Session 06

📍 Location

The tunnels beneath Angwar Keep, the Burnt Wood near Shadukar, and Aruldusk in Thrane.

⚔️ What Happened

Once the tunnel entrance collapsed, the sounds of war, death, and destruction faded. The party walked through the darkness into increasingly uncertain passages, but Renoir successfully navigated the labyrinth and led them into the heart of the Burnt Wood.

They quickly understood the nature of the place. It lay close to Shadukar, the city massacred by Karrnathi forces during the Last War. The unforgivable crimes committed during its siege were beyond description: soldiers raped, killed, and pillaged throughout the city before desecrating both the dead and the cathedral dedicated to the Silver Flame. Afterward, darkness claimed the ruins and undead began to wander them. The cursed city was abandoned by Thrane.

Rather than traveling north, the party turned south toward Aruldusk. During the three-day journey, they nearly died after choosing to sleep in a bear’s cave. They nevertheless reached the city carrying the hides of a giant brown bear.

Aruldusk was surrounded by an enormous military presence. Barracks, pavilions, and siege weapons encircled the city, almost certainly deployed against the threat of the Lord of Blades.

A cavalry scouting unit received the party and escorted them to their superiors after hearing that they had come from the site where the Lord of Blades had appeared. They met Sister Maelin, a cleric who spoke with them about the Silver Flame, Thrane’s hatred of Karrnath, and the atrocities committed at ruined Shadukar.

The party was asked to give its testimony to Ser Garrick Talan, commander of Aruldusk’s defenses. Garrick accepted that the Lord of Blades was a genuine threat rather than a myth, but feared that other nations would dismiss the danger or exploit it as an excuse for aggression by accusing Thrane of weakness. For now, Thrane would defend its people and reinforce its watch around the Mournland.

The party entered Aruldusk and then continued toward the lightning rail. The Silver Flame paid for their journey in gratitude for the vital information they had provided.

🏃‍♀️ TL;DR

• Escaped Angwar Keep through tunnels into the Burnt Wood near cursed Shadukar.
• Traveled south and survived an encounter with a giant brown bear.
• Found Aruldusk heavily fortified against the Lord of Blades.
• Shared their testimony with Sister Maelin and Ser Garrick Talan.
• Confirmed that Thrane considers the Lord of Blades a real and growing threat.
• Received paid lightning rail passage for providing vital intelligence.