Necrocant destruction 3/16/08

Sorry for the tardyness of this post a mere 12 hours before our next game session... DOH!

The party arrives back into Calderon after their two week sojourn only to met with a more and more critical merchant class. Taxes are steep. The light at the end of the tunnel is that the Church of St. Cuthbert has new leadership. Already his divine holiness, Shebeleth Regidin has seeded the rebuilding of the flooded lake district with 10,000 gp and hired 15 full time carpenters and masons to aid in the reconstruction.

Otherwise the party splits up and uses their time in Calderon to catch up with friends and family.

Churchkey looks for Anna but finds out that she is out on a quest on the request of Shebeleth Regidin

Pepper makes some inroads at the church of WeeJas and is asked to work on recruitment of new parishioners and perhaps acolytes.

Donner goes back to work at the blacksmith and spends some time with Shensen. They share some trade secrets. Mostly Donner trains and works.

Barrett goes back to work at his bar. The co-owners are totally peeved about the hit by the taxes. Otherwise Barrett goes around and does a lot of activities as a loner.

Bolgrim: Spends quite a bit of time at the church of Palor. He also reports back to work at the blacksmith.

Connell: works at the church of Kord. He also spends a bunch of time at the Orphanage.

During their time in town the party finds out that there is a new adventuring group in town... the Red Shields. They are just starting and Mery (the halfling rogue rescued from the Malechite fortress) is one of the members, as is the now “older teen” dwarf, Deakon Stormshield, from the orphanage.

The Red Shields are off on the roads hunting down some bandits since the number of troops has increased remarkably in Calderon, the number of guards in the greater scape is lacking.

The ½ orc mercenary presence is quite noteable. Skellerage has his hands full, but it seems as if the security solution of the ½ orcs is his idea and they are doing a very good job.... for the most part.

The party carries on their usual life for weeks.

As time passes. Not much changes except for a continued unrest by the merchants of Cauldron. Taxes, ½ orcs and governmental incompetence are on the tips of almost every citizens tongue.

Some rumors are passed about Alex Tercival... A Gnome peddler named Flismatt met Alex at the Lucky Monkey. The paladin was helping the carpenters to repair the inn. He was, “splitting logs with his bare hands and carry an elephants load on his back!”

When, one evening Churchkey receives one of his usual messages delivered by magic. This one is different. Anna is frantic, calling for help. A group called the Necrocants have been tearing up the Stormblades. Todd has disappeared. The Stormblades clerical abilities could not hold up to the “undead” powers of the Necrocants. The aid of a strange triad of elves have come to their aid... but they are only delaying the inevitable. Help.

Churchkey quickly gathers the party, but encounters some aid from a strange dwarf named Meerthan. This wizened old wizard has some insight into the Necrocants and the Striders. He is the “Charlie” of the Striders and knows that the Striders are currently on the run from the Necrocants. The Striders are running toward the Lucky Monkey.

The party finds out from Meerthan a few very important pieces of info.

There is a secret society called the CAGEWRIGHTS that was founded about 300 years ago. The people that are part of this secret society are lead by a Demodand (a daemon who has been cursed to the prime material planes) called Dyr’dyd.

They are here to reopen the rift that was originally closed 300 years ago by Sunbar. To do so they need a group of people called “Shackle Born”. These shackle born are known because they have a magically hidden tattoo across their face.

Meerthan has started a his own secret organization (the striders) to find out and research more about the cagewrights. He has had to train them from the ground up.

Meerthan has found out a lot about the Cagewrights but not where they live and who they with some exceptions. One of their members is a necromantic cleric named Khyron Bonesworn. He leads an evil adventuring party whose goal is to help the Cagewrights carry out their goals and concerns.

Meerthan knows that whoever is “commanding” Khyron must be a very powerful wizard or cleric for Meerthan has been unable to scry or do any successful divination.

So, Meerthan asks that when the party encounters the Necrocants, to let Khyron live so that Meerthan can scry him and follow him to where the Cagewrights live.

The party quickly horses up and begins riding at a full gallop towards the Lucky Monkey. About 1/2 of the way towards the Lucky Monkey the party meets three of remaining Stormblades, Cora is damaged. Gashes are scabbing over and oozing fluids. She is limping but holding an unconscious Anna Taskerhill. Zachary follows behind. Part of his arm has been severed and is only be held in place by a few tendons.

Churchkey immediately heals Anna from the inner might of Palor. Bolgrim adds a bit of healing to Cora and Zachary just to help them make it safely back to Cauldron.

The party finds out that the Necrocants have undead of all kinds, plus some strange members of their party. Most noteable was the frostgiant. Todd at one point was so mesmerized by the power of this group that he just stopped and although he didn’t help the Stormblades, he didn’t attack them either. They were on deaths door when a group of elves came out of nowhere and distracted the Necrocants long enough for the Stormblades to run.

The elves were leading the Necrocants on a chase towards the Lucky Monkey.

The Vanguard of Caldron jump back on their horses and ride them toward the inn.

approaching the inn they see a swarm of skeletons and zombies. Bolgrim does his first big act and destroys a bunch of them on his first attempt, but finds the zombies to be a bit tougher than first thought.

The Vangard is quickly divided into two attack groups. Bolgrim and Connell are back and are being joined by the now wounded and exhausted members of the Striders. Meanwhile the other partymembers are going after the remaining zombies, a very large undead frostgiant.

Hounding the striders is an insanely deadly sword wraith. Bolgrim is able to destroy this powerful foe with the more powerful divinity of Palor. This alone gives everyone a sigh of relief.

Rounding the corner are a wizard and the high cleric Khyron himself. Donner jumps in and amazingly keeps these two busy. Allowing the others to concentrait on the death dealing frost giant.

Bolgrim again makes a great turn by destroying a backstabbing ghost. Again the party sighs with relief.

As Barrett turns invisible to try and stop the death that is the spell duo and come to the aid of Donner. When Shensen dies at the feet of Bolgrim and Connell. Todd is standing over her. Very quickly Barrett turns his attention from the spell wielders to Todd.

The frost giant is totally destorying people, Bolgrim has been unable to turn this creature. At the death of Shensen, Bolgrim changes hats from undead turn machine to healing machine. Quickly he revives Shensen. At this the party goes to town on Todd, who proves to be more capable then expected. But with a deft wrestling move by Barrett and the vengeful wrath of Shensen Todd dies painfully.


At this time Donner can do no more to keep the spell caster busy and finally succumbs to there arcane powers. Fortunately the lance wielding Churchkey comes pounding over and painfully distracts the mage. Shortly there after the frost giant falls at the feet of Connell, Bolgrim, pepper and the striders.

Barrett has come to the aid of Churchkey and Donner. The wizard realizes the situation and before long is in the air and flying away at a fantastic speed.

At this Khyron casts a spell and disappears. Shortly there after Meerthan shows up and makes his scrying mirror visible to the party.

The reflection in the mirror shows a long ruined stone temple. A figure clad in spiked armor climbs the stair of the temple which is easily recognizable as Khyron. The dark cleric walks through the shadow filled hallway, his footsteps echoing off the ancient walls before approaching the dimly lit altar.

Stooped over the altar with his back to Khron is a man wearing a cloak made of human skin covering his shadowy full plate amour. Shaggy black hair protrudes from his scalp and a great bloodied sword sits at his side. A huge red badger sits atop the altar snarling at the clerics approach.

“I have failed Master” you hear Khyron say breaking the silence, “the Striders still live...”

The man spins around, anger blazing in his blackened eyes. In his blood covered hands he holds the torso of a man who he has carefully begun to tear the skin from. His face is covered in a pattern of blood-red tattoos and hanging around his neck is a necklace of fresh hearts.

Khyron quickly continues – “They called for help and we...”

“Silence!” the dark man raises his hand in fury, “and you came straight back here?! I said never to seek me out unless I summon you!” he screams in anger at his cowering apprentice.

The crazed looking Cagewright shifts his attention to the temple around him, silently scanning about the room until his gaze settles directly on the party.

“and now you have brought them to me!” he screams on the brink of losing complete control.

Suddenly a cold calm settles over the Cagewright and he speaks directly to the scry – “Meerthan, it is you isn’t it. I know where you are now. I will come to take your heart soon.” he cackles before casting a spell and ending the scry.

Meerthan looks stunned for a moment, his face awash in a mask of undisguised fear.

Pulling himself out of the introspection, Meerthan tells them the man is alurad Sorizon, crazed adventurer hunter and sadistic blackguard slaugher for the Cagewrights. When the Striders attacked the Cagewrights Alurad had cut sway through many of their strongest members before Meerthan’s leader finally slew the man with his final breath.