Welcome to the Chapter 1 Campaign Log for Shakandara: The Renaissance. This contains the weekly session summaries from me over the first year or so of the campaign.
"Peace and Prosperity. Qualities that were long absent from Shakandara. With the defeat of the armies lead by the Crymorians, and the rebuilding process well under way, Shakandara's people are enjoying a time of growth, renewal, and rebirth. The Elven borders are once again open to travellers, and long time territorial fueds have been set aside between neighbors. The world has become an exciting and dynamic place to live. But dangers still lurk in the darker corners on the realm. Political intrigue and power struggles play beneath the everyday workings of cities across Shakandara. Remnants of defeated armies use the increased trade traffic to fatten their bellies and gain strength. Even the Crymorians, leaderless and devastated, still maintain small bases of operation in secret. High adventure awaits those who are but willing to step out their front door and seek it. A vast, clean slate awaits the heroes who desire to make their mark upon it."
Excerpt from the Renaissance Primer
Tuesday, August 12th 2003 - 02:21:02 PM
"In the inaugural session of The Renaissance, adversity and conflict proved to be the elements that brought them together. When confronted with possible conflict with the city guard of Tyrsis, Zab'yarra revealed her drow elf heritage to Scarak and Elondra outside of the Golden Circles Inn. Elondra took matters into her own hands and secured an escape route for them through the Inn and out a backdoor on the 2nd floor. The 3 holed up in the stables to wait for darkness to leave the city, with Elondra periodically surveying the current situation.
As evening fell, the Inn filled with customers. Then a shifty old man entered; he was promptly followed by 3 thugs in black studded leather armor. Nathias, the leader, confronted the man, Derlag, and he and his men attempted to capture Derlag and take something from him. Reggi interposed herself between Derlag and one of the thugs as they closed on him, and took a swing with her dagger, missing. Fletch involved himself in the conflict by greasing the floor beneath Nathias. The thug near Reggi pulled a short sword and sunk it into her hip, drawing first blood. Kraggin stepped up and flanked that rogue, hammering him with one of his spiked gauntlets. Twilight attempted to trip the remaining thug as he closed in behind Reggi. Seeing the support Derlag had, Nathias called off his thugs and left the bar, but not before taking note and measure of Derlag’s new allies. Elondra witnessed the brawling and came in to investigate further.
Derlag sat down with the Reggi, Kraggin, Fletch, and Twilight. He thanked them, and explained that Nathias wanted a map he possessed; a treasure map. He offered them all a share if they would help him retrieve the one item he sought. Elondra and Kraggin worked to bring together their two respective groups into one, meeting in the suite room on the 2nd floor of the inn.
From there, the unified group followed Derlag through the streets of Trysis to the cemetery, where Twilight cracked open the lock. Derlag followed the map’s instructions, which lead them to the Mausoleum of Sir Tolen, a warrior who served Gaelic. They discovered by removing the horse-head bust from its pedestal and placing in with Tolen’s empty sarcophagus, the sarcophagus rose up into the air on 4 stone pillars, revealing a locked trapdoor that had been hidden beneath it. After several attempts, and some help from Elondra and Twilight, Reggi finally unlocked in. A 5’ deep shaft opened into a 15’x15’ room with a 10’ ceiling. A single door marks the only other exit from the room beneath the tomb…
Thus ends Session 1."
The GM
Thursday, October 2nd 2003 - 02:37:56 PM
"With their path clear, the adventurers descended into the crypt, cautiously examining the path before them. They discovered an already-sprung pit trap that was rather deep and partially filled with liquid. Attempting to bypass it with a small wall of ice, Elondra discovered the weight insufficient to support her weight and fell through. It was then that they learned that the liquid at the bottom was water mixed with a paralytic contact poison. After some rescue work to extract Elondra, Scarak also retrieved the corpse that was spotted at the bottom of the shaft. The rotting female half-orc body was discovered to have two items of interest; a pair of extrememly rare and valuable dragonhide boots, and a magical leather bracelet.
Continuing, the adventurers discovered another sprung trap, this time a 40' deep pit with spikes. Another corpse was present in this pit, and they were able to recover more gear from it, including a short sword and a slightly damaged backpack filled it some supplies and partially stained by an as-yet-undetermined fluid. Further along, Shanys stepped into a shallow pit filled with acid before discovering that the entire area of the floor in that section of corridor was weakened mortar. Using spells and some rope, they were able to bypass the rest of the trap without incident.
Reggi then discovered a series of traps in a section of hallway with 3 sets of descending stairs. These were all avoided. The corridor finally opened into a 15'x30' room with 6 smooth marble columns. Kraggin touched off a pressure plate that caused rods to spring forth from each pillar; they were immediately charged with an electrical field, damaging all caught within. Shanys spiked the plate to prevent it from resetting and discharging again. After struggling with a very difficult lock, the adventurers moved on into the hallway beyond. There, as well as on at least 2 other occassions, they discovered a means of temporarily disabling the trap they'd just encountered.
After rounding an arced section of hallway, Reggi tripped a cleverly hidden tripwire and was trapped within a stone cylinder that fell from the ceiling. It immediately began filling with alchemist's fire. Scarak used a great feat of strength to free her from it after a few rounds. Zab'yarra healed their injuries as they paused for a moment...
Thus ends Session 2."
The GM
Friday, October 10th 2003 - 09:05:47 AM
"Resources depleted, the party chose to rest in the hallway rather than return to a trapped room or stumble blindly into other dangers. They also took this time to examine several of their discoveries; Elondra identified the liquid that soaked the swiss-cheesed backback as being from potions of healing of some sort – most likely these were the contents of the broken flasks in the backpack that the owner ironically couldn’t use when he needed them most. Shanys inventoried the contents of the backpack, finding rope, a grappling hook, thieves’ picks, darts, a belt, a handful of other minor gear, and a pouch with 10cp, 7sp, and 1gp. Shanys also discovered the short sword to be of exceptional quality and workmanship and chose to replace her blade with it.
Nothing troubled their sleep during the night, and in the “morning” they resumed their progress, coming at last to a wider section of the hallway. Halfway down it, Reggi was surprised and attacked by two slavering, ghostly apparitions of badgers. Several party members were touched by the ectoplasmic goo dripping from them, which had obvious ties to the Negative Energy Plane. Fletch proved quite effective in striking them with his bow, despite their incorporeal nature, but also accidentally shot Kraggin in the back. With the spectral badgers dispatched, Shanys took some time to collect some of the ectomplasm residue in a few vials.
The party then proceeded to a circular room containing a series of columns and a gold-gilded fountain, the latter of which was filled with softly glowing water. In the basin of the fountain were a number of gold coins (these were later determined to have head stamped on the obverse and some sort of stylized symbol on the reverse which the party suspects to be that of the deity Gaelic). Elondra determined the water of the fountain to be magical (Faint Transmutation), but saw that it lost this property when collected in a container and removed from the fountain. Kraggin chose to drink the water and appears to have suffered no ill effects. After depositing 3 of their own coins within the well [ed. note: that was for you Phil] (Reggi tossed in a gold given to her by Kraggin, and Shanys deposited two coins from the pouch – a copper and a silver), they chose to leave the fountain and its coins alone and continue on.
Immediately after the fountain room, the construction of the crypt changed dramatically to fired-clay bricks and wooden support beams. Following the passage for some time, they came upon another chamber, this one containing a low dais with a statue of an armed warrior crouched in a defensive posture on top of it. The statue was extremely life-like in appearance but did not animate or do anything else. It was discovered that the statue could be moved, so Scarak turned it. This had no effect, so Reggi and Scarak pushed the statue to the edge of the dais, revealing a concealed space beneath it. Inside the small hole was a plain wooden box. Inside the box was a pearl of greenish tint wrapped in a piece of velvet cloth. Zab’yarra determined the pearl to be highly magical (Strong aura) but was unable to identify any further information about the nature of its enchantment. After picking the lock on the door, the party proceeded on.
A bit further through the catacombs, the party discovered what appeared to be some sort of burial chamber. The large room (65’x35’) had a 15’ high ceiling supported by 8 large pillars. In the center of the room was the large statue of a rearing horse. The walls of the room were lined with sarcophagi, numbering 28 in all. The lids of all of these were decorated with featureless, gender-neutral carvings of a body at repose. The two on each side of the doors (both the one the party entered by and the door directly across the room from them) also had the inscription “Just service in life; righteous guardianship in death.” Deciding it was wise to leave the dead undisturbed, they open the far door and discovered a descending set of stairs and a short hallway lined with alcoves. Standing in each alcove was a mummified body, hands gripping a greatsword. These made no move to attack and appeared to be unremarkable mummified corpses. However, as Shanys was investigating them, she triggered a trap, falling into a shaft that passed her through a series of spinning blades (one of which struck her) and depositing her in a small cell at the bottom of the shaft. Kraggin was lowered into the shaft to deal with the blades, but was unable to stop them. Reggi was then lowered, and through a brilliant display of skill, easily disable each of the blades. Shanys was extracted from the cell, and the two of them climbed back to the hallway.
Thus ends Session 3."
The GM
Thursday, October 23rd 2003 - 09:49:22 AM
"Once figuring a safe way across the pit for all the team, they proceeded into the white marble hallway beyond. Illuminated by 8 continual flame torches set in elegant sconces on the walls, it was easy to see that the room was spotlessly clean. Finding no traps, Reggi, Shanys, and Elondra began to investigate the doors that exited the hallway. A single door was set in the center, while each end had a pair of double doors. All of the doors were made of marble and were also locked. It took Reggi and Shanys several minutes to open the door at one end of the hallway. While working on the lock, Reggi was stricken by some negative energy effect, possibly from an undetected trap on the door. The double doors opened to reveal a pristine marble corridor leading off on an angle away from the center of the room. At the end were another set of double doors, exactly like the pair they’d just opened. Again, while Shanys and Reggi worked on disabling the lock, Reggi was again stricken by the odd draining effect.
The room beyond contained a single sarcophagus and 4 statues of featureless warriors with hammer-shaped hands. When Reggi entered the room, they animated and moved to attack. After the expenditure of multiple spells by Elondra, Zab’yarra, and Fletch and the exchange of blows between the statues and Kraggin and Scarak, the party reduced the 4 automatons to rubble. Opening the sarcophagus, it was found to contain treasure rather than a corpse. Derlag claimed the highly magical bracers as the prize he was searching for, while Elondra determined that a set of horseshoes found in the sarcophagus was also magical. Some coins, a few gems, and several other items were also found inside the tomb.
Finding themselves unable to open either of the other doors, the party carefully backtracked through the entire crypt, pulling up their ropes and pitons wherever possible. Opening the entryway from below proved to be a bit challenging when they found it closed and Shanys’ rope severed, but they were able to extract themselves after the use of a few spells. Emerging into the mausoleum, they discovered that it had begun raining while they were in the crypt, with the skies now overcast and the graveyard apparently empty. Derlag and the party prepared to go their separate ways.
Thus ends Session 4."
The GM
Thursday, October 30th 2003 - 02:49:55 PM
"While the party discussed their plans, Derlag slipped off into the graveyard. They returned to the inn and got a room again. Zab’yarra and Elondra attempted to identify the magic items they had discovered. Zab’yarra learned that the leather thong was a Soul Tether, and helped in preventing the bearer from dying when critically injured. Elondra was unable to unlock the secrets of either the horseshoes or the pearl. While this was going on, some members slept. Fletch took the time to listen to rumors in the tavern, and learned of a murder that happened two nights earlier. It was a regular from the Golden Circles and occurred only a block from the inn; wild speculations flew as to the nature of the murder, including wererats, a large furry creature seen outside the tavern the day before, and street thugs. Fletch also learned of the League of Free Mercenaries from the bard that was performing in the tavern. He was told that League acted as a clearinghouse for paying adventuring-type work for its members. Kraggin spent the evening drinking heavily with some Steppe warriors while Shanys and Fletch watched the crowd. Shanys pursued a rogue that was working the tavern’s crowd once he left the bar, but lost him after a few blocks. She was nearly discovered by a patrol of city watch; realizing that Tyrsis likely has a curfew, she returned quickly to the tavern.
In the morning, most of the group traveled over to the Merchant’s District to the League to apply for membership. There, they were informed that it was 25gp (each) to take the tests to determine their skill level; membership dues are an additional 75gp annually. They signed up all members of the party for the tests they were suited for and were told to return after highsun to get their appointment times. Fletch, Kraggin, and Shanys headed off to the marketplace while in the Merchant’s District. Shanys wandered off on her own, eventually finding the Tyrsis franchise of the “Pretzels & Beer” establishment. Kraggin and Fletch searched for a jeweler and found the shop of a heavy-set elven jeweler Wayvona. There they sold two gems and the brass mug with jade inlays that they recovered from the crypt.
After learning that their appointments for their tests with the League were scheduled for the following day, the party returned to the inn. Elondra and Zab’yarra spent much time discussing the nature of the drow and how Zab’yarra came to dwell among the surface races. That evening, while having dinner, some guards dressed in the livery of the Temple of Gaelic entered the tavern. Spotting Kraggin and Fletch at a table, the blue-haired half-elven leader of the group approached them and informed them that they and their companions were to come with them to the Temple. Shanys attempted to exit via the backdoor, but found it covered by several more guards. The party was gathered up and escorted through the streets by the seven guards, passing through most of the Merchant’s District to the far side where the Temple of Gaelic stood. Inside the temple, they were taken to a room and told to wait. Shortly, Ovidith, an Acolyte of Gaelic, entered and began interrogating them about their involvement, becoming increasingly angry until stopped by a voice from the hall. A blind woman with a calm voice entered and dismissed Ovidith. She spoke in much calmer terms with the party, informing them that the crypt they’d just “explored” was the property of the temple, and the bracers that Derlag took are a powerful and important artifact. She escorted the party into the lower levels of the temple, finally taking them through a trap door into a room of pure white marble with marble double doors much like those they’d seen before. She explained that the final part of the crypt was the temple’s vaults, built beneath the temple proper. She collected the items the party had obtained from the final area of the crypt and charged them with recovering the bracers and bringing Derlag in for questioning. She left them keep the pearl, indicating that Elondra, Zab’yarra, or even Fletch might find the item useful. At Elondra’s request, she told them that the horseshoes were Horseshoes of Speed. She then dismissed them to their very important task.
Thus ends Session 5."
The GM
Thursday, November 6th 2003 - 12:19:48 PM
"Leaving the Temple of Gaelic, the party ventured to the cemetery to try to find some trace of their quarry. Though they found some tracks leading through the graveyard, when they reached the road, they became impossible to follow. A brief chat with the caretaker of the cemetery hinted that the Seven Towers Tavern might be a place to look for Derlag. They then returned to the Golden Circles to rest and evaluate their options. Kraggin stayed downstairs to drink, and was approached by one of the bar wenches who told him that she had some information for him. She indicated that the she lived near the Seven Towers Tavern, and had seen Derlag and Nathias in that area.
In the morning, the party went to the League of Free Mercenaries to attend to their tests, only to learn that they’d be rescheduled by order of the Temple of Gaelic. Everyone except Shanys took a refund on their application fee. Elondra, Reggi, Kraggin, and Scarak decided to pursue some research at the Library of Tyrsis; several of them purchased lifetime passes for 50gp each. Shanys sat on the Seven Towers for most of the rest of the morning, watching the crowd and looking for some sign of Derlag. Elondra, Scarak and Reggi went to the Seven Towers to look to Shanys; Scarak was told to leave because of his race. Reggi headed to the bar to get a drink as Elondra and Scarak left. As they walked out the door, they ran into Derlag on his way in. Shanys, seeing that Reggi wasn’t leaving immediately, headed outside as well, coming upon Elondra, Scarak and Derlag talking. Elondra accused Derlag of duplicity; he in turn denied any wrong doing, and as far as they could tell, he was not lying. Still, Elondra insisted that he join them for a drink back at the Golden Circles. He reluctantly agreed and they headed back to inn. Reggi trailed them from a short distance back.
At the inn, the party once again accused Derlag of less than scrupulous dealings with them, and demanded that he return with them to the Temple. He refused, and when he rose to leave, Kraggin grabbed him. Derlag slipped the hold and fled, tumbling past Reggi at the doorway and heading out into the street. The party gave chase, Fletch clipping him with an arrow in the back, and Elondra detonating a spell on him. Derlag evaded these attacks, and drew his own weapon to defend himself. He darted off down an alley, gaining separation from the party. He then turned a corner and moved out-of-sight; when the party members caught up, only Fletch was able to spot him in the crowd before he disappeared into another alley. Meanwhile, Elondra headed off at a run to the Temple of Gaelic to report the incident. In the alley, the remainder of the party was unable to find Derlag. Even Scarak was unable to track him by scent due to the overpowering odor of catstink.
Thus ends Session 6."
The GM
Monday, November 17th 2003 - 01:35:55 PM
"As the party emerges from the alley, a group of 7 men and women in City Guard uniforms form an arc across the front of the alley. All, save one, are armed with loaded crossbows, and they are trained at Scarak. The final member, longsword drawn, calls out, "you there! Halt! Lizard-beast, if you can understand me, know that you are under arrest. Put down your weapon and come along peacefully and no one will get hurt." You see a dubiously look cross his face, as if he has little expectation of Scarak understanding him or complying. Shanys and Reggi both note that the crossbow bolt tips look odd, as if they have been coated with something. The apparent leader of the Guard patrol turns his attention to the rest of the party, "if you can speak with the creature, please relay what I have just said. I would hate to see harm come to your friend." You are doubtful of his sincerity in that last remark.
For a moment, you fear that Scarak may actually attack them, but instead he slowly kneels down, laying down his trident. Two of the City Guard members, the largest among them, come forward and manacle Scarak's arms and legs together. One picks up the trident while the other leads him off, escorted by the four remaining guards, crossbows still loaded and held at the ready.
The leader looks at the party one last time, "have a fine day, citizens." He turns and follows his patrol."
The GM
Wednesday, November 19th 2003 - 08:51:42 AM
"Elondra arrived at the Temple breathless, but was rebuffed by the Seer when she revealed that she did not know what had become of Derlag. With Scarak hauled off and Elondra away at the Temple, the remainder of the group returned to the tavern. Deciding their best option was to stake out The Seven Towers further, Shanys returned there to wait. Armed with the knowledge that Derlag had escaped, Elondra and several other from the group returned to see the Seer, but were met instead by the Acolyte Ovidith, who bade them to quit wasting time and retrieve Derlag and the Gift. As they were about to leave, however, a lesser servant of the temple halted them and directed them to a smaller side door, where the blue-haired elf Nadyther awaited to escort them to the Seer. She again gave them audience, and listened to all they had to tell. She explained to them that their abilities as a small unaffiliated group made them better suited to the task of gaining information than the church, as its agents are far more well known and easily avoided by the less-savory elements of Tyrsis. Further, the church had no additional assets to spare to assist them; they had already committed others to the task of searching through other channels. The party returned to the Golden Circles to ponder their next move.
Meanwhile, Shanys got the smallest of breaks in recognizing one of the patrons exiting The Seven Towers as one of Nathias’ thugs from their earlier encounter. She followed him to his apparent home, then returned later with Elondra in an attempt to enter and see what could be learned after he went to bed. Elondra did some brief recon with no real results. Elondra then returned to the inn to rest while Shanys resumed a watch. Reggi came to relieve Shanys in the morning, and observed the thug leaving, and being rather cautious as he did. She soon lost him in the crowd and returned to report her observations. Determined to learn more, Shanys returned with Reggi and entered the dwelling again, this time searching his bedroom. Still, very little was learned, and they determined the best way was to confront him directly. Doing so, he reluctantly revealed that Derlag made contact with someone named Travore at the Red Lion Tavern, a decent establishment in one of the worse areas of town.
As it began to rain, the party decided that the Red Lion Tavern would be the best place for them to continue their search and pursuit of their new lead in the form of Travore. As they arrived, a terrible storm began outside, and continued to rage for several hours, effectively preventing much in the way of new arrivals or departures. Shanys sat away from the rest of the group, disguised so as to hopefully not draw attention to herself. Finally, Travore entered and took a seat, ordering a drink. Kraggin decided to approach him and get information. Travore was terse, but after suitable payment was exchanged, told Kraggin that he had indeed acted as a broker for the Gift, but that it was long gone. He also told them where they could find Derlag, giving them directions to an alley near the Golden Circles. All of them headed there except Shanys, who remained behind to speak with Travore.
In the alley, the party did indeed find Derlag; dead and stripped of all possessions. Just as they were examining the body, they were confronted by a dwarf from the end of the alley, demanding that they be on their way out of the city. The party declined, and combat ensued. On the rooftops above the alley, two of the dwarf’s friends also engaged the party, a female spellcaster and an elven male archer. Kraggin was ensorcelled by the spellcaster, and fled from the battlefield; Elondra was blinded by her. Reggi and Fletch were able to finish off the dwarf and the archer, but the spellcaster escaped.
Meanwhile, Shanys and Travore conversed, then headed out into the streets where it was still raining. Travore led Shanys into an even worse section of town, where he ambushed her and left her for dead in the deserted street, taking something from her pack before he left.
Out of the pelting rain, a lone rider approaches her still-bleeding body…
Thus ends Session 7."
The GM
Tuesday, December 2nd 2003 - 11:34:22 PM
"The stranger bent over Shanys’ body, and finding her still clinging to life by the barest threads, used magic to revive her. However, while aiding her, he discovered that she possessed some sort of harmful aura. Once Shanys regained consciousness, he introduced himself as Kastor. Shanys gave Kastor a brief account of what had befallen her, and he offered to transport her to where she could receive further aid. Oddly, Kastor was not further affected by the aura during the ride to the Golden Circles.
Separated from her companions and unable to see, Elondra eventually found her way back to the Golden Circles following the fight in the Alley. There, she and Zab’yarra were reunited, and were joined shortly by Shanys and her escort.
Meanwhile, having stripped the bodies of valuables, Kraggin, Fletch, and Reggie were determined to turn Derlag and those that had attacked them over to the Gaelicans. With 3 corpses in tow, they began their trek to the temple when they were met by a patrol of city watch. Carting bodies through the city streets with the inability to prove that their story was true, they were quickly arrested by the guards and imprisoned.
After Shanys received sufficient healing to keep her from slipping into unconsciousness again, she informed them that Travore had set the party up, and that pursuing Derlag’s body was a trap. Elondra confirmed this, reporting about the battle that had ensued in the alley. However, she was unaware of the location of the rest of the party. Shanys headed up to bed to rest and recover; meanwhile Elondra returned to the alley with Zab’yarra and Kastor. Finding no evidence of the party nor their assailants, they decided to head for the Temple.
At the Temple, they attempted to gain access through the side door, but the guard inside would not let them pass. Going through the front door, they asked for the Seer, but were told that she was busy. Changing tactics, they requested instead to speak with Nadyther, the blue-haired, tattooed elven guard they’d previously encountered twice. Nadyther came to them in a short time, listened to their story, and posited that it was possible their friends had been arrested for being involved in the street-fight. He agreed to accompany them to the guard stations where they could likely have been taken, in hopes of finding them and securing their release. With some perseverance and luck, they did indeed locate their friends. Nadyther placed his own reputation on the line by vouching for Kraggin, Fletch, and Reggie, and succeeded in having them freed. Since they were stripped of all their gear, the group was rather surprised to see Reggie walk out of her cell appearing slightly different – sporting golden horns and red eyes.
The group returned to their inn to rest, contemplating leaving the city the following day. At the inn, Kastor encountered some fellow tribesman he was seeking. Once his business with them was concluded, the party invited Kastor to join them and stay the night. In the morning, while having breakfast, Nadyther entered the inn, with a grim look on his face. He requested that the entire company (save Kastor, who could come along if he so choose) join him and return with him to the Temple. Once at the Temple, they met with the Seer, and learned that despite their efforts, since they’d failed to recover the Gift of Life, they were to be charged with theft. The Seer and Nadyther did what they could to make the party comfortable as they awaited their trial.
Finally, they were led into a chamber of the Temple arrayed as a court. A justicar of the city sat in judgment over the proceedings, and Ovidith lead the prosecution. The party plead guilty to the charges brought against them and were convicted by the court. The Seer then plead for clemency on the party’s behalf, citing that they were duped into the theft, and that they had attempted to rectify their error at significant risk to themselves. The justicar took this into account, and punished them to spend a week performing community service for the church. Ovidith was livid by the judgment.
The party opted to stay in the Temple during their service time, as the judge indicated that should any of them fail to meet their obligation, they would all be punished to the full extent of the law for their crimes. Ovidith exacted some measure of misery on the party, as he decided what their majority of their tasks would be. The Seer and Nadyther managed to arrange for some better, more enjoyable tasks for them from time to time. During this time, Kastor has done some research in the library, trying to find more about the Gift of Life and the map of the unknown valley from the ancient atlas. Three days of work have passed, and the party has settled down to sleep before their final two days of service...
Thus ends Session 8."
The GM
Wednesday, December 10th 2003 - 02:18:04 PM
"The remaining two days of the party’s service to the Temple of Gaelic passed quickly and relatively uneventfully. During their downtime at the Temple, Reggie appeared to be doing some studying, and on the final morning found a rat in the Temple that she is now apparently keeping as a familiar.
The group was summoned to the Seer as they prepared to depart, and were given a few gifts by her as a personal thanks for their service. She made is clear to them that, should future need arise, they had at least some allies within the Temple that would offer what aid they could. Dismissed, they returned to the Golden Circles to contemplate their next move. Unable to rent the suite they’d previously enjoyed, they took other rooms at the inn and decided to return to the League of Free Mercenaries the next day to re-enter themselves for the tests there.
As they sat in the tavern, a man burst in, shouting that there’d been another murder. The party immediately went to investigate, and found that it was Elbereth, the elven adventuress they’d met earlier at the Golden Circles. Cut up, mauled, and stripped of gear, she lay in the street. The City Watch refused the party’s help, indicating that they really had no business being involved. However, the party took matters into their own hands and did a bit of investigating anyway. The only clues they were able to find were a few scattered large booted footprints, but due to the rain and mud, they were unable to track them consistently. They returned to the inn to sleep.
The following day they re-registered for tests at the League. With their tests scheduled for the following day, Reggie returned to the library to attempt to learn more about the ancient atlas. She turned it over to one of the sages there for further study while they pursued personal projects. As the party was returning to the inn, they noticed a pair of individuals shadowing them. Kastor took it into his hands to charge the one that stepped out into the street in front of him. Combat ensued, with two more individuals joining the fray to aid the pair the party first noticed. During the battle, Fletch was slain and Shanys was grievously wounded. For some reason, however, the combatants broke off the attack when they clearly had the upper hand. Shanys caught the names of 3 of them as the caster leading them called them off. Elondra pursued them briefly as they fled, calling out to them for answers as to why they’d engaged the party. The caster turned and told her it would be wise of Elondra not to follow them any longer.
Thus ends Session 9."
The GM
Wednesday, January 7th 2004 - 12:30:30 PM
"After healing Shanys enough so that she could travel, they took Fletch to the Temple to see if something could be done for him. After some time, the Seer came down to see them. She said that she could arrange for Fletch’s revival, but that the favors she would have to call in for it would likely make it impossible for her to render any future aid to the party. Instead, the party pooled their resources, selling off some of their gear and recently acquired treasures to instead pay for the services to have Fletch brought back.
With Fletch returned to life, they returned to the inn to rest again before their tests the next day. Each member passed their tests to attain Novice level, were awarded their League pins, and informed of their benefits (pay is auto 10gp/day, can get 1 free healing spell/day of contract of up to 3rd level). After pursuing some more personal interests, they learned of a caravan guard position available through the League. They applied and were told that they’d be contacted for interviews.
Reggie met with the sage at the library, who offered to pay handsomely for the atlas, copy it, and return the new copy to her. She reluctantly agreed, and the sage set to work on it. Unfortunately, it was discovered that the map of the unknown valley could not be copied with the spell the sage used. He instead did his best to copy it by hand into the new tome.
After another murder occurred nearby to the Golden Circles, the party began investigating further. Once again picking up the trail, they found that it led them in the same direction, towards an abandoned warehouse. Thoroughly searching the building, they were unable to find evidence of the killer. Fletch and Kastor decided to camp-out inside the building, while Shanys took an overlook position on the roof of a building across the alley. Elondra remained on the ground outside in the alley, and Reggie and Kraggin stayed several blocks away in the alley where the bodies were discovered. Without warning, a minotaur appeared from a hidden door. He cut down Kastor in short order and wounded Fletch. Fletch retreated to the alley while Elondra went aloft to target it with spells through the incomplete ceiling. Reggie and Kraggin rushed to join the battle. Reggie and Kraggin both entered, and the minotaur cut Reggie down in a single, mighty blow before Fletch and Elondra were able to drop him.
Thus ends session 10."
The GM
Wednesday, January 7th 2004 - 12:31:10 PM
"Looting the minotaur's body, the group briefly discussed whether to leave it there or report it to the authorities. Based on the prior experiences, they decided to leave the body, but chose to descend through the trap door down into the sewers to seek out the minotaur's lair. After some tracking through Nic's scent ability and following some large footprints through the muddy silt on the floor of the sewer tunnels, they came to a passage that led to a collection area. Filled with various debris, bedding, and trophies, it was obviously the lair of the minotaur. The collected several items as well as some coins and returned to the surface. Returning to the Golden Circles, they rested and made plans to attend their interviews the following day.
In the morning, Elondra spent some time working to identify some items that the group had gained. In the meantime, Fletch, Kraggin, and Shanys met with their prospective employer and discussed the details and terms of the job. They were offered standard pay, plus food (and hazard pay, as required) to guard a pilgrimage from Tyrsis to the Temple of the Sun. However, their contract only extends as far as Skull Keep and Domain; should they desire to continue on, they can renegotiate a new contract at that point for the remainder of the pilgrimage trail. Recognizing their current deficiency in spellcasting, their employer introduced them to Rian, a member of the League and priest of Auron. As Rian was planning to make the journey to the Temple of the Sun anyway, he has decided to assist with the pilgrimage's defense and donate the money from his services to the Temple of the Sun. With the deal sealed, their employer indicated that they'd be leaving in two day's time and to make any preparations they needed.
The group spent the next two days making final preparations, securing themselves a covered wagon, selling off some of their trasures they found unsuitable for personal use, and making purchases to prepare themselves for the long journey.
At sunrise on the 2nd day, they met Rian and their employer outside the west gate of Tyrsis, discovering that their charges for the jounrey were to be nearly 400 pilgrims. Only a handful of them to watch over hundreds of people from all walks of life. It promises to be an interesting journey.
Thus ends session 11."
The GM
Wednesday, January 14th 2004 - 04:40:21 PM
"Spreading themselves across the caravan to watch over as many of the pilgrims as possible, the PCs enjoyed an uneventful day of travel. Reaching the Virranus River at dusk, the party called a halt and set up camp for the night. Elondra practiced her lute for the pilgrims around the fires that evening, and her playing was well received. During the night, the 2nd watch detected howling in the forest to the north some distance away, but were unable to determine what was making the sound.
In the morning, as they consumed breakfast, they spotted the unmistakable form of the alaghi from outside the Golden Circles Inn walking amoung the tents of the encampment. They approached and reacquainted themselves with Oek, finally inviting him to accompany them on their journey. After breakfast, they struck camp and resumed their trek. As they travelled, the howls grew closer, and were finally heard on both sides of the trail around the caravan. After several hours of this unnerving treatment, the Howlers stuck swiftly and brutally, killing several pilgrims in the initial onslaught. Oek was laid low twice by their vicious bites and painful spines, but each time Rian was there to revive him. Fletch and Shanys let loose a hail of arrows upon the one responsible for Oek's fall, and Rian finally delivered the killing blow. Kastor leveled mighty blows upon another with his falchion, nearly cleaving it in twain with the killing stroke. Seeing half of their pack fall at the hands of their prey, the remaining Howlers that were engaged with Reggi and Kraggin fled back into the woods. The dead were quickly buried and the caravan proceeded on until dusk again. Again, Elondra played around the campfires, but this time when she was finished, Rian asked her to dance with him as some of the pilgrims took up their instruments to play.
In the morning, Elondra and Reggi spent the day traveling in the party’s wagon. Reggi learned a new spell, and Elondra divined that the wand the party had found some time ago was a Wand of Magic Missiles. Other than sporadic rain, the day’s travel passed uneventfully, and again they made camp. However, this day’s journey had brought them to the edge of the forest onto the scrub plains. In the distance, they could see the mountain range that they would pass around and eventually over.
The fourth day of the journey was uneventful as well, save for passing close to the small town of Lassatier; on the 5th day it rained again, with the storms steadily getting stronger throughout the day. The caravan leader informed the party that there was an inn, the Sign of the Mushroom, in the shadow of the mountains that would provide some cover for the pilgrim’s tents that night, as well as shelter for the horses and warm food and lodging for the party. They pushed on through the storm, heedless of the pounding rain and chilling winds, focused on the thoughts of a warm meal and dry beds. Arriving at the inn shortly after dusk, they were greeted by the sight of cheery lights from within, spilling illumination through windows and shutters. They led their horses to the stable area, but stopped short when they realized that the door was hanging ajar. Entering cautiously, they found only 2 horses present; both were nervous at the approach of the party and were only soothed by Oek’s animal affinity. A quick search of the area revealed a grain sack on its side, its contents spilling out onto the floor as if left in haste. There was no evidence of a stable hand present. Heading back out into the rain and approaching the inn, they realized for the first time that they could hear no sounds coming from within. Drawing their weapons, preparing spells, they approached the front door with the feeling that something was wrong… very, very wrong…
Thus ends Session 12."
The GM
Monday, January 19th 2004 - 03:18:21 PM
"Weapons drawn, spells at the ready, they opened the tavern door to be greeted by the most horrible sight any of them had seen. The common room was bathed in blood; it dripped from furniture, splattered across walls, and pooled on the floor. Mixed with the metallic tang of blood and death was the smell of ale and a boiling stew, still on the cooking fire. Most of the group was stricken ill by the sight and smell of the gore. A quick exploration of the main room revealed only remnants of those slain there – a blood-filled boot, a scrap of cloth, an over-turned drinking mug. Searching the individual rooms, they found several untouched before discovering what appeared to be the proprietor’s dwelling, where splatters of blood and an overturned crib painted an even more gruesome picture of the inn’s recent history. In the next guest room they found some personal effects in the form of some saddlebags and backpacks. In the final guest room, another bloody tableau was laid out, with bloody handprints on the sill of the open window, and grim marker of someone’s dying effort to escape. Along with these marks and others found of the floor of the tavern, it appeared that all those slain were dragged towards the doorway on the tavern’s rear, natural rock wall.
After exploring the bar and discovering that the smell of the cooking mushroom soup helped some of them regain their stomachs, the party proceeded to the doorway at the back of the tavern. Here, the smell of blood mixed with the scent of freshly dug graves. Beyond, they found caves with mushroom middens, trampled and scattered by someone heedless of their presence. The rushing sound of a small stream reverberated off the cavern walls, nearly masking another sound, one undefinable. Noting that the stream was tinged pink, they decided to proceed upstream. Moving into another cave, larger than the last, the sound grew louder until it could be distinguished as a clacking noise, as if by knitting needles. It was then that they spied the roiling mass of large black carapaces sweeping towards them. The beetles, with a skull-like marking on their back, swarmed over the entire group, ripping at them with razor-sharp mandibles, Dust kicked up by the swarm in the area made visibility poor, but the party was able to destroy enough of the beetles that the remainder fled.
Pushing further ahead into the cave, they discovered a pile of remains that could only be the former patrons and inhabitants of the inn. A chimney opening extended up above the pile, and as the party drew nearer, a second swarm of the insects, this time even larger and more vicious than the first, swept down the chimney and boiled out into the cave. This time, the party found itself fighting for their very lives. They finally destroyed the second swarm as well, but not before it struck down their new companion Rian. Retreating in case there were further bugs waiting for them, Shanys laid down a line of oil to light as a defense. They barricaded the door to the caves, Reggi retrieved the few personal items from the second-last guest room, and Shanys returned to the innkeepers’ quarters to check their chests for belongings. It was there that the group received the greatest surprise of all; hidden inside a chest and wrapped in a blanket was an infant child, alive and untouched. Elondra took the child from Shanys, and the entire group exited the inn. The party informed Gidlars what they’d discovered in the most basic terms, urging him to keep the pilgrims as far from the inn as possible. Meanwhile, Elondra sought out assistance in caring for the infant child from some of the mothers among the pilgrims. And still the storm rages on as dusk passes into night…
Thus ends Session 13."
The GM
Monday, February 2nd 2004 - 03:57:32 PM
"The storm raged on through the night, and the pelting of the rain against the tents and canvas of the wagon sounded eerily similar to the clacking of the bugs. Every time lightning flashed and the thunderclap rolled across the mountains, the party was reminded of the echoing of Rian’s explosive coins used in the battle. Those on watch noted that the light remained on in Rian’s tent most of the night; Elondra and the baby slept inside his tent, undisturbed.
In the morning, the rain finally passed, and the party decided to re-enter the inn to search for valuables and make sure there were no further bugs. Upon entering the caves, they discovered that there were fewer beetle corpses than they’d remembered the night before, and that the pile of body parts at the base of the natural chimney was smaller as well. Reggi tried to search the pile after detecting something magical within, but was sickened by the task. Kraggin took over and, with Elondra’s direction, pulled from the pile a hand still wearing a magical ring. Kraggin also spied a few other intact items still within the pile and retrieved a heavy, blood-soaked dress made of some metallic material, as well as a dagger with a thin, needle-like blade.
With Reggi ill, and the likelihood of more bugs in the chimney above, they decided to retreat back to the inn and re-evaluate their plans. Rian mentioned that he might be able to hold the bugs off with a new ward that he’d learned during the night, giving the party the chance to destroy them without facing harm. Of course, there was the possibility that the bugs would be unaffected by the ward, or would be able to overcome the magic and break through it. It was agreed that they would use the first cave as a staging area, and try to trap the beetles at the bottleneck between it and the larger cave, just in case the ward failed. Kraggin acted as the bait, going in to the larger cave and making lots of noise to attract the bugs. When he saw them come pouring down the chimney, he ran for the warded area, slipping and falling once, just barely reaching the smaller cave before the swarm. The swarm hit the ward, and it held, keeping them at bay. The party pelted them with spells and weapon attacks until them crushed the swarm. The only notable damage sustained by the group was by Kraggin, who was caught in the back by one of Elondra’s electrical strokes, as well as being shot in the back with a bolt by Reggi.
With the bugs most likely destroyed, Elondra imbued the party with the ability of flight, and they all flew up the chimney to another, larger cave some 50 feet up. There they found more corpse bits, both beetle and from the inn’s inhabitants. Searching the area, they found a tooled leather headband, but little else. Elondra determined that the headband was magical as well. Returning down the chimney, Kraggin performed a final search of the pile of bodies, finding a few coin purses, a small leather pouch, and a second ring. At that point, the party decided to burn the remains of the bodies; it was at this point that Rian had a revelation and rushed outside. When the party finally caught up with him again, he had a family in tow. He introduced the party to the family, whom were displaced when their inn burned down in Tyrsis. They were making the pilgrimage to the Temple of the Sun to request assistance; Rian felt that it was divine providence that brought the family along on the trip to a now-vacant inn. Oren and his family were willing to take guardianship of the baby, raising him as their own and holding the inn for him until he was old enough to inherit it. Rian, Elondra, and Reggi performed some magical cleaning on the inn to remove any evidence of the carnage. Kraggin and Kastor sealed up the door to the caves, and Rian instructed Oren never to open it. Reggi also made sure to include the gear that they found in the cleaning. Kraggin took Oren aside and gave him a gift; when Elondra attempted to do the same, Oren politely refused, saying that Kraggin’s gift was more than generous.
With the family settled in, the pilgrimage moved out, heading on towards Drokin. Kraggin took the time to examine the non-magical items, determining that the dress, a fine gown with a dragon across the back and embroidery around the neck and sleeves, was actually made of silver thread woven into the cloth and was of exceptional quality. The dagger was also masterwork quality, but its needle-like barbed blade was made of adamantine. The ring bore an unknown symbol, which Gidlars was later able to identify as belonging to a merchant organization in Drokin. The coin purses contained a small amount of common coins – mostly copper. The leather pouch was filled with bones, which Elondra divined was used by a patron of the inn as some sort of luck charm or spirit magic item. After spending the day purifying her aura, Elondra examined the two magical items, and determined that the ring was a Ring of Warmth, and the headband, though difficult to identify, was a Headband of Intellect +2.
The caravan stopped and made camp that evening, the city of Drokin barely visible in the distance. Gidlars informed them that tomorrow they would travel to the far side of the city, using the remainder of the day to restock supplies at the city.
Thus ends Session 14."
The GM
Thursday, February 5th 2004 - 11:09:17 AM
"Following an uneventful night, the caravan resumed its progress to Drokin, camping on the far side of the city in the early afternoon. Gildars had the party accompany the supply wagons into town for restocking. Once arrangements had been made for supplies, the party attended to some personal business while waiting for the supplies to be brought out and loaded. Shanys and Fletch both made leather purchases, which they found were very reasonably priced. Reggi and Fletch both entered the Council of Art’s building, and found that they could purchase various magical supplies and sundries. Reggi bought two exotic components and a water-proofed scroll case; Fletch found nothing of special interest for himself. Kraggin located a wagon passing by bearing the same symbol as the ring they’d retrieved at the Sign of the Mushroom. Stopping the driver, he was able to learn that the grain consortium that used the symbol had a building not far from where they were. The entire group visited the location, where Kraggin told the story of the fell events of the inn. Reggi returned the backpacks and saddlebags they’d discovered with the grain consortium’s reports and information, and Kraggin returned the ring. For their trouble and information, the consortium rewarded them with a small sack of gold.
The party then escorted the supply wagons back to the encampment. With the safety of the city nearby, Gidlars released the party to spend some time in town to eat, rest, and attend to any other personal business. They plied some of the locals for information and were directed to the Black Eagle tavern, but decided not to go there. A second recommendation led them to Night Stalkers, a much larger, rougher, and more rowdy establishment. Elondra and Reggi both headed to bed early. Fletch cruised the crowd for information, Kraggin sampled the local drinks – including vodka for the first time – and Shanys hunted for others of her profession. Fletch finally called it quits after learning some minor information about their journey ahead. Kraggin packed it in after narrowly avoiding the effects of intoxication, and received a bottle of vodka, courtesy of the bartender. Shanys made contact with some less-savory elements and managed to learn that there was little in the way of organized crime activities city, mainly due to the presence of the Council of Art. The clientele of the inn partied all night long, but the party still found restful sleep due to the fine construction of the building.
The next day the pilgrimage resumed, and they enjoyed calm and sunny conditions for it and the next day. On the third day out of Drokin, near midday, they began their ascent into the mountains towards Skull Keep. Several hours later, the entire party was stunned as a pair of harpies descended upon them from the heights. The harpies attacked with fury, the cacophony of their voices enthralling several party members before the rest brought them down. They looted the bodies, discovering some gems, a potion, a magical sword, and a magical amulet. The remainder of the ascent passed without further incident, and as evening drew close, the pilgrimage reached the mountain pass where Skull Keep is located.
Thus ends Session 15."
The GM
Tuesday, February 17th 2004 - 03:32:19 PM
"Entering the gates of Skull Keep, Elondra and Kastor noted that all of the party members were briefly targeted by a detection spell of some sort, haloing their magical items and even themselves (in the case of spellcasters) with a brief radiance. Inside, Gidlars introduced them to Calconon, a necromancer and one of the instructors at the school, before heading off to see to the disposition of the pilgrims for their stay at the keep. Calconon welcomed them to the Hall of the Dead and gave the party a quick review of the amenities and services available at the keep. Elondra and Reggi elected to get private rooms for the night. Shanys and Reggi inquired about information, to which Calconon replied that he’d have a sage from the school’s library visit with them to attend to their requests. Kastor and Kraggin headed to the tavern, while Fletch and Shanys followed the pilgrims in to the common lodgings for the evening, seeking Gidlars for their payment. Before heading off to see to their interests, the party reached the decision to accompany Gidlars and the pilgrims to their Temple of the Sun.
Calconon escorted Elondra and Reggi to their two rooms, showing them the keys to and comforts of their accommodations. He further conversed with Reggi, letting her know that he’d send the sage to her room a little later in the evening. Elondra spent the next 8 hours purifying her aura, and was then able to determine that the amulet they’d just recovered from the harpy was an Amulet of Health +2, and the sword was a Longsword +1. Meanwhile, the sage arrived at Reggi’s room, taking her requests for information concerning the Gift of Life and the unknown valley from the ancient atlas.
Fletch and Shanys followed the pilgrims from the keep’s courtyard down a street to an arched opening, only to discover themselves outside in a valley – a physical impossibility considering the mountain-pass location of Skull Keep. Figuring it to be a dimensional space, some form or teleport, or an illusion, they nonetheless found a spot to park their wagon. Fletch and Shanys then tracked down Gidlars, informed him of their decision to continue with the pilgrimage to the end of the route, and requested payment for the first contract. Gidlars thanked them for continuing on, offering them an identical contract for the remainder of the trip, and then went in search of Calconon to liquidated some assets to give the party their pay. While waiting for Gidlars to return, Shanys was approached by the sage, to whom she inquired about the same valley – he told her he was already looking into this matter for Reggi – and any references to the Queen of Shadows or the three scrolls of Deepest Darkness. Gidlars returned a little later with the payment, giving Fletch and Shanys a sum of 22 platinum pieces for each of the members of their group for their services over 12 days.
Kraggin and Kastor entered the small tavern to find it moderately occupied with patrons, the majority of them students of the school studying their texts and spellbooks. A few other travelers were also present, as well as a pair of what they suspected to be instructors for the school. One was covered in some form of bone plating, from which they drew the conclusion that he might be a Pale Master. The other, a human female, was dressed in bright blue robes trimmed in silver lightning embroidery. Both noted Kraggin and Kastor’s entrance, and nodded to them. Kraggin introduced Kastor to the finer points of Drokin vodka until it was time to retire to the sleeping area.
In the early morning, the sage returned to Reggi to tell her that he’d discovered some very interesting knowledge for her, but it would not come cheap. Without charge he did tell her that the two things she sought information about were connected. He requested a fee of 300 gold pieces for the information about the Gift of Life, for which he told her about many of the properties of which the party was already aware. However, he also told her that the Gift, once placed on the wrists, cannot be removed by any means short of death. Further, he told her the shocking revelation that the Gift was forged long ago within the unknown valley. When she inquired what the knowledge of the valley would cost, he informed her that it was rare and priceless, and that he would only exchange it for something equally rare, priceless, or interesting to him. Unable to think of anything to offer other than her dragonhide boots, she passed on learning the secrets of the valley.
The sage then approached Shanys, telling her that he’d discovered the information that she sought as well, but that it was rare and dangerous information, and that it too carried a high price tag. He was willing to reveal the location of all 3 scrolls, as well as the Queen of Shadows, but Shanys could not meet his price. She settled instead for learning the location of a single scroll of Deepest Darkness – in the Underdark in the possession of the drow priestess D’Ara Neblith, leader of an elite drow hit squad known as The Machine. As a free bit of information, he also told her that The Machine does the dirty work of various houses and are powerful enough to rival many of the smaller houses of the Underdark simply by themselves.
With their business concluded and the pilgrims ready to move again, they set off back down the mountain, continuing towards Bluffside and the Temple of the Sun. Halfway down the trail, they found the path blocked by a landslide. When attempting to clear it, two ettins and a pair of brown bears ambushed them. Fletch, Kastor, and Elondra dealt quickly with the bears, Rian held one of the ettins, and Kraggin and Reggi tangled with the other. Once both bears were killed, the second ettin fled. Kastor moved to slay the first ettin before Rian’s spell ended, and the party nearly came to blows over it. Rian and Kastor both threatened one another with no quarter in any such future incidents. Instead, they stripped the held ettin of its possessions; it fled when it could move again. They then proceeded the remainder of the way down the mountain without further incident, stopping on the scrub plains below to camp for the night. Rian volunteered to identify the magical throwing axe they’d recovered from the ettin so that Elondra could get some rest. He was able to determine that it was a Returning Throwing Axe +1 of Distance. In the morning, they struck camp and continued their journey towards their destination.
Thus ends Session 16."
The GM
Thursday, February 26th 2004 - 03:11:54 PM
"Though the temperatures climbed to uncomfortable levels during the day in the heat of the shadow of the Dragon Sands desert, the day’s journey was otherwise uneventful. As the pilgrimage made camp that evening, the party spied movement in the distance. Using her spyglass, Shanys determined that it was another caravan approaching, albeit one much smaller than their own. As it closed the distance with them, it became apparent that it was composed of 6 wagons and was accompanied by a heavily armed escort. Arriving at the party’s encampment, the leader of the other caravan, a large man on a draft horse dressed in finery, rode in to meet the party, asking for Gidlars. The caravan leader, Zorzar, requested of Gidlars that his group be allowed to share the encampment’s cooking fires for the night. Gidlars agreed, and the merchant had his personal cook, Vovin, prepare a fine feast from a combination of his and the pilgrimage’s supplies.
As the meal concluded, Elondra pulled out her lute and began to play, doing a fine job. Zorzar summoned two of his traveling companions, and they danced seductively for all present at the campfire. Small talk was shared over various trade subjects. Kastor attempted to visit with the dancers, but the caravan’s armed guards stopped his attempts. The merchant invited Elondra to view his wares, seeking her opinion on what value they might hold if he were to journey as far as the Elven lands. Elondra fell in love with the silks he had to offer, and purchased a cobalt blue silk wrap gown. Kastor, still nearby at the time, overheard the transaction, and inquired if Zorzar had any weapons for sale. He showed Kastor a beautiful, intricate scimitar, one made of ancient mithril. Alas, the price was more than Kastor could afford, but he was still able to purchase of a scimitar of exceptional quality steel.
After this, everyone settled in for the night, taking their normal watch shifts. During Shanys’ watch, she encountered someone else from the caravan. Dressed in black clothing that covered most of his pale skin, it was a few moments before Shanys realized that she was seeing one of her own kind. He introduced himself as Raeb, and the two shared a subtle conversation over professions, organizations, and the city of Bluffside. The conversation was briefly interrupted by Kastor (also on watch at the time), and Raeb eventually took his leave of Shanys, disappearing back off into the darkness of the night.
In the morning, Shanys spoke with Zorzar as well and purchased a set of black silk garments. Reggi inquired about books from the merchant, but he had little to offer, and that which he did have was far beyond what she could afford. Zorzar gave them a final warning over humanoid activity along the trail to Bluffside, and that they should be cautious and alert for ambush. This warning would prove prophetic, for later that day the pilgrimage would indeed be ambushed by a tribe of bugbear warriors with trained lions. The trap was quick and brutal, with several of the party taking heavy wounds. However, they were able to fend off the attack with no losses, finally forcing the few remaining bugbears to flee.
Thus ends Session 17."
The GM
Tuesday, March 9th 2004 - 10:54:30 AM
"Following the battle with the bugbears and the lions, the party began to feel the toll of wearing heavier armor and clothing in the heat of the desert sun. Many of them were forced to shed their heavier protections to prevent the effects of heat exhaustion and dehydration. Fortunately, the desert had gradually given way to grasslands, and the setting of the sun that evening brought relief from the blazing day. Once again, the pilgrimage established camp, ate their evening meal, and laid down to rest in anticipation of reaching Bluffside by the end of the following day.
However, tragedy stuck during the night. Dark, panther-like creatures attacked the encampment that night, slaying a number of pilgrims before the party could even react. With their black fur and shifting, distorted appearance, they were difficult to combat, and the party suffered heavy losses before driving them off into the night. However, the victory was a phyrric one, as those of the creatures that survived fled with two of the pilgrims’ bodies. Even more distressing, one carried away the body of Rian, felled in battle by the creature. The party gave chase, but Shanys was felled as she attempted to stop the creature, and Reggi and Elondra gave up in frustration over the creature’s speed and knowledge of the land. They returned to the encampment to heal their wounds and determine their next move…
Thus ends Session 18."
The GM
Monday, March 15th 2004 - 08:43:02 PM
"Determined to retrieve the bodies of the two pilgrims and Rian before the displacer beasts could consume them, the group set off tracking them across the grasslands through the darkness. After traveling some distance, they heard the sounds of the creatures snarling and growling, obviously feeding. However, before they could approach to a distance to where they could see the displacer beasts, the snarling stopped. The beasts came charging out of the darkness, intent on defending their territory and food. Even with their resources significantly tapped, the group was able to slay all of the displacer beasts without further casualties.
Inside the lair they were greeted by a sight very similar to what they’d experienced in the caves behind the Sign of the Mushroom Inn, only worse, if that were somehow possible. Here, the fetid stench of offal, decay, and refuse mixed with the tang of fresh blood. Amazingly, they found Rian’s body still intact with the barest thread of a pulse, largely due to his mithral breastplate making him “hard to swallow”. Some quick healing by Elondra stabilized him and brought him back to consciousness. Kraggin, Kastor, and Reggi conducted a physical and magical search of the lair, turning up numerous partial corpses and body parts, but also a number of mundane and magical items.
During the search, Rian and Elondra walked back to camp to retrieve the wagon to transport the bodies of the pilgrims and, at Shanys’ request, those of the displacer beasts as well. Upon their return, the group loaded all of the corpses and salvaged gear into the wagon and returned to the encampment to get some rest for the remainder of the night. In the morning, a number of the pilgrims dug a mass grave for those slain in the attack, and Rian performed a funeral service for them. They determined that it would be impossible to transport the corpses of the displacer beasts with them, so they skinned one and cut the tentacles off all 5. The caravan again set off, its spirits sobered by the events of the previous night. Then, in the early afternoon, they got a surprise of the nastiest sort.
The first time the black shadow of the dragon passing overhead nearly went unnoticed by all, including the group, but as it banked and returned to pass over again, this time lower, the entire party was aware of its presence. When it turned again, passing a third time over the caravan, it was low enough for all to see its scaly blue skin. The pilgrims ran in abject terror, even as the party tried to convince them to stay together. But the dragon did not attack, simply gaining altitude after the final pass and winging southward along the mountain ridge. After some time, the party was able to gather up the rather frightened and demoralized pilgrims and resume the journey. By late afternoon, the golden domes of two of Bluffside’s oldest structures were visible in the distance. Rian gave the group a history and geography lesson on the city to the best of his ability. Soon after, they reached the great salt lake that occupies the crater below the plateau Bluffside resides atop, and finally got a full view of the city. They spent the balance of the day traveling around the lake to the switchback that climbs the face of the cliff; there, the pilgrims would ascend the following day and continue the final leg of their journey to the Temple of the Sun.
Gidlars invited the party to go partway up the cliff to stay, as his guests, at the Inn on the Bluff, one of Bluffside’s finest establishments. They were all treated to fine food and drink, an incredible view of the sun setting over the eastern mountains, and entertainment. Rian and Elondra retired early to their room, where they purified their auras and attempted to identify some of the magical items they’d recovered from the displacer beasts’ lair.
Thus ends Session 19."
The GM
Thursday, March 25th 2004 - 11:33:55 AM
"After attending to personal ‘business’ during the night, the party arose in the morning, had breakfast together, and traversed the remainder of the Great Ascent to the plateau above, again rejoining Gidlars and the pilgrimage. They struck out immediately; only a short bit of trail remained between them and the Temple of the Sun. However, the weather did not smile upon them, trying their resolve again as heavy rain storms and cold temperatures battered them throughout the day.
During an exceptionally violent period of the storm, the caravan halted to seek some shelter from the weather. However, it soon became clear that the downpour and lightning were not chief among their concerns. Two large reptilian creatures, later identified as basilisks, attacked the caravan from out of the gloom of the storm. Many pilgrims were stoned by the creatures’ petrifying gaze, and two more were killed by their vicious bites. The party kept them at bay long enough for Rian to use his spells to hold them motionless. Without protest from Rian, Kraggin beheaded the beasts, and Shanys set about to her gruesome ritual of collecting body parts from the corpses. After gutting the creatures and determining there was no treasure to be had within their gullets, the group performed a quick search of the area, finding a cave that seemed a likely refuge. After taking some precautions, they quickly explored the lair, finding a scattering of coins, gems, and some magical treasures among the scat of the beasts.
Resuming the journey, the pilgrims traveled a short distance further before making camp for the night. The weather continued to be miserable, and by morning there was even frost and ice upon the tents of the caravan. Rian spent part of the night working to identify the new items. In the morning, still under the shadow of clouds and rain, they resumed the trip to the Temple. Finally, in the early afternoon, the temperatures warmed, and the rain relented. As they drew to the point where they could finally see the Temple complex, the sun broke through the clouds, illuminating the golden dome of the main structure, making it appear as it a second sun had risen in the west.
Upon arrival at the Temple, the Aurites collected the stoned pilgrims to restore them and directed the rest to basic lodgings within the Temple grounds. Gidlars paid the group for their services with a magical item, telling them of his plans to return to Bluffside to finish some trading before the pilgrims returned there for the trip back to Tyrsis. Rian indicated that he would be staying at the Temple for the next few days to complete his devotions, and then he too would return to Bluffside. He would not be continuing on to Tyrsis with the caravan, but would instead remain with Elondra and the party. The group spent the night in the safety of the Temple compound.
The return journey to Bluffside was uneventful, and the group decided upon their return to again take up lodgings at the Inn on the Bluff. Elondra and Kraggin used the lifts to descend to the Great Winding Room in the Undercity. There, they went to the dwarven halls, spending some time visiting the Temple of Hannak and some of the various business found there. Reggi went off in search of the Wizard’s Quarter, and Shanys began to pursue some personal business of her own.
Thus ends Session 20."
The GM
Tuesday, April 6th 2004 - 03:06:41 PM
"Entering the Wizard’s District, Reggi approached the obsidian tower, only to find it surround by a gate with guards. The guards were able to provide her with the information she sought however, and directed her to the Academy of Arcane Arts. There she was told that to access the Academy’s facilities, she’d first need to join one of the magical houses of the city. She was directed to try either the House of Evocation or House of Universal Wizardry, based upon her claims of her talents. At both locations, she was informed that to join a House, she’d need to have a reference, prove her worth, or perform some sort of service for the House. In between the two places, she found Ravenstone Market, where nearly anything could be bought or sold. She sold some of the various body parts that the group had collected, as well as made some purchases of odd brews and spirits for Nic and Kraggin.
In the meantime, Shanys worked her way through the New City District, following the flow of the crowd to a market, and eventually to one of the entrances to the Undercity. There she followed the winding pathway down all the way to the Coach and Six Market in the caverns near the harbor and the Dwarven Halls. It was there that she encountered Oek, who’d managed to track the group to the Inn on the Bluff. Not long after, the two of them encountered Elondra and Kraggin returning from the Dwarven Halls, where Kraggin was apparently mistaken for someone of some importance from an organization called the “Crimsonian Legion”. Before they returned to Coach and Six market, Elondra and Kraggin stopped for a drink and met a dwarven bard who passed along a songbook to Elondra to learn.
Returning to the Inn, they rejoined Reggi, divided their spoils from the sale of their trophies, and contemplated their next move over lunch.
Thus ends Session 21."
The GM
Wednesday, April 14th 2004 - 04:18:08 PM
"Deciding it was time to find more work, the group headed over to the military quarter of the city in search of the offices of the League of Free Mercenaries. Wandering through the streets of the quarter, they spied a number of interesting businesses, the barracks for the city’s guards, and finally the League’s offices. Inside, they discovered a number of jobs advertised, including a position to investigate recent dragon sightings in the region, as well as a posting by Denis of Denis’ Adventure Exchange seeking assistance regarding a problem near his business. Upon learning that Denis’ shop was located within the military quarter as well, they decided to pursue it.
Arriving at the Exchange, they quickly noted an awful smell. Many of the local businesses were closed down. Indeed, upon entering the Exchange, they found Denis with his head down on a table, appearing quite ill from the stench. Denis explained that the smell seemed to be coming from the sewers, and that he was willing to pay to have someone find and correct the problem. Although the city would eventually fix it, he wanted it done sooner to get his business back again. He offered them 3000 gold to take care of it. If they could resolve it within 3 days, he was willing to throw in a recently-acquired map as a bonus.
The party decided to make some quick preparations to descend into the sewers. Reggi purchased some potions and powders that would deaden their sense of smell for a short duration to make the job more bearable. They opened a nearby sewer grate that Denis directed them to and descended the ladder into the 40’ wide sewer pipe. Lanterns illuminated some of the area near the ladder; other areas were darkened. As the party moved along the pathway next to the sewer channel, they discovered that some of the darkened lanterns were simply painted black across some of their sides, while others were broken.
It was within an area of broken lanterns when the huge spiders crawled out of the darkness of the sewer pipe’s ceiling, striking out at the party. The battle was fierce, and Shanys was unfortunate enough to feel the sting of their poison, which sapped away her strength to that of a child. Through arrows and magic, however, they finally felled the two giant arachnids. There in the darkness, they paused a moment to catch their breath…
Thus ends Session 22."
The GM
Tuesday, May 4th 2004 - 04:40:33 PM
"With injuries that could not be cured by the magical means at their disposal, the group chose to return to the surface and travel to the Inn. There they rested and recovered their strength a bit. The following morning, still afflicted by the venom of the spiders, they sought out additional aid, finally calling upon their status as members of the League of Free Mercenaries to receive magical treatment from the Temple of Gaelic in the Temple District. They also used the time to briefly see to some gear needs before returning to the Military District.
Returning to the sewer grate, Kastor easily removed it. They descended into the sewers, the foul stench assaulting them again. A brief scouting expedition in the direction opposite their previous foray resulted in the discovery of a very ill man named Galwin Toose. A quick conversation with him revealed that he was a Tosher – a type of unofficial sewer cleaner, eking out a meager existence off the refuse of the city above – and that the smell was most likely coming from the opposite direction. When they determined that his illness was incurable by the means available to them, the party brought him to the surface and sought out the aid of the Temple of Ehrin to heal him. With no money to pay for such services, Kastor offered the gold necessary to pay for the Remove Disease necessary to cure the cholera afflicting him. In return, as a show of gratitude, Galwin gave Kastor a potion of dead nose to suppress the effects of the sewer’s stench.
Once again returning to the Military District, down the sewer grate, and back into the tunnel, the party again turned their attention to the direction they’d tried the previous day. Passing the area of the spiders, they continued on to where the tunnel split, with one direction leading off to a lit area where they could see another ladder (presumably ascending to another sewer grate) and a lock, where a sewer barge could change levels. Instead, they continued on into the darkened area of the tunnel, where they found a narrow bridge with low rails crossing over the expanse of the sewage, an iron wall blocking off the tunnel a bit further past it, and a door on the same side as the party. The door, situated before the bridge, had a plate on it labeled “Cesspit #7 Outpost and Operations” as well as a slot.
Reggi made shot work of the lock, and Kraggin burst into the lit room, completely surprising the two gnomes within. The room contained a glass wall overlooking the cesspit, where they could see glowing green dots moving over the refuse and offal. Initially, the gnomes stonewalled the party, refusing to give up any information. Repeated questions from the group eventually broke them down, and it was revealed that the gnomes were operating a secret crimsonian mining operation under the cover of their cesspit duties. They reported having some difficulty with “bat-like demons” when their mine broke through into some natural caves (which also connect to the cesspit).
The gnomes offered the party some compensation to keep their secret. In turn, the party decided to investigate the caves. Passing through some gnome-height tunnels and rooms, they saw the forge operation the gnomes were running. Finally, they reached a lift, very small in size. Pulling it out of the way, the party was able to descend through the narrow shaft to the mine below. It was at this point that the party realized that Shanys was missing…
Thus ends Session 23."
The GM
Wednesday, May 12th 2004 - 12:18:57 PM
"As the party prepared to enter the mine tunnels, they heard the sound of the lift behind them, and Shanys descended to join them. Following the tunnels (by crawling, for some members), they emerged into a larger natural cavern. The area was lit, and a large wall blocked the tunnel nearby. Kraggin was shot at with a crossbow before the gnomes defending the wall realized that the party was not a threat. They spent some time talking with the 3 gnomes there, gathering information about the bat-like demons and the cave system.
Setting off down the caves in the direction that the gnomes indicated, the party quickly passed out of the area illuminated by the gnome’s torches, only Elondra’s illumination left to guide them. Discovering a side cave, they investigated it, only to have Kraggin trigger a pit trip and fall into it. At the bottom, he found the skeleton of a long-dead dwarf, still clutching its battleaxe. As the group worked to pull Kraggin from the pit, two skeletons hidden in pools of slime animated and assaulted the party. Surprisingly strong and durable, it took no small effort to destroy them. Salvaging a number of coins and other items from another slime-covered pool, the group was ready to move on when they realized that the slime-and-fungus-covered pile of offal in the area did not smell.
The party advanced further down the cavern until they came to a junction. They chose to ignore the left passage for the time, proceeding into the right-hand one. Only a short way down the passage, they were ambushed by a number of the bat-winged demons, dropping from the ceiling to engage the group. The battle was fierce but brief, with one of the creatures fleeing deeper into the caves. During the battle the creatures made a number of noises, some of which Shanys was even able to understand. Wounds healed, but depleted of spells, the group considered their next move…
Thus ends Session 24."
The GM
Tuesday, May 18th 2004 - 10:54:41 AM
"Deciding it would be prudent to retreat to the gnomes’ fortifications to rest and regroup, the party collected what gear they could from the fallen creatures. As Kastor bent to pick up one of the bodies to bring back, a pile of acid goo struck him, sticking him fast to the floor. Another glob narrowly missed Shanys. Elondra flew forward as a third glob missed Kraggin, but she herself was then struck by another, the splatter adhering her to the walls and ceiling on the cave. With the some, they were all able to free themselves, but rather than flee, they advanced, trying to locate their assailants.
Elondra was the first to enter the cavern, immediately spying two of the creatures flying overhead, a pit filled with molding beetle parts below. Elondra let loose a ball of sonic energy on one of the flying creatures, and it immediately dropped, crashing into the ground. As the rest of the party followed her into the cavern, a number of the creatures emerged from a cave on a ledge part way up the cavern wall. A number of them charged the party, while other continued to drop their gooey acidic packages on them from the air. During the fierce battle, several of the creatures retreated into the cave on the ledge, including one who appeared to be a spellcaster. Elondra sealed them in with a wall of ice to make sure they wouldn’t cause further problems. Shanys knocked a number of the creatures unconscious to try and question them, but Kastor executed them following combat. A brief spat erupted between the two of them, and the tension was felt throughout the entire group.
With the fight over, Elondra dropped the wall of ice, and the party was able to communicate with the remaining creatures, of which the spellcaster appeared to be the current leader. He identified himself as Erie, and his people as “Tadar”, though whether this represented the name of the race, tribe, or group was unclear. As the discussion turned to the attacks against the gnomes, the Tadar claimed that the gnomes set a monster against them, cutting them off from their food supply. They said that this was the only reason they attack the gnomes. When questioned about the monster, Erie described it as a human sized creature with long fingers on its mouth and smooth skin. It is angry and blocks their hole out, blasting them in some way that hurts their heads. Shayns posited that the creature might be a mind flayer from the deep realms inhabited by the drow, a very dangerous creature even by Underdark standards. The Tadar agreed to leave and never bother the gnomes again if the party would dispose of the monster for them.
Erie also explained that having defeated the previous leader of the Tadar, he and his possessions were now their property. Erie then negotiated for the return of the fallen leader (called Bankor), in exchange providing the party with more treasure and a safe place to rest. With their spells all but completely depleted, and likely pinned in by a superior foe, the party decided they had no choice but to accept the hospitality of the Tadar and sleep within the cave.
Thus ends Session 25."
The GM
Wednesday, June 2nd 2004 - 02:43:15 PM
"Deciding it would be prudent to retreat to the gnomes’ fortifications to rest and regroup, the party collected what gear they could from the fallen creatures. As Kastor bent to pick up one of the bodies to bring back, a pile of acid goo struck him, sticking him fast to the floor. Another glob narrowly missed Shanys. Elondra flew forward as a third glob missed Kraggin, but she herself was then struck by another, the splatter adhering her to the walls and ceiling on the cave. With the some, they were all able to free themselves, but rather than flee, they advanced, trying to locate their assailants.
Elondra was the first to enter the cavern, immediately spying two of the creatures flying overhead, a pit filled with molding beetle parts below. Elondra let loose a ball of sonic energy on one of the flying creatures, and it immediately dropped, crashing into the ground. As the rest of the party followed her into the cavern, a number of the creatures emerged from a cave on a ledge part way up the cavern wall. A number of them charged the party, while other continued to drop their gooey acidic packages on them from the air. During the fierce battle, several of the creatures retreated into the cave on the ledge, including one who appeared to be a spellcaster. Elondra sealed them in with a wall of ice to make sure they wouldn’t cause further problems. Shanys knocked a number of the creatures unconscious to try and question them, but Kastor executed them following combat. A brief spat erupted between the two of them, and the tension was felt throughout the entire group.
With the fight over, Elondra dropped the wall of ice, and the party was able to communicate with the remaining creatures, of which the spellcaster appeared to be the current leader. He identified himself as Erie, and his people as “Tadar”, though whether this represented the name of the race, tribe, or group was unclear. As the discussion turned to the attacks against the gnomes, the Tadar claimed that the gnomes set a monster against them, cutting them off from their food supply. They said that this was the only reason they attack the gnomes. When questioned about the monster, Erie described it as a human sized creature with long fingers on its mouth and smooth skin. It is angry and blocks their hole out, blasting them in some way that hurts their heads. Shayns posited that the creature might be a mind flayer from the deep realms inhabited by the drow, a very dangerous creature even by Underdark standards. The Tadar agreed to leave and never bother the gnomes again if the party would dispose of the monster for them.
Erie also explained that having defeated the previous leader of the Tadar, he and his possessions were now their property. Erie then negotiated for the return of the fallen leader (called Bankor), in exchange providing the party with more treasure and a safe place to rest. With their spells all but completely depleted, and likely pinned in by a superior foe, the party decided they had no choice but to accept the hospitality of the Tadar and sleep within the cave.
Thus ends Session 25."
The GM
Wednesday, June 2nd 2004 - 02:57:25 PM
"Rested but still wary of the strength of the mind flayer, the group prepared themselves and moved cautiously towards the tunnel leading to its lair. Partway down the corridor, Kraggin detected movement. Regi, seeking to even the odds, tossed a dagger covered in a darkness spell down the corridor to blind their enemy. However, it apparently backfired as two Tadar skeletons came charging out of the darkness, attacking Kraggin. This was not the worst of the concerns though, as the skeletons’ attacks were followed by a painful sonic vibration that caused the skin of Kraggin, Elondra, and Oek to blister.
Elondra entered the darkness and was struck by sharp claws; suspecting more skeletons, she attempted to blast them with life energy. After defeating the skeletons, Kraggin and Oek entered the darkness as well, but neither had success in locating the opponent within. Shanys also passed through, being subjected to the attacks of the unseen opponent as well. The battle continued for quite some time, the sonic vibrations tearing at their flesh over and over again.
Regi finally entered the darkness, attempting to locate her dagger and nullify the effect. Finally, she had to resort to Nic’s ability to track her scent. Nic located the dagger, but as he began to move away with it, the opponent stuck him as well, mortally wounding him. Regi knew immediately that Nic was in trouble, but was unable to find him. Elondra summoned her magic to dispel the darkness and succeeded, revealing a bipedal creature with smooth grey skin, clawed hands, no eyes, and finger-like appendages surrounding its mouth. Clutched in one of its hands was the limp form of Nic.
Finally having an opponent to engage, Kraggin and Oek set into it seeking to bring it down before it could do further damage to the group. With surprising speed and agility, it stepped out from between their flank, dropping Nic and the now-inert dagger. It let loose another sonic blast, and the party could see the finger-like appendages wave in time to the harmonics. Seizing the opportunity at a clear shot, Elondra let loose with an electrical stroke, laying the creature low.
Thus ends Session 26."
The GM
Tuesday, June 15th 2004 - 11:54:30 AM
"With the creature defeated, and apparently not a mind flayer, the party searched its cavern home. In addition to a magical ring and a fist-sized magic orb removed from creature's corpse, there were a number of coins and gems in the cavern as well. They also found a pair of smaller versions of the creature in a state of decay in an alcove some distance up one of the walls. Oek made the guess that the creature may have been female and that the smaller ones were its young.
With the threat to the Tadar eliminated, the party informed them that they were free to go. Erie led the remainder of his people off to other hunting grounds far away from the gnomish mining operation. The group returned to the outpost at the wall, informing the gnome guards that they would receive no further problems from the bat demons. However, they still needed to solve the problem of the smell.
The group proceeded in the opposite direction from the Tadar towards the sewage pit. Arriving, they found themselves confronted by an immense population of beetles gorging themselves on the remnants of fungal growth on the sewage. Realizing that the fungus may have been responsible for controlling the smell, they came to the conclusion that the beetle population needed to be controlled. They destroyed a number of the larger, more aggressive insects that engaged them, then reported the problem to the gnomes. The gnomes, as part of their agreement for eliminating the Tadar threat and keeping the mining operation secret, said they would create a machine that would curtail the beetle population and thereby correct the smell.
The party also decided on their item requests from the gnomes, asking for a crimsonian bastard sword, a magical enhancement to the silver dress, and a tinkered double light crossbow. With their agreement sealed and their work completed, they returned to the surface.
The reactions of people on the street reminded them that they'd been sewer-bound for more than a day, and the spellcasters quickly corrected the situations through the use of helpful but minor majics. Seeking out Denis, they received their 3000gp payment, but did not get the bonus of the map, for although the job had been completed, the smell had not subsided within the agreed-upon 3-day time frame.
After making some minor personal stops, the group again gathered back together at the Inn on the Bluff. There, they found Rian sitting with Gidlars, returned from his devotions at the Temple of the Sun and appearing somewhat different. Elondra greeted him warmly, and he explained the changes in his attire and gear, stating that it was all done to prepare himself more for the adventurer's life with the group.
Thus ends Session 27."
The GM
Wednesday, June 30th 2004 - 03:09:15 PM
"In their discussion with Gidlars, the group realized that he'd taken on other help to guard the caravan back to Tyrsis. It was decided, however, that there was unfinished business to be attended to at the wizarding school at Skull Keep, so the group purchased a wagon and some additional horses to make the trip. Rian and Kastor spoke for some time, after which Kastor departed. Rian informed the group of Kastor's decision to seek out a reconnection with his god.
After a night's rest, which apparently not all found restful - Shanys hauled her beaten body into the back of a wagon and slept the day away - the group again hit the road with the pilgrims. Cold nights kept the group huddled under warm clothing or inside the wagons as they moved along. The new guards' priest became acquainted with several members of the group during the journey, and they discussed trivial matters to pass the time. The journey was marred only by the attack of some monstrous scorpions, which the group helped the new guards drive back.
Thus ends Session 28."
The GM
Monday, July 12th 2004 - 09:51:27 PM
"The remaining trip to Skull Keep passed without event, and finally they drew within the walls of the mountain-pass school. Again, they were greeted by Calconon, an instructor at the school. Regi, Kraggin, Rian and Elondra, and the priest Sergosh, the new addition to the group, all took accommodations within the keep. Shanys and Oek elected to stay with the wagons in the vale with the pilgrims.
Informed by Kraggin of a sorceress he saw in the tavern during his last visit, Elondra went there to see if she could meet the one he described as wearing blue robes with lightning bolts on them. However, the only ones to be found there that appeared to be anything more than students was a man in bright green robes covered in animal symbols and a somber man dressed entirely in black. Meanwhile, Shanys and Regi inquired after sage again, hoping to acquire the information they'd been forced to pass upon last time by offering the Hollow Threats book and the Orb of Animation and Control.
When the sage arrived, he accepted their offer, and divulged all he'd learned previously. The Gift of Life was forged and quenched within a planar rift to the Positive material plane found within the Valley of Life, the unnamed and unmarked valley in their atlas. Some sort of deal was brokered, and an attempt was made to erase all knowledge of this to protect the location of the valley, likely to cloak it from future discovery because of the potential abuse of such a source of energy. Obviously, a few records, though rare, survived the purge. The only clue that he could find to the valley's location was that it was somewhere near the Dragon Sands, the vast desert to the north of Bluffside and home of the Dragori Empire.
The sage then took Shanys aside and told her of the remaining two scrolls of Deeper Darkness; in addition to the one possessed by the drow priestess, there was also one in the library of a shadow mage in Darokin, and the final was in the hoard of the shadow dragon Yarkuhl'umaraath.
With the majority of their business concluded, the group settled in for a night's sleep. Shanys remained awake, as usual, and was approached some time after midnight by 1/2 orc. They conversed briefly before he told her that she was going to die; at that point, an unseen assailant stabbed her from behind, dropping her to the group. Leaving her for dead, the two assassins apparently proceeded to the room of Elondra and Rian next, where only Elondra's elven cat friend prevented them from being slaughtered instantly. Instead, Elondra and Rian were able to awaken in time to mount a defense against the 1/2 orc and his halfling companion. In the end, however, the two assailants proved too much for them, dropping both of them.
They nearly slew Kraggin in his sleep, but he was able to get out of his room and raise the alarm before they could bring him down. What happened after this is anyone's guess, but it appeared that the assassins fled the school through magical means. Both Kraggin and Rian died as a result of their wounds, but Elondra's Soul Tether saved her, and Shanys managed to somehow cling to life long enough for Oek to find her and have her healed by Sergosh.
The group attempted to piece together the mystery of why they were attacked, why the assailants chose whom they did, in the order they did, and why they attacked here. The mystery of who sent them also remains unsolved. Calconon gave his deepest apologies for the incident, and offered to have Rian and Kraggin returned to life at the school's expense. The group agreed, but only if they wished to be raised.
The bodies were brought into the shrine of Sorcera within the school, where Elondra again met Bellamy, the somber man in black. Bellamy merged briefly with the bodies of both deceased, conferring with them then informing the party of their desire to return to life. He then performed some sort of ritual that returned their spirits to their bodies. The party returned to their accommodations to sleep out the night and ponder the meaning and scope of the attacks.
Thus ends Session 29."
The GM
Monday, July 12th 2004 - 10:38:28 PM
"While Kraggin and Rian spent the day recovering from their deaths the previous night, the group discussed theories regarding the motivation, timing, nature, and identity of whom might have been responsible for the attacks. There was little agreement over anything; some felt that the return to Skull Keep for information about the Gift of Life and attack following immediately after was more than simple coincidence. Others felt that it was unlikely that anyone would pursue them that long and that far from their original involvement. It was finally determined in the end, however, that it was in the group’s best interest to return to Bluffside; they would have ample sources to search for further information, and there were items awaiting their return from the gnomes in the sewers.
With the prospect of an imminent threat hanging over them, it was also decided that the group should take advantage of whatever resources they could at Skull Keep. To make the best use of their resources, Regi joined the School as a student, and gained access to the library as well as several other benefits, including discounted magic items. She purchased a Boccob’s Blessed Book and was able to get an enchantment placed on Shanys’ weapon. Elondra met with the evocation teacher and discussed spell theory. She even learned that the teacher had created some original spells, but could not share them with a non-student. Elondra told this to Regi later, and Regi sought out the teacher to learn the spells for Elondra.
With their tasks taking some time to complete, the group once again settled in to stay the night at Skull Keep, hoping this time that the night would uninterrupted.
Thus ends Session 30."
The GM
Wednesday, August 11th 2004 - 02:36:43 PM
"Following an uninterrupted night, Reggi resumed her studies, learning another spell and picking up the gear the party had enchanted. The rest of the group killed time by speaking with some of the teachers at the school, learning what they could of the Burning Sands and the Dragori Empire.
With their studies finished and bodies rested, the group made some last minute purchases for the trip back to Bluffside. Shanys picked up a small magical trinket from the goblin shopkeeper at the school, and Kraggin found an impressive suit of basilisk-hide leather armor in the shop that he chose to purchase. They also restocked on food, water, and other basic supplies.
Without the caravan of pilgrims to slow them, the group made much quicker progress in their wagons, with the consensus being that the return to Bluffside would only be about 4 days. The descent from the school went smoothly, but the second day was marred by constant rain, slowing their progress. On the third day of the return trip, where the trail passes mostly closely along the desert, they spotted a sandstorm approaching. As they hunkered down and prepared to weather the storm, they noticed a rider fleeing before it. The rider arrived just before the storm, taking cover with the group. As the storm hit, only Sergosh was not blinded by the whipping sand. It was also he that spotted the large winged creature within the storm.
As the sand cloud settled around them, the large wyvern-like creature wheeled and returned, blasting the group with a cloud of sand from its mouth. The party worked furiously to rinse the sand from their eyes to be able to see again and engage the creature. The battle was fierce but short-lived, as Rian was able to immobilize the creature in mid-flight, causing it to crash into the ground. Once down, Sergosh, Kraggin and the newcomer quickly slew it.
The newcomer introduced himself as Amari, and then helped them in righting their wagons. Amari explained that the creature they’d just defeated was a sand wyvern, but was much larger than the normal ones found throughout the desert. Shanys set about to cannibalizing the corpse of the sand wyvern, discovering that it had a number of gem-like scales on its tail. She also determined that the sand blast the wyvern used on them appeared to be derived from a pair of pouches in the creature’s mouth that it filled with sand and then expelled. She briefly contemplated taking the entire head, but decided it was a bit much to drag across the desert for nearly 2 days.
Thus ends Session 31."
The GM
Tuesday, August 31st 2004 - 01:23:43 PM
"Resuming their journey with their new ally, Amari helped to guide their wagons along the trail as they learned of one another. Reggi continued her studies, working towards learning her newly-acquired spells. At the end of the day, they made camp in the desert scrub and settled in to sleep. Their rest would be short-lived…
During the first watch, as Shanys and Amari stood guard, a huge tiger struck silently from out of the darkness, pouncing on Amari. Amari, badly wounded by the tiger’s initial assault, did his best to buy time for Shanys to awaken the others, but the tiger felled him with its next blow. Already depleted from their earlier encounter with the sand wyvern, Rian and Reggi struggled to keep Kraggin in the fight and wear down the tiger. They were finally able to bring it down, but Amari did not survive the beast’s attack. The group was split as to whether to take his belongings and bury him there or to bring him back to Bluffside to try to raise him. Rian felt that they should at least try to find out if Amari wished to be brought back, and suggested that he could most likely get the service performed at the small temple of Auron in Bluffside for a nominal cost.
The fourth day of the journey passed without event, and the group made the ascent to the Inn on the Bluff as twilight set in. Already familiar with the inn, they decided to stay there at least for the night, maybe finding less expensive accommodations the following day. Kraggin and Rian took Amari’s body and possessions to the temple district to see if he could be raised. The priest of Auron spoke with Amari, determined that he did indeed wish to be raised and was willing to have his gear sold for this to happen. Due in no small part to Rian’s good standing with the church, the priest offered to bring Amari back for a donation substantially less than normally expected for such a service. Using some of Amari’s items for payment, they had the priest raise him. The three then return to the inn to join Reggi and Shanys.
In the morning, Reggi continued her studies at the inn while the others headed off to take care of business. Shanys parted ways with the other three to make stops at Take a Bow and Cattlebane. Rian, Kraggin and Amari went down into the sewers to visit the gnomes and pick up the tinkered crossbow and the enchanted silver dress. The gnomes told them that the sword would be ready in about another week or so. Rian and Kraggin then took Amari to the League of Free Mercenaries to take the tests and join; his tests were scheduled for the following day. While they were there, they found out about several jobs, including a security position for an unspecified occasion and an escort job on board a vessel headed from Bluffside to Rea Port. They briefly rejoined Shanys, but she indicated that she’d be busy at Cattlebane for some time with a fitting. The others returned to the Inn to have lunch and fill Reggi in on the job status.
Thus ends Session 32."
The GM
Tuesday, August 31st 2004 - 01:57:05 PM
"With the group together again, a lengthy discussion was had about the direction they were taking and how they could improve their effectiveness. A vote followed, and Elondra was elected leader of the party in an effort to give them a more unified voice and settle disputes faster. They decided to find out more information about the Burning Sands to perhaps learn more about the location of the Valley of Life, pursue a job through the League of Free Mercenaries to occupy their immediate time and earn some funds, and take care of a few more personal errands. It was also decided that it was best for them to remain within a familiar setting for the time being, and thus they stayed the night at the Inn on the Bluff again.
In the morning, Reggi and Kraggin headed to the Wizard's District, where they sold some of their recent treasures. Reggi was also able to obtain a rare, magically preserved arrowhawk's tail spell component in the exchange. Further, they found Affordable Notions, a shop specializing in the buying, selling, and trading of magic items. They were surprised to discover the inside of the tent to be much larger than the outside. Even more intriguing is that the store had several other exits where there should have been none. The dwarven shopkeeper, Drotter Dornkirk, explained that the shop rested in an interdimensional space with several gateways connecting to different cities across the realm. He told them it was also possible to travel to the other cities from Bluffside, as long as they applied for a travel pass and paid a fee.
Meanwhile, Elondra, Rian and Shanys headed off towards the military district, intent on applying for promotion at the League of Free Mercenaries. Upon inquiring, they learned they did indeed qualify, and to come back later that day around 5 pm for their testing. With that appointment in mind, the trio went about following up some other leads.
The first lead them to Denis' Adventurer Exchange. Denis was busy with a customer at his counter when the group initially entered, and waved them in. Shanys took this opportunity to gift Elondra with the bauble the voidling picked up in Skull Keep. Denis soon recognized them as he went over and greeted them warmly. Shanys and Denis initially discussed the "mysterious map" that the group had unfortunately been unable to earn when they last worked for him. Denis informed them that the map had already been sold to Persephone, a member of the Society of Explorers and Adventures. When questioned, Denis provided them with more information about the Society, of which he is also a member, as well as possible locations to look for Persephone. When told of their interest in heading out into the desert, Denis also shared some information regarding the Dragon Sands, the Dragori, and their embassy in Bluffside. Denis also suggested visiting the sage Villorian in the New City, as his knowledge regarding the Burning Sands is generally unquestioned as the best in Bluffside.
Taking their leave, the three headed to the Old City and the fabulous Palace of Sem La Vah. There they quickly garnered directions to the Hall of Records, hoping to procure a street map of the city proper. When the price of their goal revealed itself to be far to high, Elondra was indulged by acquiescing to her urge to have her new gift placed in a necklace. From there, they headed back to the inn to share what they’d learned.
Thus ends Session 33."
The GM
Friday, September 10th 2004 - 11:15:45 AM
"After sharing their experiences over lunch, they decided to see what they could learn by speaking to the sage Villorian. However, upon arriving at his home, they instead found a number of Bluffside Regulars blocking the entrance. From the gathered crowd, they were able to learn that Villorian had been murdered during the night. The group attempted to sneak in, but met with little success. A celestial-looking man in the doorway of the shack next door caught their attention, and they stopped to speak with him. Worx Redwing, the shop keeper and a magical tattoo artist, was able to tell them a little more of Villorian’s murder, including that the assassin apparently entered by the back window, killed Villorian, and escaped with some personal affects.
Several of the group then returned to the League of Free Mercenaries to pursue their tests. Shanys, Kraggin, and Elondra were all able to increase their ranking to the Silver Order. They also expressed their interest in the “event security” position, and were told that they would be contacted shortly concerning the job.
Deciding to make use of the time available to them, they began searching for Persephone at some of her local haunts, as described by Denis. At the House of the Badger, a rather rough-and-tumble tavern, they were told that she’d be in looking for workers for a desert expedition. The barkeeper didn’t seem to put too much stock in Persephone’s abilities to lead an expedition, claiming that few, if any, of her employees returned to tell any tales. They also stopped at the Weathered Rose, a rather finely-appointed inn, and were well-received by the friendly owner Solomon. He quizzed them briefly about their interest in Persephone, then proceeded to tell them that he felt her reputation was unwarranted. He noted that she did have an obsession with finding the Graveyard of the Giants, a mythic place where the great desert tortoises went to die at the end of their long lives. Despite this quixotic quest, her money was always good; it was his opinion that the majority of her help never returned because they fared so well on her expeditions that they were able to settle down elsewhere and live richly off their earnings. Her further explained that it was likely that she’d stop to outfit and supply her expedition in frontier-like city of Bartertown, and that this would be the best place to seek her further.
The remainder of the group returned to the inn while Shanys ran a personal errand to the Dwarven Halls in the Undercity. There, she tried to learn more information concerning the Crimsonian Legion.
Returning to the inn, the group was met that evening by Hans Blacktree, personal assistant to Lady Samantha Pomander, one of The Five. Hans explained that Lady Pomander was seeking League members to act as security at a city-sponsored Ball to welcome the Dragori Ambassador to the city. She is concerned that because of her involvement in helping open the Dragori Embassy within the city (she was the deciding vote on the council), that those who opposed the idea my try to have her killed. While assassination attempts such as this are not uncommon among The Five, the highly public nature of the event could make even a botched attempt a huge political disaster for her and the fragile relations with the Dragori. Since her own security is well known to her opposition, she felt that the best way was to bring in unknown outsider talent disguised as regular guests. To perpetuate the ruse, all of them would be expected to dress and act as guests at the ball, extremely limited what they would be able to wear in armor or carry in weapons. Hans gave them time to discuss the offer and consider it, telling them to go to the League hall in the morning if they wanted to accept. There, they would find a stipend to help outfit themselves for the event, as well as a list of recommended establishments to find the appropriate attire and services.
Thus ends Session 34."
The GM
Wednesday, September 22nd 2004 - 05:50:44 PM
"Following a brief discussion, the group decided to accept the position. Knowing they'd have a full day ahead of them preparing for the event, all headed off to bed early to rest up.
In the morning, the entire party headed to the Military District to the League Hall. There, they made they acceptance official and received their invitations as well as a letter of credit. Shanys headed off to see about a fitting while the rest of the group addressed their need for transportation. After examining the options available at Mercury Limited, they opted to rent to carriages for the entire day. This assisted them in traveling around the city, as well providing first-class treatment along the way.
The day was filled with shopping for clothing, shoes, jewelry, and accessories, as well as trips to the spa and hairdressers. With their preparations nearly complete, the group headed back to the Inn on the Bluff to get dressed for the ball. On the way, their trip was interrupted by the sounds of a robbery in a nearby alley. Being the good samaritans that they are, the group lept into action, beating away the ruffians and saving the victim, one Jaisyn Bruice, a bard and performer in the nearby Winding Way Tavern and Pillars Inn.
Jaisyn gave them a small reward for coming to his rescue, and was more than happy to accept an invitation to accompany Reggi to the ball. The girls had also managed to arrange for escorts for Kraggin and Oek during the course of the day as well.
Back at the Inn, the group made their final preparations, dressing in their new finery, and readying themselves to depart for the ball.
Thus ends Session 35."
The GM
Wednesday, September 29th 2004 - 04:08:22 PM
"As they party boarded their carriages, they were unexpectedly joined by Raeb, the guard Shanys conversed with from Zorzar’s caravan many weeks earlier. He was dressed in finery equal to the group’s own, even matching Shanys’ choice of colors. Shanys, however, seemed less than thrilled to see him present.
The carriages made their various stops to pick up the dates for Reggi, Oak, and Kraggin. Arriving promptly at the ball, each was announced by the doorman. The party had a brief chance to look around before they were greeted by Lady Samantha Pomander and Hans Blacktree. No formal mention of their duties were made, and the group immediately began circulating among the guests.
The majority of the event passed without incident. Reggi was asked to judge an impromptu dance competition, and many of the guests participated. Shanys and Raeb were declared the winners, while Kraggin and his date put on a good show as well. Later in the evening, it was discovered that Lady Pomander’s necklace had been stolen and replaced with a fake. When two of the city’s judge’s scanned the room, it was discovered that the necklace was in the possession of Sergosh in one of his pockets. Sergosh was held (magically, even) until it was determined that he was not only not responsible for the theft, but further had no knowledge or involvement in it. Sergosh suspected that his dance partner from earlier in the evening was somehow responsible for the theft and his subsequent framing. As the ball progressed even later in the evening, Elondra was accosted on the dance floor by an inebriated guest while Rian was getting drinks for the two of them. She obliged him until her began to get belligerent and refused to let her go. Kraggin, nearby on the dance floor at the time, stepped in and demanded that the man release her. He drew his weapon and attacked; Kraggin took the blow without flinching and prepared to return one of his own. Sergosh however stepped in and incapacitated the man with a hold spell. The judges relieved the man of his weapon, cleared the alcohol from his system with a spell, and sent him on his way after Sergosh released him from the hold. The judge handed the man’s weapon over to Kraggin for his insult in attacking him at such a social function.
As the ball drew to a close, the party met with the Dragori Ambassador to present their gift. He was less than gracious in accepting it, so it was difficult for them to tell if they’d curried any favor through the action. At the conclusion of the ball, Lady Pomander took the group aside, thanking them for their service. She presented each of them with payment for their services. At that very moment, the windows on the far side of the ballroom burst open, and a number of howlers charged across the room to engage the party. Moments later, flames erupted around Pomander as a huge woman in armor and wielding a sickle entered through the main doors. The battle was furious, with several party members receiving grievous wounds; Kraggin and Rian both fell in battle but were revived by Elondra. However, the group prevailed, and Lady Pomander survived the flame strike as well. Pomander implored the party to pursue the matter further, offering to double their pay if they could uncover the depth of the plot. After they’d agreed, Pomander said she would meet them at the Inn in the morning to discuss the investigation.
The group departed, dropping off their dates and heading back to the Inn for some quick sleep.
Thus ends Session 36."
The GM
Wednesday, October 13th 2004 - 04:50:43 PM
"In the morning, the group had breakfast and met again with Lady Pomander. With the only lead being the pawn ticket found on the Faereen assailant from the previous night, the group descended the Great Ascent to the Coach & Six market within the Undercity of Bluffside. They easily located Jefferson’s Tally Shop and inquired about the pawn ticket. It cost them 200 gold to retrieve the pawned item; while signing the tally sheet for the ticket, Elondra noted that the item was pawned by someone named Mongord, with an address of 51c Mainstay Street in the New City. They also browsed over the items within the shop, finding a few interesting oddities.
Upon opening the case from the pawned item, Pomander was shocked to discover one of her very expensive bracelets within. With the possibility of a traitor from within Pomander’s house, the group focused its attention on tracking down the one that pawned the bracelet.
Thus ends Session 37."
The GM
Wednesday, October 20th 2004 - 02:52:47 PM
"Using the lift to ascend back up to the top of the bluff in the New City, the group opted to stop at the nearby Brocail’s Inn to see if they could obtain directions to Mainstay. Brocail, remembering the group from the ball the night before, was as helpful as possible in providing them directions. Following his instructions, they found Mainstay without difficulty. Elondra used the cover of some nearby trees to assume the form of a cat and scout the area. She found the address sitting behind another building, in what appeared to be converted stables of some sort. The entire group joined her after she’d returned to transform again and report. Shanys and Reggi scouted the far side of the building while the others approached and knocked on the front door. As the peephole opened, they heard someone utter, “jeez, it’s them!” from within.
Sergosh and Oak worked together to bash the door open. Inside, an ugly half-orc waited for them, a Morningstar crackling with electrical energy held in his hand. Behind him, they could see none other than Hans Blacktree, Lady Pomander’s personal assistant. A fierce battle followed, resulting in the death of the half-orc Mongord and the surrender of Hans. They questioned Hans, learning the details of his plot of deceit and attempted murder. Pomander thanked the group for their hard work, awarding them each a platinum trade bar and all of the equipment they desired from the conspirators. Pomander further indicated that she would deal with Hans outside of the legal system to keep the matter out of the public eye and preserve the tenuous relationship with the Dragori.
With their business with Pomander complete, the group set about to pursuing their original goal of finishing their preparations to go after Persephone. Shanys returned to Cattle Bane for her final fitting of her displacer beast leather armor while Reggi, Sergosh, and Kraggin headed back to the sewers to pick up the finished crimsonian bastard sword from the gnomes. Elondra, Rian and Oak returned to the Inn to begin identifying their latest magical acquisitions. While at the Inn, the group met an odd woman who revealed herself to be a priestess. They spent some time talking with her, considering adding her as another healer to their group.
Thus ends Session 38."
The GM
Wednesday, October 20th 2004 - 02:53:15 PM
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