Session Eight: Shadows in the Ashes

The dawn after their rest at Defender’s Heart saw the companions strike out once more into the ruined streets of Kenabres. The air still carried the tang of smoke and the distant echo of falling stone, reminders that the city remained a battlefield. Their first destination was Topaz Solutions, but along the way, Froderick “Frod” Glip caught sight of a half-burnt poster fluttering on a wall: Mervian’s Magical Menagerie – Now Featuring Dire Geese! His curiosity would not be denied.

The menagerie, however, was no longer a place of wonder. Its cages were broken, banners torn, and the stench of blood lingered. Many creatures had escaped or perished in the chaos. In a shattered pen, they found the dire geese slain in defence of their nest. Yet among the ruins lay a single, radioactive shrimp, intact egg. Frod carefully cradled it, insisting it be brought back to Defender’s Heart, where they set it before the great hearth with a bed of hay — a fragile symbol of hope in dark times.

Venturing out again, the party soon stumbled upon a grim scene: frenzied crusaders, blades raised over a terrified young girl. Twisted by desperation, the men believed that virgin blood would empower their weapons against demons. Words failed to reach them, and steel was drawn. The companions struck the zealots down and learned the girl’s name was Klarah. She had been foraging for her wounded parents, whom the party soon found hiding in a collapsed cellar. Escorting them back to Defender’s Heart, they ensured the family would find food and healing.

On their third venture that day, the companions finally reached Topaz Solutions. Inside, looters turned on them with feral desperation, but only one survived the skirmish — a young man who begged for mercy. Shaken but resolute, the party spared him, sending him back to Defender’s Heart to redeem himself. Investigating the alchemist’s shop, they uncovered a hidden stairwell leading into a basement. There, the acrid scent of old reagents clung to the walls, and strange plant matter littered the floor. A cultist’s sigil marked the stone. Approaching the workbench triggered a trap: a vial of noxious gas burst open, and a mandragora lunged from the shadows. Though the fight was fierce, they overcame the danger, only to find an empty chest with a mocking note left behind — a bitter reminder that their enemies remained one step ahead.

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Rewards:
Exp: 900 each

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Quests

• Find out what info can be retrieved from the Tower of Estrod