ARENTINE: Story Update

After conquering the dangers of the Shahamunti Mountains, the party saw the grim city of Khare on the horizon. Heading through the wasteland foothills that mark the beginning of the vast and terrible land of Kakhabad, they enter the city, and are greeting with streets streaming with blood and effluence. They make haste to refresh their supples before heading to a Harper safehouse in the northern quarter of the city. There they met a Harper agent, a rather scruffy and jittery ranger called Dogbone. He seemed unable to help them with their quest, appearing quite confused as to why Baba Yaga would send them to find Suzzarn. He informs the party that Suzzarn is no sage, but in fact one of Lord Azzur’s (the supposed ‘ruler’ of Khare) lickspittle courtiers.

The party choose to follow Dogbone’s advice to find an alliance in the city with one of the factions who run the streets; the Hanged Men, the Court of Jakob, or the House of Pale Lanterns. They also learn that it is the House of Pale Lanterns that is run by the infamous Forkiz Geung, the very same man who holds Orrind hostage. They make contact with all three gangs, and acquire a mission to investigate some disappearances at a dungeon named Conrad’s Point from Pavel Flind, the doyen of the Court of Jakob. Not fancying allying with the Vecna and Orcus worshippers, the party take this intelligence to the Hanged Men’s doyen Bad Krum, who sends them to investigate Conrad’s Point to see what the death cult is up to.

Upon their arrival at Conrad’s Point, they encounter a moribund cultist, who informs them that the dungeon is infested with demons. Sure enough, the party find and dispatch several bloodthirsty demons and abyssal traps. Bursting into the final chamber of the dungeon, they encounter another group of demons led by a huge bull-headed demon who introduces himself as Zod the Immortal. Full of hubris Zod announces that we will enjoy feasting on the party and, rather cryptically, that “he will not wait for the Eclipse”. After a furious battle, the heavily wounded Zod swoops into the fray, snatching up Alain Fu and escaping down a pit deeper into the dungeon…