Session 54-55

*(This recap covers two sessions with an overlapping combat)*

* Cathedral of Kellos
* Sewers
* Abandoned Secret Lair of a Dwarven Alchemist
* Secret Daqanite League Safehouse

**Previously...**

## And Now...

While the others are seeing to Lady Bellia and examining a magical painting, Dandy takes the opportunity to slip out and head back to Cathedral to update Giana. Several party members spot her leaving and there is a brief debate about whether or not to follow, however. by the time Goldie and Gar set off after her Dandy is far ahead. Figuring out the route fairly quickly, Dandy is able to make it back to the secret tunnel to the Cathedral, while the others find themselves evading some new horrors stalking through the sewer tunnels and head back.

Disguising herself, Dandy approaches reception and acts as a courier to get information about Giana. Through her interactions it becomes clear that Giana has been arrested and is being interrogated by the Wardens of the Citadel in relation to Lady Bellia Sephone. In an attempt to delay the forces pursuing them, she creates a bogus 'coded message' to Giana signed with an equally bogus 'arcane sigil'. Hopefully, the time it takes for them to try and make sense of that will give the heroes more time to achieve their goals. Worried, she tries to get as much information with a few (hopefully) unsuspicious queries and some judicious eavesdropping before returning.

In the time allowed, she's unable to learn more, but unfortunately, is (unbeknownst to her) spotted by one of Torvic's agents.

### A New Ally with A Familiar Face.

Meanwhile, Nyarduke has arrived alone in the city and managed to track the group down. He finds them just as Goldie and Gar return from their abortive pursuit to the Laboratory, and follows them in. However, It soon becomes obvious to the others that Duke is not the same man he used to be; his body and memories are intact, but Umbra has given him the ‘gift’ of the thoughts/identity of her first ever acolyte, a bombastic and headstrong foe of evil known as 'Hereshna'.

While they discuss their next step, Dandy returns. Before she can enter, however, a strange worm/insect is spotted clinging to her hair. The thing is destroyed immediately, but its work has been done. Torvic knows where they are and will not be far away. There is a brief but fiery discussion as an exasperated Leshrac tries to come to grips with the party's 'casual operating procedures' (more like guidelines, really). The argument is cut off, however, as it becomes obvious that the malign forces hunting our heroes are almost upon them.

Realizing that they're effectively in a dead-end, some party members search for a hidden, alternate way out, discovering a long, roughly carved tunnel concealed behind a large cabinet. It is set low to the ground and only large enough for a dwarf to crawl through. Dandy investigates, but finds that vampires have already camped out on the opposite end. She is gripped by a wave of powerful vampire-fear, causing her to loudly retch and almost throw up. The noise alerts one of the vampires, who reaches his clawed arm in to try and grab her. Fortunately, Dandy thought to have a rope tied around her waist and she was able to be hauled back out through the tunnel into the laboratory. Unfortunately, in her frantic, scrabbling haste to escape, she lost her father's ring which the vampire was able to snatch up.

Torvic initially attempts diplomacy, offering to spare our heroes if they hand over the lady. This offer is almost immediately rebuked.

Duke, with Hereshna's foolhardy bombast in full effect, presents a counter-offer to settle the dispute with an oil-wrestling contest, an offer Torvic immediately accepts. As the Vampires gather at their main door, Duke begins to strip off his armor and ‘oil up’.

A wave of dark magical energy is directed at the door, but due to the room's wards, it has no immediate effect. It is clear, however, that the wards will not hold forever and with enough time, the Vampires will gain access. Duke flings open the door and steps out, initiating a fight.

### Vampire Sewer Fight.

Outside the Labratory, in the sewers, are 2 bat-like humanoid ‘horrors’, 4 Vampiric underlings and Torvic himself. Torvic engages with Duke, while the other enemies swarm into the lab to try and capture the Lady.

For the most part, the battle is fought on two fronts, with Duke battling Torvic in the main sewer tunnel, while the rest of the group try and hold the rest of Torvic's minions in the ward room in order to cut them off from the workshop and Lady Sephone. This has the added benefit that, the longer the undead creatures remain in the warded rooms, the more they are damaged by the wards.

Gar stands in the Ward Room and sets to the minions with Fluffy (who is disgusted by their dead, lifeless blood). Leshrac is also in the ward room, alternating with assisting Gar with the minions and attempting to aid Duke in his battle with Torvic. Goldie stands in the doorway between the two rooms and attempts to support Gar in trying to hold back the tide of horrors, while Dandy remains in the workshop, using her sling at range to assist Gar and the others while keeping an eye on the tunnel in case the bad guys attempt to sneak in and target Lady Sephone.

The first few phrases of combat look quite good for our heroes, with the combination of the defenders and the room's own protective magics holding the tide of minions at bay. By contrast, things look slightly less optimistic for Duke as Torvic seems either ignorant of the rules of oil-wrestling, or (far more likely) just chooses to cheat by using his fiendishly-enchanted sword and his unholy magical abilities (The Rotter!).

Duke is wounded by Torvic's dark magical sword, draining his strength, but despite the severity of his wound, he manages to score several powerful unarmed hits on the vampire lord, attempting to wear him down until he can be effectively subdued. Though, with Duke unarmed and armoured, and Torvic clearly willing to use any weapon at his disposal... not even the combination of Nyarduke's formidable combat expertise and Hereshna's unshakable self-confidence may be enough. Leshrac, seeing this, uses the grave-dirt he'd been keeping as a focus to try and even the odds. The spell is tremendously successful, doing considerable damage to Torvic at the cost of a great deal of the remaining grave-dirt.

Initially, things are looking good for the others. While they are heavily outnumbered, they are managing to use the bottleneck to hold back the wave of lesser vampires and bat-like monstrosities who are being damaged by being within the effect of the warding spells. However, everyone is being gradually whittled down, and it's uncertain how long the stalemate will last.

The tide begins to turn as Goldie takes enough strain to turn into a cat. They fall back to the laboratory where they leap from bookshelf to bookshelf, harrying the minions as four underlings shoulder they way past Gar and Leschrac. out of the warded area into the laboratory, eagerly searching for the still-sleeping Lady Sephone.

Attempting to distract the vampires from seeing Lady Sephone, Dandy creates a makeshift poppet and claims that the heroes have used a potion to shrink her to the size of a doll, *"All the better to keep her out of your filthy claws!"* She then darts into the secret tunnel, hoping they'll at least be jammed momentarily (and distracted from the REAL Lady Sephone for longer than that), while she circles around to assist Duke and try and recover her father's ring.

Unfortunately, while three of the four vampire underlings are fooled, the fourth manages to spot Lady Sephone, despite some spirited interference from Goldie.

Out in the Sewer Tunnel, Duke has managed to catch fire (which is probably what comes from using lantern oil instead of vegetable oil when oiling yourself up before an oil-wrestling match. Torvic attempts to take advantage of this distraction by casting an extremely potent spell, but Leshrac uses his dispelling ability to shut it down in time. A frenzied, and flaming, Duke, proceeds to press his somewhat dubious advantage and charges Torvic.

Inside the Lair, Gar and the still-in-feline-form Goldie are able to destroy the remaining minions, preventing the one carrying Lady Sephone from escaping. Sensing the tides of fortune turning, Torvic attempts to escape in gaseous form, but is prevented by Leschrac's dispelling ability. Duke pushes his attack, striking several powerfully damaging hits on Torvic.

Leshrac emerges from the lair and Dandy rounds the corner as Torvic uses a burst of vampiric speed to flee, covering a lot of distance. Unable to stop him, Dandy is distraught, believing he still has her father's ring.

Despite several serious injuries, Duke chooses to pursue the fleeing vampire and is able to narrowly, catch up as he's preparing to leave via a storm-drain. They tussle some more and Torvic is disarmed, his sword flying out into the city with considerable force. This incident causes a considerable amount of tumult, though its source is unknown for the moment.

In desperation, Torvic drains blood from Duke before turning to mist, as his speed has moved him beyond the influence of the counterspell. Duke attempts to ‘breath in’ the mist, taking some of it into his body for a moment - but is ultimately unable to hold onto it. This attempt leaves him with a strong lust for blood.

### Aftermath.

Emerging from the sewers, his eyes inflamed by bloodlust, Duke beholds a scene of utter chaos.

After being launched from the grate, Torvic's dark blade has embedded itself into the flank of the horse of one of the visiting Barons. The Baron has been throw to the cobblestones beneath and their retinue have closed ranks in alarm, believing the attack to be the work of an assassin. The horse has bolted in pain and terror with the sword still stuck in it, and Duke, his senses inflamed by the beast's blood and terror, pursues it at speed.

Below, the Lady has been returned to the painting for protection as the other members of the team ready themselves to go after Duke. Gar is ready to go immediately, but the others are still distracted following the battle. As he is making ready to leave, Leschrac hears an evil cackle. Searching magically for any unseen evil, he discovers a sinister presence which is only visible by a pair of faint eyes hovering 4' from the floor. He briefly attempts to converse with the spirit, but gives up after a minute to go seek out Duke. There is a second interruption as Dandy and Leshrac resume their discussion from earlier and Dandy finds out what's going on with Duke. This segues into a discussion on attempting to prioritise the safety of their group vs. the responsibility to save Terrinoth.

Above, Duke has managed to leap onto the horse backwards and cling to it like a spider as he greedily licking up the blood from it’s sword-wound. The city guard (including a magician), alerted to the chaos, turn up and bind he and the horse to one another with magical chains. The horse is then brought under control by Dodras, who offers to help him out of his predicament.

At this point, Gar also appears, and uses Fluffy to shatter the chains holding Duke in place. Duke tries again to retrieve the sword, but feels its dark power leeching his strength from him. He seeks to resist this, but fails, gradually becoming weaker. Guards begin to circle, cutting off many of the potential exits as Gar knocks the blade from Duke's hand, shifts to Dragon form and carries him to safety.

Dodras offers to stay behind to buy them time.

### Safe-haven.

Seeing this from a considerable distance, the other members of the group decide not to get involved (especially as they have the painting containing Lady Sephone in their possession). They desperately try to think of somewhere they can lay low and regroup. Dandy suggests a secret society called the League of Daqan her father once did work for many years ago.

Hoping her years old information is still correct, they make their way to an otherwise nondescript residence and are greeted by an ancient Gnomish woman. Using Dandy's ‘secret passwords’ lets them inside. Once inside, Leshrac can see the place is swarming with protection and anti-detection wards. These cause Goldie to instantly revert to their true form.

Dandy briefly suggests that, as Dodras is with Gar and Duke, they may be able to contact Amnir through the Heirs of Timmoran without getting involved with he guards. She then flops down on a large, overstuffed chair and passes out.