> [!infobox|wikipedia] > # Recording > [](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZszSxD7V7aY) > # Basic Information > Attribute | Details | > ---|---| > Session # | 41 | > Play Date | 2025-11-15 | > 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\|6th Water, 3rd - 2507]] | > Location | [[Val Noren]] > Characters | [[King Marius Noren]]<br>[[Ayana Wynne]]<br>[[Barak Stormrider]]<br>[[Dread General Blackmarsh]] | ## Summary Following the desperate battle against [[Dread General Blackmarsh]] within [[The Stoneheart]], the party scrambled to recover before the Imperial forces outside realised their leader had fallen. After looting the General’s chaotic, heavy armour and severing his head, the group attempted a bold exit through the main doors. [[Berberis]] rolled the General's head down the stairs while [[Kai]] used thaumaturgy to flare the torches green, attempting to break the morale of the twenty-five soldiers waiting in the snow. While some wavered, the Imperial Captain rallied his troops, unleashing a volley of crossbow fire that nearly felled [[Ryo]]. Realising a direct assault was suicide, the party retreated inside, magically sealing the doors with ice and stone before executing a stealthy escape through the building's west wing. aided by *Pass Without Trace* and a clever decoy by Kai's raven, they slipped through the blockade unseen. The group navigated the tunnels back to The Keep of [[Val Noren]], collapsing their escape route behind them to prevent pursuit. Upon returning to the Keep, a relieved [[King Marius Noren|Marius Noren]] granted them sanctuary. The following morning revealed the spoils of war to be both powerful and ominous; specifically, Blackmarsh’s greatsword, *Dread’s Hunger*, was identified as an evil blade that consumes the wielder's life force to fuel necrotic strikes and reanimate the dead. The party chose to stow the malevolent weapon away. The session culminated in a war council with Marius, [[Ayana Wynne]], and [[Barak Stormrider]]. With the Imperial leadership decapitated but their army still holding the bridge in a stalemate, the party devised a two-pronged strategy. First, Kai used *Skywrite* to broadcast a demand for parley, announcing the General's death to the sky. Second, should diplomacy fail, the group began coordinating with [[The Mawbreakers]] to construct a pontoon bridge using commandeered boats, aiming to flank the Imperial forces from the river and end the siege once and for all. ## Details ### The Escape from the Stoneheart * **Looting the General:** [[Kai]] managed to strip the heavy, evil-feeling plate armor from [[Dread General Blackmarsh]] by cutting the straps, while the party took his head as proof of death. * **The Standoff:** The party opened the main doors to confront the 25 soldiers outside. [[Berberis]] rolled the General's head to the Captain's feet, and Kai turned the torches green. Despite a strong intimidation attempt, the Captain rallied his troops. * **The Retreat:** * A volley of crossbow bolts struck [[Ryo]] for massive damage (31 HP), nearly dropping him. * Berberis cast *Spike Growth* on the stairs, killing one guard and slowing the advance. * Berberis's giant badger dragged the injured Ryo back inside the cathedral. * [[King Marius Noren|Marius]] and Ryo slammed the doors shut. * **Sealing the Breach:** * [[Kai]] used *Shape Water* to freeze a 5-foot cube of ice between the doors. * [[Dondar]] used stonecutting expertise to wedge a piece of a sarcophagus under the door as a jam. * [[Ryo]] barred the handles with a crowbar. * **The Breakout:** * The party fled to the Hall of Guardians (West Wing). * [[Kai]] sent his raven familiar out the front as a decoy, mimicking the phrase "Escaping West Wing!" to draw guards away. * [[Berberis]] and [[Eryndor]] utilized *Pass Without Trace*. * The group shattered a window, scaled the wall, and sprinted across the courtyard in the blinding snow. Thanks to the magic and the distraction, they escaped completely undetected. ### Return to Safety * **The Safe House:** They briefly checked the house near the wall; the prisoner left earlier was still struggling upstairs, but the party chose to leave him and prioritise escape. * **The Tunnels:** The group utilised the tunnel excavated by [[Dondar]] previously. [[Berberis]] gained a level of exhaustion during the trek. They destroyed the tunnel behind them using the badger's burrowing speed. * **Arrival at Val Noren:** They surfaced in Loyalist territory. [[King Marius Noren|Marius]] was recognised by the gate guards and ushered into the Keep. Marius expressed immense gratitude, noting he believed he was destined for crucifixion to force the city's surrender. ### Loot Identification The following morning, [[Dondar]] cast *Ritual Identify* on the items recovered: * **Dread’s Hunger (Longsword):** A cursed `+1` blade pulsing with necrotic purpose. * *Soulstrike:* Expend hit dice to deal extra necrotic damage. * *Aura of the Dead:* Expending hit dice can frighten nearby enemies. * *The Fallen:* Can reanimate a humanoid killed by the blade as a zombie for one hour. * **Feather Tokens:** A Tree token, a Fan token (creates wind for a ship), and an Anchor token (immobilizes a ship). * **Pipe of Smoke Monsters:** Creates shapes out of smoke. * **Medallion of Thoughts:** (Already identified) Allows *Detect Thoughts* and has a specific teleportation anchor. * **Blackmarsh's Armor:** Non-magical plate, but radiates a heavy, historical evil. ### The War Council * **State of Affairs:** [[King Marius Noren]], [[Captain Erendir Thalos]], and [[Ayana Wynne]] (Marius's advisor) discussed the stalemate. The Imperial army has massed at the bridge, creating a choke point. * **The Psychological Play:** [[Kai]] proposed using *Skywrite* to demoralize the enemy. He wrote: *"Red General Decapitated. Parley at Sunset."* * **The Tactical Plan:** * A direct assault on the bridge is deemed too costly. * [[Barak Stormrider|Barak]] suggested using [[The Albatross]] to cross the river, but the river gate is too low for the ship's masts. * **The Pontoon Solution:** [[Berberis]] suggested lashing together many smaller boats to create a floating bridge. * The Bloody Nails and [[The Mawbreakers]] (led by Barack and [[Ari]]) are tasked with commandeering boats and preparing this flanking maneuver should the parley fail. ### Downtime Activities * **The Ashen Forge:** [[Kai]] picked up his commissioned chain-whip weapon (stats of a whip but bludgeoning). He attempted to give Helda the Dread General's gauntlet for materials, but she recoiled from its evil nature. Kai paid 50g despite her offer to give it for free, moving the smith to tears. * **Munitions:** [[Ryo]] received two stable Smoke Powder arrows (2d6 Fire/Force damage) from [[Jorund Ironsight]]. * **Temple of St. Eveline:** [[Kai]] spent the afternoon teaching cleaning cantrips to Brother Callum and Dara Ironleaf, helping tend to the wounded.