The Last Stand of Grigori Trask

We finally wrapped up the Krevborna campaign that started in July of 2024. There were many times when I thought this one might just be scrapped; now that it's done, it's a weight off my shoulders. I had some fun, but not nearly enough to consider continuing this one further.

Characters

Panthalassa, primordial necromancer

Heck, revenant

Garazi, witch

Daytona, dhampir gunslinger

Khamaat, mummy mage

Events

The characters went into this one with a plan that they would ultimately abandon. They had their ally Nightsong, a diabolic bard, spread a tale of a mummy (Khamaat) who had raided the Church of Saint Brathis in hopes of luring the witchfinder Grigori Trask into an ambush. The plan had an obvious flaw: Trask had a score to settle with the rest of the group, and had no idea who Khamaat was--so it was unclear why he would be moved to take action here. I went with it, but I also gave Trask the kind of companions I imagined he would bring with him if he were after a mummy: he brought a pyromancer.

When the characters arrived at Vargas Bryn, the village where the Church of Saint Brathis was located, it was winter. They entered the church and saw a young mother, her child, and a shifty looking man praying in the pews. They let the bystanders go, but the church's priestess, Mother Signy, refused to leave. Threats of violence could not sway her; she had fought in Ontioch crusades and had taken a vow of pacifism--they could kill her and she would not fight back. 

In the church's crypts, they found the jawbone of Saint Brathis in a reliquary. Khamaat was nearly destroyed when she attempted to take it; as it turns out, the undead shouldn't handle holy relics. Daytona found another artifact within the church--a spearhead once wielded by Saint Othric. It would latter come in handy.

The group set up their ambush, but they hadn't put much thought into how they would defend the church from attack. Their unpreparedness became obvious when Garazi's familiar reported three riders entering the village and heading for the church. One of them dismounted, and entered the church; the others stayed atop their horses outside. Panthalassa tried to summon a giant spider to attack the interloper, but he sprinted to where she was hiding behind the altar and thwacked her with the flat of his sword, dazing her.

The others came piling out of their hidey-holes, but they were too far away to rescue Panthalassa. The interloper was none other than Wayland Morgaunt, the most famous monster hunter in Krevborna. He had been drawn to the church after hearing Nightsong's ballad second-hand. Wayland considered killing the "monsters" in the church anyway, but between their assurances that they wouldn't harm any innocents and the revelation of Panthalassa's ties to Nightsong and Serafina, he decided to just ride off and let this one go. Before leaving, he did give the characters valuable intel: he clued them into the fact that Trask was bringing a pyromancer and that the witch hunters had a captive: Thomasina Laurant, Panthalassa's pirate girlfriend.

The group decided that their plan to stage an ambush in the church was now untenable, so they mobilized to meet Trask's march on the road into town. And meet them they did. Trask's band consisted of Martin (a Church pyromancer, formerly a romantic interest of Garazi's), a gargoyle, a flesh golem, Wagner Highcross (Daytona's vampire gunslinger rival), and Trask himself (who was responsible for Heck's untimely death before returning as a revenant). 

The rest of the session was basically one huge brawl. Martin's fire magic made short work of Panthalassa's summoned creatures and did tremendous damage to Khamaat, who is highly flammable. Daytona found himself getting shot to pieces by Wagner. Heck was dogpiled by Trask and the gargoyle. The flesh golem's presence was so unnerving that several party members succumbed to fear. Garazi was miraculously unscathed by the flesh golem's attack.

Using the holy spear from the church, Daytona destroyed his rival; it was a good thing he had it too because that weapon was one of the few things the party had capable of actually killing a vampire. Khamaat released Thomasina from the cage in the back of Trask's wagon; Thomasina was able to grievously wound the gargoyle so that Khamaat could finish it off. Panthalassa convinced the flesh golem to stand down. Heck took Trask out, but as he fell he levied one last hammer blow that took Heck down. Garazi was able to heal Heck, who them punched Martin's face into pulp.

Battered and bloodied, the group made their way to an inn, where they were joined by Nightsong. It became apparent that the group's cohesion and willingness to fight the Hellwar was now at an end. Heck had picked up a nasty delusion that Trask was still alive--he wanted to continue seeking out his (actually deceased) nemesis. Garazi refused the offer to become the Devil's bride. Daytona wanted to get back to his lover. After delivering a satanic artifact, Khamaat really had no goals left to pursue. Panthalassa--had more pressing matters to attend to for the moment. Everyone went their separate ways, their chapter now concluded.