The Hellions - Episode Two

## **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. Shopping, reporting to command, regrouping and heading back out on patrol, followed by eradicating several fresh spawnings of dread hounds.

This is the second 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:**

### Introductions

#### **Duvel Storm (he/him)**

 A black and white feathered Aarakocra with red to black wings. Duvel was good-natured and adhered to a personal code. Having missed the last tour, he rejoined the squad at the Hellions tower.

### **Alimony**

Seeing an opportunity to make a little coin with the surplus of weapons the party had found, El Cangrejo approached a caravan of traders by Inzet's outer gates. Looking for a trader that wouldn't ask too many questions, and liked a bulk discount, he noticed a lizardfolk manning a cart of wares, named Drovastha. Using his ability to make friends and influence people, El C masterfully manifested the lizardfolks mannerisms so that his machinations would yield many marvelous returns. Shepard requested that El C keep his cut of the sale and put it towards raw materials that could be forged. Roaming the waterside, El C found a shop called Pawn Voyage run by an older bugbear, Turgur, with a few missing teeth and a single prominent fang. There he sold the remaining weapons and procured some supplies including Silver Powder. With some down time between tours Tyriel silvered one of his axes.

Meanwhile, Dro visited local taverns to look for clues regarding missing forges or workers; and purchased a new Hat of Holding from a secretive magic item dealer, Aido Stormeyes.

### **Mission Prep**

From the Vanguard Quartermaster they retained Air Seeds, a Medic’s Sash, 2 Potions of Healing and added a Longbow +1.

### **Bob**

At the Hellion's Barracks, Shepard's sister Sabine confronted him and teased that she's still the better dread hound exterminator. She mentioned that her squad would be teaming up with his for the next rotation. Sabine's group had gotten a new Striker as well a few months prior, Bob. Five or six spawning pools had been reported by scouts and extra firepower was necessary. Meeting with Mazz, El C reported on how unusual it was to find weapons by a pool; and large footprints that left a magical aura, with the help of Nevelle's notes. Mazz gave the party a scroll to report in what they find while out in the field, and said she'd have someone look into the footprint description. The two groups were to find the pools at the edge of the Dread Wilds and destroy them.

They headed out bright and early the next morning. Sabine's squad consisted of a Tortle Cleric, a Human carrying herbs and potions, a Goliath Ranger, a heavily armored Shadar-Kai wielding dual long swords, and her Striker 'Bob,' a Half-Elf with a Long Bow.

'Bob' approached the group attempting to size up Kell's Hells "Striker." Mistaking Tyriel as the Striker, 'Bob' proceeded to engage in banter and verbal barbs with Tyriel and El C. While that conversation devolved, Nevelle observed how 'magically' equipped the other group was, making notes regarding his lack of decorum.

### **Trash Day**

The following day, the distinctive yaps and howls of dread hounds could be heard off in the distance. Duvel flew up and from his vantage saw about fifty hounds coming across the plain. El C tossed Duvel some flasks. With them Duvel made two rows of oils to be a lit and force the hounds into one approach. The two squads took position between the rows of fire. As the hounds advanced, Nevelle took note of two brandishing weapons in the rear.

Duvel critically fired at the hounds instantly removing two from the fight. Shepard cast a flaming sphere off to the side to help funnel the enemy and shifted into a dire wolf. Tyriel entered his battle rage and threw a javelin hobbling one. Nevelle blasted the two rear hounds with beams of force. Dro cast a fire blast towards the limping hound as another hound tried to over take it incinerating both in flames. The remaining hounds continued to dash forward. The other team fired a volley of arrows into the hounds dropping 3 more. Sabine cast three scorching rays into the hounds missing with each.

Having seen Nevelle target the rear, Duvel fired an arrow at the back line ensnaring one of the weapon wielding hounds with an special arrow. Shepard prepared himself to bite at the first enemy to close in, but in his haste to snap at them the hound snapped right back neither able to make contact. Retaliating, Tyriel was able to slice the hound in two with his first axe swing, the second swing was wide. Nevelle again fired two blasts at the two weapon wielding hounds. Dro still feeling hot off his last blast fired again easily reducing a hound to nothing. The two hounds with weapons attempted to advance to the front, but Duvel's snaring arrow was too much for one and it fell, the other could only manage to take up position nose to nose with Tyriel. El C seeing an opportunity to switch things up, snuck around the side of a line of flames to approach the hounds from the side. The other squad fired another volley of arrows eliminating a hound. Sabines next scorching rays burned up a hound as well. The remaining hounds moved in nipping unsuccessfully at their targets.

Duvel spotted the hounds clumping up on Tyriel and the other squads front line fighter; and let fly an bursting arrow doing significant damage and removing 4 hounds from the field. Shepard tripped up the hounds nearest him with a bite, and sent a flaming sphere into a the flank of the furthest hound encouraging them to continue forward. Several hounds charged into the front lines taking small nips at the party. Tyriel held firm swinging his axes, forcing the hounds to halt. Nevelle, seeing a target rich environment, cast at the rounded up hounds and a wave of thunderous damage shattered their corporeal forms. Dro utilized his internal Thread ability to force one of the hounds threatening El C to magically change locations into a fire. El C takes the opportunity to throw a dagger into the side of hound crippling it. Sabine and her team inflicted more ranged damage on the few remaining pups.

Duvel unerringly drops the hounds in front of El C. The final hound while engaged with Shepard's Dire Wolf form did not see the flaming sphere come up behind it to burn it away. Dro and Sabine used their abilities to manipulate fire to put out the remaining fires. Nevelle congratulated Tyriel, the "Striker," on a job well done.

With no spawning pools nearby, Duvel noticed the forest a mere forty miles away and that the hounds probably came from there. Before returning to his halfling form Shepard confirmed the scent left by the hounds led eastward. El C examined the pools of sludge left by the two dread hounds that had carried weapons and noticed the ichor sizzled in the presence of his silvered mirror.

After a few verbal barbs between squads and a short rest, they all headed east towards the Dread Wilds. Nevelle attempted to assist the tracking but did not see any magical tracks.

Reaching the forest at nightfall, El C lit a hooded lantern for Tyriel while Dro illuminated the way with four orbs of scintillating light. Carefully winding through the woods, Nevelle, slightly distracted by taking notes, trips over an emptied weapons crate, the only thing left behind a battering ram. Nearby, El C found a river where any scent of a trail would become obscured. At a bifurcation, Sabine's squad took a northern branch while Kell's Hells took the south eastern fork.

A very faint fiendish scent was upon the air. Shepard looked to the trees and called out for a fey companion in the form of an owl, Errol. Dro sent his familiar, Captain, over to Duvel to assist with seeing in the dark hues of night.

### **Weasel Stomping Day**

Returning from a quick scout of the way ahead, Errol reported to Shepard and thus the party that there were many "dog creatures" and "three bubbling pools" ahead. El C pointed out the need to eliminate the pools to prevent reinforcements.

Shepard placed his belongings to the side and picked up a couple alchemist fires, ready for Duvel to lift him into the air. With them prepped, Nevelle cast a distraction into the trees of growling to draw the dread hounds away from a spawning pool. Taking flight with Shepard in tow, Duvel athletically flew towards the first pool. Shepard, doing his best to look ahead, helped guide Duvel towards the pool. El C made use of his rogue like agility to create the sound of movement whilst hidden amongst the foliage. Tyriel braced his body, working himself up for the oncoming assault. Dro assisted Nevelle with her distraction.

Tyriel, bulked up and flexing, made sure the hounds knew they weren't headed towards an easy kill. Nevelle brought forth a boom of thunder among the trees, and with Dro manifesting an area of magical darkness, they created even more confusion amongst the hounds. El C skillfully dodged through trees and a few hounds to drop an alchemist fire into the northmost spawning pool. Duvel tilted forward at just the right moment for Shepard to toss an alchemist fire into the southernmost pool.

As the hounds finally reached the party, Tyriel was ready and whirl-winded through them with ease. Duvel continued flying ahead, looking for the last spawning pool. Shepard taking a chance at possibly spotting it in the distance, cast a bolt of fire towards the pool setting alight and making it visible to the aarakocra. With the hounds headed toward the main party and away from him, El C took a chance and procured a pair of short swords from a shattered nearby crate. Dro and Nevelle cleared out several hounds with more magical attacks of fire and thunder.

The squad regrouped and made quick work of the remaining hounds. Investigating around the smoldering spawning pools, they found one partially opened crate and two smashed open crates.

Suddenly, a bellowing scream and a huge pillar of fire came from the direction of Bob's squad.

## **Conclusion**

After a little bartering, the squad headed out with another team of Hellions to explore reports of multiple spawning pool sightings. Following an initial melee involving dread hounds that could wield weapons the groups split to cover more ground, Kell's Hells eliminated three spawnings and a few packs of hounds. A scream and a column of flame came from the team that took the northern branch.

## **Rewards**

* A greataxe and a maul (probably magically created)
* A battering ram (in Dro's hat)
* 20 short swords (El Cangrejo)
* A cliffhanger.