Back with the Bros

 

Real life intruded last fall and put my hobbies on hold for a bit. I'm ready to resume some more solo AD&D in the Cold Wastes and will be posting more starting next week. The fates of our Bros will be revealed!

Session 8 Downtime: The Blasti-bros

The Blasti-bros (Blastikus and Brother Sully)

Blastikus and Brother Sully make a quick detour to the village of Eilifsdalsa to confer with Blastikus' henchmen, Jack Stabby and Johnny Crush. The trip is uneventful (no random encounters) and they reach the village in early evening. The duo wearily make their way to Maison de Blastikus on the outskirts of town and find the half orcs throwing axes in the fields behind his abode. A lamb roasts on the spit, filling the air with the sumptuous aroma of dinner.

"At least you're not both stinking drunk yet", Blastikus says as they unsaddle their horses and ready to put them out to pasture for the evening.

"Eh, well we just woke up a few hours ago," Jack replies as he retrieves an axe from the center of the target. "Heh...you've both seen better days. What happened to yer chums?"

"Philosophical differences," Blastikus replies, fixing the insolent half-orc with a gaze that warns the subject is closed. "We're moving to Old Brightwood in the morning."

"About time," Johnny replies, giving the lamb a turn on the spit. "The locals don't like us much and we're getting bored. Someone might go missing, otherwise. We need some fun."

"Not here, you won't. I need this place to stay quiet and out of the way in case we need it later. Old Brightwood is a little more...fluid, shall we say. I think some loot would go a long ways to treating your boredom, eh?"

"That it would, boss, that it would. What's the plan?", Jack asks.

"Go to the village center tomorrow after Sully and I leave. Get a pair of draft horses and a wagon and load up all my equipment from the cabin. Hire some of the local imbeciles if you need to - they have strong backs, at least. Meet us in Old Brightwood as soon as possible and be ready for some action when you do. That rube Redneck is out for blood because he blames us for Fitzy joining the ancients. Regardless of what happens with him, we all need some coin so we'll find some up north. Is everything clear? I detest repeating myself."

"Clear as crystal, milord," Johnny replies with a wicked grin. "Finally some fun!"

After eating, Sully and Blastikus confer about their course of action. They both agree that the treasure hoard in the Oni maps cannot be ignored, but not at their current strength. They decide to try to recruit some more companions upon arrival in Old Brightwood and explore any local leads they may uncover. The refugees in Fort Rackham mentioned that there were several large ruins throughout the countryside that the hordes took over as bases. Old stories claim there was fantastic treasure to be had, so both agree it's worth investigating further. They turn in for the night, agreeing to leave before dawn to avoid drawing any unwelcome attention from the gossiping villagers.

As planned, the duo rise in the darkness of early morning and uneventfully take the northern road to Old Brightwood, a city of some 50,000 souls. The journey is smooth, with no random encounters. They reach the city in late afternoon and immediately notice the heavy military presence throughout the city. The walls are manned with crossbowmen and artillerists and all entrances are heavily guarded. Frequent patrols keep the streets eerily clear, enforcing an oppressive silence on the once vibrant city. Upon the recommendation of one of the guards, they make their way to the Oak Tree Inn and find a densely populated common room of an otherwise comfortable in. All conversations are in hushed tones and few of the customers even bother to look in their direction. 

"Quite the lively bunch, eh?", Sully remarks.

"It's better this way, you know. Low interest gives us greater freedom to move." Blastikus replies. "I'll get us some rooms and we can start prospecting."

The Blasti-bros Appear

Similar to the procedure for The Mighty Redneck, I roll a d6 for number of allies, d4+4 for level so that they would roughly be around the Bros level, and rolled on the Character Subtable DMG pg 175 for the results below. Sully is conducting the negotiations (+25% Charisma bonus) and we get:

1. Marsh Bersk Human Male, Lvl 7 Magicuser (True Neutral)
   Uncertain but 55% prone toward positive
   
   
2. Krall Diacan Human Male, Lvl 8 Assassin (Chaotic Evil)
   Uncertain but 55% prone toward positive
   
   
3. Luisa Human Female, Lvl 5 Cleric (Chaotic Neutral)
   Enthusiastically friendly, immediate acceptance
   
   
4. Randal Human Male, Lvl 6 Cleric (Lawful Good)
   Uncertain but 55% prone toward positive
   
   
5. Mog Khalid Human Male, Lvl 7 Fighter (Chaotic Good)
   Enthusiastically friendly, immediate acceptance (base roll of 90% + total modifiers of 30%)
   
   
6. Skyrax Human Male, Lvl 7 Fighter (Lawful Neutral)
   Uncertain but 55% prone toward positive

I decide that Randal and Skyrax, both being Lawful, smell the taint of Chaos on Sully and tell him to sod off. Luisa and Mog are both clearly excited enamored of the dashing Sully and the others go along for the payday. After the group confers, they share news and the rumor table is updated with new potential hooks.

The Blasti-bros are ready!

Session 8 Downtime: The Band of Brogallos

 

The Band of Brogallos (Brogallo and Kleptikos)

Having saved the Bro-cenaries from Zenabarithon's wrath (thus preserving his power base), Brogallo and Kleptikos make their way to Valthrun with the warband and quickly decamp with the officers to a discrete tavern named The White Rose. They quietly enter the watering hole, and Brogallo tosses a gold piece to the bartender saying, "Greetings Rakov! We need the feasthall for some privacy. Bring food and drink and see that none of the peasants bother us."

"Aye, milord. The room's yours until you tell me otherwise. I'll have the slaves prepare your rooms, as usual."

"Good man! Bring the drink immediately and the food as soon as it's ready - we're starved and parched from the road."

The group makes its way to the private feast hall in the rear of the inn and quickly bar the door before falling into the plush divans surrounding the hearth, where a cozy fire crackles. Two slave girls quietly enter from a hidden door in the rear of the hall. With downcast gazes the efficiently spread out a half dozen bottles of liquor and several loaves of bread before quickly leaving, all the while avoiding the gazes of the predators that have descended upon their world.

Lt Stoner barks a sharp laugh before saying "I like it when they're terrified of us. It makes it so much easier to deal with them!" The warriors all chuckle before Brogallo says, "Enough. Hand me a glass of that whiskey and let's get business out of the way so we can relax. Let's be honest boys - we were damned lucky to get out of that last scrap with our hides intact."

A chorus of unanimous murmurs shows the others agree. "I don't like that dragon flying around these parts", Brogallo continues, "I think it might be worth our while to head north for some coin and fun. What's your thoughts, lads?"

Stoner is the first to reply, saying "I never much cared for Valthrun, sir. Let's leave this place and join more sympathetic sorts up north. Lots of work to be had, for sure."

Sgt Rock, after taking a long draught from a bottle of absinthe, is the first to respond. "Slaughter's boys and mine are right glad to be alive and obliged to you for getting us out of that scrap, sir. They'll definitely be happy to get into more familiar territory and get some loot off the hobgobbos, as well."

Sgt Slaughter agrees enthusiastically, saying "'Tis true, sir. things are bit too crazy down here. Much more fun turning the gobbos into pin cushions and much less risk than going toe-to-toe with the wyrm."

"And you, Kleptikos? Will you join us?", Brogallo asks.

"Without question. I was getting sick of that bumpkin and those self-righteous priests, so the farther away, the better. Blastikus was alright, but I think he might be starting to get delusions of grandeur and egotistical wizards tend to take risks that are detrimental to the health of sane people. We've still got a few months before the snow sets in, so we might as well get some loot while we can."

"Fair enough, boys. Let's spend a few days here to unwind and then we'll head out to Tallow Watch to see what we see. Let's eat!"

Late that evening, after the others have passed out in drunken stupors, Kleptikos quietly slips out of the inn and makes his way through the now silent darkened streets. He has long cultivated the ability to appear to drink far more than he really consumes and has used it to liberate many valuables from irresponsible owners in the past. This time, however, he wishes to conduct private business instead of the far more enjoyable larceny. 

He makes his way to a derelict building and slips into the adjoining alley. After a few yards, he discretely presses two of the bricks, causing a section of the wall to silently open inwards. He slips in quickly, silently closing the hidden door behind him. Deftly, he silently makes his way to a rear room where he finds a youth barely into his teens quietly making notes in a ledger by candlelight.

"Hey there, boss. Been expecting  you since the kids saw you and the muscle go through the eastern gates earlier today. What news?"

"Redneck is out for blood after I gave him the slip during a scrap with a dragon. The simpleton actually thought I'd face down a monster for no good reason. I'm going to head north to check on my boys up there." He tosses a small pouch of coins to the youth and says "Here. Take some for yourself and share the rest with the kids. If Redneck is still alive and comes back here, tell him I got caught trying to steal some rich dame's jewels and met my end at the hands of her guards. He'll believe it and it will take the heat off while I sort out my northern affairs."

"Is there any news to report, Selark?" Kleptikos wearily asks, rubbing his eyes and reaching for the bottle of wine on the table.

"Mostly the usual comings and goings, boss. There is one thing unusual, however."

"Well, spit it out damn it!", Kleptikos snaps. "It's late and I need some sleep."

Fearful of having overstepped his bounds with undue familiarity, Selark pales  before blurting out "The Oni boss! Some people have said they've seen them prowling around! They catch a glance of one before they disappear in front of their eyes. The kids have overheard adults talking when they went begging. The adults seem really spooked about this."

"Hmm... well that's Blastikus' problem to solve. He's got their damned map, not me. Keep an ear out for anything more. I'll send a messenger to Hamyla's place with news when I get settled up north. He'll be wearing a red bandana like they do on the taiga. Pay him the standard fee and give him any updates."

"Sure thing, boss, sure thing. Are you calling it a night?"

"I am. It's well past my bed time", Kleptikos says as he turns to leave. He pauses before turning to Selark and saying "Don't fuck this up, boy. Keep doing as I say and all will be well. If you start getting any crazy ideas in your head about your true place in life...well, the sewers are always hungry."

"N-n-no problem, boss", Selark stammers, "Everything will be the way you want! I promise! I like things the way they are, just fine!"

Kleptikos stares into the boy's eyes for a long moment before silently turning and disappearing into the darkness.

The group sets out for Tallow Watch after a few days of recreation and reach the city uneventfully. Brogallo decides to start prospecting for some additions to the party with results below.

The Band of Brogallos Appear

Similar to the procedure for The Mighty Redneck, I roll a d6 for number of allies, d4+4 for level so that they would roughly be around the Bros level, and rolled on the Character Subtable DMG pg 175 for the results below. Kleptikos is conducting the negotiations (+30% Charisma bonus) and we get:

1. Ah Soh Human Male, Lvl 8 Monk (Lawful Evil)
   Uncertain but 55% prone toward positive
   
   
2. Man Lee Human Male, Lvl 6 Magic-User (True Neutral)
   Friendly, immediate action
   
   
3. Manderbro Male, Lvl 7 Magic-User (True Neutral)
   Enthusiastically friendly, immediate acceptance
   
   
4. No Tiki Human Male, Lvl 7 Fighter (Chaotic Neutral)
   Enthusiastically friendly, immediate acceptance
   
   
5. Otilola Human Female, Lvl 7 Cleric (Chaotic Good)
   Neutral - uninterested - uncertain
   
   
6. Voon deGoon Human Male, Lvl 7 Fighter (Neutral Evil)
   Uncertain but 55% prone toward positive

I decide that Otilola is creeped out by Kleptikos, slaps him and leaves. The rest are swayed by Kleptikos' sly words and join for the lucrative payday. After the group confers, they share news and the rumor table is updated with new potential hooks.

The Band of Brogallos March Forth!

Session 8 Downtime: Redneck's Mighty Riders

Redneck's Mighty Riders (Mighty Redneck)

Still reeling from the betrayal of the others, Redneck decides to seek the counsel of his trainer, Brog Bersk (L11 CG ranger) whom I randomly decide lives in the mountains (hex 301.302) south of the Shrine of Lethria. He safely arrives (all encounter checks came up blank) at the mountain stronghold of Brog and informs him of the developments. Brog urges caution when dealing with the Chaos beast and marvels that such a small group of unprepared adventurers survived the appetite of Zenabarithon and his mate. He reluctantly suggests that Redneck consult with the Porius Sepret, Druid of the Order of the Starless Wastes since he may have more information and lives close to the lakes that were targeted by the dragons. Brog gives Redneck directions to find Druid Porius in wooded hills (hex 306.298) east of Trith Keep, should he desire to consult the Druid.

In the interest of speed, Redneck decides to stay on the main roads before cutting east to the Starless Wastes Grove. Moving under cover of darkness, Redneck quietly makes his way through the outskirts of the villages near Trith Keep before melting into the woods. Fortunately, all encounter checks come up blank so Redneck takes some time to catch some rabbits for dinner and counts his blessings as he makes camp for the night.

Having started a small fire and put the rabbits on the spit to roast, Redneck spreads his bedroll before returning to cooking and is surprised to see a visitor sitting by the fire staring at the succulent meat on the spit.

His newfound, and somewhat expected, guest is a tall man with gaunt features, naked save for a loincloth with a staff across his knees. His long hair is matted and smeared with white woad that covers his body from crown to sole.

I check reaction and get Uncertain/positive (59% followed by a 13%) so I decide the situation unfolds as follows:

"You'll be joining me for dinner then, Dryw Porius?", Redneck asks his hoary dinner guest.

"Hmph. At least Brog taught ye proper manners, boy. The auguries were clear that we were to expect a visitor and it's always a pleasant surprise when I don't have to kill him outright. How's yer master? It's been an age since he paid me a visit."

"He's well, Dryw, though burdened by responsibilities. The Jotunn have overstepped their bounds again", Redneck tells him as he sits down crosslegged and turns the spits.

"Pfft! A nuisance, at best! Tell him I would see him when he can spare the time. Why did he send you?" Porius says as he pokes the largest rabbit with a bony finger, testing its readiness.

"I battled the wyrm Zenabarithon, Dryw, and fear I may have doomed the lake villages by my failure to slay the abomination", Redneck says, hanging his head in shame and failing to meet the gaze of the druid.

"Hmmm so that was you, eh? The villages are no more. The wyrms destroyed them and ate the hapless peasants. They'll be sated for a quite some time after their feast so we won't hear from them for months, at least. What happened? I'm surprised ye didn't end up in their gullets"

"I was betrayed, Dryw!" Redneck shouts. He shakes with rage as he says "We were attacked by the beasts in a vicious ambush! Our so-called warrior Brogallo fled in fear with his mercenary band and that scum Kleptikos! Fitzy was killed and I was near death from the icy breath of the wyrms when the wizard Blastikus and his treacherous Chaos priest Sully used a potion to mesmerize the beasts! Those black-hearted bastards convinced them we were their allies! They commanded them to attack the villages instead of finishing us." 

Redneck, falls silent, overwhelmed by the grief at the obliteration of the innocents. He sits mute, the only sounds being the crackle of the fire and the sizzle of the cooking rabbits. Porius contemplates the fire, occasionally turning the spits. After a time, he breaks the silence.

"There was nothing ye could do, boy", he says quietly. "The abominations were hungry and took ye unawares. These beasts are an affront, though, and must be dealt with before they spawn and we have a true catastrophe on our hands. Yer wyrd is unclear, but it's clear ye are not fated to die...yet."

Porius pokes the fire with a stick, and pauses, as if he's unsure about what he should say next. After a few moments, he nods once, having come to a conclusion and continues.

"As ye should know, The Order maintains the balance of our world against the abominations and Outer Dark. We use all tools to do, whether they be good or evil or slaves to the Higher Powers. Often, and always when least expected, those tools fails us and we must regroup with our brethren and true allies. Brog has taught ye this, hasn't he?", he asks sharply.

"Aye, Dryw. He has told me the truth of the world and our place in preserving it against the Enemies."

"Hmm. At least Brog righteously keeps the old ways. Well, ye just suffered the first betrayal of what will likely be many. Learn from it! Yer Brotherhood and The Order have been staunch allies for centuries and are the only ones that can be trusted! Outsiders are tools to be used for specific purposes and then discarded lest they fail ye...and they will!"

Porius takes the larger rabbit of the fire and puts it aside to cool, eyeing it hungrily. He turns to Redneck and says "Don't let the other coney cook too long! They turn rubbery if ye let it roast! Pull it off and have yer dinner. We'll get some sleep and visit my place in the morning. The auguries told me what was to be and I called fer some friends to help you track down the beasts and make them pay for their crimes. Those villagers were decent sorts and under my protection. They didn't deserve to be wyrm food. We will avenge them."

"And the betrayers, Dryw?"

"Forget them for now, boy. Their time will come. Plan their deaths and pursue them with cold determination. The wyrms are a greater threat and must be dealt with first. Then, and only then, should ye slay the filthy Chaos priest and the blackhearts. They caused the deaths of innocent and must pay the price for the scales to balance."

Redneck's Riders Appear

In the morning, Redneck and Porius break camp and travel to the Druid's cabin in hex 306.299. Porius introduces Redneck to his new allies (I rolled a d6 for number of allies, d4+4 for level so that they would roughly be around Redneck's level and rolled on the Character Subtable DMG pg 175 for the following results):

Alethras - N L6 druid

Bear Amblecrown - NE L6 fighter

Palk Mei - NG L8 magic-user

After a quick war council, the group agrees to travel to the lakes to see if they discover survivors or clues as to the dragons whereabouts.

Redneck rides for vengeance!

Session 8 Downtime: Murder Hobo Meltdown

Based on the aftermath of the debacle with the Dragon Zenabarithon, the bros have been broken and divided into three groups which will pursue their own agendas and possibly come into direct conflict later in the campaign (By the Will of The Dice Gods!)

• Blastikus and Brother Sully have formed a uneasy alliance of convenience. Though capable in their own right, they need warrior support and need to be diligent about the Oni retribution and possible stealth attacks by the Mighty Redneck, thirsty for blood to avenge the sacrifice of the lakeside peasants. They shall be known henceforth as The Winter Blast Bros until something happens to the Wand of Frost, at least...
  
  
• Brogallo and Kleptikos have likewise been thrown into an ad hoc partnership, but they have far more common ground between them. Their interests could align into a much more mutually beneficial long term collaboration. They shall be known henceforth as The Band of Brogallos.
  
  
• The Mighty Redneck burns with hatred for his former comrades-in-arms. It took the untimely death of his long time friend Brother Fitzy to awaken him to the severe evil that sat festering in the hearts of the others. He was betrayed in his hour of need by Brogallo and Kleptikos and witnessed Blastikus sacrifice hundreds of innocents to save his own hide while Brother Sully stood complicit in his silence. The actions of Brogallo and Kleptikos could possibly be excused due to cowardice in the face of a Chaos beast, but the wickedness of the others will be punished. His group shall be known henceforth as Redneck's Mighty Riders (well, when he actually has more than just himself in the group, that is...).
  

Each of these groups need to prepare themselves for the harsh new reality that confronts them, and needs to gather reinforcements and continue building their power base before enacting any plans. I'm going to break out each group into their own post, so keep an eye out for the downtime updates.

Dramatis Personae

We've gotten to the point of encountering several notable NPC over the past year and it's probably a good idea to keep track of them in a central location. This post will be updated as warranted.

Fort Rackham

• Lady Kophyn Mizzar is the mistress of the Croaking Castle of the Miraculous Toad (Hex 300.298) and protector of the nearby Fort Rackham (Hex 300.297).
  
  
• Tazennarit is the leader of the former bandit group now turned into Fort Rackham settlers. She has a good relationship with Lady Kophyn and has become the de facto leader of the town.
  
  
• Belgos Trith is a retired fighter and master of the keep (hex 302.298) directly east of the Croaking Castle. He has ordered his forces to patrol the roads and keep trade open for the benefit of everyone (himself included, of course).

Orchard Hollow

• Patriarch Sirenion (Hex 302.294) is the stoic cleric of Law responsible for the spiritual well being of the citizens in the city. As presiding hierarch, he has a force of lesser clerics and a dedicated order of paladins at his command. He is suspicious of the motives of the Band of Brogallos and may be searching for them for "intensive spiritual discussions".
  

Tallow Watch

• Chef Manducare Sordidum (Hex 301.295) is the proprietor of the Bistro de Sordidum soup kitchen in Tallow Watch (secretly funded by the Mighty Redneck's tithing). This is a ruse, for he is really the assassin Ardot and uses his restaurants as covers for assassinations and poison development. He has a successful working arrangement with the Temple of the Iron Claw for mutual intelligence/spy networks.

Valthrun

• Lord Jirex, Guardian of Portal is the titular ruler of Valthrun (Hex 300.300), but the real power is rumored to lie with two radically different patrons: Kirenos, the Master of the Thieves Guild and Bilious Yarena, a Night Hag from the depths of Hades. The truth of these rumours, and the very existence of these presonages, is very much in dispute.
  
  
• Sister Dolorosa is the abbess of The Wretched Little Tykes Home for the Unwashed orphanage in Valthrun (Hex 300.300). Her acolyte is Sister Cruciata. The orphanage is secretly funded by The Mighty Redneck. The orphanage is a cover for the Temple of the Iron Claw monk training compound.
  
  
• Selark is a teenage street urchin and leader of the orphan spy network in the employ of Kleptikos.
  
  
• Hamyla is the madam of a nameless brothel catering to high end clientelle. She is a member of the Kleptikos spy network.
  
  
• Rakov is the proprietor of The White Rose, a discrete high-end inn often frequented by Brogallo.

Elsewhere

• The White Dragon Zenabarithon and his as yet unnamed mate were spotted in Hex 301.300. Nobody knows the location of their lair or current whereabouts.
  
  
• The master of the small keep (Hex 302.298) to the east of the Croaking Castle is Belgos Trith, a very famous human male fighter who had great success against the savage barbarian horsemen. He is largely retired, but keeps patrols on the roads to ensure trade continues to flow.
  
  
• Brog Bersk is a The Warden of Valthrun, a ranger lord and ruler of an aerie stronghold in the mountains (Hex 301.302) south of the Shrine of Lethria.
  
  
• Porius Sepret is the Druid of the Order of the Starless Wastes and is rumored to be living in the forests (Hex 306.298) east of Trith Keep.

Session 8: The Sundering of the Bros

 

The Bros are all trained up and newly buffed up with additional bro-cenary troops under Brogallo's command. A roll on the rumor table comes up with a 7, so the Bros are heading back to the Ruined Monastery to see what compelled the Oni to invade the territory and devastate Gunnolfsfell. They decide to forgo the road and cut through hex 301.300 (containing the Shrine of Lethria) to reach hex 302.301 (containing the Ruined Monastery). Random encounters both come up positive, which means we'll be rolling on the temperate wilderness tables on DMG pg 184 to see what they discover. Note even though the Cold Wastes are a northern tundra environment, I'm using the real world calendar as the campaign calendar. Since it's July and a balmy 92 degrees Farenheit here in Boston, MA it seems kinda silly to roll on the subarctic table.

Hex 301.300 is mountainous and comes up with an 11 which means Dragon and a potential world of excrement falling down on the Bros. A further roll on the Dragon Table (pg 185) gives us two 7HD (35hp, 35hp) adult average size White Dragons (per rolls on AD&D MM pg 29 and 34). They're not in their lair (31% and need a 20%), so I say they're a mated pair of dragons hunting for some food. They can speak (18%) but aren't spell casters (71%).

Hex 302.301 is forested hills and comes up with an Ogre. Given previous events, I'm ruling this is the Oni Chief and his remaining clan members who have been lurking in the area, nursing their wounds, and waiting for the chance to enact their revenge. I decide they've been quietly stocking the party invisibly waiting for their chance to kill the human weaklings and retrieve their treasure maps.

We'll resolve the dragon encounter first to see if The Bros survive to face the Oni and the Ruined Monastery.

Neither party is surprised (Party 6, Dragons 5) and the party loses initiative (4 to 3). A reaction check comes back at 53% (Neutral - uninterested - uncertain). I decide the Dragons are going to attack since I've already established they're hungry and looking for a snack. Encounter distance is 11" - well within combat range.

Round 1 actions:

Blastikus: Use Potion of Evil Dragon Control (seriously how awesome are random rolls?? It's not like I planned this encounter!)

Brogallo: Attempts to rally bro-cenaries and flee, seeing nothing but death if he remains 

Brother Fitzy: Casts Resist Cold

Brother Sully: Casts Resist Cold 

Kleptikos: Turns and runs, not willing to become a dragon snack

Mighty Redneck: Attacks with long sword

Round 1 (Party 3; Dragon 4):

The terrifying beasts of Chaos Manifest are imbued with an alien aura of utter wrongness, anathema to the natural order of the world and apex predators unchallenged by the mortal beings of this realm. The bro-cenaries fail their saving throws (with pathetic roll of 2) and are rooted to the spot in abject fear at the dread majesty of the ancient enemy. The Bros are all 6th level so are sturdy enough to shake off the effects of the dragons' horrific nature.

Dragon 1: Breathes on the party (80% roll per AD&D MM pg 30) for 35hp of damage

Blastikus: Makes save vs BW and takes 18hp leaving him at a frosty 1hp

Brogallo: Fails save and goes to 6hp

Brother Fitzy: Fails save and goes to 2hp

Brother Sully: Fails save and goes to 5hp

Kleptikos: Makes save vs BW and takes 18hp leaving him at 12hp

Mighty Redneck: Fails save and goes to 5hp

Dragon 2: Attacks Brother Fitzy and hits with 2 claws for 6hp, killing him...decisively!

Blastikus: Drinks the Potion of Evil Dragon Control; Dragon 1 fails the save but Dragon 2 makes it (with a natural 20 no less)

Brogallo: Reaction roll of 74% with a successful followup rallies the troops and they all flee

Brother Fitzy: DEAD

Brother Sully: Loses spell

Kleptikos: FLED 

Mighty Redneck: Misses

Round 2 actions:

Blastikus: Tells Dragon 1 to convince Dragon 2 that the party is their friend and they should stop trying to eat The Bros (let's see what reaction rolls determine...)

Brother Sully: Casts Cure Light Wounds on himself

Mighty Redneck: Attacks Dragon 2 with long sword since he doesn't know what Blastikus had planned

Dragon 1: Attacks Brother Sully

Dragon 2: Attacks Redneck

Round 2 (Party 5; Dragon 4):

Blastikus: Gets an adjusted reaction roll of 75% with a successful follow up so Dragon 1 reacts positively and convinces his mate to stop attacking

Brother Sully: CLW heals him for 4hp

Mighty Redneck: Misses

Dragon 1: Stops attack due to Potion of Dragon Control

Dragon 2: Stops attack due to mate's influence

Noting the disappearance of Brogallo and Kleptikos for future retaliation, Blastikus attempts to get some information from the dragons before sending them on their way.

"O great ones, we are overwhelmed by your mercy! What great beings of power you are!"

Never one to shy away from recognition of his obvious draconic superiority, the male says "Zenabarithon is pleased by your fear and recognition of the proper order of the Cosmos, fleshling. My mate and I are hungry, though, and you do look rather delicious..."

"We are unfit for the refined palate of Your Greatnesses. Surely, a multitude of plump villagers in the lakeside villages to the southeast would do more to satisfy your ravenous hungers?"

Horrified, Redneck shouts "You miserable bastard! How dare you..."

Brother Sully rapidly smacks Redneck across his mouth "Be silent, you oaf! Our fate hangs by a thread!"

The party is brought to their knees by the thunderous laughter of both dragons.

"Let us leave these primates to their own devices, my queen. These fools will do our work for us - ha! They are but a morsel best left to rot. Let us indulge ourselves in some waterside dining", Zenabarithon says as they both take to the air.

"I like you, fleshling. Make sure the Oni in the woods don't make you their meal, instead. They've been following you for miles and are waiting in Kenarath's Monastery, you know", Zenabarithon tells the survivors as he wheels away into the sky with his mate.

"Hmmm", Blastikus thinks to himself, "I didn't know that was the monastery's name. I'll have to look into that later...and into Zenabarithon as well."

Turning to address his companions, Blastikus is surprised to see that only Brother Sully remains. "What happened to the oaf?"

Brother Sully stares at Blastikus with jaded eyes before saying, "You must be joking or insane - what do you think happened? You sacrificed hundreds of peasants to save our hides. His sanctimonious personality can't abide that! We're lucky he's too battered to slit our throats here and now. He's going to be a problem later."

"For me or you?", Blastikus says in a low voice.

"Both. I'm going to have troubles of my own for daring to raise my hand against the literal manifestation of Chaos Made Flesh without worrying about your homicidal urges. Why don't you stow the murderous attitude for now, eh? We've done well together and I don't see the need to  disrupt a profitable venture with petty betrayals", Sully says while subtly changing his stance in anticipation of violence.

Blastikus sighs wearily before responding, "Agreed. I think Valthrun might be an unwise destination given our current...complications. Let's round up the horses, bury your brother and leave for Old Brightwood - it's quieted down by now. He'll expect us to go to Fort Rackham since you've got friends there and might poke around Tallow Watch while he's there. We need time to regroup and find some reasonable traveling companions. I'll send word to my idiot servants in Eilifsdalsa to let them know."

"Might as well. Pity about Fitzy, though. He wasn't a bad sort - I was starting to grow fond of him."