3x25: A Friendly Face

The party was informed by Gilmore that the best way to rest the sword of Graz’zt is to find a Scalebearer to guide them. He sent them to find one who was rumored to be drinking in one of the taverns of Kraghammer. The group searched the bars, meeting first a hot-headed dwarven brewer named Balgus who directed them to all of the good places to drink. A few of the party got heavily intoxicated and eventually found the Scalebearer in question and convinced him to come with them to Vasselheim to visit the Platinum Sanctuary. As they continued on their bar crawl for the night, Balgus provoked a fight with Red, betting his magical brass knuckles against her sash of scorching heat. He eventually won after an intense fight, flying through the streets on the top slab of Kraghammer. Afterwards he gave them some very rare and expensive wine and went on his way.

 

The next morning, the group woke up at the Ironhearth Tavern and Inn and ventured downstairs to inquire about breakfast. As they conversed with the now-sober Scalebearer in the lobby, Creek spoke aloud the name of the legendary sword, which summoned a gaggle of demons including a terrifying demonic creature that lusted for the blade for some unknown reason. The group fought them off, and Tannin was able to banish the monstrous demon long enough for most of the group to gather around Creek who was able to teleport them with the Scalebearer to the temple of the Everlight in Vasselheim. Tannin, being left behind, ran out of the building and was ambushed by two demons who were waiting for them to flee, causing his banishment spell to come to an abrupt end. He fled, magically concealing himself as the demons slaughtered those unlucky enough to have rented a room at the tavern for the night.

 

Once in Vasselheim, the group went to the Platinum Sanctuary and met with Highbearer Vord. Their Scalebearer ally helped to explain their plight, and the Highbearer agreed to take the sword into the Hall of Exalt, locking it away with the other evil artifacts forever.

The group then went back to Kraghammer to rest up for their next mission. They scryed upon Lupin, seeing him in Westruun with an army of the Veil, infiltrating the city through the tunnels below. They used Gilmore’s shop to enter Westruun through the siege that was apparently underway, and alerted the Shields of the Plains, who were engaged in revolution, of the incoming attack. Traveling to the Opal Ward where they knew Lupin would exit the underwalk, they saw him standing over the corpse of Francois Bertrand Jean-Luc Australia, who melted into snow after taking a gunshot to the chest. Lupin and his allies: Vannan the assassin who was once pardoned by the group for attacking them on a ship from Stilben, and a large Sapphire Dragon disguised as a Goliath. Lupin and Vannan were cut off from the dragon during the fight by a wall of force, and Holly used the force of extreme speed to both kill the gem dragon and awaken Galebreaker. After the wall was dispersed, the group rushed in and attacked Vannan and Lupin. Vannan was knocked out and then killed by Iselda, using Lupin’s old pistol, and then Lupin was revived and cured of his gem curse by Creek. Now with their old companion back with them, the group rests up in Westruun and plans for their next move.