Estarion, Games 10 and 11

Game 10

We returned from a real-life holiday break to the heroes still talking to the priestesses of Astarte to learn that the Night Hag had stolen a key from the basement of the temple, one that would open an ancient enchanted tower under the bay. The coming night, a once-a-millenium low tide will make the top of the tower rise above the waves and lower the magical wards around the entrance and allow entry. Even then, the tower is enchanted to prevent followers of the goddess and the hags and their creations from entering. Inside is imprisoned a terrible master of the hags, that they worshipped as a power before the gods, and Elder Thing waiting to awaken.

The heroes plan a shipboard dash to the tower, supported by the warrior-priestesses of Astarte. They are met by a pirate ship. Using their spell-power, they mess up the pirates, but not before they drop a barrel into the water -- which turns out to be the Apparatus of Kwalish.

The heroes gather to stop the apparatus, waiting out the tide and waiting for the tower to be swallowed up by the waves again. They then dragged the apparatus to shore, defeated the drivers -- Regga and a wererat.

The heroes manage to convince the priestesses of Astarte to introduce them to the high priestess of Hecate, who helps them sequester the key in a magical hiding place, but they now know the hags will have to wait for another opportunity.

DM’s note: This was a total railroad of a session, I hate to admit, driven by the fact that we had way too many plot threads hanging out. I wanted to get the hags back on the back burner, close out the rat cult plotline, and get the PCs back to their interest in rooting out the cult of Orcus. Not my favorite way of handling things, but the group was getting stuck on where to go, so I focused on reducing options for them to make more meaningful decisions available.

Game 11

After some thought, the heroes decide to scout out two possible approaches to fighting the Cult of Orcus. They begin by sending Meadow’s familiar to scout the brothel of Tatiana Scaevola, and find out her operation is all kink upstairs and worse kink with zombie women in the basement. The rich and sadistic’s playground, and a source of potential blackmail material and wealth for the cult. They decide that, while they are squicked out about her, she isn’t a huge threat.

Next they look at Herminia Cassius. Researching the weaknesses of the penanngalan, the group manages to set up a plan to raid her house, steal her body, and burn it in the ruins of the temple of Astarte. The plan is a hit an run, and involves kidnapping a servant, killing Herminia’s charmed husband (with Arturius killing his old friend), and destroying a quasit with a lot of fire.

They also begin spreading rumors of unsavory activity in the brothel, and have yet to figure out deprogramming Regga. 

Also, it looks as if Meadow is now secretly visiting the town orphanage with children's books, helping teach the young about the good news of her patroness, Ereshkigal, to help them see the light of her warlock patroness. That's sweet, right?