Post by Derek Raines on Mar 3, 2020 21:35:18 GMT -5
Age of Ashes: Book 1 Recap
Part 1: Hellknight Hill
In the lands of Eastern Isger, exists the small frontier town of Breachill. A simple place with simple people, Breachill relies on passing adventurers to assist them in various tasks that have been approved by the elected council. When a mysterious red smoke can be seen billowing out of the ruins of nearby Citadel Altaerein, an abandoned fortress left by the infamous Hellknights, the council seeks to hire a group to investigate.
However, during the monthly "Call to Heroes" where this quest can be officially assigned, the Town Hall is attacked by a pair of summoned mephit. The impish creatures begin burning the building from within, and if not for the skill and quick thinking of the heroes gathered, many would have perished from the smoke and flame. With the mephit defeated, and the council saved, the group finds evidence of who summoned the creatures. It is a local bookkeeper's assistant, a halfling named Calmont, who ironically is fleeing up the steep hill towards Citadel Altaerein. The group accepts the task of apprehending Calmont and trying to discover what is taking place atop Hellknight Hill.
The heroes make their way towards the formidable fortress and enter through a pair of shattered doors. They fight their way through several monsters who have claimed the ruins as their lair before encountering a young Hellknight squire (armiger) doing battle with a pack of small devils. When the vile creatures are dispatched, the knight introduces himself as Alek Stagram and explains he has arrived to find a family ring that was left here many years ago. Stagram agrees to fight alongside the heroes and they press deeper into the depths of the Citadel.
The sound of conflict can be heard coming from the nearby courtyard, and the heroes step into the clearing to witness Calmont threatening the leader of a tribe of goblins. The halfling is shouting and demanding to know how to get to the basement level of the Citadel. The goblins are the Bumblebrashers, the same tribe that Bogrod belongs to, and they have been living in the depths of the Citadel for some time. To make matters worse, a pair of huge reptilian creatures note the party and close in to attack. The battle is a fierce one, but the beasts are eventually slain, and Calmont is apprehended before he can do any lasting damage. Before the heroes return to Breachill with their prisoner, Tyranin realizes that something is strange about the creatures that attacked them. The beasts are known as Grauladons and they are not native to Isger...in fact, they are only found within the deep jungles of the Mwangi Expanse, on the other side of the world.
Part 2: Whispers of Madness
The heroes return to Breachill and present Calmont to the Town Council. The halfling appears half mad and is raving about the evil dragon god, Dahak. His behavior is difficult to explain as many on the council insist that Calmont is gentle, soft spoken and certainly not violent. It is decided that something supernatural has gripped his sanity and they place him in a cell for the time being.
The group decides to visit the Reliant Book Company where Calmont is employed. The shop is locked up, but the party lets themselves in. They discover that the shop's owner, an elven wizard named Velladonna, has been researching both the town of Breachill, and its mysterious founder (Lamond Breachton). They also discover within her notes that Calmont had been having terrible dreams (Often muttering the name "Dahak") and she feared some dark power beneath Hellknight Hill has corrupted him as well as other weak willed folk in the town. Velladonna makes mention of traveling to the Citadel a few days before the fiery attack on the Town Hall in order to discover what might be mentally tormenting the people of Breachill. The party decides to return to the ruined fortress.
Part 3: Cult of Ashes
The party arrives at Citadel Altaerein only to discover that the stairs leading to the basement level have been destroyed by a cave in. The goblins of the Bumblebrasher Clan explain that the stairs were damaged when the monstrous Grauladons emerged from the lower levels. They also explain that a force of invading Boggards and Charu-Kas (Toadmen and Apemen of the Mwangi Expanse) suddenly appeared from the depths of the Citadel and drove them to the surface. In desperation, the goblins used crimson herbs to send up the red smoke the people of the town had witnessed. The goblins do know of another hidden entrance into the sub level, however, and they provide direction as well as a crudely drawn map.
The basement of the Citadel proves to be a perilous dungeon full of enigmatic kobolds, animated Hellknight dolls, a pissed off bear (Big Bumble) and undead defenders. However, the true threat is in the form of the Cult of Ashes, a group of villains from the Mwangi Expanse who worship the evil dragon god, Dahak. The cultist claim they arrived via a series of ancient elven portals known as Alseta's Ring, and that they are the scouting party for a much larger invading force. Their one and only task is the utter destruction of Breachill and all its people.
The heroes capture or dispatch the cultist they encounter, following tracks and clues left behind by Velladonna as it becomes apparent she made her way through the basement level days ago. After proving themselves to the spirits of the Hellknights that still watchover the fortress, the party is allowed access into the Citadel's Vault. The party discovers several hidden treasures, a holy symbol of Alseta as well as the deed to the Citadel itself. Stagram finds his family's ring, Midas discovers an heirloom sword known as Terminus Est (as well as a journal) and the group stumbles upon a secret tunnel leading into the nearby valley.
Part 4: Guardian's Way
The heroes follow the tunnel and exit into a small valley nestled against the nearby hills. Within the valley is the ruins of an old outpost known as Guardian's Way, a gruesome battle site from the Goblinblood Wars that took place here nearly two decades ago. Banners fly from the ruined towers now, the sigil of the Bloody Blade mercenaries. The group spots several hobgoblins roaming the grounds as well as a female elf chained to a post. Without thought of a stealthy approach, the group strides towards the site boldly. When diplomacy quickly fails, the heroes fight their way forward, doing their best to avoid hidden traps and the deadly arrows of their enemies. Vervatos Vex, Midas and Stagram smash into melee while Bogrod and Tyranin control the field of battle with their combined magic. It is a vicious struggle, one that nearly ends in death, but the group is ultimately triumphant.
The party releases the prisoner who introduces herself as Velladonna, the owner of the Reliant Book Company. As they rest and recover, the mage shares all she knows of the Cult of Ashes, Alseta's Ring and the town of Breachill.
She claims she arrived in Breachill years ago to study the town itself. Its origins are mysterious and its people "Lawful Good" to the point of being suspicious. It is said that the founders of Breachill were wandering the wilds of Isger when they encountered a powerful and benevelont wizard named Lamond Breachton. Lamond gave them resources, healed their sick and gave them a blueprint to built their new civilization known as the "Golden Contract." Breachton assured them, if they lived by the code of morality laid on in this contract, they would know nothing but prosperity and good fortune. Then, as mysteriously as he arrived, the wizard simply left after the town was founded. Generations have passed since that day, but the folk of Breachill still strictly adhere to the Golden Contract.
Velladonna also shares that she knows of Alseta's Ring, an ancient circle of elven gates that link across the expanse of Golarion. One such portal, known as Huntergate, leads to the Mwangi Expanse and she suspects this is how the Cult of Ashes have arrived. She has not quite discovered why the cult has marked Breachill for destruction, but she believes it has something to do with their patron, Dahak.
Part 5: Dark Dreams
As they sleep, each of the heroes encounter the evil dragon god in their dreams. Dahak whispers in their thoughts and explains that centuries ago, when Earthfall sank empires and Golarion was nearly destroyed by a series of great cataclysms, he allowed a portion of his essence to slip into the world to reshape the ashes into his chaotic vision. Dahak's incarnation drove all the dragons of the world mad, and he sought to finish what the Apocalyptic event of Earthfall began. An Age of Ashes swept the land then and all life was nearly eradicated.
However, while most of the elves fled the world, one group remained. The Ekujai elves of the Mwangi Expanse remained and sacrificed most of their people to enact a ritual that weakened Dahak's avatar and imprisoned his essence in the space -between- Huntergate. This "Waystation", a small pocket dimension built within an elf gate, served as the perfect prison for the dragon god's incarnation.
And so the splinter of Dahak has remained, for thousands of years, waiting and biding his time. For reasons he will not explain, the dragon god desires the destruction of Breachill and has summoned his followers to put it to the torch. He offers the heroes great riches and power if they will aid his cultist, but the party refuses. They all awake to the sound of monstrous psychic roars within their minds...
Part 6: Alseta's Ring
At dawn, the heroes prepare to seek out Alseta's Ring. Velladonna explains that the elf gates are close, residing in a cave network to the south of Guardian's Way. The group makes their way through the caves, battling a colossal spider and equipping themselves with new gear found in the monster's treasure hoard. They follow the twisting caverns until they come into a beautiful chamber of white marble. An armored construct, known as a Doorwarden, moves to defend the temple but Tyranin uses the holy symbol of Alseta he found in the vault to bypass the guardian.
The group steps through a final hallway before entering the majestic portal chamber known as Alseta's Ring. There are five portals total, with the rubble of a sixth piled off to one side. The chamber is not empty, however, and a battle erupts with the remaining cultists. They are being led by a massive winged Charu-Ka called Malarunk who hurls down flame and ash from above.
The party defeats the lesser cultists before rushing forward to take the battle to Malarunk. Before they can come to blows with the cult leader, however, an arcane light shines forth from the depths of Huntersgate and Malarunk, as well as the closest heroes, are drawn within.
The Waystation within Huntersgate has become a burning inferno, hazy with crippling heat, the walls running like molten earth. A massive figure made of flame and ash moves from the shadows - the incarnation of Dahak! The splinter of the dragon god roars his defiance, boasting that with the destruction of Breachill, his essence will be freed from the portal. Stagram winces against the heat, trying to level his crossbow as blisters form on his skin, but it is Vervatos Vex who strides forward alone against the towering form of Dahak.
The barbarian charges forward, his boots melting away as he levels his greatsword at his side. Dahak rears his head, gathering flame and death in his maw, and unleashes a torrent of fire. Vex leaps directly into the path of that inferno, and plunges his blade to the hilt through the right eye of Dahak before the man is engulfed and turned to ashes.
Dahak's scream of pain and fury breaks its hold on Huntergate and the remaining heroes, as well as Malarunk, tumble back into the portal chamber. Overcome with grief and anger at the loss of their companion, the heroes continue the fight with renewed resolve. Malarunk tears into their number, but he is no match for their combined might, and is finally brought to his knees. Before Midas claims his head, the cult leader promises that this is only the start. An army of cultist remains in the Mwangi Expanse and they will march on Breachill when their master wills it. The heroes slay Malarunk, then lift their eyes to the darkening portal of Huntersgate.
They vow to be ready.