Kingmaker: Ep. 32

The Owlbear Adventurers delved deeper into the crypts beneath Lantern Keep, continuing down a strange, iridescent purple path. Their journey was interrupted by two black-robed cultists. Puck, disguised in similar robes, attempted a bluff that quickly soured, leading to a fight. While one cultist was dispatched, the other fled down the corridor, promising to return with hounds.

The party gave chase, entering a chamber whose walls, floor, and ceiling glittered with thousands of tiny, star-like runes. The pursuit was cut short as four horrifying, hound-like aberrations of rippling ether and misplaced eyes phased into existence from the room’s 90-degree corners. A chaotic battle erupted, with the party fending off the otherworldly canids and two more cultists who emerged from a side passage. The fight was desperate, with Puck being knocked unconscious before the party could rally, destroying one hound and forcing the others to retreat back into the geometry of the room.

The momentary victory was shattered by the arrival of the cult’s master, Foraz, a terrifying knight whose plate mail was pierced with countless spikes, hooks, and barbs. In the ensuing clash, Foraz severed some of Puck’s fingers with a razor, inflicting a permanent wound. In a daring move, Puck disarmed the knight and fled with the weapon into a small chamber, trapping himself with a now-blinded cultist. The party discovered Foraz was an otherworldly being from a realm of pain, who healed his own grievous wounds with pleasure. As Puck fought for his life in the dark, setting both himself and his foe ablaze with an oil flask, the rest of the party focused their might on the foul knight.

Through coordinated strikes, the adventurers finally overcame Foraz, who collapsed into a mere pile of barbed wire and hooks. With his defeat, the curse on the crypt was lifted. The party returned to the knight Korug and the psychopomps, who, after receiving proof of Foraz’s demise, were freed from their eternal watch and crumbled to dust, leaving behind valuable orichalcum plate mail and shimmering psychopomp dust. Their grim task complete, the party returned to Fort Owlbear to recover and plan their next move.

OUTLINE:

The Purple Path and the Cultists

The party continued down the iridescent purple path in the undercrypt.
They encountered two black-robed cultists of Yogg-Sothoth.
Puck attempted to deceive the cultists while in disguise, but failed a charisma check.
Combat began; one cultist was killed, and the other fled to ‘get the hounds’.

The Star-Lit Room and the Hounds

The party chased the cultist into a room covered in glittering, star-like runes.
Izzy and Brother Carl discovered a side room with two more cultists, accidentally alerting them.
Four nightmarish, hound-like aberrations phased into existence from the 90-degree corners of the room.
A chaotic battle ensued against the hounds and two cultists who emerged from the side room.

Confrontation with Foraz

After the party defeated one hound and forced the others to flee, the main antagonist Foraz arrived with three more cultists.
Foraz, a knight covered in spikes and hooks, attacked the party with a razor.
He cut off several of Puck’s fingers, causing permanent Dexterity damage.
Puck successfully disarmed Foraz of his razor and retreated into a side chamber with a blind cultist.

The Fall of the Pain Knight

Foraz pulled a fish hook from his body to use as a new weapon.
The party learned Foraz was a being from the realm of pain that regenerated from damage.
Puck, trapped in the dark with the blind cultist, set them both on fire with an oil flask.
The party focused all their attacks on Foraz and finally defeated him, reducing him to a pile of barbed wire and hooks.

Liberating the Cursed

The party decided to leave the dungeon, bypassing a room with a dangerous cold-blasting shape.
They presented proof of Foraz’s death to the two remaining psychopomps, who dissipated into valuable psychopomp dust.
They then showed the proof to the good knight Korug, freeing him and his men from their curse. They crumbled to dust, leaving behind Korug’s orichalcum plate mail.
The party returned to Fort Owlbear, received experience, and engaged in downtime activities.

NPCs:

Cultists of Yogg-Sothoth: The black-robed followers of Foraz. They served as his minions, some displaying surprising martial arts prowess by running along walls and delivering stunning blows.
Foraz: The primary antagonist of the session. A cursed knight devoted to the dark god Yogg-Sothoth, his body was pierced with countless spikes, hooks, and barbs. He was revealed to be a Kyton, a creature from the realm of pain that healed from injury. He was defeated by the party.
Hounds of Tindalos: Nightmarish, otherworldly aberrations that look like hairless wolves. They can teleport through any 90-degree angle, phasing in and out of reality. They were summoned by the fleeing cultist.
Korug: The ‘good’ knight and brother of Foraz. He was cursed to guard the crypt until Foraz was slain. Upon being shown proof of his brother’s demise, he was freed and crumbled to dust.
Nidharast: A giant, psychic earthworm encountered at the beginning of the session’s area. He had been convinced to remain peaceful by a former party member.
Psychopomps: Two remaining pale, raven-haired female spirits wearing moth-like masks. Tasked with escorting souls, they were bound to the crypt until Foraz was defeated. They dissipated into valuable dust upon being freed.

ITEMS:

Drow Razor: An exotic razor formerly wielded by Foraz. Puck disarmed him of it. It is capable of inflicting grievous, bleeding wounds and even severing limbs.
Orichalcum Plate Mail: The finely crafted armor of the knight Korug. It was left behind when he crumbled to dust. It is non-magical but grants the wearer advantage on initiative rolls.
Psychopomp Dust: The glittering, slick, silver dust that was left behind when the two psychopomps dissipated. It is an incredibly valuable and rare arcane component.
Rose-shaped Emblem: The symbol of Korug’s and Foraz’s knightly order. Korug’s bled constantly, while Foraz’s was blackened. It was used as proof of Foraz’s death.

LOCATIONS:

Fort Owlbear: The party’s base of operations. A safe haven where they can rest, recover, train, and plan their future adventures.
Lantern Keep’s Undercrypt: The deep, multi-level dungeon beneath Lantern Keep. It contains strange purple paths, rooms with glittering star-like runes, and serves as a prison for dark entities and cursed souls.

FACTIONS:

Cult of Yogg-Sothoth: A death cult devoted to the dark god Yogg-Sothoth and his champion, the knight Foraz. Its members wear black robes and are willing to die for their master’s cause.

QUESTS:

Free the Cursed Knight: Defeat the corrupted knight Foraz to lift the curse binding his brother, Korug, and his men to their eternal vigil in the undercrypt of Lantern Keep.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Ashla: A formidable warrior and a pillar of the party’s front line. With a high armor class and a powerful magical sword, Sunde, Ashla is capable of absorbing blows and dealing massive damage in return. She delivered the final blow to the session’s main antagonist.
Brother Carl: A devout cleric who provides both spiritual and martial support to the group. He wields a hammer and isn’t afraid to get into the thick of combat, but also uses his faith to cast spells like Shield of Faith and the utility-focused Zone of Truth to gain an advantage over his foes.
Izzy: A steadfast cleric who acts as the party’s core support. He is crucial in keeping the party alive, frequently casting his powerful Mass Cure spell to bring allies back from the brink of death. He is also capable in a fight, wading into melee with his short sword.
Puck: A chaotic cleric who seems to be a magnet for trouble. During the session, he wore a cultist disguise, was stunned, knocked unconscious twice, had his fingers severed, and set himself on fire to defeat an enemy. Despite his misfortunes, he shows daring, even managing to disarm the main villain.
Yohei: A pragmatic gunslinger who wields a pistol with deadly accuracy. He prefers to keep his distance, providing covering fire and taking out key targets. Yohei is tactically-minded, often repositioning himself to get a better shot and away from danger.