Varony, Martenin 21st, 838 ID
After the PCs carefully pick their way back out of the prison complex into the Mothergorge, they attempt to head back North where they might climb out to safety. Unfortunately, despite the orcs' enmity towards sunlight, Badash is still quite a busy town in the daylight hours, and there's a high likelihood of being spotted by the local guards and possibly the Gray sorcerers. While they decide upon a course of action, constantly looking behind them to see if Syriux is hot on their heels, they come across a gathering of gutter bums who are cheering on a pair of thugs fighting for money and pride. One thug takes out another with a slate knife hurled into the melee by a bystander, and then Ginkwrench goes in to challenge the victor, easily dispatching him. At the arrival of the PCs, Neddyn and Lhuno, the rest of the crowd disperses. It is decided ultimately that Mudgol will teleport himself, Ballyhoo, Demeskos and Lhuno to Floivin Keep with the corpses of the two other incinerated victims from the cells, while the remainder of the group (Baro, Ginkwrench, Gruulsh, Neddyn and Ymurf) will wait for Mudgol to return with more teleport spells.
Unfortunately, the plan goes awry...Ginkwrench, pridefully and antagonistically sitting in an open area in the middle of the Gorge, is come upon by Syriux, who with a few short words initiates another mortal feud! Baro, Gruulsh, and Ymurf join the gnome in dishing out whatever pain they can, but nothing seems effective against the Score's new enforcer. At one point a spell from Baro has some effect, but they are unable yet to discern what that effect was, and fear it might have actually bolstered Syriux's combat capabilities! With few options left to them, the PCs must flee after taking a lot of damage from the ex-slave's mighty fists, so they make their way back towards the prison complex where they initially had tracked the Score...but not before Baro cries out in Orcish to alert the natives to the presence of the infamous slave. Once inside, they set out to trace their steps back to where they first encountered Syriux. In doing so, they come across another patrol of Slaughtertree mercenaries and sorcerers...
Meanwhile, after transporting instantly to Royal Leathers at Floivin Keep, Ballyhoo takes Demeskos and Lhuno to the Cathedral of Blades in case they need any treatment, and also to let Lt. Banghorn know of his nephew Rumpridge's sad fate. Mudgol remains behind to do some scrying, first failing to detect Syriux and then succeeding in finding the tracker Luorn Stride, who appears next to an impossibly thin elf, standing on a very familiar city street and smoking his pipe. The half-orc panics, and rushes to a window so he can get a sight on if he's being watched. He is met by a hail of arrows, one of which is explosive and sets his face on fire! While Luorn presses his assault, Mudgol also hears the back door to the shop being turned, and fears he is about to be flanked by the mysterious elf Scroundel. Seeing no other choice, the half-orc uses his last teleport spell, not to return to Badash where his companions wait in the Gorge, but to the safe distance of Tarndrim across the Well...prompting exclamations of 'oooh shit' from the DM and other players.
Ballyhoo has better luck, though a male acolyte more or less pleads with the bard not to go near any of the female clergy at the Cathedral. Lhuno finds the 'heathen place of worship' most remarkable, being of the Lhazon race and religion. Banghorn is quite upset at the loss of his nephew, but he finds renewed vigor and determines to take himself off the 'disabled list' immediately, reporting with Ballyhoo over to Commander Hoary before the two go out and get raging drunk. They gather up Lhuno and Demeskos and head over, and then relate the progress of their adventure down south in Sothos Karr. Demeskos reveals more of why he had been kidnapped by the Score to work his magics upon the unstoppable Syriux should he become harmed, but once again, his failure to comply wound up in his imprisonment. Hoary beseeches Ballyhoo to sign up for the Last Eidolorn, but the bard politely refuses. Leaving behind Lhuno and Demeskos for further questioning and shelter, Ballyhoo and Banghorn head out into the Keep, unable at first to agree where they should go for a drink...
But down in Badash, the only drinking is blood! The clash against the orc patrol proves lethal, even if they are without their abyssal scorpion pets, the warriors and sorcerers unleash a savage exchange of spells and axe blows with our heroes. Black tentacles, acid arrows and scorching rays come flying, while Baro uses his vortex of teeth to break their resolve, and Neddyn tries to silence the enemy sorcerers. One wounded mercenary and one sorcerer both manage to escape up into the Slaughtertree Hold complex above the caverns, but not before Ymurf Gnarlbottom is slain by the grappling damage of black tentacles while he burns with acid. A sad loss, and yet the PCs quickly grab up his useful gear and attempt to pursue the fleeting orcs. They come to a wooden lift which is drawn up into the Hold, and debate whether or not to head up and continue the fight, or explore and double back around.
Mudgol has made it safely to Tarndim, where he meets with Hagel Ossted the farmer. For some reason unbeknownst to all, a slip in the conversation turns into the strange diviner concocting some lie about Gruulsh having been killed in Sothos Karr...which upsets Ossted and his daughters greatly. He plans to attend a memorial dinner with the family and then is offered a place to hole up for the night. In the meantime, though, he is treated to drinks by Blake Bauerkroft, the mayor, who assures the half-orc that there will be no further assassination attempts at the Steady Oar (referring to Doorjamb's temporary death just prior). The half-orc politely accepts all the freebies lavished upon one of his heroic status, while down South his companions struggle for their VERY LIVES! Unbelievable! Inconceivable! Irresponsible! Mudgol.
Back at Floivin Keep, Ballyhoo briefly returns to Royal Leathers to gather up the corpses Mudgol had transported, but when he arrives he finds a gathering of neighbors and soldiers trying to put out some fires...too late, of course, because the PCs' headquarters has been burned to its foundation! The corpses are burned even further than before, and the bard even detects that Mudgol's borrowed mirror, which was so difficult to procure from a local noblewoman, has been shattered in the blaze! The Score has obviously sabotaged their base of operations, though it doesn't seem that the subterranean vault down in the sewers has been affected...yet. Shocked and appalled, and thinking Mudgol might possibly have met his end, the bard and Banghorn head out to that drink...now with an added impetus.
In Badash, the PCs decide it best NOT to try tampering with the full might of Slaughtertree Hold in their reduced state, and so the four survivors trek back out into the Gorge, hoping to make it to one of the outer tunnels and climb to safety beyond the guards' reach...all the while asking, 'why have we been forsaken!?' Out somewhere in the Gorge, they think they can hear the commotion of Syriux fighting against a large amount of opponents...
PCs: Ballyhoo, Baro, Ginkwrench, Gruulsh, Mudgol, Neddyn
Rest in Peace...Royal Leathers.
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