Torrent’s Journal: One view of a campaign
New Year’s Day- I can’t say that the New Year bodes well if the first few hours were any indication. The Ragesians knew just how to hit Gate Pass when it hurt the most. After the bombardment and horror of last night, I doubt the priesthood is going to fulfill wishes from the urn, nor will there will be parade or other incarnation of the Festival of Dreams…Festival of Nightmares perhaps.
As per my instructions, I met up with those who were to help me contact Rivereye Badgerface and recover the case of Ragesian intelligence. Joven was there, of course, helpful in the extreme and the one person I probably trust with my life. The others I’m not so sure about… Milo’s reputation precedes him somewhat. After his deliverance of bounty hunters into the arms of the resistance a couple days ago, one can’t help but marvel at how honeyed his tongue must be to deceive so many. Tbe half-orc, Zane, seemed to bear no love for the Ragesians, but his likeness bears such a strong resemblance to Coaltongue, I found myself wondering if he was there in person! Then there were the dwarves: Damner acted about as personable as the granite his face seemed carved of, and the brewer, Ozrik…well, let’s just say that despite his jovial drinking, he had a, pardon the pun, “haunted” look to him.
They seemed remarkably eager to help and didn’t seem to have many questions; I never even mentioned the death of Peppin, for fear of scaring them off. (I found myself inventing a white lie for that later, but first let me write of what transpired.) Damner stood up to go directly to the depository when the hell began. The bells announcing the New Year ended and the sound of footfalls above tipped off Joven and the others we were not alone. Then there was a crash upstairs and the next thing I knew I was out in the street. It seems that a Ragesian catapult had struck the Poison Apple at the same time Black Horse mercenaries stormed the pub. A fallen timber had knocked me out, but when I came to, three of the mercs were fleeing. My new companions were having none of it. I shudder to think of what happened to the horse of their leader; between multiple ax blows, Ozrik’s guardian spirit, and even several of Joven’s arrows, the poor animal was slaughtered, depositing one Kathor Danava to the street. It was quite brutal, and adds to my sense of disquiet about the lot of them. At least they accepted Kathor’s surrender; I believe he will not trouble me or any other wizards again.
This bombardment was still continuing and pandemonium erupted into the streets. I saw both dwarves demonstrate a warmer side: Ozrik in healing a severely burnt couple through the blessings of his ancestors, and Damner in an honest, if misguided, attempt to rescue a woman from a burning building (I think a blanket may have been more productive in hindsight than catching her in his arms). The passing of a fell reptilian creature in the sky added to the hysteria, even affecting my stalwart companions as we pushed through the crowds to the bank.
Eventually we made our way into the next district. Some fellow was wailing about his lost pet, but I’m pleased to say that my companions knew their priorities and we pressed on. Once inside the bank, a shape-shifting eladrin in the guise of Rivereye confronted us and called Joven, “Peppin”. As we would learn later, he was hoping to find the means to disarm a trap that Rivereye convinced him was set on the case. A chase ensued, one that was frustrating as a glowing wisp of light aided the imposter’s escape and the eladrin magically scaled up the side of the walls. The eladrin bastard, who’s name we learned was Larion, took some hits but it wasn’t quite enough. He leapt away to a building thirty feet distant and escaped. I thought Damner was going to shatter the walls of the bank in his anger.
So, come to find out that the Shahalesti have an obvious interest in the Ragesian intelligence as well. I gave Rivereye the code phrase and he started to talk to us. Three other eladrin absconded with the case prior to our arrival and after knocking out Rivereye and three of the bank guards. One guard was burnt to death by the wisp’s gaze. But Rivereye heard mention of the eladrin plan to escape via some tunnel that leads to the Singing Chasm and with the cooperation of a contact named Shealis at Gabal’s school. It is this lead we will pursue on the morrow after we have recovered at the safe-house in the Bacchanal temple. With some new weapons in hand from one of the bank’s lockers, we departed to sleep off the remainder of the long New Year’s night. Unfortunately, though the bombardment had stopped, our evening of terror was not quite over yet…
New Year’s Day- I can’t say that the New Year bodes well if the first few hours were any indication. The Ragesians knew just how to hit Gate Pass when it hurt the most. After the bombardment and horror of last night, I doubt the priesthood is going to fulfill wishes from the urn, nor will there will be parade or other incarnation of the Festival of Dreams…Festival of Nightmares perhaps.
As per my instructions, I met up with those who were to help me contact Rivereye Badgerface and recover the case of Ragesian intelligence. Joven was there, of course, helpful in the extreme and the one person I probably trust with my life. The others I’m not so sure about… Milo’s reputation precedes him somewhat. After his deliverance of bounty hunters into the arms of the resistance a couple days ago, one can’t help but marvel at how honeyed his tongue must be to deceive so many. Tbe half-orc, Zane, seemed to bear no love for the Ragesians, but his likeness bears such a strong resemblance to Coaltongue, I found myself wondering if he was there in person! Then there were the dwarves: Damner acted about as personable as the granite his face seemed carved of, and the brewer, Ozrik…well, let’s just say that despite his jovial drinking, he had a, pardon the pun, “haunted” look to him.
They seemed remarkably eager to help and didn’t seem to have many questions; I never even mentioned the death of Peppin, for fear of scaring them off. (I found myself inventing a white lie for that later, but first let me write of what transpired.) Damner stood up to go directly to the depository when the hell began. The bells announcing the New Year ended and the sound of footfalls above tipped off Joven and the others we were not alone. Then there was a crash upstairs and the next thing I knew I was out in the street. It seems that a Ragesian catapult had struck the Poison Apple at the same time Black Horse mercenaries stormed the pub. A fallen timber had knocked me out, but when I came to, three of the mercs were fleeing. My new companions were having none of it. I shudder to think of what happened to the horse of their leader; between multiple ax blows, Ozrik’s guardian spirit, and even several of Joven’s arrows, the poor animal was slaughtered, depositing one Kathor Danava to the street. It was quite brutal, and adds to my sense of disquiet about the lot of them. At least they accepted Kathor’s surrender; I believe he will not trouble me or any other wizards again.
This bombardment was still continuing and pandemonium erupted into the streets. I saw both dwarves demonstrate a warmer side: Ozrik in healing a severely burnt couple through the blessings of his ancestors, and Damner in an honest, if misguided, attempt to rescue a woman from a burning building (I think a blanket may have been more productive in hindsight than catching her in his arms). The passing of a fell reptilian creature in the sky added to the hysteria, even affecting my stalwart companions as we pushed through the crowds to the bank.
Eventually we made our way into the next district. Some fellow was wailing about his lost pet, but I’m pleased to say that my companions knew their priorities and we pressed on. Once inside the bank, a shape-shifting eladrin in the guise of Rivereye confronted us and called Joven, “Peppin”. As we would learn later, he was hoping to find the means to disarm a trap that Rivereye convinced him was set on the case. A chase ensued, one that was frustrating as a glowing wisp of light aided the imposter’s escape and the eladrin magically scaled up the side of the walls. The eladrin bastard, who’s name we learned was Larion, took some hits but it wasn’t quite enough. He leapt away to a building thirty feet distant and escaped. I thought Damner was going to shatter the walls of the bank in his anger.
So, come to find out that the Shahalesti have an obvious interest in the Ragesian intelligence as well. I gave Rivereye the code phrase and he started to talk to us. Three other eladrin absconded with the case prior to our arrival and after knocking out Rivereye and three of the bank guards. One guard was burnt to death by the wisp’s gaze. But Rivereye heard mention of the eladrin plan to escape via some tunnel that leads to the Singing Chasm and with the cooperation of a contact named Shealis at Gabal’s school. It is this lead we will pursue on the morrow after we have recovered at the safe-house in the Bacchanal temple. With some new weapons in hand from one of the bank’s lockers, we departed to sleep off the remainder of the long New Year’s night. Unfortunately, though the bombardment had stopped, our evening of terror was not quite over yet…
