| Session Date | January 9, 2021 |
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| Player Characters | |
| Base XP Gained | Carry Over |
| Player Notes | ZZ's Notes |
Nearing midday, the party decided that they would depart for Castle Solen the next morning. Meanwhile, this provided them ample time to procure 8 riding horses for the party and a few days of rations in case they needed them. They otherwise took care of varied and sundry tasks in the city that day. Knar moved his quarters from the Temple of Eledath to the party's residence. Iban and a few others went to the town council and urged them to reverse course on spying out the Empress Winetta Inn as they hoped to keep the doppelgangers unaware of their knowledge of that location. Hopefully, with the gem they sought, they could catch them at unawares. ZZ, meanwhile, decided to attend the hanging in the nearby square, since they had been invited by Ravenna. She was there, somewhat disguised, but observed alongside ZZ, again telling him her only purpose was to make sure it was "done right." She did not seem particularly concerned at the loss of her thief. As the party settled in for the evening, they became aware of shouting in the streets. Rumors were flying that Homfrith, chief cleric of Maladominus and a member of the town council, had been murdered. The rumors were, as might be expected, garbled and confusing, but clearly something significant had happened. Of note, it was Homfrith who raised Bel and Amadin from the dead.
The next morning, the party mounted up and departed early through the Lormyrr Gate. They followed the Dwarf Road a few miles then took a more westerly, lesser road through a number of minor farming villages (Sorn, Sivald). At one point they passed a mounted patrol of the Manston militia. The party took it as a good sign of the road ahead that they were not hailed by them, and this proved true enough. The weather was fine and the party reached the larger village of Bristol before night fall. They soon found themselves established at the Fusty Budger Inn, a decent enough place, and devoid of travelers on this night.
The folk of Bristol were somewhat standoffish but not otherwise hostile. Most of the local talk was of farming, the threat of war and their preparations for it (they are, more or less, on the frontier), and other less interesting topics. Iban did take care to check out the horses stabled here, in case a spy might take one to warn their enemies of the party's activities. Happily, this proved to be an unnecessary precaution.
The next day's ride was as uneventful as the previous one. By midday, the party had reached the village of Durnton, a smaller village straddling the Durn Flow and with a nice bridge connecting the two halves of the place. The locals seemed to do a good deal of herding - goats, cattle, and sheep were everywhere. The locals were also friendlier here and only too happy to answer questions. As for Castle Solen and its lord, they said it had a dark reputation and none of them ever visited it. However, Solen's folk routinely came to Durnton (or passed through it) to purchase supplies and what not. However, none had done so at all this year which was exceedingly strange. The party inquired about Solen's daughter but learned nothing of note.
After a hearty lunch at the Goat and Bull tavern, the party crossed the bridge and took the track southwest, entering a very wide but shallow valley, seemingly fertile enough but devoid of any signs of settlement. After a few miles, the party noted recent horse and boot prints along the track. Later in the afternoon, the party saw a small mounted patrol riding towards them. The patrol ordered the party to halt and demanded to know their business. Iban told them that they had a message for the Lord Solen, but would not tell the soldiers what it was. The men-at-arms seemed edgy though not overtly hostile. However, when the party agreed to come with them to their castle, they did deploy around them.
The track led through a hilly area and made a fish hook around some high ground until it turned back east, ending at a low (25-30 foot) escarpment atop which sat a strong keep. A small river fed into a large pool that surrounded much of the place, making an excellent moat, before falling over the escarpment in a waterfall. The track climbed steeply then came to a drawbridge between two small towers. This lowered at the call of the patrol leader, and soon the party passed through a stout gate into the castle courtyard. Guardsmen on the curtain walls held crossbows and watch the party intently, while a number of other guards began to come outside (armed) from some of the corner towers. Otherwise, the castle courtyard seemed rather deserted (unlike what might be expected in such a place at this hour). The patrol leader then ordered the party to dismount and wait as he entered the Keep to inform his masters of the party's arrival. They were soon admitted.
(As is often the case, I didn't take a lot of notes during the next portion as I was too busy! -- sorry if I miss details of note...feel free to reply with additional detail!).
The large keep doors opened into a great hall where a large dinner was being prepared. Seated at the head table on a raised dais were several men, two armed as warriors and one in simple but elegant robes. The oldest, who appeared to be about 50, proved to be Lord Solen. Iban spoke for the party, telling Solen that the lords of Manston wished his help to root out spies of the Giant King. However, to the party's chagrin, they soon learned that Castle Solen was under the dominion of the Giant King. It did not take long to learn (thanks to an ESP spell from Amadin) that Solen was essentially under occupation by the Giant King, and its lord was not entirely happy about it. However, it was clear that he did not wish to cross his erstwhile master. During this time, a rather obnoxious and loud half orc arrived. He was, they learned, the Giant King's representative here, and he demanded that the party be arrested at once, as some of them were known spies and murderers, escapees from the Giant King's dungeons and his declared foes. Solen was not so hasty, and instead asked the party to join his court for dinner, which was about to begin. This the party did, using the time to try to elicit information from the various guards dining around them at long tables. Most proved untalkative and not forthcoming with information. They did learn, however, that Solen's daughter had not been seen for a few weeks; it was not a topic the rank and file were supposed to talk about, so the party suspected that she might have been taken as a hostage by the Giant King. At some point, the head table was joined by a man in robes, a priest of some sort. Also during this time, the party noted the occasional Ogre peeking around a corner and watching the activities.
Finally Solen made a decision, and told the party that he would have to take them into custody. The party demurred, and a chaotic melee erupted. The party began by both lightning bolting and webbing a corridor where the Ogres were lurking. Lord Solen and the red robed priest also threw some spells. Thunderfist was held and an area near the party was silenced (Mordecai threw a silence of his own as I recall). Other spells flew, and ZZ invoked his Jester Suit of Chaos which resulted in reducing the red priest to quivering fright, taking him temporarily out of the fight. By good chance, the party was able to make it to and through the keep doors, which were then held by magic. Racing to their horses, the party threw open the castle gate, mounted, and fled under fire from crossbowmen on the walls. It was a dramatic escape under fire! (and my recounting does it no justice, alas).
Free of the keep, the party found a place to camp along the track they'd followed in, removed enough to be hidden but still able to watch it. During the evening, a party of larger humanoids passed them, searching or patrolling along the track; they passed back an hour or two before dawn. A mounted patrol of ten or so came out later, also following the track and clearly looking for signs of the party's horses. By good fortune, they did not find the party's track (tracking from horseback isn't efficient!). A second patrol of sic passed later, and Iban hit them all with a sleep spell. One was woken up and interrogated, assisted by ESP cast by Amadin. Terrified, he told them that Solen's daughter was crazy and dangerous. She was not a hostage anywhere as far as he knew, though she had not been seen in a while. The man-at-arms was aware of a secret sortied portal east of the castle, which Amadin learned of stealthily. With this knowledge, the party took the patrol's horses, woke them all, and sent them back to the castle on foot with a message for their lord to "send the gem to Manston in order to save his soul."
The party then rode with their expanded herd of horses back to Durnton, where they alerted the locals of Solen's allegiance to the Giant King. They informed the folk of Durnton that they were returning to Manston immediately. However, after leaving the village they turned south a few miles away and swam the Durn Flow with their horses to cross back into Solen's territory. They camped that night well off the patrolled track and, the next morning, made their way on foot (I think -- in which case, where are the horses?) to the hills east of Castle Solen. There, they made a search until they found a well-hidden door opening to the west, towards the Castle...