Messoria Account - The Fall of the High Priest
After our earlier foray, we decide to risk a raid on the Temple. Albert remains behind to pray over Arjhan and to try to ensure our hiding place remains secret while the rest of us move through the complex to the Temple via the flooded room where we fought the ghoul dwarves. Sehanine is with us as we manage to make our way to the Temple antechamber without encountering any of the Mountain King’s forces who are all now on the alert.
We make our plan that Aelar and Andraste should deal with any long range threats while Leleth, Ghesh and Messoria form a screen to hold down any melee attackers. Entering the temple we are shot at from a pair a dwarves on a high ledge flanking a weird diabolical statue that might be a representation of Abbathor. Aelar shoots at both and one is knocked from the ledge to fall to his death.
From behind the statue we hear the alarm gong sounding and suddenly a gout of scalding steam blasts from the statue’s mouth. Messoria is the only one in its range and the tiefling resistance to fire is enough to blunt its effect. We see no obvious exits from the room but the walls are covered with tapestries behind which we hear the sound of approaching reinforcements. We ready ourselves to meet a charge and moments later a band of orcs rushes towards us.
They attempt to mob Andraste and Messoria, but two of them are blinded by a cloud of shuriken flung at them by the eladrin. Only seconds after the orcs have closed the range a pack of five gnolls arrive, barking their frustration that the orcs are blocking their way. Only their axe-wielding leader is able to push his way through to challenge Ghesh and Leleth. The other gnolls content themselves with using their bows.
Surrounded by enemies, Messoria calls on the Frosts of Letherna to attack the orcs and many of them fall to the ground dead, covered in glimmering ice. Aelar concentrates his efforts on Gimbolge, the dwarven High Priest who has taken position on the ledge. His first arrow freezes him in place; subsequent arrows finish the job and knock him off the ledge to fall to his death alongside his henchman.
Ghesh falls before the Gnoll chieftain, but Aelar is able to pull him back from the brink of death. The dragonborn rejoins the fight, shouting encouragement to the beleaguered Messoria. Then to our dismay we see Irgut the Trapmaster enter the room, wielding his strange Blade Bow. Unable to get a clear shot at his nemesis, Aelar, he shoots at Ghesh. Messoria shouts a challenge at him and blinded by anger he rushes to fight her.
Too late Irgut realises his anger has brought him too close to his foes for his Blade Bow to be effective, but he still manages to shoot a poisoned bolt at Messoria who is just able to fight off the effects. Gradually the tide starts to turn as the last of the orcs fall to Andraste and Ghesh, but the dragonborn, already bleeding from countless wounds, is set upon by the gnoll pack and falls to the ground. Before we can reach him, a gnoll stabs him in the throat with its scimitar.
Seconds later, though too late for Ghesh, the last of the gnolls falls before us and the remaining dwarf crossbowman surrenders. Messoria interrogates him and he says that there is a devil beneath Tannheim called Azan Zog. He also says that Gimbolge had been working with a mad human wizard who has four goblin slaves, and who Gimbolge had been hoping would be able to make a deal with Azan Zog in order to draw on his power.
Messoria extracts a promise from the dwarf prisoner to turn from the worship of Abbathor and bids him go to Fallcrest to Kallain to take up an honest blacksmith’s trade there. Between Messoria’s castigation and Leleth’s threats, the dwarf swears on Moradin’s name, grabs his arbalest and runs.
We take Ghesh’s body and lay it beside Arjhan where Leleth performs the funeral rites as prescribed by the Raven Queen.
Andraste's Musings
A stroke of luck, meeting this band of adventurers. I've killed and damaged more bottom-dwellers than ever before on my own... The one downside is having to share the loot, but still, I got these understated Gloves of Piercing... The elf is very good with his bow, and the half-elf has potential. The tiefling is surprisingly generous, but shame about the dragonborn, apparently it's not the first one to die here... I need to get to know the humans better, though - they are endemic in this area, where my ancestral home is... There is still time to decide, I haven't even seen it yet!
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