Destination: Assassination

Summary

With the dragon slain, Drakken, Kalnac, Miandra, and Shashank finished exploring the caverns. They found numerous dead ends and one large chamber that looked like an old alchemy lab. The lab was dominated by a huge, giant-sized table which was covered in shards of glass and broken instruments. They began to explore, but were suddenly set upon by a small group of vargouilles. They dispatched the evil flying heads in short order. Continuing their search, Miandra discovered a hidden treasure cache under the table. The cache contained quite a few magic items, coins, and gems.

Miandra then went to check on Biren while the rest of the group headed for the exit. On the way back to the upper level, they encountered a band of brigands, ten in all, who attempted to kill them but were terribly unsuccessful.

The trio continued to the entrance hall, where they heard voices. Shashank tried to sneak up on the speakers but was discovered. The party engaged the newcomers in conversation and discovered they were members of the "Red Hawks", a mercenary company out of Coreth. They claimed they had been hunting the bandits the PCs killed. However, their claim was a deception and before long they were trying to kill the PCs themselves.

After a lengthy battle filled with much blood, curses, fire, and an attack-inviting warlock running about the room, the party had whittled the Red Hawks down to three from seven (including a small demon, apparently the "pet" of the band's sorceress leader). Rather than slay the three, Shashank bade them lay down their arms and come to work for Argentus. The mercenaries stopped fighting to contemplate the offer. They explained that they had been hired to kill the PCs (and their dead leader had in turn hired the bandits they'd encountered earlier to try to make their her own job easier) and given that they had failed, likely their future with the Red Hawks would be in question in any case. The party gave them leave to exit the hall, and either wait for them outside if they wished to accept Shashank's offer or simply leave.

Soon, the heroes will exit the place themselves. They will learn the decision of their would-be killers, and perhaps investigate why someone had tried to have them killed as they explored...

...Wyvern Mountain!'

Memorable Events

• Shashank convinced three of the Red Hawk mercenaries attacking them to consider employment with Venora/Argentus.

Creatures Encountered

• Bandits
• Mercenaries
• Vargouilles

Treasures Discovered

• Shield of defiance
• +2 rod of corruption
• +2 wand of ray of enfeeblement
• +1 wand of witchfire

Locations Visited

• Wyvern Mountain

NPCs Encountered

• Mercenaries from the Red Hawk company