Kodrus and Ghostouch collapse after a short distance of travel further down the passage. Garret and Whosis rest in the passage guarding them while Ilmak paces. Suddenly a light traces down the passageway and illuminates Ilmak the swordmage, drawing him into it and dissolving him. He disappears leaving only a circle of arcane scrawlings written in burnt dust. The party stands in shock as they realize that he has their food provisions and the amulet that offered their only hope of escape should they find their way out of Shubgottia to another plane.
Travel for a day and a half has made them thirsty and their prisoner drinks from a nearby fountain only to slowly fall to the ground and die from it's poisoned waters. Up ahead in the corridor they see some small turtle-like demons crawling along the passageway. As they contemplate eating one of them, a giant horned creature with batlike wings swoops down and impales one of them with it's claws and begins eating it.
They slowly approach and kill the second creature offering it peacefully to the large monstrous creature. He addresses them and they tell him that they are servants of Baphomet. He tells them he has no interest in helping them. Garret the cleric convinces him that he is not a servant of Baphomet and learns in discussion that his name is Thrax and he is a devil from baator that has been trapped in Shubgottia for some time. He wanders the passageways of this part of the maze eating the creatures it traps there. The devil declines the party's overatures to come with them and takes the corpse of the poisoned prisoner before flying off to consume it.
As they head further along the passage, they find a well with smoky mist pouring out of it. The mist is so thick they cannot pass by the well in the hallway without moving through it. Whosis sends his ferret familiar stinky pete into the mist and it retreats claiming to have seen ghosts. Ghostouch is freed and volunteers to pass through and Kodrus follows close behind.
Ghostouch stares into the bottomless well and appears transfixed before throwing himself into it. Kodrus falls into a bloodlust and attacks Whosis Kid. Whosis Kid draws Kodrus out of the mist where he collapses dizzy to the ground.
Whosis and Garrret tether themselves to Kodrus as a dead anchor and move through the mist carefully then they pull Kodrus' limp form through after them. When they get him to the other side a bloody black goo pours from this eyes and mouth and he awakens dazed after a short rest.
A little ways further down the way they find some Xorn and abyssal maws feeding on the remains of another party. The only surviving member is an Eladrin who says he is in the abyss searching for a generation of Eladrin children that were trapped by Aseroth when he took the tower in the silent vale away and hid it in the abyss. He says that an evil creature called Pale Night lives in Shubgottia and hunts the children for pleasure. He has failed in his quest, but asks the party to fulfill it if they are able and gives them a magical waterskin that had endless water and gives the favor of the Elven god Correllon to any who pour it's waters on an altar in his temple.
When they arrive back at the intersection with only one remaining path to try to escape from the magical trap, the four remaining party members encounter two ogres who serve Baphoment. Kodrus again claims to serve Baphomet and so they ask to lead him to the Lyktion. The party follows and after many hours of travel they reach a T-intersection where the left hand path leads to Baphomet and the passage to the right leads to the fortress of Pale Night.
The party backstabs the ogres, as they wish to travel back toward Pale Night's lair. A battle ensues and they fight furiously with the two ogres. During the battle, Garrick the Mad appears heroically through a magical portal he opened with the idol of Tanar'ri and comes to their aid. Once the ogres are defeated, Veszafein also appears dramatically out of a wall of shadows that appears out of nowhere.
Before they can advance further towards Pale Night''s lair they are attacked by three powerful Tanar'ri: A brass golem in the form of Baphomet himself, and immolith made from the cursed undead soul of the Babau they slayed in the second session, and the cerebrilith they encountered at the crossroads in the first session.
Kodrus flees at first then returns to his friends' aid when he realizes that they cannot outrun their foes. The cerebrilith and golem are taken out easily but the immolith grasps the cleric and holds him closely to him, burning him in his flames. All that come to Garret's assistance are also burned by the fires smoldering around the undead demonic elemental. Garret sees the magical waterskin glow in the fire's light and he take it out and pours it on the creatures, banishing it.
They continue battered and weakend along the passageway toward Pale Night's lair for many hours. Finally they find a dead end with two giant obsidian doors and some small altars and alcoves cut into the walls. Exploring the alcoves they find a secret passageway leading dow a stair to a small room. Hidden in the room is a treasure cache including the Sword of Kas the Bloody-Handed, a magical vorpal weapon crafted by Vecna the lich long ago. The sword was weilded by his liutenant, a vampire named Kas, who eventually betrayed him and gave the sword to Kord and Dol Dorn, who used it to destroy the evil lich.
They approached the doorway and used a knock ritual. The doors slid open and from the mist emerged a small gorilla like carnage demon followed by a huge minotaur demon called a Gorristro. The gorristo stomped on Whosis kid, who was knocked to a bloody pulp and swept up by Kodrus and Garret who carried him to safety.
Veszafein and Garrick cast darkness and web spells to slow the Gorristro while they attacked with spells and the vorpal weapon to little effect. Whosis was revived by the cleric and charged again into battle against the demon, retreating again once it had freed itself from the magical trap of the web spell.
They retreated into the alcove hitting the gorristro with everything they had as he clawed at them through the narrow passeway and tore at the opening to enlarge it enought for him to squeeze through. After what seemed like an eternity of fighting, just before he tore open a great hole in the wall Kodrus took the vorpal Sword of Kas and beheaded the terrifying creature valiantly.
Clearing the gore and dust away they hacked their way through the corpse of the demon collapse along the entrance to the alcove. Moving through the giant obsidian doors they saw that ahead the mist was clear on the ceiling above them and that a moutain of petrified skulls and bones formed a ramp that lead all the way up to the top of the 1000 foot walls of the labyrinth.
They scaled the mountain of remains, taking a long rest on the way. When they reached the top they could see a the giant labyrinth of Shubgottia extending in every direction as far as the eye could see. Above them strange lights strobbed in the sky. They were standing on a plateau of petrified remains and in the middle of the plateau about a mile away was a great palace in the shape of a skeletal hand.
In the distance they could see the bronze Lyktion, the tower of science, where Baphoment crafts new species of demons. Docked at the top of the tower was a huge metallic floating spider the size of a great sailing ship. Off in other directions other strange masses and things that looked like floating enormous jellyfish drifted in the sky.
When they approached the skeletal palace they saw that on the plateau strange skeletal crab-like creatures, some large and some small scurried about. When they reached the main gate the found to Mezzoloth guards who welcomed them as servants of Pale Night. Thinking they mistakenly had been received as her servants they entered the palace.
Inside they found Pale Night, a ghostly figure, and an Obyrith, one of the most powerful and ancient creatures of the abyss, the mother of all demons. Pale Night was imprisoned Shubgottia by the rebellious Tanar'ri after they rebelled against the Obryrith, though they couldn't find it in them to destroy her. She retains cordial relations with Baphomet and is the mother of one of the dark six, Graz'zt.
In her court she commands each of the party to serve her. Kodrus resists and is choked out by a magical force then dragged off to guard the well of the Obyrith, a powerful wishing site. He wishes to escape from the abyss, but his prayers are ignored.
Whosis Kid tries resisting as well and is knocked unconscious after bearing witness to her true form, which is said to be horrifying enough to cause death in some. Afterwards he is dragged to the dungeons where he serves her as a torturer and he becomes evil and twisted in his ways.
Veszafein claims to be a servant of Lloth alone and for his heresy he is struck dumb so he can cast no spells and he is made the personal valet of Pale Night. Garret refuses to yield to her, so she uses the vorpal blade to cut off his left hand and she replaces it with the Hand of Vecna, a powerful artifact which turns him evil and makes him a willing servant to her. Garrick gladly offers his services after seeing what has happened to the rest of the pary and he is given guard duty and the front gate.
Several weeks later, Pale Night asks for a volunteer to go to Lyktion, the Tower of Science. Whosis, now the most twisted and evil of all the party, willingly volunteers and is sent there to be experimented on. He comes back hairless after they test a new demonic disease on him and he become a terrible pathetic sight that creaps along the halls of Shubgottia, reviled like a rat by the Tanar'ri and other creatures that dwell there.
After a month in Pale Night's service the party is taken by her to the 471st layer of the abyss called Androlyne; her personal hunting grounds. In the vast grayish fields of tall grass and rubble there is a ruined temple of Correllon and within dwell the survivors of the generation of Eladrin children that Aseroth captured and gave to her. She asks the party to enter the temple to flush them out so she can hunt them with her bow.
They enter and Kodrus immediately begins to try and gather the children in a friendly manner, but they are frightened by the towering statue of the minotaur. The other party members begin coralling the children to flush them out into the open where they can be hunted when Garret sees an altar of Correllon along the far end of the ruins. Using what good remains in his being he grasps the magical waterskin and sneaks over to pour it on the altar.
The temple shakes and after several long moments of violent quakes and a loud chorus of angelic singing sounds, light spills in through the entrace. The party emerges to find they are in a wooded city. They are surrounded by Eladrin soldiers, then greated as heroes when it's discovered they have rescued the lost generation of children from the Abyss. They are greeted with the full hospitality of the Far North's peoples and are given magical gifts as tokens of thanks.
The Eladrin magically cure all corruption of evil from the Tanar'ri items. The also cure Whosis Kid's hairless condition, restoring his prized foothair back to normal. They remove the evil taint of Vecna's influence over Garret's soul, but they do not have the power of knowledge at their disposal to remove the hand itself.
The party learns that Marshgate has fallen to the Dark Lord Nortumal. Garrick discovered in Shadowmarsh Cliffs that Lady Xyrlynn has impersonated Lord Shadowmarsh after killing him and she changed the mercenary armies orders. Once the army served Blackshore, but now they marched under Nortumal's flag. They surrounded and defeated Ironview's army guarding Marshgate.
Blackshore has fallen under a veil of ice and no one has heard from the city in a month. The party is offered griffon and pegasi to travel across the great ocean to Blackshore so they can investigate. When they arrive they find that the city and it's people are frozen by a cloud of snow and ice that hovers over the city.
All within the city are frozen in place except for the invaders. Minotaurs and ogres guard the city's port. The gates are manned by goblins, hobgoblins, orcs, kobolds, and gulvoorgs (huge blue wolf-like creatures bred to be seige engines in war). The merchant district is full of undead. Temple street is crawling with priests of the dark six. Drow traders have moved into noble row and plundered the mansions. The wizard's school is on fire due to experiments left unattended that have gone awry. The poorest neighborhood called thieve's town is abandoned and uninhabited.
Catching some arrows and bolts on the way in, they land in thieve's town and start looking around. They are eventually lead by a mischevious spiretop drake to a small normal looking builing that leads down into the theive's guild of Blackshore. There they are greated by Ezak No-Hack the assassin the captured in the first session and Corus Copperscale, the head of the theive's guild of Blackshore.
Veszafein the drow warlock heads off to Noble Row to check on the drow traders there and see what he can learn from them. Garrick and Ottian leave the rest of the party to explore the magic school and see what is amiss there.
Ezak explains that he was framed for the assassination attempt on the Duke of Blackshore's life a year ago by Lady Xyrlynn, who assumed his form. Also, someone who looks like Lady Xyrlynn now rules the palace of Blackshore, but she never speaks, so they suspect she may be an imposter. The castle is also run by the Daughters of Darkness, powerful witches who command the dark sixes disparate forces.
Veszafein passes through a gate manned by goblins and a gulvoorg, talking his way past them. He learns from the drow that the daughters of darksness and Xyrlynn rule the city for a month now and that Aseroth's winter magic captured it totally unaware.
Corus Copperscale, who happens to be a small young copper dragon offers to join the party and leaves Ezak to guard the guild chambers. The two paths to the magic school lead either through the open streets of the market and a horde of undead, or through the sewers which are full of Kobolds. Copperscale discourages the latter.
They travel on the surface, outrunning the undead mob which is too numerous to fight. They barricade themselves inside a dormitory build and then slip across the rooftops to the adjacent main building of magic school. Inside they find a Thunderblast Cyclone, an evil thunder elemental, is trapped in place but destroying the contents of building, sucking everything into it's vortex.
The party saves what items they can from the vortex while Garret scales the wall outside to check out the upper levels of the building that are inaccessible due to the vortex. He finds that everyone here like elsewhere is frozen in time, many seemingly amused or amazed at the snowfall with hands outstetched in windows and smiling faces.
When he returns below to report, Ottian and Garrick arrive. Ottian finds a way to dispatch the cyclone back to it's home plane so it will cause no further damage. The undead outside begin to gather around the magic school and beat upon the bolted heavy doors.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Shubgottia, the Endless Maze (Fourth Session: September 7th, 2009)
Garrick the Mad and Ottian leave early to go to Shadowmarsh Cliffs, investigating rumors that Lord Shadowmarsh is assembling a large mercenary army. They wish to discern his intentions and see if he is planning to attack any of his neighbors. Veszafein the Drow left quietly the night before, heading toward Summerspring for reasons unknown.
Ilmak, Garret, and Whosis depart early the next morning. Kodrus is still sleeping off a night of drinking so they throw him into a cart and take him along with them. On the road to lighthedge point, they encounter the same clan of bugbears they fought with in session I. Their clan is called the Bloodmanes and they're bent on revenge for the party slaughtering their kin. They ambush them as they approach the silent vale.
Ilmak is the first to fall, followed by Whosis. The first wave is subdued and a second wave attacks. The clan leader has two bears that charge Garret and Kodrus. All of the bugbears are slain, but in the final battle between the savage bears, Garret goes down bloody and Kodrus and the last bear take each other out simultaneously, collapsing on the dirt road by their wagon and horses. As Kodrus loses consciousness he sees Lady Xyrlynn approaching on the road.
When they awaken, their wounds have been tended and they are all beaten but otherwise in good health. Ilmak awakens first and finds a letter pinned to his cloak. The letter contains a black amulet and is from Xyrlynn addressed to the party. It explains that per their discussion last year, she is taking the Hand of Storath from them since they failed to meet her at the designated time and place a year ago. It also says that in return she is giving them the valuable amulet of the plans as payment. Unfortunately, it also notes that they will not be able to use the amulet on the plane they are presently trapped on (text below)
"Noble Adventurers,
I regret that you were unable to attend the meeting we had scheduled last year at the crossroads. I employed this fine troop of bugbears to find you for the modest sum of 50,000 gold. Unfortunately, I was low on currency to pay them their fee, so I hope you'll forgive me for paying them with your residuum and what few coins you had on your person.
As I agreed I would pay you 50,000 gold for the hand, which I now have in my possession, that means I now owe you a total of around 100,000 gold. I have left you this amulet of the planes, worth about 120,000 gold as payment. It will take the wearer and anyone joining hands with them to anywhere on any plane they wish to go. You may pay me back the 20,000 gold you owe me at your convenience.
Darkest Regards,
Lady Xyrlynn
P.S. Unfortunately the amulet of the planes does not work on the 600th layer of the abyss. Welcome to Shubgottia the Endless Maze; birthplace of the Tanar'ri. My sincerest apologies for any trouble this may cause you."
Xyrlynn deposited the party on Shubgottia, the 600th plane of the abyss, also known as the endless maze. The walls of the labyrinth were 1000 feet high sheer obsidian and greyish mist snakes along the ceiling of the passageways. Red and orange light poured from magical lanterns 50 feet up and spaced evenly along the corridors. The maze intersection was populated by Xorn who were in the process of consuming the party's metallic objects when they awoke and chased them off.
Gaining their bearings, they decided to head off in one of the four possible directions. After 6 hours of travel they came upon a party of dark dwarves lead by a powerful warlord named Ghostouch. He is known to the party because he is the notorious captain of the secret police in the town of Ironview where they used to work. He demands that they follow him and when they refuse he and his goons attack.
The party subdues Ghostouch and they question him and a prisoner he has with him in chains. The prisoner advises that he and others like him were brought along on this expedition and over the past several weeks his comrades were traded away or eaten by the dark dwarves when they ran low on provisions. They had been wandering in circles for some time.
Ghostouch is resistant to provide information until Kodrus the Minotaur bites off part of his arm to intimidate him. He reveals under duress that he was trying to infiltrate the priesthood of the dark six as part of an assignment from the Archmage Council in Ironview. He hired Alusys Goldweaver and Thoven Diamondeath, two members of the rival good party to find an artifact known as the Astralgate, which was a portal to other worlds.
Lady Xyrlynn arranged a meeting with the dark six priests and Ghostouch, so he arrived with miners to excavate the site in the ruins that Alusys and Thoven found, then arrrested them and had them locked in chains while he presented the Astralgate as a trophy for the dark six. The priests seemed impressed by the demonstration when he cast Alyusys and Thoven into the other worlds, but he didn't expect them to turn on him. Xyrlynn had mercenary bugbears and gnolls with her. They drove Ghostouch and his dwarves through the gate, trapping them in the abyss.
The party's path eventually led them back after 12 hours of travel to the same crossroads they started from (arriving maddeningly from the same passage they left from). This time they encountered two Mezzoloth demons and a small pack of abyssal skulkers. They were mercenaries come to Shubgottia seeking employment with Baphomet. The party is mistaken for servants of Baphomet because they have a minotaur in their party and the Mezzoloth's assume they are evil. The party does nothing to dissuade them of this inclination.
They tell the Mezzoloth that they know the way to Baphomet's lair and lead them down one of the other three passages out of the cursed intersection. After another long stretch of travel in the maze they encounter a pack of gnolls camped out with a bunch of hyenas. They are eating something cooking over the fire. They begin cursing at the party when they approach calling them servants of Baphomet. The Mezzoloth offer to take out the gnolls if the party will pay them. At the suggestion of Ghostouch they offer payment of 10,000 gold to the Mezzoloth.
The Mezzoloth emit a poisonous cloud of gas that kills most of the gnolls and they impale the remaining humanoids and their beasts on their tridents and pincers. The gnolls die cursing the party, Baphomet (who is the enemy of their own demon god), and Lady Xyrlynn for casting them into the abyss. It is later revealed by Ghostouch that he and his dwarves had encountered and traded with the gnolls before and that they were once servants of Xyrlynn, but she betrayed them as well and cast them into the abyss when they refused to follow one of her commands.
Their path eventually leads them back to the curse insection. This time, waiting for them is a Ghour (a hairless demonic minotaur) and a band off powerful ogres. They are true servants of Baphomet and doubt the party's assertion that they are servants of Baphomet as well. The Mezzoloth appear confused and they surround the party with their abyssal skulkers and ask to follow the newfound followers of Baphoment back to the Tower of Science called Lyktion where Baphoment dwells at the heart of the maze.
Baphomet's followers lead the motley band down the passageways. Along they way they encounter an army of shadow knights that refuses to allow them passage. The ogres, mezzoloths, and skulkers attack the shadow army while the ghour orders the party into battle. They refuse and attack the ghour. He deals several stunning blows to Whosis, Ilmak, and Kodrus, but eventually they fell him. The ogres and skulkers fall to the shadow army and the mercenary Mezzoloth retreat.
The shadow army's leader addresses them. It is Quotomal Gladomain. He explains that he was wearing the crown of commanding in his tomb below the ruined keep to guard it from the drow. The crown's power allowed him to control the Kruthik, which he used to keep the drow from surfacing. He fought to protect the crown from the party when they sought it in the second session because he did not want its curse to reach the surface and cause a second civil war in Mistmeadow.
They also encounter Lord Shadowmarsh. He explains that he was betrayed by Xyrlynn in his bed. She cast his dying body through the Astralgate into the abyss. All beings with souls who die in Shubgottia are doomed to march eternally with the shadow army. Though they are lost in this corner of the endless maze, they seek vengeance on all evil creatures who they encounter. Lord Shadowmarsh tossed his signate ring to Garret and advises that it will open his treasure vault in Shadowmarsh. He says that all his wealth is theirs if they will avenge his death by killing Lady Xyrlynn.
The loremaster also explains that the dark six seek to destroy the world tree, hidden somewhere in the world, so they can destory Gladomain and use a powerful magical ritual to start a new second Blood War between the abyss and baator, the nine hells. If someone does not prevent the abyss from cutting down the world tree, the world as they know it will be destoyed unless it can be replanted. If the tree is cut down, the only world tree source that can be used to replant it is on the plane of Ysgard. The magical tree Yggdrasil there has world ash cones that can be planted to renew the earth before it dies completely. Thus far the abyss has not found the tree yet.
Ilmak, Garret, and Whosis depart early the next morning. Kodrus is still sleeping off a night of drinking so they throw him into a cart and take him along with them. On the road to lighthedge point, they encounter the same clan of bugbears they fought with in session I. Their clan is called the Bloodmanes and they're bent on revenge for the party slaughtering their kin. They ambush them as they approach the silent vale.
Ilmak is the first to fall, followed by Whosis. The first wave is subdued and a second wave attacks. The clan leader has two bears that charge Garret and Kodrus. All of the bugbears are slain, but in the final battle between the savage bears, Garret goes down bloody and Kodrus and the last bear take each other out simultaneously, collapsing on the dirt road by their wagon and horses. As Kodrus loses consciousness he sees Lady Xyrlynn approaching on the road.
When they awaken, their wounds have been tended and they are all beaten but otherwise in good health. Ilmak awakens first and finds a letter pinned to his cloak. The letter contains a black amulet and is from Xyrlynn addressed to the party. It explains that per their discussion last year, she is taking the Hand of Storath from them since they failed to meet her at the designated time and place a year ago. It also says that in return she is giving them the valuable amulet of the plans as payment. Unfortunately, it also notes that they will not be able to use the amulet on the plane they are presently trapped on (text below)
"Noble Adventurers,
I regret that you were unable to attend the meeting we had scheduled last year at the crossroads. I employed this fine troop of bugbears to find you for the modest sum of 50,000 gold. Unfortunately, I was low on currency to pay them their fee, so I hope you'll forgive me for paying them with your residuum and what few coins you had on your person.
As I agreed I would pay you 50,000 gold for the hand, which I now have in my possession, that means I now owe you a total of around 100,000 gold. I have left you this amulet of the planes, worth about 120,000 gold as payment. It will take the wearer and anyone joining hands with them to anywhere on any plane they wish to go. You may pay me back the 20,000 gold you owe me at your convenience.
Darkest Regards,
Lady Xyrlynn
P.S. Unfortunately the amulet of the planes does not work on the 600th layer of the abyss. Welcome to Shubgottia the Endless Maze; birthplace of the Tanar'ri. My sincerest apologies for any trouble this may cause you."
Xyrlynn deposited the party on Shubgottia, the 600th plane of the abyss, also known as the endless maze. The walls of the labyrinth were 1000 feet high sheer obsidian and greyish mist snakes along the ceiling of the passageways. Red and orange light poured from magical lanterns 50 feet up and spaced evenly along the corridors. The maze intersection was populated by Xorn who were in the process of consuming the party's metallic objects when they awoke and chased them off.
Gaining their bearings, they decided to head off in one of the four possible directions. After 6 hours of travel they came upon a party of dark dwarves lead by a powerful warlord named Ghostouch. He is known to the party because he is the notorious captain of the secret police in the town of Ironview where they used to work. He demands that they follow him and when they refuse he and his goons attack.
The party subdues Ghostouch and they question him and a prisoner he has with him in chains. The prisoner advises that he and others like him were brought along on this expedition and over the past several weeks his comrades were traded away or eaten by the dark dwarves when they ran low on provisions. They had been wandering in circles for some time.
Ghostouch is resistant to provide information until Kodrus the Minotaur bites off part of his arm to intimidate him. He reveals under duress that he was trying to infiltrate the priesthood of the dark six as part of an assignment from the Archmage Council in Ironview. He hired Alusys Goldweaver and Thoven Diamondeath, two members of the rival good party to find an artifact known as the Astralgate, which was a portal to other worlds.
Lady Xyrlynn arranged a meeting with the dark six priests and Ghostouch, so he arrived with miners to excavate the site in the ruins that Alusys and Thoven found, then arrrested them and had them locked in chains while he presented the Astralgate as a trophy for the dark six. The priests seemed impressed by the demonstration when he cast Alyusys and Thoven into the other worlds, but he didn't expect them to turn on him. Xyrlynn had mercenary bugbears and gnolls with her. They drove Ghostouch and his dwarves through the gate, trapping them in the abyss.
The party's path eventually led them back after 12 hours of travel to the same crossroads they started from (arriving maddeningly from the same passage they left from). This time they encountered two Mezzoloth demons and a small pack of abyssal skulkers. They were mercenaries come to Shubgottia seeking employment with Baphomet. The party is mistaken for servants of Baphomet because they have a minotaur in their party and the Mezzoloth's assume they are evil. The party does nothing to dissuade them of this inclination.
They tell the Mezzoloth that they know the way to Baphomet's lair and lead them down one of the other three passages out of the cursed intersection. After another long stretch of travel in the maze they encounter a pack of gnolls camped out with a bunch of hyenas. They are eating something cooking over the fire. They begin cursing at the party when they approach calling them servants of Baphomet. The Mezzoloth offer to take out the gnolls if the party will pay them. At the suggestion of Ghostouch they offer payment of 10,000 gold to the Mezzoloth.
The Mezzoloth emit a poisonous cloud of gas that kills most of the gnolls and they impale the remaining humanoids and their beasts on their tridents and pincers. The gnolls die cursing the party, Baphomet (who is the enemy of their own demon god), and Lady Xyrlynn for casting them into the abyss. It is later revealed by Ghostouch that he and his dwarves had encountered and traded with the gnolls before and that they were once servants of Xyrlynn, but she betrayed them as well and cast them into the abyss when they refused to follow one of her commands.
Their path eventually leads them back to the curse insection. This time, waiting for them is a Ghour (a hairless demonic minotaur) and a band off powerful ogres. They are true servants of Baphomet and doubt the party's assertion that they are servants of Baphomet as well. The Mezzoloth appear confused and they surround the party with their abyssal skulkers and ask to follow the newfound followers of Baphoment back to the Tower of Science called Lyktion where Baphoment dwells at the heart of the maze.
Baphomet's followers lead the motley band down the passageways. Along they way they encounter an army of shadow knights that refuses to allow them passage. The ogres, mezzoloths, and skulkers attack the shadow army while the ghour orders the party into battle. They refuse and attack the ghour. He deals several stunning blows to Whosis, Ilmak, and Kodrus, but eventually they fell him. The ogres and skulkers fall to the shadow army and the mercenary Mezzoloth retreat.
The shadow army's leader addresses them. It is Quotomal Gladomain. He explains that he was wearing the crown of commanding in his tomb below the ruined keep to guard it from the drow. The crown's power allowed him to control the Kruthik, which he used to keep the drow from surfacing. He fought to protect the crown from the party when they sought it in the second session because he did not want its curse to reach the surface and cause a second civil war in Mistmeadow.
They also encounter Lord Shadowmarsh. He explains that he was betrayed by Xyrlynn in his bed. She cast his dying body through the Astralgate into the abyss. All beings with souls who die in Shubgottia are doomed to march eternally with the shadow army. Though they are lost in this corner of the endless maze, they seek vengeance on all evil creatures who they encounter. Lord Shadowmarsh tossed his signate ring to Garret and advises that it will open his treasure vault in Shadowmarsh. He says that all his wealth is theirs if they will avenge his death by killing Lady Xyrlynn.
The loremaster also explains that the dark six seek to destroy the world tree, hidden somewhere in the world, so they can destory Gladomain and use a powerful magical ritual to start a new second Blood War between the abyss and baator, the nine hells. If someone does not prevent the abyss from cutting down the world tree, the world as they know it will be destoyed unless it can be replanted. If the tree is cut down, the only world tree source that can be used to replant it is on the plane of Ysgard. The magical tree Yggdrasil there has world ash cones that can be planted to renew the earth before it dies completely. Thus far the abyss has not found the tree yet.
Beyond the Crystal Cave (Third Session: August 9th, 2009)
The party begins their journey to the Sybarite Isle to find Juliana and Orlando. They intend to return in one week's time to meet up with Lady Xyrlynn so they can defeat her and steal the money she offered them for Hand of Glory.
Having examined the hand, they have discerned that it has a magical ring on the finger called the Ring of Acererak. The hand once belonged to a powerful master thief named Storath and many mistakenly believed that the powers came from the hand when in fact they originated from the invisible ring on the finger of the hand. Depending on who wields it, the hand has varying powers. For a cleric it can raise the dead, for a spellcaster it can let them use their most powerful magic more frequently, for a fighter they will never miss, and a thief with the hand will always succeed at any skillful endeavor.
They travel on the road from Mistmeadow north to Lighthedge Point. Along the way the encounter two ogres followed by a party of goblins and halflings. The ogres and Orog and Ogresh, and they are merchants selling their famed Ogre mead. The party samples the mead, Kodrus passes out from it, and they purchase several kegs then continue on their way.
Up ahead some farmers warn them that the silent vale is not safe as the priesthood of the dark six have been seen conducting dark rituals there at night. The silent vale is so named because once it was the realm of the enchantress Gurmorel Glimmergaunt, who made an infernal pact to create beautiful weather year round. One day she was punished for her pact and her tower and lands were torn from the earth and disappeared forever. To this day nothing grows in the valley and there is no breeze, birds, or other creatures there.
They pass through the silent vale uneventfully and see nothing. When they arrive in Lighthedge point several hours later the Sheriff confiscates their Ogre Mead as it has been recently outlawed. He also offers to guard their valuables while they are away. Some of the party take him up on this after verifying that he is a generally trustworthy character from the local population. They enjoy the finest food in the land at Lighthedge's local tavern and hire a lizardfolk boatman to ferry them across the way to the island.
The price is steep but they get the boatman to agree to take them to the island and return for them each day at a set time until they wish to depart. The island has a large clear dome atop a cliff where the garden of Propherio, a powerful mage from ancient times, is protected from the outside world. The only known way into the magical garden is through the cave of echoes on the sandy beach below the cliffs.
The party explores the entrance, finds the chamber of echoes and make a wish as local folk have told them to do. These wishes yield nothing. They explore further and slay two poltergeists, an ochre jelly, and a half dozen mudmen as they move deeper into the cave. Finally they reach a beautiful crystal cave with a stunning waterfall and slowly moving, almost frozen ripples. They pass through the enchanted waterful into a small alcove behind it. There they find a portal that magically transports them into the garden above.
They appear in the garden in a toadstool ring. They encounter a band of leprechauns, who taunt and tease them. They distract them by giving them some magical items and escape. Further down the path they encounter two beautiful dryads, who try to trap the Whosis kid with their seductive charms. The rest of the party comes to his aid and prevents him from staying with them.
A series of peaceful encounters ensue where they meet Satyrs, Centaurs, a giant skunk, a giant badger, some giant otters near a lake, a Treat, and several other enchanted creatures. They pass peacefully through the garden until they eventually find the Green Man, who is the caretaker of the garden. They explain they wish to meet with Juliana and Orlando to ask them if they'd like to leave.
The Green Man agrees to let them speak with them under the condition that they allow the lovers to stay in the garden peacefully if that is what they choose. He helps them find the portal to the palace of spire beyond a magical hedge maze. The party arrives at the palace with only minor confusion, as they destroy the two living statues guarding the front gate. When the palace's guards arrive the party helps them clean up the mess and apologizes profusely. They then proceed to speak with Juliana and Orlando, who due to a time distortion have only been missing from Mistmeadow and their feuding families for a few days, thought two years have passed in the outside world.
Eventually they manage to persuade Juliana to return with them to Mistmeadow so she can be crowned and marry Orlando. They all leave the garden peacefully and the next morning they find a boat carrying pilgrims to the beach that they take back to Lighthedge. Due to the time distortion in the garden one year has passed in the outside world during the 12 hours they spent in the garden.
In Lighthedge, the find that the Mayor returned Ezak for the 10,000 platinum reward, though he only paid them 10,000 gold. The remaining money was spent on Lighthedge's port expansion project. Shortly after his capture, Ezak escaped from Blackshore's dungeon and tried assassinating the Duke. Also, Ogre Mead was recently legalized again and much of what was impounded by the Sheriff was drank over the past year.
The party quickly returns to Mistmeadow the next day with Juliana and Orlando. They are well received and there's much celebration. They find that in their absence that Lady Xyrlynn tried impersonating Juliana and returned with the party of rival good adventurers to be crowned ruler of Mistmeadow. One of the good adventurers, Alusys Goldweaver uncovered the plot and determined her true identify before the coronation ceremony. Though the reward was already paid, the good adventurers returned the money, so the reward was still available.
After they left town, the Kruthik Hive Lord that they left wounded in the pit rose to plague the town. First it attacked travellers, then it attacked villages, and finally entire armies of the creatures swarmed the city. With the help of a stranger named Veszafein the Drow, the Kruthik were defeated permanently.
It was also discovered in their absence that the Crown of Commanding was cursed. The Drow warlock helped to disenchant the crown. It's curse would make men attack elves when worn by a town's ruler. It was this powerful force that caused the civil war a hundred years ago and ruined the fabled kingdom of Gladomain. For discovering this Veszafein was rewarded handsomely and the Drow were generally tolerated as traders in Mistmeadow. Drow trading caravans regularly pass through the ruins from the underdark to the city now.
Garret finds that he has returned just in time to replenish his museum and sanctuaries coffers, which have been running low. The facility has grown successfully over the past year and there are a half dozen priests and employees doing research and living there now.
The party took a well deserved rest, heroes again in Mistmeadow. After several nights in town they are approached by a Gypsie who brings them a letter from his master in Barovia. The letter says that the people there are plagued by a terrible evil and promises all the wealth they have to any who will come to their aid.
The party decides to consider this, though they are more inclined to journey to Blackshore to collect the guaranteed reward they already earned from rescuing Ambassador Tul a year ago, and they still have not taken the court up on it's hospitality there. That night they all have strange nightmares.
Having examined the hand, they have discerned that it has a magical ring on the finger called the Ring of Acererak. The hand once belonged to a powerful master thief named Storath and many mistakenly believed that the powers came from the hand when in fact they originated from the invisible ring on the finger of the hand. Depending on who wields it, the hand has varying powers. For a cleric it can raise the dead, for a spellcaster it can let them use their most powerful magic more frequently, for a fighter they will never miss, and a thief with the hand will always succeed at any skillful endeavor.
They travel on the road from Mistmeadow north to Lighthedge Point. Along the way the encounter two ogres followed by a party of goblins and halflings. The ogres and Orog and Ogresh, and they are merchants selling their famed Ogre mead. The party samples the mead, Kodrus passes out from it, and they purchase several kegs then continue on their way.
Up ahead some farmers warn them that the silent vale is not safe as the priesthood of the dark six have been seen conducting dark rituals there at night. The silent vale is so named because once it was the realm of the enchantress Gurmorel Glimmergaunt, who made an infernal pact to create beautiful weather year round. One day she was punished for her pact and her tower and lands were torn from the earth and disappeared forever. To this day nothing grows in the valley and there is no breeze, birds, or other creatures there.
They pass through the silent vale uneventfully and see nothing. When they arrive in Lighthedge point several hours later the Sheriff confiscates their Ogre Mead as it has been recently outlawed. He also offers to guard their valuables while they are away. Some of the party take him up on this after verifying that he is a generally trustworthy character from the local population. They enjoy the finest food in the land at Lighthedge's local tavern and hire a lizardfolk boatman to ferry them across the way to the island.
The price is steep but they get the boatman to agree to take them to the island and return for them each day at a set time until they wish to depart. The island has a large clear dome atop a cliff where the garden of Propherio, a powerful mage from ancient times, is protected from the outside world. The only known way into the magical garden is through the cave of echoes on the sandy beach below the cliffs.
The party explores the entrance, finds the chamber of echoes and make a wish as local folk have told them to do. These wishes yield nothing. They explore further and slay two poltergeists, an ochre jelly, and a half dozen mudmen as they move deeper into the cave. Finally they reach a beautiful crystal cave with a stunning waterfall and slowly moving, almost frozen ripples. They pass through the enchanted waterful into a small alcove behind it. There they find a portal that magically transports them into the garden above.
They appear in the garden in a toadstool ring. They encounter a band of leprechauns, who taunt and tease them. They distract them by giving them some magical items and escape. Further down the path they encounter two beautiful dryads, who try to trap the Whosis kid with their seductive charms. The rest of the party comes to his aid and prevents him from staying with them.
A series of peaceful encounters ensue where they meet Satyrs, Centaurs, a giant skunk, a giant badger, some giant otters near a lake, a Treat, and several other enchanted creatures. They pass peacefully through the garden until they eventually find the Green Man, who is the caretaker of the garden. They explain they wish to meet with Juliana and Orlando to ask them if they'd like to leave.
The Green Man agrees to let them speak with them under the condition that they allow the lovers to stay in the garden peacefully if that is what they choose. He helps them find the portal to the palace of spire beyond a magical hedge maze. The party arrives at the palace with only minor confusion, as they destroy the two living statues guarding the front gate. When the palace's guards arrive the party helps them clean up the mess and apologizes profusely. They then proceed to speak with Juliana and Orlando, who due to a time distortion have only been missing from Mistmeadow and their feuding families for a few days, thought two years have passed in the outside world.
Eventually they manage to persuade Juliana to return with them to Mistmeadow so she can be crowned and marry Orlando. They all leave the garden peacefully and the next morning they find a boat carrying pilgrims to the beach that they take back to Lighthedge. Due to the time distortion in the garden one year has passed in the outside world during the 12 hours they spent in the garden.
In Lighthedge, the find that the Mayor returned Ezak for the 10,000 platinum reward, though he only paid them 10,000 gold. The remaining money was spent on Lighthedge's port expansion project. Shortly after his capture, Ezak escaped from Blackshore's dungeon and tried assassinating the Duke. Also, Ogre Mead was recently legalized again and much of what was impounded by the Sheriff was drank over the past year.
The party quickly returns to Mistmeadow the next day with Juliana and Orlando. They are well received and there's much celebration. They find that in their absence that Lady Xyrlynn tried impersonating Juliana and returned with the party of rival good adventurers to be crowned ruler of Mistmeadow. One of the good adventurers, Alusys Goldweaver uncovered the plot and determined her true identify before the coronation ceremony. Though the reward was already paid, the good adventurers returned the money, so the reward was still available.
After they left town, the Kruthik Hive Lord that they left wounded in the pit rose to plague the town. First it attacked travellers, then it attacked villages, and finally entire armies of the creatures swarmed the city. With the help of a stranger named Veszafein the Drow, the Kruthik were defeated permanently.
It was also discovered in their absence that the Crown of Commanding was cursed. The Drow warlock helped to disenchant the crown. It's curse would make men attack elves when worn by a town's ruler. It was this powerful force that caused the civil war a hundred years ago and ruined the fabled kingdom of Gladomain. For discovering this Veszafein was rewarded handsomely and the Drow were generally tolerated as traders in Mistmeadow. Drow trading caravans regularly pass through the ruins from the underdark to the city now.
Garret finds that he has returned just in time to replenish his museum and sanctuaries coffers, which have been running low. The facility has grown successfully over the past year and there are a half dozen priests and employees doing research and living there now.
The party took a well deserved rest, heroes again in Mistmeadow. After several nights in town they are approached by a Gypsie who brings them a letter from his master in Barovia. The letter says that the people there are plagued by a terrible evil and promises all the wealth they have to any who will come to their aid.
The party decides to consider this, though they are more inclined to journey to Blackshore to collect the guaranteed reward they already earned from rescuing Ambassador Tul a year ago, and they still have not taken the court up on it's hospitality there. That night they all have strange nightmares.
King Gladomains Tomb (Second Session: July 26th, 2009)
The party has breakfast with the Governor the next day and heads off to explore Gladomain Keep. They find that many of the passages they previously explored have been magically sealed off and collapsed, and one of Mistmeadow's guards accompanies them into the dungeon, advising that they haven't heard from the rest of the watch that explored the lower levels the night before.
When they explore the lower keep they find signs that a great battle took place between unknown forces, presumably the Drow, and Mistmeadow's guards. The corpses of city guards lie all around the corridors.
Several levels below the ruins they find a portcullis and Whosis Kid, the thief, sneaks through to find a lever to open the gate. On the other side he sees the Barghest they encountered the other day along with a carrion crawler, a centipede, and a ghoul feasting on the corpses lying about in a large adjacent cavern. Whosis open the portcullis, but the loud sound of it opening attracts the carrion crawler who advances towards the rest of the part. Whosis kid slams the portcullis shut on the carrion crawler, pinning it to floor where the rest of the party can focus on slaying it. The barghest retreats to an adjacent passageway.
The centipede is destroyed by a Drow named Doomspider, who says he was trapped in this part of the dungeon when a passage collapsed and he has no quarrel with the party. Against the protest of the city guard accompanying them, the party chooses to leave the Drow be. They slay the ghoul who is still eating corpses and move on to pursue the barghest.
They find the barghest trapped in a small antechamber where rubble has sealed the only route of escape. The barghest warns them not to approach, and when they party moves forward he draws a magical golden dagger and draws his own blood, summoning the slimy black, acid drenched demon called a babau, that they saw with the barghest the other day. The barghest orders the demon to defend him.
The party focuses their attacks on the barghest, and when he's slain, the babau picks up the dagger and holds it out to them as an offering. Kodrus, the Minotaur accepts the blade and become the new master of the item, which is called the dagger of Tanar'ri, and will allow the user to summon a Tanar'ri to do their bidding. They also find a golden idol of Tanar'ri which will allow them to open a gate to the Tanar'ri's homeworld if they so wish.
The party moves on down the corridor. Doomspider is too afraid to enter the lower level of the dungeon because of a beast in a pit that he won't speak further about. They leave him behind and move on into the lower level where they find a room with a giant well. The passageway leading to it and the columned room beyond the well area all have heavy metallic webs everywhere.
As they move past the well they see some humanlike figures trapped in the webbing. When they cut them free the awaken the Kruthik Hive Lord, a great metallic insectoid beast that rises from the well and belches acid all over half of the adventurers. They drive the Kruthik back into the pit badly injuring it after a furious battle.
When all of the webbed prisoners have been freed they find among them two more missing guards and Ambassador Tul, a diplomat from Blackshore who was on her way to a regional defense conference at Blackshore. She says that the party will be handsomely rewarded and enjoy the Duke of Blackshore's hospitality for as long as they wish to stay the next time they are in the area. The party has the city guards watch the ambassador and they all proceed into a larger area ahead of their current location.
They move past the columned area and webbing to find a large subterranean throne room with a stairs, huge burning urns along each side, and a giant dragon skeleton lies on the floor. Sitting on the throne is the skeletal King Quotumal Gladomain and his also dead Queen. Two skeletal guards stand motionless on either side of them.
The party approaches and Ilmak the swordmage offers a greeting and says they peacefully wish to remove the crown for Mistmeadow and depart. The court remains silent until he grasps the crown, at which point the King comes to life and attacks him.
Kodrus the Minotaur uses the blade of Tanar'ri to draw his own blood and summons the Babau. He orders the Babau to attack one of King Gladomain's wight champions. King Gladomain takes on a shadowy form and shadows dance around his form causing damage to any who stand near him during the fight. Garret the cleric defeats Queen Gladomain, a zombie, then turns to help his friends. Garrick the mad uses his spells to take out one of the wight guards. Ilmak, Kadrus, and Whosis battle King Gladomain until he is banished and his armor and weapons clatter to the floor - his shadowy form retreating along the walls and then disappearing forever.
The wight champion and the babau fight a long drawn out battle until the Tanar'ri is finally victorious. Kodrus tells the Tanar'ri he is free to leave at which point the babau says that for his service he must be granted something and he requests they allow him to eat ambassador Tul. Kodrus refuses, breaking the pact forged by his blade. The babau attacks him and the entire party surrounds and eventually defeats the foul creature after a long exhausting fight.
When the babu is defeated, a figure emerges from the shadows and introduces herself as Lady Xyrlynn, a mercenary and adventurer. She says she wishes to purchase the Hand of Glory, an artifact worn around the neck of King Gladomain, now possessed by the party. She offers a significant reward. They say that they will think about her proposal and set a meeting time and place with her one week from the day. She departs and they return to Mistmeadow to collect their reward.
Now that they have the crown, the Governor asks them to journey to the Sybarite Isle of the coast of Lighthedge Point to the north, on a quest to find his Daughter Juliana who disappeared with her lover Orlando two years ago. The Governor has sworn an oath never to accept a crown, but his daughter is next in the line to receive the crown now that they party has recovered it.
The party accepts the offer and celebrates their good fortune. Whosis kid picks up the Teifling barmaid from their favorite drinking establishment The Singing Maid.
Garret the Cleric of Ioun sets up a museum to study the mysteries of death and undeath and recruits an Aasimar to guard it. He invites acolytes from the nearby temple in SummerSpring to come and study at his new sanctuary.
When they explore the lower keep they find signs that a great battle took place between unknown forces, presumably the Drow, and Mistmeadow's guards. The corpses of city guards lie all around the corridors.
Several levels below the ruins they find a portcullis and Whosis Kid, the thief, sneaks through to find a lever to open the gate. On the other side he sees the Barghest they encountered the other day along with a carrion crawler, a centipede, and a ghoul feasting on the corpses lying about in a large adjacent cavern. Whosis open the portcullis, but the loud sound of it opening attracts the carrion crawler who advances towards the rest of the part. Whosis kid slams the portcullis shut on the carrion crawler, pinning it to floor where the rest of the party can focus on slaying it. The barghest retreats to an adjacent passageway.
The centipede is destroyed by a Drow named Doomspider, who says he was trapped in this part of the dungeon when a passage collapsed and he has no quarrel with the party. Against the protest of the city guard accompanying them, the party chooses to leave the Drow be. They slay the ghoul who is still eating corpses and move on to pursue the barghest.
They find the barghest trapped in a small antechamber where rubble has sealed the only route of escape. The barghest warns them not to approach, and when they party moves forward he draws a magical golden dagger and draws his own blood, summoning the slimy black, acid drenched demon called a babau, that they saw with the barghest the other day. The barghest orders the demon to defend him.
The party focuses their attacks on the barghest, and when he's slain, the babau picks up the dagger and holds it out to them as an offering. Kodrus, the Minotaur accepts the blade and become the new master of the item, which is called the dagger of Tanar'ri, and will allow the user to summon a Tanar'ri to do their bidding. They also find a golden idol of Tanar'ri which will allow them to open a gate to the Tanar'ri's homeworld if they so wish.
The party moves on down the corridor. Doomspider is too afraid to enter the lower level of the dungeon because of a beast in a pit that he won't speak further about. They leave him behind and move on into the lower level where they find a room with a giant well. The passageway leading to it and the columned room beyond the well area all have heavy metallic webs everywhere.
As they move past the well they see some humanlike figures trapped in the webbing. When they cut them free the awaken the Kruthik Hive Lord, a great metallic insectoid beast that rises from the well and belches acid all over half of the adventurers. They drive the Kruthik back into the pit badly injuring it after a furious battle.
When all of the webbed prisoners have been freed they find among them two more missing guards and Ambassador Tul, a diplomat from Blackshore who was on her way to a regional defense conference at Blackshore. She says that the party will be handsomely rewarded and enjoy the Duke of Blackshore's hospitality for as long as they wish to stay the next time they are in the area. The party has the city guards watch the ambassador and they all proceed into a larger area ahead of their current location.
They move past the columned area and webbing to find a large subterranean throne room with a stairs, huge burning urns along each side, and a giant dragon skeleton lies on the floor. Sitting on the throne is the skeletal King Quotumal Gladomain and his also dead Queen. Two skeletal guards stand motionless on either side of them.
The party approaches and Ilmak the swordmage offers a greeting and says they peacefully wish to remove the crown for Mistmeadow and depart. The court remains silent until he grasps the crown, at which point the King comes to life and attacks him.
Kodrus the Minotaur uses the blade of Tanar'ri to draw his own blood and summons the Babau. He orders the Babau to attack one of King Gladomain's wight champions. King Gladomain takes on a shadowy form and shadows dance around his form causing damage to any who stand near him during the fight. Garret the cleric defeats Queen Gladomain, a zombie, then turns to help his friends. Garrick the mad uses his spells to take out one of the wight guards. Ilmak, Kadrus, and Whosis battle King Gladomain until he is banished and his armor and weapons clatter to the floor - his shadowy form retreating along the walls and then disappearing forever.
The wight champion and the babau fight a long drawn out battle until the Tanar'ri is finally victorious. Kodrus tells the Tanar'ri he is free to leave at which point the babau says that for his service he must be granted something and he requests they allow him to eat ambassador Tul. Kodrus refuses, breaking the pact forged by his blade. The babau attacks him and the entire party surrounds and eventually defeats the foul creature after a long exhausting fight.
When the babu is defeated, a figure emerges from the shadows and introduces herself as Lady Xyrlynn, a mercenary and adventurer. She says she wishes to purchase the Hand of Glory, an artifact worn around the neck of King Gladomain, now possessed by the party. She offers a significant reward. They say that they will think about her proposal and set a meeting time and place with her one week from the day. She departs and they return to Mistmeadow to collect their reward.
Now that they have the crown, the Governor asks them to journey to the Sybarite Isle of the coast of Lighthedge Point to the north, on a quest to find his Daughter Juliana who disappeared with her lover Orlando two years ago. The Governor has sworn an oath never to accept a crown, but his daughter is next in the line to receive the crown now that they party has recovered it.
The party accepts the offer and celebrates their good fortune. Whosis kid picks up the Teifling barmaid from their favorite drinking establishment The Singing Maid.
Garret the Cleric of Ioun sets up a museum to study the mysteries of death and undeath and recruits an Aasimar to guard it. He invites acolytes from the nearby temple in SummerSpring to come and study at his new sanctuary.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Gladomain Keep (First Session: July 5th, 2009)
The party of adventurers travels from their home in Ironview to deposit their late master Ottian ashes at his birthplace, the ruins of Gladomain Keep, a ruined castle outside the small village of Mistmeadow. The party is composed of four adventurers: Ottian's wizard apprentice Garrick the Mad, Kadrus the Minotaur Barbarian, Ilmak the Goliath Swordmage, and Whosis Kid the Halfling Rogue.
They enter the city of Mistmeadow and travel first to the Elven tavern called the Kindly Knight, where they are asked to leave by the locals who do not wish to mix with non-elven kind. They then head across the street to the much livelier and more welcoming Singing Maid Inn.
While in the Tavern the party hears the story of King Quotomal Gladomain who ruled a hundred years ago. He once ruled the surrounding cities, but his kingdom collapsed mysteriously when after an expedition he made to the underdark to expand his kingdom's influence. When he returned to the surface to crown himself lord of the world above and below, the elves and men in his kingdom started fighting and he retreated to the dungeons beneath his castle, never to be seen again.
The party hears that there's a regional security conference going on between Blackshore and Ironview. Also, there's a festival celebrating 100 years of friendship between the neighboring towns Lighthedge Point and SummerSpring. Last, the known assassin and bandit, Ezak No-Hack has been seen skulking around the area and there's a 10,000 platinum reward on his head.
The party departs for the ruins by the crossroads at dawn. On the way, they encounter a party of good adventurers from Lighthedge Point who recognize Garrick the Mad from his youth. These adventurers greet the party: Yllallae Serpenthelm the half elf ranger, Grayward Shortcloak the halfling fighter, Thoven Diamondeath the dwarf warlord, and Fhahana Silverkin the human rogue. Fahahana tries to steal a magic item from one of the party members, but fails as she brushes past. They continue on their way.
The party approaches the ruins of Gladomain keep through a dead orchard, finding a tunnel dug into the hillside. Whosis Kid advances boldly into the darkness, exploring the passageway. He finds a small opening adjacent to the passage and is attacked by a monitor lizard. The monitor lizard retreats into it's lair and Whosis Kid rushes back into the passage. He advances back into the animals lair with Ilmak and Kadrus, who assist him in dispatching it.
As the rest of the party deals with the monitor lizard, Garrick the mad hears voices outside the passageway in the dead orchard. He sees a patrol of three bugbears move up towards the passage entrance sniffing and examining it. Garrick retreats back down the passage and lets out a powerful magical blast that singes the three bugbears. Enraged and surprised, the charge down the passage towards the party.
In the ensuing battle, two of the bugbears are killed, but Ilmak, Kadras, and Whosis Kid are knocked unconscious. Garrick the Mad battles the last bugbear to the death and survives to revive his injured friends.
The party rests in the monitor lizard's lair after disposing of the bugbear patrols bodies. Then they move further into the complex. They find a small guard outpost where an Orc and Goblin are playing cards while their Troglodyte friend is sleeping in the corner. Whosis Kid creeps into the room and bloodies the Troglodyte who awakens and attacks. The rest of the party advances into the room and dispatches the guards before they can raise the alarm.
Beyond the guardpost they find a spiral staircase to the keep ruins above. They ascend the stairs to find a ruined tower adjacent to a wishing well and a giant statue of a five headed dragon with smoke coming from some of the mouths on the statue. In the moonlight the party is greeted by Garret, cleric of Ioun, and friend of Ilmak the Goliath Swordmage. Ilmak invited Garret to preside over the spreading of their masters ashes, but they missed him at Mistmeadow. Garret joins the party.
When they dump the ashes from the jeweled golden skull they are contained in, they swirl around in the air with a magical brilliance and then take the form of their master Ottian who thanks them for bringing him back to his birthplace one last time so he can take in the view before setting out to explore the astral plane. He explains that if they need his assistance to call on him, but not to trouble him with mundane affairs or he will be displeased with them.
The party returns to explore the dungeon below the keep. Beyond the spiral staircase, they find some relics in a columned passageway and learn more about the history of the Kingdom of Quotomal Gladomain and the magical Hand of Storath that he wore around his neck. The hand once belonged to a powerful master theif who was later captured and hanged. A necromancer severed the hand and enchanted it, and it has magical powers in the possession of any who wear it, but the powers appear to vary widely depending on the individual who has it.
Beyond a curved tunnel with arrow slits along one wall that spill light into the passage, the party sneaks up to a door and eavesdrop on a conversation among several bandits inside. The bandits are addressed by someone with a drow accent who refers to throwing captured ambassadors to "The beast in the pit" and talks about their leader Lady Xyrlynn. The party makes some noise in the passageway and the bandits are alerted to their presence.
The bandits take up positions behind the murder holes to the passageway and begin attacking the party members in the hallway. Garret grabs one of the glaives the bandits are using to attack them in the hallway and heroically turns it on his attacker. Meanwhile, the rest of the party members force their way through the down, battering it down, and attack the bandits inside.
Though the drow has fled to scene, the party does defeat the remaining bandits and they capture Ezak No-Hack, who begs for them to spare his life and return him for ransom. The party obliges and ties him up to return to Mistmeadow and collect their reward.
On their way back to the city, the party passes the crossroads and notices that the local guard of Mistmeadow has hanged some bandits from posts. A goblin is climbing up the post and feasting on the flesh of one of the corpses. When one of the party members objects and confronts the goblin, it transforms into a fearsome barghest. Two demonic creatures appear next the barghest out of thin air, a Cerebrilith, and a Babau, and they cast a circle of darkness in all directions around the area. The party retreats from the scene and the creatures, and runs off towards Mistmeadow in the morning light.
When they arrive in Mistmeadow, the party give Ezak No-Hack to the Mayor of Lighthedge Point (who is visiting the Governor of Mistmeadow) for a 10,000 gold reward. The Mayor pays them and takes Ezak prisoner. The Governor of Mistmeadow sends the city guard into the ruins of Gladomain Keep to set up a perimeter and explore the area. He offers the party a reward if they agree to explore the rest of the keep and if they find King Quotomal Gladomain's legendary Crown of Commanding, he would like them to return it. The party agrees and spends the night at the Governor's mansion, intent on exploring the rest of the dungeon the next day.
They enter the city of Mistmeadow and travel first to the Elven tavern called the Kindly Knight, where they are asked to leave by the locals who do not wish to mix with non-elven kind. They then head across the street to the much livelier and more welcoming Singing Maid Inn.
While in the Tavern the party hears the story of King Quotomal Gladomain who ruled a hundred years ago. He once ruled the surrounding cities, but his kingdom collapsed mysteriously when after an expedition he made to the underdark to expand his kingdom's influence. When he returned to the surface to crown himself lord of the world above and below, the elves and men in his kingdom started fighting and he retreated to the dungeons beneath his castle, never to be seen again.
The party hears that there's a regional security conference going on between Blackshore and Ironview. Also, there's a festival celebrating 100 years of friendship between the neighboring towns Lighthedge Point and SummerSpring. Last, the known assassin and bandit, Ezak No-Hack has been seen skulking around the area and there's a 10,000 platinum reward on his head.
The party departs for the ruins by the crossroads at dawn. On the way, they encounter a party of good adventurers from Lighthedge Point who recognize Garrick the Mad from his youth. These adventurers greet the party: Yllallae Serpenthelm the half elf ranger, Grayward Shortcloak the halfling fighter, Thoven Diamondeath the dwarf warlord, and Fhahana Silverkin the human rogue. Fahahana tries to steal a magic item from one of the party members, but fails as she brushes past. They continue on their way.
The party approaches the ruins of Gladomain keep through a dead orchard, finding a tunnel dug into the hillside. Whosis Kid advances boldly into the darkness, exploring the passageway. He finds a small opening adjacent to the passage and is attacked by a monitor lizard. The monitor lizard retreats into it's lair and Whosis Kid rushes back into the passage. He advances back into the animals lair with Ilmak and Kadrus, who assist him in dispatching it.
As the rest of the party deals with the monitor lizard, Garrick the mad hears voices outside the passageway in the dead orchard. He sees a patrol of three bugbears move up towards the passage entrance sniffing and examining it. Garrick retreats back down the passage and lets out a powerful magical blast that singes the three bugbears. Enraged and surprised, the charge down the passage towards the party.
In the ensuing battle, two of the bugbears are killed, but Ilmak, Kadras, and Whosis Kid are knocked unconscious. Garrick the Mad battles the last bugbear to the death and survives to revive his injured friends.
The party rests in the monitor lizard's lair after disposing of the bugbear patrols bodies. Then they move further into the complex. They find a small guard outpost where an Orc and Goblin are playing cards while their Troglodyte friend is sleeping in the corner. Whosis Kid creeps into the room and bloodies the Troglodyte who awakens and attacks. The rest of the party advances into the room and dispatches the guards before they can raise the alarm.
Beyond the guardpost they find a spiral staircase to the keep ruins above. They ascend the stairs to find a ruined tower adjacent to a wishing well and a giant statue of a five headed dragon with smoke coming from some of the mouths on the statue. In the moonlight the party is greeted by Garret, cleric of Ioun, and friend of Ilmak the Goliath Swordmage. Ilmak invited Garret to preside over the spreading of their masters ashes, but they missed him at Mistmeadow. Garret joins the party.
When they dump the ashes from the jeweled golden skull they are contained in, they swirl around in the air with a magical brilliance and then take the form of their master Ottian who thanks them for bringing him back to his birthplace one last time so he can take in the view before setting out to explore the astral plane. He explains that if they need his assistance to call on him, but not to trouble him with mundane affairs or he will be displeased with them.
The party returns to explore the dungeon below the keep. Beyond the spiral staircase, they find some relics in a columned passageway and learn more about the history of the Kingdom of Quotomal Gladomain and the magical Hand of Storath that he wore around his neck. The hand once belonged to a powerful master theif who was later captured and hanged. A necromancer severed the hand and enchanted it, and it has magical powers in the possession of any who wear it, but the powers appear to vary widely depending on the individual who has it.
Beyond a curved tunnel with arrow slits along one wall that spill light into the passage, the party sneaks up to a door and eavesdrop on a conversation among several bandits inside. The bandits are addressed by someone with a drow accent who refers to throwing captured ambassadors to "The beast in the pit" and talks about their leader Lady Xyrlynn. The party makes some noise in the passageway and the bandits are alerted to their presence.
The bandits take up positions behind the murder holes to the passageway and begin attacking the party members in the hallway. Garret grabs one of the glaives the bandits are using to attack them in the hallway and heroically turns it on his attacker. Meanwhile, the rest of the party members force their way through the down, battering it down, and attack the bandits inside.
Though the drow has fled to scene, the party does defeat the remaining bandits and they capture Ezak No-Hack, who begs for them to spare his life and return him for ransom. The party obliges and ties him up to return to Mistmeadow and collect their reward.
On their way back to the city, the party passes the crossroads and notices that the local guard of Mistmeadow has hanged some bandits from posts. A goblin is climbing up the post and feasting on the flesh of one of the corpses. When one of the party members objects and confronts the goblin, it transforms into a fearsome barghest. Two demonic creatures appear next the barghest out of thin air, a Cerebrilith, and a Babau, and they cast a circle of darkness in all directions around the area. The party retreats from the scene and the creatures, and runs off towards Mistmeadow in the morning light.
When they arrive in Mistmeadow, the party give Ezak No-Hack to the Mayor of Lighthedge Point (who is visiting the Governor of Mistmeadow) for a 10,000 gold reward. The Mayor pays them and takes Ezak prisoner. The Governor of Mistmeadow sends the city guard into the ruins of Gladomain Keep to set up a perimeter and explore the area. He offers the party a reward if they agree to explore the rest of the keep and if they find King Quotomal Gladomain's legendary Crown of Commanding, he would like them to return it. The party agrees and spends the night at the Governor's mansion, intent on exploring the rest of the dungeon the next day.
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