Honorbound: Episode 13

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==Recap==
===Wolves===
The party starts out hearing the howling of wolves, just after the finish off the Bulette. Martur casts Thunderwave and knocks the dead Bulette off the cliff, blocking one of the cave entrances. The party rushes into the other entrance just before the wolves arrive. They hole up in the cave, waiting for the wolves. Their allies guard the entrance mostly blocked by the Bulette. The first wolf charges in, taking a few shots, and breathes a cone of cold on Bowen and Martur. The next shot kills the wolf, and blocks the hole. Bowen checks on his allies, and finds that Sir Balrog is holding his position. Lady Arrenworth is outside, and calls in that her people are here and have driven back the wolves. Bowen moves outside and sees many elven warriors, along with the bodies of several wolves. Martur thanks Lady Arrenworth for her help, and she leaves with her kinsman. She slips something in Martur's pocket before she goes.
With the threat momentarily eliminated, the party decides to rest and gut the Bulette, looking for the horn. After several hours, Martur is able to recover the horn, which is undamaged. It has ornate carvings on it of warriors in battle and gives off a bright light. Sir Balrog creates a pyre, and burns the body of Lady Varissa. The party has a moment of contemplation while the body burns. Martur casts Identify on the Horn, finding that it will summon a celestial being who will guide you to a predetermined location. After the horn has been used for it's purpose, it can be sounded twice to deal 2d12 radiant damage to all undead in the area and cast Sanctuary on every friendly creature in the area. The horn will be useless after this effect. The party skins the wolf skins, and comes up with three useful cloaks of winter wolf hide.
Balrog tells them a campfire story of the hammer wielders. He tells them that there has always been a force that fights against the grey, against the chaos. He tells of many of the different wielders and their companions that protect the light. He tells of the creation of the Black Fortress, and it's loss to the darkness. He tells Martur that there have been four hammer wielders, and that he is the fifth. Each has a tower named for them at Goldfort, and he tells Martur that Balor will ask him to lay the first stone of the fifth tower. He tells Martur that there is something bound to the Rock of Ages, and only the hammer can release it. Balrog gives Martur a map to help the party get back to Goldfort. 
== Experience ==
The party rests through the night and gains 225 XP.
== Recap ==
===Back to Goldfort===
The next day, they start heading back to Goldfort. The weather is not as strong on their return trip, and the party successfully returns without incident. A dark shape is spotted during the second day, but nothing comes of it.
They are met just outside of Goldfort by two dwarves. Therin is informed that there are elves searching for him in the city. They suggest that Martur and Bowen go into the city and tell the elves that Therin is dead. Martur casts Invisibility on Therin and they move into the city. They spot griffons in the sky, presumably manned by elves and searching for Therin. Therin moves to the tower of the elven sage and hides there. The remaining party is welcomed by Balor Hammerfist, and the dead are mourned. There is an armored elf with a big scar on his face with Balor, and the party tells him that Therin is slain by wolves. Bowen recognises the sigil on the elf's armor as that of royalty. The elves start searching for Therin. The party dismisses Sir Balrog and goes to their quarters. Bowen goes to warn Therin of the searching elves. Bowen then uses his tarot cards to cast Augury, and asks if wheel or woe will come from blowing the horn. He gets a combination of both. The party goes to the roof of the tower, and blows the Horn of Summoning. Lines on the floor of the roof start glowing, and a bright light shines up to the sky. A huge light envelops the party, and a spirit appears to the party in the shape of an elf. The spirit says that it has been summoned, and Bowen commands him to quickly take him to the Jagged Tooth. The spirit touches each of them on the forehead and the party is teleported away.
===Jagged Tooth===
The party arrive in a desolate place, surrounded by mountains. In front of them is a black tower, 50 feet tall. The party is now at the Rock of Ages, the second stronghold of the Hammerfist Dwarves. The spirit leaves, and the party enters the tower. Just inside the door, the party encounters three Duergar. Therin draws his swords and rushes to action. Therin and Martur deal quick damage to the Duergar as Bowen keeps one at bay. After the first Duergar drops, another one casts Invisibility and vanishes. After a bried attempt at negotiation, the last visible Duergar grows larger in size. The invisible Duergar stabs Therin as Bowen drops the larger Duergar. The last Duergar grows in size as well and hits Bowen, but is quickly brought down by the party. Bowen heals himself, and the party enters the next room, revealing a small hallway with a double door at the end and two small chambers with a total of 5 Duergar in them. The party retreats before being seen, briefly discuss their course of action, and then attack. Bowen casts Bless on the party and crushes the first Duergar as Martur casts Burning Hands on two more. Therin kills one of the wounded Duergar and injures another. Bowen finishes off the last wounded one. One of the two remaining Duergar enlarges himself, while the next one turns invisible. The party pummels the enlarged Duergar and sees a door at the end of the room open.
The party gives chase and sees an L-shaped hallway, and sees another door open at the far end. The party moves through one of the side rooms and finds a small armory. They lock the door and move past to find some food storage. Past that room is an additional door, which opens and a Duergar steps through. Martur sees a total of 7 women and children in the room. The party strikes the one opening the door and attempts to get them to surrender, which they do.
Therin steps into the room and shuts the door. Martur casts See Invisibility, and sees nothing in the hall. He also steps into the room, and sees 3 more invisible women hiding in a corner with clubs. Therin looks in a closet, finding 100 silver pieces, and empties the contents in his bag. Therin threatens the women, but they don't speak his language. Martur asks the women why the Duergar have invaded the castle. They tell them the Duergar were hired by the necromancer Ilas to guard the keep and raid the countryside. They give the women Xial's description, but they have no knowledge of Ilas's face. They ask about the Moonstone, but the women have no knowledge of it. The party locks the door and continues on. 
===The Half Dragon===
Bowen opens the double doors into the L-shaped hallway, and finds a red scaled humanoid creature along with two Duergar, one in plate mail. Bowen smacks him with his flail, and the Half Dragon breathes fire on Bowen, knocking him unconscious. Martur pours a healing potion down his throat, and Bowen jumps up. Bowen casts Healing Word on himself and smacks the Half Dragon again. The Duergar rain blows on Bowen as Therin step out in the hallway. He casts Ensnaring Strike on the Half Dragon, shoots him with an arrow, and the Half Dragon is restrained by a thorny vine.
The Half Dragon breaks out of the vines as Martur uses his Blood Power to give Bowen 16 temporary hit points. Several blows are exchanged back and forth until Bowen smashes the Half Dragon twice, dealing massive damage. Therin casts Hunter's Mark on the Half Dragon and lands a mighty shot. The Half Dragon breathes fire on Bowen, Martur, and one of the Duergar, knocking Martur and the Duergar unconscious. Bowen heals Martur as the Duergar turn on the Half Dragon, throwing javelins at him and dropping him. The Duergar try to surrender, but Therin shoots them anyway.
Martur talks to the Duergar, who offer to help in exchange for securing the safety of the women and children. Therin ignores the negotiations and fires two arrows at the Duergar, missing horribly. Therin levels an arrow, but holds back, and the Duergar surrender. The Duergar warn that there is a Minotaur that guards the food stores, and there is a troll on the floor below that guards a bridge to the keep on the other side of a gorge. They ask of the Moonstone, and find that it is on the other side of the keep on the top of the tower, guarded by a winged creaturer. The Duergar captain gives them an undead finger, and says it is used for one person to pass by the troll. Otherwise the fee is 300 gold pieces. Bowen finds a black badge on the half dragon, 25 gold pieces, his greatsword, and his plate mail. More Duergar show up, but the Duergar captain tells them to hold, and leads all of the Duergar out of the castle. Bowen casts Detect Magic, but none of the Half Dragon's items are magical.
==Experience==
The party gains 1300 XP.
Category:Honorbound Episodes