Warhammer Quest: Shadows Over Hammerhal - Session Seven - The Auction Hall

In this penultimate session our Warhammer Quest: Shadows Over Hammerhal campaign, our heroes have chased the Chaos Sorcerer behind the strange cult that has gathered followers of all the Chaos Gods together and tried to wreck havoc in the city of Hammerhal! They uncovered and foiled a plot to redirect the flow of magma below the city to flood Cinderfall and the surrounding neighborhoods, potentially killing tens of thousands and destroying much of the industry in the city!

In their final assault on the cult in the catecombs - during the ritual that would have realized their dastardly plans - the Chaos Sorcerer escaped... but a clue was discovered that led them to the House of Venargo - an opulent merchant's mansion built in the classic Azyrute style, that contains auction halls where arcane artifacts are auctioned to a select clientele.  

I'd initially hoped we'd get through the Auction Hall AND the Sorcerer's Lair this evening... alas.. we got started a bit late and fighting ALL THE THINGS in ONE ROOM takes a lot of time!! 

The adventurers set up outside the gilded Auction Hall of the House of Venargo... and the Enemy lurking within. 

Arvios Sunhelm - Lord-Castellant of the Hammers of Sigmar - was the first to enter. He used his Warding Lantern and stunned three of the enemy - and damaged two of them - including one of the Chaos Sorcerer's Bodyguards! 

(The Chaos Sorcerer could not be targetted until the two bodyguards were slain!) 

Archimaine - Sunhelm's loyal Gryph-hound - bounded to his side and chewed on some Kairic Acolytes!

Golnir Coalbeard - Cogsmith - burst in and blasted a few away with his guns!

Alnaryn the Loremaster entered from the North door and cut down a few of the Kairic Acolytes!

Vizrin Kyre - the Black Ark Fleetmaster - charged into the thick of things and got themselves into a spot of bother - finding themselves engaged with two Kairic Acolytes, the Bloodreaver Bodyguard, and the Chaos Sorcerer themselves!! The first three dealt the Fleetmaster three wounds. The Chaos Sorderer then attacked with both Runestaff (one attack d3 damage) and Runesword (two attacks, 1 Damage) - both hit on 2+ - and I rolled THREE ONES!!! 

The Kairic Acolytes, however, in addition to making a few attacks, summned a PINK HORROR!!

Coalbeard and Sunhelm cut down the rest of the Kairic Acolytes... 

Alnaryn blasted the Pink Horror with their arcane bolt, blasting it apart...  

into two Blue Horrors!

Their final attack hit the Bloodreaver Bodyguard, which Vizrin Kyre then finished off... 

Lord-Castellant Sunhelm then stepped up to attack the Putrid BLightking Bodyguard! 

The Chaos sorcerer cried; "FOOLS! YOU THINK YOU HAVE WON!? YOU HAVE FALLEN INTO MY TRAP!" and with that the doors to the Auction Hall were flug open to reveal MORE Kairic Acolytes at the doors ready to charge in! 

Alnaryn blasted a Blue Horror apart... and it burst into two Brimstone Horrors! 

Vizrym Kyre charged in and stamped one of the Brimstone Horrors out and cleaved the other Blue Horror in two, procducing TWO MORE Brimstone Horrors! 

Meanwhile, Coalbeard blasted away at the Karic Acolytes just outside the door he was standing by, taking down two or three of them...? 

The Kairic Acolytes swarmed into the Hall, surrounding Coalbeard and the Lord-Castellant!

Coalbeard actually hit someone with his axe! Rhe Lord-Castellant struck down a few of the Kairic Acolytes! But the Chaos Sorcerer called for even MORE reinforcements and four more Khorne Bloodreavers burst in through the North door attacking Alnaryn! 

Coalbeard and the Lord-Castellant fought off the Kairic Acolytes while Alnaryn dealt with the Bloodreavers... With the two body guards out of the way, Vizrin Kyre and the Gryph-Hound started attacking the Chaos Sorcerer! (and dealt it some serious damage!) 

Bloodreavers try to come to the Chaos Sorcerer's aide, swarming Vizrin Kyre! 

The battle seemed desperate, but eventually the last of the Sorcerer's minions were dealt with... 

But the Sorcerer ONCE AGAIN slipped away through a secret door, evading the Heroes justice! 

Our Heroes located a secret door that lead to a chamber... that lead to a REALM GATE! It was clear the Sorcerer had fled through the Realm Gate and through it they would pursue! But... maybe not that evening! 

At this point it was after 10pm and we decided to call it a night and would finish up the last bit next week... meaning I have TWO more weeks to get enough done to start Cursed City! 

I've been listening to the audiobook of Hammerhal and Other Stories, but I might re-listen to Cursed City over the next two weeks to keep the motivation up (and refresh my memory of some of the background)! 

Tune in for the exciting conclusion next week when our heroes face the Chaos Sorcerer in his own LAIR!!!!