Chapter 1 (8-30-2014)

    After their ordeal in aqueducts, followed by a night of drinking and talking, party was again feeling well enough to hit the road with their new found plan: to head to human capital and try to arrange allegiance of Tir-Gollor, watchers of mages, in oncoming battle with Atreides’ cult. But before they were able to leave, they noticed that few of their companions were missing. Xianaya had taken Beauty with her, and left for capital ahead of time, while Vincent had apparently ran into some urgent business of his own, and let a note to Meulin, soon shared with rest of party, explaining that he did not know when he’d return.
    Just outside inn they’d been staying, Vincent had left a chest containing all their loot from their previous travels, which as soon as party stepped outside, they found to be under vicious attack of… tower of kobolds stacked on top of each other standing out from well in middle of inn yard, trying so far unsuccessfully pull heavy chest down into well with them. A disagreement quickly built up between party and kobolds, who both were after contents of that specific chest. After Geralt’s order for kobolds to stop, and Bhelan entering in tug-o-war with kobold swarm over chest’s possession, Baltazar, apparently tired of situation, settled the matter by sending wave of darkness down the well, killing many of the kobolds on top, and causing them to crash down on rest of kobold-tower below them. This brutal act led to short argument, as Meulin vocally stated how killing them was unnecessary, and if Baltazar would try to kill her as well, as she could be classified as “murderer”, following the not-so-noble profession of adventurer.
    This conversation was quickly interrupted by arrival of their employer, a woman who’d sent them on ill-fated mission down to aqueduct. Geralt, in his charming manner, proceeded to lead resulting conversation, and along with Bhelan pointed out that they were almost killed for lack of knowledge about aqueduct’s residents, along with questioning if she’d planned to have them killed down there. As argument went on, Geralt also told down her offer of 10000 gold to finish their task, and informed party was in need of armies to combat a bigger threat, along with allegiance of Tir-Gollor. Lady, being skeptical of this, inquired more information on what would need alliance with hated mage watchers, along with several armies. As Geralt proceeded to bluntly inform her of lady Atreides’s return, and her cult’s plans to conquer the world, few members of the party noticed her twitching at mention of Atreides. This followed by brief conversation between Geralt and lady on if world truly needed saving from Atreides or not. Conversation was however, ended with Baltazar inquiring about crest tattooed to her wrist. Woman was willing to show it off, and crest in question turned to be symbol of Atreides’ Cult of the Scythe. This, seemingly signaling end of conversation, resulted in Geralt slapping her with glove and proceeding to leave.
    As Geralt pushed past her and rest of party started to follow, things took unexpected turn. Dropping her disguise, woman revealed herself as a marilith, and then proceeded to begin weaving a spell of summoning, as party hastily (and mostly) moved to engage her, with Airy fleeing back to inn for help, and Baltazar deciding to levitate upwards in order to escape the situation, asking If there was an absolute reason why they always had to pick a fight with everyone, and Geralt proceeding with his signature action, to grease everything around him. Meulin however, proved her worth once more, releasing arrow from her crystal bow towards towering marilith. Her arrow struck true, sinking deep into demon’s side, though it was not enough to prevent her summoning. Only moments later, marilith teleported away, and Geralt found himself outside inn alone, facing swarm of dretches. As greatest threat had now disappeared, party moved in to fight off dretch swarm. Except Airy, who was still trying to convince patrons that there was a demon loose outside, finally prompting Madge, inn’s owner and retired adventurer to look into the situation.
    Thankfully, our heroes being somewhat competent, dretch swarm was dealt quickly between Meulin’s deadly rain of arrows, Bhelan’s assault of magic and steel, along with Geralt (who by now was retching his guts out in cloud of stink) and Baltazar providing crowd control, with grease and black fires, respectively, accompanied by fireball from Madge, which left Geralt without his eyebrows, which had just started to grow back.
After dretches were dealt with, party finally managed to get on their way towards human capital. Next few days passed uneventfully as they rode on, with only unusual sight being Baltazar not eating anything during the 4 day ride.
    They eventually came across another small roadside inn, and mostly wishing comforts of proper bed (Meulin wishing to rather stay in the forest), decided to stop for the night. Surprisingly, once inside party met one of their old acquaintances, priestess Liviana Kennet, who’d originally hired them to guard caravan of important ingredients to capital, which was later robbed, and eventually leading party fighting Liviana as she zealously defended ritual that eventually brought lady Atreides into this world. While she first faked not remembering anything, once Geralt got close to her, she made her true reason for being there known. Party had carried a black orb away from temple where Atreides was summoned, which she now demanded they’d hand over. If they did it quietly, none would be harmed.
    After brief argument between Geralt and Liviana outside the inn, which led to Geralt refusing to hand over the orb, and fleeing from enraged Liviana invisibly, all remaining patrons of the inn pulled out weapons and assaulted remaining party of Baltazar, Meulin, Bhelan and Airy. Baltazar relied in his usual tactics, unleashing wave of darkness against first 2 to pull their weapons, then disappearing into shadows of the room. Meanwhile, Bhelan was struck by pair of poisoned crossbow bolts, though his body managed to fight off the poison. in following moments, more patrons and the innkeeper revealed their weapons and attacked, along with Liviana herself moving back in to deal with party’s remains.
    The battle itself was brutally short lived. Baltazar, relying in his ability to stay out of sight, unleashed another wave of magic before retreating to Meulin’s side, as phase spider appeared in the room along them. Bhelan fought off pair of thugs, who were slain in combined assault of trio, though his victory was short lived as Liviana closed in, and with divine magic crackling along her sword, stole Bhelan’s sight. Meulin instead decided to take use of large decorative tree in middle of the room, as she spoke to it and its roots broke through the floor, attempting to grasp anyone in the area. With cultists’ movement now hampered, she moved back to trading shots with barkeep, taking severe wounds from both barkeep’s arrows and cultist wizard’s fireball, before healed by Baltazar using magic of his belt. Airy did her part, splashing few cultists with acid arrows, before fleeing through wall outside the inn.
    With Bhelan blind and apparently no longer a threat, Liviana moved towards Meulin, when a dwarven traveler walked in the middle of fight. Assuming him to be another foe, Liviana quickly slashed her sword along dwarf’s chest, paralyzing him in middle of room. During this, both Baltazar and Meulin were trapped in sticky webbing by cultist wizard (a fact with Baltazar used to hide amongst, trying to not be noticed), with only (apparently) members of party able to still do something being Geralt and Airy, who both had fled the scene, situation seemed hopeless. Blind Bhelan managed to stumble his way along wall and out of a window, while Liviana made her way back outside through Geralt’s line of stink (which had apparently trapped one of cultists, making him throw up on such interval he couldn’t even crawl his way free) and called for Geralt to surrender the orb, or his allies would perish. This in turn, was interrupted by surprising move from Bhelan, who, assisted by Airy, slung a bolt of fire at Liviana, scorching her badly.
    This turn of events turned Liviana’s attention away from fleeing Geralt, as she moved in to finish off arrogant Bhelan. Her attention was lost again however, as massive explosion of eldritch energy burst from horizon, where Geralt had fled. This turn of events left Liviana stunned by pure horror, which gave enough time for dwarf to break free of her paralyzation spell, and Bhelan to surprise her by tackling Liviana to the ground. While this had been going on, Baltazar and Meulin were still trapped inside, with phase spider continuously assaulting defenseless Meulin. In effort to trick it, Meulin gripped the vial of sleep poison from her belt and drank it, causing her fall unconscious, in hopes that her severe wounds and unconsciousness would make everyone left to believe her dead. Her ploy was successful, as the spider did not appear again, and soon after cultist wizard dismissed his webs. At that moment, Baltazar sprung to action, leaping off his hiding place, and with his shield he’d formed of shadow before battle, smashed through nearest window and fled, thinking his allies dead.
    Outside, Bhelan and dwarf had Liviana pinned, and in act of brutality, started process of beating her to death, Blind Bhelan with his shield, dwarf with his armored gauntlets. While this was going on, Airy pulled out her dagger, and sneaking up inside after 2 last cultists, wizard and tavern keep, slit their throats in rapid succession.
    Being left in desperate situation, Liviana struggled to cast a spell of her own, and despite savage beating to her face she was receiving, managed to do it, teleporting to safety right below Bhelan. A few moments later, Baltazar and badly wounded Geralt returned to their companions from direction of explosion site. Despite desperate situation, our heroes had managed to turn the tide with astonishing feat.