Sellswords of Punjar, Session 2: the black dog brotherhood

The narrow wooden stairs were stained with black spots of mold and the entire stair well smelled of mildew and rot. At the top of the stairs was a closed wooden door. Mina spotted a cord running under the door and weaving in and out of the treads of the stairs. Suspecting a trap or an alarm of some sort she attempted to delay the device and then led the party up the stairs. As they neared the door on the top someone made a misstep and a stair groaned loudly. Mina shushed the party and called a halt as she put her ear to the door. Voices on the other side confirmed what she feared, that they had been heard. Someone was giving orders to grab weapons and make ready for intruders.

The party decided that the best defense in this situation would be a good offense so they drew weapons and prepared to charge into the room. Regnor was the first through the door and into the smokey chamber beyond. Empty jacks of wine littered the floor, amid discarded crusts of bread and poorly tied bedrolls. The chamber was also occupied by a group of cruel, grim-faced brigands wearing leather armor and what appeared to be short cloaks fashioned from the pelts of black dogs. From that telling symbol Regnor gathered that these must be the black dog brotherhood, a notorious band of cold-hearted mercenaries. There were five of them here, three in formation with short swords drawn and two hanging back with throwing daggers in hand. Behind them a ladder rested on the far wall, leading up to a dark loft. At the edge of the loft stood a figure clad in dark-mail, wearing a fierce great-helm and wielding a blackened longbow. This figure could be none-other than Irocar the War Captain and master of the brotherhood. He called out a challenge to the dragonborn warrior and fired a shot at him.

Regnor ignored the arrow stuck in his shoulder and continued his charge into the midst of the mercenaries, cleaving with his great-axe and burning them with acidic dragonborn breath. They retaliated with slashing blades, cutting an slicing him.

Jym took up his scimitar and shield next to Regnor, leading from the front and delivering vicious strikes to the mercenaries. Jym took many grievous wounds and came very close to death during the battle, but was able to recover afterwards.

Mina snuck into the room, ducked a dagger thrown by one of the sharp-eyed mercenaries. She launched her own dagger back at him, then drew her crossbow and with a sly flourish shot Irocar in the arm.

Aletha strode confidently into the chamber, singled out the war-captain for her warlock's curse and then struck him with witchfire and eldritch blasts using her new magic wand. Between Aletha's enhanced fey-powers and Mina's repeatedly well-placed bolts, Irocar did not last long.

Vismund sent forth his spike wire to entangle and soften up the line of mercenaries, then with a word and a flourish enchanted Regnor's armor which resonated and with thundering force blew one of the mercenaries backwards.

Jym and Regnor worked together to slay a pair of the mercenaries, but their ranks were filled again by the dagger wielding menaces. Vismund grew impatient and charged into the melee swinging his ensorcelled warhammer with a rage fueled battlecry, downing one with a critical blow. The remaining two guards were quickly dispatched by the group and the room was cleared.