Characters: Cael, Anthony, Balin, Grim, Julian, Terus, Davvin
NPCs (Good) Umarah Greypebble, Edirra Swiftstar, 3 Harper Strikers, sergeant Clough: Cleansing Flame (Fortress), Peter: Triad Priest (Tyr), Father Akkul: Triad Priest (Illmater), Hensley: Triad Priest (Torm), Daneus Bloodgrace: Sacred Fist, Dorn Fellhand: Knight of the Chalice, Thomas Gibson: Templar, Tangela: chieftain.
NPCs (Bad) Azikiwe: Maurezhi Demon, Constal Joseph Throffson: Blackguard of Cyric, 4 Zhent "Stinger" Agents, 2 Zhent Spur Lords, Herrod Duskblade: Cleric of Cyric, 1 Balor Demon, 3 Hezrou Demons, Horde of Plague Demons, Flight of Zhent Skymages.
L 27 Alturiak 1374 - E 28 Alturiak 1374
8900 XP
With little time to spare the party Teleported to the Karlaggar District with the help of Terus. Unfortunately, he was unfamiliar with the location and the party was misfortunately moved inside a different abandoned dwelling. Balin concentrated and got their barings straight and then the party found Umarah Greypebble's hidden residence through the city's alleyways. Umarah had early stages of the plague and showed the party down to his cellar where the Harper Agents were sleeping. Edirra noticed the party's dire condition and healed their combat damage with her bardic spells. Then the adventurers told Edirra of their findings in the undercity, and of the Zhent magically guarded location in the Markets sewers. Edirra knew that there was little time left and advised the party that whomever was behind this terrible plot was hidden away under the Markets sewers. Anthony, Davvin, Cael, and Grim Teleported to an alleyway in the Fortress District to gain the assistance of Constal Throffson. Meanwhile, Terus, Julian, Balin, Edirra, and the Harper Strikers Teleported to the Markets sewers.
In around the Fortress of the Faithful a great crowd of people were in celebration as the Lobi-Tongo chieftain Tangela and the prophet Azikiwe had been released. The party pushed forward and spoke with sergeant Clough of the Cleansing Flame who told them that although Throffson and the Triad had interrogated the Lobi-Tongo leaders for the past day there was no evidence linking them to any crimes. Throffson reluctantly allowed Azikiwe and Tangela to leave and they were now speaking to the people of Zaz for order.
Meanwhile, the shadow adventurers were in the bloody sewers of the Markets District as Edirra and Julian searched again for the access panel. Edirra was able to decode the Zhent trickery written upon the former Shadow Thieves door. The party opened it and moved down through a flood of plague-ridden waste. In a small room with a metal-grated floor Julian worked at a feverish pace to remove the traps upon an entrance door. Finally, Julian had safely opened the door and the dark adventurers moved quietly through a winding tunnel which was also laden with traps. Julian disabled a number of them and with weapons drawn they passed into a larger room filled with darkness. All at once, the uncertain silence was broken as magical light filled the room and a line of Zhents with muskets thundered the party in surprise. The barrage left Julian and Balin reeling with painful wounds which they had never experienced.
The adventurers at the Fortress demonstration pushed their way forward towards the front steps of the great Triad castle. Suddenly, Constal Throffson bursted down the front entrance of the Temple towards Tangela wielding his longsword in one hand and carrying a long, dark book in the other. He shouted that his Ships District Knights had just raided the Lobi-Tongo vessel and found this actual evidence linking them to a demonic presence. Without hesitation the hardened plague-fighter of Suzail decapitated Tangela and crashed into the crowd to control their response. As this happened from the eastern skies of Zaz came a terrible sight. A flight of Zhent Sky mages mounted upon terrible magical beasts were ravaging the eastern wall with Fireballs, bolts of Lighting and blasts of negative energy. Davvin keenly noticed that Azikiwe had already been looking to the east before the Zhents had appeared. As he turned to warn Throffson and the party however, Davvin caught a glint of hellfire in his peripheral vision; Azikiwe had disappeared.
The adventurers in the sewers were locked in a vicious melee with 4 Zhent Stinger Agents. Two frenzied Spur Lords clad in black spiked plate mail and purple cloaks guarded the fierce leader of the largest Zhent organization in the Far Western Lands, Herrod Duskblade. The Zhent Stingers prodigiously maneuvered through the party and Harpers under the maniacal commands of the Spur Lord guardians and slashed Balin and Julian nearly to death. Within seconds the Harper Strikers were cut down and Edirra was desperately healing the fallen. Julian attempted to defend the party with a powerful Fireshield spell, however Herrod Dispelled the effect from nearly all of his allies. Terus struck back at the murderous Zhents with his twin psychically powered blades to even the losses. Things were becoming desperate in the darkened tunnels, but the party was determined to find whatever the Zhents were guarding so fiercely.
Above in the Fortress, Cael casted Fly upon himself and Davvin while Grim casted Fly upon himself. They moved quickly to the front stairs of the Temple while the crowd of Lobi-Tongo converts pushed their way forward. Anthony Manton bull-rushed his way toward Throffson to aid him in the control of the crowd. As Davvin turned the corner into the main hall of the Fortress of the Faithful it was then he saw a horrifying sight. An Epic Demon Gate had been opened outside the temple as hordes of Plague spawn demons, and Hezrou marched forward and smashed down the walls. Leading their ranks wielding a fiery whip and a massive Vorpal hellblade was the greatest of Demon warriors, the Balor. Azkiwe was just completing his abbysal transformation into his true form, a great disease-carrying Maurezhi. The party charged forward and the greatest of the Triad's defenders and acolytes came to their aid. Dorn Fellhand and Davvin charged the massive Balor. However in one foul swing Dorn was decapitated by the Balor's mighty Vorpal as it proceeded to cleave into Davvin, entangling him in the hellfire whip. Cael rushed to the rescue of Davvin but again, the Balor's terrible Vorpal struck. Cael's headless corpse joined the growing numbers of fallen warriors littered around the fiery Balor.
Edirra rushed to the aid of Balin once more and healed him as Terus and Julian continued their counterattacks. A frenzy of blades and blood filled the darkness of the small sewer room. Finally, the party had killed the last of the Zhent Stinger Agents and moved forward against Herrod and the Spur Lords. The Spur Lords blasted the party with rays of black flames, and Herrod prepared for another round of devastating spellcasting. The party charged forward and found trouble in flanking the tactically sound Spur Lords. Julian struck Herrod by surprise with a necromantic ray killing him instantly. The remaining Spur Lords fought back against the party with black flames until they were both cornered and killed. Elated with the battle's outcome the party moved past the Zhent corpses and found themselves in a room filled with dead Jungle foliage and a lone obsidian altar. Edirra and Julian knew there was little time to spare and began to decode the altar's evil magical presence.
Back in the rapidly falling Fortress of the Faithful more demons poured out of the Gate. The high priests Akkul and Hensley focused all of their divine energies on closing it despite the powerful divine interdiction still in effect. Grim saw the tragedy in Cael's death and quickly casted a Wish that his misfortune be undone. Suddenly, Cael's fallen body was raised and he struck the Balor with the power of an epic blizzard. Meanwhile, Anthony and Constal Throffson had retreated to the front of the temple where the crowds of people were pushing forth to overthrow the church. The high priest Peter of Tyr then in the city's most desperate moment raised above the disbelief of the people and called down a Miraculous Holy Storm of vengeance on the invading Zhent Skymages. The clouds bursted and poured holy water upon the city burning the mages in the sky. Winds picked up to hurricane forces knocking them to the ground, and holy bolts of positive energy crackled from the sky, smiting down the evil mages. Throffson saw this event, turning to Peter deeply in prayer and Smote him down with a burst of evil power from his blade. Anthony and Davvin saw this as the Knights of the Cleansing Flame moved inward to the temple surrounding the traitorous Throffson.Grim, Daneus Bloodgrace, Cael, and Thomas Gibson fought valiantly against the hordes of demons. In a great strike from Cael's arcane blade the mighty Balor was killed, and exploded in a blast which leveled nearly half of the Fortress. Daneus, and Gibson were killed along with numerous acolytes and demons. Now the holy rain and storming winds flooded into the temple grounds, as a Huge Hezrou Plague Demon stepped into the temple from within the Gate. The high priests of Illmater and Torm just then were able to overcome the divine interdiction and seal the Demonic Gate shut before more could spill forth. Cael met in melee with the hideous demon and cut it down with a guillotine-strike. Azikiwe still remained and in failing to fully dismantle the great celestial Gate turned to Cael and the party, blasting them with Vile energy.
With the rest of the party fight an epic battle in the Fortress inner grounds, Julian and Edirra continued to attempt to disable this obsidian altar. Julian noticed that its true function was to amplify the existing interdiction abilities inherent to all Defiant worshipers. This item had grown extremely powerful with the great amount of despair and disbelief in the pantheon recently and wound be near impossible to disable. However, with a bit of expertise and a handful of luck, Julian prevailed as usual. The great Altar of Disbelief was disabled and a flood of divine energy poured into Zaz. Almost immediately after experiencing the return of Kelemvor's favor, Davvin Dimensionally Locked the Maurezhi on Ferun as Cael moved in closer. With one great cut Cael had killed the demon Azikiwe whom had been responsible for so much bloodshed and death.
Meanwhile, Throffson had knocked Anthony Manton down with a single blow from his longsword. However, through the cracked roof above holy rain from Peter's Miracle fell down and healed him. Throffson became surrounded by his former followers of the Cleansing Flame and cut down 4 of them in an instant. Anthony rose to face the Blackguard of Cyric with a clenched fist of vengeance, as a burst of positive energy came from his hand forming the familiar Blade of Cosmas. Ensheathed in holy light Anthony prayed for strength to the God of Retribution and sent a wave of power through the greatly surprised Blackguard. Joseph Throffson was smitten to dust, nothing except the former fallen paladins of the Cleansing Flame would remain to leave a memory of the legendary traitor. They knelt around Anthony Manton in prayer and forgiveness as the holy rain fell down through the cracked Fortress.And so Azikiwe, Throffson, and Herrod were dead. The populous of Zaz upon seeing the great number of epic Miracles in the name of their former pantheon renounced their beliefs in the Great Unknown and began to pray to their former deities. The holy rains fell, the winds blew, and the lightning struck for 24 hours, cleansing the city's streets sewers and waterways of the bodies and plague. After the events of the past 2 ten-days nearly half of Zaz's citizens are dead, much of the city's eastern walls are destroyed from the Zhentil Skymage attack, and the Fortress of the Faithful is in ruin. The Heroes of the Forgotten Forest have certainly made a name for themselves in the lands of intrigue for it is unquestionable that without their actions Azikiwe and the demonic Cyricists would have stolen the Triad's most powerful artifact; all under the guise of a terrible plague as the disfavor of the gods.
