Session 9 - The Defense of Tall Trees

Session 9 Finale

The battle raging before you, you began to wade into the fray to support your troops, hoping to hold back the enemy forces long enough for your allies to do their part. The enemy soldiers in the rear were initially sent to engage your troops once they realized the forward battalion was led into a trap but were met with a wall of flame, giving you a needed respite to handle the horde you boxed in. Their breaking ranks, however, allowed your friendly troops to more easily set upon them and decimate their numbers before their leaders could get them into any kind of formation to face the soldiers now flanking them and cutting off any retreat.

Realizing their only hope lay in either making a retreat or fighting through to their objective, as the fire died down the shadowy dome again moved forward as demons and a couple of giants appeared from the gloom to engage the soldiers on the flanks. Suddenly, 4 points of air above each of the allied platoons seemed to coalesce and form into prisms, followed by shafts of light firing into each of the prisms and refracting down into the globe of darkness. A piercing, agonizing shriek echoed across the battlefield and the shadow itself appeared to writhe in pain as the light hit it, and the shriek echoed into the valley as the shadowy tentacles faded, revealing a veritable who’s who of evil lords. Your own leaders begin to focus their might against this array of horrors, but suddenly a Drow priestess and two Driders appeared in your midst, hoping to create an opening for their troops.

 You rallied your own soldiers, and with a fortuitous call for aid that rained lightning down on the hapless dark elf minions, you put these new opponents on their heels. As your forces dispatched the last Driders, you refocused your troops on the rest of the battle. Your highly effective trap left you with plenty of troops to add to the fray, and allowed your more powerful fighters and magic users to focus on the macabre group the dissipating shadow revealed. The remaining enemy troops soon broke and attempted to flee, but few escaped. Among the evil lords, a couple managed to escape, but Blackstaff and his team were able to stop most from gating or teleporting out of the battlefield, allowing them to capture a couple while the others fought to the death. The Lich lord was defeated, but you learned it was not destroyed. The beholder, 2 wizards of Thay, 1 demon, and 1 sorcerer were captured. One Berbalang of two present on the battlefield was also captured, the other managing to escape, presumably to the Astral Plane. Another Drow priestess with her Draegoloths escaped, as did the black dragon and its rider. You also learned shortly after the battle ended that a small force of demons, bugbears and couple of wizards struck Two Trees. However, whether because your forces gathering there were warned by you of this possible tactic or because you did not leave the Eye there, the contingent was quickly repulsed with minimal casualties.

The battle was not without serious losses on your side. Two of the members of the Counsel of Wood (Caerilcarn) died; fortunately, Arranis’ father, who remained back to treat the wounded, was not among them. From Waterdeep, Captain Rulathon (Captain of the City Guard) was lost and Grath Fayvor (the guard at the prison who treated you so nicely) was seriously injured and lost a leg. Blackstaff himself was injured and nearly killed by an assassin who managed to get behind the ranks, but was thwarted by Lord Trillauch. Dashhir was also wounded, though not too seriously, in defending Lord Paladinson from a demon (earning himself another award). Some 4 dozen soldiers were lost, which was still a rousing victory considering the forces you faced. The host appeared to have been pulled from different regions. Primarily it was composed of the hobgoblins, orcs and bugbears you’ve been facing that appear to be the favorite tools of at least Rath Modar. But there was also a human contingent from Anauroch, a small undead formation apparently under the control of the lich, a couple squads of Drow soldiers, and the other creatures mentioned.

The “spoils of war” were gathered, and plans were made to sell them off to pay to the families who lost loved ones in the battle. Your group may have access to some basic items like healing potions, maybe a scroll or two, a ring, or the like… ideally to purchase them at a nominal cost for the funds to go to the families. Garrick’s friend, Huthgar, managed to win a lucrative contract to sell much of this through your new business in Waterdeep. He asked you all what name you should use. He was using, “The Mighty Five Trading Consortium” for now, but thought you all should have the final call. He also wanted to float an idea to the City Counsel about repurposing Captain Thrane’s warehouse, which has now been inventoried and was being sold off to pay for his crimes, compensate his victims, etc. As one of the largest warehouses on the docks, why not turn it into an open market for everyone, with different tradesman of certain crafts on designated days each week, bringing in their wares from all across Faerun to sell from indoor booths that they rent out from you guys with the pay-out you are about to get from the sale of Captain Drask’s, Juror Thrane’s and Lord Thann’s assets, and a couple of enterprising investors he knows of who will help purchase the entire warehouse. People from all walks of life, high and low-born rubbing shoulders to see what the world has to offer! The warehouse is already famous for containing a pitched battle with demons while the city bustled on unaware, so he figured he could commission artists to put up a few statues to reenact a couple fights to draw more people in, and even put a carriage out back with a cage where people could dress as their favorite hero – one of you guys! – capturing Captain Drask and Juror Thrane with a sketch artist at hand. Your names are already getting around the city… he just figured monopolizing on that wouldn’t hurt! Right now, your new trade business, under Dashhir and Huthgar, is bringing in about 30 gp per day so far. They’re taking 50% of that… you know, running the business day-to-day and all.

As our session opens you are back in Two Trees with the opening of the Caerilcarn. Questioning of prisoners is ongoing if you have any specific questions. You are informed that the Lich Lord is named Wulgreth. His form most likely returned to its phylactery, where his form would be reconstructed. However, one of the wizards managed to transport the Lich’s spirit to another Plane temporarily, so instead of reforming within a few days, they estimate it will likely take at least a couple of weeks for its soul to find its way back to the Prime Material Plane, then the standard time to reform. The human prisoners from Anauroch have revealed that their slaves, overseen by Red Wizards, are digging for some ancient artifact, and what’s more, the lich was apparently in control of some other item that was promised up if their leaders helped him procure something in return. The drow are quite tight-lipped about their reason for being there, and the loss of their priestess has enraged them. However, a ring was found on the priestess that the Council found most curious.

You have some resources in Tall Trees, both in the ancient Elven library and in the gathering of experienced and learned leaders. You also have some prisoners you can question.