Cult Eradication - The Forge Devils Downfall

*Game Scheduled: June 22, 2023*

*GM: ThomJTK*

## **Synopsis:**

First of three simultaneous assaults to rout a Cult of Avadon, and undo the machinations of the devil Tumdunaus, aka Mr Winch. Take up arms upon the forge and prevent fiendish weapons from reaching the local populace!!!

## **Vanguard:**

* Azithar - Half-Elf Rogue
* Blitz - Dwarf Fighter
* Donut - Half-Orc Bard/Barbarian
* El Cangrejo - Crabfolk Rogue/Bard
* Rarkus - Bugbear Druid
* Shambellah - Astral Elf Druid/Monk
* Ulfgar - Dwarf Cleric

## **Adventure Debriefing:**

Leading the mission, Vanguard El Cangrejo disseminated the intel his network had gatherd. There was a forge up near Stormwatch that was being used by affiliates of the devil, Tumdunaus aka Mr Winch. Cold weather was expected for the journey, but as they were assaulting a large scale forge, the crew needed to be prepared for extreme temperatures. Those assembled discussed their individual strengths and tactics for working as a group.

Arriving at the large building, they saw ten by twenty-five foot high doors. Azithar examined them, finding locks and multiple runes. Rarkus dispelled the runes, and lifted El Cangrejo to the upper lock. Shambellah blessed the effort of Azithar unlocking the lower one.

Filling their view when they open the doors is a massive room with a colossal statue of Avadon held standing by four taut chains to fiery pillars. A cultist spots and approaches them. El C pulls out a sword he had acquired from a devilish former blacksmith, and claimed he was there to inspect the goods. (ref: The Hellions Arc) Recognizing the sword as being devil-forged, the cultists offers to take the group on a tour of the facility and cut through red tape. Ulfgar notes the statue is wearing armor, colossally sized.

Azithar suggested checking the stock room, and the cultists lead them to the second floor. Once in, Blitz quietly closed the stock room door. Spreading around the room, they note that all of the weapons have a red tint. Azithar pockets a dagger. With the room secured and unlikely to be heard over the noise of the forges, combat ensues. El C slept three cultists. Rarkus dropped a cultist with a Shillelagh enchanted weapon. Blitz drew his adamantice mace and killed one with a crit and wounded another. Azithar backstabbed one, resisted the urges coming from the red-tinted dagger to attack his teammates, and stabbed another cultist. Ulfgar struck one cultist and took a hit from a scimitar. Donut slew a cultist with his ceremonial burial dagger. Shambellah dropped on with a long sword slash. With the sleeping cultists easily dispatch, the group took some unblemished robes for disguises.

Moving on, around the corner, is a massive set of gears that's moving mining carts around the facility. Some cultists question the noises coming from up stairs and come to investigate. They fall for El C's ruse that a crate had fallen over, and they are quickly slain.

Looking below are four huge smelting vats, worked by various cultists, and one large horned devil.

While still upstairs the next room contained two snarling hell hounds, thinking quickly El C threw a deceased cultist in for them to snack on. One hound responds by breathing fire at the entry, while Donut attempted to put them into a magical sleep. Azithar took a quick bow shot and shut the door.

Azithar offers to do surviellance by riding a cart, some cultist bodies are hidden in others. Azithar sees a hallway past the balcony, and three workshops below that the molten metal is being funneled into. A cultist notices Azithars's hand as the cart rolls by, and calls other cultists to give chase.

Meanwhile, Rarkus searches another upstairs room, finding a suspicious bookcase. In a secret room behind it Blitz finds a Mirrored Breastplate and El C picks up a Deadbane Lantern.

Acosted by a cultist, Shambellah attempts to decieve them with a "Mondays right?" Donut also banters with the cultist. But, realizing the jig is up, the group starts jamming the gears. Shambellah cast Fog Cloud to confound the enemy.

Donut runs through the fog to get closer, while a spout of flame breaks through hitting Shambellah. El C fired La Correa de Punchionto immobilize the horned devil. Blitz moved in. Bolts from Azithar cause a cultist to fall into magma. Shambellah thorn whips and drops a cultist. An eldritch blast from a cultist flies wide of the group. El C calls out to the devil, saying he is here "to collect what is due." The devil responds by summoning melted gold at El C, too much to be caught by Dro's Magic Hat, and El C is partially encased. Rarkus tried to earthbind the devil. Another eldritch blast sails wide of the party.Ulfgar magically protects Donut with a warding bond.

Donut threw his knife at the devil through the fog. Breaking free from La Correa de Punchion, the horned devil moved closer to swept Rarkus and El C with it's tail, infernally wounding the former, followed by hurling flame at Blitz. Jumping onto a cart but unable to reach the devil, Blitz swings at a molten vat instead. Azithar jumps out from the mining cart and fires at the devil. Shambellah healed El C's wound with a healing "aw dang," and burned the devil with sacred flame. In turn Shambellah is hit and covered in an eruption of molten metal. El C distracts the devil into magically enforced laughter. Rarkus jumps onto a massive chain and wild shapes into a huge constrictor snake. Ulfgar casts shield of faith on Donut. Blitz unwaveringly marks the devil as his foe and shoves it with his shield into magma, but the devil is unhurt by the heat. Azithar dropped down to stab at the devil. Shambellah takes advantage of the huge snake and slides down. More cultists advance on the party.

El C does his best to keep the devil from roaming. As a huge constrictor, Rarkus wraps around the devil, avoiding a blast of molten metal. More eldritch blasts whizz by, with the accuracy of a stormtrooper. Ulfgar attempts to strike the devil with a guiding bolt. Donut attempted to throw a grappled cultist into a vat, but missed. The devil swiped Blitz but missed Rarkus. Blitz continued to swing his mace at the foe. Azither follows with more stabbing. Shambellah tries to attack with bear claws. Cultists try to attack the party, but lack the combat training of Vanguard knights.

Through intermittent verbal sparring with the devil, El C discovered a new Hell Gate had been opened, and decided to try banishing the devil via a scroll spell, unsuccessfully. Donut smashes tow cultist heads together. The horned devil quickly misty steps away from the fight. Blitz quickly hurls some javelins at the devil. Azithar scrambles back up to the second floor to slash at the devil's wings. Shambellah teleports to the devil and takes a big chomp out of it. In vain, the remaining cultists try more eldritch blasts. El C draws and fires the Fun Gun, the blow discombobulates the devil. Shambellah falls towards the magma, but Rarkus helps pull Shambellah out. Ulfgar starts casting a prayer to heal the whole party. Cultists are reluctant but start surrendering. Donuts puts two of the remaining cultists into magical slumber. Blitz helps Shambellah get clean of any remaining molten unpleasantness.

## **Conclusion**

The forge operation was successfully shut down. but how will the other two strikes on Mr Winch's operation fare?

### **Rewards**

* Mirrored Breastplate,
* Deadbane Lantern, Donut
* 30 gold