Skarwall Keep – Extraction and the Return

• Characters: Alyssic, Aramir, Forkbeard, Henzio, Lazbin, Roywyn, Sentalial, They Call Him Carn, Trebbor
• NPCs: Alimae
• Synopsis: Lazbin’s newly rescued ally is persistent in leading them to thwart the dragon of Skarwall. Promising to guide them to treasure and glory, the halfling Alimae continues to press them towards defeating the beast and rescuing the keep from the tangled web of undeath. Sentalial is overwhelmed when attempting to detect evil as the persistent nature of the castle almost blinds him. But his senses are not dulled as he intuits that the halfling is lying. Alimae defends herself as being a prisoner of a witch but the party’s aggression reveals the true nature of their “ally”. The halfling polymorphs into her true nature, that of a sickening hag. Having not let their guard down, the party is ready for the betrayal. The axes and swords fly as the hag attempts to run, fleeing to a nearby room. Lazbin is quick to action and paralyzes her. Lurching to the opened door is a skeletal guardian bent on killing the intruders. But the massive size of the skeleton proves its undoing as the battle axe falters and it is destroyed. The hag is first knocked unconscious under Aramir’s sapping blow, but Lazbin is having none of it and sunders the hag to bits with an easily placed scorching ray to the mouth. The group quickly works its way back to the causeway of the keep and flees towards the dilapidated guard towers. Midway across the bridge their movement is detected and numerous gargoyles emerge from their sentry positions. Four large creatures land on the bridge at the awaiting party and are dismantled quickly. But before their demise the harsh calls of the beasts have awoken a much greater challenge. From within the bowels of Skarwall a massive black dragon erupts to the sky to detect the trespassers. The Defenders run. Gathering at the barbican the group teleports to Threshold. Limping through the foyer of the guild hall of the Adventurers’ Guild of Threshold, the party is desparate for healing. A reluctant Hlinthi and a nervous X-Requinn are able to restore Sentalials visage and Henzio’s and Aramir’s health. Recognizing the value of a cleric, the Defenders recruit Alyssic, the Ordained Shining Blade Champion of Heironeous to cause. But her assistance comes with limitations; she must return by the end of the following day. Her causes lie elsewhere. The following morning the group stumbles upon Roywyn Dawdle, the beautiful bard of Westgate who joins the expedition. Lazbin returns the party to just outside the causeway, ready to return to Skarwall Keep. But the watchers are waiting and ready, as numerous gargoyles alert the black dragon once again. The group decides to take a defensive stand in the barbican. Hovering outside the huge dragon looses its strength-draining breath on the party. Again Lazbin empowers his allies with the ability of flight and the Defenders face their enemy head-on. Surrounded on all sides the dragon’s claws and maw shred the party members, but it is Forkbeard’s axes and Alyssic’s swords that find their true destinations beneath the beast’s hide. As the dragon releases its last gasp, a ghostly chain appears stretching from the within the keep all the way to the dragon’s heart. It snaps and vanishes into the incorporal. The critical strikes end the dragon’s reign and send crashing to the frozen lake below.
• Encounters: night hag, skeletal minotaur guardian, four gargoyle brutes, umbral dragon
• Achievements: uncovered the deceit of the night hag, escaped from Skarwall Keep, gathered valuable allies for the return trip, and destroyed one of the spirit anchors of the chained spirit.