The Fate of Triel, Part 4
The group arrived at Triel, nearly starved from their experience in the mountains. The citizens of the town seemed disinclined to speak to them. THe finally made it to the town center and encountered the Grainlord - who was practically groping a young woman who had come to ask for grain for her sick mother. Behind the grainlord was a large thuggish looking character named Big Rob.
As the party approached, he sent off the girl and turned his attention to them. He informed them of his role, and when asked why the people lack grain, he informed them that the city had run across hard times - bandit raids, trade had stopped, weak harvest. The party inquires about the 50 flaming fists to see if they had come through. THe grainlord dodges their questions. He offered to sell the obviously starved party oatmeal at the exorbitant price of 50 gold a bowl.
Judging the characters shady, the Half-Orc Paladin raised his warmace and felled the door to the grainery, spilling the grain. Several rugged guards showed up. The Grainlord called the party thugs. Ferragus then rushed the small man with his shield. Big Rob raised his blade and fell upon the party, but the other guards looked at the large orc and gensai and decided they wanted none of it.
After the scuffle, Big Rob sits defeated, holding his bloody nose. The grainlord tells the party they may take what they wish and to begone. The party asks for his trade manifests. The paladins find the papers confusing, but the dwarf and ranger accompanying them verify that the grain harvest is lean. If the grainlord speaks true that the trade road closes once winter descends, then the town is in for a dangerously lean winter. The party, judging the grainlord unworthy of his possition, search the village for his replacement. To their dismay, they find that the grainlord is likely the only one in the village who can even read, and despite the unsavoriness of the character, seems their best hope to survive the winter.
Ferragus, realizing the situation, pulls the party back from the hostile stance taken against the grainlord and the thuggish town guards. Helm and Tyr shake their heads from on high at the paladins having given in to their chaotic impulses.
The grainlord - possibly due to the large gensai's shield bash - does happen to recall the contingent of Flaming Fist arriving. He said they stayed breifly, then headed north, to Lyran's hold, having concluded that the evils within could be the only source of the trade disturbances (or were they urged to head north?). When asked about the bandit army training to the north, the grainlord seemed to know nothing. He claims that he uses what few resources the town has to keep the bandits from attacking the grain silo.
The party gathers the villagers as morning comes, and all eat their fill. They villagers also provide food for the party. Hopefully the memories of full bellies in the summer will comfort them when winter comes. The villagers seem wary to speak to the party still, likely knowing they will soon leave and the grainlord will remain. However, the party gathers through a few hushed whispers that the grainlords story regarding the fist and the 'bandit army' are probably true.
The party heads NorthWest to Lyran's Hold. They go past where the roads lead, and past where the trails stop. They go through a sparse forest until the terrain changes. The trees start to look barren and plagued with rot, the ground starts to turn moist and piled upon by rotten leaves. A fog sets in, and the air takes on the stench of death.
The party spots a figure in the distance, it looks like a soldier. As they approach they are set upon by shades. They dispense of the undead and go to the soldier. It is one of the Fist, but something is wrong. The figure is frozen, as though in a state of stasis. He appears to be trying to escape, and his head is turned, as though something is coming up behind him. THe party find they cannot discern nor counter this magic, so they continue.
Within the cursed forrest they are confronted by more undead, largely shades and wights. Finally, they come upon the rest of the soldiers. Likely the whole contingent, all frozen like the one before, Like eerie statues of flesh, their features contorted into twisted, fearful visages. Lightning strikes and the party looks forward, seeing the outline of a tower in the distance; Lyran's hold.
The party dispatches more undead as they approach the hold. At the entrance they confront
a deathknight, who asks why after so many decades, the men of this land shed their fear and approach his masters lair? The paladins are indignant to the Death Knight, then his voice changes, to that of an old calm man. THe master speaks through the servant. He inquires why they come. After some discourse, the master concludes that the grainlord sends the soldiers against his keep. The party demands the Fist Mercenaries be freed, and if they are the party will leave. The Master refuses, claming that he has been slighted, and if he is to return to his secluded existence then all must know there is fierce retribution for such slights. He offers the to free all 50 soldiers, and allow them to leave unmolested, in return for the grainlord.
The party rebukes his offer, claming they will not condemn one man unjustly for 1000. The party again threatens to charge the tower. Suddenly one of the Fist mercenaries starts to scream in pain, and fall to his knees. Pate goes to heal him, but at his touch the mercenary shrivels and desicates before his eyes, collapsing into an almost skeletal corpse seemingly ravaged by decades of rot. The master makes his point.
He allows the party to depart, to think about his offer, the party persists, the paladins unwilling to allow the evil to remain. Three lightning strikes hit the ground before the tower, and from each rises a death knight. Four now, they fall upon the party who despite a great battle, are victorious (whatayaknow... pallys are good against undead). Once they fall, a fourth strike hits the ground, the Ancient Lich Lyran arrives to greet his visitors, angered now at the destruction of his death knights. The party strike with fervor, but are no match for the powerful creature. They fight with all their ability but do not seem to harm the ancient master, who assails them with a seemingly neverending barrage of powerful spells. Despite their efforts, the party falls to the darkness.
Some time later, Arkaine awakens in a clearing, alone, in agonizing pain and with a chill in his bones. He is somewhere in Thundars ride. Ferragus awakens upon a hill, some distance from his shieldbrother. The Dwarven Knight Revenark awakens in a sleeping bag, badly injured, he is being nursed back to health by a traveling gnome merchant. The merchant tells him he was found in the back of a cart, being pulled by some sickly horse, and has been unconcious for several days. The Ranger Pate awakens amid the dark forest, surrounded by the frozen Fist Mercenaries. He tries to gather his bearings, and flees South. After some days travel, surviving in the wilderness despite his injuries, he finds his way to the trade road.
Eventually the broken party find their way back to Baldur's Gate. They struggle with their failures, and ponder what they have learned. They need time now to rest their wounds and clear there minds, inform their allies of what had transpired. And determine what course of action to take next.
Participants
Arkaine Halforken
Revenark Stonehold
Pate
Ferragus Manus
Rewards/Penalties
2000 xp plus a few hundred due to individual actions
Arkaine and Ferragus - 5 shift to Chaotic for their actions
Ferragus +2 shift to lawful for his redemption
Arkain, Ferragus, & Revenark +3 shift good for their actions
