| Session Date | January 18, 2020 |
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| Base XP Gained | Carry Over |
The party arrived in Durnbridge just before dawn. They recovered at the Old Bridge Inn for a time, ensuring their gaggle of rescued prisoners were fed and rested. As they did this, Iban scried on the Frost Giant emissary, Jarl Vostok, and found him with a party of other giants in the wilderness, apparently traveling. The party now debated if they should rest now after a long night without sleep, or press on back to Manston. Cadwaladyr pointed out that the Giants might come after them for revenge, so the party opted to retrieve their wagon and move out, their many tag-alongs in tow. ZZ would rest in the wagon, still sore hurt from the previous night's fighting. The rescued dwarves grumbled that they wihed to return to the Dwarf Kingdom, but the party easily convinced them that this was extremely dangerous given the enemy's proximity; they stayed with the party.
The weather had much improved and the enlarged group made good time despite the slowness of the wagon, and reached the Gray Haven Inn by noon. Iban scried the giant once more, seeing little new except that he seemed to be moving northwest or west, and they speculated that he might be returning to the Giant King. As they'd all been awake for some 30 hours or more, they decided to stop the rest of the day and that night at the Inn. While there, they found a messenger riding down the Dwarf Road form Manston. From him, they got some general news of the city. His errand was to coordinate defenses and to seek inventories of food stores, a concern giving the impending war and the fact the year's planting was badly delayed by the lingering winter.
The next day, they continued northwest towards Manston. The journey was uneventful except that they overtook a lone halfling making his way the same direction. His name was Daklim, a traveler who had come by way of Dolan to avoid the Giant King's marauders. He seemed a bit of a vagabond but mentioned meeting up with friends later. Cadwaladyr cast ESP to check his story, which seemed accurate. He also noted that the Halfling was quietly inventorying the party's gear. The party thought he might be a thief and decided to keep an eye on him. They asked if he wished to accompany them the rest of the way. He enthusiastically agreed and jumped up into the wagon.
The party arrived at Manston in the late afternoon and immediately spoke with Girion, captain o the Lormyrr Gate. They asked him to get a message to Jannik, captain of the constabulary (and member of the city council) that they had information on enemy activity. The friendly guardsman sent a runner, and the party returned to their residence in the city. Form there, they sorted out their refugees. Iban gave each of the Dwarves some coin, and the fighter among them, Doin, grudgingly told them he owed them a debt and would pay it if called upon through performance of a service. Then, he and the other Dwarves were escorted by one of the dwarf soldiers in the aprty's command to be hosted by the local dwarf populace. The elven fighter-wizard, Amadin, remained with the party, having sworn one year's service to them. The human engineer from Wellington, Silas, was turned over to the city to find a use for his skills.
This done, Cadwaladyr teleported once more to the Dwarf city, where he acquired some items from their bag of holding left behind and then reported to Nali what they'd seen and learned thus far. Nali thanked him for the information, especially for the Giant King's orders to the Hill Giant Nosnra. Cadwaladyr teleported back a short time later. Meanwhile, Iban scried Vostok again, finding him on a parapet facing to the east, in seemingly casual conversation with a Fire Giant. He next scried the Halfling Daklim, finding him in a tavern in speech with some locals. He used Clairaudience to eavesdrop, but was disappointed to get an earful about his sister Sally and how she made the best beer, even better than what he was then drinking, etc.
The next day, ZZ continued to recover from his wounds, and Amadin was sent off t try his luck with the elven enclave. Meanwhile, the rest of the party was summoned to the town council to make their report, which they did. They were then informed that there had been reprisals by giants against Dunbridge and Bristol. Giants had come up towards the towns, bombarded them with rocks and incendiaries. Further, they had captured a bunch of folk form outlying farms and executed them, leaving a few survivors to take back a message that raids would not be tolerated. Even now, civilians were beginning to flee the border regions towards Manston.
The council now turned to discuss their next actions, with the debate being between focusing on planting or the militia call up. Iban strongly urged the city to allow the planting to proceed in the vicinity of the city, but that a contingent should march soon towards the border to rally the militias in that direction and prepare a defense. The farmers, once the planting was finished, could then fill out as a reserve force. This seemed to suit the city leadership, and they agreed that they would do this. The party now was dismissed as the council had "other business." Outside, they found Alcibard in armor and wearing a red cloak, who entered the council chambers as the party left.
The party returned to their quarters to rest the remainder of the day. Amadin was already there - he had been denied entry to the Elf enclave. He said that they were friendly enough, but that he lacked a password or other token that would permit his entry. Iban then scried the halfling once more, finding him much as last time, in an inn in conversation. Clairaudience revealed that he was discussing his sister's biscuits, and how wonderful they were. There was no sign of any thievery by him, just inane conversation.
The next day, word spread through the city that Lord Alcibard had been given field command of the army, and was going about giving impromptu speeches around the city. Meanwhile, the first trickle of refugees began reaching Manston, though they were not numerous. More could be expected. Iban made some inquiries and learned the ones that had come did so at their own behest; no general evacuation had been ordered.
As the party relaxed in their quarters, they went to their lounge area to talk and found Ravenna, the guildmistress of thieves, sitting in a chair with her feet propped up and a glass of wine in hand. She chided the uselessness of the party's dwarf guard on duty (the party had told them they were free, but the Dwarf soldiers insisted on a sentry at all times). The thief informed the party that while they were out collecting loose Dwarves, she had learned somewhat on the wererats they'd inquired about. Her people had found a likely nest of the things. They were extremely wary and certainly keeping an extremely low profile. The place was a house near the river, not far form the Wall Bridge. She had no idea of how many of the things were there, but any raid would almost certainly be messy. She would provide some folk to show the way and help, but any fighting was on the party, not her folk. The party agreed, and Ravenna told them she would send her folk here around sunset to lead the way.
True to her words, a party of five thieves showed up at sunset, led by none other than Edmund with a few of the thugs that had tried to attack the party previously. He seemed none too happy to be working with the party, but nonetheless led them across town the street where the house in question lay. It backed to the river and had front and back doors. The party had Edmund deploy three of his folk along different possible routes of retreat with orders to follow anyone that fled to find out where they went. Amadin (invisible) was posted in the street in front of the house and cast wizard lock on the front door. Then, the rest of the party with Edmund and one thief went around back. The thieves picked the locked door and the party slipped in, invisible.
The door led into a kitchen that had clearly not been used in some time. However, there was a pile of torches and the corpse of a recently slain townsman, seemingly being used for food. A short corridor opened into two room within which the party could see a few folk of a dingy sort. Iban now cast sleep and Cadwaladyr magic missile, while Bel rushed in to attack some of them. A general melee ensued in the small house. The fight was chaotic and broken into smaller fights. The ratmen, for so they were, fought viciously despite the spells battering them down. From upstairs, more charged down at the party. And, in the kitchen, two wolfmen rushed from a door and attacked the two thieves, now at the rear of the party. The wererats took a beating form the party, melee and spells, while the two thieves struggled to hold their own - fortunately, ZZ and Mordecair returned to hit the wolfmen in the flank, likely saving the thieves (or at least Edmund, who was sore hurt; the party also noticed now that he carried a silver weapon, apparently having prepared well for this raid).
However, out on the street, the party heard shouts from Amadin. The house adjacent to this one had disgorged a number of ratmen who apparently had run into the invisible Amadin and engaged him as they made their way to counterattack the party. The elf was being overrun until Cadwaladyr came out to thrown some spells, starting with a lightning bolt. Mordecai came soon after, the wolfmen having been slain, while ZZ healed the badly hurt Edmund. At this point, the wererats on the ground floor were slain, so Iban started fighting his way upstairs.
The fight continued for some time, but finally the lycanthropes were broken. OTh3e party heard loud splashes behind and ZZ ran to investigate, catching momentary sight of large rat-like backs in the river swimming away towards the city walls. The party began a rapid search of the house, finding little to nothing of note. Meanwhile, Edmund told the party he needed to leave immediately - the party warned him of lycanthropy and he said he needed to go to "take care of that." The last thief, however, remained behind and would assist them as needed. He, in turn, said they had to hurry. The city constabulary would be coming in force soon and would "ruin everything." The party continued their search, finding a secret door on the upper floor connected this house to the adjacent one, but the thief seemed most interested in the torches. Why, he asked, were there so many? Soon enough, they figured it out. Beneath some skins the party found a trap door with a long ladder leading down. The party went down, Iban leading. Cadwaladyr wizard locked the door behind them.
Some 60' or more below ground level, the ladder ended in a very old complex. It was clearly quite old and quite damp, unsurprising as it lay below the river and lake level. There were many passages and doors, and the party began exploring to the north and west. In one room, they ran into four bugbears. This shocked the party, who quickly killed them, but not before Cadwaladyr picked up some of their talk about not liking this "duty." The fact that Bugbears were within the town walls concerned them greatly. The party continued their explorations, with Bel at one point falling into a deep pit filled with spikes. The party ran into another party of Werewolves, but Iban blasted them with a lightning bolt from a wand. One fled, and Iban pursued it to a stair that ended with a collapsed tunnel. The area had a feeling of menace, and sure enough a Specter appeared between Iban and the rest of the party. ZZ and Mordecai both failed to turn it, and it rushed Iban. By good luck, the thing was slain before it could harm him.
The party continued exploring, and at one point Bel sensed a secret door. Beyond, they found a very old a decrepit shrine to the foul demon goddess Kurriteka (the whole complex seemed to be demon-centric). Within was also a long dead priest or worshipper of some sort, as well as a rather sizable treasure, all clearly unknown to the lycanthropes. The party decided to continue their explorations of the complex before going back above to report in what they'd found...