The Story So Far

## The Tragedy in Hamlet

##### Date: 3512♦4♦10 - 3512♦4♦11

The party finds The Hamlet in the midst of an attack. The sound of screams piercing through the slow rumble of burning wood and stone. As they crest the hill, below they find villagers running for their lives, being slain, kidnapped, or violated where they stand. The party rushes in to help, greeted by the sight of a woman desperately running from dragon dogs in pursuit. A man, her husband, is pounced on and killed as she turns to face the beasts with her shield and broken spear, protecting her three children. The only thing she has left of the man she loved.

The party springs into action. Slaying the beasts and several kobolds who joined in on the action. It was then the woman introduced herself as Lynan Swift, a prisima woman who is seeking refuge from the attack. The party determines that the safest option is to head for the Arcology.

On the way to the Arcology, the party is attacked by several groups of cultists. Men and women with their brains exposed and encaseprisimad in glass. Dealing with them swiftly, they soon arrive at the keep. Only to find it barely holding on to its' defenses. The party undertakes a mission for Lord Alistair Blackburn, finding the old sewer tunnel beneath the Arcology. By opening it up, they find a group of cultists and bandits terrorizing villagers and quickly go to work. After their return to the keep, they take a short rest and suddenly encounter a creature of writhing tentacles and a singular unerring eye. A voidling. The battle was fierce and they drove it away, the creature choosing to live another day. But not before committing to memory the one that struck a critical blow.

Soon after, the party finds itself in a long battle as the sally port is destroyed, and in a furious blaze they dispatch two groups of cultists, bandits, kobolds and dragon dogs. They notice the gate itself is broken and open for defenders to invade, so they seek a cleric to repair it. One cultist however, was unlucky as to be interrogated by the party. They learn that the Cult of Knowledge is looking for a man known as the "Magineer" and is being led by a man known as "Professor Captain". The cleric that Dr. Howard found is set to repair the gates, when a hulking orc bursts through the broken doors, killing the cleric. He introduces himself as Gorzad the Beheader and demands a champion be given to him, or else he kills his prisoners one by one. One of the five, killed as an example. The party looks on in horror to see Linan Swift and her three children.

Vera and Dr. Howard take up his offer and begin a duel with Gorzad, nearly killing Vera and throwing Dr. Howard unconscious. Eddie Izzard, launches a firebolt at the kobolds holding the children but misses. And so Lyra, age 6, dies with her throat slit. Damian sees this and is frustrated at his own ineptitude at protecting people's lives. Suddenly, he hears a singular voice, like the tone of a bell in calm winds, "**SAY THE WORDS DAMIAN!**" Damian runs up to the kobolds and screams the holy words "I will protect those who cannot protect themselves!" and a flash of light bursts into his shotgun as divine bullets seek out and kill the kobolds who held prisoners. Before Vera could strike the finishing blow upon Gorzad, Professor Kaptun appeared and teleported him and his charge away. Leaving the party distraught at the justice unserved, minus Eddie of course, he was in it for the money.