| Game Master: System: Date: | Ken Dungeons & Dragons 5e Homebrew Campaign 13th July 2023 |
| Characters: | Fayd – Half Orc Barbarian (Deceased) Gunnar Orcsson – Half Orc Barbarian/Fighter Jaraziah Grimm – Human Cleric (On Hiatus) Iivan – Drow Rogue/Fighter Balasar Aurumingis – Dragonborn Sorcerer (On Hiatus) Luther Merton – Half Elf Bard/Warlock Navarro Trovatero de Vimaa – Half Elf Paladin Hamlet Wolffort- Half Elf Warlock Dorian Hammerbeard – Dwarven Cleric Sylas (nee “Tourist”/”Nick”) – Human Fighter Gregg the Guide – Human Druid Tad Hemlock – Halfling Bard (Retired) Tianzi – Half Elf Sorlock (Retired) Yorhorn – Half Elf Paladin (Retired) |
Yocan was bustling and a welcome change from the war ravaged city of Coatlan, after delivering his customary rousing speech to “his” Renegades Navarro and the others went to spend some of their hard earned loot. Gunnar made a priority of replenishing his dwinding supply of healing potions while the others focused on finding new armour – apart from Hamlet, who despite being restored to what (for him) passed as normal again handed Gregg his poweful amulet of protection. The only other thing of note they encountered were a series of parchments plastering some of the walls bearing their names and likeness – bounties on their heads, some of which had risen significantly with Navarro and Gunnar’s heads now worth 5,000 gold apiece. Only Sylas and Gregg seemed to be missing from these posters, with Hamlet and Dorian now also being sought by persons unknown.
Eventually they were ready to proceed with their hunt for Luther’s brother and Navarro’s erstwhile master and made their way to the monolith in the centre of town, Gregg used his magic to power the ancient Nearith monument and using the infomation provided by Balasaar they selected the rune for the first leg of their journey and were transported through the strange Nearith travel network to another ancient Monolith.
Emerging into the gloom of a long abandoned Nearith outpost they braced themselves for combat, but as the strange magical lighting began to flicker into life they found no immediate threats in the dusty chamber, the faded white wall panels appeared to be mostly intact – though Iivan was curious to see a number of small holes spaced regularly around the chamber’s walls. Treading carefully the Drow slunk across the floor keeping a wary eye out for traps as the others waited for the all clear, well aside from Hamlet who clicked his heels together and rose gently to float a few feet above the floor
“Ready when you are Gregg” he said with a wink and the Druid reluctantly moved his staff so the floating Warlock could grasp it and be towed safetly forward. As Iivan approached the door it hissed smoothly back into the ceiling, revealing a wide corridor leading to a wider space flanked by two of the familar Nearith guardian statues. Approaching cautiously they moved deeper into the outpost, noting that the walls and ceilings here seemed to have suffered more damage than the monolith chamber, with large cracks and holes visible around them. Thankfully though the guardian statues appeared to be powered down and remained motionless as the party advanced towards them.
As they approached the statues and began a scurrying rushing noise reached them, they eyed the walls carefully as the noise grew louder before a torrent of beastial humanoid forms cascaded into the chamber ahead of them – pouring down the walls like water from large cracks high above the floor. Frozen in shock Hamlet took up a defensive stance and waited for the coming assault, Gregg and Gunnar pushed forward towards him while Luther launched a lance of energy at one of the darting shapes but missed, a howl went up from the pack and they rushed forwards but as the first wave crashed into the improvised defensive line the Renegades had formed only Navarro’s squire Tristan was hit by the wretched creatures. Iivan sprang forward and landed a shot on one of the ghouls before Navarro counterattacked and cut one of the creatures down with clean thrust of his spear before shifting his body to stab at the ghoul attacking his squire. Buying Tristan the time he needed to gather his wits and then his long hours in the practice yards came to the fore and he cut down one of the other ghouls with a skillful cuts with his sword. Sylas crashed into the melee alongside them, chopping left and right with his blade and opening deep wounds in his targets, Dorian summoned a shimmering hammer that hovered in the air and struck at the degenerate creatures.
Hamlet channeled the power from his magical gauntlets to unleash a triple blast of power at his assailants, sending gobbets of flesh and jets of blood fountaining in the air as Gregg and Gunnar moved forward to join the fight, the big half orc hacked at the nearest ghoul, but failed to kill it and roared in rage before renewing his attack with a new strength. Luther launched another powerful lance of magic into the fray, punching a hole through a ghouls’ chest and watching it crumple to the floor with a confused look on it’s twisted face. The savage beasts howled and rushed forwards again but once more the stout armour and discipline of the Renegades held the line and Iivan blasted several of them point blank with his wide muzzled blunderbus, the wide spread of the shrapnel catching both Doran and Sylas but their armour prevented any damage. Navarro pushed his shield before him then used his spear to thrust over it’s edge, hitting and killing another of the ghouls while Tristan moved to cover his master’s flank with his shield. Sylas’s sword flared with ghostly green fire before he cut into another ghoul, the fire leaping from his blade to burn it and it’s kin pressed closely around it. Dorian pushed themselves through the press of bodies behind Navarro and summoned a swirling host of ghostly apperitions that screamed around them, ripping into the ghouls and leaving them bloodied.
Another volley of energy pulsed from Hamlet, thumping into a ghoul that had foolishly exposed itself to the Warlock’s sight as Gregg drew on the forces of nature to freeze another of the beasts. Gunnar cut down another of the ghouls with a wicked scything blow then pushed forwards to cut at another one spitting curses as he stamped forward across the dead laying underfoot, a blast of ear shattering sound errupted and five of the undead twisted in pain, clutching at their bleeding eats whilst Luther lowered his hand and smiled grimly at his handiwork. Three large winged ghouls fell upon the Renegades from above to aid their smaller broodmates slashing at Iivan, Gregg and Hamlet the drow was able to evade the worst of their assault but Hamlet was caught by one’s talons and the last slashed at Gregg and paralysed him. Seeing the druid go limp Iivan dragged him aside and pressed himself into the gap he’d opened before blasting his pistol into it’s chest. Navarro, still in tight formation with Tristan thrust his spear forward, withdrawing it covered in a ghoul’s blood “Tristan! Tend to the horse!” he commanded, his eyes never leaving the press of ghouls to his front, the young squire turned to try and treat the paralysed druid behind him. Sylas timed a thrust to perfection to stab his blade into his enemy’s vitals while Dorian attacked with the spiritual weapon and hefted their shield, content to let the ghostly forms of their ancestors still swirling around him savage any of the creatures that dared to close the gap towards them.
Trapped by the slathering winged ghouls Hamlet cast a spell, vanishing and reappearing on the far side of the chamber before lancing more of his deadly beams into the fray, Gregg was still trapped in his paralysed state and was unable to rejoin the battle – Gunnar repositioned himself to try and offer some cover to the druid, managing to evade the attacks of his foes as he moved. Luther blasted another ghoul and then tried to inspire the party’s struggling druid. As the other ghouls moved in Dorian’s ancestor ghosts swept through them, ripping five of the foul beasts apart leaving the air thick with a bloody mist. Navarro’s military training allowed his to counterattack as another ghoul closed in on them but was unable to prevent one of the creatures from slashing at Hamlet and the warlock fell to the ground unmoving. Gregg was set upon again, and Iivan and Gunnar took blows as they tried to shield their fallen comrades and restablish a defensive position. Seeing the press of enemies closing in on him Iivan fired his pistol frantically at the closest of the winged horrors then skipped away from the melee to recover as Navarro rushed forwards, cutting down one and launching himself at another of the beasts, his squire Tristan followed faithfully at his heels trying to cover his exposed flank. A shrill, peircing shriek announced Sylas had sent his pet hawk to claw at the face of the ghoul he was battling, the bird distracting it enough to allow it’s master to rapidly cut and slice at it’s flailing torso. Battered and bleeding Hamlet was pounced upon by the hungry ghouls but Gregg was able to clamber back to his feet before embuing his wooden staff with a magical force that lent weight to his blows as he tried to drive it off before Gunnar hewed down with his magical blade and finishing the beast off and bringing a sudden silence to the chamber.
Gunnar and Iivan could still hear the faint scratching of claws filter through from the holes the ghouls seemed to have used for nests but no more of of the creatures emerged to challenge them. The respite allowed Navarro’s squire Tristan to break out some medical supplies and begin tending to their wounded, Luther coaxing a soft melody from his lute – the soft sounds weaving their way through the air and refreshing the injured while Tristan worked. Recovered, the party pressed forward, discovering more bodies piled haphazardly in the chamber ahead – clearly victims of the ghouls who inhabited this ruined Nearith outpost, but they also found more dead ghouls laying amidst the decaying corpses – Navarro bent to investigate them and pronounced that a skilled swordsman had been responsible for despatching these creatures…the party’s minds drifting to the paladin’s former master as they wondered who might have preceeded them into this ancient site. While most of the group pressed further into the outpost Iivan and Gunnar decided to move toward one of the doorways to the side of the chamber they were in – a decision that proved to be a wise one shortly.
Rushing to find his brother Luther pushed ahead of the others, crossing the next chamber quickly before a tingle that lifted the hairs on his neck caused him to spin round, behind him the seemingly empty room had errupted in a flare of light – thin beams of lightening flashing across the chamber and etching the others trapped in their midst in an actinic light as the ancient Nearith defence mechanism lashed at them. Sylas and Gregg were able to nullify the worst of the effects with their magic but Tristan was wreathed in energy and sent twitching to the floor. A moment later the beams vanished, and they were able to heal Tristan and gather with Luther by the doorway, it slid silently into the ceiling at Luther’s approach revealing another chamber, several ghouls and a larger ghoul sat atop a makeshift throne
“Err, sorry – wrong room” said Luther quickly drawing the ghoul king’s attention
The twisted creature smiled, revealing rows of sharp blackened teeth and uttered one word “Dinner” as it gazed upon the new arrivals into it’s lair, Sylas grinned back at it and licked his lips menacingly “Yeah….dinner” he muttered.