Session #93
22 H’rarmont (15:00)
At the end of your discussions with the council, they invite you to head to the Inn that you are familial with to rest for the rest of the day and plan to meet next morning and provide you the location of the teleportation sigils.
In addition, they will send you the official merchants of Thorbardin to to provide provisions and a few extra items to help on your quest to Palanthas.
22 H’rarmont (16:00)
You arrive at the inn and Lozzac is they to welcome as he has done in the past. Eat drink, rest and around 18:30, Talon Selltoth and Falda Hammercrafter show up with two large sacs of provisions and items to inspect.
Talon and Falda offer a number of interesting items. She also mentions that the items are given to you free of charge.
Non Magical
Dwarven Waraxe – Single-bladed, heavy axe with excellent balance
Double-Headed Hammer – A favorite for crushing draconian skulls.
Reinforced Steel Pickaxe – Doubles as a weapon and a mining tool.
Broadhead Spear – Weighted for armor penetration.
Bastard Sword with Dwarven Forge-Marks – Elegant but brutal
Spiked Heavy Mace – Made for breaking dragonbone and plate.
Runed Tower Shield (Non-magical) – Enormous, with clan symbols etched into the front.
Heavy Crossbow with Precision Gears – Mechanically superior design, easier to reload.
Reinforced Short Sword – Made for tight tunnels and fast strikes.
Throwing Hammers – Balanced for returning throws (not magical, just perfect weight).
Steel-Reinforced Quarterstaff – Topped with a bronze grip and weighted ends.
Dwarven Halberd – Used by elite Thorbardin gateguards.
Tunneler’s Blade (Thick Falchion) – Short, curved, optimized for close-quarters.
Dragonsbane Javelins – Steel-tipped, with barbs meant to pierce scales
Iron-Bound Gauntlets – Used in hand-to-hand duels and defensive strikes.
Magical
Warhammer +2 – Forged in honor of the legendary hero, deals an additional 1d6 radiant damage to evil-aligned creatures.
Stoneguard Greaves – While standing on stone, grants advantage on Strength saves and checks
Battleaxe +1
Shield +1 AC
Runebound Ring – Attuned to a Dwarven hero's spirit; grants +1 to Constitution saving throws and allows use of Detect Magic once per day.
Forgefire Gauntlets – When wielding a hammer or axe, adds +1 damage
Helm of the Deep Delver – Grants darkvision to 90 ft, immunity to blindness
Dragonscourge Bolts (x10) – Magical crossbow bolts that deal +2d6 force damage to dragons or draconians
Dwarven War Banner – 1 action Carried into battle; when planted in the ground, grants all allies within 20 ft advantage on saving throws vs fear for 1 minute (1/day).
Amulet of the Underforge – While attuned, the wearer can speak, read, and understand any Dwarven dialect and is immune to being frightened underground
Sling Bullets (10) (magic) Imbue a spell in the bullet (d4)
-
Blinding Dust – Explodes in a flash of powdered quartz; DC 13 Con save or blinded until end of next turn.
-
Gravitic Pull – Target is pulled 10 feet toward the point of impact (no save).
-
Shock Pulse – Bullet discharges energy; 1d6 lightning damage and the target can’t take reactions until its next turn.
-
Shadow Lash – Target’s shadow animates and grabs at them; DC 13 Dex save or restrained until end of their next turn.
Without being to greedy, you all take something...
Dorren : Shield +1 and the Amulet of the Underforge
Kelson : Forgefire Gauntlets
Heimdall : Runebound Ring
Le Nordais : Helm of the Deep Delver, and Dwarven War Banner
Hermes : Dragonscourge Bolts (x10)
Jack : Sling Bullets (10) (magic) Imbue a spell
Talon and Falda, stay with you a while and then depart. And you all settle in for the night.
23 H’rarmont (07:00)
the next morning, breakfast and you are asked to join the council at 08:00.
You return to the council of Thanes hall.
23 H’rarmont (08:00)
As you take place at the table, Hornfel (speaking gravely):
“The circles may offer you the means to move quickly and unseen — but only if we act with precision. The circle under Garnet Gatehold lies closest to Palanthas. Castle Eastwatch, however—”
***Suddenly, the heavy doors slam open, the sound reverberating like a war drum. Two guards rush in, followed by three dwarves — wounded, smoke-stained, and clearly exhausted from a harrowing journey.
The lead scout stumbles forward, still clutching a cracked shield with the crest of Hillhome.
Guard: “Survivors from the Hillhome vanguard, Your Majesty!”
Durgan (Scout, breathless):
“Sire, You sent us to reinforce the city… but we never reached it. They were ready for us. T
he Gildur Pass was a trap. They ambushed us with overwhelming numbers. Baaz, Hobgoblins, and… a blue dragon. Only the three of us escaped. The rest are dead.”
Hornfel (hard voice):
“Is Hillhome destroyed?” Durgan: “No, my King. That’s… the worst of it. From what we heard is they took it. Fully occupied and the town seems to remain intact.”
Durgan: “We also overheard the draconians — they want Hillhome. Said it’s the ‘perfect staging ground for a deeper push into Thorbardin. They called it ‘the gate to the mountain.’ They’re fortifying it, digging in. They're preparing for something bigger.”
Gneiss Truesilver (furious):
“They mean to use our own kin’s homes to launch an invasion into our sacred halls!”
Tufa Bloodeye (gritting her teeth):
“They've planted the spearhead. The question is: when do they drive it through our heart?”
King Hornfel slowly returns to his seat, the weight of the news etched into his lined face. His voice, when he speaks again, is low and iron-hard. “Then we must strike first. If Hillhome is their foothold, we must deny them that ground.”
He turns to you — we can send more troops but now that they are expecting us, it may be difficult. Perhaps you can shift the tide. “You came seeking knowledge of our ancient teleportation ways. That knowledge is yours. But I ask again — not as a king, but as a dwarf”
He leans forward. "Would you Help us take back Hillhome before the war marches into our gates.”
You finally accept to return to HillHome and assist in retaking the village. Hornfel will send more troops to lure the dragon army away from the city. this will provide you some time to react and assess the situation.
Armand Kharas escorts you to the teleportation sigils. He mentions that the spoken password for the defences is : "Stoneblood" in dwarvish from a Dwarf.
23 H’rarmont (10:30)
And the required time, you activate the sigil and make your way to Hillhome.
The Garnet Gatehold - Lost Mine of Red Gemstone
South-East of Solanthus, nestled in the jagged peaks of the Garnet Mountains, lies the Garnet Gatehold — an ancient dwarven mining complex abandoned during the Cataclysm.
It was once the most bountiful source of red gem (Garnet and Ruby), in Ansalon.
City of Haven - Under Red Dragon Army Control
SalmonFall - Unsure of its status, possible Blue Army Invasion
Mount Nevermind - is an now extinct volcano located on Sancrist Isle that served as a great forge for the Dwarves. Since the cataclysm, the volcano is inert.
Kalaman – This city was a huge open-air bazaar, which was run by the government, and houses of merchants of every possible kind. It was the main location that dwarves used to gather the raw minerals for forging special weapons.
Castle Eastwatch - Castle Eastwatch is a castle on the western side of Southern Ergoth. It has it’s own dock on the Noble River and it is large enough for three large shallow draft vessels. The castle itself is a fort with two towers attached to his walls and a main keep. Inside the walls are numerous buildings: stables, smithy, armory, livery, storage building, a guard house, and a barracks.
The dwarves used to meet in secret with the Knight of Solamnia before the Cataclysm.
Hillhome
Damaged Sigil - There is another portal that is faulty and has a few dozen possible destinations, It was closed off du to its uncertainty.
Arrival in the Temple of HillHome
Temple is mostly destroyed, Bromli only has 1 HP and is on the edge of death if he is not helped,
He knows that the city has been overrun, and most of the population of HillHome have made there way to the secret underground section of Town Hall. But many did not have that chance.
You send Korben to investigate. Seems only the temple has been damaged, all the other buidlings are intact. there are Hobgoblins and Draconians at every entry point of the city, close to 500..
In the Town Square, A human stands in his gleaming cobalt armor. The dragon’s towering presence at his back.
Squads of draconians standing around him.
Brogan: “Sweep the homes. Every door, every cellar. I want every dwarven man, woman, and child gathered at the town hall within the next quarter hour.”
One draconian answers : "Yes Flight Marshal Brogan"
Brogan takes a few steps forward and in a soft but menacing voice:
“Any who resist—do not kill them. Mark their homes. We’ll deal with them once order is restored.”
The draconians hissed in acknowledgment, rising and fanning out into the narrow streets in pairs, shields and spears in hand. Already, the cries of surprise and confusion echoed as doors were pounded on, shutters thrown open, and townsfolk ordered from their homes under threat of crackling blue energy.
Brogan turns and rests hand on the dragon’s side. It growled low, like a brewing storm. “Let them know who rules now,”
The dragon lifts his head high and breaths overhead, a lightning that splits the sky.
After about 15 mins, the draconians return with about 100 dwarves, men, woman and children, and send them inside the town hall.
About 15 mins later, a horn call is heard to the West end of the city, Flight Marshal Brogan, takes off with his dragon, circles the city and orders his troops to the East. More that half of his troops heads East, Brogan and his dragon, leaving the town with a reduced number of guards.
You decide to ambush the remaining guards. Combat starts with a group of Draconians....
