Harrowing the Hook, Part 4 (Monday, Kuthona (XII) 23rd, 4707 AR)

The heroes dropped and stabilized Kaven. When he fell, Lucrecia sweetly acknowledged his work - "These oafish Kreegs have had quite a lot of trouble taking Rannick without the lovely details Kaven provided us. My love did an excellent job!"

Lucrecia preferred to fight with her daggers. When faced with overwhelming odds and injured, she fled.

Barl, the stone giant who sat on the throne preferred to let his bodyguard fight his fights while he flew above the battlefield, casting spells. The heroes killed him and his stone giant bodyguard.

Some treasure was heaped haphazardly behind Barl's throne. The bulk of this stash of treasure was worth 9,200 gp, and consisted of various weapons, art objects, gems, trade goods, and other treasures weighing just over 300 pounds in all. Mixed in with all of this treasure, though, were a few magic items - most of them taken from defeated Black Arrows. These included 32 +1 arrows, a suit of +2 light fortification studded leather, a +1 longsword, a +1 composite longbow, a belt of incredible dexterity +2, a cloak of elvenkind, and a pair of boots of the winterlands.

The heroes defeated Barl without giving him a chance to talk, but they learned of an imminent raid on Sandpoint from a missive written upon mammoth hide:

"Barl - 
Latest contact with Teraktinus indicates he has narrowed the search - he believes a human town called Sandpoint could hide what my Lord seeks. Teraktinus will lead several of the people, as well as the dragon, on a raid into the town soon. When they return, they may be pursued, and I may need your ogre slaves to aid in Teraktinus' retreat to Jorgenfist. Be ready to return at my command!
M"

The heroes returned all of the treasure to the Black Arrows and didn't claim any of it for themselves. With the defeat of Barl, the heroes not only freed the Kreegs from being enslaved and pressed into war but also prevented further assaults on the region - now leaderless, the Kreegs themselves were weak and vulnerable.

Abandoned Shrine. A shrine bearing the feral visage of a brutally beautiful monstrous maiden with the head of a three-eyed jackal and the belly of a pregnant young woman leaned against the far wall.

This was the Kreegs' shrine to Lamashtu. Instead of Kreegs, the twisted and vile remains of what was once the commander of Fort Rannick held post as a guardian here.

The powerful but pitiful creature served as a guardian of this chamber. Lamatar's body was caked with ice; his left hand looked almost to be a claw made of icicles and his brow was decorated with a crown of the same.

Lamatar retained no trace of his living personality. He fought to the death, but not before killing Jakardros.

Lucrecia had recovered, and then attacked the heroes again along with Lamatar, where she had more room to move around so she could utilize her spells more effectively. Lucrecia fled again when she was severely injured. Kaven's body disappeared after the heroes' attention turned to Lucrecia and Lamatar.

Since the heroes were gracious and charitable enough to use their raise dead scroll to return Jakardros, the surviving Black Arrow, to life, he will allow them to keep a few of the magic items.

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