SESSION 43B: KALERECENT’S CRY
October 25th, 2009
The 23rd Day of Kadal in the 790th Year of the Seyrunian Dynasty
ALL-QUIET ON THE KALERECENT FRONT
Their conversation with Rehobath reminded them that it had been several days since they had checked on the situation in the Banewarrens. Since Kalerecent had not contacted them with the missive token they assumed everything was all right, but it probably wouldn’t hurt to do a quick check-up.
This was Nasira’s first visit to the Banewarrens. All she knew was what Tee had told her the other evening, but she found it unnerving nonetheless.
Kalerecent, it turned out, was fine.
“I’m sorry you’re stuck down here,” Elestra said.
“It’s all right,” Kalerecent said. “It’s peaceful here. I spend the long hours in meditation, reflecting upon the lost soul of Rasnir and trying to find the balance to release my rage.”
“I understand,” Elestra said, reflecting upon her own longing to find the time to commune with the Spirit of the City.
“But my thoughts do turn to the city above,” Kalerecent said. “What news has there been?”
“Dominic has denounced the Novarch,” Elestra said.
“That false dog!” Kalerecent cried. “May such traitors perish on my steel!”
“But Rehobath suspects that it might have been an impostor,” Tee said.
“Of course! Oh, vile men who could defame so fair a man!”
They chatted with Kalerecent for awhile and then returned to the surface. While the others returned to the Ghostly Minstrel, Tee and Nasira went back to the Welcome Inn to make sure everything was all right there (it was; quiet and sedate). When they returned to the Ghostly Minstrel, they joined Elestra in Tor’s room. (“I’m not sleeping in that room again,” Tee vowed, meaning where she had been nearly killed by Arveth.)
KALERECENT’S CRY
(09/24/790)
Near midnight Ranthir was abruptly awakened by Kalerecent’s missive token: “The fiends have returned! I need help! Come quickly! Would that you had stayed the night!”
Ranthir roused the others, racing from room to room. Elestra transformed into a hawk and winged away; Tor and Tee ran to where Blue was stabled; and Nasira hailed down a carriage, piling into it with Agnarr and Ranthir.
Ranthir cast a charm of speed upon the hooves of the carriage horse, allowing them to whip past Blue (despite Blue’s head-start). But they still couldn’t match Elestra’s swift wing, which (literally) carried her straight as an eagle could fly.
When Elestra reached Nibeck Street she winged in through a broken window on the backside of the mansion—
And was almost immediately attacked.
The blue troll-spawn they had faced in the Banewarrens below materialized out of the Ethereal Plane. It had grown in size; bulging muscles engulfed in crackling blue halos of energy that rippled across its body in great arcs emanating from its head. Its powerful arms smashed Elestra to the ground. She bounced up, and its claws – already coagulate with gored blood – raked painfully across her wings and body. Blood and feathers flew through the air, and Elestra was barely able to limp-wing her way back through the window and high into the sky. Behind her, the troll-spawn vanished in an expanding cloud of blue lightning, leaving behind a telepathic wail and the scent of ozoned terror.
“Well… I think I know what killed Kalerecent.”
Elestra, her entire body aching from the sudden and savage attack, circled above the mansion for several minutes before settling onto a perch above the door… dripping blood down into the street below. A few minutes later, the carriage carrying Ranthir, Agnarr, and Nasira pulled up in front of the mansion. As the carriage doors flew open, Elestra flew down, returned to her human form, and quickly told them what had happened.
But even as she spoke, Agnarr was heading for the door.
“Perhaps we should wait for the others?” Ranthir suggested.
But to no avail. Agnarr kicked in the door and strode through the house, down to the basement, and plunged along the tunnel – pulling the others along through the sheer force of his will and purpose.
They found Kalerecent left for dead in the antechamber where they had spoken with him only a few hours before. Nasira dropped to her knees beside him and poured healing energy into him until he awaked… which was right around the time that the rest of the party was arriving. Tor had ridden Blue down the stairs and along the tunnel, although now he swung out of the saddle to check on Kalerecent.
Ranthir questioned the knight about a blue troll-spawn, but Kalerecent had seen none of that. Instead, he reported that the same bone-ring wearers who had attacked them before had returned to the complex.
Running the Campaign: D&D is Educational – Campaign Journal: Session 43C
In the Shadow of the Spire: Index
