Quag Keep
10:00 PM
Sunday November 1st (in world).
Markkus the specialist (human Ranger) and his team continued their raid of the bandit keep, seeking to defeat The Second Sons and capture or kill their leader Baric. The party consists of Orrasthym the elven Ranger, Vandrek Steelguard the dwarven Fighter, Remus the grey elf Wizard, Andessa Southpine the human Dread Necromancer, and Seric Athos the grey elf Duskblade. (Remus's player had to miss due a scheduling error delaying the game.)
Last time, the party has just regrouped except for Orras, with Andessa down but conscious. One bandit fled back up the stairs but Seric dispatched the last quickly. Markkus found a hall to the front of the keep and let Orras in as Andessa got herself back up with a spell. The whole party was in the courtyard when 5 figures appeared on the ramparts--an awuuln with an axe, Baric the leader in chainmail with a sword and whip, and 3 regular bandits with light crossbows. Baric yells to fire. The party scattered for cover. Happy to be in the fight at last, Orras fired an opening shot that downed Baric immediately, conscious but struggling. The bandits began firing at Orras and Andessa as Vandrek took cover behind his shield, soon facing down the awuuln who leapt to a roof and down to the cobbles. Markkus ran toward the boxes Seric and Andessa had used to reach the walls and Seric made his way deeper into the keep with his Dancing Lights, looking for a way up. Orras's arrows distracted the awuuln long enough for Vandrek to take him down, while Andessa exchanged crossbow bolts with the bandits. Remus held his last spell in reserve and waited for the bolts to quite down as Markkus climbed to the wall. All 3 crossbowmen missed and he hurried along the wall, using Andessa's attacks for distractions. Below, Seric, Vandrek and Orras searched for ways up.
On the wall, Baric made his way slowly inside and Markkus engaged the bandits, again yelling that they only wanted Baric. One falls unconscious to his spiked chain in melee as another drops to his knees from Andessa's bolt before himself limping after his boss. Markkus briefly fights the third before rushing after the fleeing men, pursued by the third man. With all the enemies out of sight, everyone else sought ways up, Remus guiding past the second floor. Above, Baric found time to drink a potion and get his strength back. He faced down Markkus with his whip and a longsword, using the former to disarm Markkus. Markkus drew his flail and was suddenly surrounded by Baric, the man behind him, and another man joining from Baric's side. The injured crossbowman cowers in the corner. Desperate after being stabbed in the back, Markkus struck a crushing blow to Baric's head. The remaining bandits, hearing Seric and the others approaching.
Baric's corpse yielded a key, his chainmail, a strange helm (something about it, per Seric), and a masterwork longsword (all taken up by Markkus in a sack), plus a longbow, arrows (to Orras), his whip, and some currency. The other bandits had a handful of coins and their daggers. Guided by the bandits, who claim no one else is there, the group went in search of Baric's treasure. Along the way, they spotted a claymore upon an altar decorated in Dwarven Runes. The bandits say the claymore killed a man who touched it. Vandrek says the runes read, "“When I raise this blade, so I wish this poor sinner receive eternal life.” Markkus attempts to force a bandit to touch the blade but they all try to flee and are struck down. Shrugging after finding no traps, Markkus tries to push it off the altar with a dagger but senses a strong hateful intent and the blade won't budge. Seric tries with Markkus's dagger but feels nothing, though the blade won't budge. Against Markkus's warning, he grabs it, taking a shock of damage. The altar has the iconography of Dyzan upon it, and the sword seems of dwarven make. Believing it may be safe for a dwarf smith to handle it, Vandrek steels himself and touches it, feeling no harm, so ultimately he is able to wrap it in a tapestry and carry it out. Continuing on, the party reaches Baric's room, opens it, and finds a chest with some valuables.
Now that the keep is conquered, the group searches for more of the merchant's goods, while Vandrek checks the walls for any weaknesses and Markkus locks the external doors. None seem too keen on Markkus's suggestion to throw the corpses in the bog, so they're ultimately burned outside. Seric and Andessa do ultimately find some other things, such as a smithy and a storage room with some valuables. At last they find a crate with some stolen goods, and using a donkey and cart in the keep, they set back out for town, some of them intending to put a permanent base in the keep, perhaps.
Back in town, they're rewarded the full bounty for Baric's head and the return of stolen goods, and they're also able to sell off most of the rest of their loot. Andessa keeps the chainail and Seric the longsword, while Vandrek gathered some scrap metal at the keep. They will have to pay the hedge mage 100 gp per item to identify the helm and claymore if they hope to sell and share the profits of those.
So ends the Second Sons job, completed by Markkus, Orrasthym, Vandrek Steelguard, Andessa Southpine, Seric Athos, and Remus. With aid from Aelfred the human Cleric of Aiolis and Nethri the human Wizard in locating Quag Keep.
Several party members will level and the clock returns to real time. The date is now November 8th.
Locations:
Alderfall
The Great Myre
Quag Keep (bandit hideout in the marsh)
NPCS:
"Baron" Baric Gretehead (slain leader of The Second Sons)
Casualties:
None
