Red appears from the Shadow Cave and catches up to the events with the Homunculus.
Red takes the catgut left behind by the homunculus when it dissipated hoping he can track down the source via shopkeepers or, per Tamarin’s suggestion, reverse-scry the source.
Red acknowledges that the Shadow Cave is compromised and plans to transfer the important contents of the Shadow Cave to the new location near the Cheery Dragon. He will signal the party with the Shadow Knight signal later.
Red leaves to take care of the dead Kane guard and guard dog while requesting that the adventures speak with the Hand of Thorn.
The Hand is shocked that the adventurers took out Thorn’s assassin, the Homonculus.
The Hand asks what the adventurers plan for him and learns that they don’t plan to keep him.
The Hand wants to leave Gotham altogether hoping it offers his only chance of escape.
The adventurers agree to help but the Hand remembers one last piece of valuable information.
The Hand reveals that Thorn was working with Ender Andstrom to refine the Shine into a drinkable potion but Andstrom went missing.
The party knows that Andstrom turned to Manbat.
The Hand lets the party know that Princess Aladressa killed Andstrom’s men at Andstrom’s home in North Gotham, which he identifies. Only one minion, Shorty, survived.
Shorty hangs at Manny Cutter’s Inn, in the Temple District. This is the Pick territory the party barely escaped from a few days prior.
Red returns and offers to drug the Hand (to avoid him learning the location of the Cave) and take him to the edge of town.
As Red makes his offer, his power seems to wink out and this troubles the party.
The party is concerned Red has been compromised somehow, but Red appears to be alright.
Red is concerned about this when the party describes it back to him, but his only option is to look into it later.
The party helps Red with the Hand, parting ways in North Gotham.
The party arrives at Ender Andstrom’s cottage, a thin home located beside the ruins of the University (and the leftover Titan). The party picks their way into the home easily.
The home seems like it hasn’t been visited in some time, and after some searching the party finds a secret trap door leading to a pitch-black basement. It seems to be guarded by some kind of magic signal, but Andstrom is dead so the party enters anyway.
In the basement, the party finds alchemical equipment and books, some interesting potions, a ritual circle, a ritual book, a sketchbook, and a bathtub containing two dead eladrin.
Arcarius recognizes the eladrin as guards from Mithrendain. He investigates the ritual book and suspects it was used to possess Andstrom with the Manbat.
Ryviin looks through the sketchbook and finds illustrations of a building located in North Gotahm, but the party can’t place it. He also finds an image of the tattoo found on Andstrom’s arms.
On a hunch, Arcarius attempts to sense magic within the area and senses a very hidden but powerful signal being sent beyond Andstrom’s home.
The party leaves.
Outside, Ryviin notices some figures in the streets.
Chains charges outside and is met by a Gotham police force.
But rather than warn or arrest the party, the police leader immediately calls for his men to kill the party.
Battle highlights:
The leader drops a magic turret in the street and it is the last thing left alive in a very quick battle.
Chains struggles with dazing effects left behind by the psychic powers of the leading guard but his great armor still makes him effective as a shield.
Tamarin, Jin, and Arcarius make short work of the lesser guards.
Ryviin shocks the speedy and shifty leader towards the end of the fight by chasing him down with a teleport.
The group carries forward to find the location of the building in the sketch but notice they are being tailed.
An older policeman emerges and claims that they are not enemies, introducing himself as Gorgon. Kamus Gorgon.
(The group also learns the name of the building in the sketches — the Red Grounds.)
The Black Hand rides with the unconscious body of Thorn through a chilly night. It feels as though Arnal’s death has cooled the streets of Gotham.
The adventurers duck into an alley to secure and hide the body of Thorn and remove their masks to return through the streets to the Shadow Cave.
They imprison Thorn in a Shadow Cave cell and encounter Red. He helps the party rest while they explain their encounter in the streets outside the Pure Ladle.
Red fixates on the moment the guards abandon Thorn, finding the incident odd.
Red further adds to the party’s arsenal by granting them Formless Shape, which shrouds their forms in a vortex of shadows and grants bonuses to Intimidate and Stealth.
After further rest, the party dons their shadows and masks and confront Thorn.
Thorn threatens them at first, explaining that he will be found and the party will be in trouble.
But the party uses threats to make Thorn afraid, and his resolve quickly crumbles. He seems to be afraid of something finding him.
Chains inquires as to what could shake someone like Thorn, but Thorn reveals that he is not Thorn at all, but a “Face” of Thorn, and that Thorn will track him down and kill him to protect the information he has.
The party gets as much information out of the Face as possible:
The princess has attacked Thorn’s men and infiltrated his loyal elite in the upper class of Gotham, for her own gain, and to Thorn’s detriment. She is associated with a group called “the Masquerade”
Thorn’s influence grows more powerful with the Shine.
Thorn associates with the Jackal, but carefully, as the Jackal is a dangerous force and power.
Holly the pixie has been operating out of an abandoned church located in the Pass between East and West Gotham.
The adventurers hear a pounding at the Gazebo entrance to the Shadow Cave. They take the side exit to investigate, and find a dead Kane manor guard and guard dog, and a brown form pounding at the Gazebo.
It is a homunculus with necrotic and cold powers that seems to report to an unseen agent, and presumably has come to dispose of the Face.
The party engages the homunculus. Highlights:
The homunculus hits hard with burst attacks and teleport abilities, as though existing between planes. It is difficult to move and saves when knocked prone.
Jin dazes the homunculus early on, sending it into an insubstantial state that resists damage, but preventing it from taking its full turns.
Ryviin and Arcarius team up to deliver ridiculous amounts of damage.
Tamarin activates a special mode that allows him to attack from a distance, avoiding an aura from the homunculus. He also concentrates his powers to disrupt the homunculus’ focus, causing it to harm itself, and triggers Chains’ marking abilities for another free attack. Very damaging!
The homunculus ends swinging, dropping several party members with its action points and burst attacks, but between a heal from Arcariu’s daily death save, Jin’s heal check and Chains’ Shield of Prator, the team stays alive and well in the end. Bravo!
The trio of battle-hardened halflings attempt to capture the princess but do not manage to knock her unconscious (they bring her within 1 hp); the sorcerer halfling is chanting to keep jin (who looks like the princess) slowed
With severely exhausted resources, the party decides to flee rather than fight
Tamarin leaps across the rooftops in a run while producing oil from his magic cloak and flings it at the halflings, covering each in slippery oil
Ryviin flings his dagger at the chanting halfling but misses
Chains charges the slippery brute halfling and knocks her off of the rooftop (achievement!)
Arcarius uses his Arcana to break the sorcerer’s link to Jin (with 1 karma)
Jin allows himself to be picked up by Chains
Everyone runs for it as halfling “Picks” crawl onto the roof and all around them.
The archer draws another arrow and fires it at Chains
Ryviin attempts to chop it and fails
Tamarin attempts to snatch it and fails
Jin attempts to put up a fire shield and fails
Chains is hit and is encased with ice; Jin falls and Chains tumbles forward and hits the rooftop but the ice shatters and Chains keeps running as though nothing happened
The group reaches the edge of a rooftop, now another roof away from their horses; halflings are crawling over the edges but Arcarius leaps gracefully over them and to the other side
The halfling sorcerer casts magic that causes the rooftop to burst from underneath the rest of the party launching the rest of the party into the air
All of them manage to gracefully use it to their advantage, landing safely on the other side, except for Jin
But Tamarin flies to Jin’s rescue and carries him to the roof
The party leaps onto their horses, but Chains misses badly, hurting himself and getting drug along by his horse for a moment, but rights himself
The party prepares for Arnal’s meeting with Thorn the next day
Ryviin scouts the Pure Ladel beforehand and offers his services as a minstrel, saying the other minstrel is sick (he makes sure he doesn’t attend)
The group hides in a corner of the restaurant in wait.
Arnal eventually arrives and sits before Thorn.
Thorn: Half-elf, blond hair combed back with something in it to make it shine, fine eyebrows with a slight gap in one of them, a half-smile, quiet demeanor, regal clothing—vest, scarf, pants, high boots—with dragonborn on either side of him
Thorn on Arnal: “I’m not pleased about Larkas.”
Arnal: “How else does one get yer attention?”
Thorn chuckles. Uncomfortable silence.
Arnal: “It was a calculated move. One Larkas couldn’t make.”
Thorn: “Indeed.”
Arnal: “You know my talents Thorn.”
Thorn: “I do. But what else can you offer?”
Arnal: “The Bridgebangers.”
Thorn: “I hear they took a spill.”
Arnal: “Ain’t nuthin’ we can’t recover from. You know we were a pain to Larkas for years … now you can direct it at others.”
Thorn: “I’m already good at inflicting pain. But go on.”
Arnal pauses momentarily. “And I know where you can find more Shine.”
Thorn reveals a crooked grin.
Arnal: “Now do I have yer attention?”
Thorn chuckles: “It always does.” Snaps his fingers and a half-elf waiter appears, who brings them both drink. “To a forthcoming arrangement.”
Arnal: “Aye.”
Thorn and Arnal drink.
Thorn sets down his tankard: “So tell me, Arnal… what ever compelled you to do this?”
Arnal hesitates: “What?”
Thorn shakes his head: “Do you think I don’t know about you and your old military pals playing rebels in the forest. What makes you think I could ever trust you?”
Arnal begins to shudder uncontrollably.
Thorn: “You may be talented, Arnal…” Leans in… “but you make a baaad criminal.”
Arnal: “NO…” Turns blue and reaches into his pocket, pulling out a round, wired object as Thorn flees, then Arnal freezes completely. After 3 long seconds—a fiery explosion.
Jin and Ryviin rush to the kitchen as Thorn is fleeing and see him hobbling out the back door
The party rushes out to confront the enemy, who has a head start, and is trying to make it to nearby stables.
Highlights:
The enemies are scary, glowing eyes (shine!) with nasty swings, good marks, strange dragonborn breath effects (purple smoky tendrils on their armor, mind-altering breath lures, and sparkling air that weakens players when the surge)
The enemies start out with a severe first round, dropping both Ryviin and Arcarius, but Chains comes to their rescue using the Shield of Prator (nice!)
Tamarin rushes across the battlefield to the stables and drops Thorn and puts a knife to his throat, hoping he will make a good bargaining chip to end the fight; awesome thought — but he’s surprised to see Thorn’s guards not willing to stop upon threat of Thorn’s death — good info, maybe?
Ryviin and Jin are powerhouses, Jin firing down from the rooftops, and Ryviin never missing (and doing tons of damage, including a crit)
Arcarius keeps the party up after rising from unconsciousness, and grants Ryviin tons of nice attacks
The luck of battle shifts in the party’s favor
After looting the guards (and finding some sweet hide armor for Arcarius), some Bridgebangers (who accompanied Arnal) arrive and accuse the masked heroes of having killed Arnal and Thorn (they were meeting to make a deal!)
The party leaves the Cheery Dragon and rests for the night.
The next day, they purchase some reversible cloaks to be used as disguises to match their new formless faces
Chains also purchases a magic flail to help in battle
Ryviin hits up the street urchins and learns that Thorn is after the princess for doing him some wrongdoing, making her sound more like an active agent in the city
When they meet again at the Cheery Dragon, they discover it is a good source of rumors and information.
Cailiff speculates that the tattoo of the clawed hand on Ender Andstrom’s wrists has some religious significance
Sam seems to be interested in protecting the sources of his information, but knows the name of the pixie companion of the Jackal (Holly)
Zephyr speculates that the eladrin community in North Gotham might have more information about the princess and offers to talk to his contacts to find out more.
Cailiff and Sam wonder aloud about the day-to-day life of Andstrom, and whether it might reveal information about the doings of the Man-Bat.
The party feels its leads are stronger, but is still mostly focused on Thorn because they know where he will be in (now) 2 days, and he has information about the Shine and the princess.
After another day of rest, the party does some reconnaissance in the rotten part of the district Arnal plans to meet Thorn: the Temple District.
Jin impersonates Aladressa the eladrin princess, hoping to attract some attention from someone that might be looking for her, with the party watching from the rooftops.
A red-haired halfling rogue sees Jin and makes a b-line for a busy midnight tavern.
Ryviin and Tamarin stealthily follow on rooftop and spy an orange horse outside — the same horse that a spy from outside the Bridgebanger HQ used to escape the party the night prior.
Bad guys with nets, spears, and brutish fists come from the inn toward where the red-haired halfling saw Jin — one of them hears Tamarin above and their movement becomes a full-blown run to their target.
The party confronts the bad guys and defeats them, but not before the red-haired halfling calls out to “drop the gates”
Hearing a building clamor and loud crashing sounds from either side of them, the party takes to the rooftops again, only to be confronted by a deadly-looking halfling trio
The halfling trio demands the party to release the princess (Jin) but the party resists
The princess (Jin) appears to attack but is caught off guard by the mental fortitude of this new enemy
The halfling trio closes in, with the party already wounded from a previous fight, and much of their resources already spent.
Ryviin hears an ominous song playing in his head, and even Chains considers fleeing.
The robed dwarf in the streets is a priest of Moradin, named Oren.
Oren thinks he knows Chains from when he was younger, and sees Jin posing as Berek—the guard from the Bridgebangers.
Oren approaches the group, believing their meeting in the street is a sign from Moradin.
Oren claims to have seen a sign that portends his brother, Arnal Stormscale, will be in great danger if he chooses to meet Thorn.
Oren believes Arnal is not so bad, and can help fight against the growing tide of darkness in Gotham but needs to convince him the error of his ways.
The adventurers agree to accompany Oren to find Arnal, who Oren claims is hiding in a cave they used to hide out in in their youth, in the Darkwood.
Ryviin notices shady men watching from the rooftops nearby.
The adventurers confront the men but they refuse to give ground or information to the adventurers. They force the adventurers to make a decision—back off or let them go.
The adventurers decide they know too little about the men to attack and reluctantly let them leave. The men travel on horseback back towards the West, through the Titan valley.
Oren guides the adventurers on horseback through the East gates of Gotham into the Darkwood.
The adventurers are led to a cliffside cave where Arnal is working on a new, big bomb.
Oren pleads with his brother to give up his quest but isn’t very successful, but the adventurers reason very soundly that the path Arnal is on can only lead to more harm, not good.
Arnal is turned by the convincing words of the adventurers—particularly Jin—and gives up more information.
The person that contracted him for Shine is a pixie that wears black and red, “with diamond-shaped wings”.
Arnal plans to meet with Thorn at a restaurant in the Temple District and leverage the Shine to gain membership into his ranks.
Arnal will carry a bomb as his “backup plan”.
Arnal seems to have fire powers—his blackened skin fires up, so glowing can be seen cracks, like lava beneath black rock.
Arnal seems afraid of Thorn and how intricate a web he has weaved through Gotham. Thorn seems like a difficult man to pin down but Arnal has a meeting with him—albeit a risky one.
Arnal feels like he has talents he can genuinely offer.
Arnal reveals that Thorn was looking for an eladrin princess with some similar outfit to Arcarius, and that he seemed to have some vendetta against her.
The party, hoping to deflect their own involvement in the Bridgebanger slaughter, warn Arnal that forces could be gathering around the Bridgebangers, and Oren tells his brother of the men that seemed to be spying on the headquarters.
They are convincing, and Arnal begins to fear that his men may be in danger. He wants to leave immediately.
Oren and the party leave.
Arnal leaves without realizing that the party was responsible for the beating at the Bridgebanger headquarters.
The party seems interested in finding out more about the pixie.
Oren urges the party to come to his chapel so he can help them on their quest.
As the party leaves the Darkwood, they see the symbol of Bahamut lit in the sky.
The party pit-stop at Oren’s chapel and he gives them some cloth armor
Thankful, the party gifts Oren’s chapel with some gold.
The adventurers then visit the Cheery Dragon and see Red (as Rhet) there.
The patrons of the Cheery Dragon are happy to see the party and so is Rhet.
The party introduces Rhet to the patrons and they welcome him as a friend too.
Rhet seems pleased by this.
When they find some alone time, Rhet gifts the party with an item that lets them mask their faces at-will into any shape of clay they choose.
Rhet informs the adventurers that the pixie probably has something to do with the Jackal, as the Shadow Knight has mentioned her before.
Rhet also informs the adventurers that the Shadow Knight was never successful at pinning down Thorn.
After Red leaves, Arcarius, sensing a time to bring up a private plight, reveals that he has come to Gotham in search of a kidnapped eladrin princess, who is probably the eladrin woman Thorn is looking for and Arnal was lacking information on.
Other guards have come looking for her, and Arcarius seems to be on uncertain terms with them.
But the party has a medallion that identifies the guards—it came from Man-Bat’s loot in the water plant; why Man-Bat had one of these medallions is a mystery even to Arcarius.
The party feel like their plights align since Thorn is also looking for the princess and the information may be useful in their contest with him.
The adventurers are uncertain how best to proceed forward.
Chains distract the door guard at the Bridgeburner headquarters while Ryviin slips in from the hatch in the roof, and hammers the guard on the head, knocking unconscious yet another guard, and providing building access to the rest of the adventurers.
Jin uses his changeling powers to take on the visage into the door guard and leads Chains below to a room full of grizzled dwarves, explaining that Chains is an old friend.
Some of the dwarves have no reason to question his story and take to Chains’ brash entry and boisterous good spirits but when Chains asks if the group is involved in a righteous pursuit, the ranking member of the dwarves, Bark Gravelbin becomes suspicious, and explains to Jin (posing as the door guard) that he dislikes his friend)
Chains returns upstairs to avoid more suspicion from Bark but Jin remains long enough to learn that the Bridgeburners have a glass vial with some “Shine” in it—the same element the Shadow Knight used to operate the portal in the Titan (and which transformed the Man-Bat minion into a boss enemy)—and plan to use it as a bargaining tool to gain favor with a criminal named Thorn, once the leader of the Bridgeburners—Arnal—returns.
Jin is asked by Bark why he isn’t on duty at the door and feels like he should leave.
Later, Jin finds an excuse to return and chats with one of the drunken dwarves that seemed to like Chains. The dwarf follows him upstairs to talk with Chains, who uses his newness to ask lots of prying questions to the talkative dwarf.
Ryviin hides in the shadows in the ceiling, ready to strike should things go badly, while the other party members hide.
The party learns that the Arnal is resigned to crime in Gotham, and merely wants control of his block by entering the criminal world and taking control of it from its previous owner, Larkas. With the help of Bark, Larkas has been killed and though this might anger Thorn alone, Arnal has managed to get his hands on Shine—a very valuable and rare magic element that is now in trade in the Underworld—by accepting a contract from “a small woman” contact that asked them to destroy targets within the Titan. With Shine, Arnal believes he has a bargaining tool he can use to enter Thorn’s web of criminals, and the job to destroy targets in the Titan was made easy with the lucky find of blast ruby from Dakharest, who unwittingly acquired some from a hidden orc presence within Gotham (!).
The party was nearly done getting the information they needed when another dwarf came upstairs and happened to spot Ryviin on the ceiling, at which point all hell broke loose.
The party and the dwarves come to blows, with the party eventually beating back the present Bridgeburners while ridding the world of dangerous Shine, but partly wishing they had been able to recover it, to further investigate its origins.
Fight highlights:
Chains bursting through the doors before the Bridgeburners could lock them; and “Doing Something Cool” to charge and punt Barn’s hand into the furnace after seeing it mutate from the Shine.
Ryviin “Doing Something Cool” to chop off the hand of Barn, which drops the vile of Shine and mutates the hand into its own independently-acting creature.
Jin revealing amazing burning and psychic powers while still in the form of the door guard; also revealing a small dragon companion and a penchant for chaos in combat that led to a mixture of kills and unconscious dwarves.
Arcarius stepping in with a reaction daily that prevents Ryviin from slipping into unconsciousness from damage, while simultaneously killing the offending dwarven enemy with an fell blow.
A dwarven veteran busting out a scary trample and followup attack that misses all 6 targets.
The mutated, flaming hand flying out of the furnace to grip Ryviin’s neck before it dies.
When the party returns to the streets, they see an old dwarf priest heading their direction, who recognizes Chains.
Arcarius recognizes rare blast ruby… not worth much in jewel market, but valuable to those wanting its explosive properties in rituals
Larger explosion near Cheery Dragon
cracked ground
explosion came from cave adventurers first went in
damaged house / shop nearby
Crumb / Megga Galloway lived there
Crumb was miserable toy shop owner
Megga was greedy and happy to see her husband go
Megga bargains with a man in platemail named Rhet and he hands over some platinum to her
Kids also collect blast ruby here
Sam spots the party and catches up with what happened in the caves
He is relieved to see them alive
Chains confronts Rhet and learns that it’s actually Red in disguise
Ryviin talks to the kid street urchins collecting blast ruby and learn the name of a nearby jeweler… Deggar Gemtree
Ryviin uses the name of Nicke, a street urchin he knows, to get the urchin leader to talk
Ryviin intentionally does a bad deal with the kids to help them out with gold pieces—he has a soft spot for street urchins
Jin follows Megga and changes shape to convince her that her husband has returned from the dead
She backs into an alley, completely terrified, and Jin leaves the conversation convinced that she didn’t murder her husband.
The party questions Grum, but he seems like an imbecile.
The party spends the night at Chains’ before going to the Shadow Cave for guidance from Red.
Red informs them that he has had little time to investigate the explosions but recommends finding a jeweler that could provide the blast ruby.
Red lets them know that he bought the nearby shop because it is near the Cheery Dragon and provided a good excuse to renovate.
Red is about to go out again, but his time outdoors is limited.
Red catches up with the party regarding Man-Bat and Raife.
Red is sad to hear about Raife, but knows that the job of the heroes is very dangerous.
Red is happy the others are okay.
The party visits Deggar Gemtree, the jeweler near the explosion
He knows little, but points them to Dakharest as a shady jeweler
The party visits Dakharest in the Wharf
Dakharest is a miserable tiefling that thinks the universe is out to get him.
He isn’t particularly helpful because he feels like everyone is out to get him, like “Booly”
The party offers to help with Booly, a bully that haunts the nearby tavern and causes trouble to poor Dakharest
Dakharest agrees to reveal information if they can get Booly to stop causing Dakharest trouble.
The party visits Booly, who is a real brute but turns out to be a huge fan of Chains from his days as a pit fighter
Booly thinks Chains is a buddy and is confused when Chains tells him to quit harassing the locals
Booly is bugged and starts to question Chains, but Chains intimidates Booly into backing off and watching himself
Dakharest, slightly happier, explains that he “happened” upon some blast ruby that was eventually bought by some dwarves calling themselves “Bridgebarders or something”
Chains recognizes the name as maybe being Bridgebangers, a long-defunct explosives unit disbanded from the Gotham Infantry for too many reckless accidents
The party visits the Industrial District to track down the Bridgebangers
They break into an old building to watch the Bridgebangers
A couple dwarves enter the Bridgebanger building… they’re looking for friends only
Jin, Tamarin, and Ryviin fly up to the roof of the Bridgebanger building and peer in…
A lone bridgebanger guards the door, and they see a way down the stairs to a lower level
Man-Bat—possessing Ender Andstrom’s body—chants in supernal to attempt to corrupt the purification crystal in Gotham’s water plant, hoping to poison the city and imprison citizens in devilish forms.
A red swirl of magic shrinks in the middle of the crystal, getting smaller and smaller, as through becoming focused enough to crack the crystal’s defenses.
Arcarius and Raife sense the magic going into the crystal can be turned against the Man-Bat.
Man-Bat is protected by shadowy servants and hulking brutes with prehensile tails.
Battle Phase One
The party launches into action, focusing their attacks on the front-line of brutes and making short work of them.
Arcarius and Raife make Arcana checks to fight back the effects of the ritual Man-Bat is performing.
Each round, the crystal pulls the adventurers towards it three squares.
On Arcana successes, Arcarius and Raife find the crystal pushes everyone two squares.
The shadowy front line is harder to destroy, but the adventurers eventually finish them off.
Arcarius makes enough successes to expose the magic in the crystal to physical attacks, and finishes it with his spear, releasing a backlash of arcane power that badly damages the enemy.
With the ritual defeated, Man-Bat awakens and attacks the party, knocking Arcarius unconscious in two blows.
Tamarin and Ryviin both fly through the air to deliver blows to the Man-Bat. By summoning reserves deep within him, Ryviin dances from the edge of rushing water onto the point of the crystal, cuts into Man-Bat, and dances off of him to the other side of the water.
Battle Phase Two
The Man-Bat disappears and reappears in his Ritual circle, transformed from flesh and blood into a more imposing ethereal form. He is outside of Ender Andstrom’s now—holding Andstrom’s unconscious body—explaining that he will always have a connection to the world as long as their are mortal forms like Andstrom’s to possess.
Man-Bat is encroached upon by the party, and he flings Andstrom’s limp body into the water.
Ryviin heroically leaps in after him, and manages to fish Andstrom out.
Summoning various reserves, the party gangs up on Man-Bat, who puts up a fight; knocking Chains unconscious briefly.
Through the course of the fight, many great maneuvers are made by the group; they work brilliantly together, taking down a powerful foe with superior tactics and cooperation.
Eventually Man-Bat is sliced into ethereal, floating bits by Ryviin
The Escape
Man-Bat is banished from the mortal plane thanks to the exorcist ritual on the party’s weapons.
His psyche begins to descend into the depths when Raife latches onto Man-Bat with his mind.
Man-Bat is a powerful devil and attempts to take over Raife.
The two have a powerful struggle for domination, and the party taps into their resources to help poor Raife as deep wounds appear to cut his face and arms, and his horns crack.
Tamarin summons his inner Chi and helps grant an amazing roll to Raife, and Arcarius makes an amazing roll of his own.
Through great cooperation and fortune, Man-Bat is obliterated to dust and will never return to any plane.
But Raife is grievously wounded and appears shamed by his visage.
Aftermath
The party inspects Ender Andstrom, who unfortunately died in the conflict.
They notice a strange tattoo on his wrists and wonder its source.
The party finds a Robe of Contingency, some gold, and a valuable piece of artwork (a medallion with some leaves in the shape of a fire)
The party slinks away from the water plant before the Gotham Infantry returns.
They agree to meet again in two days at the Cheery Dragon.
Notes
This was Raife’s last night with the party, and he will be missed—hopefully not for too long. Good luck, derek!
The adventurers find themselves on the edge of the Kane estate, home of Arkham Kane, a famous but elusive diplomat in the upper echelon of Gotham society.
They overlook the city just after a loud explosive BOOM.
Distant guards respond to the sound, and the adventurers—only knowing they were to find a cave below the estate, not that they were welcome on the property itself—escape down a trail that leads below their overlook and into a narrow crack in the wall.
Ryviin leads with the crystal key and finds the very rock wall rolls away before him, and back into place behind him once the adventurers pass far enough.
The cave transforms into ruins of a dragonborn holy place, with statues of Abraxus (Honor), Prator (Justice), Patrin (Vigilance), and Shamash (Protection)—all dragonborn religious heroes.
Past this hall, in a round room, the adventurers find empty equipment racks and a warforged on a table, with its chest open, and a crystal-shaped hole there.
Ryviin places the crystal key there and it powers on the warforged.
The warforged has been “asleep” for about a month.
He finds out about the adventurers, puts story information together in his mind, and speculates on what has happened, while explaining his own story:
The Shadow Knight has been trying to find the source of magic corrupting Gotham and empowering villains, but much of the Titan has been impenetrable, even to his advanced magic techniques.
The Titan was filled with dead giants and warforged, but 2 years ago, SK bumped into Red, who had just acquired consciousness, presumably from the same magic wreaking havoc.
SK takes Red in and Red begins to learn about the lore of Gotham and the greater world.
SK discovers that there are doors in the Titan that look to open with a crystal. He discovers that rare types of destroyed warforged have this crystal, but all are inert.
When Red discovers this, he is willing to lay down his life and consciousness out of love for the city where his consciousness is born. That was a month ago.
Red presumes SK went deep into the Titan with the crystal and found the source of the problem; the magic SK carried in his fist and that the manbat mutated from.
SK must have needed it to activate the portal, and though he may have needed the crystal beyond the portal, decided to give it to the party that they might stop the manbat threatening all of Gotham.
Red explains alchemist Ender Andstrom’s (Manbat’s) predicament:
Manbat (MB) lost his hearing in an unfortunate accident.
He acquired a ritual he thought would restore his hearing but that invited him to become possessed by a devil.
SK stopped Manbat managed to exorcise the demon, but it must have found a way to return, possibly thanks to the magic corruption going on in Gotham.
Red, like SK, believes Manbat may want to corrupt the water of Gotham with magic that would turn all of Gotham to bat creatures.
To do this, Manbat may be attacking the magic source of water purification in a building for that purpose in North Gotham.
Red hopes that the exorcism ritual is still here.
Red introduces them to the rest of the cave:
Study
Contains many rituals, including the Exorcist’s Blade ritual they need
Ritual Room
Contains teleport circle, too
Sleeping Quarters
Prison (empty)
Storage
Surprisingly empty of magic items; Red seems confused by this
But enough magic items are still present for all of the adventurers, and an especially powerful artifact—a Shield of Prator
Entryways
Lightning Track
SK had a special item that allowed him to zip around Gotham rapidly, that Red hopes to duplicate for the adventurers
Red studies the ritual the adventurers need to stop Manbat while they rest (~8 hrs)
Before the ritual is performed, Red has parting information:
He is concerned the Jackal knows the location of the cave and wants to relocate
He will summon the adventurers with a symbol of Bahamut in the sky, the same symbol located throughout the caves
Upon being summoned, the adventurers will meet at their hangout, the Cheery Dragon
He gives the adventurers pins that identify them as friends of Arkham Kane, giving them access to the benefits of Kane manor, including horses from the stables, which Red recommends they name, so “you will take better care of them.”
None of the caretakers at the manor know of the Shadow Cave.
Once the ritual is cast, the adventurers are left with 6 hours of enchantment on their new weapons to exorcise Manbat, and they hope that water purification building is really where Manbat is, and that they aren’t too late to stop whatever plan he has to corrupt the water supply.
The adventurers depart.
Quests
Major / Minor Quests
(m) Help the Shadow Knight (25 xp)
(m) Find Red (25 xp)
(m) Investigate explosions
(m) Respond to Red’s signal
(m) Discover the origin of Jackal
(M) Save Gotham from Manbat
(M) Save Gotham from the influence of strange magic
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