Play Report from 8 Nov 16.

11/8/16 Crown’s Hold Play Report

Anatoly, Initiate of the Sciences (Dale)

Hurst, Adventurer Extraordinaire (Dave)

Klaus, Initiate/Disciple of the Flesh (John)

With Zachariah still out on his Intel mission for the Inquisition, and Halbert snoring in an alcoholic stupor under a table in the Slut and Brew, the rest of the party mulled over their various options to assuage their anger after the assault on both Crown’s Hold and Crown’s Stead.  Anatoly and Hurst want to solve the mystery of the un-openable vault beneath the West Anglypur Company’s headquarters, while Klaus just wants to eliminate the personal thorn in the party’s side: the beautiful and insidious Lenora Hatley. They all agreed that descending into the sewers would be their first step in accomplishing their mutual goals.

After the city-wide attack on the Stead, gaping holes were left open throughout town, so our intrepid adventures dropped in to a convenient one just outside of the Slut & Brew.

They immediately noticed something was amiss. Throughout the tunnels, they could see wide swaths had been cut through the muck and grimes leaving only the bare ancient stone used to construct the sewers. Sometimes the clean areas were on the floor, then shift to a wall, then the ceiling. The party didn’t know what could have done it, but just that it had to be huge as the width of the trail was at least five foot. They followed the northwest tunnel up and up, as that way led to the sewers under the Hold itself.

Then they found the crushed and shattered space helmet.

Anatoly filled the others in. They hadn’t entered into the locked down chamber in the buried space ship. They hadn’t seen the thing inside the suit begin to grow and burst apart its seams as the party had re-locked the bulkhead just before something battered against the metal door repeatedly, shaking the entire craft.

Klaus shuddered. He knew. Shoggoth…

Moving even more cautiously, the team arrived to where they assumed the West Anglypur Company Headquarters was located far above them. After some efforts in searching, they found a loose stone, and behind it, a large pull-ring. A door in the sewer walls swung open, leading to a short stairwell down, then to a beautifully crafted marble room. They placed their torches in the wall sconces and searched again, finding nothing but a foot wide circular brass plate seated into the wall opposite the stairs. Klaus could tell the plate held magic, but couldn’t decipher its use. Frustrated, they knew this must be the back entrance into the sealed vault under the W.A.C. HQ, but they could find nothing.

Then, noises were heard on the stairs.

Hurst and Anatoly hid in the corners off to the side of the stairs, while Klaus calmly waited.

A woman’s voice could be heard in the background as three toughs descended the stairs. Recognition crossed Klaus’ mind as he saw the man in the fore. The former Legionnaire who’d quit to serve Lenora Hatley. After a brief attempt at deceit upon both sides, blades were drawn. The assault by the enemy leader was brutal and savage. Mighty blow after mighty blow hacked into Klaus, who crashed to the ground, unconscious, a new scar to add to his body, mind, and soul (- Fate pt.).

Anatoly and Hurst, after some give and take with their enemies, finally began getting the upper hand, particularly after Hurst hamstringed one of the combatants who crawled up the stairway. The ex-Legionnaire, after taking some wounds and seeing the battle turn, pushed his other trooper in front of himself and sprinted up the stairs.

The abandoned thug only half-heartedly fought for a moment before surrendering, then spilling all he knew about the vault. He’d had enough betrayal, and vengeance on his recent employer was foremost on his mind. Lenora Hatley had indeed been accessing the vault from that very room. He didn’t know exactly how she did it, other than laying her palm against the plate. After some discussion on which hand, and if there was jewelry on that hand, the adventurers thought they may be on the precipice of solving the mystery of the vault, but also gained a new ally. Important for the fact that Kyle was may be laid up for some time, and they had no one to guard the party’s hidden (well, not so hidden now) manse.

Heading back to the surface, they entered the W.A.C. headquarters to talk to the new boss, Lady Norah, who promised to get any rings that the disgraced (and executed) Sir Edmund may have had in his possession to the party.

If any of Edmunds worn rings didn’t open the fault, they’d just have to use Hatley’s hand. Whether it will be still attached to her when they use it, the party members seemed not to care at all.