CoL Recap: Cultists in Stormhome

Dravago 27, YK 1000

We have repaired the ship and arrived at Stormhome. We are staying in Stormhome, but not at the resort.

Alain circulates amongst House tradesfolk asking around about dragonmarked individuals, and finds out they're more common in the villas. He recently saw a person in the port area last night getting off a rowing skiff, noticed that he was moving furtively and had some sort of dragonmark. Xau and Xiu hit the streets looking for information, but they're out of their element amongst the very wealthy. Torgen sits on a bench with Magnus to think, remembering our encounters with Brenner, and thinks that he is probably delivering something here, and that we need to be looking for where Brenner is going to meet his contact, or who is his contact.

Xau and Xiu decide to ask around about where a covert meeting might take place, there are docks where House Lyrandar magewrights work on airships and galleons. Underneath that dry dock, a dragonmarked Lyrandar heir is meeting with someone less important, so it is a good possibiilty. Magnus, with assistance from Alain, uses his knowledge of the underground, investigates the sewer system for easy covert entry and exit, and spots three such places in this district.

Xiu checks in with Drenna's message at Sivis, which is dated yesterday, "Brenner arrived Stormhome late last night. Currently in hiding near butcher's at intersection of Dragon & Lightning. On overwatch awaiting further instructions."

Xiu sneaks up to Drenna's hiding spot on the roof of a nearby tanner, spying on the butcher's shop. She finds out he has made one trip to the Sivis message station from the boat, and hasn't left the shop since. With assistance from the group, Magnus casts Thief's Lament on the butcher's shop, while Alain builds a pair of blinding bombs. Xau goes into the Sivis message station as Brenner, retrieves a message for him that says "Agreed. 10 PM. Plaza of the Three Mermaids. -Lord." We have about seven hours to plan. Xiu, with Xau and Magnus, forges a message from Sivis to Brenner, a perfect duplicate of the message that was sent. The message sends him under the dry dock at 8 PM.

Magnus goes to the area, claims to be on a mission for the captain of the Lightning's Fury, and sets a snare ritual. Xau poses as a half-elf in a cloak, but Brenner spots the snare and throws a dagger at Xau, starting the fight.

Xiu charges and pushes Brenner into the snare trap, triggering it and snaring Brenner. Torgen moves in and attacks Brenner, missing. Brenner stands, attacks Torgen and misses, saves and gets free of the snare. Xau crumples to the ground, Alain recognizes that chaos is flowing into him from the dagger in his side. Alain draws an AOO, is blinded, swings and misses with Greater Magic Weapon. Magnus comes in, hits him with a Kneebreaker, bloodying him and slowing him, spends an action point to use inexorable advance and knocks him out.

Torgen grasps the dagger in Xau, pulls it out and is in battle of wills with the dagger. Alain heals the chaos storm wound in Xau, who is stable but unconscious. Magnus grabs dagger sheathe from Brenner, slams it onto the dagger in Torgen's hand and tries to use nail of sealing, which explodes in reaction to the magic. Magnus searches Brenner's Deep Pocket Cloak and finds the sheathe for the dagger, a bolted and magically sealed coffer, and about 7,500 gp, which he turns into platinum using his magic box.

Xiu delivers Xau to House Jorasco, and he is put into their care. We wrap his Deep Pocket Cloak around the dagger, Magnus takes that and the box to House Kundarak and hides it in the sewer system, sending a Sivis message to House Kundarak with clues to its location. Torgen takes Brenner somewhere safe to stash him and leaves Drenna to guard him. Alain hires a Deneith protector to guard Xau and goes to meet him and Xiu at House Jorasco, but they have more than a little trouble convincing Xiu to leave Xau and go to the rendezvous with them. Finally Alain half-badgers half-convinces her by offering the help of Cannith in exchange for Xiu's help fighting "Lord."

Near the Three Mermaids fountain around 10 PM, Xiu and Alain are outside watching, Magnus and Torgen are in the nearby pub. We see someone moving up, he sees that Xiu is not Brenner and summons elementals using his dragonmark of storm, then summons cyclones.

Xiu attacks elemental for 23 hp, killing it, and uses her action point to use Wild Tumble Cut on Lord for 27 hp. Magnus runs out, kills the other elemental minion and summons his armor. Torgen runs out to confront huge Cyclone, finds out one of the "civilians" is armed, and attacks him for 17 hp, before Torgen attacks the Cyclone and misses. Alain recognizes the "civilians" as Stormfront Cultists, and he believes that "Lord" is Torval Enchiliost, head of the Storm Walkers, the cloak & dagger arm of Lyrandar during the war. Cultist fires at Xiu and hits her for 15 hp lightning whip, dragging her back away from Torval. Other Cultist hits Torgen, but can't slide him. Huge Cyclone draws AOO from Torgen, then uses storm burst on Alain and Magnus and misses them, moving next to Xiu. The other Large Cyclone attacks Xiu. Alain is caught in two auras, but moves up and fires flaming crossbow bolt at Torval, hitting him and igniting flame weapons for Magnus, Xiu and Alain.

Torval moves back, summons a Chillfire destroyer in the path. Xiu moves in on the Huge Cyclone and attacks him. Magnus attacks Huge Cyclone, activates Reign of Steel and uses come and get it on Chillfire Destroyer and Cultist, missing both. Torgen is fairly sure that when we smash the Chillfire Destroyer, it will explode. He runs up to the Huge Cyclone and summons Wrath of God. Cultist attacks Torgen with rapier and misses, other Storm Cultist moves up, fires his bow and misses. Huge Cyclone uses stormburst and hits Magnus, Torgen and Stormfront Cultist. Chillfire Destroyer misses Magnus. Alain uses Greater Magic Weapon on Cultist, bloodying him and giving magic weapon to Magnus and Torgen, then shifts away from Chillfire Destroyer.

Torval summons raging aura of electricity that hits Torgen, Magnus and Alain (crit). Xiu attacks Huge Cyclone with Rogue's Luck and bloodies it. Magnus shifts next to Chillfire Destroyer and Huge Cyclone, uses Thicket of Blades on both of them, bloodying the Chillfire and releasing its fire aura. Torgen lays hands on himself, moves up to Cyclone and Chillfire, swings and hits Cyclone. Cultist hits Alain with rapier, bloodying him. Magnus kills the Huge Cyclone with Reign of Steel, Large Cyclone uses stormburst, hitting Alain (crit) and knocking him out and also damaging Torgen and Magnus, then teleports next to Torgen, Magnus and Xiu. Chillfire attacks Magnus. Alain makes a 20 on death save with Rescuer from Magnus, is prone but awake.

Torval moves forward, casts earth rage spirit on Magnus and Torgen, knocking them prone and doing 23 thunder damage. Xiu drops her Brenner disguise to become an elf and handspring assaults Torval and moves behind him. Magnus attacks the Chillfire Destroyer and kills it, causing it to explode in flame and magma. Torgen uses Majestic Word to heal Alain up from bloodied, then lays hands on himself and attacks from prone against the Large Tornado. Stormfront Cultist attacks prone Alain with rapier, bloodying him again. Windfiend Fury (Large Tornado) takes Reign of Steel damage, attacks Magnus with lightning strike and misses. Chillfire Destroyer core explodes, missing Magnus and Alain, hitting Torgen and nearly killing him. Alain spends action point, stands, throws Runic Resistance and Life-Tapping Darts at Torval, uses Restorative Infusion on himself.

Torval misses Xiu with psychic attack, tries to flee and Xiu crits him into unconsciousness. We kill one Stormfront Cultist and the other one gets away. The guards arrive as we are trying to carry Torval away and catch the remaining cultist. The colonel escorts all of us, including Torval and the cultist, to the palace where we'll be treated and interrogated. We're escorted into the court of the Baron of Lyrandar, where she hears evidence from Alain and House Cannith against Torval, with Brenner as a witness. Magnus makes a deal with Brenner for information and the money inside the casket as proof, in exchange for immunity. Brenner admits to hiring House Thuranni to steal Karrnathi funds at Torval's direction, with written notes to back it up. Torval is stripped of his title and his post and held for execution, she apologizes and rewards us, instructing her Seneschal to reimburse Karrnath for 1.4 million gold, gives us 6,000 gp in gems and 10,000 gp in Lyrandar travel. She presents Alain with a suit of Shockweave Armor +3.