Session 57 - Endgame

Winter 620 MR

The Heroes enter Azariel's Black Citadel, and face magical guardians, deadly traps, and undead creatures. They reach the throne room of the Master of the Citadel, none other than the Knight of the Black Wings. After a short fight, the Knight escapes, and our Heroes gain access to Michael's prison, an obsidian crystal sphere in and endless waste of shadows.

There, they meet Azariel's avatar, the Dark Angel. Thanks to Ashan's magic, who empowers their weapons, they're able to pose a threat to the fearsome creature. During the battle, the Heroes are severely wounded, but with her last drop of energy and rage, Lena guts the avatar's belly, and banishes it from the Shadow World, albeit temporarily.

Michael's soul is released, and he has the chance to say goodbye to his friends. Together with Ashan, the soul departs to the Upper Planes. In a flash of light, the Heroes are returned to Hrothwulf's court.

With all their enemies defeated, it is finally time to lay down their arms, and  enjoy peace and a long life.

Session 56

Winter 620 MR

Two years have passed since the coronation of Hrothwulf, but still the king cannot find peace. He mourns the soul of his good friend Michael, a soul that anguishes into the Shadow World.

The opportunity to save this soul arises when Ashan, once Michael's guardian angel, visits Hrothwulf's court, and offers his help to guide the Brotherhood into the Shadow World, deep into Azariel's realm, and to the White City of Kilenor, where Michael's soul is trapped.

The Brotherhood travels to Haldallen, and enter the dungeons of the deserted Warlock's castle, to cross into the Shadow World. There, Ashan's magic brings them a few miles from the Kilenor, since Azariel's powers protect the lands around it from angelic magic.

The Heroes travel through the dark caverns of this evil plane, fighting undead, demons, and aberrations, until they finally come into view of the White City.

Session 55

Spring 618 MR 

The heroes fight more of the Warlock's minions, until they meet one of the orog captains wearing a ring of shadows, the key they need to finally enter the Warlock's inner sanctum.

In his treasure room,they confront the necromancer, who unleashes his magical powers at them, killing Samiah. As their arrows bring him to the ground, the Warlock rises as the Shadow Wyrm, a huge beast of malice and evil. But the Brotherhood doesn't give up, summoning the help of a celestial ally, who supports them just enough to allow Nathanael to silence the Warlock forever.

With the villain dead, the heroes have the time to find and destroy the cursed cauldron responsible for the Warlock's enhanced necromantic powers. As they leave the fortress and meet their scattered armies, they hear that the undead troops attacking the Giantdowns crumbled to dust, and those goblinoids that were left have scattered and run away.

It will take time to recover from the heavy losses, but the Giantdowns are finally free of evil, and united under one banner. Hrothwulf is crowned King of the Giantdowns, and the heroes ready themselves to enjoy a well deserved rest.

Session 54

Spring 618 MR

Hrothwulf, decided to give a fighting chance to the invaded regions, decides to split the armies. He plans to enter Haldallen and lay waste to the defending troops thanks to Huralla's and Samiah's magic. He hopes for a chance to discover the Warlock's hideout, and put an end to the necromancer's threat.

Huralla disagrees with this course of action, but eventually bends her will to Hrothwulf when she's reminded of her oath of vassallage.

The Brotherhood invades Haldallen, meeting the humanoid servitors of the Warlock. But suddenly, out of stormy clouds, a Shadow Wyrm dives from the sky into the battlefield, laying waste to the Heroes' armies. Yet Lena gets a glimpse of the Warlock's castle, and thanks to Samiah's spell of teleportation the Brotherhood leaves the battlefield, appearing on the battlements of the fortress.

After facing several orog's guards, the Heroes enter the keep, and release an unusual prisoner's from an holding circle: a deva! The celestial creature rewards them by swearing he will come to their aid if they utter his name, but just once.

The Heroes delve deep into the dungeons of the castle, and discover a hidden path in between this world and the Shadow world. Unfortunately, it seems a specific key is needed to make use of this path. The Heroes retrace their steps, looking for the Warlock's inner sanctum.

Session 53

Spring 618 MR

The Heroes face hill giants guards, and fearsome trolls, and they finally challenge Ghuralli. Nathanael breaks its iron body with the help of a magical rod. But Ghuralli's lair seems to be the holding place of something even more terrible. A magical seal holds something ancient, and the Heroes, hoping in a powerful ally, break the seal.

What comes out of the magical prison is most definitely not friendly, and, as the whole compound falls apart, the Brotherhood escapes, while an ancient evil is now free to roam Cerilia.

Ghuralli's armies, now without leadership, fall under the Brotherhood's troops and the powerful magic of Samiah, Huralla, and Regall, who lends his powers to defeat undead to the cause.

After a glorious victory, the Heroes ponder the possibility to immediately invade Haldallen. But hordes of undead storm out of the region, flowing into Caer Cwnnar, Boganhaarn, Skansoeren, and Trondelaag.

Now the Brotherhood faces a difficult choice: will they send help to the almost defenseless regions, or will they press the attack on Haldallen?

Session 52

Early 618 MR

The Brotherhood reaches an agreement with the Imperail envoys, but Hrothwulf still manages to offend the Imperial Ambassador, who had made some unfortunate remarks about Lady Arnora.

The Ambassador leaves, while Regall remains in the Giantdowns with his army.

After securing a treaty with the White Witch, in exchange for Arnora's Ice Armor, Hrothwulf and the princess marry.

The Brotherhood gathers armies to invade Rhuiddar. As their troops ready for the invasion, the Heroes sneak into Rhuiddar, to locate Ghuralli's hideout, and take him out.

They eventually reach a fortified hill deep into the cursed forest, and after slaughtering the Orog garrison, they delve deeper into the fortress.

Session 51

Winter 617 MR

The Heroes muster many troops, and invade the Barrow Woods. The battle is very costly, but in the end the Brotherhood triumphs.

Princess Arnora (aka the Knight of Ice) is prisoner in Lemnjohen. Hrothwulf has fallen even more deeply in love with her, and Samiah finds out that her armour, a gift from her mother the White Witch, has probably had an evil influence on her.

In order to help Hrothwulf further, Samiah pours an elixir of love in Arnora's food, just before one of Hrothwulf's visits to the prisoner. Arnora's mood changes, and she seems more open to dialogue with Hrothwulf and the Brotherhood.

Regal arrives with his army, bringing the Emperor's demands. The Empire recognizes Hrothwulf as the sovereign of the Giantdowns, but asks for several concessions. The Heroes seem inclined to agree.

Session 50

Winter 617 MR

The heroes skulk into enemy lands, and eventually reach the frozen lake where the Knight if Ice's stronghold is situated. The fortress grows in the middle of the lake, made of ice and stone. With powerful magic, the heroes avoid the surrounding encampments, and penetrate into the fortress.

There, they face yetis and fearsome ice giants, until the finally meet the Knight of Ice and her priestesses of Kriesha. After a short but intense battle, the priestesses are defeated, and the Knight of Ice surrenders to the Brotherhood.

The heroes teleport back home, while the armies of the White Witch occupying the Barrow Woods begin their march into Silverheart.

Session 49

Winter 617 MR

The Heroes retreat into Boganhaar, while the goblinoid armies invade. Huralla arrives leading an army of Druids and Shapeshifters, and joins forces with Hrothwulf. But the Warlock's troops fight fiercely, and when all seems lost, Daegandal (Siobhan's brother) arrives with his Ghaellie Sidhe to support the Brotherhood and win the day. Vjelthelma is now free, and annexed to the Brotherhood's lands.

As the Heroes consolidates their winnings, Ogrun travels to the dwarven realms to arrange the funerals of his wife, and to petition King Emerus to restore Samiah from her stony curse. With a heavy heart, the King obliges.

Samiah travels to the city of Anuire, and hears rumors of an Anuirean army, led by Regall, travelling to the Giantdowns. The purpose of this army is not completely clear, but the Brotherhood fears it is an invading army.

The magical mists protecting the Warlock's lands dissolve, and the Warlock makes a nocturnal appearance in Lemnjohen: he threatens the Heroes to unleash a year of plague on the land, followed by an invasion of Undead. He also offers a one year truce, but only if the Brotherhood will deliver Regall to him.

The Heroes, apparently surrounded by enemies, decide to take their chances to the north, and enter the Barrow Woods, intent on capturing the Knight of Ice (the White Witch's daughter).

Session 48

Autumn 617 MR

The heroes found an abandoned stronghold, half submerged by the swamp. Inside, they face the beholder Babasak, now a servant of the Warlock, while he's completing a ritual to bring into the world a terrifying creature from the Shadow, a Nightwalker.

During the fight, Babasak turns Samiah to stone, and disintegrates Norla. Nathanael manages to defeat the beholder, and the Heroes face the Shadow creature, almost losing theirs lives, until Lena pierces its dark heart and sends it back to the Shadow world.

The heroes travel back to their armies gathered at the border, and engage the goblinoid armies. Unfortunately, without the magical powers of Norla and Samiah, they suffer a defeat and are forced to retreat.

Session 47

Spring 617 MR

In Rhuiddar, they encounter the talking owl Fray, who guides them to Silverbark. The ancient treant teaches the heroes the ritual to remove the curse placed on Boganhaar, and thanks to Norla's priestly powers, the Brotherhood aquires all the necessary components in a very short time.

As they ready themselves to perform the ritual, they must face Traig the Ogre Mage and his Ogre warband. The monster has not forgotten his defeat at the end of Hrothwulf's band, and has allied with the Warlock to get his revenge. As his decapited head rolls on the ground, the heroes slaughter the remaining ogres, and break the curse.

Siobahn dissolves the mists, and the Brotherhood armies enter Boganhaar, and defeat the goblin tribes, freeing the region and annexing it to their realm.

As the season ends, Norla gives birth to a daughter, and after a well deserved rest, the Heroes' gazes turn to Vjethelma. Once again, the mists are dissolved by Elven magic, and the Brotherhood's armies lay siege to the occupied region. But it seems that an undead legion is defending the territory, bolstered by a mysterious rift to the Shadow World somewhere to the East.

The Heroes travel to the border with Gorgon's Realm, now a murky swamp, led by Lena's newly aquired ability to sense the influence of the Shadow Realm. There, they clash with a local clan of Lizardmen.

Session 46

Early 617 MR

The Heroes spend a few days in Castle Krovolka to search the grounds, and discover a magical mirror that opens a "door" to another mirror inside the Observatory. This last mirror cannot be removed from the room, but the Heroes will have a way to go back to Castle Krovolka when they want to.

The Hereos return to the Giantdowns. Jasmine passes her source in Midjarna to Samiah, and Hrotwulf assigns Bjorlangen to Lena, who has recently aquired a bloodline.

On the 5th of Roelir, Nathanael's and Siobhan's daughter is born, and they name her Niobhe.

Not long after giving birth, Siobhan reminds to the Brotherhood that the influence of the dark magic of the Warlock is spreading and becoming stronger, infecting the land with its dark taint. Before they attack him and Ghuralli directly, she suggests they limit his influence by freeing more regions. The Heroes travel to Boganhaar, but Siobhan magic cannot dissolve the mist protecting the region. It seems a sickening curse hangs on the land, and only by removing it will the Heroes be able to banish the magical mist.

The Brotherhood travels through Boganhaar, and encounter a sick, wounded druid, who leads them to a council of Treants, also infected by the curse. They ask them to seek Silverbark, an ancient slumbering treant that is said to live in the primeval forests of Ruiddhar. Being the wisest of them all, surely he will know of a way to stop the curse.

The Heroes begin their journey into Ruiddhar.

Session 45

Autumn 616 MR

The heroes explore the deserted castle, facing many undead horrors, and meeting the ghost of Lena's mother.

Eventually, they reach the catacombs, and in a secret temple dedicated to Azariel, they face Lena's uncle, now a powerful lich, and Lena's father, who's possessed by the blood of Azrai, and is a full-fledged bestial awnshegh.

After a difficult battle, Nathanael destorys the lich, as Lena's pierces her father's heart, and inherits his power... and his curse.

Session 44

Autumn 616 MR

Jasmine and Samiah teleport to Anuire, to transport the Tieghan family (Regall, Tannen, and Lady Erin) to the Vos lands. Regall warns Nathanael that, if Hrothwulf will not bend the knee to the Emperor, war may be coming to the Giantdowns from Anuire.

A travelling bard arrives at Lord Voron's castle, performing a puppet show recounting the curse of Lena's family, the Krovolka. During the night, the bard reveals himself to be an ally of Lena's father, and tries to turn her to evil. She refuses, and is more than resolute to travel to her father's castle and find out the whole truth.

The marriage of Jasmine and Voron takes place, but is disturbed by wolf howls. Lena commands the wolf to stop the ruckus, and they obey to her. The day after, the Heroes travel to Castle Krovolka, situated on a small rocky island onthe edge of a waterfall. The Castle seems devoid of civilized life, but giant vermins and undead creatures infest the place.

Session 43

Autumn 616 MR

The Heroes offer an alliance to Queen Llaeddra, but she refuses to have anything to do with mortals. Noticing that Siobhan carries Nathanael's child, she banishes her from the Forest Realm. The Heroes return to Trondelaag, where Siobhan offers them her help to dissolve the magical mists covering Caer Cwnnar.

As the warding disappears, Hrotwulf's armies invade and conquer Caer Cwnnar, slaying the occupying goblins to the last. Siobhan senses that the mebhaighl in the region has been corrupted by shadows, and the wardings present in the surrounding regions are stronger. She is not sure she will manage to dissolve also those.

Feeling they've earned his trust, Hrothwulf assigns Caer Cwnnar to Nathanael and Siobhan, and invests Samiah with a few Sources he inherited upon Michael's death.

As the year approaches its end, Jasmine pays a visit to invite the Heroes to her marriage with Lord Voron. Thanks to her and Samiah's magic, they travel to Torova Temylatin in an instant. There, they're greeted by snowstorms and the cold welcome of the rugged Vos people.

Lena, paying her regards to Voron's dying father, Tzar Vassily, makes an important discovery: she once possessed a cursed bloodline. Her father, Tzar Ivan Krovolka, obtained an Azrai bloodline by slaying an awnshegh, not long before conceiving Lena. Lena's mother died in childbirth, and Lord Krovolka, taken by madness, and a fully transformed awnshegh, tried to kill the infant Lena. She was saved by Lord Vassily, who then hired a priest to remove Lena's bloodline, and store it somewhere save (via the blood bank spell). Unfortunately, the priest died not long after, and the vessel of Lena's bloodline was stolen.

Lena decides to go and check her father's castle, when a huge pack of dire wolves attacks Voron's castle.

Session 42

Summer 616 MR

Deep into the volcano, the heroes defeat the fire giant leaders, and also face the mother of the wyvern brood, an enormous blooded specimen capable of breathing fire. In her treasure hoard, the heroes find the magical spear Brichlur. With the beast dead, the party frees the elven maidens kept prisoner, among them the beautiful princess Siobhan, Daegandal's sister.

They escape the volcano, and travel on gryphon's back to the elven realms. During the trip, a romantic relationship springs between Nathanael and Siobhan. They leave the party for a week, while the others proceed to the elven capital, where they hope to forge a new alliance.

While Nathanael spends blissful days in Siobahn's lake-house, the heroes receive a cold welcome in the elven city of Rhosneibhal. At first, Queen Llaeddra Siannodenel refuses to meet them, already enraged by their mere presence. Siobhan and Nathanael travel to the city thanks to the her magic, and she persuades her mother to allow the heroes to meet her.

As the heroes enter the royal palace, they prepare themselves to face the wrath of Queen Llaeddra.

Session 41

Summer 616 MR

The heroes travel north, once again through the mist, across Caer Cwnnar, and into the elven forest of Lluabraight. As they travel, they have a chance encounter with an elven gryphon rider, on the run from a fire giant riding a huge wyvern.

The heroes defeat the giant, and the elf introduces himself as Prince Daegandal, a lord of the elven forest. His flight of gryphon riders has been captured by the fire giants, together with his sister Lady Siobhan. The heroes realise the fire giants are of the same clan they're looking for, and decide to lend assistance to the elven lord.

Daegandal calls the surviving gryphons, and teaches the heroes to ride them. Together they fly to mounts Bellows, where the fire giants and their homongous wyverns make lair.

The heroes assault the mountain, and go deep into the compound, facing many of the giants and their firenewts servants.

Session 40

Summer 616 MR

The heroes kill Dunmudden, and all his clan. They capture the duergar high priest, who, in exchange for is life, reveals to the heroes the location of Brichlur, the magical blood silver spear.

The weapon is in the care of a clan of fire giants allied with Gorgon, stationed inside a volcano. The only way to reach the lair is by flight. The heroes return home, and begin to plan their next expedition.

Nathanael tries to extend his influence into Midjarna, but he's opposed by Huralla.

Hrothwulf suggest a trip to the north, into elven lands, to forge new alliances.

Session 39

Spring 616 MR

After celebrating Ogrun's marriage with Norla, the heroes mourn their losses, while more plots are being hatched in Anuire.

Nathanael has put an end to the war in the south, by killing the king of Ghoere. Lord Thalion sends him and his entourage, including the crafty Samiah, to the Giantdowns to remind to Hrothwulf that he still owes allegiance to the empire. On his way north, he must also travel to Mhoried, to accompany Lady Elsbet Cadwgan to the Giantdowns. She's to be offered in marriage to Hrothwulf to seal his allegiance to the empire.

As Nathanael arrives in the Giantdowns, he discovers that his brother is dead, and that Hrothwulf has no intention to submit to the empire. The rjurik ranger is planning to recover the ancient spear Brichlur, which they gave up years ago to Gorgon's lackeys.

To find the spear, the heroes travel to the hideout of the dark dwarf Dunmudden, a long time servitor of the Gorgon.

Session 38

Early 616 MR

The Heroes reach the opposite entrance of Khazefryn, where they face Quaggoth spider riders. They eventually meet a dead end, and decide to return to one of the islands, to better study a huge opening on the cavern side, from which a great evil power seems to spread.

From the opening, a gargantuan Wyrm, clad in shadows, dives upon them. Claws, fangs and corrosive breath cannot stop the Heroes, and they eventually defeat the creature, and loot his immense treasure.

Sigurd thinks that the source of this evil in an unholy altar they found on one of the dark elves' islands, and he goes back there to destroy it. Unfortunately, he provokes the wrath of the dark god Azariel, who punishes the desecration of his altar by sending a creeping doom spell. Sigurd does not survive.

The Heroes spend the rest of the night in the Dragon cave, and, when the shadows seem to became deeper, an image of Azariel makes his appearance. He comes as an alabaster-skinned nobleman, bearing a chain. At the end of the chain, into the deeper Shadows, Michael's soul is trapped. Before disappearing, Azariel advises the Heroes to stop interfering with his plans.

It seems that, by defeating the Dragons, the Heroes have severed the connection of these caves with the Shadow World. They secure all the treasure, and return to the Dwarven Halls of the Rocksplitter Clan. The rewards have been many, but the cost in life and friends has been high.