Session 64

=June 3rd, 2021 - The Second Council of Ironbay=

The Cult Tries to Strike Back
Our session began in the city of Ironbay after the party had returned to the estate of Lady Silverhand - now High Lady Silverhand. The second Council session was set to be held in just under a week’s time, and so the Champions split up to rest and relax with their short break. Alburt used his first day to perform the very first casting of his new simulacrum spell. In doing so, he created a magical copy of himself, that he and Rufus schemed about trying to sell into slavery to turn a nice profit. Thus, the devious halfling inquired around the Docks District to find such an underground market.

At the same time, Lachlan secluded himself once again in High Lady Silverhand’s extensive library - with the original Alburt. Cadmus once again embarked on a week-long gambling binge, and Thia decided to go foraging for food and herbalism supplies in the woods outside the city. Finally, Rachen looked to stay in shape and use his martial skills to turn some coin by joining the city's legal pit-fighting ring. The battle-master’s first bout that night was a lively affair, with a packed crowd cheering as the leader of the city's Champions looked to easily defeat his opponent. However, in the heat of battle Rachen did not pull his final swing with his sword, which accidentally resulted in a fatal blow.

Rachen was disqualified and banned from further legal pit-fights; however, his fame, skill, and ferocity in battle attracted the eye of organizers for the city's underground fighting ring. Offering him great rewards if he would lend his name and skill to their games. And thus, in the middle of the night Rachen found himself escorted into a very seedy inn and tavern in the Docks District where a large crowd encircled the current match. Rachen watched from the bar.

While standing at the counter, Rachen was approached by a rather heavy-set halfling who first asked if he was indeed Rachen of the city's Champions. After acknowledging, Rachen listened as the halfling unrolled a wanted poster showing crude drawings of his face, as well as Rufus, and Cadmus from the city of Cresthill, and attempted to extort him for ten thousand gold - else the halfling would turn him into the guard. Rachen did recall the encounter, where they were tasked with retrieving a stolen family heirloom (his giant slayer greatsword) from a corrupt guard captain. That encounter unfortunately ended in the guard captain and his cronies attacking the party in a tavern in Cresthill, which resulted in the guards death and the party fleeing the town.

Rachen told the halfling to follow him to High Lady Silverhand’s mansion - his patron - who could see to his payment. The crooked halfling was suspicious, but went along with Rachen. After leaving the tavern and walking down the streets some, the warrior realized why the halfling was going along with him - they were being tailed by two hooded figures. Never giving them the opportunity to ambush, when they reached the mansion, Rachen was able to easily get an audience with the High Lady. Even though she had to be awakened from her slumber. Rachen confessed everything to the High Lady, attempting to explain and justify. When the High Lady responded by sighing with a ‘face palm’, the crooked halfling looked shocked and scared. He was escorted out of the room by the ladies guards, and then Rachen mentioned about the two figures who were tailing them.

Lady Silverhand expressed her disappointment, saying how Rachen and his team of Champions have to at least appear as if they were virtuous and only had the best interests of the province at heart. Around the same time that this was all going on, in the dead of night, most of the separate Champions were confronted with their own hooded figures - a concerted assassination attempt.

Cadmus was aware enough at his dragon poker table to see the two hooded men approaching and drawing scimitars.

Two hooded figures stepped out of the bushes in front of Thia on her way back to the city. She stopped with her young dragon by her side, and smirked as the two humans drew their swords.

Rufus had been negotiating with an ‘interested buyer’ in the dragonborn wizard Alburt. The swashbuckler and simulacrum found themselves in the basement of a rather unscrupulous tavern in the Docks District that was host to the night’s slave auction. Rufus was convincing this buyer that the wizard was enthralled with a ‘magical rock’ he possessed, believing his god spoke through the stone to it’s holder. Displaying the stone’s ‘power’ by commanding the simulacrum to go sit across the room, Rufus thought he was about to make it rich after having the wizard conjure menacing lights and sounds with thaumaturgy.

But Rufus spotted the disturbance of three hooded figures moving through the crowd, two were encircling the simulacrum Alburt, and another was pulling a weapon from the left of the halfling himself. Rufus reacted by immediately throwing out one of his golden lions, which transformed into a life-sized lion and scared the crowd. The simulacrum Alburt saw the lion transform, and then the hooded figures lunging with scimitars pulled. The fake wizard then expended one of it’s most powerful spells, unleashing a chain lightning that struck all three attackers.

While also blinding and deafening the entire crowd in the packed basement.

Chaos erupted, as the mass of people screamed and trampled for the single exit staircase. The would-be assassins swung their blades as Rufus parried, slashed, and rolled away using his magical hand crossbow in perfect coordination. Almost simultaneously, Thia and her dragon fought off two further assassins in the forest. Between the nasty acid dragon’s breath and her bullseye arrows the attackers easily fell. She barely had to move the bodies to hide them under a mass of thick bushes.

Cadmus had leapt to his feat, knocking over the poker table (of which he was losing his money), and erupted a blast of thunder and lightning. As the two hooded figures recovered and moved to attack him with their swords, everyone else in the tavern were running and screaming from the blast of magic and violence. Cadmus then conjured a swirling mass of blades, encircling him in a shield of pain that severely wounded his two attackers. In moments, before the crowd had finished fleeing from the room, the battle priest stood over both bodies of his attackers.

The Second Council of Ironbay
The party reconvened and rested for the remainder of their time until the Council session began. They shared their tales of attack and the High Lady was certainly concerned of the cult’s apparent coordination. The day of the second Council session quickly arrived, and the Champions were escorted into the chamber, again past crowds of cheering common folk. However, this time, the large council chamber was devoid of all the spectators, only hosting the councilors, their retinues, and numerous guards.

When all the members had arrived and the session began, it was the new High Lady Silverhand, as the current ruler of Ironbay, that presided over the meeting. The previous High Lord, now just Lord Vonner, was still present at the table, but only represented the city of Windhaven. High Lady Silverhand introduced all the members, skipping over her companion Elia who was now seated at the table, by first introducing the two new members. Jemna Gleamsilver was seated at the council representing for the first time the Black Brotherhood. She acknowledged the Brotherhood’s contributions against the Cult of the Dragon and welcomed their aid in the campaign.

The last representative that was new to the table was none other than Harshnag, the friendly frost giant that the party and Queen Serissa chose to represent the giants among humankind. The session began much like before, with the Champions debriefing the representatives with the results of their missions, including their recent assassination attempts, and rescuing Maccath the Crimson and the hoard of dragon knowledge for the Arcane Alliance. After Rachen finished describing their first mission, in which they recovered the White Wyrmspeaker Varram, High Lady Silverhand then told of his interrogation.

Varram was left in the care of the guards of the Iron Citadel as the Champions continued to the Worldspine Mountains, and he did provide some important intelligence. He had travelled to the Tomb of Diderius to divine the location of his lost White Dragon Mask. He had indeed seen it’s location, held by the usurper who now claimed the White Wyrmspeaker title. More importantly, the cult was nearing completion of everything needed for their great ritual to release Tiamat - slaves and treasure were in sufficient numbers. There was however one main component missing, but before the guard could get this detail from Varram, he was mysteriously murdered in the night.

This concerned all among the council, for not only had the Champions suffered a concerted assassination attempt, but the Cult had somehow infiltrated the Iron Citadel, the most heavily guarded place in Ironbay. However, High Lady Silverhand aptly moved the session onto the business of looking ahead, by first acknowledging Rachen’s continued leadership of the Champions by announcing his promotion. He would now hold the position of Captain in the Ironbay army, and was given command of a garrisoned company of one hundred soldiers. Afterward, the short celebration, the agenda moved onto the Champion’s next missions from the council.

First, the High Lady revealed the true nature of her companion Elia, being in fact a representative for the metallic dragons of Valdemar. She revealed her true name, and said she was in fact an ancient silver dragon who had been observing the efforts of Man against the Cult and their worship of evil chromatic dragons. The council of ruling metallic dragons had been convinced by her to give an audience to the Champions of the Storm Coast, who Elia argued were a diverse group of species that could truly represent the various factions of the province. And thus their first quest was assigned, to travel to the Nether Mountain meeting location (of which Elia offered her boon of flying them there on her back herself), and convince the faction of metallic dragons to join their concerted efforts against the Cult and their dragons.

Secondly, the Dominion of Druids representative Delaan, stood and argued that his faction had received intel and pleas to aid the wood elves of the Deepwood against an incursion of Cult forces. This was deemed important enough for the Champions due to the plea of the elven king’s daughter, Princess Alerria, that the Cult was led by a purple robe wearing elf riding astride a massive green dragon. All attending the meeting knew the purple robes signified the leadership of the Cult of the Dragon, and if this was indeed the Green Wyrmspeaker the Champions should be tasked with investigating.

The wood elf King Melandrach argued that the reports were outdated, exaggerated, and that his people had the situation under control. However, from the argument of Rufus and Thia from the Champions to aid the elves, the council agreed the chance to capture another leader of the Cult could not be ignored. And so the party was given their second mission. The next Council session would convene in another month, but before the session ended the factions shared intel and force estimates.

This was the true reason the public was not allowed in the meeting, as sensitive tactical information was shared. While the Black Brotherhood had no forces to commit to a large-scale attack, they had an extensive intelligence network. The same could be said for the Dominion of Druids. Windhaven also could provide no forces, barely having the numbers to guard their own city, and were effectively useless. All of the other factions were able to enumerate the size of forces they could commit, should they ultimately choose to do so.

Ironbay could field outside of the city a force of ten thousand soldiers. Black Landing could bring a slightly larger force, the largest of the Council, at just about twelve thousand soldiers. The eastern Heartvale kingdom of Cerulia could commit to bringing five thousand soldiers, some being mounted cavalry. The dwarves of the Worldspine Mountains could also muster a combined force of about five thousand soldiers, while the wood elves would commit only seven hundred and fifty ‘elite’ soldiers.

The combined forces of the city of Dragonfell and the Arcane Alliance would commit to a force of twelve hundred battle wizards. The Order of the Sword could additionally bring to bear about a thousand mounted cavalry. Finally, Harshnag declared that the Queen of giants had committed to rallying a force of fifty giant warriors. Elia of the metallic dragons would not yet comment on the number of dragons they could bear, pending the outcome of the Champions mission.

Some minor events occurred to individuals after the Council meeting, but nothing that concerned the entire group. And that is where the session ended, it was the two hundred and sixty fifth day since the raid on Greenest.

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