The Fall of Rolth and the Truth of the Minstrel Ruan

Characters: Barl Bloodbones, Belton Stoutshield, Domollo Blue, JadeBlade, Vi’Helm

NPCs: Magoovial Hammerstriker, Ruan, Rolth, Arkmeinos

Synopsis: War erupts in the underground laboratory between the adventurers and the practitioners of evil. JadeBlade looses his rage on the awaiting priests of Tylona and Physcian’s Assistants. The group pours into the room and divides the targets. One after another falls to the blades as their leader sparks lightening from within to scorch the attackers. The advancement is slow at first, but JadeBlade and Magoovial move up to the catwalks and engage the assistants in elevated positions. Barl sends his attacker to the floor, cut down from his great sword, and pulls himself up to the suspensed walkways. As Belton’s spells cripple the priests, Vi’Helm rushes to his allies healing gaping wounds instantly.

The assault is overwhelming. Barl is the first to reach the leader and ends the man. JadeBlade and Magoovial wipe up the rest of the goons and Domollo quickly scouts the doors adjacent to the sickening room. The first door he reaches results in unintended success. Inside the room a pale man stands over another that is strapped to a table, clearly against his will. A harp lies in the corner. Domollo pieces the clues together. The man on the table is Ruan, the minstrel from the noble party at the Carowyn Manor. The crazed Jocylina wrote of her lover Rolth and her delivery of the harper to his hands.

Domollo draws his weapon, but the pale man catches his eyes. He is undistressed at Domollo’s intrusion as if a fly had entered his kitchen. Looking over the man closely, Domollo is suspect especially coming from the blood bath. As the factotum moves toward the imprisoned Ruan, the man warns him that he is outclassed and should vacate the room immediately. Domollo remembers his pact to find Ruan, but as the man speaks, Domollo spots the telltale signs. The man is a vampire. Before he can stop himself Domollo screams for the others. Shaking his head he motions for the dismissal. He introduces himself as Arkmeinos and denies the request to free Ruan. The minstrel has a unique quality and Arkmeinos’ master wants Ruan for himself.

Domollo cannot stop JadeBlade who rushes into the room and charges the vampire. The attack is wild and rage-fueled, and massively off-target. Arkmeinos concentrates on the dwarf and blasts him. The battle is joined by Barl, who immediately falls under the dominating gaze of the vampire, forced to defend the one thing he wants to kill. Domollo works against the deep dwarf as the others arrive. JadeBlade is still undeterred, swinging his axe for the vampire’s throat. The first swing is a violent miss, but the return blow lands true and slashes him. The moment he strikes the target, JadeBlade’s rage is exercised and transferred to the vampire. Now Arkmeinos’ anger is beyond suppression.

Domollo can only look on with stunned eyes as his sword stroke that would surely injure a normal man misses. The vampire looks at the dwarf as his next target, who has moved well beyond shear annoyance. His blow drops JadeBlade to the ground. Watching his group disintegrate, Domollo brokers a cease-fire. The group retreats as Vi’Helm heals JadeBlade from the brink of death. Ruan’s freedom is sacrificed for the party’s survival, but Arkmeinos sends both Vi’Helm and Domollo sailing through the air before mentally slamming the door shut. Ruan is lost to his fate.

Encounters: four Physician’s Assistants, six of priests of Tylona, Rolth the Mortician, the vampire Arkmeinos

Achievements: defeated Rolth the Mortician and his personal guards, discovered the fate of Ruan and his special ability to repel the Bloodveil disease, survived the vampire Arkmeinos, and learned of his servitude to his master.