Session 4: Iron Circle Slaughter - 12-13/2/713

12/2/713
While freeing the Iron Circle slaves, the party are attacked by a strong force of slavers led by a goat-headed dragonborn, Orliss, who incinerates half the captives with his flame breath. One of the captives, Maldar the Wizard, slays Orliss with an acid arrow. The slavers are defeated, the hobgoblin archer again flees.
Erik interrogates the surviving beggar, Cratz, who confesses that most of the Beggar King's treasure has been spent hiring mercenaries. Baroness Constance recognises Jenn Morgan. The group escorts Baroness Lady Constance and her handmaids back to Smokey Joe's inn just outside the Smoke district, where they report back to Geroff Nisjal and rest overnight, rising before dawn.

13/2/713
(ca 4.00am) After a six hour rest the group are up well before dawn, and breakfast. Baroness Constance has sent a runner to her mansion to ask for a coach, but no sign of it after two hours. The group leave Constance at the inn and head back into the slums (ca 6.30am), accompanied by Geroff's henchman, a male half-elf Cleric called Zinsara. The fortress of the Beggar King appears deserted, though looters have ransacked the corpses of the slain and hundreds of rats are chewing on them.
Entering the dungeons, the group disturb lead seals and release a tentacled shadowstuff horror from a well of blackness! A fierce fight ensues until the wounded creature retreats back into the Shadowhold, leaveleaving a shadowy ring that is taken by Rex Deveron.
The group press on. A portcullis descends, splitting the party, and the remaining Iron Circle slavers attack, but are no match for the group, who slays their wretched gnolls and an eladrin mage. The survivors - the hobgoblin archer and a drow thief - escape in a boat down an underground stream.

XP:
Orliss the Goat, Dragonborn Warlord - 150
4 Hobgoblin Slavers - 400
6 Goblin Archers - 150
2 wretched Gnolls - 250
Virmoth, Eladrin Mage - 150
Shadow Tentacle Horror - 350
Escaped: Hobgoblin archer, Drow Thief - 125
Total: 1575/6 = 262 XP each.
Level 1 Major Quest rescue Baroness Constance = +100 XP each.
Total: 362 XP + 1085 = 1447.
2250 XP for Level 3.

Hayden's Session 4 account:

Session 4 account part 1

Session 4 - Maldar the magnificent and the luckiest hobgoblin ever... Leon awakened in a slave cell with a dwarf standing over him, having moments earlier being smashed aside crashing down into the slave pens by the great ape. Erik strode past the others with the slave pen keys jangling in his hand naturally releasing lady Constance and her hand maidens first and then opening the remaining cells, where along with some beggars a young but sickly looking wizard named Maldar was also found with golden skin and black hourglasses for pupils in his eyes this was not a natural state for a human clearly the arcane power had taken its toll on him, asking to join us in revenge against his captors. In the ensuing chaos of the earlier battle Vialya had taken the opportunity to slip away back to her mother we could only hope she did not betray us. After some discussion with the party and some awkward conversation between Jenn and lady Constance we nearly had everyone out of the cells, Then they came goblins pouring into the upper chamber driven forward by their hobgoblin masters then finally Orliss the Goat a dragonborn warlord who took swift action incinerating the other slaves who'd not escaped their cells, enraged with magical fury Maldar moved back into the cells across the charred remains and launched a magical acid arrow at the dragonborn catching it in the eye it roared in pain as acid now began pouring from the grave wound, Orliss managed single shot of his crossbow in retaliation this was to be his last action as Maldar undeterred by the bolt to the arm, launched a magical missile the power combined with the continuous burning of acid was enough to send the warlord head first into the slave pens.. Meanwhile Tasarus had been on the walkway above discharging bolt upon bolt of lightning in the goblin/hobgoblin horde with Rex and Jenn providing support should the hobgoblins stray to close, all but one hobgoblin succumbed to lighting he was the only one to escape, again. During this time lady Constance’s handmaidens paying their new guardian in shining armour a great deal of attention making Erik blush a little and then he remembered the happy times he'd had with his wife her life robbed from him by an undead horror.. lost in thought reality came crashing back as the pitched battle was now over, Jenn deciding that everyone was in need of a rest and there was no way she was going to risk the lives of lady Constance and her maidens after what had happened to the other prisoners despite the rogues protests of "it'll be fine, what’s the worst that could happen!?!" needless to say she shot them a glance of such venom that they decided she was in fact right and they were wrong... Returning to Smokey Joes for a final rest before they pushed on and making sure lady Constance and her maidens were safe although she complained that the carriage she had sent for had not arrived, Leon called Jenn over to the table and informed her of the truth of lady Constance’s situation and problems her sudden and much unexpected return could cause. Presented with this bombshell of news Jenn tactfully sways Lady Constance into staying until she returns again. The Party awoke refreshed and ready to continue their adventure to stop the beggar king although the link to the iron circle was a worrying development and as such Geroff Nisjal had assigned them a cleric named Zinsara to assist. Resuming where they had left off the stench of burnt flesh still lingering in air, forced again to walk past their only failure thus far this hurt more for Jenn and Erik as they both prided themselves on their abilities to protect others. Past the slave cells and round the corner there was a large door ahead and to the right a small corridor that led into darkness, Before anyone had time to say anything Jenn wandered into the darkness as did everyone else though still caught by surprise by Jenn’s flippant choice, this was usually left to the rogues which was normally followed by trouble. They found themselves in a small dimly lit room which looks to have been used for some sort of ritual Maldar and Tasarus found some scrolls near a corpse that had been splayed across the wall, Leon was examining a wall with false portal painted onto it, closer inspection yielded it to be a facade of some sort. Leon then began chipping away at it with his crowbar while everyone else tried to consider what may have happened in here. Session 4 account part 2 A good ten minutes later and Leon has cleared most of the plastered wall away now revealing large lead vault like door, puzzled he turns to look at the others to see if they have any further suggestions in that instant the door begins to blister and then turning molten as holes begin to appear in the door a black vapour gushes through expanding throughout the room creating an atmosphere of dread and evil, horrified Leon begins to run yelling at the others to run as well but they all seem mesmerized by this change, Jenn yells at Leon as he rushes past "Don't be such a coward!!" followed by Leon’s response of "I'm a man opportunity and this isn't a good one". Sleek Barbed tendrils weaved and probed the air, Tasarus immediately launches some lighting into the chamber beyond before the bolt as has even left his hand a tendril shoots out across the room twisting its way around his torso the thousands of tiny barbed hooks digging in, Erik moves forward, tendrils shift lashing and twisting themselves around his limbs he's able to cut some away they fall to the ground writhing about before bursting to a black powder, Rex runs slides under some then runs up and along a wall leaping to somersault over Erick and then tucks into a forward roll finishing with a flash of steel cutting enough tendrils to cause the remaining ones to withdraw deep below into the well. Rex looks into the well and finds a ring made of shadow barely visible in the dimly lit room as the others enter with a sunrod active the ring of shadow almost dissipates appearing weakened in the light. Leon’s tactful retreat allowed him to explore the nearby large door moving in silence he is able to listen at the door the distinct sound of goblin, what sounded like gnolls and others speaking in an unknown tongue although they have an almost elvish tone to them. Moving back to find the others he informs them of what lays ahead, a plan of attack is formed; the two rogues on the flanks along with jenn and Erik will lead the attack while Tasarus, Maldar proceed to use their magic’s against these foes with Zinsara providing healing and support to the wizards should anyone stray to close. The lead group in move quietly as they can unfortunately a goblin who hadn't been seen earlier manning a lookout spots Erik the rattling of loosened chains is heard as mighty portcullis covered in wooden boards comes rushing down between the two groups blocking line of sight for the wizards and cleric, the large oak door swung inwards with the goblin on lookout loosens an arrow into Erik. A Gnoll goes blazing forwards unaware of the rogues either side of the door it barely registered the fatal cut from Rex only carried onwards by it momentum then tumbling to the ground, Erik moves forward to challenge the other Gnoll taking some damage he is still able to cut it down with ease, A Hobgoblin slaver beings to move back towards an exit knowing full well the fate that awaits should it stay to fight. Zinsara began smashing the wooden boards on the portcullis almost splitting it in half while tasarus decided it was high time to put a phoenix feather to use this didn't quite have the desired effect as he almost caught himself on fire as well as the portcullis, Zinsara gave the wooden boards another bash with mace this time the board splintered apart though they were still out of range they could at least see some of what was going on. Session 4 account part 2b Jenn had moved into the room now seeing elvish figures at the back of the room to be a drow an eladrin, Rex struck down the goblin manning the lookout then began towards the goblin manning the portcullis crank. The Drow raised a hand and speaking in a dark tongue caused Jenn to be engulfed eldritch black flame it then fired off some arrows at Erik able to cause serious enough wounds that slowed him up ever so slightly before retreating following the hobgoblin, The Emerald crow seeing his opportunity sprinted towards the eladrin mage swinging his sword the eladrin mage appear to flicker to the side Leon spun around again attempting to strike swinging wide, the eladrin merely smiled smugly at this foolish human for even bothering. The Mage calmly walked away towards the ladder down which the drow had gone. Jenn hurled insults in attempt to draw it back into the fight the eladrin didn't even batter an eye at this common wench which it could have beaten with ease, the goblin manning the crank seeing it was on the losing side made a beeline for the ladder as well dodging Leon’s quick cut with forward roll what it didn't expect was Erik’s blade to slice clean through as it rolled to its feet the torso falling one way and the lower half another. Leon determined not the let this Eladrin get the better of him moved to cut it off from the exit with a quick flurry of strikes he forced it away least the mage fall to its death, angered at the wounds suffered by this lowly human it began working a spell of great power as the runes on his robe started glowing Rex had been able to raise the Portcullis allowing Maldar to rush in and see the eladrin mage nearing completion of his spell, launched a magic missile the silvery bolt slammed into the eladrin mage sending him spinning into the air hitting the ground magical energy crackled about the mage's body before fading... Maldar hunched over and began to cough...