Session 27: Death in the Sewers 24/10/1479 DR

In the sewers beneath Llorkh, the party finish off two Shadar-Kai warriors; the Paladin Calloway hacks his way out of the massive gelatinous cube in the sewer intersection. After a short rest, Karvol hacks a hole in the iron grate of the inflow pipe that the Oni fled through in gaseous form, beyond which a faint blue phosphoresence can be seen.

Karvol leads the way past the grate down the pipe to a large chamber lit by lumescent moss upon the ceiling. A barrel bobs in the sewer intersection. There is an acrid stench. Karvol emerges from the pipe - and spots the enormous black dragon hiding under the water. Battle ensues, the Oni emerges from the far side of the chamber and blasts the party with sleep-breath, while the black dragon scorches them with acid. Lirael fells the Oni with an arrow to the throat, but the dragon Nightshade proves too much for the heroes. Karvol, Calloway and Dardalion are slain. Desperately, Arya drags Lirael's unconscious body down the pipe, pursued by the dragon. Somehow Arya dodges Nightshade's bites and gets Lirael back through the hole in the iron grate, which blocks the dragon long enough for Arya to get a healing potion into Lirael, restoring her to consciousness. The two survivors flee round the corner as clouds of acid-breath from the angry dragon fill the sewer behind them. 

Lirael and Arya flee back to the surface.

Party XP

Start:16,947. 

8-2: Defeated 2 shadar-kai, gelatinous cube, & Maiko the Oni: 1,900/5=380.

8-3: Fight and defeated by Nightshade, Adult Black Dragon: 1,500/5=300

Total: 680+16,947=17,627

Need: 20,500 for 10th.

Lirael:

Lirael, quite chastened by her near-death experience, has had just about enough of Llorkh. As Esme has retired to rule the land along with her doting Pig King hubby, she wonders if she and Arya can take their share of the spoils from Llorkh's treasury (including that Rod of Hope Triumphant--just in case) and move on. She does not mention it to Arya, but she is convinced that they need to find some trustworthy companions. While she feels confident she can protect herself in the wild, it is easier to move quietly about the countryside by herself than with a (rather squishy) companion like Arya, who she would never desert...especially after Arya risked her own life to drag her out of the very maw of the dragon. She ponders where best to find some...as "trustworthy" is not something one associates with the people who frequent Llorkh. ...
Lirael also sends word to Calloway and Dardalion's (sorry if I spelled that wrong) superiors letting them know what happened to the brave warriors and including a subtly worded suggestion that if they wish to continue their hunt of the dragon Nightshade they can damn well do it themselves.

Llorkh:

Kitana and most of the Banites return from a glorious victory over the Severed Eye Orc outpost to the south, west of Stonefang Mountain. They surprised the orcs and killed dozens of orc warriors, cornering and slaying their leader, the human female alchemist Dreus Matrand - who Lirael might remember sent a Severed Eye Orc party into the ruins of Kiris Dahn after the Slaying Stone, months ago. Only one senior Banite, Oskim, fell in the battle, further convincing the Banites that they enjoy the Blessing of Bane and that the Banechild, Esmerelda, is truely the Chosen One to usher in the Age of Bane. 

Esmerelda in her wisdom sends the Banites back south again to man the southern frontier, fortify the orc caves, and defend the Victoria Mine from any renewed Orc threat.

The twelve men who Esme sent east after ex-King Boris do not return. Word soon comes from the village of Irondawn east of Llorkh that Boris apparently convinced the twelve to join with him (OOC: rolled a 31 on his Diplomacy check! [:D]) and they re-equipped in Irondawn before heading east over the Dawn Pass into the Fallen Lands.