> [!infobox|wikipedia] > # Recording > [](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UixUV_Mc6A) > # Basic Information > Attribute | Details | > ---|---| > Session # | 38 | > Play Date | 2025-09-27 | > Players | Deathmouse<br>JC<br>Kiwi<br>Lacer<br>Vael | > Party Level | 8 | > # Session Details > Attribute | Details | > ---|---| > Date | [[Campaigns/The Bloody Nails/Calendar/Year - 2507/03 - Water, 3rd.png\|5th Water, 3rd - 2507]] | > Location | [[Val Noren]] > Characters | [[Barak Stormrider]]<br>[[Captain Erendir Thalos]] | ## Summary The session begins in the chaotic aftermath of the undead attack on [[Val Noren]] and the news of the King being kidnapped. The party races to the Keep, passing slain guards and confused civilians. Inside, they regroup with [[Barak Stormrider]] and meet [[Captain Erendir Thalos]], who reveals a devastating truth: the kidnappers were dressed in rebel armor to bypass defenses, and witnesses claim they were led by none other than [[General Korvas]]—the former ally known to the party as [[Vaeleran]]. Determined to retrieve [[King Marius Noren]], the party investigates a bloody trail leading away from the Keep. Their tracking skills lead them to a nondescript building against the eastern wall, revealing a hidden smuggler's tunnel beneath the city. Navigating the subterranean passage, they overcome a massive cave-in through a combination of brute badger strength and [[Dondar]]'s arcane fabrication, eventually emerging in a cellar within Imperial-controlled territory. Upon surfacing, the group executes a chaotic ambush on two guards stationed outside. After a brutal interrogation where [[Ryo]] executes one prisoner to break the other's resolve, they learn the King has likely been taken to [[The Stoneheart]], the massive temple to the Earth God. [[Kai]] confirms this via aerial reconnaissance and magic. The session concludes with the party stealthily traversing the occupied city, establishing a forward operating base in a building overlooking the temple courtyard, poised to plan their rescue operation against overwhelming odds. ## Details ### The Keep and the Revelation * The party arrives at the Keep of [[Val Noren]] amidst heavy snow and confusion; bodies of guards are found along the path and at the gates. * [[Barak Stormrider|Barak]] introduces the party to [[Captain Erendir Thalos]], the commander of the city guard. * Erendir reports that the kidnappers of the King, numbering around 20-30, were dressed in Rebel armour, allowing them to slip past defences. * Witnesses identified the leader of the assault as [[General Korvas]] (formerly the party member [[Vaeleran]]), causing significant distress and anger among the party. * Realising the reinforcements and the attack were a coordinated distraction, the party decides to track the kidnappers immediately. ### The Smuggler's Tunnel * [[Eryndor]] and [[Ryo]] investigate the crime scene, finding a trail of blood and heavy boot prints leading away from the Keep. * With the aid of [[Berberis]]'s owl and [[Kai]]'s guidance, the party tracks the group through the snowy streets to an abandoned building built against the eastern wall. * Inside, they discover a hidden hatch leading to a well-maintained underground tunnel. * Berberis summons a badger to carry a written message back to [[Barak Stormrider|Barak]], informing him of their location. * The party encounters a massive cave-in blocking the path. Berberis (in Giant Badger form) and Ryo attempt to dig, but [[Dondar]] solves the problem by casting *Fabricate*, turning the debris into a perfectly reinforced stone archway. * The tunnel passes under the river and leads to a cellar in a house on the Imperial-controlled south side of the city. ### Ambush in Imperial Territory * [[Berberis]] scouts the house as a badger and detects two guards chatting outside the front door. * The party orchestrates a distraction: Berberis bursts out the door as a wild badger, confusing the guards. * [[Kai]] sneaks out and casts *Sleep*, successfully knocking both guards unconscious. * The party drags the guards into the cellar, binds, and gags them for interrogation. ### Interrogation and Reconnaissance * [[Kai]] attempts to interrogate one guard, but the soldier is defiant. * [[Ryo]] executes the gagged guard to intimidate the survivor. * The surviving guard reveals that while he doesn't know the exact location, he suspects the King was taken to [[The Stoneheart]] (Temple of [[Torgar Earthshaker]]) due to increased activity. * The guard mentions the presence of "[[The Red Priests]]" near the General, describing them as unsettling and "hungry." * Kai knocks the remaining guard unconscious and stages the room to look like a struggle, locking him in a bedroom. * Kai summons a familiar (Raven) and uses *Wild Shape* (Mouse) to fly over the city. using *Locate Object* on the King's shirt. * The spell detects the King inside The Stoneheart at ground level. Kai observes thousands of Imperial troops mobilising in the streets. ### Infiltration * Realising a frontal assault is impossible, the party decides to move closer to the target. * Utilising *Pass Without Trace*, the group stealthily navigates the occupied streets, avoiding patrols. * They locate a multi-story building overlooking [[The Stoneheart]]'s courtyard to use as a hideout and observation point. * The session ends with the party holed up near the temple, preparing to plan their next move.