Game Intro: Mage Tower Part 2

Recap

It is the middle of summer in the month of Bahumon, in the year 659 after the founding of Farland.

The party are leaders of a fledgling resistance against the Empire, led by the Herald and his powerful new god, the White Star. They were about to forge an alliance with the Wilder Wood but were hindered by the dragon Duskinicin. The dragon holds the wood hostage, and will only release the elves if the party steals a magical Green Orb from the Empire.

The party grudgingly agreed to the demands, and traveled to the city of Dragonspur. There they started a riot as a distraction to enter the Mage Tower where the orb is thought to be held. But they discovered that they were beaten to the tower by the Blood-Oath Orcs, a band of blood thirsty cultists to an unknown entity known as the Blood God. 

The orcs were no match for the adventurers, all but two falling the sword. A piano-playing orc fled the battle after being chased away by Arkaxus, and Radagog the Orc became the first true convert to Duskinicin. 

Through exploring the tower, the party discovered the hydra and other monsters hidden in the basement. They also found the magical forge used to create the swords and shields of explosions, but Drake Johnson was nowhere to be found. 

As they approached the stairs to the third and final floor, they could hear the droning chant of an evil ritual being performed above them. Aramil and Ceasus quickly grabbed a magical sword and shield with their mage hand cantrip and interrupted the ritual with explosions. However they were just too late, and a chilling roar emerged from above as the dying cultists uttered the final words....

Important People

The Resistance (Villageham)

• Amos Caely: charismatic con-man and socialite, head spy of the Resistance forces.
• Animals: have been recruited by Ra to form an early warning system for the village
• Angus: former rebel against the Empire and son of Sanctus. Commander of the Resistance forces.
• Bolgar: Dwarvish steward, de-facto ambassador of Kale Mountain to the Resistance
• Eldridge: devoted bodyguard to Amos Caely
• Mialee Liadon: Elvish sorceress, ambassador of the Wilder Wood to the Resistance
• Rocky: devoted bodyguard to Amos Caely
• Sick old man: an old man that first recited the prophecy from the Watchers. He is left in a bad state after he was released, and can barely speak.
• Succubus: a prisoner caught when the party first took Villageham back

Dragonspur

• Dimruff: Dwarven friend of Caelan that the party saved in Underearth fortress. Working with the Herald now.
• Drake Johnson: Elderly mage and blacksmith, renowned in the empire for making the best magical weapons. Acquaintance of Ceasus.
• Herald Artor Keler-Vonstahp: Emperor of Nuovo Arkhosia and the White Star's chosen one. Uses a special form of magic know as Soulmancy.
• Sefora Robbe: A female human and former ally of the party whose body was stolen by the Herald using Soulmancy. Inhabited by an individual loyal to the Herald and who can cast magic.
• Servasix: Relative of Arkaxis and head of the noble family. Killed Eatfrith in revenge for Arkaxus, and turned the family into a military house.
• Walla: A tiefling and former ally of the party whose body was stolen by the Herald using Soulmancy. Inhabited by an individual loyal to the Herald.
• Waregor: Faithful servant of the Herald, and a werewolf.

Kale Mountain

• Dorgrim Ironhide: Dwarven noble from the former Northern Teeth, now leading the remnants of his people in Kale.
• High Dwarf King Kolgar: Ruler of the Kale Mountains
• Holmigar Sparkmetal: Dwarven mage and associate of Ceasus and Aramil. Known to be eccentric and erratic, and has unlocked many secrets about the portals.

Wilder Wood

• Arcanissdi: young Copper Dragon that is assisting Duskinicin.
• Duskinicin: ancient Green Dragon, has offered his "protection" to the people of the Wilder Wood. Request that the party find and return a magical Green Orb.
• Infernal Fiend: An unusual creature that is neither devil nor demon that is bound to serve Duskinicin, albeit grudgingly.
• Queen Galanodel: Ruler of the Wilder Wood, but held hostage by Duskinicin.

Black Wood

• Beragorn: Pantheon faithful that wish to remove the theocracy
• Farisha: Pantheon faithful that wish to remove the theocracy
• High Aurach Zonadiella: Theocratic ruler of the Black Wood, working in tandem with Kraven to protect the ancestral worship of the Elvish people
• Kraven: A lich that used to guard an ancient Elvish burial ground until the party destroyed 40 years ago. Now one of the leader of an undead army in the Black Wood, waiting for his revenge.

Templars (Knight's Hall)

• Archmage: Head of all magical study within Knight's Hall, and advisor to the Lord Commander
• Inquisitor: Head of the information network of the Templars, and charged with seeking out and destroying threats. Advisor to the Lord Commander
• Lord Commander: Leader of the Templars and ruler of Knight's Hall
• Lord Dolmud: Human noble, and ambassador to the Templars for the Zel City resistance
• Master Thrain: Dwarvish noble, and ambassador to the Templars for Wawmar mountains
• Parliamon: Elvish necromancer, and ambassador to the Templars for the Black Wood
• Twigs: The dragonborn lover of Grimbold. Imbued their soul into an altar so that they may continue to teach while they wait for the return of their lover.

Miscellaneous

• Caelan Caelanson: Son of the pirate-adventurer Caelan, and leader of a village of Tiefling outcasts near Knight's Hall. Carries on his fathers legacy, rumoured to be another Thieves Guild.
• Joco: Powerful wizard and bard that is able to absorb the souls of others. Currently known to have the souls of Joco (bard), Taliadora (elvish wizard), Orvaxis (dragonbord paladin of Bahumat) and an unknown primary entity.
• Librarian: Mysterious elvish resistance leader in the Green Copse, fighting against the Mind Flayers
• Perathorn: Captain of the Guard in the Green Copse. Fighting with the Librarian against the Mind Flayers. Met the party briefly once.
• Princess Sefora: Rumors abound that the Keleraki Princess still lives, and plots her return to the throne.
• Puhau: The mage registrar for Aukby. Handles all government administration in the region, and was recommended in a letter to Aramil by "Taliadora"
• Radagog: Orc convert to the Cult of Duskinicin, and protoge of Jinn.

Game Intro: Mage Tower

From last session.....

The party are leaders of a fledgling resistance against the Herald and his powerful new god, the White Star. The party has traveled the land in an attempt to seek aid and forge new alliances with the Dwarves and Elves, but these ancient races are mired in problems of their own. Only a significant event can rally these disparate groups together against the new popular religion.

In the meantime, the resistance have scrapped together a secret village hideout under the watchful eye of the former rebel, Angus. Together with the shady yet charismatic Amos Caely they have begun to spin a web of spies and informers that stretch out across the Empire. The ambassador of the elvish Wilder Wood, Mialee Liadon, has recently arrived and promises to use her magic to help the resistance, and the dwarves from Kale have nearly finished their network of underground tunnels under the village of Villageham (ably re-hydrated by the flamboyant Bolgar).

The party have entered the city of Dragonspur, the capital of the Empire of Nuovo Arkhosia, without incident (surprisingly) and immediately began to search for the famous blacksmith Drake Johnson, a former associate of Ceasus. They managed to track down his workshop but the magical blacksmith was nowhere to be found. Instead they found research notes for a sword and shield combination that has some decidedly explosive results.

Suddenly the party was ambushed by some drow while resting at Amos' safe-house at the city's edge. The drow were wielding some of the explosive weapons, presumably made by Drake, but they also had a magical rod that seemed to rip the soul out of weakened mortals and then revived them as ghostly warriors. One of the drow managed to escape with the rod when the shields underwent spontaneous combustion, leaving the safe-house damaged and burning. It was here that the monk-for-hire Isa joined the party after she assassinated the atheistic cultist that had betrayed the party.

The party were about to be cornered as the back-up began to arrive, but Jinn was able to create a diversion by starting a fire on a distant building. The quick thinking of Ceasus made the panicked villagers think that the fire was caused by extremists of the White Star. Other villagers were able to see the slow clunking of Arkaxus retreating into the night, and now believe that the fire was caused by the Dragonborn. A riot brewed, lit up by the flames of burning city.

Regardless, the new party member Isa was able to find a safe retreat for the party to revive themselves. Talk started about what to do next, and Jinn brought up the mission of retrieving the Green Orb for the dragon Duskinicin. What better time than now to storm the Empire's magic tower, while the rest of the city's forces deals with the citizen's riot?