The Machine in the Cemetery: Session 10

Garren and Birch finished burying the dead at Birch Manor. They discovered they were being spied on by two Fire Cultists. On the cultists they found a map of Birch Manor and a list of wanted items. The Map was an old blue-print from Exacting Machinations; they made some of the traps in Birch Manor. How did the cultists acquire the Map?

They cultists were after a Ring of Elemental Command - which Birch has in his holdings.

Garren and Birch headed to Duskhollow. On the way Garren asked where did Birch find the paintings covering Garrens past life? Birch said in an old temple on the far side of Faerun. He doesn't even remember the name. But he said he would look in his journals to see if he can rediscover it.

When they got Duskhollow, Birch and Ardwyn went off to talk about rebuilding Duskhollow. Deni told Garren she found some information on the two thieves that stole Barris's Sword and Shield in the burned remains of Kelt Drumm's bakery. She found a notebook in a protected hidden area of the ruined bakery. Written in thieve's cant are their real names:

Blue-eyed Jona is Janis Scento

Sly Cassandra is Rarssa Dassan

They were apparently hired by Marlandro Gaelkur, he is a Barber in Red Larch

As Deni and Garren discussed the new information, a disturbance occurred in the cemetery. Birch, Deni and Garren went up high on some buildings and saw some kind of machine had drilled up from the ground and stopped in the cemetery grounds.  They heard a door open and close a few times. As they neared the cemetery they could see smoke coming from the back of the stopped machine.

They were met with a small army of hostile black armor clad humanoids. The three hero's eliminated the first wave of strange soldiers, but they know there must be more; possibly inside the machine.....

Getting Help from Birch Field: Session 9

Garren and Deni were approached by Adwyn with the task of contacting Birch Field at Birch Manor, about 2 hours  outside of town. Ardwyn needs capital to help rebuild Duskhollow after the Fire Cultists torched the village. Darrin and Feelings took time to help cleanup and sort through the charred remains of the many buildings.

Garren and Deni were approached by Gilly Grund as they were leaving to talk to Birch Field. Gilly's father Salister Grund has fallen ill, and Gilly asked Garrnen if he could take a quick look at him. The Grund residence is a basic bakery making staple products, hard breads, flat breads etc. It is one of the few buildings untouched by the arson. When they walked in, the other town baker, Kelt Drumm, was tending to Salister. As soon as the Hero's walked in, he bid himself goodbye to run errands.

Garren and Deni discovered Salister had been fed poisoned water. The basin itself was poisoned. Suspicions fall on Kelt. Kelt's bakery was completely torched. The poison, Black Fly Gout, cannot be cured with the magic available in Duskhollow. Garren sent two of his retainers to the Druids to ask for help. Maybe they could acquire the cure? Deni decided to stay and watch over Salister in case Kelt came back.

Garren traveled to Field Manor. As he got close he smelled smoke, the wildlife near the manor was silent. As he approached the gate he saw it was barricaded, and smoke was coming from behind the Manor walls. Garren climbed the wall, as he neared the top he spotted a lone thug in the court yard, his back to Garren. The Thug was wallowing in his current state of affairs; apparently having been banished to the court yard while his colleagues were up to no good in the manor.

Garren reached the top of the wall and snuck to the closest guard tower. Here he found a dead guard. Burned to a crisp. Garren quietly made his way down the stairs, and into the court yard where he got behind the Thug. Calmly, but with authority he asked the Thug to turn around. The Thug did and dropped his sword as well as his jaw. The dude was no mood for a fight. He pleaded to be let to leave and he would never come back, so Garren let him go. The Thug left in a hurry.

Inside the Manor smoke was coming from deep with the halls. He followed voices and discovered two Fire Cultists attempting to bring down a particular painting in what was Bronson Hall. As Garren Bronson took in the numerous paintings he realized the paintings depicted part of his past life. The numerous paintings in Bronson Hall told the story of how the Necromancer Neilan the Undertaker took control of Garren's squad of soldiers. Garren's men and a few female fighters were captured and turned into undead abominations. His entire squad was obliterated. Garren was forced to kill those he lead. Garren sought revenge and hunted down Neilan. They fought numerous battles, but Garren could never capture or kill Neilan. Neilan always came prepared -- two steps ahead -- of Garren. As the problems of the world grew forcing Garren to deal with greater threats, Neilan slipped away into the shadows and was never found again.

Garren dispatched the two cultists and made his way into the bowels of Field Manor. The rest of the intruders were trying to burn Birch and his surviving retinue out from his Safe Room. Garren fought Cultists, a Beserker, an evil priest and a pack of Hell Hounds. Garren  almost saw life pass from him as he received a rather good thrashing. He lay hands on himself and drank a potion of superior health. He then felled all but two of the Elemental Evil followers. Those Two got away.

Upon rescuing Birch and conveying the message from  Duskhollow, Birch took in all of Garren with his eyes, in disbelief. Here was Garren Bronson, the legendary Paladin from Days long ago.

Birch agreed to travel to Duskhollow, but he asked for three days and help burying his dead employees. Garren agreed.

As night fell in Duskhollow, Deni survived an attempt on her life, but Gilly did not. She knew the assassin was close, maybe in the cellar or hiding somewhere close in the darkness. She called for help doing her best to shield Salister. Feelings and several towns folk showed up. They never found the assassin. But Feelings laid down a ward to prevent anyone from coming up from the cellar. At that moment, an owl sent by the druids dropped off a package of herbs and moss with instructions on how to prepare an antidote for the Balck Fly Gout. Deni recalled her Grandmother could make this remedy from the given instructions. She grabbed a horse and rode hard. Up ahead she saw another rider driving hard for her Grandmothers home. Deni, through either luck or divine intervention was able to apply the spell in her ring of jumping to the soul of her horse. The horse hurdled in great leaps and closed the gap with the rider ahead. The assassin dove into the woods, so Deni pressed on. She reached her Grandmother and sensed the assassin was just outside the window behind her Grandmother. Deni threw her Thunderstone and it landed perfectly just outside the window catching the assassin. While blinded and deaf, the assassin tried to get away. Deni slit Kelt's throat.

Salister was saved.

When we return to Duskhollow, the heroes will have to decide how to get to the Dessarian Valley.