Demon Prince (Date 1/9/30)

A young lieutenant by the name of Kenny Ismort, had taken upon his own authority to secure the injured gnoll in his tent and stood vigilant guard outside pretending he didn’t see the stinkeyes being shot at him by his own men. They claimed not to have heard the story that the prince and the Marshall had befriended a group of gnolls, and that this band’s actions seemed to indicate these might be those very creatures. They had not hurt anyone in their approach and when met with force had retreated rather than retaliate. The one he protected had clearly to his ear barked out the name “Marty”, though no one else agreed. We would see what the Prince said. If the Prince ever came!

The prince arrived with his men and proved the young lieutenant right, even gave him a special acknowledgment and asked that he follow up with him in town later.  Marty healed the wounded gnoll, who bowed in reverence to Strom, then the party gathered him up and headed into the woods to find the others. They found them hiding in a thicket fearing attack from a creature they called, The Demon Prince. Attacks had decimated BarBarks village, first bugs, then storms, then demons. Now only six of them remained. They blamed their old priestess, and begged for asylum.

The attack came shortly after the party’s arrival. The Demon Prince proved to be a grotesque humanoid with a monstrous fly’s head dressed as a filthy mockery of a Malwanese noble. Its powers attacked the mind, but once it’s minions were defeated it fled.

A brief discussion was had, and eventually it was decided to take the gnolls to Coronado’s Ferry. They set them up on the far side of the village. The party cleared out a warehouse by the dock to serve as their clubhouse, while the gnolls cleared several collapsed buildings on the periphery of the town as a place for their camp. After a few days, a contingent of soldiers, settlers and businessmen including Giuseppe and Mjelde arrived to begin the town’s reconstruction. Lex pointed out his claimed territory, peaceful introductions were made with the gnolls, and the Prince’s entourage gathered to head home.

Harvest Rain (Date 1/9/21)

None but the oldest living citizens of Malwan could recall a harvest festival with similar bounty. The streets teemed with happy people sharing, food, song and spirits. Even beyond the walls, a tent city had sprung up, and here to throngs danced and celebrated blocking Prince Euwyn and his entourage as they hurried back with the news of Coronado’s Ferry. News that would come too late on that day, for the King had already retired by the time it reached the castle.

Marty heard that Mjelde had returned and asked after him. When he found her, she related the news that Shelby and Justice had begun a romance while sharing time down at the fort.

In the morning Euwyn delivered the news to a partial and distracted collection of councilors, slipping away once questions turned from the demon to talk of colonization.

Left to their own devices, Ilyana and Edgar flirted with the idea of disobeying the Prince’s orders and trying on the powerful, but potentially, cursed ring they had brought back. Though she was certain the ring was safe to use, and excited about its power, Ilyana was true to her word not to touch it, though it pained her greatly.

At the invocation ceremony, during the King’s address a powerful storm swept across the lake from the west, soaking the various stands and displays and driving the fancily dressed citizens from the streets. Though the downpour was brief, a powerful stroke of lightning shattered a temporary façade under which Shelby and Justice had taken cover with several civilians. Bravely tossing others to safety in her stead, Shelby was buried under the rubble. Justice tore at the wreckage in the rain as several others, including Giada and Lexington, hurried to help. When she was pulled free, Shelby was alive but one of her legs had been shattered. It was obvious to all who saw that, if she lived, she would never walk again.

Lexington stabilized her with a magic potion and dispatched Giada to summon Brother Marty. Word spread quickly, and the entire party gathered at the fallen warrior’s side. The situation was grim and the atmosphere matched, until Marty was struck with an idea. While the magic of the ring purportedly only healed damaged sustained while wearing it, if the damaged limb were severed, perhaps it would grow back whole. It was their only shot.

Carrying Shelby by wagon to the tower, they laid her out and presented her with the situation. She placed her faith in Strom, much to Justice’s chagrin. A spell deadened the pain, the ring was donned, and the axe strike was true and strong severing flesh and bone cleanly. All stared (save Edgar who had been sent from the room) as no blood spurted forth. The wound healed over into a clean stump at first and then, in a matter of minutes, as they watched, a new and pristine limb grew in its place. Shelby got gingerly to her feet, tested the leg and found it strong, before dropping to her knees in front of Brother Marty and swearing her life anew to the service of Strom.

Shelby was there in church the next day, sitting alone – word was that after strong words, Justice had left the city in the early hours, returning with his men to the frontier fort.

Marty saw her and smiled as he prayed over the largest flock he had ever seen in the temple. The place was getting cramped. Among the teeming multitude, he saw Drova looking up at him with beaming eyes and just a few rows back Lumi was sitting her head bowed in prayer. He cast his mind forward to the end of the ceremony when both of them would come to see him at the same time. A silent prayer ran through his mind and was - to his great surprise - almost immediately answered! Prince Euwyn arrived with the party. He was needed. Gnolls! Or something… In his excitement he had missed the precise threat, but bidding the congregation a hasted farewell, he hurried to follow.

Coronado Sleeps (Date 1/9/19)

While Euwyn, Lex and Giada explored the areas around Coronado’s Ferry – at one point fighting off a family of hibernating bears when they disturbed their cave – Marty led his team in a stealthy approach on the city itself. Stealth was essential as giant insects swarmed everywhere, no longer confined to the city limits. Once the team got close, Ilyana called for a groundhog. It took several hours for one to appear, but once it did, the druid was able to question it. The animal confirmed that the city was unsafe, and that no animals went there. While interesting, this information wasn’t very helpful, so they decided to sneak closer. They found a giant tree growing near the town cemetery. Again, Ilyana called upon her powers to interrogate the massive oak. It was able to relate far more information. The town had been dead for a long time, since the people had left and the bugs had come. Also, there was a dead space, a large, stone cavity sitting under the town hall – the center of the bug infestation! How to safely approach…

Hiding in the shadows of the graveyard, Ilyana prepared a new spell and began to burrow through the earth. Marty and Hedge were able to follow close behind her, crawling through the cramped, temporary tunnel. They hit a wall! A wall of stone stretched underneath the town, one end reaching toward the hall, the other down toward the docks. Unable to stop for fear the tunnel would collapse on them, Ilyana made a quick choice and headed away from the hall. The tunnel connected to a chimney which broke the surface at a giant metal door. Runes around the edge told the story: “Here lies Coronado may his slumber be our salvation.” The ancient lock was rusted through and yielded to Marty’s mace. Iron rungs set in the stone wall descended into darkness. Marty warned that they might not be safe, and indeed the fifth rung down gave way to the slightest touch. At the base of the chimney, thirty feet down, a tunnel extended toward the hall, but horrors waited in the darkness. Not the undead! These were far darker creatures, flying snakes with row upon row of spiky teeth and a spooky child-like entity who warned of the coming of, “The Master”. As soon as these were dispatched a horrid, three-legged, multi-eyed beast sprouting a vicious array of insectile claws scrambled out of the darkness. As it came, the senses of the party went. Their minds slipped away and left them drooling in horror unable to even raise a hand to protect themselves. Death seemed certain, until the thing lifted Marty as easily as if he were a child and his armor slipped – or did the beast move it aside to see what lay beneath… Marty’s birthmark, his holy symbol of Strom – and upon seeing it, the creature recoiled! It broke and fled to the surface. As it left, the party’s senses returned, though the fear lingered.

At the hallway’s end, they found a broken sealing symbol and a shattered sepulcher, its contents ripped free and dismembered. Tatters of the cloth which had wrapped the body lay all around and on one of its hands was a powerful magic ring. It seemed on cursory examination to be able to restore its wearer from even the most grievous wounds.