The Hellions - Episode Seven

==Arc Synopsis:==
Inzet, the capital city of Mowen's Borderlands province. Welcome to the Vanguard. An order of heroic Knights whose sole purpose is to protect the Trinity Kingdoms from threats beyond the ability of normal mortals. You are part of the Hellions Faction of the Vanguard, who patrol the wastes for the accursed dread hounds. These fiendish monsters have no tactics, no sentience, never tire, and are always hungry for mortal flesh. Until today, when something changed...
==Episode Summary:==
Fall 1217. In this adventure, Kell's Hells investigated the Bastion warehouse mentioned in Clyth Baltine's Ledger, and discovered Baltine's co-conspirator. 
This is the seventh adventure in the The Hellions Arc
==Commanding Officer:==
Mazz (Massidy) Hebner – Second-in-Command, Vanguard: Hellions Faction.
==Vanguard:==
*Nevelle Szmart - Tiefling Undying Warlock
*El Cangrejo – Crabfolk (Simic) Mastermind Rogue
*Dro Near’th - Drow Shadow Sorcerer
*Tyriel Criller – Human (Loxodon) Ancestral Barbarian
*Shepard Swiftfoot - Horned Halfing (Tiefling) Moon Druid
*Duvel Storm - Aarakocra Arcane Archer Fighter
==Adventure Debriefing:==
===Polka Party!=== 
Kell's Hells took a short rest to question the surviving mercenaries, Ulmer the tiefling 'lock (caster/catalyst), Willard the dragonborn warmarshal (axe and shield), and Bolton the dwarven vagabond (archer). It was discovered the groups leader aka "Money Man" aka Langston was on a tight schedule to pickup up a package from the warehouse and deliver it to Fletchford at the Broken Blade shop in Inzet. The mercs knew nothing about the warehouse in Bastion, and had only stopped after seeing the grave quartz. They intended to mine for only an hour or so before loading up their cart. Remembering the cart, they feared it and their nasus mount, Muchi, might be in danger. Tyriel ran off to retrieve it while the others finished their rest and conversation. El Cangrjo offered the mercs a chance to work for him, promising 10 silver a day, and 30% split of the grave quartz. When they agreed, the party returned equipment to the three mercs. Langston's odd pocket watch was given to Dro, so that he could better impersonate him if needed.
Ready to embark again, Duvel cast Pass without Trace, Dro cast Alter Self to appear as Langston, and Shepard recast Invisibility to Undead on the full group. As they approached closer to the warehouse, Dro heard a whisper from the side of the trail. A mysterious figure assumed Dro was Langston and place a large package in the cart; and upon leaving said, "give my regards to Lord Celebrus." The package was wrapped in protective lead and cloth, inside was processed Etherite, it's usual impurities smithed out. 
Continuing to the warehouse, Duvel snuck ahead finding a surprisingly intact two story building with a double barn door entrance, and a smaller entrance on the side to the second floor. Dro, Nevelle, and the mercenaries stayed with the cart and Muchi while the rest scouted for a closer look. Duvel flew Shepard up to the second floor. At the only window Shepard wild shaped into a spider and looked around inside, finding five individuals at various tasks of smithing and loading Etherite and weapons into crates. Scuttling along the walls as a spider he made a quick observation of the layout of the two floors, including a chandelier, crane, various crates, and doors. Regrouping outside, the squad discussed if it was better to take the warehouse now, or come back with more teams. Nevelle messaged Mazz to check in with HQ, and received the reply to take the warehouse if the squad determined it possible. After careful consideration and even though the team was a bit weary from the earlier scuffle; it was decided that it would be better to take control of the warehouse then rather than retreat and risk more Etherite and weapons making their way into the hands of more dread hounds.
===Polka Your Eyes Out===
While the rest readied themselves at the front, Nevelle and El Cangrejo waited for Shepard to sneak into the second floor entrance and open it from the inside. Unfortunately, the door creaked a little too loudly as they entered. Nevelle tried to play it off as a surprised inspection, but was unsuccessful. 
The first warehouse worker to act moved away and towards the ladder down. Shepard cast haste on himself before wild shaping into a dire wolf and charged at the two workers near the top of the ladder, and took a big chop on one. A worker swung a sword two-handed at Shepard but missed, another grabbed a maul. Hearing the commotion instead of the expected signal, Tyriel kicked in the front door charged in and shouted, "Vanguard are here, lay down your weapons and surrender!" The fight continued. Nevelle cast a sacred flame at the worker next to her, the worker dodged the fire. Duvel came in the front door and flew up to the chandelier, landed gracefully and shouted, "Last warning, don't waste your lives for someone else's money," then fired two arrows at the wounded worker. The workers flesh melted away revealing a spiney devil. A bit unnerved by what he saw, Duvel quickly fired two more arrows wounding the devil further, the force of the impacts pushing the devil back into the wall beside Shepard. From the hired mercenaries, Ulmer stepped in and slapped a worker with eldritch energy. A worker grabbed a crossbow and returned fire at Ulmer. Dro strode into the warehouse, revealing his form of dread; and successfully commanded one worker to "yield." The worker dropped his crossbow and put his hands up. Willard stepped up and took a defensive position to protect the casters on the first floor. El Cangrejo stabbed the worker by Nevelle, the worker's flesh melted away to reveal another spined devil. El Cangrejo offered the devil a chance to surrender, but the devil merely roared at him. El Cangrejo roared back. 
A worker fired a crossbow towards the chandelier, but missed both Duvel and the rope, then headed down stairs. Shepard attempted to grab the prone devil but there were too many spines to get a good grip, and instead just bit at it. Bolton hit one worker with an arrow. A spined devil tried to claw and lance El C with it's tail, but the uncannily quick thinking crabfolk dodged. Tyriel stepped up and swung at the worker on their way down the ladder, the damage from his axes causing it too to reveal it's true spined devil form. Tyriels silvered axe was particularly effective. Nevelle wounded a devil with sacred flames, and activated her spirit shroud. A spined devil stood up from where it had been knocked into the wall and tried to hurl flame at Shepard but missed, and another flame towards the chandelier, this flame hitting and igniting it. Duvel, still on the chandelier, replied with two arrows, one finished the spined devil causing it to disincorporate. Duvel then flew down to a stack of crates and cast a hunter's mark at the remaining worker not yet shifted. Ulmer blasted the spined devil on the ladder with enough eldritch force to cause it to disincorporate. From the back of the warehouse, the biggest worker yet seen charged forth wielding a large maul. Dro hit him with a fiery bolt. El Cangrejo took his grappling hook for the side of his pack and flung it out onto the end of the crane overlooking the first floor, and swung attempting to steal the maul from the worker, but just managed to roll himself next to him. 
Shepard leapt off the second floor attempting to use his weight against the worker. Both the worker and El Cangrejo saw the looming shadow and stepped aside, leaving Shepard to crash between them. The dire wolf form of Shepard grappled the worker, to allow his teammates to control the situation. A spined devil clawed and bit at Nevelle, in retaliation the flames of her hellish rebuke engulfed it, but doing no damage to the devil. Tyriel dodged the falling chandelier and rushed over to the previously subdued spined devil and started tying him up. Nevelle smacked a spined devil with necrotic energy from her arms of hadar. Duvel followed up with a well placed arrow, disincorporating the spined devil, and flew to the controls of the winch. The worker grappled by Shepard dropped his human guise, revealing a large barbed devil, and tried to break free but was unsuccessful as Shepard refused to let go even with his face assaulted by spikey barbs. A spined devil attempted to claw and lance Tyriel, but was already too tied up. Dro cast toll the dead on the spined devil being tied up by Tyriel. Willard slashed at it with his axe to weakin it further. El Cangrejo attached a hook from the crane into the barbed devils britches, stabbed at him with his magical rapier; and stepped back towards Tyriel. 
Shepard connected with one of two bites at the barbed devil. Bolton popped na arrow into it as well. Tyriel finished tying up the last spined devil (a truly difficult task due to it being, spined). Nevelle attempted a couple eldritch blasts but had a poor vantage point from upstairs. Duvel looked down at the barbed devil hooked by the end of the crane and said, "we're going to make the world better, one butt at a time," and activated the winch to lift the devil up. The barbed devil, now grappled by the winch instead, hurled flame missing Willard and only hitting Shepard. The spined devil broke free of Tyriel's ropes. Dro fired his light crossbow grazing the barbed devil. Willard roared a bolt of lightning for a little more damage to the barbed devil. El Cangrejo attempted to stab at the unrestrained spined devil and pulled manacles from his pack.
Shepard nipped at the now swaying barbed devil for a bit of damage. Bolton hit it with an arrow. Tyriel took the manacles from El C and attempted to lock up the surprisingly slippery spined devil. Nevelle stepped to the edge of the second floor and fired two eldritch blasts down at the barbed devil with a little extra spice from her spirit shroud. Duvel used the crane to swing the barbed devil from left to right giving it a painful wedgie. Ulmer tried to hit it with an eldritch blast, but shot wide as it swung. The barbed devil failed to break free of the winch. The spined devil lunged at Tyriel, but Tyriel still had the manacles at the ready and clasped them on the tail and claw wrapping it up in a slightly contorted position. Dro, eyeing the barbed devil from below, knowing the Kell's Hells needed to question the devil and not wanting to disincorporate him, decided to cast mage hand and tickle him. The barbed devil could take no more torment and yielded, crying "uncle! uncle!"
===Polka Power!===
With combat now ground to a halt, Dro and Nevelle questioned the barbed devil. The rest searched the warehouse for clues and other items of note. On the first floor, Shepard and Tyriel found the missing forge and anvil, both had been used to forge weapons that then were to be left by spawning pools. In a locked office upstairs, El Cangrejo found a sitting room with a fireplace, bearskin rug, scrolls, and other items. 
In infernal, Nevelle asked the barbed devil what it was doing there. The barbed devil admitted to making a pact with Clyth Baltine; devil-forged weapons for Baltine's soul. It also revealed that a total of 11 Devils broke through the gate (a Crystal Academy Squad Opal Year One Event). Dro tickled the barbed devil some more, until it was convinced to continue the conversation in the common tongue. In return for release from the winch and crane, the barbed devil offered Dro a better pact, but was declined. The barbed devil gave El C information on what was found in the office, and was incensed when El C noted that Etherite had been stolen from him for Celebrus. Then the barbed devil offered a "black list" of the other Devils in exchange for freedom. Through some parley, a few more details were brought up. Nevelle determined the best method would be for her to write up a contract so that there would be no confusion on terms. (temp link)
==Conclusion==
Kell's Hells returned to Inzet with indisputable evidence of Clyth Baltine's scheme to get rich with contracts to constantly rebuild Inzet's walls. With the barbed devil's help, dread hounds would attack the city in ever increasing numbers with devil-forged weapons, and Inzet would need to rebuild constantly. The Squad also procured a "black list" of other devils that had escaped a Hell Gate.
==Rewards==
*Muchi, nasus mount
*62 silver pieces from Langston's corpse aka Money Man, for paying mercenaries
*Greatsword with runes carved along it
*Serrated Dagger
*Map of Alune, Inzet and spots in wastelands marked (spawning pools?)
*Lockbox with 3 cigars - black, blue, red wrap
**Black: As an action: swap hitpoint pools with another willing creature within 30 feet.
**Red: Upon smoking it as an action, you feel a fiery haste within you. You gain Haste for 1 minute, but take 1d3 Fire Damage each round you are hasted
**Blue: You blow the smoke into a creature's face as an action. They must make a DC 14 Wisdom Saving Throw or be Charmed as the Charm Person spell.
*10 vials of Zeal, thick purple liquid smells like ash (El C, one to Duvel)
*Bearskin Rug, Silk Curtains
*partially written scrolls on the subject of conjuring Thinnings
*5 lbs in 10 Etherite Stakes that would open a spawning pool when activated
*Spyglass
*Small Secured Package, DO NOT OPEN (big bada-Desecration)
*Ledger of Coded Documents
*50g
*100 lbs processed Etherite (for Lord Celebrus via Dro)
*100 lbs processed Etherite (hidden) 
*100 lbs unrefined Etherite
*Crates of devil-forged Weapons
**26 Halberds
**26 Handaxes
**29 Tridents
**21 Scimitars
**11 Shields
Hellions - 07