Castle Krag

Battle of the Barbican and Courtyard

The Party headed into Shadowdale town where they obtained directions to the the ruins of Castle Krag and left the cloak and staff they had retrieved from Amaury's tomb with Jhaele SIlvermane to be identified. They took the main road east from the town and then the old track northwards through the forest. The track was overgrown with vegetation under the fresh snowfall, but the closer they got to the castle, the more signs of activity they found, including tracks that Garan identified as belonging to gnolls.

They arrived some hours later and the Party took up position in a large thicket and observed the castle. There was definite sounds of activity coming from within and someone had repaired the drawbridge with roughly hewn planks, and there was more gnoll tracks in the surrounding area. Calita wildshaped into a bird and overflow the ruins, seeing what were obviously prisoners working on rebuilding the walls overseen by two-headed giants bearing flaming whips, which they used liberally, and a cleric of Bane. 

Calita returned to the thicket and reported back. Erik, his paladin sensibilities inflamed by the description of what she had seen, immediately strode out towards the makeshift drawbridge, Garan and Calita somewhat reluctantly following.

The crumbled remains of towers and walls surrounded a debris filled courtyard. A path leading through the snow angled to the left, where it disappeared through a gap in the piles of rock and burned timbers. The remnants of the round tower rose there, beyond the rubble. As the wind swirled snowflakes haphazardly about the ruined courtyard, some of the rubble suddenly began to shift and rise. Where before there was only
crumbling wall, hulking humanoid forms now stood, looming nearly 10 feet tall and brandishing a massive double-bladed sword. They advanced with a rumble, striking Erik and battle was joined. While Erik and Garan engaged the maug, Calita clambered up onto the wall and began casting spells at the ettin she could see there.

As the struggle raged in the outer and inner courtyards, the prisoners fled for safety to the northern part of the inner courtyard. It was tough going at first for the Party, but eventually things began to swing in their directions af first one then the other of the constructs was destroyed and one of the ettin lay dead. As Garan and Erik engaged the last ettin the cleric of Bane ran to get help from the nearby barracks, emerging shortly thereafter with some gnolls and a human clad in armour.

It didn't help and in short order, the Party, though bruised and bloodied, had seized the outer areas of the castle and freed the prisoners.

The Subterranean Level

The Party searched the remaining upper areas of Krag Keep, finding no opposition but several stashes of treasure which were either appropriated or marked for later retrieval. Things changed rapidly when they ventured into the underground areas. Almost immediately they were attacked by an ogre blackguard accompanied by two Dread Warriors. There was a nasty brutal melee but ultimately the Party triumphed. Their enemies vanquished they paused for healing before resuming their search of the area. All the doors here seemed to be locked, but Garan's adamantine dagger made short work of the locks, providing the necessary access.

The first door they opened led to the well-room which was clear, but the second door opened up onto a prison area and a very unwelcome sight. A hulking fiend with hideous scales and great bat-like wings grinned malevolently, its snaking, prehensile tail twitching in glee. A spiked chain dangled from one of its clawed hands. “Welcome to my den,” the creature boomed as it gestured. Them forward. Garan was briefly paralysed by fear, then fled the area, past a bemused Calita. Erik, immune to the creatures fear effect stepped forward to engage, the devil's chain slashing out at him, causing fearful wounds. Things worsened immeasurably as fireball spells began detonating around them.

Calita tried to target the devil with her spells but was astonished was the spell failed - puzzled for a moment she suddenly realised the spell had failed because it had no valid target. She called a warning to Erik that the devil as just a distraction, an illusion,  and the real foe was elsewhere.The real foe turned out to be two amnizu devils hiding in  one of the cells, which Erik duly despatched.

In one of the cells they found a wounded ranger, Azalar Falconhand, on being freed and healed he promised to aid the Party in the struggle against the Zhentarim, promising he could count on the help of a group of fey creatures from the nearby forest to assist when the time came.