Session 09

## Session 09 - February 15th, 2018 - Escape from the Cult

### Escape from the Cult

The group began huddled in the large prisoner tent of the raider’s camp as the Alarm spell rang out. While they discussed what to do next, the seven prisoners began waking and calming them was difficult. Rachen took this time to don the splint mail from the guard he disabled and Marcus left propped against the prisoner poles moments ago. The general consensus was to try and escape during the chaos, but first free the prisoners. Quietly, they agreed to ‘let’ the prisoners go first and screen their escape.

Cadmus and Marcus used what was available and pried free the multiple shackle bolts set into the large tent’s central wooden post. Most of the prisoners were hesitant and afraid to leave, except one who appeared to have been there a very long time. This gaunt male human was very eager to leave and make a run for it while the camp was still in chaos. Hoping that Rufus would find his own way out, the group agreed and began readying the prisoners.

Cadmus threw the unconscious and half naked Leosin over his shoulder, and Rachen did the same to Marcus. Marcus protested at first, but realized with no armor or clothing he would stand out unless they did something. So, he played dead and allowed Rachen to carry him. The eager prisoner bolted out as soon as the party said go, and after watching him weave and disappear behind the nearby tents, the other prisoners followed suit in a group. The party followed just a few seconds behind, but kept to the southern cliff face and tried to stay quiet and concealed.

During this time, Rufus was moving slowly along the northern rim of the horseshoe crag. He was trying to look for his friends, but the camp was in chaos, and it was hard to make out faces among the fire light from this distance. Every now and then he scanned the cliff walls opposite him wondering if the others would try to climb out, but he had a feeling they would go back through the front entrance. He swore to discuss with the group the need to make backup plans and rally points.

As the rest of the party wound they way down through the front kobold area of the camp they saw a large crowd around the front watchtower - seated along the north cliff face of the entry. The entire group of prisoners had been captured, and was surrounded by a mass of humans who were beating them as dozens of kobolds cheered them on. The party tried to sneak quickly past hugging the southern cliff face, but only Barlo whom was at the head of the group slipped around unseen. Some of the kobolds on the perimeter of the mass of raiders saw them and peeled away, along with some guards. Instead of running or fighting they decided to go for the bluff.

Cadmus stepped forward, and declared they were heading out just past the entrance to string up and make a ‘bloody curtain’ out of these two unconscious prisoners as a warning. His cold attitude deceived the raiders well, and they were allowed to continue on as the guards returned their attention to the public beatings. Rufus finally recognized the movement and shapes of his friends during this disturbance near the entrance, and watched them slip out of sight into darkness. He quickly and as quietly as he could went over the rim of the crag and climbed down the north side. Once he reached the ground and was among the brush and trees he moved fast trying to catch up to his friends.

As Rufus ran between trees and bushes in the darkness he almost came upon a patrol of cult guards. Luckily, he heard them in the distance when he stopped to catch his breath, and hid low behind a log as the group came past. The rest of the party continued the way they had came and after they felt far enough they slowed their pace. Cadmus cast Cure Wounds on Leosin who woke, but was still seriously injured and moved slowly, seemingly dazed and confused. Not long after as they traveled downhill through the thin forest Barlo peeled away without notice.

The half orc barbarian recognized the path and trees as the same as from his vision. Feeling compelled he followed the path uphill and found himself at the mouth of the cave he had seen before. Even though it was nighttime, to Barlo the cave looked just as it did in the daytime of his dream. Unafraid, the barbarian went inside and down the short cavern until he found himself face to face with a ghostly spectral bear - a blue grey mist with glowing yellow eyes. They locked sight and the bear spirit bowed to Barlo, motioned to the decayed bear skeleton just behind him, and disappeared.

Barlo chose to take one of the bear claws as his totem, binding himself to this bear spirit and allowing its power to follow where he goes. Not long after Barlo returned to the group, who had stopped and were searching the immediate area for him. The rest of the walk back through the Greenfields to Greenest was uneventful, and took the rest of the night. The party entered the outskirts of the large town as the sun began to rise, and smoke from a few still burning buildings continued to rise into the sky. The group was not long after confronted by a group of town guards who were instructed to escort the party back to the Governor at the keep as soon as they returned.

After they had been seen into the Governor’s chambers in the keep the group went over all they had seen and heard. At finally having some time to sit and rest, as they debriefed the Governor, the monk Leosin began to return to his senses. Not long into the discussion, the dwarf Castellan Escobert entered the room at the Governor’s permission and joined in. The party answered all the questions they were asked to answer, and showed them the letters Rufus had recovered from the leader’s tent.

Leosin piped up once clarifying the leadership structure of the cult as he had came to understand it during his interrogations. Specifically, that there were five Wyrmspeakers, one for each chromatic dragon color, that were the highest rank of leaders. Then it was the Wearer of Purples who led each cell of the cult, and there were many cells. The group surmised that since they saw blue, black, and red cultists that were likely green and white cultists as well. This resulted in them knowing that Rezmir the Black Wyrmspeaker was the ultimate leader of the raider camp, with the Wearer of Purple known as Frulam as her direct subordinate.

Satisfied, the Governor opened his chest and gave the party their promised sacks of 250 golden griffons each. As soon as the discussion of what to do next started, Leosin spoke up again. He was not yet ready to leave the camp, as he wanted to learn more like he had already. Knowing the letters between the Wyrmspeakers said that the camp was to break soon and funnel the treasure north through Black Landing, the group had to know when they would arrive in the major port city if they were to act. Leosin said they would need scouts with eyes on the camp, and likely from what they had seen the cult would be moving on foot or wagon. Thus, if they knew when the cult was to leave, which way, and how they were traveling, they could make it to Black Landing ahead of them; first by horse to Elturiel, and then boat down the river to the Landing.

The party agreed to return to the camp, but only stay outside and scout. Once the camp broke and left, they may also take the time to explore the cave at the back of the camp first. The Governor had one last order of business before letting the party break for rest. Barlo’s orc tribe that had been camping on the edge of the Greenfields has been stealing food from nearby villages and fields. The Governor sympathizes with the refugees, but told the two half orcs they would need to figure something to do about them before too long. He even offered to allow the orcs to work the farms and fields for Greenest as long as they were peaceful, as its population had been almost halved overnight by the raid.

And so, the party broke from the Governor’s apartment to rest and recover for the remainder of the day, the second day after the raid on Greenest. The Castellan and Governor again offered them whatever resources the keep had to offer them, and the party took advantage.

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