FRIDAY NIGHT 5E - JULY 28th, 2025
Plans, Preparations & Betrayal
When last we met our band of adventurers had just purchased "exotic" pets at The Friendly Familiar Pet Shop. Once they completed this they decided it was time to regroup and decide on their next course of action. They found the Kettle of Many Things, a restaurant and inn that caters to wizards and their familiars. Using Joran, the party's wizard as their front, the party acted as his entourage so they could secure accommodations for a few nights while they took advantage of the local mages guild and magic shop to purchase items to help them prepare for a pending second encounter with the Blue Dragon laired in The Vast less than three days from the city of Ravens Bluff. They found potions of resistance to lightning, a ring of lightning resistance and few things to protect them from the cold they knew they would encounter on The Glacier of the White Worm.
The party, as seems to be their usual modus operandi, decided to split the group, four of them remaining at the Kettle, while the Joran and Wit decided to go the guild to make use of their teleportation circle to travel to Waterdeep to find more items to bolster their resources for the upcoming fights. They found a few items, and miraculously stayed out of trouble. Their companions back in Ravens Bluff? Not so much.
While Alle, Avi and Stormsong enjoyed breakfast and libations (no it's never too early to drink if you are an adventurer), Polaris, the Paladin of Vengeance, was fixated on recovering the holy Spear of Tyr, lost in the battle with the Pit Fiend in the skies above the Grey Mountains. He has thought of little else since losing it, and he thought, in an inn full of wizards, surely someone would know how he might find a way into The Hells to secure the Spear. So, what does any Paladin with questions do? If you guessed walk up to strange mages and begin to tell them more details than you probably should, you were right. That's exactly what he did in fact, questioning several of the patrons of the establishment before at last coming to the table of a bald man, his head covered in tattoos, wearing crimson red robes. Polaris seemed to have forgotten that the party is still wanted in Thay for breaking prisoners out of The Citadel of Correction, killing a Red Wizard, and thwarting the plans of a notable council member. Using his real name, and during the conversation if mentioning his companions by name, the Paladin unwittingly exposed the group to danger. Avi, seeing what Polaris was up to, tried to pull him away several times, but was less than successful. The wizard excused himself and smiled as he departed saying he would see them all again soon.
Furious Avi gathered Alle and Stormsong, grabbed Polaris by the pauldron and drug him out into the street. She berated the Paladin for his putting them in jeopardy and willed the connection to her patron, Graz'zt open and took him with her to see the Prince. Needless to say the unexpected arrival of a Paladin in his stronghold was not well received. Avi, now in her altered form as a part Erinyes, shoved a confused and bewildered Polaris at the fiend and told him "He is yours, do as you will." Graz'zt, angry and startled, stood there, until the Paladin drew his spear and made ready to fight. This led to a very brief battle where the Prince won initiative and put the paladin down before he could react, leaving him unconscious on the floor.
Everyone at the table, myself included, were caught of guard by what Avi had done. Picking up her fallen comrade Avi tied him to a nearby chair. When he came to he found Graz'zt eyeing him bemused. Polaris suddenly felt the presence of his lost holy spear and knew immediately he was in The Hells and the spear was somewhere in this infernal realm. He asked Graz'zt if he had the spear to which the Prince laughed and advised him that it is now in the possession of Asmodeus. Being a Paladin, Polaris found it necessary to tell the demon that he would break free, kill him, and reclaim his spear. This of course led Graz'zt to laugh, tell him he knows Polaris's dead wife's spirit is trapped, and offering him wishes of luck in reclaiming his spear.
When you thought it could not get worse, Avi made it far worse. I will leave it to your imagination what she did, but let's say I immediately faded to black.
Later when the party was reunited in Ravens Bluff they decided to travel to the lair of their Baelnorn friend, Faeranduil, near Myth Drannor to see if they may be able to help. Half of the party was for pursuing the Blue Dragon, the other half wanting to give up on the dragon and go directly to The Glacier of the White Worm to find the next piece of the Trinity Blade. Needless to say, Polaris is still deeply troubled by what Avi did to him. He already had his doubts about remaining with the party due to their often conflicted morality, their penchant for running houses of ill repute for income stream. Now, more conflicted then ever, it appears the party may be on the verge of fracturing, at a time where it is imperative that they be united in purpose and deed.
Where will we go next? Will Polaris leave the party? Will he strike down Avi? Will they go after the Dragon or bypass this quest to go after The White Worm? Stay tuned! We play next on Friday, August 8th.
