The Valley #34

This session was the culmination of building plotlines and was, thankfully, a good night for combat and role-playing.

We also have a couple of new players who jumped right and were ready to go once we started up.

Given the role-playing elements of this session, they kind of stepped into a big night.

It was also good that they showed up, because Scott and Joy had to skip out that night.

Had there only been 2 PC’s for the evening, the evening would either have not happened, or would have been a little too interesting.

Session 34
Edward (Aaron); level 13 human paladin of Brekaneth
Ander (Dale); level 13 halfling storm sorcerer
Lux (Glenn); level 13 elven cleric of Corellon
Lindorial (Jacob); level 13 elven rogue

We started where the last session ended; with a dense fog concealing the attempted attack of a group of ogres.

The party took account of their surroundings and found no more ogres about, then the obviously magical fog lifted as fast as it rolled in.

From their perch at the main guard towers they saw a pair of human-sized figures; one doing nothing, the other killing some fleeing ogres.

The party went out to escort the pair and see if they needed help.

One of the figures was recognized by Ander as Minral – middle-aged and generally unremarkable human sorcerer. He was also in chains and being led by the other human.

That human was none other than Girvan Torl.

He was his normal size.
His holy sword was as normal as it ever was (minus the ogre blood).

The only thing that kept Edward from lunging at him immediately was the ass-kicking Girvan had handed him several months prior.

Before Girvan even recognized who he was talking to, he implored the party to let him back in the city so he can turn himself in and prove himself innocent.

He had captured this sorcerer who will freely give testimony about what really happened the day that he supposedly killed Edward’s family. He also implores Edward to believe that it was not he who killed Edward’s parents and grandfather.

He did not want to be snuck in the city. He wanted everyone to see him because he had nothing to hide.

So together they made the long march to the march to the City Council’s amphitheatre (the other option was the Grand Temple of Brekaneth, but Edward would not let that happen).

The moment Girvan was recognized a crowd began to form and grew continuously until they reached their destination.

The populace was curious what the heroes were doing until they saw Girvan, and then they became angry.

It was probably the largest crowd seen in the Valley since Nafterran cast the spell to lift the Silver Veil over 5 decades prior.

And it was just what Girvan planned on.

He stood in the center of the amphitheatre and said what he came to say, loud and clear.

“People of the Valley, I am not the monster who attacked you that day.”
“I am but a victim of a conspiracy to destroy the city and the church from within.”
“I have here a prisoner who will freely tell all of you what the uncontrolled wizards and innates (sorcerers) of the Valley have been doing.”
“My prisoner’s name is Minral. He is a sorcerer of no small power. He will admit to you that he and an evil lich-wizard have worked together in creating the magical rifts that have been plaguing the town this past month and terrifying many to blindly lashing out. Then they put a bewitched creature made to look like me in the church and let it loose. I have many regrets that such a horrible thing happened. But I was unable to stop it since I was foolishly away from the town at the time on what I thought to be a holy quest.”
“I had let my own inner turmoil blind my faith in Brekaneth. I lost my way and found my own way to Heroes’ Rest when the city’s heroes were also heading to a tower near there. When the heroes fought a shade of the lich I found this worm of a man sneaking about the area. I confronted him and he tried to flee, and I stopped him.”
“He then, knowing he had been caught, revealed to me what he is about to tell you.”
“Speak, but do not let a sorcerous word escape your lips.”

Minral speaks:
“It is so very true, and I am so very sorry. A creature of darkness, a lich named Pehr’All Herollus came to me and offered me power if only I were to help him in a way that only an innate truly can. If I were to spend my time learning the secrets of the chaotic magicks of this land and then reveal them to him, he would in turn teach me the power he has over death. I could have declined, but it would have meant my death.”
“So he took me to a cave in the mountains where the magic had been strong and I spent my days harnessing that magic and eventually creating and controlling what we have come to call Chaos Sparks.”
“The lich then brought forth creatures to put inside the sparks, and together we released them on the Valley.”
“Had I only known that we were releasing them inside the city, I would not have let him.”
“I regret doing such…”

Girvan’s responds as he raises his sword for a strike at Minral’s neck, “Your regret is noted. But your confession can have only one result.”

Minral’s last words are “What? No!”

Without missing a beat Girvan makes a speech while Minral’s headless body is in plain sight to all.

“People of the Valley; for too long we have hidden behind this city walls to be protected from the evils outside of them. But I’m telling you that we are stronger now than we have ever been. We are stronger than the evils we hide from.”
“The corrupted politicians of this city have led you to believe that we are in no position to wage war against the evils that plague us.”
“I am here to tell you that they are lying to you.”
“Wizards and fallen nobles have lined their pockets with gold so they can continue to live in excess while you suffer.”
“They have encouraged you to be dependant on the meager food they decide to give you.”
“I am telling you that the denizens of Heroes’ Rest are not nightmarish creatures from the great beyond. They are nothing more than fat goblins who steal from us every chance they get.”
“We know that goblins are no match for the heroes of this town. The dwarves of Silverhome owe a debt of gratitude to these heroes in the eradication of an entire goblin clan.” (Cheers begin.)
“We know that the mayor of this town was corrupted by the evils of politics and the council did nothing to stop him. Only these heroes were able to see through the lies and end the misery of poor Mayor Ryan.”
“Who has saved you from the chaos sparks time and again?” (He points his finger at the heroes.)
“Who has time and again fought devils that try to corrupt this town further?”
“Who has valiantly led an attack against the invaders of Theven’s Wharf and brought us an army?”
“Who has risked their lives to save us from dragons, orcs, and wizards?”
“Who has fought against this lich before, on his own turf, and escaped unscathed?”
“And who has agreed join me tomorrow in cleansing the evil from the Valley.” (Applause reaches a crescendo)
“Tomorrow, we will have an army. An army open to every able-bodied warrior in this land; and we will show the city council what true victory is.”
“Tomorrow that army will be meeting at Southgate and we will march to Heroes’ Rest and we will show the goblins, devils, the corrupt, and the arcanists what their future will be.”
“We will have victory!” (Thunderous applause erupts.)

Most of the city council is not happy, though they feign otherwise.
Father Jason Adrek is not happy, and he doe not hide it.
The party is not happy. They’ve been had.

The joke there is that the party probably would have joined the army.

Edward quickly talks with Jason Adrek on his opinion. Adrek is very dubious of Girvan’s intent, and tells Edward (and friends) that they can choose or to go with Girvan or not, but their priority is to protect the church and city (probably in that order).

Edward notices that Girvan is walking the direction of the temple. He intercepts Girvan and makes it clear that until Girvan has totally proven himself innocent, he will not be welcome in the temple.

Girvan understands and then walks to his parents’ house instead.

Ander attempts to get a personal interview with Girvan, but is blocked at the door by Girvan’s parents and later their servants.

The only information that his investigations come up with is that Girvan is praying.

During this period of time we introduced Lux and Lindorial.

Both offered their aid to the party (read as: I had already written the module and was unable to properly work them into it with only a day’s notice).

When the sun rose the next morning the army began forming.

At first it was just a few battle-people from here and there, soldiers and non-soldiers.
Then you add in a few more that joined because of the party.
Then someone had somehow changed the price of the teleporter to Theven’s Wharf from 100gp to a mere 1gp. That drew many actual veterans from General Marcum’s army.
Then with the confidence of having veterans at their side, even more people joined the army.

The party felt that they had no option but to join. Over half of Theven’s Wharf and the city’s defenders had joined.

If the army was wiped out, the city would be bereft of sufficient defenders.

That, of course, was Pehr’All’s plan.

The army, party included, began its slow march, just a few miles away, to their initial target – Heroes’ Rest.

Halfway there they were ascending a short hill when it rapidly grew dark overhead and an army of goblins appeared at the top of the hill.

“Turn back humans! Flee like the cowardly animals you are. Hide behind your walls. This is the day of the goblins!”

Girvan raised his sword and responded “For Brekaneth and for the Valley! Attack!”

There was no battle plan, just a direct attack order.

Before the party decided exactly what they should do, a man in a cloaked hood passed them and said “You protect these people, I will keep and eye on that paladin.”
The party recognized him as General Marcum Songrider. They also noticed the obsidian head of a mace that could only be the Voice of Brekaneth.

The fight was pretty much a pushover in difficulty, but interesting for role-playing.

Each PC had 2 soldiers that were under the PC’s command.

Each time a person would die, they would rise almost immediately as an undead (horde ghoul). This was thanks the lovely fog that was now in the area courtesy of one Pehr’All Herollus.

In cruel fashion, each new undead would attack the nearest living thing, with a preference for what might be turned first…in other words they went straight to the weakest targets so there could be more ghouls.

The combat finished when Ander, in one of Dale’s freaky good rolling streaks, proceeded to hit every single enemy target on the table with one of his “keep rolling if you hit” spells.

In the end only 2 soldiers survived, both Lux’s. He sent them both away for the next fight as the fog was still in the air.

The fog removed any ability of the party to determine what exactly was going on, but they assumed it wasn’t good with the number of screams they heard.

So they went to the nearest place with screams and helped those people out and instructed them to return to the city.

This went on until the Nerwold the ettin and his band arrived on the scene.

(Ok, Nerwold was actually a combination of Nermal and Woldy…but no respecting ettin wants to go by those names.)

Nerwold didn’t last all that long, but he and his friends certainly drained the party of some of their dailies.

The party also picked up Nerwold’s Pretty Necklace (Necklace of Fireballs +3) over Nerwold’s Stitched Suit (Trollskin Hide (Feybeast) Armor +3) and Nerwold’s Oversized Belt (Ironskin Belt Level 15)

The party had barely caught their collective breath as they made their way up the hill when they heard two men shouting at one another.

At the top of the hill the fog seemed the thickest, though they knew it was General Marcum and Girvan Torl doing the yelling with the occasional metal-on-metal clang of weapons clashing, and an odd buzzing they’d never heard before, but know it to be coming from the Voice of Brekaneth.

Marcum yells, “You have betrayed all that you hold dear! You have betrayed Brekaneth!”

Girvan in a voice filled with hate: “I have served Brekaneth faithfully. It is fools like you who have failed him!”

The party hears the charging footsteps of both men as they charge each other.

The Voice of Brekaneth and Brekaneth’s Holy Avenger collide and both shatter in an explosion that pushes away the fog allowing the party to see both men flying backwards and away from one another.

Marcum is knocked unconscious; the shattered and cracked head of the Voice lays about him.

Girvan fairs much better.
He is conscious, though he is no longer large in stature, back to his usual size.

Girvan stands and looks at his shattered sword.

“No! You will pay for this heresy!” pointing the broken blade at Songrider.
The sword rebuilds itself from the hilt as a black sword, dripping in blood.

Girvan begins the march towards Marcum, preparing to give a killing blow while the general is helpless.

The party rushes to stop him but lightning strikes all around them.

“Not so fast children. Grand pappy Pehr’All has some more friends for you to play with.”

From the strikes emerge 4 trolls, directly blocking the party’s path to stop Girvan.

Girvan looks at the party, specifically at Edward, and his eyes glow red.

The party quickly blasts an opening for Edward to get through and block Girvan.

For the next several rounds Edward uses every thing he has to keep Girvan’s attention on him and off Marcum.
He is forced to heal himself when the party can not.
The party is forced to help Edward as best they can while corralling the trolls into a tight area to be blasted away with fire.

In the end Girvan is surrounded, and slowly beaten down, until he realizes he cannot win.

He pulls off his helm.
His eyes cease glowing red
He looks at his sword, dripping with the blood of his victims.

“I have lost my way. Brekaneth forgive me.”
He falls to one knee and looks to Edward.
“Tell them I am sorry for everything. My intentions were always for the best. Give me an honorable death younger paladin. Hurry before the darkness reclaims my senses.”
He then lays his neck out for a clean cut.

Edward does not delay.

He who was once the elder paladin of Brekaneth falls to the ground. The moment the body touches the ground the fog and clouds disperse.

The thousands of bodies on the ground immediately decay and seem to slide into the ground. Where there was once a body, a pure white mote of light appears, illuminating the hill until midnight.

Over the next few days, while General Marcum Songrider recovers, every member of the party somehow wins or lucks into a small treasure of some sort.

All save Edward Wootenmorgan VIII. He gathered the shattered remains of the Voice of Brekaneth and Brekaneth’s Holy Avenger. He is now going to look for a way to repair them.