07/12/2025 – Gryff’s Pub – Khemsa & Co.

Summary

Last session, Khemsa & Company arrived at the gates of a desolate, ruined city. After gearing up with silvered weapons, they were confronted by strange, honey-coated creatures lurking within the city entrance. A tense firefight erupted, with the party using the cover of a strange sunbeam at the gate to their advantage. Coral’s arrows and a well-aimed torch kept the monsters at bay, while Slib discovered the creatures were demonic, not undead. The goblin priest then bravely slipped past the sunbeam into the darkened market, discovering an ornate Dragon Bone Crossbow as the remaining creatures fled deeper into the city.

The party learned from Al-Sobb, who understood their foul tongue, that the demons were retreating to warn others. Deciding to press their advantage, the heroes advanced to the magnificent Palace of Light, its entrance grotesquely blocked by a pile of animal carcasses. Coral scaled the walls and found another way in: a large stained-glass window. After carefully prying a panel loose, they discovered a chamber writhing with demonic larvae, which quickly began to burst forth as a swarm of bloated locusts.

Thinking fast, Al-Sobb leaped down to an altar, snatched a bronze artifact—the Nox Anathema—and tossed it to Coral. As sunlight from the window struck the orb, it unleashed a wave of divine energy, obliterating most of the swarm. After finishing the rest, the party entered a vast domed chamber and came face-to-face with a gaunt, ogre-sized demon lord. The ensuing battle was brutal. The creature plunged the room into magical darkness and, in the chaos, grievously wounded Coral. Just as a new demon began to form from a ritual sigil, Irvain found the fallen Nox Anathema and unleashed its power one last time. The blast not only annihilated the demon but activated the temple itself, bathing the entire city in a cleansing sunlight that sent the demonic hordes screaming into oblivion.

OUTLINE:

The Standoff at the Gate

• The party arrived at a ruined city and spotted honey-coated demons inside the gate.
• Coral attempted a sneak attack but missed, initiating combat.
• A firefight erupted across a sunbeam that the demons were afraid to cross.
• Slib’s attempt to ‘Turn Undead’ failed, revealing the creatures’ demonic nature.
• The green-fanged leader was wounded by arrows and fled into the city.

Infiltration and Discovery

• While the party provided covering fire, Slib snuck into the abandoned marketplace.
• Slib discovered and retrieved a powerful Dragon Bone Crossbow.
• Al-Sobb understood the demons’ Diabolic speech, learning they were retreating to warn others.
• After the remaining demons fled, the party tested the sunbeam and found it harmless.

Entering the Palace of Light

• The party decided to assault the Palace of Light, the source of the sunbeam.
• The main entrance was blocked by a man-high pile of rotting animal carcasses.
• Coral scaled the wall and the party worked together to pry open a stained-glass window.
• Inside, they discovered a room filled with thousands of demonic larvae.

The Swarm and the Orb

• The larvae began hatching into swarms of bloated locusts.
• Al-Sobb leaped down to an altar, grabbed a bronze orb called the Nox Anathema, and threw it to Coral.
• The orb activated in the sunlight, unleashing a divine blast that destroyed most of the swarm.
• The party jumped down and finished off the remaining locusts in melee.

Confronting the Demon Lord

• The party entered a vast domed chamber and confronted a gaunt demon lord.
• The demon attacked with blinding speed, then plunged the room into magical darkness.
• In the dark, the demon brutally attacked and downed Coral, leaving him for dead.
• Krish managed to land a killing blow in the dark, but the demon began to regenerate.
• Irvain found the fallen Nox Anathema and used its final charge to destroy the demon permanently.
• The orb’s power activated the temple, bathing the entire city in cleansing sunlight and rewarding the party with a suit of Mithril Plate.

NPCs:

• Gaunt Demon Lord: An emaciated, ogre-sized demon with empty eye sockets and tenebrous power. It is incredibly fast and can create magical darkness.
• Gray Children: Three child-like figures found prostrate before a scarlet rune in the demon lord’s throne room. They were obliterated by the Nox Anathema.
• Green-Fanged Leader: The leader of the honey-coated demons at the city gate. It was wounded and fled early in the fight.
• Honey-Colored Demons: Cracked-skin demonic minions coated in dripping black honey and swarmed by flies. They attack with infernal fire and are afraid of sunlight.

LOCATIONS:

• Palace of Light: A white marble temple with a large dome, once a holy place to a sun goddess, now the lair of a demon lord.
• Path of the Gods: A temple quarter within the ruined city where the fleeing demons intended to rally.
• Ruined City of the Sun: A sprawling, desolate city with cracked walls, abandoned markets, and a prominent, still-active Sun Temple.
• The Dome Room: The throne room of the demon lord; a vast circular chamber with four crystal-inlaid pillars that now glow with perpetual sunlight.

ITEMS:

• Dragon Bone Crossbow: An ornate crossbow with a stock made of ivory-like dragon bone and a string that shines like gold. Found by Slib in the market.
• Mithril Plate of Adamant: A gleaming suit of plate mail that shines like the sun. It is lighter than steel and so strong that it negates critical hits. Worn by Irvain.
• Nox Anathema: A bronze, fist-sized orb set with clear crystals. It can absorb sunlight to release powerful blasts of divine energy that are devastating to demons.
• Silvered Weapons: Arrows, bolts, and swords coated in precious silver, purchased by the party to effectively combat supernatural threats.