The Hellions - Episode Five

## **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 defeated a Stone Defender; and recovered a supply of Etherite, and evidence linking it to a noble. Then turned back an invasion of dread hounds within Inzet.

This is the fifth 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:**

### **Here's Johnny**

The Stone Defender grindingly rose from the fountain. Shepard attempted to block it's path but was slammed into the floor and stepped over. Nevelle hit it with Eldritch Blasts. Duvel fired Grasping Arrows that snared and slowed the titans advance. Dro blasted the Defender with magic. El Cangrejo tried again to unlock the door, but could not. Tyriel came around the fountain and advanced to the Defender's rear.

The Stone Defender summoned a lemure near Dro and then tried to move closer to El C and the door it was assigned to protect. Shepard summoned a Flaming Sphere near the Defender and Wild Shaped into a Giant Toad. Nevelle summoned magical energy to her, ready to release when El C was clear. Duvel hit the Defender with more arrows. Dro Vortex Warped the lemure into Shepard's Flaming Sphere incinerating it. El C, unable to break the door, threw flour into the air near the Defender, and told Nevelle to release her spell. Tyriel swung and carved into the Defender's flank. Nevelle released her Shatter spell, destroying the door and severely damaging the Defender.

The Stone Defender grabbed Giant Toad Shepard and threw him at El C, both crashing to the room beyond. Shepard commanded his sphere to roll into the Defender repeatedly. Outside the room Nevelle, Duvel, and Dro assaulted the Defender with a hail of magic and arrows. Tyriel jumped on the Defenders back and with slammed his axe into it.

The Stone Defenders body crumbled, with Tyriel riding it down to the ground.

### **Phony Calls**

In the room, El Cangrejo found 900 lbs of Etherite, an effigy to Aergal, God of Slaughter, and a desk full of paperwork. El C, Dro and Tyriel loaded up the Etherite in various pockets, a magical hat, and a canoe. Meanwhile, Nevelle looked through the paperwork, grabbing a papers and a very detailed ledger. El C dropped a scrap of cloth bearing the mark of the Seventh Clasp for Clyth to find as a misdirection.

Concerned that the sounds of battle and in particular the effects of unleashing a Shatter spell, the squad decided to retreat back into the sewers. As a deterrent, Shepard would block the hall with himself and a Flaming Sphere. Additionally, to sneak past the oncoming guards, Nevelle cast Darkness into the hallway, unintentionally it extinguished Shepard's sphere, but not before a few guards were singed. The guards afraid were too afraid to advance into the darkness. Kell's Hells snuck into the sewers, with Dro leaving behind an image of Avadon in the hall as another misdirection.

Shepard Wild Shaped into a spider and hid along the hall's wall. The noble of the house wearing red robes came down the hall and dispelled the darkness and the image of Avadon. He advanced into the next room calling his guards in, and Shepard snuck in along the ceiling. While the guards remained to inspect the damage to the room and Defender, the noble moved on to the next room, with Shepard close behind. Seeing the scrap of cloth, the noble audibly cursed Rilka and the Seventh Clasp. Opening a connection through the effigy, the noble spoke to a dark, otherworldly voice, "My Lord, only the latest shipment, small delays."

Leaving the sewers, the squad covered the canoe with their Vanguard cloaks and carried it and it's Etherite contents through town to the Hellion Tower.

Within the ledger, Nevelle was able to decipher that money was used for a warehouse outside of town, and listings of contracts with the city for building and rebuilding it's outer walls.

### **My Own Eyes**

Deciding now was not the time to return any of the Etherite to Aradrine, and taking a small portion of the Etherite for their own use, the rest was turned over to the Hellion Quartermaster.

While out to meet with Aradrine for information, and explosion is heard on the south side of Inzet. The squad regrouped at the Tower, and a second explosion rocked the town. A Thinning had spawned in town and dread hounds assaulted the citizens and the walls. The Hellions and guards repelled the dread hounds and destroyed the Thinning. A warehouse was found destroyed by fire. The remains of Rilka's Seventh CLasp found inside.

## **Conclusion**

Proof of the noble Clyth's dealings in hand, and the thief Rilka dispatched by hands not their own, the squad prepares for some downtime with the city on temporary lockdown.

## **Rewards**

* Rapier of Life Stealing, El Cangrejo
* Gold Ball Point Pen, El Cangrejo
* Recording Book, Nevelle
* Ledger containing sales transactions, building contracts, and location of warehouse, Nevelle
* other half of Uncertainty Satchel set, destroyed.