Session 49

The Shroud spent some time looking over the artifact in the dank underground cavern.  Quell using his linguistic talent, Wasyli relying on his knowledge of the planes.

In the end, the Shroud used a miracle to turn off & move the artifact safely from the site back to their island fortress.

Once there they spend more time analyzing it and discovered that among other things, it had the ability to summon and control otherworldly horrors.  The possible combat implications intrigued the Shroud greatly.

The Shroud returned to the area of the Caer Bryr where the ruins of the Horn were to search the lair of the green dragon.

As they feared, their ally was no more, his lair now home to otherworldly horrors taking residence including hounds and spiders.  The corpse of the young dragon wrapped tight in a massive web in one corner.  Worse still, a large alpha hound was there with his pack.

As the fight broke out, the massive wrapped corpse started to ungulate and to the Shroud's collective horror, they realized it was chock full of swarms of baby spiders it belched out in massive clouds.

With a combination of magics & summoned monsters the Shroud kept back from the swarms of spiders until Yvainne rushed forward & plane shifted the baby spider nest back to the plane of Abaddon.  Making it a problem for someone else, but no longer their issue.

The remaining spider & hounds proved difficult to fight, but still manageable.  Relaying on blade, magic and their own bare fists in the case of Brother Summit, the horrors were no match for the prepared Shroud.  And all fell before the villains.

With the otherworldly horror mostly resolved the Shroud turns itself to making the final preparations for their victory over Fire Axe & their conquest of the capital.

Their first stop is to talk to Fire Axe.  Informing their ally of Thorn's demise & their coup of his organization go over better than expected.  Honeyed words and promises of a future as a Shroud member keep Fire Axe on their side.  The bugbear even provides an ideal ambush spot that's a few days ride still from his slow moving force.  The Shroud agree and head there to prepare the site.

While preparing a spot for Yvainne to stay hidden but still functional during a daytime battle, Emmerick summons Tiadora & General Barca.  Tiadora will be tasked with extraditing Fire Axe during the coming battle, but General Barca has a more important job.  Emmerick wants advice on how to approach his claiming of the throne.  And wants his new advisor to provide the advice.

After a long conversation, the Shroud & their general come to a decision.  He will enter the capital & use his contacts to prepare the city for the new King's coming.  While the Shroud will defeat the "savages" in combat.  Allowing the new King to return, bloody & battered but victorious in combat.  A savior of the people.

As the general leaves the mercenaries arrive.  Their leader, Heir Essenmark greats the future king & they prepare for the battle.

Using the natural terrain to funnel the bugbear army into a choke point, Emmerick & his band will hold the breach with Yvainne already prepped, hidden close at hand in a stone-shaped cavern.

The bugbears arrived with after dawn and without realizing it, funneled themselves right into the trap.  And then it was sprung.  Archers, protected by light infantry and natural rock cliffs rained down arrows on the tightly packed brutes.  Heavy Cavalry, combined with a well placed earthquake blocked their exit and their general, Fire-Axe disappears as a she-devil teleports in & out with him.

Wasyli uses sympathy to hold the regular bugbear in front of the choke point, unable to push through.  But the large ogres & giants surged forward, unimpeded by the magic.

Emmerick, Quell & Summit brace for them, then Mardus began unleashing Earthquake after Earthquake while using quickened fireballs.  Wasyli and Yvainne joined in to rain down their own divine & arcane magic.  What followed was over a minute of non-stop screaming and wailing as bugbear, ogre and giant alike are blasted, melted & swallowed hole.  Burnt and buried alive the sounds are horrifying.

Quell fires a couple arrows into the inferno, making little difference in the grand scope of carnage.  Emmerick shakes his head in disgust and sheaths his sword as his fellow Shroud members destroy with ease the last remnants of the "grand" army of Fire Axe.  There would be no glory here for the would-be King.

As the battle ends the mercenaries rush forward, killing the maimed & wounded bugbears still standing.  But this was no mercy killing.  This was a chance to pillage from the pillagers.

Emmerick rummaged through the field, matting his blade & armor in blood, to make it look like he did something other than stand there.

The rest of the Shroud looked out on the field of battle.  Blood and gore chocked the river at the edge of the battlefield and mini-waterfalls of gore spill down into unknown depths exposed by the cracking of the ground.  At the far end of the field cavalry obliterate what wolf-riders managed to escape the initial assault.  After the dead pillagers were picked clean, their bodies were thrown on massive burn piles.  The flames roaring over the occasional sounds of screams from underground.

With a quant field turned into the gory graveyard of the the army of Fire Axe.  The Shroud moved on with their army to the final destination.  The capital.

As Emmerick leads their army to the walls of the near by city they are greeted by an entourage of dignitaries from the city.  Among them are two of the Shrouds allies, Wasyli's "Aunt" and General Barca.

The Mayor of Matheryn was the first to speak, greeting Emmerick, clearly unsure of the situation.  He is quickly brushed aside by Count Leothyn Barca, the aging brother of the late Barcan King.  The Count shares a knowing look with the General before giving a cunning smile to Emmerick.  "It is good to see you nephew.  Let us come into the city & rejoice at your victory."

The mayor looks even more confused but also relieved as the entourage joins with the Shroud at the head of the Army of Mercenaries and strides into the city.

Civilians poking their heads out of allies & windows.  Most confused but some do let out some clapping or cheering at the new defenders of Matheryn.

And just like that Thorn's plan comes to fruition, as the forces of darkness seize the heart of the Kingdom of Talengarde.

A new golden age of Asmodeus is at hand.