... paradise, lost ...
Our band continues to be...
Kalik, halfling initiate of Avoreen;
Vesper, (NPC) human fighter, henchman of Kalik;
Milik, halfling sorcerer;
Kendradell, female half-elf bard & initiate of Lydia <absent
this week>;
Nikolai, suloise human acolyte of Lendor;
Marcus, half-elf acolyte of Hieroneous;
Tarqualan, high elf mystic;
Naazi, centaur mystic and initiate of Tritherion;
and introducing;
Paul Denton, human sorcerer-initiate of Boccob (Veluna).
[27th of Sunsebb, 578]
(Minor backtrack; due to the forthcoming HHD of Boccob, the group delayed departing Willip until the 2nd of Needfest)
As the party prepared to depart Willip to sail back to Leukish, They were approached by a semi familiar face, that of Paul Denton, a human sorcerer that they had released from the dungeons inside Tharizdun's temple. Since Talon had decided to part company with the others so that he might return to his homeland, Paul was a somewhat welcome replacement.
The party sailed out of Willip with a storm at their backs on the morning of the 2nd, hoping to make landfall in Leukish by the 1st of Fireseek; while the storm made the journey rough, it helped speed them across the Lake so that they made their deadline. Two days before that landfall, however, they spotted another ship sailing a course perpendicular to their own, flying a flag of black with a silver sword emblazoned upon it.
Delayed another day in Leukish by Nikolai's services, it was not until the morning of the 4th that the group finally rode into the gates of Nikolai's uncle's manor. Their arrival came as a surprise to Danu, who was even more surprised to learn of the numerous letters Nikolai had sent him advising him of their progress (letters it seemed had never arrived). Nevertheless, Danu was pleased by the gift his nephew had brought (the time-frozen body and soul of the last High Priest of Tharizdun) and made preparations for it to be moved to the Temple he served before nightfall.
As the rest of the party entertained themselves indoors, Nikolai, Kalik,
and Marcus went out exploring the grounds, and soon found themselves exploring
the large hedge maze that dominated Danu's garden. As they did so, they
soon heard the pounding of hoof beats, followed shortly by mailed horsemen
with covered shields charging through the maze on a direct course for the
house itself. Kalik unhorsed one rider, while Marcus nearly cut one in
half with his axe; using the horse of the rider he'd cut near in half,
he pulled Kalik aboard and rode out in pursuit of the other riders, only
to be attacked from above by a large winged
creature with horns and a whip like tail.
The 'demon' blocked Marcus' path with a wall of fire, forcing him to turn and fight; though soon slain, the creature cost Marcus precious moments that could have been spent raising the alarm. Nikolai, forced to navigate the maze on foot, would be even longer...
Meanwhile, the people within the manor house soon caught sight of the horsemen and winged 'demons' bearing down upon them with blazing torches; as the party stood inside the rear of the building readying spells and preparing defenses, the house guards sought their heavier armor and weapons, the better to face the threat before them. The mounted soldier rode right into the building itself, crashing through expensive picture windows and breaking in filigreed doors where necessary. Kendradell was the first casualty in the house, being struck a vicious wound by one of the soldiers, who was soon brought low by her pet hunting cat. Though quickly rescued by Vesper, she decides that with fires growing in the house, someone needs to help rescue the party's belongings, so she and Vesper rush off into the house to do so.
Elsewhere in the house, the party used their spells to confound horses, riders, or both, while the 'demons' soar overhead, landing unseen on the roof of the manor house. When Marcus finally rides up outside, he attempts to hurl Kalik there in one throw, but misses, knocking the wind out of the plucky hobniz. Nikolai, for his part, sets one of his Time spirits on the closest 'demon' he can spy, freezing it and taking it out of action.
Those outside can see that the 'demons' have landed on the roof near the center of the house, and are standing around a pillar of flame that begins spinning rapidly among them. As the forces on horseback are eventually slain, more and more party members make their way to the roof in time to see the section of roof where the pillar rotated drop down into the house itself...
Though elsewhere in the house unaccounted for soldiers continue spreading fires and killing Danu's personal guards, those on the roof quickly discover that the 'demons' cut their hole in the roof over Danu's personal shrine to Lendor and that he is locked in mortal combat with most of them. As Marcus and several others drop down into the inferno that has gripped Danu's shrine, Danu apparently banishes several with a wave of his hand, but is eventually stabbed in the chest several times by the remainder, which are quickly slain by the forces remaining.
In the end, Naazi is last seen pursuing the one rider to escape the party and house guards, while the rest of the group rallies the house. Regrettably, Danu and his manor house (and it's exquisite library) are no more. The 'demons', finally correctly identified by Nikolai as a form of greater devil are either consumed by the fire or fade away on their own, and the covered shields of the invading soldiers are revealed to bear the black rook design of Captain Elias' mercenary band....
[4th of Fireseek, 579]