Current Azarus Campaign Summary

#### Session #1 Trouble In Sanctuary

Alrick, Kur, and lily traveled to the small town of Sanctuary, where a man the locals believed to be a prophet had been preforming miracles. This prophet had even made a local tribe of goblins help the townsfolk with their daily activities. Alarmed by this, Alrick met with the Mayor, Teris Rasham (Female Human). She also thought something was off with this prophet. She told him his name was Rhanos (Male Human) and where to find him. She also told him to talk to Rukhem Hurshal, a local farmer, if they want to investigate the goblin nest.

The party met with Rhanos who lived in a newly constructed manor built by the people of Sanctuary. He used to live in Othasis, the Holy City, but left when he discovered his abilities. He figured the Paladins in the city would declare him some sort of abomination for his gifts given his lack of training. He came here to make a difference.

The party talked to Rukhem Hurshal next to investigate the goblin nest. They found it and learned from a dieing shaman that Rhanos had forced the male goblins to work for him by giving the children and women a disease that only he could cure. However, the males became corrupted by Rhanos and never tried to help the others. The shaman told them where to find the other goblins so long as the party put them out of their misery.

The party headed to a ruined keep, located to the west of the Wailing Forest. They cleared out the goblins and found they had been keeping merchants traveling to Sanctuary prisoner and sacrificing them. They figured it was time to return to town.

As they arrived, a storm hit the town and they saw goblins forcing the Hurshal family out of their home. They attacked and learned from Rukhem that the goblins in the town had turned on them and were bringing them to Rhanos's home. The party fought their way through the goblins and confronted Rhanos. They found him in a room, preforming some dark ritual. A disembodied voice spoke to Rhanos who was angry with him for leading the party here. This entity killed Rhanos and disappeared, and with it the storm dissipated.

The party searched the room, finding pages detailing events from a well known dwarvish explorer, Beldar and a rough map of the Wailing Forest. They decided to head to Othasis to speak with Beldar, who lived in Othasis within Ioun's Archive district.

They eventually met with the dwarf who told them that those pages were taken from his unreleased last book. His last venture, he discovered a hidden city beneath the ground. Within, he found a large pool but felt a dark presence trying to influence him. He quickly left and never spoke of it, fearing others would seek it out and fall victim to it. He decided to help the party by looking at the map of the Wailing Forest.

#### Session #2 Violent Murder

As the party left Beldar's home, Kur and Lily headed for the library. Alrick was confronted in a nearby ally by members of his order. They told him that Marius, the order's leader, wanted to see him about what had happened in Sanctuary and wanted him to bring Kur and Lily. Alrick decided to go but without telling the others.

Marius was upset with Alrick but wasn't surprised. He told Alrick that his work from Sanctuary had followed him home. One of their new members had been butchered in ritualistic fashion and he wanted Alrick and his companions to find out who did it and why. Marius told him to start by looking in Pelor's Harvest, where the body was found.

The party searched the area and found a homeless man, who Lily fed with goodberrys in exchange for information. He described the men who dropped the body in the road and told them to ask around Serpent's Burrow if they wanted to find more.

They checked out Serpent's Burrow, where they learned about a cult called The Heralds and connected them to Nashun, the wealthiest man in the district. They fought through the guards at Nashun's manor and learned that the man was forced by the cult to allow them to use his place. He told them that they have a secret chamber below and they could find the leader there.

The party fought against the leader, who was preforming a dark ritual but they stopped him in time. They found a message on the leader from someone named Dekainus who was in the Northern Sanctum gathering an army of orcs.

Alrick reported back to Marius who believed Alrick and his companions should head to the Northern Sanctum to find Dekainus.

#### Session #3 The Northern Sanctum

The party decided to take the Jagged Pass, a road through the Thundering Highlands to the north of Othasis that would take them directly to the Northern Sanctum. They encountered a trap set by Kobolds, a group of bandits, and a rock-slide but managed to make it through. They came upon Solitude Outpost, where traders from Othasis and the Northern Sanctum met.

They were introduced to Karud, a Half Orc who recognized Kur as the Slayer of Warchief Arzok. He took them to his home, just a few miles outside of Solitude. He told them that Warchief Shadowaxe and begun rallying the other tribes to him and rumor had it that he had a human magic user advising him. He suggested the party visit the Temple of the Vanquished to find more. The temple had once been a resting place for great orc warriors but has fallen into disrepair.

When they arrived, they discovered Lizardfolk had made their home in the temple. They fought their way through the temple and came upon a shaman casting a ritual to speed the aging process of some eggs to breed a fast army. They stopped the shaman and destroyed the eggs.

They returned to Karud who told them that Shadowaxe had too many allies to fight head on. They would need to find a way to destroy his position or gain support to match his forces.

#### Session #4 War Plans

The party begins making plans to stop Shadowaxe.