Tyranny
of Dragons Storyline Season – Expedition 10: Tyranny in Phlan
[Heart of Platinum]
Khan (dwarf cleric), Lanza (elf bard), Sasha (human
ranger), Septimus (tiefling warlock)
Previously: Several have been the
services that the heroes--- errr, let's just call them characters -
have performed for the city of Phlan, while the Cult of the Dragon's activity appears
to be on the rise. But one must wonder: is there something bigger on the way?
Enter the Maimed
Virulence
Following several downtime days, the characters gather once again in the
city of Phlan. They are summoned by Lt. Aelid to the Laughing Goblin Inn, who
shares her concern with the growing corruption within the Black Fists (the city
guard). She suspects a rogue named Spernick (prisoner awaiting judgement) is
behind it, and wants the characters to investigate it. Unfortunately, the
meeting is abruptly interrupted, when an adult green dragon attacks the castle
- where the city nobles are assembled - wreaking havoc all over the place.
The Maimed Virulence has arrived!
At the same time, several cultists roam the city streets capturing people
and dumping them in a carriage pulled by an ettin.
From the Laughing Goblin's first floor balcony, the not-quite-heroes
unleash everything at their disposal at the ettin, drawing its attention. The
two-headed giant closes in, and spits its foul breath at the almost-heroes. But
the beast it is quickly felled.
Khan, the-only-one-resembling-a-hero, sees an evil priest coordinating the
attack. While thugs and a giant lizard stampede into the Laughing Goblin, Khan
jumps graciously from the window (yeah, you guessed it right... a dwarven
cleric in heavy armor with 8 Dex "jumping graciously"...), onto the
ettin's corpse, and chases the cultist.
The fight doesn’t go entirely
on the heroes’ favor. Lanza and Septimus have a hard time facing the agents of
the cult and their giant lizard, and Khan soon realizes that the cultist is
indeed a priest of Tiamat, with a power far superior to his (good aligned 5th
level cleric VS evil aligned 9th level cleric… guess who wins?).
Albeit drained of spells and
resources, the characters manage to survive the assault.
You are Welcome… to leave the city
A GORGEOUS BRUNETTE PRIESTESS
OF MORADIN (patron deity of dwarvenkind), with whom Khan will in the future
have many sons and daughters (just to be clear: I’m talking about the
priestess… not Moradin!), named Eunice Thundershield reports having seen a
cambion (evil guy with red skin, horns, and demonic wings – can be easily mistaken
with Septimus) leading the cultists, near Stonejaw Gate.
Amid the survivors we
reencounter a recent acquaintance: Arya Glenmuir, who has, again, lost her spellbook. She believes the best thing
to do for now is to help evacuate the population, but with the streets full of
cultists we’re going to need the help of the Welcommers (the bastards that
comprise the local thieves’ guild).
On our way to meet the Welcommers
we discover that the castle guards have been imprisoned by the rebelling
inmates. Oh, joy…
Necessary Evil
Almost arriving at the gate, we come
across a group of traitor Black Fists. After a brief period where the
party basically serves as punch bags, the rogue guards either flee or
surrender. With the city fallen in chaos, and with most real guards captured by
the followers of Tiamat, the party is faced with a problem: what to do with the
surrendering thugs? Khan, having a background as a mercenary sergeant, is
willing to give a clean cut to the traitors, ending their lives. All Hell
breaks loose!!! All players and DM start waving their arms in utter shock!
"You can't do that! That is evil! Ugly! Ugly! Ugly!" Well, ooook,
under normal circumstances I wouldn't, but presently either we leave them here
to be freed by the other escapees, or we give them "Judgment Day".
"You can't! You can't! What about the bunnies, and the butterflies, and
bees, and stuff! That is evil! EVIL!!!"
Khan rolls his eyes, turns around, and carries
on. I hate alignment discussions in D&D... Next time I’m playing a paladin
of Bane.
And now comes the funny part: amid the ensuing
chaos that engulfed the city, Khan received a secret letter from the Harpers.
It contained a mission. If Khan wanted to rise in the Harpers’ ranks he had to KILL
the rogue Spernick (the one behind the rebelling guards). Now imagine what
would have happened if I had decided to fulfill the mission, and kill a detainee
entrusted to the city jail. I would be branded a black priest, my face would
have been painted in the banners of legions of demons, and my name would have
been associated with sheer evil, doom, famine, war, and all other plagues and
curses one can imagine.
Curiously, it wouldn’t take long before the
events unfolded in a way that would make Khan part ways with the Harpers. But I’ll
save the surprises for Part 2.
The
Gates of Hell
Stonejaw Gate stands before us, barred and with the cambion in command. But before the party can focus on the
enemy, something unexpected happens: Ellissande, a young girl we rescued from
being sacrificed at the clutches of three hags, appears mounted on a blind goat
and making references to "he who runs below the waves". Khan is
mortified! This is young, innocent Elissande! What the hell happened? Septimus inquires
about "he who runs below the waves", but, distrusting the
tiefling, Khan refuses to share any info with him.
Lieutenant Aelid enters the scene, commanding
the few guards she managed to assemble. She's going for a frontal assault at
the gates, hoping to create a diversion that allows the party to enter unnoticed.
So it begins!
(to be
continued)
