17-May-2023

This session started with the Bunch facing off against a death knight, summoned by Garok the Apostate before he left via a portal. It was Paavu as the only character within 200 feet of the death knight, but fearless nonetheless. Nuka jumped on Dakota as he sprinted down the cliffs toward Paavu. Dara made herself invisible and started sprinting with the rest of the Bunch.

The death knight raised her hands and summoned 4 hell hounds and a nightmare, who scattered and readied themselves to attack. Paavu raged and swung Xantor's Rage, hitting the death knight twice in what felt like some pretty big hits to Paavu, but only minor bruises to the death knight. As the Bunch reached the battle front, Dakota trampled an orc and Gold Brain stabbed one in the way. Dara flung some eldritch blasts into the fray, and then the hell hounds engulfed much of the party in flames causing massive damage.

Dara responded in kind by summoning a putrid spirit, which was able to kill the nightmare. Meanwhile, Paavu was taking a massive beating from the flames of the hound and the death knight. Then Shava came within sight of the death knight, causing her to start lobbing vocal barbs at her.

"Oh if it isn't little Ara all grown up!"

"I always imagined Hadarai would be the strongest of the Nailo kids."

"You're almost as pretty as Ielenia... almost!"

Shava searched her memories and realized this must be her cousin, Lyraena. Last she was heard of her ship, Moonshadow's Grace, was abandoned in a small port town and the crew scattered over the countryside. Now she knows what became of her, but the why is still a mystery.

Meanwhile, Nuka transformed into a displacer beast and began attacking a hound. Lyraena cast compelled duel for force Shava to fight her, but Shava's will was too strong, as was her positioning awareness, seeing Lyraena and four of her allies all lined up, she sent a lightning bolt down the middle of them, using empowered spell to cause as much damage as possible and felling a number of the enemies. 

Paavu, looking weak and about to fall saw Nuka the displacer beast leap between him and the remaining orcs and fight them off, buying him time to take a healing potion Gold Brain had couriered over to him. As the numbers started falling into the Munch Bunch's favor, soon they outnumbered Lyraena six to one and worked her family style with Gold Brain landing the final blow. As she appeared about to succumb to her wounds, she disappeared in a puff of black smoke and in her stead was a large pristine emerald.

After a long discussion of who should or should not touch the emerald, Shava scooped it up into her bag of holding and decided to deal with it later. They could tell from the magic in the emerald that it was linked to the essence of Lyraena in some way. The group then began searching the camp and found Garok's hut. The large black, putrid smelling robes hanging on the coat rack is what clued them in, as well as the notes on the desk. What else will they find there? We will find out next session.