Session 30: Enter the Witch Queen

Hans, the gnoll captain of the guard shouted orders for his dwarven crossbowmen to concentrate fire on the bloody elf while the duergar guards were ordered to enlarge and hold the line and keep the intruders from regaining the high ground on the parapet walls.

As arrow fire was exchanged between Elarios and the gruff dwarven crossbowmen Lash found himself surrounded by a group of kobold warriors. Teetering on the edge of a deep slave pit, he executed a masterful maneuver and managed to shove one of the warriors into the pit while setting himself up to quickly dispatch another.

On the other side of the courtyard Mannon found himself surrounded by a menacing group of kobolds as well. The reptilian beasts chattered among each other and raised their miner picks wanting to impale him.

Krius surveyed the state of the battle. Knowing Lash and Mannon were in need of assistance but nowhere near to help either of them he directed Elarios to fire a volley of arrows at the kobold warriors surrounding Lash, while suggesting that Kobarr aid Mannon. In the meantime he kept the now giant duergar slavers busy.

Meanwhile, Morrainna had followed the craven kobold known as Torgo the Eye Gouger out of the battle back to the witches inner sanctum. She found herself before a large edifice with no discernible doors or windows that was completely covered in arcane runes and demonic symbology. Torgo led her to what he claimed was a "door" Morrainna quickly realized the arcane portal and activated a series of runes to open a passageway inside.

The magical door opened and the scene that befell Morrainna's eyes even made the drow take pause. Inside was a large chamber dedicated to one task, summoning and binding of demons. Morrainna was able to determine that the four magic circles in each corner of the chamber were minor circles of summoning, but it was the magic circle in the center of the room that turned her already cool blood cold. In the center was a gigantic headless demonic body. Standing behind the large body was Lady Kyleth, her bodyguard Bakra, her apprentice Maeve and her small imp familiar. Against her better judgment Morrainna boldly stepped into the summoning chamber.

Back in the courtyard Kobarr and Mannon quickly dispatch all but one of the kobold miners who chose to bravely flee rather than face down a portly halfling and what appeared to be a giant lightening breathing kobold. Seeing Krius fending off two giant duergar it was clear where they were needed so they ran off to join him.

On the parapets Elarios had dispatched one of the dwarven crossbowmen but had taken a vicious crossbow bolt of his own. He ducked under the crenellations to tend to his wounds. The gnoll captain had had it with these interlopers and took off at a mad charge across the parapets to engage Elarios in hand to hand.

Down on the ground Lash finished off the last of the kobold warriors and seeing Krius and Kobarr fighting back to back against the duergar brutes rushed off to assist his newly found adventure companions. While Krius and Kobarr kept the hammer wielding foes at bay Mannon snuck up behind one of them and managed to give it a shove right into Krius's long sword.

As the fight raged on in the courtyard Morrainna found herself standing before the witch queen and her retinue. Lady Kyleth gave a small wave of her hand and the door behind Morrainna closed on its own and sealed itself shut. She then leveled her gaze at the drow and simply said "I believe you have something I want".

Lady Kyleth then went on to explain that she was just a business women trying to make her way in this world and that she merely provides a service to those willing to pay a fair price. She then offered Morrainna a cache of treasure including the large gold ring a party of adventurers had foolishly left behind in exchange for the demonic skull floating gently on the drow's magical disc.

While Morrainna was exchanging pleasantries with the witch queen Krius was fighting for his life. Taking a powerful blow from one of the giant dark dwarves caused him to stagger back, but the paladin still had a few tricks remaining, he quaffed a potion of healing and was soon back in the fight. No sooner had he recovered than Lash's knife scored a paralyzing hit on the duergar while Kobarr and Mannon kept the other giant busy.

Up on the parapets the remaining dwarf crossbowman and Hans decided to charge Elarios and put an end to his unending stream of deadly arrows. Lash, seeing the gnoll and the dwarf bolt after the ranger decided to intervene, he leapt up the ladder to the top of the top the parapets intercepting the dwarf mercenary, but he was too late to stop the gnoll who dropped his bow and charged Elarios ready to do him in using a spiked mace.

In Lady Kyleth's sanctum some spark of conscience caused Morrainna to reconsider her bargain with the witch but before she could speak the witch's young apprentice decided to blurt out that the drow had arrived with the same group of adventurers who had killed her blacksmith and waylaid half of her kobold guards. Fed up the situation the witch glared menacingly at Morrainna, told her group of cronies to follow her, and walked right past the drow telling her to stay put.

Morrainna chose to slip out behind Kyleth and her followers. The witch didn't seem to be bothered by this and merely looked at Morrainna, tapped her staff on the ground, said "you are a minor nuisance", and with that Morrainna found herself helplessly suspended five feet in the air. The witch then turned and walked to the courtyard.

Seeing her kobold guards slain, her mercenaries decimated, and a general air of anarchy and destruction in the calm that should be her lair the witch queen was not pleased. Fire lit her eyes, she rose high into the air, directed her apprentice to let loose, and then proceeded to lay a vile curse on Krius lifting him into the air poisoning his very blood.

Kobarr sprang into action, seeing the witches apprentice standing near the edge of the slave pit he made a mad charge at her and tossed her unceremoniously to the bottom. Up on the parapets the enraged gnoll captain caught up to Elarios and was fighting him hand to hand, Lash was keeping the last dwarf guard engaged, while down on the ground Krius and Mannon were finishing off the duergar guard.

While Lady Kyleth surveyed the battlefield from the air Morrainna still had a trick up her sleeve, invoking the power of her spider goddess she crept up the wall to the top of the forge ready to attack.

At this point seeing her forces in disarray Lady Kyleth ordered her goblin body guard Bakra to "unchain the ogre" while directing the craven kobold Torgo to "bring up the earth elemental" and telling her imp to "begin summing the chub demons"...


The characters present:
* Morrainna (Aaron), drow dark pact warlock
* Mannon (guest played by Matt R.), shire halfling warlord
* Squire Krius (Matt G.), human paladin
* Kobarr (Witt), dragonborn fighter
* Elarios Amanodel (NPC, played by Matt G.), elf ranger
* Lash (Jeff), human rogue

Rumors and clues gathered (this session):
* The Witch Queen wants the demonic skull for some ritual even Morrainna was unable to discern but likely involves unleashing an extremely powerful demon into the world.

Treasure found (this session):
* None this session

Foes/traps/tricks overcome (this session):
* 3 Gnolls (No XP, fight on going)
* 4 Kobold guards (No XP, fight on going)
* 4 Kobold miners (No XP, fight on going)
* 2 Dwarf crossbowmen (No XP, fight on going)
* 2 Duergar slavers (No XP, fight on going)
* Lady Maeve (No XP, fight on going)
* Lady Kyleth the Witch Queen (No XP, fight on going)
* Torgo the Eye gouger (No XP, fight on going)
* Bakra the Sharpener (No XP, fight on going)
* Good use of tactics and terrain
* Morrainna's attempt to negotiate with the Witch Queen

Experience gained (this session):
100 each player