This session began with Laralan, a Chaotic Good Wood Elf who was a Favored Soul of Ehlonna, the Goddess of Nature. He was stocking supplies in a small Druidic village that belonged to the Elder Leaves. Arden and Etch found their way to the village (as Etch had been there before) and they informed the village elder of the situation. The elder told Laralan that it would be Ehlonna’s will to find Morak and ensure that the Tome was opened, as a government controlled by the Veiled Alliance would be friends of nature, like in the Magocracy. Eager for adventure, Laralan obliged.
Arden described Morak’s appearance to Laralan. He told Laralan that when he found Morak to tell him that he “wants his shit back.” Arden and Etch told Laralan that they would be departing to Ar’ginth, as they had a “score to settle” there.
Laralan proceeded through the woods and ran into Morak and Alex, who were accompanied by two Satyrs. After fending off some dire wolves, Laralan proved invaluable to the party and they welcomed him with open arms – the enemy of my enemy is my friend, they reasoned. Laralan also earned Alex’s trust when Laralan healed Alex, who fell in battle.
Also, to note, Alex’s gender can not be discerned.
By using Forgery, Morak used Magrath’s signature to fake a license for their Dwarven wizard ally. They went through the gates of Garilla safely, but not after gathering suspicion from the town’s notorious Slayer, Duran Shadowblade.
According to the Dwarf, the Slayers have some “dark magic” about them. Their weapons deal more damage to spellcasters, and they can sense magic at will and “merge with the darkness temporarily.” The town is ruled by the military governor, Maxwell Lockman, who was recently adopted into the noble family. It is rumored that Lockman is a powerful fighter, and perhaps a powerful Slayer himself.
The dwarf left the party to return to his cover job as a Banker at the local Bank. Alex brought Laralan and Morak to the secret Veiled Alliance HQ – it’s where the “banknotes” are kept, which is why magical wards are approved by the monarchs there. There, they met a few mages:
- Nathan, the head of this branch.
- Lyra, a charismatic sorceress.
- Bob, a diviner who likes to know the facts.
They filled Nathan in on all of the previous events. They also showed him the Tome, and left it for safe-keeping at the HQ. The party then began to go about their business and rest before curfew was enacted at 11PM.
- Alex straightened out her room at the HQ, had some dinner in the kitchen, and browsed for some books in the HQ’s library. She met with Nathan, who told her that undead have been seen among the ranks of Farun’s army. Alex suspects that Warlocks could be behind this new development.
- Laralan went to Ben’s Bows, a local archery shop, and bought some arrows of shock. He also made a deal with Ben, the store owner, to make some cloaks out of hide in 2 days (i.e. before they leave). He then retired to the HQ.
- Morak went to the Laughing Fiend, the local inn for shady characters. On the way, he met his friend, a fisherman named Argus. He asked Argus how things were going in the West, and Argus told him about some shaky developments and movements of the army – they seem to be trying to retake Camillo. There he met Shade again, who questioned him concerning the success of his mission. Morak asked Shade about the dangers of the Mountain Pass and the seas surrounding Farun. Shade told him that the Pass was outside of anyone’s control – it was home to Demons and eldritch creatures. The only “safe” part would be Thenaun, a Dwarven City tucked in the mountains. Morak took a room in the shady Inn.
The next morning, Morak awoke to find a note slipped under his door. The note told him that Shade had kidnapped Argus, and demanded that Morak come alone to the Abandoned Warehouse at midnight with the Tome of Understanding, as he “wouldn’t want anything to happen to Argus.” Morak told Nathan and his allies at the Veiled Alliance HQ about the note. The wizards decided to cast invisibility spells on Laralan and Alex, while Alex cast silence upon them. This way, his party members could join him, undetected.
Bob spent much time discerning the layout of the warehouse. In the meantime, Morak forged licenses for Nathan, Lyra, and Bob. The plan was this – Alex, Laralan, and Morak would deal with Shade, while the other 3 wizards would free Argus. When Morak went to the warehouse and showed Shade the book and said a code phrase, Alex and Laralan began attacking Shade and 3 rogues he had with him.
Shade fought with a whip and a dagger, and his plan of attack involved tripping his opponent and then attacking them while they were defenseless. Morak kept Shade occupied while Alex smacked Shade’s henchmen across the face with critical quarterstaff blows. Meanwhile, Laralan got on top of a tall crate and shot several of Shade’s men. Shade then tripped Morak and caused him to start bleeding out. Shade then moved towards Laralan, who shot at him. Shade tripped Laralan off the crate, but Laralan managed to keep his balance on the floor due to a Reflex save. Laralan used Updraft to jet into the air and shoot at Shade. Shade made a break for the door after grabbing the tome, but Alex rushed to block his path. With well-placed arrows and a final quarterstaff blow to the head, Shade became disabled (0 HP).
Laralan saved one of Shade’s henchmen from death, due to his beliefs in natural life and redemption. The mages saved Argus, who was a bit beaten up, but alive. Laralan and Alex healed Morak, who then went to talk to Shade.
“Are you going to kill me, Morak?” Shade said. “Or are you going to send me to Farun’s authorities, while I know everything about the Tome and your plans?” He chuckled, blood spewing from his mouth. “I always have one last card up my sleeve.”
Morak decided that he wouldn’t kill Shade – he asked Nathan to hold him magically in the Veiled Alliance HQ. They couldn’t risk him running off to Farun with that information. Before Shade was dragged off, he turned to Morak and said, “Well-played.”
Finally, Duran Shadowblade arrived at the scene, noting that a lot of magical activity was going on. Lyra, being the charismatic one, showed Duran their fake IDs and said that they were there to arrest these criminals. Duran was pleased, but he noted that Morak, Alex, and Laralan were in a suspicious situation. Lyra left with him and his Slayers, mentioning something about a “good night out.”
(End of Session).