Zhents Session 15: Making Friends

This week’s session finds the Zhent characters completing an all-night top to bottom search of Castle Enneth finding various weapons, armor, cold weather and explorer’s gear, and a couple of scared dwarves as Eragyn, Red Morgan and the rest of the Zhents keep watch. Havaok also set a sentry skull to keep watch through the rainy night. The castle seemed to serve as a temporary abode for this resistance group.

Magical items were evaluated and distributed among the characters and Dylan inventories the equipment. Sometime during the early morning Ulric Estone alerts the characters the body of the dead giant is gone. The characters report to investigate but with the night rainy conditions it was not possible to tell if the giant body was carried, dragged, or if it just walked away.

Morning of the fourth day and while Eragyn, Red Morgan and the rest of the Zhents rested the characters set about caring for the livestock, Tiberius crafting swift runner shirt, and El Guapo studying two spell books and combining notes to make a third spell book. Red Morgan continues training Elric, Mornan, and Timrurko in the roguish ways while Mara devotes herself to Eragyn’s new church of Bane in Green Orb.

Later that night, as everyone planned to leave the next morning, the characters received visitors. Outside Castle Enneth was Foucher and five we armed tieflings who demanded the gates be opened for the Strifelord Sumel Ilzimmer. A quick inspection indicated a large group accompanying the Strifelord including a personal entourage as well as a small tribe of orcs, numerous skeletons, and two undead giants. The Strifelord himself, hidden in a covered litter, as the Servants of the Dark Sun were allowed in.

About an hour later the characters meet with Strifelord Sumel Ilzimmer and fully understand their intentions. They travel south to take the dark fight directly to Shadowdale and their temples. It would seem Sumel, Tephna, and Mirrormane are accustomed to assimilating others to their cause and therefore callously assume the characters will join them as well. Havaok countered and invited them to join THEIR team and help rebuild Daggerdale and wait for main Zhentarim force. Lucas interjected and invoked the Ministry’s name and that for the most part, everyone was on the same side. Neither side could come to an agreement so it was agreed among the characters they would leave at first light.

However not long after that Havoak found where the Black Pegasus accompanying the Strifelord was being stabled. Its name was Guetha-Niz an evil creation, made from unicorns infused with the blood of the underworld; he was coal-dark with a coarse black mane and burning red eyes, his horn long and spiraled and chased with silver. He was being held in place by five zombies with heavy silver chains.

After some careful experimentation, Tiberius even attempting to control the zombies, Havaok was able to free Guetha-Niz only to be suddenly and magically transported to the ruined temple to Bane in Green Orb. The remaining characters thought this would be a great time to leave Castle Enneth and the Servants of the Dark Sun and return to Green Orb.

A few hours later the characters reunite in Green Orb to rest at the Schnapps Queen where they would later decide their next course of action. Send Red Morgan and the caravan to Dagger Falls to resupply with the funds Eragyn has gathered. Make contact with any Dagger Falls Zhents and inform them to make contact with Green Orb, after that report to the Flaming Tower before returning to Dagger Falls the following day with hopefully more supplies before finally returning to Green Orb three or four days later. The characters would travel with the caravan as far as they can before breaking off to investigate Kellet. 

Black Switch

Around noon of the fifth day the characters find themselves on the trail to Black Switch, a mostly empty farming village, with a blacksmith, a millstream, mill and a small, newly remodeled former inn and brewery now an Aurora’s Emporium. Here the characters meet with Delbert Hiel who manages the emporium. While eager to do business and make contacts, he is either reluctant to share what he knows of the village or (being new to Daggerdale) does not know much to tell. Delbert does however know that while Black Switch does not have a formal constable, Tristarm and his band of road marshals come through Black Switch at least once every couple of days.

Next it was decided to visit the ruins of Kellet two hours away from Black Switch; that is where we begin next session, an hour away from Kellet.

Ruins of Kellet