# Session 60: Hex Knight Who? **Date:** 2026-11-03 ## Summary The spectral court of Drakkenheim shuddered and came apart at the seams when Oiroa successfully argued that the court had knowingly presented a perjured witness, causing the living indictment to collapse entirely. The wax seals snapped and crackled as the verdict dissolved, the jury faded into nothing, and the bailiff and attorneys flickered out of existence like candle flames in a strong wind. The ghostly gallery of spectators erupted in cheers and applause before they too faded into silence, leaving the party standing in a suddenly very quiet cell with an unlocked door. Syndle, flush with newfound strength from a recently acquired magical belt, bent the bars of the cell anyway, just to make a point. With their freedom secured and the Medallion of Chancery in Oiroa's possession, the party took stock of the political seals they still needed to collect before they could hope to breach the castle and confront whatever horror had taken root beneath the throne room. They debated the merits of approaching the Falling Fire for Saint Vitruvio's phylactery, ultimately deciding that asking a delirium-worshipping religious order to help end the very Haze that sustained their faith was a conversation best saved for later. Instead, they set their sights on Shepherd's Gate, where the Lord Commander Elias Drexel and his Hooded Lanterns held their ground, reasoning that his badge of office would be the most straightforward acquisition. To avoid the Silver Order's growing presence near Saint Vitruvio's Cathedral, the group charted a route along the River Drand, agreeing that any Silver Order patrol they encountered along the way would not be walking away from the meeting. They had barely made it to the river's edge when three griffins descended from the darkened sky above Drakkenheim, each carrying armored Silver Order soldiers — and among them, flying under his own terrible power, was the Hex Knight the party had clashed with before. Syndle hurled his axe at the nearest griffin before anyone had a chance to suggest a more cautious approach, and the battle erupted across the bridge over the River Drand. The Hex Knight retaliated with a devastating sphere of dark energy that rippled outward in a massive wave, while the Silver Order Chaplain descended to the cobblestones and began summoning protective spirits — only for Tark to charge her in a blind rage and cut her down before her guardians could fully materialize. Ned repositioned with a flash of teleportation magic and dropped a roaring fireball squarely onto the bridge, engulfing Silver Order soldiers and, somewhat inevitably, a few of his own companions as well, though he was quick to blame someone else for the targeting. Yazzy, cloaked in powerful invisibility, glided unseen across the battlefield and drove her rapier into the Hex Knight with enough force to make even that fearsome warrior visibly flinch. The Hex Knight, his patrol in ruins and his legendary resilience exhausted, opened a shimmering pink portal and stepped through it, vanishing into the ruins to the north and abandoning his surviving troops without a second glance. Xakarium unleashed a crackling bolt of lightning that tore through the remaining cavaliers and their mounts, and Ned finished off a fleeing griffin with a long-range blast that sent its rider crashing to the stone below. Syndle, unwilling to let the last surviving veteran simply disappear into the city, took a running leap and brought the flat of his axe down on the man's skull, dropping him in a heap. He then reached down, grabbed the unconscious soldier by the collar, and hoisted him into the air as high as he could manage — which, given that Syndle was a kobold, was not especially high — leaving the party with their first Silver Order prisoner and a great deal of questions to ask him. The party now heads to Shepherds Gate to talk to Lord Commander Elias Drexel. ## Memorable Moments **Syndle uses his magical boots to leap across the battlefield and crash down on the Hex Knight, knocking the fearsome Silver Order commander prone in front of the entire party.** Syndle had been itching to test his new strength and magical boots all session, and finally got his chance against the most dangerous enemy on the field. **Tark charges the Silver Order Chaplain in a rage and kills her in a single devastating flurry of strikes, preventing her spirit guardians from ever taking effect.** The Chaplain had just finished summoning her protective spirits when Tark closed the distance and ended her instantly. **Ned drops a massive fireball directly on top of his own party members on the bridge, catching allies in the blast while blaming someone else for drawing the targeting circle.** Ned insisted he accidentally hit broadcast instead of targeting, while his allies took full damage from his own fireball. **The Hex Knight, having burned through his legendary resistances and with his entire patrol destroyed, opens a pinkish dimensional portal and vanishes into the ruins, abandoning his troops to their fate.** The party had systematically dismantled every advantage the Hex Knight had, forcing the fearsome commander to flee rather than face defeat. > "I am going to toll the dead. Big dog, motherfuckers." > — Oiroa Oiroa dramatically announcing his cantrip choice while targeting the tattooed Silver Order veteran, to the amusement of the table. **Yazzy, completely invisible, materializes just long enough to drive her rapier into the Hex Knight for over 50 points of damage, the single largest hit of the battle.** The invisible Yazzy had been stalking the Hex Knight across the battlefield, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. **Syndle knocks out the last fleeing Silver Order veteran with the flat of his axe for non-lethal damage, then picks the man up by the collar to hold him as high as possible — which isn't very high, given Syndle is a kobold.** After a session of rolling ones on damage dice, Syndle finally lands a clean hit — only because the target had one hit point left. ## Scenes ### The Spectral Court Dissolves #### Following Oiroa's successful legal maneuvering, the spectral court vanishes, leaving the party free in their cell.
- Oiroa successfully moves for a mistrial on the grounds of perjured testimony, causing the living indictment to fall apart. - The spectral court, including the jury, bailiff, and attorneys, dissolves into silence as the gallery of spectral onlookers cheers before fading away. - The party finds their cell door unlocked, though Syndle tests his newfound strength by bending the bars anyway. - The party discusses their collection of political seals and badges needed to access the castle, reviewing the status of the Lord Commander's badge, the Steward Seal, the Spy Master Signet, the Chancellor's Crest, Saint Vitruvio's phylactery, and the Crown of Westmar.
### Planning the Next Move #### The party deliberates on which faction to approach next to acquire the remaining seals of Drakkenheim.
- The party discusses the difficulty of retrieving Saint Vitruvio's phylactery from the Falling Fire, given that their goal of ending the Haze conflicts with the faith's interests. - A plan is formed to head toward Shepherd's Gate to meet with the Lord Commander, considered the easiest next acquisition. - The group debates whether to engage Silver Order patrols they might encounter near the cathedral, ultimately deciding to destroy them to keep the enemy off balance. - The group decides on a route along the River Drand to avoid the Silver Order's patrols near the cathedral.
### Ambush at the River Drand #### While traveling toward Shepherd's Gate along the River Drand, the party is intercepted by a patrol of Silver Order knights mounted on griffins.
- The party spots three griffins with riders descending from the sky, along with a Hex Knight they recognize from a previous encounter who is flying independently. - Syndle initiates combat by raging and hurling his magical axe at one of the griffins, causing it to falter and descend faster. - Xakarium unleashes a bolt of magical energy that jumps between a griffin and its cavalier pilot. - Ned uses his magical staff to teleport behind a wall for cover. - The Hex Knight retaliates by releasing a massive sphere of negative energy that ripples out in a wide radius, catching most of the party in the blast. - The Hex Knight lands in front of Syndle and attempts to curse him with a dark gesture, but Oiroa shifts into an insubstantial, ghostly form to avoid the worst of the effects. - Yazzy vanishes from sight using powerful greater invisibility magic. - The Silver Order Chaplain descends to the ground and begins summoning spirit guardians to protect her allies. - Tark enters a rage and charges the Chaplain, delivering a devastating series of strikes that break her concentration and kill her outright. - Ned teleports via misty step and drops a massive fireball onto the bridge, engulfing several enemies and catching some allies in the blast radius. - Xakarium unleashes a powerful lightning bolt, striking multiple enemies including a griffin, a cavalier, and the Hex Knight, who burns through his legendary resistances to survive. - Syndle uses his magical boots to leap across the battlefield, crashing down on the Hex Knight and knocking him prone. - Yazzy, remaining invisible, strikes the Hex Knight with a devastating rapier thrust infused with psychic energy, dealing massive damage. - The Hex Knight, realizing the battle is lost, calls for retreat and uses a dimension door to teleport away, abandoning his remaining troops. A faint pink flash is spotted in the ruins far to the north. - Oiroa uses divine magic to toll the dead against the tattooed griffin pilot, finishing her off while simultaneously healing himself. - Ned fires a long-range magical blast that downs a fleeing griffin, causing its rider to plummet to the ground. - Syndle uses his axe to deliver a non-lethal blow to the final fleeing Silver Order veteran, knocking him unconscious to take as a prisoner.
## NPCs ### Hex Knight A powerful, magically-armored commander of the Silver Order who led the aerial ambush at the River Drand. He wears plate mail that shimmers with a dark, defensive magical aura, can fly independently without a griffin, and possesses legendary resilience that allowed him to shrug off two devastating spells. He retaliated with a massive sphere of negative energy and Eldritch Blasts before ultimately using a dimension door to flee the battlefield, abandoning his troops. ### Silver Order Chaplain A religious spellcaster who accompanied the griffin patrol. She descended to the ground and attempted to summon spirit guardians to support her allies before being swiftly and decisively cut down by Tark. ### Silver Order Cavalier Mounted soldiers of the Silver Order who piloted griffins and wielded lances enhanced by branding smites to deal radiant damage. ### Silver Order Veteran Experienced soldiers serving as griffin riders and ground combatants. One tattooed veteran pilot was targeted by Oiroa's necrotic magic. The sole surviving veteran attempted to flee into the ruins before being knocked unconscious by Syndle and taken prisoner. ## Locations ### Shepherd's Gate A fortified gate entrance to the city, designated as Gate 04 on the party's map, where the Lord Commander and the Hooded Lanterns maintain a presence. The party's intended destination for the session. ### River Drand A major waterway flowing through the ruins of Drakkenheim. The party was traveling along its banks and preparing to cross one of its bridges when they were ambushed by Silver Order aerial patrols. The bridge itself was heavily scorched by fireballs and struck by lightning during the conflict. ### Saint Vitruvio's Cathedral A major landmark in Drakkenheim that the party passed near during their route. The Silver Order has established a perimeter around it, and the party expected to encounter patrols in its vicinity. ## Items ### Medallion of Chancery A spectral legal artifact maintained by Oiroa after the dissolution of the ghostly court. It is one of the political seals the party is collecting to gain access to the castle. ### Lord Commander's Badge A signet of authority worn by Elias Drexel, identified by the party as one of the key seals they need to collect before entering the castle. Retrieving it is the party's next objective. ### Staff of the Jackass A powerful magical staff wielded by Ned that significantly enhances the potency and difficulty of resisting his spells, and also allows him to teleport short distances as a bonus action. ### Red Cat Boots Magical footwear used by Syndle to perform incredible leaps across the battlefield, allowing him to crash down on enemies with enough force to knock them prone. ### Syndle's Axe A heavy magical weapon hurled by Syndle at the griffin patrol to initiate combat. It returns to him after being thrown and appears to enhance his jumping capabilities. ## Spells ### Frenzy Bolt A chaotic bolt of magical energy cast by Xakarium that leaped between multiple enemies, dealing poison damage to a griffin and necrotic damage to a cavalier before the chain ended. ### Circle of Death A massive sphere of negative energy unleashed by the Hex Knight that rippled out in a sixty-foot radius, catching most of the party in the blast and dealing significant damage. ### Spirit Guardians A protective divine spell cast by the Silver Order Chaplain that summoned spirits to damage nearby enemies. Her concentration was immediately broken when Tark struck her down. ### Greater Invisibility Cast by Yazzy to completely conceal herself from the Silver Order attackers, allowing her to move unseen across the battlefield and strike the Hex Knight with advantage, dealing devastating psychic-infused damage. ### Fireball A massive explosion of fire conjured by Ned after repositioning with misty step. He dropped it in the center of the bridge, engulfing several Silver Order combatants and catching some of his own allies in the blast radius. ### Lightning Bolt Cast by both Xakarium and Ned at various points during the battle, tearing through griffin riders, cavaliers, and the Hex Knight in straight lines of electrical devastation. ### Misty Step A short-range teleportation spell used by Ned to reposition himself instantly for a better tactical angle before unleashing his lightning bolt. ### Counterspell Used by the Hex Knight to successfully nullify one of Xakarium's lightning bolt attempts, demonstrating his formidable magical defenses. ### Dimension Door A teleportation spell used by the Hex Knight to open a pinkish portal and instantly escape the battlefield after his patrol was decimated, leaving a faint pink flash visible far to the north in the ruins. ### Toll the Dead A necrotic cantrip used by Oiroa to finish off wounded enemies with the resonance of a dolorous bell, targeting the tattooed griffin pilot and dealing extra damage due to her injured state, while simultaneously healing Oiroa through a divine ability. ### Branding Smite A magical enhancement used by the Silver Order cavaliers to wreathe their lances in luminous energy, dealing extra radiant damage upon impact.