14 & 15 - 08/02/23 & 08/16/23 : Crash into the Dawn
"Honored chief Azrok, I am the warrior that stands before you because of your wisdom and strength. I repay your gifts by bearing my blade against you with no reservations. Witness the strength you have forged, and go to meet Kakobovia knowing the Legion is in strong hands."
Lurrash the Steelbound, Second Azrok the Great
After decimating the Quaggoths, the party explored the temple of Lolth, finding themselves in a prison hall. After defeating the monsters tormenting the prisoners, they got to work releasing some of them. Chief among them was a hobgoblin scout, Lurrash, who had been captured against his will while trying to spy on the drow holdings. He insisted that he join the party in their fight against Zegrod, and was given a scimitar by Sin to better meet the coming challenge. Beyond an ancient dwarven door, the inhabitants of the makeshift temple of Lolth stood in wait. A priestess greeted the heroes, flanked by scorpions and scorrows; cousins of the drider, dark elves cursed and mutated into half-scorpion monstrosities. Yet far deadlier among them was Zegrod, who Vesper realized was a deadly Nabassu. Wielding a hand cannon and riding atop a massive scorpion, Zegrod exhuded an aura of darkness and could inflict harm with a mere glance. The party launched into action, clashing with the drow forces. Their strong defenses proved invaluable against the monstrous Zegrod and the unnaturally hardy scorrows, who resisted blade and spell with mindless ferocity. Lurrash the hobgoblin particularly distinguished himself by holding off a giant scorpion and personally slaying one of the deadly scorrows, performing well beyond the expected capacities of a hobgoblin soldier. Eventually, the drow were felled, and Vesper slew Zegrod with a powerful slash from Elenathra. With the threat passed, Lurrash thanked the party for their aid. The party was unabled to locate any trace of a sample of the Moonbane poison within the temple, however, and was also unable to find any trace of evidence of a plot to murder Open Lord Reverie. Thus, it was determined that further secrets would lie with the remaining drow deeper into the Undermountain. As they recuperated from the harsh battle, Vesper took aside an initiate of Lolth that had surrendered to capture and spoke to Sinelthriandra. As an escaped former priestess of Lolth herself, Vesper wished to inspire their prisoner to find it within herself to flee the Spider Queen's web as well. She asked Sin about her experience with drow society, and was surprised when Sin revealed she had only ever known life in Revelmoore on the surface. Halaster also paid the party a visit for a moment, much to Hilda's delight. He congratulated the party on their success, but warned them that the fourth level just below the Sargauth level was being 'renovated', and was home to some of his more recent experiments. The mad wizard then snapped his own neck, falling to the ground and then disintegrating. Their respite concluded, the party decided to report back to Azrok that the Zegrod had been slain, and that the legion would be able to stand against the drow. Vesper decided to return to the surface with the captive and rendezvous with the party back at the Palace of Revelmoore once they had concluded their own business. Before the party met with Azrok within his hold, they were once again greeted by Lurkana. She wished for them to continue the search for Azrok's dagger of blindsight, for she feared the truth of his blindness would come to light were they to take the fight to the drow without it. The party returned to Ramrider's Retreat to consider the offer, but as they took time to themselves to discuss the situation, they were approached by Lurrash. Lurrash proposed that the party support him in the traditional hobgoblin ritual of challenging the ruling chief; Lurrash would prove his might in combat and capability as a warleader by fighting Azrok and his soldiers to the death, with the party at his side. When asked about how he would lead the tribe, Lurrash stated that he would rule practically; the tribe was no longer on the eternal war plane of Acheron, and had to adapt to survive, and he believed this would be best achieved by allying with the Xanathar Syndicate to assure their survival. Although Ozwik and Edea held their reservations, it was determined that this was the best course of the action. The party departed from Ramrider's Retreat and brought Lurrash before Azrok, where a challenge was issued. Lurrash thanked Azrok for his wise leadership, but affirmed that his time as leader had passed, and drew his blades. The party leapt to Lurrash's defense as the rest of the Legion encroached upon them, while Lurrash dueled Azrok. The Great Chieftain, desptie his blindness, was still a formidable opponent who pushed Lurrash's skills to their limits. The party easily fended off some of the combatants, but were surprised by the arrival of a duo of bulettes that the Legion kept as beasts of war, which burst through the walls and rushed them. Hilda, in the form of a shark (for some reason), was snapped at by a bulette and was grievously injured, being reduced to a puddle by the deadly bite. The beasts were subdued with great effort by Edea's precision gunplay and Nella's bestial ferocity, while Sin and Ozwik worked in tandem to defeat Lurkana, who stood by her husband to her last breath. Finally, Lurrash was able to slay Azrok, thanking him one last time before delivering the killing blow. The remaining forces of the Legion honored the outcome of the duel and swore their fealty to Lurrash, confident that his new leadership and the culling of the weak would lead to a greater Legion. Ozwik, frustrated by the senseless loss of life in the pursuit of strength, warned Lurrash to beware the fate of his predecessor. Lurrash, now named Azrok the Second, vowed to lead his people wisely, and asked the party to take word of his ascension to the Xanathar herself. The party, once again battered and bruised, returned to Ramrider's Retreat and made their way to Skull Island, where Raeziel resided. Greeting the Xanathar on her throne, the party delivered news of Lurrash's victory, the defeat of Zegrod, and the hobgoblin's vow of loyalty. Raeziel was delighted by the Syndicate's new asset, and thanked the party with gifts of potions of healing. Sin asked if Raeziel would be using her new forces to combat the drow, which Raeziel affirmed; while still making the point that she was doing so for herself, not for the Open Lord and his people. Per their agreement, Raeziel also released the Masquerade agent Volaire Evermere. With their business concluded, the party decided to return to the surface for a time to better nurse their ails, report to the Open Lord, and figure out how to proceed. Many questions remained on their mind; how far did the drow occupation go, what did the succubus Aezora have to do with it, and what exactly was the strange blob that was Hilda?
After decimating the Quaggoths, the party explored the temple of Lolth, finding themselves in a prison hall. After defeating the monsters tormenting the prisoners, they got to work releasing some of them. Chief among them was a hobgoblin scout, Lurrash, who had been captured against his will while trying to spy on the drow holdings. He insisted that he join the party in their fight against Zegrod, and was given a scimitar by Sin to better meet the coming challenge. Beyond an ancient dwarven door, the inhabitants of the makeshift temple of Lolth stood in wait. A priestess greeted the heroes, flanked by scorpions and scorrows; cousins of the drider, dark elves cursed and mutated into half-scorpion monstrosities. Yet far deadlier among them was Zegrod, who Vesper realized was a deadly Nabassu. Wielding a hand cannon and riding atop a massive scorpion, Zegrod exhuded an aura of darkness and could inflict harm with a mere glance. The party launched into action, clashing with the drow forces. Their strong defenses proved invaluable against the monstrous Zegrod and the unnaturally hardy scorrows, who resisted blade and spell with mindless ferocity. Lurrash the hobgoblin particularly distinguished himself by holding off a giant scorpion and personally slaying one of the deadly scorrows, performing well beyond the expected capacities of a hobgoblin soldier. Eventually, the drow were felled, and Vesper slew Zegrod with a powerful slash from Elenathra. With the threat passed, Lurrash thanked the party for their aid. The party was unabled to locate any trace of a sample of the Moonbane poison within the temple, however, and was also unable to find any trace of evidence of a plot to murder Open Lord Reverie. Thus, it was determined that further secrets would lie with the remaining drow deeper into the Undermountain. As they recuperated from the harsh battle, Vesper took aside an initiate of Lolth that had surrendered to capture and spoke to Sinelthriandra. As an escaped former priestess of Lolth herself, Vesper wished to inspire their prisoner to find it within herself to flee the Spider Queen's web as well. She asked Sin about her experience with drow society, and was surprised when Sin revealed she had only ever known life in Revelmoore on the surface. Halaster also paid the party a visit for a moment, much to Hilda's delight. He congratulated the party on their success, but warned them that the fourth level just below the Sargauth level was being 'renovated', and was home to some of his more recent experiments. The mad wizard then snapped his own neck, falling to the ground and then disintegrating. Their respite concluded, the party decided to report back to Azrok that the Zegrod had been slain, and that the legion would be able to stand against the drow. Vesper decided to return to the surface with the captive and rendezvous with the party back at the Palace of Revelmoore once they had concluded their own business. Before the party met with Azrok within his hold, they were once again greeted by Lurkana. She wished for them to continue the search for Azrok's dagger of blindsight, for she feared the truth of his blindness would come to light were they to take the fight to the drow without it. The party returned to Ramrider's Retreat to consider the offer, but as they took time to themselves to discuss the situation, they were approached by Lurrash. Lurrash proposed that the party support him in the traditional hobgoblin ritual of challenging the ruling chief; Lurrash would prove his might in combat and capability as a warleader by fighting Azrok and his soldiers to the death, with the party at his side. When asked about how he would lead the tribe, Lurrash stated that he would rule practically; the tribe was no longer on the eternal war plane of Acheron, and had to adapt to survive, and he believed this would be best achieved by allying with the Xanathar Syndicate to assure their survival. Although Ozwik and Edea held their reservations, it was determined that this was the best course of the action. The party departed from Ramrider's Retreat and brought Lurrash before Azrok, where a challenge was issued. Lurrash thanked Azrok for his wise leadership, but affirmed that his time as leader had passed, and drew his blades. The party leapt to Lurrash's defense as the rest of the Legion encroached upon them, while Lurrash dueled Azrok. The Great Chieftain, desptie his blindness, was still a formidable opponent who pushed Lurrash's skills to their limits. The party easily fended off some of the combatants, but were surprised by the arrival of a duo of bulettes that the Legion kept as beasts of war, which burst through the walls and rushed them. Hilda, in the form of a shark (for some reason), was snapped at by a bulette and was grievously injured, being reduced to a puddle by the deadly bite. The beasts were subdued with great effort by Edea's precision gunplay and Nella's bestial ferocity, while Sin and Ozwik worked in tandem to defeat Lurkana, who stood by her husband to her last breath. Finally, Lurrash was able to slay Azrok, thanking him one last time before delivering the killing blow. The remaining forces of the Legion honored the outcome of the duel and swore their fealty to Lurrash, confident that his new leadership and the culling of the weak would lead to a greater Legion. Ozwik, frustrated by the senseless loss of life in the pursuit of strength, warned Lurrash to beware the fate of his predecessor. Lurrash, now named Azrok the Second, vowed to lead his people wisely, and asked the party to take word of his ascension to the Xanathar herself. The party, once again battered and bruised, returned to Ramrider's Retreat and made their way to Skull Island, where Raeziel resided. Greeting the Xanathar on her throne, the party delivered news of Lurrash's victory, the defeat of Zegrod, and the hobgoblin's vow of loyalty. Raeziel was delighted by the Syndicate's new asset, and thanked the party with gifts of potions of healing. Sin asked if Raeziel would be using her new forces to combat the drow, which Raeziel affirmed; while still making the point that she was doing so for herself, not for the Open Lord and his people. Per their agreement, Raeziel also released the Masquerade agent Volaire Evermere. With their business concluded, the party decided to return to the surface for a time to better nurse their ails, report to the Open Lord, and figure out how to proceed. Many questions remained on their mind; how far did the drow occupation go, what did the succubus Aezora have to do with it, and what exactly was the strange blob that was Hilda?
Portraits
HALASTER BLACKCLOAK
THE FAIRHILL FOUR & CO.
NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS
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