From A History of the Lords of Westmarch - Volume XIV

Session 9 Part 2

PCs

Talos Redwand, 5th level Conjurer
Lutien, 5th level Fighter (Myrmidon)
Brendel, 4th level half-elven Fighter (Swashbuckler)
Eswin, 5th level elven Thief
Kieren, 5th level Druid

NPCs

Shaw Ashcroft, 4th level Ranger (Justifier)

By Lady Myrs Kratys

Skiznit and his kin agreed to wait for the heroes in the lower level and guide them through the secret passage to Mullahey's Audience Hall when they were ready. Once again, the companions ascended the spiral staircase and once again, luck was on their side as they encountered no resistance.

The Dread Wolves of Mullahey

On the fourth floor of the castle the companions entered a room which contained several raised platforms. On three of these platforms, secured in cages, were large wolves. Green saliva dripped from their toothy maws as they paced back and forth. On the fourth platform stood Mullahey's bride, a corpulent half-orc, preparing a cauldron of troll stew. Eswin tried to creep up behind her and stab her in the back, but she caught wind of his approach and roared defiantly. Brendel let fly with his daggers, trying to prevent her from opening the cages with the wolves in them, but his aim was off and they clattered against the stone wall of the chamber and she managed to release the ravenous beasts. Brendel and Eswin engaged the half-orc while the others prepared to deal with the wolves.

Lutien used his magic ring to try and tame the wolves, but he only managed to charm one of them. Kieren used his magic cloak to fly towards the half-orc, but she beat him from the air with her massive clawed hands and then tossed him bodily to the floor below where the two remaining wolves waited. Using his new wolf ally, Lutien took on the alpha male and managed to cleave it in two with his mighty ax.  As Eswin and Brendel sliced up the half-orc, Talos and Kieren made quick work of the remaining she-wolf.

When the battle was done, the group made their way to Mullahey's private chamber. Within the priest's quarters they found the key to Brand's extra-dimensional prison as well as a note addressed to Mullahey from a certain RDM in the capital city of Vodymsira. The note spoke of a coup about to take place in the capital of the Duchy and encouraged Mullahey to make war on the Westmarch during this time. In exchange for his cooperation, Mullahey would be granted rulership of the Westmarch when the capital fell. Eswin guessed that the RDM in the note referred to Rialtan de Montefort, the Duke's Minister of Coin. The companions quickly decided that once their adventures in the keep were at an end, that a trip to the capital was in order to confront the Minister of Coin.

Lutien Arrives in the Extra-Dimensional
Prison

With the key to the extra-dimensional prison in hand, the companions once again descend the staircase to the lower levels of the keep. Using the key, they passed through the portal and into the prison. They found themselves in a darkened chamber lined with cell doors. Two huge, ugly guards awaited them. A giant-two headed troll wearing a black gauntlet and his companion, a smaller one-headed troll. A furious battle ensued in the tightly packed chamber. The companions hacked away at the trolls, but the beasts seemed to recover quickly from their wounds, dealing several blows back at the heroes in turn. Having heard of the weaknesses of trolls from a tome he had read, Talos related to his companions that they needed to burn the foul beasts in order to defeat them. With spell and oil, the companions managed to light the trolls aflame. Just before the giant two-headed troll fell however, he unleashed a powerful spell from his gauntlet. Bolts of lightning issued forth, searing the companions each in turn. Kieren fell motionless from the attack and was brought close to Troentad's doorstep. If not for his quick thinking, Brendel too would have been laid low, but at he last moment, he managed to block the bolt with his main gauche, frying it in the process. Using Ysma's Rod, Talos managed to revive Kieren and the group put an end to the trolls, burning their remains.

After the battle, they freed Brand from his prison. The lord's son was in bad shape however; his hand had been severed and he had lost much blood. The companions bound his wounds as best they could and settled down to recover from their own recent travails. As they huddled closely together in the safety of the prison chamber, they hatched their plans to put an end to Mullahey for good. Talos wanted to claim the magical black gauntlet for his own, but Eswin contested him and in the end the glove went to the sly elf.