa was there to help - Markguth says they need to start sweeping the town - Astrid volunteers to go out with other guards - Markguth recommends Langdedrosa get some rest; says he'll consider it. - Lenore and Huxley have stayed behind in the medical bay to help Lucette, Shava is there trying to persuade folks they'll be okay - Astrid has more questions for Langdedrosa and goes to short rest - Astrid is wearing a coin on a long necklace - She always wanted to be a paladin, but never managed to - Feels like she lacks faith, but wants to learn. She wants to protect. - "We have the same 'friend' in a way…" » the coin has two sides - One side is the symbol for [[60 Games/62 Campaigns/2022-09 Hoard of the Dragon Queen/05 NPCs/Bahamut|Bahamut]] - Astrid: "Maybe I wasn't ready yet to become more devoted." - She wants Langdedrosa to teach her » he gives a startled laugh at this - He was mainly self-taught as a paladin… - Says they can still work together to help Astrid - Finds it interesting that a paladin of Bahamut popping up here, where they wouldn't be expected. - Asks what it's like to pledge an oath… - It's different for everyone, but for him, it's making a promise you can't bring yourself to break. - Astrid prefers honesty, doesn't like liars - Langedrosa almost bitterly says he wishes they could get past… mistruth??? (unclear!) - Likes keeping to a code, breaking his word, never letting debts owed go unpaid - Even when she's off-duty, she never feels like she's off-duty - Has always felt like she *has* to protect the good, punish the bad… Langdedrosa calls her out on this, has to not want to… - Wants to protect those who can't protect themselves. - It's not that she likes harming others… but didn't mind going after the rat king as retribution… - Langdedrosa calls her out on this sense of judgement… - Langdedrosa asks why one of the companions was lugging around a corpse - Astrid says some of the party are suspicious - Mentions that one likes to bite people (Leonard) - He's good during combat and seems protective - Doesn't think he's evil necessarily - re: Huxley - Doesn't know what he's doing with it, doesn't know if she wants to know - Otherwise seems nice - Langdedrosa guesses Astrid is quick to temper - Advises her that people don't owe her (you) anything - If you want honesty back, it's not about interrogating… try conversation? Get their perspective? - Becoming a person of faith helps to have some literature on it… - Set your values and stick to them. That's a learning sense for paladins. - Langdedrosa: "Would you be able to stick to the truth if it cost you something to?" - What about family? Would you choose them over the whole town? - She would try to save both. - It took him a long while for how he'd answer. He doesn't say how. - If someone you cared about, could you hold them accountable (right up to judge, jury, executioner…) - She guesses so… "I wouldn't protect them from justice…" - She asks about his brother - No physical interaction… but he pauses and there's a break in composure (both hunted and haunted) - "My brother has been dead for a long while, but his body still moves…" - Langdedrosa still loves him… but there's no difference between him and a fiend. "He's a bit of a monster…" - Langdedrosa is the older brother - Brother fell into the wrong crowd, and really liked it… and was really good in that crowd… - Astrid wonders if he's around here with the wrong crowd of people… - Wonders if that's why Langdedrosa is there, looking for him. - Doesn't know where he is, he travels a lot… - There's something horrible in seeing your brother, sounds like your brother… but it's not really him. - Is he beyond redemption? - Astrid offers to help Langdedrosa - Lenore identifies [[Ring Lenore finds|the ring]] during a short rest…