Episode 4 "Lurking in the Shadows"

Session #33: 4/17/2021

3rd of Dalian 2350 of the 5th Age

Recap

 * The session began with the Good Samaritans in a serious bind. While the majority of the party waited unawares in the Portable Hole, Zeevah was face to face with an Adult Ethereal Dragon!
 * Zeevah did her best to be personable, apologizing for disturbing the beast and offering her magical bracers to persuade him to spare her, but the dragon attacked anyway.
 * Blasting Zeevah with his Ethereal breath power, she was seriously injured. Thinking quickly she used her misty step to fling herself past him and into Colyn Garro's office before shifting back to the prime material plane.
 * Standing before a stunned looking old man, Zeevah whipped the Portable Hole out of her pocket, accidentally sticking it to the ceiling causing the party and all of Kandra's loot to come tumbling out along with a rush of water.
 * The party quickly stood as Garro recognized Vendrin and attacked, Vendrin though was able to counterspell the aging wizard and dispatched him.
 * Suddenly though, the party was assaulted by a massive rush of ethereal force that sent the brick wall of the office crashing inward as the dragon had followed Zeevah to the prime!
 * Vendrin summoned Bigby's Hand to cover the hole in the wall, giving them a moment of defense as they grabbed Colyn Garro and tried to sweep all of Kandra's things into the portable hole.
 * The party then very quickly fled the office heading deeper into the castle and leaving the dragon unable to follow.
 * Using a mind control potion, the party compelled Garro to tell them the Florence was being held within a small chest hanging from his belt. The party then decided to head back to Garro's office, as he informed them that he had an escape route that led out of the castle and down into the Belly. (The prison dug into the mountain below.)
 * When returning to Garro's office, the party heard the dragon reappear deeper in the castle, presumably getting into a fight with the guardsmen that had been rushing to investigate the commotion the party had created.
 * Garro revealed the secret passage and Kandra compelled him to also reveal a hidden stash of strange magic items. Kandra took three of the most powerful items, including a dragon orb and a diamond key that opens Ireburn's vault in the Arabastine Bank.
 * Before descending into the Belly to rescue Vendrin's father, the party compelled Garro to head to the imperial senate, confess to his and Ireburn's many crimes, and then strip nude before the senate.
 * The party descended into the secret passage, hearing many screams rising from grates in the floor. The party reached the bottom of the passage and melted into the shadows preparing to sneak through the prison. Vendrin, however, disguised himself to look like Colyn Garro and opened the secret door.
 * Exiting the secret passage, Vendrin came face to face with one of the unsettling undead thralls that the Zarathi had brought to Romalia. As they explored, the party discovered that Ireburn had the undead thralls interrogating prisoners for him.
 * Realizing that the undead obeyed Garo but were not intelligent enough to notice inconsistencies, Vendrin disguised the whole party to look like Colyn Garro.
 * They quickly released the prisoners and commanded the undead to collect the rest of the undead thralls, free their prisoners, and return to the place where they rest.
 * The party then followed the undead deeper into the prison as prisoners began escaping. On the way down they were passed by an old classmate of Vendrin's, Milo Domhall, who was leading weaker prisoners to safety. Vendrin gave him a focus to aid him in his escape.
 * Milo informed the party where he had seen Arthur Daltumel being taken and the party hurried to his aid.
 * The party entered the torture room and saw three prisoners on racks, one of whom was Vendrin's father, being feasted on by two familiar vampires. Dorethau and Zalfan.
 * Dorethau revealed that she and Zalfan were aiding Ireburn, despite his hatred for the undead, because it suited their own goals in the end, but that they would most certainly be willing to betray him in return for the party's mercy.
 * The Good Samaritans were not in a forgiving mood however and a battle ensued, one where both Zalfan and Dorethau were cut down and reduced to smoke.
 * The session ended as the mist containing the essence of Dorethau and Zalfan fled, attempting to return to their resting places so they could be revived, while Deadman Thokk and Kandra gave chase.