Just prior to the second Crusade, a group comprising many of the same adventurers travelled to Dagroban via Whoresod Forest.  Due to the high numbers of Michelenes on the party, we established that Sir Paullandiss would lead jointly with Sky.

It transpired we had come to Dagroban at a time of great troubles.  Sir Lendril Sessudra, last Knight of the Hammer, had become a Knight of the Skull and had been waging many attacks on the inhabitants of the lands, such that the Castle of Last Gate had been under seige for more than a moon.

Over a moon before we arrived, two groups of humans had travelled to the lands: gold-faced Dymwan (they of the Dark Pass on the Plane of the Sleepless Dead), and Knights of the Shroud.  Via a powerful necromantic ritual, they had linked Dagroban to the Plane of the Sleepless Dead through which they were able to power hundreds of their armies.  Sir Lendril had started raising the Dagroban knights as undead, and of late ethereal creatures (spectres) were plaguing the lands.

Deacon Damon Cruelchild was leading the Dymwan, and Grand Knight Tan Gripfallen was leading the Knights of the Shroud.  With him he had brought eight knights, and twenty of lesser skill.  Three dozen ethereal creatures had massed and now these approached the Castle of the Lost Gate.

A Council of War was held at the Tumbledown Inn amongst ourselves and representatives of the local factions:

• Lady Sasha of Greendale, with her Squire Rook
• Sir Charles Colbey, King’s Knight (Sir Ellerby was unable to make the meeting due to the seige at the Castle of the Lost Gate)
• Princess Amelia of the Unseelie Court, Princess of the Frozen Shadow, and Fiiana her assistant
• Sir Lionel of the Church of All Time
• Priest Sevay of the Chapel of the Eye also conveyed a message to us

Within and between these factions there were of course politics.  Those who supported the King, Charles Pendragon, did not like the fae, whereas the people of Greendale had closer links with the fae.  The men of Greendale did not have castles to “run to” as did many of the Knights, but would move about the area in order to protect the lands.  The King’s Knight ruled over several martial orders, but there may be dozens to many hundreds of martial orders, even per castle.  The Church of All Time had fortified Chapels for their protection, and considered the Chapel of the Watch a renegade group.

Following discussions, we established a plan of attack using the different allied forces in the area:

• Lady Sasha would oppose Sir Tan of the Knights of the Shroud
• Sir Charles Colbey would oppose the Deacon of the Dymwan
• The Seelie would take on the spectres
• The Church of All Time would go against a ritual circle
• Our group would oppose Sir Lendril Sessudra

I cannot recall the exact sequence of events the following morn, but one image that will stay with me is – having finished my invoke in a place of safety – finding a line of Micheline priests unconscious and in some cases dying, having all chosen to invoke in the open upon the path.  Those capable fought against an undead group while Erf tended the fallen.

We also had to face the undead forms of Lady Sasha and some of her retinue, so we may presume that the men of Greendale had failed in their assault on the Knights of the Shroud.

Sir Lendril Sessudra was performing a ritual within a large warded circle. Only those of an evil nature were able to enter this enclosure, so I disrupted his casting, causing him to leave his circle and meet us in combat.  After a long and bloody battle against this undead Knight, we eventually defeated him.

Kevralyn Soulfire
5th Sorcerer of House Drannath

Heroquest-Lar/Lrp

A Larping mission report from the live action role playing world of Orin Rakatha.