# Session S09 ← `=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. > %% %% ### Starting notes: - Has spent the night on the floor in the infirmary beside Vartan - Talk to Vartan - Did they ask him about Kassandra? - Did they know what he did? - Can she be traced? - Dreamed about today - Can he change his face to someone they don't know? - Has he heard of the Ashmadai? Invisible fiends? - Why did he tell her to come to Greenest? - Party - Leonard is an ex-cult member - Astrid works for an organization aligned against the cult… Harper? - Shava is looking for a black dragonborn possibly held prisoner by the cult - Did he hear of anything? - Huxley is just… weird… - Tell him to keep the dagger to protect himself? - She'll offer to get him out of Greenest if he's fit to travel - Leonard is an ex-Cult member - Tell Vartan - Talk with Leo; did his father keep prisoners? Network? - "They don't know this face." Detect magic. %% ## Notes - The citizens stay at [[The Keep]] overnight for protection. - Challenges: - Don't know if Greenest will be destroyed by attacks (destroy economy) - Don't know how much of a force will show up. - Goals: - Save lives first. - Save town second. - Astrid comes to talk with Vartan but he's sleeping, so talks to Lenore. - He still looks the same as when they found him… slightly less injured. - Wants to know their relationship - Wants to know about their backgrounds; why research cults - She's in an order - Lenore fights with knowledge; Astrid fights with weapons - Lenore is adament she doesn't know more about the cube - Why did he keep him alive? - Lenore doesn't know anyone else researching the [[Cult of the Dragon]] - What is her magic? Healing. - Scholarly, not religious - Not a wizard. - Lenore: Do you trust Leo? - Astrid: He deserves the benefit of the doubt. - We long rest. - Lenore sleeps on the infirmary floor next to Vartan's bed. - Early morning - Leonard - Basically goes on patrol for invisible fiends - Commotion upstairs; a scuffle or fight; someone screams in pain - Leo feels something run past (small, invisible) - Leo grapples it. It's an imp. - They fight. Leo knocks it out and stashes it in his bag. - It was [[Tarbaw Nighthill]] who was attacked. The small chest is clutched in his hands that has the cube. - Leo doesn't tell Tarbaw about the imp. - …the cube was with Markguth, hidden in his office. Why does Tarbaw say he was around it…? - Huxley - Takes his drugs. - Checks in on Vartan to see how he is. - Leaves Lenore a potion… - She detects it's magic. Tastes a little bit of it… Tastes a little bit metallic and flavourless. - Lenore talks to Vartan %% - Lenore - What were the interrogations about? - Fishing for information - Different groups were interested in the cult - Didn't mention Kassandra - Kept conversations away from him > they've learned - Lenore tells him she knows she has to keep him safe today - They same way she knew they'd meet. - Lenore is worried, doesn't really know what do to… - He doesn't know about the [[Ashmadai]]… dead end there? - Tells him a guard came to question him last night… if they survive, expect to be questioned - Tells him one of the people she has met is an ex-Cultist. That's why, in part, she can't trust them. - Lenore gives him her disguise kit - He's going to disguise himself to blend in - She wants to know what he looks like to keep him safe… - Lenore tells him to keep her dagger for now until they can find something more for him - She tells him to be safe… like always, he doesn't promise anything and has a cocky grin. %% - Astrid - Goes to talk with Langdedrosa - Asks about his paladin oath > Oath of Devotion - Wants him to help guide her on her oath - Gives her the tenants to write down and live… - He was self-guided, self-taught - Shava - Gathers the party together (poor Drawen finally gets to go!) in Astrid's room - Grabs a chair and stands on it to be taller - Gives a speech… we decided to stay, despite great danger… - The box ain't safe - We should hide it - While talking, a horn goes off overhead… three of them… - Astrid barges out of the room… - Huxley goes to take the imp; Leo stops him - Asks for the wolf tooth… his lucky charm. He gives it back, and then gives the imp - Lenore is worried about the box… - We head upstairs… - There is something visible in the distance - Markguth and Tarbaw look pale - …it's a big ol' blue dragon in the sky… ([[Lennithon]]) - There are other creatures approaching - Everyone but Leo sees - Kobolds (black… some real, some painted) - To the north, the green of goblins - Various humanoids in hoods (like mercenaries… raiders… bandits… robed cult-like figures breaking into houses) - Huxley, however, sees to the south - A large figure in black armor - With other tall draconic figures - Knights in black armor - There's one in a grey outfit with long white hair, darker grey sash, bone-white skin ([[Hayla]]) - Someone more arcane… wizardly… Lenore understands - They seem to be leisurely searching… - The figure in black looks up… they know we're here - The brother's name is [[Odonth Darkwrath]]… yup, that's totally [[Odonth Darkwrath|Black Death]]… - Tarbaw still appears injured… - Astrid asks about the box. [[Markguth]] has it. - She tells [[Markguth]] that she will hold onto it. - He gives it to her - [[Lennithon]] does lightning damage (lightning breath) - Kills a guard for sport like a cat with a mouse - We all run inside - …what now. - Honourable duel? - What do they want? - They've broken into groups to discuss what's next… - Lenore points out they're just seven random people - Tarbaw and co are in charge - Astrid goes to talk to Tarbaw, Escobert, Markguth - Keeping people alive is the priority - Some people are still outside the keep - The farmland… on the outskirts… - Some inside the keep may be concerned trying to save those outside the keep - [[Katie]] says they're setting fires to buildings and the mills - Lenore talks with Shava - Shava did see the people who took her friend - Didn't get a good look at the ones outside - Lenore offers to help however she can… and Shava says that's surviving - Astrid, Leonard, and Langdedrosa go to the portculis to wait for [[Odonth Darkwrath|Black Death]] - Lenore and Shava watch from an arrow hole - Shava wants to watch the party friends - Lenore is looking to get a closer look at [[Odonth Darkwrath|Black Death]] and [[Hayla|the unknown wizard]] - She studies the woman closely; mannerisms, expressions - Huxley wants to dissect an imp… - Group shows up - [[Odonth Darkwrath|Black Death]] 8 ft - Blankhand, 7ft, in black plate… dragonborn knights… - Blackmarch… also following - [[Hayla]] - Very pale - Black lips - Pinky purple eyes - To her side, has a black-liquid tome (book) - Odonth: "I see you're picking up strays again, brother"… - Odonth has been in favour of his queen lately… - Mentions how seeing his brother in the middle of nowhere… - Langdedrosa asks if they've been sending fiends… Odonth is very casual about it. - Why are you here? - You have riches to re-appropriate to the one true god… ([[60 Games/62 Campaigns/2022-09 Hoard of the Dragon Queen/05 NPCs/Tiamat|Tiamat]]) - Wealth, items, jewelry - A curiosity of theirs went missing… a little birdie says it has shown up here - Odonth makes a lot of remarks that Astrid misses a lot… very dismissive… - Odonth says no sense just killing everyone… slaves are useful - Leo asks how to address Odonth… - Odonth says Langdedrosa says he's got a jester and an adviser… - Odonth has heard tales of stronger, more interesting people around here… - told by the rats? - Odonth offers if the strongest fighter wins, he'll call the dragon off… - If he wins… Hayla has interests… - He motions to [[Hayla]]… - Hayla's eyes look very dead - Hayla looks weird. She is incredibly unsettling to Lenore. Lenore notices: - When she breathes, it's really drawn out… large lung capacity, very slow - Doesn't blink often - Doesn't move much at all - Black goopy tome - One of the moments she moves… her eyes meet Lenore's… just the eyes move - Lenore ducks down when this happens. - Shava says "Lenore, they're the ones!" (She had asked if Shava recognized the Blackhand…) - Huxley looks out the window. As Shava says this, Hayla mouths the same thing at the same time - Back to talking duels - Langdedrosa may have a chance… - Odonth says he could probably take both Astrid and Leonard at the same time… - Astrid and Leonard step outside to duel Odonth… - Odonth does a five-pronged attack - Two hits on Astrid, 3rd one crits… she is knocked prone (not blinded) and is afraid - Two attacks at Leonard… they hit… - Odonth has a hex-like thing called Death March (4 extra damage against a creature…) - Odonth is able to swap iniative of two creatures - …and then vomits acid on Astrid. That sucks. - …and then action surges. - Odonth basically plays with them, wearing them down… - A 22 is needed to hit him… - …oh boy. Yeah. He's just mean. - Asks if Astrid is willing to forfeit (she's prone and 5 HP…) - She forfeits. - …so yeah, he proceeds to attack Leonard (down to 1 HP…) - Leo foreits but asks for one more round to attack… a bunch of hits that basically do nothing. - Odonth says Langdedrosa picked better people than usual - Odonth offers Astrid a hand to pull her to her feet. She glares but accepts. - Odonth asks Hayla what she thinks Astrid & Leonard's "potential" is… - "They're very interesting…" - She closely inspects them. - (She's very uncanny valley…) - She's about 5'-7" - "No, not these ones… the stars say they may become big one day, but right now they're just small fish…" - Odonth says he looks forward for when they get stronger… - Odonth asks Hayla… she taps her book, and the wounds on Odonth disappears. - Odonth talks to Hayla softly… as though she's always on edge… - Odonth offers opportunity to anyone else for a duel… - Blackhands appear like a protective guard. …for Hayla? - Shava, Huxley, and Lenore head down to the inside of the courtyard.