Session 26

Saving Anchorage (September 6, 2019)

Jameson led the party to a safe house beneath an old cottage, and introduced them to Redd, a half-orc Anchorage Lancer. Redd was the leader of a small resistance force seeking to retake Anchorage from the Ashlanders. He explained to the party that the Ashlanders, led by Dorian “The Ripper” Barlow, had attacked during the night a few weeks ago and captured the castle. Then Jarl Cartier publicly denounced the Lancers as criminals, and the citizens seem fully unaware of any incursion. The party reasoned that the “Jarl” must be an imposter because he hadn’t found them hiding in the royal family’s safe house. Redd mentioned that the two remaining resistance members were the guard Huxley, and the firbolg alchemist Nihlus, who had recently gone missing. The party surmised that Nihlus was likely Antioch/Wilhelm in disguise.

Tryx wildshaped into a spider and snuck into the castle. He observed that the dungeon was filled with prisoners who had each been partially transformed to look like the Jarl. He also saw a wizard sleeping in the cleric, Nia’s quarters. The paperwork on the desk was about failed polymorph experiments.

In the morning, Ignatius began to exude an awful scent, but he brushed it off as a side effect of his tonic. While Balor remained in hiding and caught up with Redd, the rest of the party explored the town in disguise. Tryx spent time meditating at L’s Flower shop, and met its owners, the gnomish couple Luigi and Lorelei. Ignatius sought to repay some of the grief he had previously caused in Anchorage, and under the guise of Mr. Catelan, worked for free for Ulrich the blacksmith, a former victim of his tonic scheme whose brother had died.

At night the party snuck into the castle’s catacombs via Altair’s rope trick. Once inside, they disguised themselves as guards, and dispatched the wizard. Ignatius initially took the wizard to be Antioch; however, he was relieved when their handwriting didn’t match. Ignatius was also able to confirm that the wizard’s notes were an attempt to make a true polymorph potion. In the main hall the party had a brutal battle with a group of mercenaries with two basilisks, and Redd and Altair nearly died (twice). The party was nearly depleted as the throne room doors opened to reveal Dorian Barlow sitting on the throne, lined by the stone statues of horrified citizens.