Session 9: The Path Forward Report

General Summary

The session began with the party engaging in combat with the Hand of the Praetors and its porcelain soldiers, the Aegrorian priest taunting each member of the party as waves of its artificial soldiers emerged from the portal. Skreech attempted to wrest the Powerstone from the portal to staunch the flow of reinforcements while the rest of the party whittled away at the Hand and its minions. Before the party could land a decisive blow, the Hand enshrouded the room in darkness and retreated into the portal, taking the Powerstone with it. The party dispatched the remaining porcelain soldiers and took a few moments (and potions) to heal their wounds before heading for the Abernanth mansion.

The group found a trap door that led up to a living room in the first floor of the mansion. They crept their way up one by one, until Skreech accidentally let the trap door slam a bit harder than intended, which drew the attention of the Abernanth's servants, now revealed to be ghouls. As the party ventured further into the house combatting the ghouls, they discovered Conance Abernanth, the elder son, Mariola Abernanth, the matriarch, but were having trouble locating Corrich, the head of the Abernanth house. He only finally revealed himself to cast a powerful Blight spell on Rinrin, dropping his invisibility to fully engage the party. Conance was quickly subdued and the ghouls were taken care of as the party pursued the elder Abernanths to the second floor, where Corrich summoned another wave of ghouls that momentarily paralyzed Droknar. Rinrin caught up with Mariola and Corrich moved to save his wife, arriving just in time to be hit by a blast from Rinrin's staff that also fatally injured Mariola. The enraged Corrich pursued the mouseling and critically injured her with a poisonous spray, but was interrupted from his revenge by the sudden arrival of Osrick Riverhands, who leapt into the battle in order to protect his apprentice.

The final Abernanth was subdued as Skreech discovered another Abernanth child hiding away in a back room of the mansion. Xila Abernanth, the youngest sibling, was initially afraid of the Thri-kreen, but the friendly demeanor of his golem Gerald and a well-timed offering of a biscuit reassured the girl not to be afraid. She went on to explain how her family was responsible for centuries of disappearances in Donborough, offering up sacrifices to an angel (whom they worshipped as a goddess of the harvest) in exchange for prosperity. She was adamant that she wanted no part in continuing the family's traditions, and that is why she was kept locked away in the back of the mansion, so she could not inform the authorities. She also explained that the chamber the party found in the basement was how her father would communicate with the angel, and mentioned the kidnapping victims were taken by a being known as Gizzikath the Collector.

Osrick explained his presence; he had been escorting the Berrybottle girls around town but ran into Finton who explained the party's investigation and decided to tail them in order to make sure his apprentice remained safe.

The party returned to the village center to rest for the evening. The following day, a meeting was called by the village elders, where Xila and Sheriff Morro each took turns explaining the crimes of the Abernanth family and how the party had once again saved Donborough from a dark fate. He introduced the party as the Menagerie, a potentially temporary name agreed upon before the announcement, and each was presented with gold as well as the bow of Wina Silentbough, a legendary archer from Donborough's history, and cheers rang out through the village hall.