Session 24 (2,500 xp)

Heroes: Signar, Vladimir, Malik, Machteld, Niobhe, Trevan.

Year 642 MR (2nd quarter)

The Heroes' army travels north, where they're intercepted by Konesh's horde of screaming gnolls. Even though they capture Konesh, their army is defeated, and forced to retreat. They manage to reach Qaresma, when the surviving gnolls attack once again, but this time the humanoids are defeated and slaughtered.

In the meanwhile, Niobhe travels to Tuarhievel, where she attends the court of the elven Prince Fhilaerane. She expresses her pain for the death of his half-sister, the baroness of Dhoesone, and offers her friendship. The prince asks her to write a few letters to the mage Daeric, who controls the Sources of Dhoesone: the prince plans to use the magical power of the land to attack and destroy the Church of Haelyn, and have his revenge. Niobhe, believing something must be done to oppose the power of the church, agrees.

She travels back to the Blood Skull Barony, where the other Heroes are mustering fresh troops to assault the Baron himself. Hestrig, Machteld's lieutenant, has returned from her mission to Brechtur, and brings with her two of Machteld's children; the oldest one, Ottilie, is kept under heavy guard by her unscrupulous uncle, and has been promised to a pirate king for political favours.

As a cold summer timidly begins, the Heroes travel to Zakkhur with their armies, and assault the Baron's fortress. While the battle rages outside, they sneak into the fortress and meet the Baron and his most fearsome ally, a fomorian giant, in the halls of the castle; a deadly challenge of blades and magic sees the Heroes victorious, and the Baron is made prisoner.