OK, now I need to edit this at least long enough to add a summary.
The delegation inside of Hochgrube managed to subdue the assassins, but only after they dropped Edward Sir Winsley, who had carelessly vaulted out the window after the assassins who failed their hide in shadows check. (Not all of them failed!) The assassins were carrying instructions to frame the party for an attempt on Baron ("Burgrave" now, apparently) Rictovarius' life, and convince the army of Hochgrube to march north with his vassals and allies and conquer Duke Johann's kingdom. And quickly, before the undead could do it first!
The party made some strategic alterations to the incriminating letter, assigning its origin to the unknown "necromancers of the north", and presented it to Rictovarius. Over the suspicious of his cowled advisor, the mentally-challenged ruler took the bait and sent out word for his forces to muster.
Shayna assumed raven-form, and flew to parlay with the quite-real Necromancers of Sutekh (allies of Hochgrube) in the tower along the coast. They were easily moved to great interest in the arrival of a massive undead army, and seemed to know at least as much as the party (if not more) about both the Acolytes of Orcus and the Necrolytes of Nergal, and their activities in the northern mountain catacombs near Green Pass. The grandmaster seemed to attribute the developments to a prophecy that would (predictably) result in his own rulership over the lands to the north, and perhaps the whole world. Hey, when you have delusions of grandeur, there's really no point in going only halfway.
Meanwhile, the armies mustered outside Hochgrube. Viserion persuaded a small force of kobolds to march along with the party in exchange for quadruple their usual pay ("Yay! A duple!"), and in short order they were regarding him as a gloriously accessible personal diety. Everyone set off for the Timberlands to the north, with the Necromancers of Sutekh holding up Hochgrube's forces by a few days due to their longer trip.
Roster
- Edward Sir Winsley, 5th-level dandy mystic (Andrew)
- Jeeves, 1st-level butler-paladin
- Frigodria Dawnbringer, 5th-level paladin (Reba)
- Herrobin, 6th-level summoner, and his scads of spooky scary skeletons (Kyle)
- Aureon Thallanir, 4th-level nightblade (Sion)
- Merda Strega, 6th-level witch (Will)
- Mysterious Lizard-y Stranger (Austin)
- Viserion, 5th-level young white dragon (Zac)
- Adonirim, 3rd-level mage
- Shayna, 6th-level shaman (Kim)
- Army o' skeletons (200+ at this point), with a few abominations as champions
- Aksel Steelheart, 9th-level vaultlord
- 10 dwarven lieutenants:
- 4 5th-level vaultguards
- 3 4th-level vaultguards
- 2 3rd-level vaultgaurds
- 2nd-level vaultguard
- 18 fire dwarf infantry
- ~ 90 light-infantry pirate survivors from the defeat of the Charybdis crew in the Saberstrath campaign
- Around 150 very greedy kobolds, recent converts to the worship of Viserion.
- The very young white dragon, Namazu, reporting back on the frost giants
- Jarrus Velt, 5th-level thief
- Zelmar (injured, retiring maybe?)
- Anatolia (at chapel with Zelmar)
- Sir Robin (badly injured)
- Zalgesh
- Sir Rock Boulder Fist, dwarven 5th-level summoner
- Thorvald, 6th-level spy (Zac's Mom's PC, not a henchman)
- Togast, 6th-level skinscribe (Juston... was he here? I don't remember him there.)
- Tu'a'than, 5th level spriggan
Casualties
Edward Sir Winsley, who went down hard to multiple backstabs. He was successfully resurrected, but not without a few... alterations. Let's just say he's going to have to invest in a lot of new clothing that's more accommodating of the female figure.
Magical Items
All assassins were bearing short swords+1 and daggers +1 (one of which was sold to reprovision the warparty). They also each had padded shoes (+4 to move silently checks) and thieves garb (+4 to hide in shadows).
Valuables
Experience
Killed: 8 7th-level assassins [8x1140=9120 xp]
Total: 9120 xp
Total experience from treasure: 0 xp
Total experience from kills: 9120 xp
Total experience from exploration: 0 xp
Total experience: 9120 xp
Total experience per member*: 3648 xp
* This applies only to the survivors of the assassination attempt (Austin and Sion), with Jeeves getting a half-share of 1824 xp.
Edward Sir Winsley, who went down hard to multiple backstabs. He was successfully resurrected, but not without a few... alterations. Let's just say he's going to have to invest in a lot of new clothing that's more accommodating of the female figure.
Magical Items
All assassins were bearing short swords+1 and daggers +1 (one of which was sold to reprovision the warparty). They also each had padded shoes (+4 to move silently checks) and thieves garb (+4 to hide in shadows).
Valuables
None, aside from magic items.
Total treasure value: 0 gp
Total gold share per member: 0 gpExperience
Killed: 8 7th-level assassins [8x1140=9120 xp]
Total: 9120 xp
Total experience from treasure: 0 xp
Total experience from kills: 9120 xp
Total experience from exploration: 0 xp
Total experience: 9120 xp
Total experience per member*: 3648 xp
* This applies only to the survivors of the assassination attempt (Austin and Sion), with Jeeves getting a half-share of 1824 xp.
