19th session (Weekend)

Sonday 23rd Yuny
After spending some days in SPH, the players decided that it was finally time to check out Castle Whiterock and the by now much mentioned Monks of the Iron Fist.

After a few hours, they found themselves outside of Castle Whiterock. They quickly decided to wait and see what kind of traffic came in and out.

Mansday 24th Yuny
Already the day after, something happened. A pair of hunters came out of the tunnel leading up to the platform where Castle Whiterock was. They headed west, into the jungle. Our heroes ambushed them, capturing one for further interrogation. He revealed that there was about 20 slavers in Castle Whiterock.

They decided to wait a few days and maybe see if a search party would be sent out.

Onsday 26th Yuny
A search party exited Castle Whiterock. And it was promptly ambushed by the heroes.

Then they headed up to the plateau. They quickly plowed through most of the slavers, but at the end, they ran into Melchin and his pet cave troll, who amongst other bitch-slapped Gnoguh with Carric. It got awfully close, with Carric and Targron both going down, but in the end, the slavers were dead.

Torsday 27th Yuny
Back in the Seven Pillared Hall, the heroes had the Bloodreavers next on their hit list. They started asking around, and eventually got some info, but not a break until Targron ran into the Bloodreaver Hobgoblin that had tried to purchase them earlier and followed him back towards their lair.

Meanwhile, Gnoguh showed his humanity and spent a significant portion of his money to buy two children, Janus and Victoria, from their slavers. Janus and Victorian were both former residents of Gildur, a little village in Nerath, which got sacked by pirates.

Freeday 28th Yuny
After getting ready and setting up the children at the Halfmoon Inn, our heroes headed out into the Labyrinth, looking for the Bloodreavers. They soon found them in an ancient temple of Torog, or someone resembling him at least. They snuck in, and ran into some bugbear guards. They proved to be some nasty sob's, and Truxas ended up dead (or rather, dieing) when one of the bugbears used him as shield against Targron's dagger. Poor Truxas. Once they got him back on his feet, they continued, via the back door. Soon enough, they ran into Warchief Kruul. He had backup from some duergar dwarves and a giant wolf, but little did it matter. He still ended up dead on the floor, and the heroes bravely pressed on to fight some Bane-loving hobgoblin and a horde of goblins. They all died.

They did capture one duergar, and found some notes detailing that the Bloodreavers had been selling slaves to the duergar living in a place called the Horned Hold. Payment was also due within a day. The duergar sweet talked his way out of their clutches, claiming he was only there to sell gems. He was lying obviously.

Lordday 29th Yuny
All the day was spent waiting in the Chamber of Eyes, hoping that a duergar would be coming along with a payment. But nothing happened.

Sonday 30th Yuny
The heroes (yeah, still no name for the party) returned to the Seven Pillared Hall, where they spent a couple of days acquiring a good deal of books and information on Draegor, the world they were born in, but are largely clueless off.

Tirsday 2nd Yully-Torsday 4th Yully
Once again, our heroes without name do the trip from Seven Pillared Hall to Drahar.

Freeday 5th Yully-Sonday 7th Yully
After presenting all the new information for Trevor and an old man who turns out to be the Zoran, High Priest of Kord, they are told to wait a couple of days, while the Church figures out a few things. They agree to give the Church of Kord exclusivity on the information. After 3 days, they are introduced to two members of the Council of Drahar, who naturally are extremely happy about this information.Daemir Green-Leaf, an elf with a big scar on temple, as well as Lucius Del Toro, a human bookish-looking man. They told all 4 that they were to be made nobles of Drahar, and get a manor near the Swamp of Despair. The title and following land would only be in the family until their death. Their descendants would have to purchase the title in order to keep it.

Mansday 8th Yully
Our heroes took a quick trip to their new home, just to see what it was like. Truxas also took a trip back to Oakhurst, in order to tell his parents of the wonderful news.

Tirsday 9th Yully-Torsday 11th Yully
Trip from Drahar to Seven Pillared Hall. No significant events. They brought along Damir (paladin) and Zir (neither paladin nor cleric), who are sent by the Church of Kord to set up some things.

Freeday 12th Yully
After talking to Gendar, they had a clear idea of where the Horned Hold was. It only cost them the price of a few books.. Anyway, into the Labyrinth they went, and a couple of hours later, they found themselves outsides the gates of the Horned Hold. Inside, they could make out several duergar, behind a portcullis.

They decided to wait a bit, and perhaps ambush someone coming out or in. They hid a bit away, and were quickly rewarded. A mule with a rider was approaching. Gnoguh jumped out, and cleaved the poor mule with one strong strike.

Oh no, not you guys again! - Yep, it was the duergar they had held captive in the Chamber of Eyes. He quickly struck another deal. His life for the layout of the Hold. The party agreed, and after getting the needed information, they let him go, on the condition that he would travel home to the duergar city underground, that he had told them about.

Once they had the information at hand, they did not tarry. Truxas, Carric and Targron were disguised as prisoners, while Gnoguh (who is fluent in deep speech) drank a magic potion that Carric had brewed (bought?), which turned him into the spitting image of the duergar they had captured. They used that set-up to get the guards inside to open the port-cullis, and once inside, they cut a quick swath through the Hold. First the guards, then Ultar, the master smith and his workers, then on to Rundarr, Champion of the Horned Hold.

All went pretty well, but unfortunately, during the fight with Rundarr and his minions, one of them got away, running towards the ramparts leading to the northern part of the Hold. They got him right before he reached the door, but they were spotted. They retreated into a defensible position, and even though some (especially Carric) were pretty much à bout de souffle, they decide to stick around and see what get's thrown at them.

After a couple of minutes, they are swarmed from all sides. A mean looking ogre and a host of duergars press at them, but somehow, even though they end up totally pushed into a corner, they manage to defeat the evil slavers. Now they are really worn down, and they have still to face the leader and his entourage. They quickly retreat through the Hold, liberating some prisoners, and barricade themselves in the guard-room, with the portcullis.

This time, maybe 10 minutes went by before the enemy came knocking - literally- Down the doors went, and in swarmed a couple of spined devils and some duergar, including Murkelmor, boss of Horned Hold and paladin of Asmodeus. The battle looked like a losing one, for a couple of seconds, but then, as if inspired by Kord himself, Gnoguh found the perfect position, right in the middle of the room, and attracted the attention of every single enemy, hitting them all hard. Quickly this was followed up by both Carric and Targron, who also both managed to wound all enemies, while they were bunched up. Truxas was less successful, but still efficient none the less. After that, they managed to keep Murkelmor blinded, dazed and immobilized while they took care of some of the other duergar and devils. Even though a spellcasting duergar came a bit later, it still ended as it should. With our heroes standing over the smoking and slashed corpses of their enemies.

After searching the place, they found some letters indicating that the duergar indeed had an alliance with the gnolls, and someone called Paldemar.

They promptly returned to the Seven Pillared Hall