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Episode 3 : The Dark Knights of Pashin
Day 12. A crowd gathers and the Dark Knights are summoned. As they arrive, fingers are pointed at the party and shouts of murder come from the crowd. The party flees through the back streets of Pashin. Unfortunately the party is close to the Dark Knight headquarters and the Dark Knights themselves are well coordinated and numerous - soon the party is surrounded. Grog climbs a building to escape but is spotted, he is captured along with the rest of the party when they surrender.
The party is brought to the Dark Knight encampment and shackled to the wall of the prison. They are informed that their execution is likely to happen first thing in the morning. Only Shiloh tries to escape, attempting to cast spells until falling unconscious with exhaustion.
Day 13. A mysterious elf enters their prison in the early hours of the morning. The party promise to meet with Shaylin in exchange for their freedom. With the assistance of a noisy diversion in town and some magic the party is freed, their equipment recovered and are directed to a sewer entrance. From here they are told to work their way south through the sewer system until they reach a secret door. The door is marked with an elvish symbol that Pecan is able to identify as meaning ‘the path is clear'. The party descend into the sewers, the elf leaves to assist in the diversion.
The party are forced to travel North, then they turn West until their path is blocked by an iron portcullis. With much effort they raise the portcullis, the noise however attracts a group of dire rats. During the battle the unconscious Shiloh is dropped in the water and stolen by a pair of ghouls. Moon succeeds in turning them and they flee with the body, Grog chases them down and kills them while others finish off the rats.
The party continues west until they approach a large open chamber, stuffed with towering mounds of rubbish. The party hear the sounds of gully dwarves and approach, but on entering the chamber they realise that they have been tricked and are attacked. Moon attempts to turn them and fails, only then realising that they are not undead. Finally the attackers are identified as goblins, in this case masquerading as gully dwarves in order to lure people into their trap.
In the battle that follows Grog and Pecan are knocked unconscious. With the assistance of Moon, Hildegard manages to stay mostly upright and together they dispose of the goblins and retrieve the unconscious bodies of the rest of the party.
The party heals what it can and rest uncomfortably until about dawn, when Shiloh wakes from his exhaustion.
As the party rest they are attacked by a mysterious creature. Shiloh attempts to distract the creature with dead goblins but it is more interested in fresh meat. The weakened party lose Hildegard and Shiloh to its assault, Grog is still unconscious from the previous battle. Eventually the creature is driven off when several elven scouts appear.
The scouts are deeply suspicious of the purpose of the party in the sewers so close to their hidden refuge. When Pecan begins to be evasive in the answers to their questions the scouts do not hesitate to knock out the remaining members and take the party as prisoners to the elf camp.
The party wake inside a large underground chamber, they are bound hand and foot and are surrounded by deeply suspicious elves. The elf leader identifies herself as Shaylin, she is dressed as a wizard of the white robes. She questions the party members closely, finally believing that this is the party that she sent for.
She apologises for the rudimentary hospitality shown the party, apparently elves are no longer welcomed in Pashin and it is difficult for them to trade normally with those on the surface.
Shaylin reveals that she has dreamt of the party, in a trance she repeats the following words:
"There is a pattern, you cannot see. Instead you must set your spirit free. Take the key to the shattered ruins, through the sand and over the dunes. Seek the answers in the sands of time, search your souls and find the sign"
After this she collapses and is forced to rest, the party also rest.
Day 14. When the party wakes, Pecan and Moon feel diseased - apparently some sickness picked up in the sewers. On seeking an elf cleric, Angelyn Starsinger, she informs them that she can likely heal their disease - but to touch them risks passing on the affliction that all of the elves have contracted in this place. She calls the disease Sunblight and it manifests itself as extreme sensitivity to sun - apparently all the elves here have the disease, in some it is more advanced than others. It is resistant to magic and has no known cure. Pecan and Moon kindly refuse her offer of help and attempt to heal themselves.
Moon manages to heal Pecan, however Pecan fails with Moon. In desperation Moon allows Angelyn to heal the sewer sickness, risking exposure to the Sunblight at the same time.
Hildegard talks with Shaylin, she tells what she knows of The Shattered Ruins (the ruins of Hurim, an abandoned temple built to honour Paladine and the Gods of Light, betrayed by one of its own priests to an Ogre Warlord, the valley in which it lies is thought to be cursed, once sealed during the Cataclysm, it now appears to be open) and marks it on the parties map. Shaylin offers to assist Hildegard in his quest to join the Knighthood and requests that he return tomorrow.
Day 15. The party wakes and makes ready to travel to the ruins of Hurim. Hildegard receives a scroll that he is told to deliver unopened to Zathras, a Knight that is sometimes to be found in the town of Ak-Khurman. The party members also receive 5 days rations each. Moon promises to look for a cure for Sunblight.
The party leaves after lunch, initially they are guided out by Naelathan - he is recognised as the elf that rescued the party from the Dark Knight prison. The party is lead to a hidden tunnel which then takes them to a cave about 5 miles to the East of Pashin. It is sunset, the party travel east for several hours and camp without a fire.
Day 16. The party wakes. They have reached level 3.
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