The march was largely uneventful, apart from two encounters. First, a group of foragers flanking a horde of barbarians. They spotted the group and headed inland. The barbarians told the group to follow, which they did. After a while, they were spotted by cavalry, presumably scouts for the city’s defense forces. There were some tense moments, but the cavalry seemed content to just watch and made no attempt to make contact. Eventually, they rode in the same direction as the group of foragers.
Several hours later, the group comes across evidence of a struggle: dead soldiers, dead horses, blood splatter, and trampled leaves – all indications of contact between the groups. One of the barbarian bodyguards is sent out to lead the shorter party members, and soon returns with a larger group of enemies.
The “King” was recognized and welcomed. The party was met with some suspicion, but the rescued barbarians told the rest of the party not to harm them. Over the next few hours, they were escorted to the main pavilion, where they finally found their translator, who was taken as a slave.
The barbarians and the party chat, trying to convince the intruders that the kidnapping plot is not the work of the townsfolk, but of crazed cultists. The barbarians, having robbed and robbed all along the way, happily depart. Their wagons are full, and they have plenty of new slaves to use. Still, some goodwill is needed, so the group is provided with four more barbarians to act as bodyguards and private guards. Furthermore, the chieftain offers the group all the treasure he took from his captors as compensation for the insult of being kidnapped, but in exchange, he will bring them the head of Untad. The group thinks. Maybe they will, maybe they won’t. Either way, it’s time to return to the city.
It’s a long walk to the city gates, but they make their way slowly. Once they reach the closed gates, Kegdrain announces the withdrawal of his legions and claims the results as their own. This sparks more activity, but a farsighted spell from the wall wizard confirms their claim. This leads to an intense debriefing, and eventually the group is brought before a council of the city’s twelve warlords. The questions begin again, and the party answers truthfully.
A day of celebration is declared, and martial law is lifted when it becomes clear that the military is retreating. Amidst celebrations throughout the city, the group receives the deed to an estate in the Noble District. They are exempt from taxes for five years, and servants are hired to maintain the house for the same period. The group arrives and scouts the house and neighborhood, and everyone in the area glares at them. Who is this intruder? He doesn’t look very posh, and he’s not particularly wealthy. In fact, they let anyone into the district these days. Hmm.
The allure of the house is strong and there is even a secret locked trap door under the dining table which is quite intriguing, but it seems the cultists have not given up on their quest to bring about the apocalypse. With more prominent figures being kidnapped over the celebrations, it seems the time has come to put an end to Untad’s plans.
With the help of a civilian militia and several Inverted Pyramid mages, the Order of the Pale storm the temple and offer to temporarily ally with the party to put an end to this terrorist campaign. While the militia surround the block, the knight, paladin, soldier, and party rush up the stairs to the temple. The temple’s clergy are advised not to resist, as curious onlookers gossip and watch. Most listen, but two do not. They are killed, and the group proceeds to the secret door.
The door slid open and a terrible demon burst into the room, surrounding itself with an impenetrable shield of darkness. Diggin didn’t care, he slashed blindly and, with the help of his knight and paladin, hacked it down in a few rounds.
Descending the stairs, they find themselves confronted by a duo of demons, who summon a trio of reinforcements before being killed. The battle is long and fierce, and the hallway is filled with warriors, giving the reinforcements time to gather. There is a spell for this, and it is called Lightning Bolt. Zaar unleashes it, devastating one side of the ambush force while the rest retreat in confusion. The group gives chase, and a fierce battle ensues in the conference room, resulting in several casualties.
The group follows into the main ritual room, where rifle-toting rat-men sit in barred cells firing attack shots. There is a row of glass tanks connected to strange disks. Each tank has a person standing in a billowing cloud of gas. At the top stands a transformed Untad; he now looks like a cross between a man and a cicada. Two more demons arrive to help him as he chants and gesticulates with the intestines of unfortunate souls lying on the altar like a black hand.
The group endures rifle fire, destroys chariots, and battles demons and their mad masters. Luckily, the Paladin’s aura mitigates some of the more damaging effects, while the knights swing their great swords with bloody vengeance. The Paladin is reduced to dust once, but eventually Untad is slain and the demon banished. The knights gather their dead and leave the temple, leaving the group to explore to see if they can find the King’s treasure. After that, it may be time to take a breather and see if they fit in with high society. Or maybe not. After all, there are secret, locked trapdoors just waiting to be opened and explored. Or is it?
