Campaign VII Session 7 & 8 Summary

Ord VII Session 7 & 8 Summary

After resting up and studying the newly discovered artifacts, the party decides to head for the castle on in the main district to find out where the armor of King Ironblood may have ended up.  As Wildslayer leads the way, on his fist step outside the Steelbraid laboratory he is immediately ambushed by cultists of Orm and their profane creations, writhing masses of zombie/worms.  Their leader casts poisonous clouds to appear in the entrance of the laboratory, eventually forcing the group to come out where they are met by a brutal volley of attacks from the worm like creatures which send smaller worms into the skin of the group as they fight.  As the fight starts to look grim, the group runs into the nearest clerks office and creates a wall of force to prevent the cultists form getting and giving them a precious few seconds to recover.  As the casters heal the party as much as they can, Caidence is able to get to the other door and brace just as the fighter from the Orm group arrive and she is able to hold them off for a few more rounds.

Eventually, the cultist break the door down and the worm zombies come rushing in behind the fighter wielding his enchanted worm sword.  The monstrous caster enters as well and attempts to infect Wildslayer and Caidence with his malefic diseases and even knocks Wildslayer unconscious.  The group becomes desperate and Cadwick uses the last charge on his wand to create one last fireball, hoping that it won’t be destroyed in the process.  It deals devastating damage to the enemy group, hindering their regenerative abilities.  Cork follows suit and with a prayer to Parun he points the rod of wonder at the worm caster and fires.  With the greatest potential the rod has to offer, a petrifying ray erupts and turns the worm caster to stone in an instant, to everyone’s shock and relief.

As the tides start to turn, the enemy fighter grabs his petrified leader and starts to drag him away from the battle, towards the Forge District.  The battle isn’t over inside as nearly all the party members trade being knocked unconscious while finishing off the worm zombies.  Eventually, the zombies are defeated and with just the smallest amount of life left within the party, they all charge for the fighter.  He doesn’t give up easily but goes down, leaving the group with just them and the statue of the humanoid worm-like being.  Cadwick suggests that after the group rests, they do don’t destroy the statue, for fear that some of the worms inside may still be alive and could escape, but instead they throw the statue in the fiery pits of the Forge.  The rest agree and take a rest to recover again before heading down to the Forge District.

Once at the Forge, the group converses more with Scaldrax, as he has been eager to trade and create new items with the materials they leave as tribute.  They appear to be on good terms and the group pass through to the entrance of the main district without any trouble.  However, they find that two Duregar Cavalrachni are waiting sentries at the entrance riding their large arachnid Steeders.  The group sneaks up and takes them out before they can get away and warn the rest of the Duregar.  Wildslayer even manages to use his speak with animals ability to tame one of the Steeders.

Using the Steeder, the group is able to make good time to the entrance of the castle, which has been covered in a massive amount of rubble.  As they make it to where the main gate was, they notice three tunnels which have been made going towards the main castle doors.  The sounds of screaming and drilling ring in the groups ears as they prepare to confront whatever it is that’s been making these tunnels.  Caidence sneaks through the right side tunnel and sees two Duregar who have machinery built into them, making them a kind of machine/humanoid hybrid made for destroying rock material.  Caidence shoots an arrow to get their attention and the two give chase as the party prepares.

Seconds later, the group engages the group of Duregar hammerers and screamers as their leader emerges from another tunnel.  His body is covered in metal augmentations including massive gauntlet and boot fittings made for combat.  Their leader tells one of the hammerers to go get the war leader of the Duregar and continues the fight.  The party is able to use wall of force to divide and conquer the enemies in these small tunnels and is eventually victorious.  They know that in a few minutes they could be swarmed by the rest of the Duregar war party no far away, so they head to the castle gates.  It appeared as if the Duregar tunneling groups were not able to penetrate the walls of the castle and were systematically testing for weak spots.  Caidence gets the key given to her by the spectral Ironblood Clanwardens and holds it up to the door.  A Dwarven rune glows on the small triangle shaped stone and the large castle doors open to a dark chamber.  The group rushes everybody inside and closes the door.