Hardcore Heroes: Episode 44

Recap
15th December, 1510 Bon' Theris. Malakai recieves his shipment of books from the group of adventurers he set out for them from the old Gryphon Tower in Talon.

Malakai and Van-Healsing go to a Tavern in Bon' Theris and start catching up. Van tells Malakai that he has been investigating the shadow plane, that the souls of those who died there haven't passed on, and are trapped inside a Gorgon Class Demon. Van feels the greatest responsibility towards Mother Ellyse since she helped raise him. The plan is to capture the Gorgon and bring it from the Shadow Plane to the Prime Material Plane. Van met some clerics in Wikkthronrarenta who know how to do it.

Malakai updates Van on his teleporting research, including the creation of teleportation circles, which should allow travel direct travel to the Shadow Plane if a teleportation circle was put there.

The problem is where to put the Gorgon afterwards. The decide on a underground prison cell for the gorgon. Malakai says that Jeeves can give Van the name of the Dwarven Construction Crew who plated his basement in silver and led.

Malakai scrys on Aldric's Tower in Shirebrook to see if the Portal is still there. He finds that Shirebrook Keep is in ruins. The rest of the town is damaged. Somehow there is no sign of fire damage despite the fires the party saw when they left Shirebrook. There are no demons in sight.

Malakai polymorphs himself into a bird and flies to the estate from the tavern. At the estate, Malakai gather supplies before teleporting to Shirebrook.

Van walks to a Dwarven Tavern in the South-West side of town, looking for a dwarf named Carl. Finds him huddled up with other dwarves in the tavern. Van plans the cell with Carl 15x15 circular column room, about a months' worth of work. There is a problem with the quarry in Krolrog Ridge abandoned since they dug too much and something attacked the workers. 10 Dwarves to do the work for a months so labor cost=4000GP.

Van walks back to the estate after Malakai has left, and goes to talk with Jeeves to figure out the financial details. They agree to give the dwarves 5000GP instead as a tip/extra good work. Van checks the treasury himself and writes a letter to Vallis, the Cleric from Wikkthronrarenta, who will help remove the souls from the Gorgon Demon.

Back in Shirebrook, Malakai finds the Storybrook Inn is semi-broken, Malakais former house is completely destroyed. The town is overgrown and some regular animals roam the streets. There are no people anywhere. When Shirebrook was attacked by the demons there had been 70% casualties, and the survivors fled west.

Malakai goes to the keep and looks around with the gem of true-seeing, but sees nothing of interest. The portal isn't anywhere. He then polymorphs into a spider crawls under the door of a house and goes to sleep within.

16th December, 1510 Malakai wakes up the next day then checks the mine and the room where the portal was, but finds nothing of interest.

Malakai goes back to Shirebrook and finds a house with a basement and takes some days to create a teleportation circle in it.

19th December, 1510 Before leaving Shirebrook, Malakai sorts though the ruins of Aldric's Tower and finds some books. He then uses magic missile to kill a turkey. Finally Malakai teleports back to his estate and hands turkey to Jeeves to cook. Malakai and Van decide they really do need to get a qualified chef, and ask Jeeves to hire one later.

Malakai tells Van about everything he saw in Shirebrook and the fact that the portal isn't there. Van tells Malakai they need to clear out the mine. The party head off to Sheriff Molly to get details about the problem. Sheriff Molly explains that the miners in the quarry found a Stone Giant in the ground as they were digging. She tells them to go talk to the mining company to talk about a reward.

They talk to the lady in charge of the company, Anna Log, and find out that there are 2 giants. The stone mine very important as there are plans to renovate the keep and build a bridge across River Vodan.

They agree to a reward of getting free stone for the cell construction.

Van considers the possibility of relocating the giants to another part of the Krolrog Ridge.

Malakai and Van prep spells etc.

The party arrives at the quarry and scout out the terrain.

Malakai casts Tongues and talks to the female giant. She tells them that before they can move they need to "uncover the rest of their clan", but does not give a specific number.

Malakais makes a charisma check and rolls a nat3. The giant carefully holds Malakai as Van casts Rapport that allows him to talk in mental images with the giant. He makes a Wis and Cha check, passes Wis fails Cha and the giant is not convinced, but Van gets a mental image of the giants thinking about reclaiming the territory as their own and viewing humans as a lesser species and other hostile(ish) thoughts. Van says he casts Mental Domination. Second Break.

The female giant charges the male and the male pins her and shouts at her.

Malakai during his turn casts "monster summoning level 3" gets 3 Ghouls.

One giant escapes and they kill the mentally dominated one. They follow the trail to the Krolrog Peak and see it climbing the mountain.

The giant camouflages against the mountain and the party goes to sleep in the forest.

Malakai sends a mental message to Darf asking if he wants to come and live with him and gets a reply that Joris has taken over CopperHill and that Darf is the new Sheriff.

Malakai flies to the mountain and finds a tunnel that he thinks was dug by the giant, he goes back to Van turns into a Pegasus and brings him to the top. They go into the tunnel and after about 15-20 feet they find a solid stone wall in the tunnel.

Van goes to cast Stone Shape and feels a vibration, he tells Malakai to back out and they retreat.

They go back in and Van does cast Stone Shape and the stone starts to turn to mud/liquid stone and the party backs out again. Malakai moves Van away to a different part of the mountain. Malakai then casts two fireballs into the tunnel.

The party rests, during the night 3 goblins ambush Van he tells them with a Dictate spell to surrender and leave, they all fail their checks. In the morning Malakai goes and casts fireball and cloudkill into the tunnel.

They go back to Bon'Theris and collect giant parts from the quarry.

The Mining Company leader lady is called Anna Log. The cooks name is Rosie, she has a little brother who is a brewer and a third cousin who used to live in Eridon but now lives in a nearby village. Malakai makes plans to brew Erdion ale.

The party discusses how to get to Outlast and Malakai tells Van about his mermaid-elf adventures and how he lost his staff. Van arranges some extra security for the treasury in their mansion.

Malakai learns to make 3 types of potions.

Malakai makes 3 scrolls of protection from petrification.

Van talks to Carl the dwarf about hiring guards for the mansion and Carl says he has a cousin who runs a mercenary company and sends him a letter.

The party teleports to Copperhill and meet Darf, he tells them that Stromheim is mostly abandoned and that there was plague and famine and immigration. Copperhill has walls being built around it. Warns them of Count Vicious. There are a lot of kobolds in the nearby forest because of Mama Beatrix.

The party go to talk with Joris. Joris talks about Count Vicious in the past few months marching on Meadstead and taking it. During the battle, Joris scryed and saw the Meadstead army inexpicible flee at the start of combat unprovoked. Van suspects a version of a fear spell. Joris also admits he suspects Darf stole something from him, since he gave Joris a invisibility scroll.

Darf admits he made a deal with some Wererats to sneak them into Fortune, while he got dirt on his opponent in becoming the Sheriff. A week after the theft, Vicious marched on Meadstead.

The party teleport back to Bon' Theris safely.