Gilfane News Reports

What a day! It began the previous evening when spies reported that the nefarious Circle of Flame alliance had dared to summon the dreaded harrower into the land. The fell creature had been seen stalking the halls of Shame dungeon, and HHSF started assembling a team to raid the CoF force. They arrived to find the defenders struggling in their efforts to attack the harrower, but all that was forgotten as the sides began trading blows and blasts for control of the area. Eventually, HHSF won out and the defenders were sent packing. Efforts were then made to tackle the harrower, but again this met with little success and several disintegrated bodies. CoF returned to the scene and battles continued into the night. Although HHSF held their ground, no progress was made against the beast and eventually, exhausted and aching, the combatants withdrew and left the harrower to wander the shadows.

The false harrower nears the end.   [Picture courtesy of Snarlg]

Not long after first light, it was reported that the harrower had disappeared from Shame and had re-materialized in Destard, scene of the White Council's last battle with it. Several brave souls, including Duke Calibretto, kept a watch and a few further attacks were made, including provoking the dungeon's dragons onto it. All these achieved little except littering the floor with assorted limbs and torsos.

Throughout the morning, however, additional forces began arriving and soon HHSF was able to field a force of around six tamers, a couple of bards and a few mages and warriors. Gilfane members formed a significant element in the party, with Blaez, Bu, Emperor Jagang and Hoffs joining Calibretto. After a couple of false starts, the harrower was lured to the south-east of the dungeon and away from the dragons, and the attack began in earnest. With the bards peacing and discording, and the dogs working in a pack, the beast finally began taking significant damage. Progress was slow but steady, and the mages did a good job of keeping the pets healed, with Blaez risking his life by healing at close quarters.

During the course of time, one or two more alliance members arrived to lend support, including Alizaren to help with the healing. With no raiders in sight, the harrower eventually succumbed to the inevitable and was vanquished. That was not the end, of course, as the true harrower then appeared together with its horrific tentacles. The party then withdrew to regroup and restock.

The True Harrower is defeated.   [Picture courtesy of Snarlg]

After this brief pause, the team returned to deal with the tentacles. With the bards discording and peacing, they did not prove too difficult to deal with and the dogs soon consigned them to the compost heap. That just left the black beast itself, and it was time to unleash everything onto it. Dogs, arrows, energy bolts all let fly and the cavern became filled with sulphurous smoke and a cacophony of snarling dogs, twanging bows and the roars of the creature. As it neared its death, several members withdrew to the cave entrance to tackle the expected raiders and warn off any non-alliance members trying to go inside. In the end, the raiders did not appear and the fell harrower was finally defeated.

In the aftermath, the party members withdrew to the HHSF Luna headquarters to divide the scrolls of power. It was a fine crop indeed, with six +25s and four +20s. Before they were handed out, several of the party returned to Destard to pick up the piles of gold around the dead harrower and to assist Aurora who was being attacked by Wyrm of KoC. Duke Calibretto was quick to her aid and managed to dispatch him before he could harm Aurora.

Once assembled again at HQ, the party members each rolled for the scrolls. A +25 was awarded to Hoffs and Jagang, while Blaez, Bu and Cali picked up a +20. Poor Alizaren had to make do with a +10. All-in-all, though, an excellent result and congratulations go to all who took part and to Calibretto for his leadership.