Hardcore Heroes: Episode 50

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== Synopsis ==
Van-Healsing and his team, Kel Lucila, Kel Belle, and Frank, embark on a perilous journey across the savanna and the Hourglass Desert to investigate a demonic Colony emitting intense evil. Using magic to endure the harsh travel, they encounter giant scorpions and avoid their path. Upon reaching the Colony, Van detects its malevolence and instructs Frank to use a Legend Lore scroll, revealing a cryptic poem about a growing, ravenous force. The team flees to Roc Ridge, then Hillsborough, where Van learns of an independent kingdom and seeks information from High Cleric Miriam. Discovering the Colony's vast evil, Van sets out to find Hydroxis the Mist Dragon. After a challenging expedition to Misty Valley, Van communicates with Hydroxis, who confirms the dire threat of the Colony. Van is advised to seek the strongest clerics at the Lower Rift in Solum for aid. The party then travels to Clydesdale, learning they must go to Solum to confront the demonic threat effectively.
==Recap==
===20th April, 1511===
Van-Healsing and his team, Kel Lucila, Kel Belle, & Frank, are in Stromheim.
Van gets supplies, including desert robes. It'll take 4 days to reach the Hourglass Desert on horseback. Van casts on the party and horses so they can travel for longer and make it faster.
===23rd April, 1511===
While traveling across the savanna, Kel Belle spots something in the distance slithering on the ground. The party get closer and see they are 4 giant scorpions traveling in a line. Van has the party manoeuvre around the scorpions then continue onwards.
By the end of the day they reach the Hourglass Desert. 
===24th April, 1511===
The party head into the desert. In the distance they see the Demon Colony (pink "skin" growing over the ground). Van casts and finds the Colony radiates intense evil. Van gives the scroll on Frank and says they need to use it on the Colony later.
The party keep travelling anti-clockwise around the edge of the Colony, working their way toward the coast.
They camp in the desert that night, Van using salt to .
During Van's watch, a star in the star sign of Matrigal is blocked out by something and is gone all night. Van points out to the person on the next.
When Van wakes up, in the morning, Van is told the star has returned by the morning. Van-Healsing prays to Chis, and feels her presence. He asks about the star going missing.
:"My brothers and sisters are all around me." answers Chis.
Van clarifies he means a star of Matrigal.
:"Even Matrigal." adds Chis.
===25th April, 1511===
The party set out and each the coast. Van and Kel Lucila spot an eyeball in the flesh.
Van decides it is time for Frank to use . Van casts on Frank first. Frank says the chance of failure, 45%, to use the scroll is very great however. Frank casts the spell and it succeeds. It takes 20 minutes to cast.
Van casts Detect , and finds no spirits around. Van also casts , and keeps a look out. Van casts an . Kel Lucilia & Kel Belle keep a wary eye out.
In the distance Van sees 2 Task Master Demons. Van keeps watch on them. 6 Task Master Class Demons eventually gather with a hovering Lensman Demon. Joining them are the dog-like Thung Demons. They Demons keep watching 150 feet away on a hill.
Frank's spell ends and he gathers a sample of the flesh and puts it in the jar. Van casts on Frank to learn everything from him. Everyone gets on horseback and flee. Van learns the following passage: 
:"The ravenous cannibal born in a land where dragons cannot fly
:This person's heart was fickle and more
:Yearning for what they most deplore. 
:The colony ever grows
:Feeding on hands and toes.
:It commands and devours,
:But beware its magical powers."
The party, with , escape the desert and get to Roc Ridge and then set up camp. Van shares the Poem with Lucila & Belle. 
===26th April, 1511===
The party wake in Roc Ridge and see the Roc in the sky flying around. The party take cover and continue on to Hillsborough.
Before the party arrive in Hillsborough, Van relays the story of the Fire of Redport and that he may not be welcome in Hillsborough.
Van finds that Wake County has declared itself as an independent kingdom from the guards at the gate. Van asks about Sky the Brass Dragon, but there hasn't been any sighting of them in some time. There is a group of dragon worshippers on the east side of town who might know more.
The party head into the walled town and go to an inn.
===27th April, 1511===
Van visits temple, finds High Cleric Miriam of Sayor (human female in her 70s). Van asks the fellow Cleric about the poem he learned from the demonic Colony. Miriam has no further hints about the poem. She said when the corruption first appeared, they sent out a crusade of fighters, wizards, and clerics to investigate. Only a few survivors returned, who died from their wounds shortly afterwards.
Because of the line in the poem about Dragon Flying, Van asks about the Dragon Sky, and Cleric Miriam has a Dragon Scale Necklace that they can help find the Sky with. Cleric Miriam sets up a basin and Van casts Reflecting Pool.
The vision shows a great plain of demonic fleshy mass. Van concludes the dragon is dead and has been consumed by the flesh. Van casts Rapport on Cleric Miriam to share the evil aura he saw from the demonic Colony.
Van says the way to solve the problem is to end the wars plaguing the nations. Van wonders if the assassin was linked to the Malkis Assassinations. Father Boros of Astair says there is a Cleric of Malkis in Redport.
High Cleric Miriam gives Van 4 potions for his quest. Van decides to try to lure out Hydroxis the Mist Dragon for information. High Cleric Miriam warns of the Sahuagin, who had joined in the failed attack of Redport in 1508 (DwD 67. None have seen the Sahuagin since that failed attack.
Van has his poem transcribed and sent out to people, trying to solve the mystery.
Van meets up with his party at the Journeyman's Rest House tavern and explains his plan to meet Hydroxis the Mist Dragon to them. Van then goes to the harbor with the party to ask about being sailed out to the Misty Valley island, but none of the sailors want to take him.
Van asks the sailors about Hydroxis's movement and home, and they say they see Hydroxis flying very close to the water on foggy days. Hydroxis is known at time to save sailors from drowning in the sea. Hydroxis however has knocked over masts of ships while flying as well.
Van decides they will have to travel there on foot. Van has Free Action, Water Breathing and Water Walking, so tries to come up with a plan with those spells to get to the Mist Dragon. Frank is very eager to help with this plan, even though he cannot swim. Van gets 100 feet of rope. 
===29th April, 1511===
Van and Frank set out from Hillsborough on foot northwards to go meet with the Mist Dragon. Kel Lucila & Kel Belle head to Clydesdale to speak with King Jonah Fairmare of the new Wake Kingdom to warn him of what they found out.
Van and Frank arrives on the coast opposite the Misty Valley in the Afternoon, and they make camp. 
===30th April, 1511===
Van and Frank start on Van's plan. Frank will water walk on the surface while Van will Free Action/Water Breath on the surface of the water, and they hope the role between them. 3 Tugs = See Hydroxis, 5 Tugs = See Danger Run Back.
The two go off and enact the plan. Van walks into the Ocean. Van walks though a lot of kelp forests and sees much marine life.
Van sees a shark and avoids it.
Eventually the two arrive on the island. A beach near a wrecked ship that looks over a decade all. Van and Frank meet back up and start to scout out the 4 miles high 2 miles wide island. The beach is both sandy in parts, and parts are rocky with tide pools.
On the north coast of the island they spot a single dragon scale. Van picks it up and hands it to Frank. Van marks an X in the sand. They find 2 worn scales on the N-E Coast. 
The two cross the centre of the island and spot a Rocktopus on the island. Van casts Calms Animals and moves up to the Rocktopus . Van walks up to the animal and casts Rapport on them. The Rocktopus has a memory of being underwater on the southern shore of the island and seeing the Mist Dragon there.
===1st May, 1511===
Van and Frank continue to search the island. The two continue to find Dragon Scales on the shores. They also come across a naked human bearded ship-wreck-survivor. The survivor is excited to see Van and Frank, thinking they are a rescue party. The man washed ashore 5 or 6 years ago. Van asks the survivor about Hydroxis, ths survivor will take them to the spot he sees Hydroxis the most. Hydroxis has no roost on the island itself.
The Survivor head to the south end of the island and camp in-land from the beach. The Survivor warns of Giant Crabs and Sahuagin who can come onto the beach itself during the night. 
While camping, the Survivor reveals they are from Hillsborough and was a "purveyor of the flesh" who was "importing" some people from far away when he ended up shipwrecked. 
===2nd May, 1511===
For breakfast, Van creates Wine with the spell Water to Wine for the Survivor who hadn't had any in years.
At the end of a creek on the south side of the island, Van casts water breathing and free action and goes down onto the seabed. He sees a lot of marine life. The creek above drops into a deep underwater ravine. Van finds a large rock and carves the word "HI" into it. On the back of the Rock is carved "TALK?". Van drops the rock into the ravine.
Van returns to the beach. Van reports he the Dragon's Lair is in the ravine. Frank says he can cast on the Rock. Van says they'll try after he has a nap so he had another Free Action spell.
Van casts Nap on himself and recovers his spell slots. Van carves another "Hi/Talk?" message on a rock, then Frank casts on another rock. Van ties the two rocks together and heads back underwater.
Van returns to the Ravine and drops the rocks down. Van is able to see the rocks they land 150 feet below with the light spell. Van doesn't see Hydroxis, but thinks it is her lair.
Van continues to walk around, looking for Hydroxis underwater. Van avoids some giant crabs on his search. Van doesn't see Hydroxis on his search underwater, so returns to shore to Frank and the Survivor. 
===3rd May, 1511===
Van finds a rock pool the right size and casts , using Hydroxis's Scale as a focus. In the pool Van sees the Mist Dragon circled up asleep in an underwater cove. The Dragon feels being scryed on and starts to wake. Van then feels that he is being scryed on in return. Van quickly carves "HI TALK?" in the sand for the spell to see above.
Moments later in the water ahead of Van, Hydroxis the Mist Dragon comes to the surface. Van bows and greets Hydroxis politely. Hydroxis says to have been asleep for 4 or 5 years. Van informs Hydroxis of the spread of the Demon Flesh and the possible death of Sky the Brass Dragon. Hydroxis scryies herself on Sky, the roars loudly in rage. 
Hydroxis explains it is a "Colony" of what people call "Demons" and Sky has been absorbed into the mass. Hydroxis says she'll be returning "home" and says that their world will go the way of the previous worlds. Hydroxis describes the 2MP as a hellscape and the monstrosities that live there. 
Van asks for advice, and Hydroxis just suggest fleeing to Solum to live out the rest of his days before the colony reaches there. The Dragon refers to the planet by the name "Arcadia". The Dragon then says they'll head to the "portal in the west" back to the homeland. The portal is far out of reach of humankind.
Van asks about the Dragon's Homeworld.
:"A perfect world. Of skies, and seas, and cloud castles you can rest upon. Bountiful existence, life everywhere. Small things to feast upon, the most delicious delicacies, the flavours indescribable, that can be plucked from trees." says Hydroxis.
Van asks about specifics about the Demon Colony. Hydroxis explains about the size of souls, and how they can be divided and mixed. Demon exists by taking souls and joining them together. The fleshy colony is a mass of a thousand million souls of Demonic Size. When the colony consumes something, it becomes part of them. They aren't quite a hive mind. The longer it grows, the stronger is gets and harder it is to kill.
Hydroxis takes her leave, and disappears below the sea.
The Survivor says he'll be heading to Solum, once he get back to Hillsborough. Van says he can get everyone back to Hillsborough tomorrow.
===4th May, 1511===
Van casts 3 water walking and and they walk to the land, then walk overland to Hillsborough.
In Hillsborough, Van & Frank meet back up with Kel Lucila & Kel Belle. Their meeting with King Jonah Fairmare didn't go well, but they did manage to warn him of what they found out.
===5th May, 1511===
The party set out on the road to Clydesdale to speak with a Priestess of Felumbra, Mother Caroline there.
===7th May, 1511===
The party arrive in Clydesdale. They head to the temple and find Mother Caroline. Mother Caroline recognises Van by reputation as the only Cleric of Chis she has heard of. Van explains the dire situation, and casts Rapport and shares the information.
Mother Caroline says it is possible to take souls from the Demon Colony and send the soul parts back to Felumbra, but it could require the strongest of their order. The strongest Felumbra Clerics are in Solum at the Temple at the End of the World, The Lower Rift.
Van should go to The Lower Rift and talks with the Clerics there and convince them to help.
===9th May, 1511===
The party go to Rockwave. They charter a ship back to Bon' Theris in Drekis. The next ship heading that way very often, but a few days later one arrives and the party take it.
===30th May, 1511===
The party arrives in Bon' Theris. Malakai is still not back.
==Experience==
11,000 XP (given after the session)
Category:Hardcore Heroes Episodes