Shadows in the Harbor Session 47

A Monk's Captivity and Defiance

Fel'Shu's solo mission took a perilous turn. Having successfully ignited the cultist mansion, he found himself captured by none other than Aurelia Vexis, the cult leader herself. Bound and gagged, Fel'Shu was dragged inside the dilapidated structure. Aurelia began her interrogation, her voice a chilling mix of curiosity and veiled threat. Yet, even in captivity, Fel'Shu's spirit remained unbroken. He fought back, twisting free of his initial restraints, kicking a surprised cultist through a window, and leaping out after him into the smoky night.
  His taste of freedom was short-lived. The cultists, leveraging their dark magic, used a combination of Hold Person and Command spells to force the monk back to his captors. This time, his bindings were secured with a meticulous, unforgiving precision.
  As Fel'Shu lay re-bound, a cultist whispered urgently to Aurelia: their team sent to the Solemn Hill Monastery had not returned. Aurelia, her brow furrowed in a rare display of concern, questioned rhetorically what could be taking them so long. It was then, through his muffled defiance, that Fel'Shu attempted to convey the stark truth: the monastery team was dead, and he was the one responsible.
 

The Herbalist's Haul and Growing Concern

Meanwhile, Tim the Not-so-Tiny, Keck, Damakos, and Malark, guided by Oakhart, pressed on to the herbalist shop. Amidst the slithering, blighted vines that permeated the structure, they discovered a small, forgotten wooden container. Inside lay several Greater Healing Potions, a valuable find that they swiftly secured in their bag of holding.
  As they completed their exploration of the blighted epicenter, a question hung unspoken: Where was Fel'Shu? Their eyes turned towards the mansion, now clearly identifiable by the plumes of smoke billowing from its roof. The sight confirmed Fel'Shu's success in setting the blaze, but the absence of the monk himself sparked a growing unease. They decided to retrace their steps and check on their missing companion.
 

A Diversion in the Orchard

Oakhart expertly led them back towards the mansion's vicinity, only for them to discover the area now swarming with cultists, many drawn by the fire. The immediate approaches seemed impassable without alerting the entire compound. As they moved cautiously through the dead tree orchard, Keck voiced his concern about the overwhelming numbers.
  It was then that Oakhart, with a knowing glance and a silent nod of acknowledgment to Keck, let out a resounding howl. The primal cry echoed through the blighted woods, drawing the attention of several cultists who swiftly abandoned their posts to pursue the Wood Woad into the darkness. The path to the mansion was suddenly, miraculously, clear.
 

Fel'Shu's Punishment and the Party's Infiltration

Back inside the mansion, Fel'Shu's second failed attempt at escape incurred Aurelia's wrath. She ordered him thrown into the office, now thick with acrid smoke from the fire he had started. Choking on the fumes, Fel'Shu struggled against his bonds, desperate for breathable air and a chance at freedom.
  Capitalizing on Oakhart's heroic diversion, the rest of the party infiltrated the mansion through the kitchen door at the back. The room was a scene of disarray – scattered supplies and discarded food indicating recent, hurried activity. Moving silently into the adjacent dining room, they could hear the distinct sounds of cultists still moving about the house.
 

Confrontation and Fiery Retribution

Keck rounded the corner into the parlor, spotting a cultist who, with a startled cry, immediately raised the alarm. Additional cultists quickly converged, drawn by the shouts. The party engaged in a swift, brutal skirmish, managing to cut down two of their foes. However, their victory was short-lived as several more cultists, including Aurelia Vexis herself, took an elevated position on the landing above them.
  From this vantage point, Aurelia, her face alight with malevolent power, began to rain down devastating fireballs upon the party. The room erupted in bursts of flame, forcing the adventurers to scramble for cover.
  It was in this chaotic moment that Fel'Shu, fueled by desperation and the last reserves of his strength, finally managed to break free from his ropes. Taking a ragged breath of the smoke-filled air, he kicked open the office door, ready to rejoin the fray.
  The party, now united in purpose, began to fight their way upstairs, pressing forward through each door, determined to confront Aurelia and rescue their monk.