Mosarra Adventure Log

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A Strange Beginning[edit | edit source]

March 8, 2015

A group of adventurers wakes from a strange, collective dream. They take a mission from someone they meet onboard the ship on which they are sailing and, while accomplishing it, run into more trouble and a new direction to follow.

Prologue[edit | edit source]

Groups of adventurers have followed their paths to a tower with an ancient tome in it. Each is accosted by a villain, with whom they do battle. As they battle, the villains swirl and coalesce into one amalgamated enemy and the various groups are fighting together. Soon, the tower and everything in the area is swirling and it seems like the entire world, their very existences, are being torn apart. The various heroes attempt to hold on to each other, to the tower, to reality, but all is swept away… .
Each person wakes up on the Sea Drake, an expensive merchant ship on which they have been sailing for a few days. As they shake the cobwebs of their dreams from their minds, they recall that they were hired by some nobleman to rescue his daughter, who had eloped with some boy. Gareth, who could not get away from his duties in order to help his old friend and who is Alina’s sergeant, sent them with the girl’s actual fiancé.
On the old wizard’s island they managed to find the girl and her lover. However, they were trapped in a cave and everyone had to work together to free themselves from the magical trap that was slowly crystalizing the cave… and everything in it! Once freed from the cave, the fiancé gave up his rights to the girl, wished her well, and allowed her and her new lover to leave. He promised to smooth things over with his father. He booked them passage back to Westhaven on the Sea Drake.

Beginnings[edit | edit source]

It is morning. On this day, the group should arrive in Westhaven. Before the sun gets too bright, most of the passengers are on the deck of the ship watching for the amazing lighthouse that protects the Westhaven harbor. This light shines in a way that protects all vessels and people within the harbor and is sight to behold, as it is an ancient wonder left from the days when the ancient Eladrin built and ruled this city.

As they admire the light, a few in the group notice a Human man who stands out. Janus, from the man’s mannerisms, suspects he may be a spy. Trixie notices he has a tattoo very similar to the Eye of Light and Knowledge that Rah’mon sports, and points this out. Rah’mon walks over and speaks with the man.

It turns out that the man, Sakar, is member of the Eye of Horus. The group, and Sakar specifically, is investigating rumors of dragon-related relics being found, dug up, and purloined in the area around Westhaven. Many of these items are sold for very large sums of money. Sakar was tasked to meet with a contact, a Shadar-kai woman with raven-black hair named Zardra, who was going to take him to a site to purchase a supposed dragon egg that had been found. However, she was killed by suspected members of the Scarlet Brotherhood on their way to get the boat that would take them to Westhaven, where the deal was to be consummated. And, most unfortunately, she was the only contact with whom the possessor of the dragon egg would deal. Sakar needs a Shadar-kai woman to help with the transaction, or he cannot finish his mission. He asks if the party, which obviously contains a female Shadar-kai, would go to the meeting and buy the egg in his place.

Tezzara and Rah’mon are all in favor of helping the man out. Rah’mon, in particular, feels a certain kinship with the man, as they are members of similar Orders. Some of the others in the party want payment for their services, and Sakar promises to pay them what he can, but admits that it is not a lot (especially for the size of the party).

He goes over the plan: He and the woman were to meet the seller in a shady location outside of Westhaven called The Orc Crest Farm. The farm was burned down by an Orc raiding party, but there are still some partial walls, stone items (like a fireplace), and such around. Some in the party know it as a place where the lower echelon of Westhaven meets to make deals and trade items of questionable ownership. Sakar has a room at Madam Freona’s, and he will wait there for us to return with the egg.

When questioned, he admits that he is to buy the egg regardless of its authenticity or apparent value, as it may be a clue, or hold clues, to whatever is going on with these dragon-riches.

Upon docking in Westhaven, the party meets with Gareth and fills him in on the results of the eloped daughter. He pays them a small sum each (15 GP/each). After this, the party decides to head straight to the farm. Janus seems to have an uncanny ability to navigate the streets of the town and the party makes good time in getting there. Enough so that they have a time to look around and make plans for when the seller arrives.

A Clandestine Meeting[edit | edit source]

As they prepare for the meet, Alina and Tamzin notice a group approaching. The leader is obviously the Wood Elf and there are five humans with him. It appears to them that only a couple of the humans are acting in a friendly manner toward the Elf; the others appear to be hired henchmen or dissatisfied with coming along.

The Elf stops and addresses Tamzin from a distance. He wants to know why she brought such a large group with her. Tamzin, thinking fast, states that she was unaware that there was a limitation to the size of either person’s party. The Elf, satisfied with this response, and two of the humans, steps forward. Tamzin steps forward. The Elf has one of the henchmen pull a rocky, tough, spherical object out of a satchel. Tamzin hands over the diamonds that Sakar provided the group (and possibly palms a couple on the way).

The Elf and his men leave as soon as the transaction is over.

The party studies the egg for a moment. Tezzara believes it to be phony but is interested in the pattern of swirls and grooves on its surface. As they discuss the egg, the fireplace suddenly opens, and, from some concealed stairs below it, charges a Half-Ogre with a large axe! At the same moment, a Human wearing Order of the Gauntlet gear, similar to Alina’s steps from around the back of the fireplace and eight goblins make their presence known in the rafters of the burnt barn. The human appears to be in command he wants the egg. The party declines and combat begins!

  • 1 Half-Ogre with axe (turns out to be a mage)
  • 1 Human in armor
  • 8 Goblins with bows

Alina and Balasar take a bit of a beating, as they step up to the Human and Half-Ogre, respectively. The rest of the party confronts the eight Goblins. That combat is short and fierce.

  • Greataxe
  • Mace
  • Shortsword, spear, heavy crossbow
  • Vial (Healing potion)

Gareth and some troops from the Order of the Gauntlet approach on horseback. The party closes the fireplace concealed door before this new group can see it. Gareth is upset that he did not arrive in time to save the Human from death.

He wanted the Human Gauntlet member alive for questioning. He’s heard rumors of Gauntlet members making deals with the Ogres and Goblins in the area and he wants to know why. As they discuss, a woman on an old horse appears. She looks unconscious and horse looks very tired.

Rah’mon and Sariel head over to her to check if both are okay. The woman needs some minor medical attention and the horse simply needs some rest and food. Soon, Milly tells them that her farm was raided by Goblins in the night. She saw them drag her husband and son away, and she fears they got her daughter, as well.

The party convinces Gareth they need to help. He writes them credentials to allow them to check on the manner officially and stipulates they will get paid when they return to Westhaven. He expressly tells Alina to be on the watch for other Order of the Gauntlet members who may be treating with the Ogres and Goblins, and to find out what she can of their motives and reason. The party takes his men’s (and his own) horses, and heads in the direction of the woman’s farm.

A New Mission[edit | edit source]

Riding hard, or desperately holding onto a galloping horse, the party reaches Milly’s farm in about three hours. They see minimal damage and no signs of obvious theft or vandalism, which seems a bit odd for Goblin raiders. Trixie notes a lack of goats.

Sariel inspects the ground and finds evidence that two different groups have been to the farm. The first group appears to be all Goblins and they seem to have gone north with the goats and what appears to be Milly’s family. Then another group, consisting of a mixture of races (by their boot tread and footprint sizes) came in later and went straight to the house and then left again.

As they approach the house, Janus spies a magical rune placed near the door. Not wanting to trigger anything, the party enters via a window instead. Inside, the first floor is a little out of sorts; some tables and chairs tipped over and some items askew or on the floor. However, again, it doesn’t look as messed up as one would normally expect by a Goblin raid. The upstairs does not even look touched. They do, however, find an old Order of the Gauntlet tabard upstairs, that indicates Milly’s husband may have once been a member.

Alina notices a small crack in one wall. A closer inspection reveals it to be a hidden compartment with a hook in (like you would use for clothing). The party decides to hide the purchased egg in this closet and make sure the door is properly closed (and they know how to reopen it), and then head out after the Goblins who appear to have taken Milly’s family.

Unexpected Results[edit | edit source]

Teaming up again on the horses (as there are only six horses and eight adventurers), they set out to the north. Sariel finds and follows the tracks of that party. However, she misses the moment when some of the Goblins double-back and take up positions on either side of the trail and set up an ambush!

Suddenly, arrows fly at the party, hitting a few members’ armor or shields, but causing little damage. The party returns the favor, wounding one Goblin. The Goblin next to him yells, “Chuffee!” and drops her weapons and cradles his unconscious form in her arms. A second Goblin is hit by the party and goes down, and his companion steps up to cover him.

Trixie commands them to give up and, surprisingly, they do. Blitch tells her that they were protecting Milly’s family from the other raiders and that they can lead you to where the family is stashed. Rah’mon and Tezzara help stabilize and tend to the two injured Goblins.

The party follows the Goblins to Milly’s family.

Note: Update characters to level 2


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Campaign

A Mage Defeated (March 29, 2015)[edit | edit source]

A group of adventurers discovers unexpected allies and unexpected villains as they continue to help Milly and her family.

Goblin Allies[edit | edit source]

Chuffee, Blitch, and their goblin comrades lead the party up the pass and into the hills. Some of the hills have caves and openings in them, and Blitch leads them toward one in particular. Just outside the cave is a jury-rigged fence with three goats inside. Blitch explains that the goats were taken as food for the humans.

Inside the cave, the party sees the rest of the family in a sectioned-off area at the back of the cave. The older man recognizes Alina’s uniform and immediately asks who Alina is and whether his wife is okay. Alina gives him a detailed accounting of what has happened (omitting some specific details, like the “egg”). The father, Tam, says he was once Gareth’s superior in the Order, and trusts him. Tam does not know why the goblins attacked, but admits they have been treated relatively well.

The group tells him of the evidence of a second raiding party attacking the farm and that his house, especially the ground floor, was searched thoroughly. They mention that they found the secret compartment in his house and that the cupboard was empty. Tam’s face goes white with this information.

Blitch fills in some gaps in the party’s knowledge; the goblin leaders are with the other set of raiders, they follow a cult, the leader of the cult is human in height and shape, and there are some Dragonborn (or similar) and some Shadar-kai (or similar) in the group. Using magic, one of the goblins shows a map of the area and Blitch tells everyone where the cult is located within some old, Dwarf ruins.

Tam informs the group that he was hiding the last Dwarven key in his secret compartment. He was given it by a Dwarf comrade of his and was told it unlocked the door to things that are heinous beyond measure and of great shame to the Dwarfs of this area. Tam tried to destroy the key in every way he could, but the key either was not harmed or magically appeared back at his house each time. He says that he was told that the keyhole is only visible at night.

Tam pleads with the party to seek out the key and rescue it. He will message Gareth to include this in their current commission.

Dwarven Ruins[edit | edit source]

The party takes the family back to the farm and asks Tam to keep an eye on the (fake) dragon egg. As the keyhole is only visible at night by moonlight, they decide to search for the Dwarven ruins and the thieves who took the key.

Sariel and Tezzara get the party to the right area and everyone starts to see statues, remains of walls and floors, and other indications of a former city around them. Janus has an uncanny knack for recognizing swift routes through cities, and it works even in ruins. He quickly leads us through the town toward the Dwarf mine.

At the entrance to the Dwarf mine, Tamzin discovers and quickly disables a trap left for those who might want to enter the mine. With how empty the above-ground areas are, it is obvious to those in the party that the bulk of the Cult must be below.

Into the Mine[edit | edit source]

They head into the cave-like entrance of the mine. Tezzara hears someone speaking ahead and Tamzin and Sariel move cautiously ahead to check things out. They hear two people talking; one is obviously in a position superior to the other, who is fawning and obsequious. As they turn to leave, Tamzin recognizes a familiar knocking that is similar to signs and usage of her Thieves Cant (a special language that thieves use).

They return to the party and fill them in on what they heard. Returning to the location, Tamzin does her best to replicate the knock and a voice from somewhere nearby tells them they can pass.

The passages ahead are clearer, wider, and lit with torches. Tamzin spies another trap and is again successful at disabling it. The party can hear the sounds of movement and talking ahead, indicating that the area is inhabited. Following Rah’mon’s lead, the party members scrounge around for bits of clothing to conceal their identity to casual observers.

Everyone prepares their weapons in case of attack. When Alina draws her weapon, she is nonplussed to find out it is not hers. Her two-handed, garrison-provided greatsword is now an ancient Elven sword of similar dimensions. Alina remembers Gareth helping her with her gear back at the Orc Crest Inn ruins and is suspicious. Reviewing the ancient runes on the sword, it reads, “Do no Evil, Suffer no Justice”.

The next area is large, some 80 feet by 70 feet. Inside are some Goblinoids going about their business in a barracks-like area; a couple are gaming with dice, one is sharpening a weapon, others are talking. The Goblins do not take much notice of the party, but the Wargs’ sense of smell is able to discern their non-Goblinoid races even through the reek of their makeshift disguises.

  • 5 Guards (various races)
  • 3 Wargs

This fight is quick and brutal. The party kills all the Wargs and four of the five guards, leaving one, named Ruug, alive. Balasar questions Ruug and finds out they all work for “The Master,” who is human, and somehow has no face, but startling blue eyes. The Master casts spells. Gorunk, on the other hand, is a strong, fierce Bugbear who is one of a party of five Bugbears that forms an elite guard for The Master. The party chains Ruug, but lets him live.

The Master and His Minions[edit | edit source]

They continue deeper into the mine until it widens into a large cavern. Along the way, they free from bondage any of the Humans and Goblins they find. The cavern floor is about ten feet below them. Inside, they see Goblins and others chained up and mining. Toward one side, in a more cleared area, they see what looks to be The Master and the five Bugbears waiting by a wall.

Some of the party rushes down the steps to the floor to close the distance to The Master. Others in the party free more slaves as they follow. Rah’mon is targeted by The Master, who unleashes a wave of black fire that burns. A bracelet on The Master’s wrist glows as he unleashes a second wave of the exact same fire, further harming Rah’mon and causing him to cry out in pain. Gorunk and his Bugbears grab their crossbows and shoot at various party members.

  • The Master
  • 5 Bugbears

The Master’s magic is strong and the Bugbears are tough. Tamzin is the real hero for the group, as she is able to dispatch The Master with a surprise attack from the shadows. However, his cloak burns up and kills one of the Bugbears in the process, giving him new life. He runs. Sariel’s arrows and Trixie’s spells slow him enough that Tamzin is able to catch up again and deal another deadly blow. He disappears, but Sariel’s magic allows her to track him and put a final arrow into him, killing him once and for all. He is unable to rise from the dead a second time.

The remaining Bugbears do some damage, but are soon dispatched. During the fighting, Alina notices that her weapon seems lighter, keener, and is doing more damage than she expects.

The Dwarven door has both Dwarven and Draconic writing on it, which the party reads as, “These doors bar our eternal shame. Zorrothel.” Tezzara recognizes the name Zorrothel as a dragon and thinks the Westhaven town library has a book on him.

As the party searches the bodies, Alina recognizes The Master as the Grand Duke’s son, Sebastian. After some discussion, they decide to wrap the body up and take it with them when they leave. Rah’mon uses his knowledge of mummification and healing to preserve the body for the day or two it will take to get back to Westhaven and inform the Grand Duke. They also take with them the magical bracelet and discover and take a chest of coins and jewels.

  • Bracelet “Ebony’s Echo” – Item repeats the previous attack made by the wearer as a bonus action. It must be attuned. Wearer must rest between uses (1x per short/long rest).
  • Chest (1200 total GP, or 150 GP each)

The party heads back out of the mine, freeing Ruug and any other stragglers along the way. They head to Tam’s farm, picking up the egg from him, and stay the night. Gareth is there, and thanks them for their efforts. He and Alina talk about why he gave her the new weapon.

While with Tam, they mention Zorrothel. To their surprise, Tam knows quite a bit; he had recently borrowed a book from the town library that mentioned the dragon. Zorrothel was an ancient Wyrm that fought the Dwarves of this area and was killed. As dragons are mystical creatures, they don’t leave corpses. So Tam cannot figure out what may be behind that door after all this time.

Back to Westhaven[edit | edit source]

The party heads back to Westhaven with their egg, Sebastian’s body, and many questions. They return the egg to Sakar and he pays them their fee. He mentions how smart it was to pay for the fake egg with fake diamonds, which irritates Tamzin (as she had stolen a few). Sakar also pays for a night at Madam Freona’s for everyone for helping him.

  • 520 GP total (65 GP each)

As the group is preparing to take Sebastian’s body to the Grand Duke, each hears a loud, screeching wail that seems to travel through the entire town of Westhaven. When the wail ends, darkness falls over the town. Looking outside, the ever-burning light of the Elven Lighthouse has gone out!

Note: Gareth hasn’t paid the party their share for helping Milly; Tam asked him to pay us more for looking into the key


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Campaign

A Light in the Dark[edit | edit source]

April 12, 2015

In which the adventurers travel to the Elven Lighthouse on the island to investigate the magical light’s disappearance.

The Keep’s History[edit | edit source]

Stepping out of Madame Freona’s and looking around, the group sees a lot of panic. No one can remember the lighthouse light ever going out. That, combined with the hellish wail that everyone heard, puts everyone on edge and tension is high.

Asking questions and relying on their own knowledge of the area, the group knows that the Keep was built around 1,000 years ago. It was one of the final areas in this realm the Elves used as they crossed from this realm to the next. The foundation of the Keep was actually a temple to the Elven goddess of light, Sehanine. Around the island are strange, rocky outcroppings that look like thorns from which the 0island gets its name, Thorn Island. The beacon on top of Numinal Keep was magical in nature and none here now even know how to turn it off or if turning it off was even possible. There is some indication that the Keep was built as a monument and peace treaty between the Elves and some other race or races with whom the Elves fought. One of the newer Houses is always tasked with the somewhat menial task of protecting the Keep.

A faction of Half-Elves actually brokered the peace between the Elves and whomever they were fighting. They used to protect the Keep until such time as the Humans took over the city and started to protect the Keep themselves.

Alina, Balasar, and Rah’mon decide to take the dead body of the Grand Duke’s son to him. Everyone else in the party heads toward the Laughing Goblin Tavern to wait for them and to get closer to the island.

The Grand Duke[edit | edit source]

The Grand Duke’s house is strategically placed so that he has a good view of the city, harbor, and seas beyond. Alina contacts Gareth and asks him to meet the three at the Grand Duke’s and they set out through the town. Going is slow due to the number of people standing outside in the streets discussing the light, the wail, their fears, and town business.

Pushing through, they reach the Grand Duke’s house. Grand Duke Edgar Hornwell has his own personal guards, but Gareth has arrived to help them inside with the body and introduce the three to the leader. The Grand Duke is upset but not surprised to see his youngest son dead. Balasar tells the Grand Duke a somewhat edited version of the party’s encounter with his son. Rah’mon fills in that Sebastian was using some fairly powerful and dark magic, which surprises Hornwell. Hornwell says that he and his son were not as close as the Grand Duke would have liked.

After some further interaction, the Grand Duke asks Balasar and Rah’mon if he can trust them. After assuring him that he can, he says that his oldest son, Stefan, is on Thorn Island right now, in secret, and Hornwell is concerned for his safety with the dousing of the light and the eerie wail. He asks if we, and our companions, can check on Stefan and see that he is safe. As the plan was to go check it out anyway, the two agree.

Gareth steps in and says he is taking Alina with him to the north. He needs to check on House Huntsridge, which is protecting the main pass. He lets slip that there have been rumors of ghost or demon ships that cannot be defeated on the seas recently.

Alina walks Balasar and Rah’mon back to the main gate into the Grand Duke’s house and says her farewells, wishing she was going with them and (likely) knocking some heads, rather than going on a peaceful, if necessary, mission to the north with Gareth.

Interlude[edit | edit source]

After Alina leaves the room to take Balasar and Rah’mon to the gate and say her farewells, Hornwell turns to Gareth and asks, “Does she suspect anything?” “No. She, and her group, seem willing to believe what we’ve told them. She suspects nothing about the sword or why she is wielding it.” Gareth seems confident. “The lie had better hold. If our enemies find out what we’ve done, we will have painted a large bull’s eye on their chests,” Hornwell replies.

The Laughing Goblin[edit | edit source]

The other party members push their way through the crowds and down to the docks. There, they gather inside The Laughing Goblin Tavern. Inside, as they try repeatedly to get their drinks and maybe some food, they spy a few different patrons.

A Half-Orc is in the corner, nursing a beer and looking both defiantly and suspiciously around the room, with his back to a wall.

Two Halfling merchants are discussing how bad the light going out could be for business in general, and Westhaven specifically. Trixie wanders over and speaks with them; they call her their “Savior” and let slip that the guards who are supposed to be protecting the Keep sure seem to be liking their time there – they aren’t coming back or rotating out like they are supposed to. Two dock workers are angrily discussing the lack of protection for the docks and dock workers from the guards.

Two female adventurers are discussing their own business. Tezzara tries to befriend them by buying them a second round and asking them some questions. She learns that their companion, Gren, hasn’t left Thorn Island in quite some time and that even his notes to them have ceased. They seem a little worried about it.

Suddenly, there is a great ruckus outside of the tavern. In come some burly dock workers, three sheets to the wind. When they spy the two female adventurers, they become belligerent and start picking a fight.

At this moment, the large, impressively armored and armed Dragonborn Balasar enters the inn, followed by Rah’mon, who had cast Light on his spear – and that happened to perfectly silhouette the Paladin from behind in the dark. Balasar tells the burly men to stand down and, with the surprisingly effective entrance and lighting, he gets everyone to back off. They leave the tavern.

The Ferry[edit | edit source]

The party fills each other in on the various rumors and threads they have gleaned. It is agreed they will all go to the Keep and the barmaid suggests that they head to a small dock house of the House Barristall, where the eldest daughter is in charge.

Janus leads the party to the house and Rah’mon pushes the guards to let them in to see the daughter, Layla. She is concerned for her brother, Egan, whom she calls a half-wit… but with love. She is concerned for his safety and asks the group to look out for him.

She fills in some gaps, like that Gren was elected Sergeant At Arms of the Keep by the men and it has been since this happened that the men have refused to muster out of the Keep. Basically, everyone who has gone over to the Keep since then has stayed on the island.

They take the ferry to the island. Tezzara questions the ferryman. He tells her that he doesn’t like Gren (“no good” and “lazy”), he likes Egan, that they should speak with the servants first, his wife is one of the head servants at the Keep, named Karsi, and that he never liked Sebastian.

The Keep[edit | edit source]

The ferryman deposits the group at the base of the steep road that leads up to the Keep. On the way, they find Karsi beating rugs. She gives them some advice, and opinions very similar to her husband’s. She suggests that Shawna, another servant who is in charge at the Keep and has keys, may be of assistance.

They meet Shawna at the main gate to the Keep. She says that Stefan was last seen running toward the Foundation of the Keep. She suggests it is not uncommon to have Egan go missing for days at a time; the servants just cover for him when he does and keep things moving along. She blushes at mention of Egan in a way that suggests they may be more than master and servant. She also notes that Gren recently took a real shine to Egan. She gives them her set of keys.

They head to Egan’s room first. In the room, Balasar finds a holy symbol of Tyr in a desk and some platinum coins. Tamzin discovers some papers and books in the folds of the couch. One is about the Ancient Cults of Battenvale. It is obviously a very old tome, and expensive. The other book is on counter-curses… and appears genuine. The cult book seems to be written from a perspective somewhat favorable to the evil cults. The counter-curse book feels warm to the touch.

One of the papers says that “it” can be found under the West Tower, that a weird symbol of a head with tentacles around it can be found there.

Rah’mon decides to try to bless the books with the power of Atum, Horus, and Ra. He is unsuccessful and his extended hands gets burned with a dark mark.

A sudden gust of wind blows through the room and settles the dust into the shape of an arrow pointing at the West Tower outside the window.

The West Tower[edit | edit source]

Sariel smells fresh, tilled earth inside the Tower, and it smells like it is coming from a cellar or the Foundation area, below. They follow her senses and head down that way. A few of the party note that, outside of the two servants they met, they have seen absolutely no signs of any guards or anyone else moving around or even inhabiting the area of the Keep. It is eerily silent.

They find themselves in a largish room. Signs indicate that this was once an Elvish shrine. Rah’mon senses that it is no longer sanctified. They find some overturned stones and earth on the far side of the room. Underneath, they find some ebony stone with arcane symbols on them.

They figure out that someone needs to place their hand on a certain stone and say some words to “open” the passage. Janus does so, and a stone slap beneath Trixie suddenly rotates and causes her to start to fall. Tamzin’s quick reactions allow her to catch Trixie with her chained weapon and Balasar helps pull the Tiefling to safety.

Rah’mon casts Light on a coin and then jumps into the hole. He finds Stefan Hornwall in the room below, injured with a broken leg. He says he was there following and trying to rescue Egan, but broke his leg when the door unexpectedly closed on him. Rah’mon non-magically heals and splints Stefan’s broken leg, and Sariel gives him a magical Goodberry, which further provides some healing and sustenance.

He offers to protect this area while they search for Egan.

Sariel and Tamzin scout a bit ahead of the rest of the group. In a passageway that widens out, they spot a sacrifice table with stains of blood on it. Around the table are four large statues. Just as they realize the room is a sacrifice chamber to the sea god Dagon, the four statues animate and attack.

  • 4 Statues

The fight is quick and deadly. Janus, in particular, stands out as he is able to kick to pieces two of the armors. One of the light-based spells Rah’mon casts is able to burn away the dark mark on his palm.


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Campaign

A Light Renewed[edit | edit source]

May 31, 2015

The adventurers find the second son and restore the lighthouse.

Brine[edit | edit source]

Although Rah’mon is casting light along the way, the party did not see the warning on the sacrifice altar that said that, in order to pass safely, a sacrifice was required. They could have avoided the fight with the four statues!

They continue deeper into the caves. Soon, the cavern opens into a roughly 40 foot diameter room. Water is leaking into the room through cracks in the walls, but slowly enough that it just covers the floor and swirls slowly around. There is a briny smell to the room, and there is algae in the water. In the center of the pool, the water swirls around much more quickly. Tezzara and Sariel look things over, discuss it, and come to the conclusion that this is likely a sinkhole. They strongly urge the party to avoid the center area.

Tamzin shadow jaunts across the room and ties a rope to something sturdy. She then inspects a metal door and finds it is slightly ajar, but rusted and warped from the water and hard to open. The party begins to cross the sinkhole using the rope as a guide.

As the third person (Janus) is crossing the room, the water erupts with undead creatures. They swarm the party and attack, trying to feast on their flesh.

  • 6 ghouls

Tezzara uses her magic to force half of the ghouls to the other side of the room, and the rest of the party focuses on those within reach. The mysterious wind flits around the room and alights on Rah’mon. He feels a ghostly hand and kiss on his cheeks, and then feels refreshed and restored as though he had a long rest. He feels access to his spent magic return to him.

When Trixie kills one with her magic, it erupts with purple and black mist that coalesces into some form of portal above its head. Suddenly, Alina comes hurtling through the open portal. Through the portal, the party sees Gareth battling a shadowy creature. In their heads, they hear a cold, cruel voice say, “The Chosen One is getting away!” The portal collapses.

The party finishes off the remaining ghouls.

Strange Creatures[edit | edit source]

Balasar and Alina force open the door and the party heads down the new passage. This area appears to have been a prison or a vault of some sort, as there are rusty iron bars, locks on most of the doors, and manacles attached to the walls. Toward the end of the long passageway, Alina sees a sickly green light coming from around the last bend.

The next room is semi-circular in shape, and the party is entering it on one end of the semi-circle. In the middle of the room, on the outside of the middle of the curve, is an idol of a strange, tentacled, undersea creature. Directly inside the room as they enter it is a dead body of Gauntlet guard that has been nearly ripped in two. Further in the room are two pillars and another dead Gauntlet guard. In front of the idol is a large pool of bloody water, approximately 30 feet in diameter. On the idol is another body, grasping a wand and dripping blood into the water.

Balasar calls on his magic and uses it to look for undead and fiends in the area. After he does, he notes the two dead Gauntlet bodies glow, the pillars start to glow, and he spies a ghostly elven woman who is huddled over the figure on the idol. She beckons the paladin forward.

However, as he moves forward, telling the rest of the party what he sees, the two dead Gauntlet guards begin to stand up and two skeletal creatures burst forth from the glowing pillars. A larger, chitinous creature rises slowly from the pool of water. Each creature moves menacingly toward the adventurers.

  • 2 skeletons
  • 2 zombies
  • 1 chuul

At first it seems like the fight will be over with quickly, as both zombies and skeletons are quickly dispatched. The evil might of the chuul, however, stymies the party. Rah’mon and Sariel either cannot hit the creature or their magic and arrows bounce harmless off its tough exoskeleton. Alina and Balasar’s blades are turned away by the tough hide. Tezzara and Trixie’s magic can’t seem to penetrate its armor. However, Tamzin and Janus are both able to do enough damage that, once the rest of the party is able to find a crack or a joint to hit, they whittle the creature down. And, finally, with a well-aimed arrow to an eye (and into its brain), Sariel is able to get the killing blow.

As it dies, the pool of water clears and the sickly green glow from the idol and pillars is replaced with a golden-white glow.

Ghost Stories[edit | edit source]

The ghostly elf becomes visible to all. She thanks the party for their quick aid and asks for succor for Egan, who yet lives but is gravely injured with a Gauntlet guard’s dagger in his back. Balasar, Sariel, and Rah’mon step up to provide various forms of magical and non-magical aid to the injured man and he slowly revives.

The ghost, Hanua, tells the party her story. She was one of the seven elves who originally cast the magic that produced the special light on top of the lighthouse. When she died, her soul was trapped within the tower and she found she could not leave or move on. In the last few years, she has watched, invisibly, as Egan learned of and tried to trace the legend of the under-crypt below the tower. She attempted to dissuade him, but her invisible suggestions were taken as divine guidance that he was doing the right thing. He found his way here, but was betrayed by those he came with. Those men are still here, hiding through the reliquary further on after having stabbed Egan in the back. She feels that the evil has been lifted from the area.

Rah’mon senses that she could pass on to her next life, but that she is holding on to something that keeps her here in the tower. He resolves to spend some time researching the tower and her history, and trying to help her.

Alina kicks in the door to the reliquary. Inside are a number of statues with offerings placed on them. Also, they can see a number of sacks and barrels. In the back of the room are a bunch of heavier-looking sacks that have been stacked as a makeshift wall. Behind the wall, they can see some faces peering out at them.

Gren steps out from behind the sacks and begins to thank them for saving them. He says that Egan is completely at fault and attacked them. Sensing he is lying, the party brings a now-recovered Egan up and ask him if Gren’s version of things is true. Gren, upon seeing the fully-healed Egan, turns pale. With his lies unmasked, Gren surrenders, and his remaining men follow. They tie them all up and march them back to the room where the still-injured Stefan is waiting for them. The two brothers are overjoyed to see one another.

The much larger party slowly makes its way out of the tower basement and down to the ferry, where the ferryman is still waiting. He takes them across the bay to the town. With the light of the lighthouse once again burning, the citizens are in a happy mood.

The party resolves to take their prisoners to the Grand Duke immediately.

Another Son's Return[edit | edit source]

The Grand Duke is pleased to see both of his remaining sons alive and mostly well. Between the party, the sons, and prodding of Gren, the full tale comes out. The Grand Duke is happy with such a perfect ending to his worry and offers the party to stay at his keep that night.

However, the Grand Duke is surprised to see Alina in the party. He asks her why she is here, rather than in the north with Gareth. She explains that she and Gareth were farther north when they were attacked. During the combat, she was thrown through a portal and landed in the tower with her comrades. She does not know what happened to Gareth afterward, but he was left to continue fighting the strange, shadowy creature without her.

He asks the party if they will accept another Writ to follow after Gareth and find out what is going on to the north. The party accepts and then heads to bed.


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Campaign

The Sword’s the Thing[edit | edit source]

June 27, 2015

In which Alina’s sword gets the party in trouble, again.

Balasar Makes a Friend[edit | edit source]

Balasar speaks with Gren. Gren is afraid of the Scarlet Brotherhood finding out he has been captured and sending someone to kill him while he’s imprisoned. Balasar brings in the Duke and together they convince Gren that they will protect him as long as he helps to root out the corrupt Order of the Gauntlet members. He agrees. He tells them about the Order paying off corrupt guards in the Gauntlet and how they have plans to take over the city.

Rah’mon casts Continual Flame on his own spear and on Balasar’s newly-acquired magic longsword. However, when he casts the spell on the longsword, something resists him. He has to pour more magical might into it until he breaks through. The weapon appears to be undamaged by the effort. Now, the party has easily-concealed, permanent light sources.

For the Puppies! (5 years ago)[edit | edit source]

A dark realm. White, pale creatures working on an altar. Another enters.
“Sisters, what’s the word?” says the newly-entered creature.
“We finally have the shadow gem attuned. Today is the day. We can send ourselves to Mosarra. This will be our test – we can take back the world!” says one of the two. They argue over who to send as their first test subject, then settle on a hulking, pale-skinned brute who wields a giant spear with a red-metal tip. Lavinia, one of the creatures, states that Zorah must be involved.
The creatures sacrifice a small lizard to power the magic of the shadow gem to open the portal to Mosarra. As they do so, a happy voice yells out, “For the puppies!” and a light-skinned woman does an amazing, acrobatic flip onto the head of the spear-wielding brute, sending him backward as she leaps through the portal. The portal closes behind her as Lavinia screams. The sisters turn on the one they called Zorah with hatred and anger in their eyes… .

Heading North[edit | edit source]

As the party travels north in search of Gareth, Alina remembers that one of those who ambushed her party at the Inn was a hulking brute under a red cloak who held a large spear with a red-metal tip. Tamzin explains that it is her people who have created the magic to create these black and purple portals. She says that the hulking brute is a Shadar-kai who has been experimented on and is very tough.

The party travels in style, with everyone on a horse except for Rah’mon, who was given a little-used chariot that the Duke had in storage and did not need. As they near the Inn, however, Tamzin spots figures apparently preparing an ambush on the side of the road ahead. Sariel first sends her owl to reconnoiter, and then she and Tamzin head into the woods to surprise the ambushers. The rest of the party proceeds forward as though nothing is wrong.

Trixie and Alina coax the men out of their hiding spot. The men are known to Alina and are Gauntlet men. However, it quickly becomes obvious they are here to take the sword from Alina, and they move to attack. Tamzin and Sariel then surprise them, taking two out of the fight almost immediately. The rest fall quickly.

The leader is holding something in his hand. Its effect is to block and diffuse some of the magic that Rah’mon and Trixie send his way. He opens a portal, but Janus is the one who is knocked through it into the dark land beyond. Tamzin’s and Balasar’s newly acquired magic weapons seem to react to the portal’s magic by sparking. The party captures the leader in the end. He becomes very agitated when he sees Tamzin. She interrogates him and learns that he was paid by the Scarlet Brotherhood to ambush them and take the sword. The sword is somehow a bane to their plans to take over this area, and they need to lock it away so no one can use it against them. They leave him restrained on the road and continue to the Wayward Inn.

Can You Hear the Voices?[edit | edit source]

They reach the Wayward Inn. As they are dismounting, a group of riders approaches from the opposite direction along the road. This group proves to be a group of House Huntsridge warriors, led by Galen Huntsridge, a ruler in the House that is trying to protect the pass through the mountains. He has come with his men to see if Gareth has survived the ambush, as he hasn’t been seen since. Alina provides an account of the ambush up until she passes through the portal. Galen has heard of both the hulking Shadar-kai and the portals. It is his belief that the Scarlet Brotherhood is not killing the people, but capturing them. He suspects that Gareth has been captured.

The innkeeper comes hustling out the door. He joins the conversation and fills in some details that Alina was not aware of. He mentions that someone has written graffiti on his Inn walls. In Gnoll blood, it says, “Come find me, Chosen One.”.

Galen ask them to follow him back to Ganaway. The “horde” is marching that way and he fears he does not have enough men to combat them. However, Trixie hears a voice in her head that whispers “Burville” to her. She tells the party and they debate for a bit before deciding that they must follow the voice and seek Burville first. They agree to head straight for Ganaway afterward to help Galen.

Galen and his men head off. The adventurers head into the Inn for food and rest.

Burville[edit | edit source]

It takes most of the next day to reach Burville. As they travel, Tamzin fills in more details about the Scarlet Brotherhood. The group is made up of Shadar-kai from Shandara (the Shadowfell). The guy with the spear is named Kelbren. The Shadar-kai have conquered all they can in the Shadowfell and want to expand their empire into Mosarra. They hate elves. She also pulls out Gren’s magical dagger and shows them marks on it that she says indicate the dagger is actually hers (and that Balasar’s new magic longsword is from her clan, but she doesn’t know whose it was specifically).

As they crest the last rise before heading into town, they can see people fixing damage to buildings, see some smoke, and, as they get closer, see people with injuries being tended. The party quickly heads to the marketplace and Rah’mon and Balasar help with the injured.

The leader of the town, Elder Kurst, thanks them for their efforts. He says they have been attacked most night by something with a high-pitched scream. Both the young and the old have been attacked. The people in the town have been having bad nightmares, get attacked, and then get weaker until they die. Sometimes, the figure actually helps people, however; healing some, fixing things, and other small acts of kindness. Then they noticed the bloody script in a language no one can read.

Tezzara thinks the sounds like the work of a Hag of some sort.

They move around the village reading the script. It says:

"Danger! The forces of Evil gather. Come to me. Free the power to combat Evil. Hasten, or witness dire destruction. I await the coming of the Chosen One. I am the Sentinel. Evil grows strong, help me overcome the danger."

The party beds down at the Inn. Sariel asks her owl to keep watch during the night and wake her if anything happens.

Into the Woods[edit | edit source]

Aeris, the owl, informs Sariel that there were no attacks the night before. However, as he flew around, he noticed a mountain cave lair to the northwest. It did not see anything coming or going from the lair, but it is the only thing of note in the area.

The party agrees that this must have meaning, so head out toward it through the forest.

The lair has man-made walls around it. Tamzin and Alina climb it with the intent of killing any of the guards and opening the gate for the rest of the party. However, the “guards” turn out to be the heads of Drow on pikes, not actual people. Of course, that begs the question of what killed the Drow.

Inside the entrance to the lair are four sacks. The sacks have purloined loot from houses and villages nearby; candlesticks, silverware, gold frames, etc. The party leaves these at the doorway and continue farther inside.

At their first intersection, Tezzara spots something unusual. After some investigation, Tamzin says it is a weak section in the floor designed to cause people to fall into a pit if they don’t take the correct path across. She leads them over safely.

After some stops, starts, and wrong turns, the party finally finds something of interest: a bunk room for soldiers. They note that some of the beds appear to have been used and there are some tracks in the dust.

As Alina, Balasar, Tamzin, and Sariel head through the far doorway, another trap engages and dumps a mound of rocks and dirt into the doorway, cutting them off from the rest of the party. As Rah’mon, Tezzara, and Trixie start looking for a way to get through the rubble and debris, Balasar, Alina, Sariel, and Tamzin note the two Shadar-kai wearing red robes. Each has a large mountain lion on a leash!


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Campaign

Into Drow Territory[edit | edit source]

July 19, 2015

The adventurers head farther into the Drow caves.

Ack! Spiders![edit | edit source]

With a portion of the party separated by the rubble and debris, and Shadar-kai attacking, things look grim. The owl notices and alerts Sariel that the mountain lions are wearing collars and the two Scarlet Brotherhood members have similar devices on their wrists. Tamzin recognizes one of the Shadar-kai. The party takes him down, but keeps him alive. Each member does his or her best not to attack the lions, but instead focuses on the Shadar-kai. They take the lions’ collars off, and one lion drags the corpse of a Shadar-kai away for snacking.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the debris, an unnoticed panel in the floor opens and a rush of four shadowy minor Driders come racing out and toward those left on this side. It becomes apparent very quickly that Rah’mon does not like spiders, as he brings forth a huge column of Light and badly wounds or kills all of them. Trixie also is quick to act, firing off a flame attack, which is somehow duplicated, and kills the remaining spiders. Tezzara just stands there with a bemused smile, and the turns to start working on the debris pile.

Trixie says she hears the voice in her head again. Apparently it helped her by duplicating her attack, somehow.

Questions and Answers[edit | edit source]

With the party back together, they question the lions and the remaining Shadar-kai, Dietrick. The lions were captured and collared. They know that the Shadar-kai are looking for someone. There is a group that left that morning in the area, continuing the search. The lions indicate that Dietrick’s mother is in the area, and is leading the group that left that morning. They say that no Drow are left in these halls, they were forced out by the Shadar-kai. The mother is searching for more Drow to capture and kill.

The group lets the lions go free.

Searching the body and then Dietrick, they find and take:

  • (Rah’mon) 20 sling bullets
  • (Balasar) Crossbow and 20 bolts
  • (Tamzin) Thieves Tools
  • Pouch containing 6 Shandrian gems (aquamarine) (600 GP value)
  • (Tamzin) Fine, possibly magic, leather armor (Leather armor +1)
  • Small chest of gold and gems (1200 gp value)
  • (Tezzara) Spell book (mostly illusions)

Tamzin questions Dietrick. It seems the Shadar-kai made another portal and came through it. They were supposed to meet up with Kelbren, but became distracted by the Drow. Her mother wants to kill them all. Apparently, something has happened to Kelbren. He is not following the plan any more and is amassing his own army. They have been using the disguise of the “Scarlet Brotherhood” to find out more and learn about the area.

They hear a roar from somewhere deeper in the caves. Dietrick says it is an owlbear they captured. They were trying to make the collars work on it, but they failed.

With no more questions, and not wanting to simply let him go, they force Dietrick into the space the minor Driders came from and close the lid.

The party proceeds down the hallway.

Aberrations[edit | edit source]

A few rooms down the hall, they find the owlbear chained in a cage. They use magic to speak with it, and then devise a plan to free it.

First, Sariel feeds it some magic Goodberries, which heal it a little and sate its hunger. Next, they find the matching wrist device and destroy it, which makes the collar on the owlbear open and drop off. Next, Tamzin picks the locks on the cage and the chain. Lastly, Sariel tells it that it is free and everyone stands warily back. It gets the hint and runs down the hallway toward the cave entrance.

Farther into the caves, Tamzin suddenly spots and warns the party against approaching a rat gnawing on a pile of leather and hides. As soon as she does, the illusion wavers and everyone sees it for what it is: a symbiotic jelly!

Alina hears water and smells fresh air ahead.

Mage’s Room[edit | edit source]

They find a split passage. One way appears to head toward an exit, and the other is blocked by a doorway. Impatiently, Alina just kicks the door down and inside the party sees the accoutrement of a mage’s study. Books line the walls and desks with alchemical gear and reagents on them are scattered about. There is also a desk and a bed.

Using magic detection, the party learns the entire room is covered in an unusual spell designed to foil Detect Magic spells. They decide to foil it by bringing anything they suspect may be magic outside of the room, where they can more easily tell if it is, in fact, magical.

In the end, the party determines that a chamber pot and a cloak are magical (plus the armor looted from Dietrick, earlier).

  • Cloak of Elven Kind

We head back into the room once more, as Rah’mon has a suspicion. It is borne out, as they find a concealed door that leads down to an underground sea. Tezzara suspects it may connect with the Drow kingdom.

The party returns to the mage’s room and then proceeds down the passage they have yet to walk. This leads them to an underground cave opening. Inside the cave, they see the dead body of some Drow and some large wharf rats, which scurry away. As they exit the cave, they find themselves in an area concealed by bushes and trees and a good way away from the main entrance; an obvious bolt hole if the cave complex is overrun. They walk around to the main entrance, and then move toward the west and Ganaway.

Insider her head, Trixie once more hears the voice. This time it says, “Follow the light.”

Trader Joe’s Caravan[edit | edit source]

The party soon finds the road and joins it. Quickly afterward, they hear the sounds of voices, carts, and horses. Preparing for the worst, they soon discover a traveling caravan of two carts and a couple of traveling salesmen and their guards.

They perk up when Trixie starts speaking and soon have their carts open and trading occurs. Trixie convinces the party to part with the chest of gold and gems and the spellbook they recently acquired in exchange for what she calls a ‘bag of holding.’ She then promptly shows that this bag can hold much more than its size indicates, without adding any additional weight to the bag itself. The rest of the party buys some minor knickknacks and stocks up on any non-magical items that they have used over the course of their day (rations, arrows, etc.).

Soon, they are on their way again toward Ganaway.

Following the Light[edit | edit source]

As the sun sets in front of them, they spy a garishly dressed man walking toward them on the path. His clothes are multi-hued, his jewelry is shiny and catches every ray of the setting sun, and his personality is large and ebullient.

“My friends, you’ve come to me in my hour of need!” proclaims Duncan Dawnstar, a priest of Lathander, a god of Light.

His tale is thus: He seeks his lost brother of the order, Harmon, who has hidden a bunch of relics and artifacts of the Order of Lathandar, including books and scrolls. He fears Harmon has come to an ill end, but wants to verify it and find the artifacts to take back to the order. They need the information.

He offers for the group to aid him. They can claim anything he does not need for the order as bounty and payment for the help. Rah’mon, a fellow priest of a Light god, readily accepts. The others are a little slower to accede. They perk up when Duncan lets slip that he knows and used to adventure with Gareth, Alina’s friend in the Order of the Gauntlet.

He shows the party a map and Tezzara and Sariel immediately see that the location to which he was traveling is pretty close by, even if the map is pretty crudely drawn. They party heads that way. Outside the location of the hidden shrine, they find a human body in bright yellow robes hanging from a tree. They cut him down and Duncan confirms it to be Harmon. The entrance is surrounded by bright (but not valuable) stones, adorned pillars, and protected by two gargoyles. Duncan lets the group know that, while also being a fine member of the Order of Lathandar, Harmon was also an excellent trap-smith. Everyone should be cautious.

Something about the gargoyles concerns Rah’mon, and he taps them with his spear as he closes on the entranceway. His suspicions are proven right, as there is a cracking sound and the gargoyles metamorphose from stone to flesh and attack. The party, with superior numbers, quickly surrounds and dispatches the two creatures.

Duncan, who didn’t help during the combat, conveniently remembers that gargoyles have a nasty habit of leaving bait, like poor Harmon, to lure new victims in so they can attack.

Lathandar’s Cubby Hole[edit | edit source]

Inside the small cave is an irregular, but mostly round, enclosure. It looks like the place has been looted already, possibly by the gargoyles. There are books, a place to sleep, a lectern, and a small shrine dedicated to Lathander. An entranceway with an unusual plant is opposite the party.

Duncan immediately recognizes the plant as a wither weed. He proclaims it is a magical plant and will viciously attack anyone that nears it without the proper password or device to mollify it. Everyone begins looking around for something.

Tezzara finds a note on the lectern. It reads, “Though swords reap on the barren heath, and sighs upon the fruitful field; though fire may bloom, a funeral wreath, the quill alone may make me yield.” It is decided we must find and hold a writing quill in order to pass.

Trixie searches Harmon’s body and finds a bunch of quills in a hidden compartment of his boot. With everyone holding one, the wither weed plant quivers, but does not attack. Underneath the plant, they spy a sack, which they take. Inside, they find some goods.

  • (Duncan) Orb
  • (Duncan) Scepter
  • (Duncan) Coronet
  • (Duncan) Crystal statuette
  • Golden thread (25 GP)
  • Ivory statues ((25 GP total)
  • Various coins (81 GP value)
  • A total of 12 gems (600 GP total)

Duncan wants the orb, scepter, coronet, and crystal statue. The party may take the rest as compensation.

In this back room, they find more books. Most have brown bindings on them and appear to be concerning the Order of Lathandar, or about religion in general. Everything has a focus on gods of Light. Each of the blue books, however, seem to be of a historical nature and about the area they are in now.

Everyone grabs some books and flips through them, sharing what they find if anything interesting pops up. Tezzara, being an archivist and scholar, finds something of special value; in one of the blue books, there is information about “the Guardians.” These are people of the family line Van Org. The term ‘sentinel’ is passed down from person to person and having that title makes you a guardian. They fought a magical threat from beyond the mountain pass. The last Van Org retired to a villa, located close to this shrine and along the way to Ganaway. She also finds a crudely drawn map, which she takes.

As the plant is protecting them, and they are inside a warm, dry cave, the party (and Duncan) decide to camp here for the night.


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Campaign

To the Villa, Poncho![edit | edit source]

August 9, 2015

The adventurers search for the lost home of the Van Orgs.

Goodbye… and Good Riddance![edit | edit source]

Duncan thanks the group for their efforts in finding the hidden shrine and his order’s books. They take as many of the treasures to his cart as they can. During this time, while speaking with Alina, Duncan lets slip that he finds it interesting that Gareth has changes his surname to “Killraven.” He doesn’t mention what the surname used to be. He also says that, like most of their adventuring party, Gareth retired with enough money that he shouldn’t have needed to ever work again. He finds it interesting that Gareth is part of the Order.

Drow Mischief[edit | edit source]

The party heads toward the villa by way of the map they found. It is crude, but serviceable. Sarial and her owl lead the way toward the river Lewyn. When they arrive, however, they see bodies floating down the river. All of the bodies look like Drow, and each has open wounds and burns.

Sariel sends her owl to scout ahead. It soon finds a very dark copse of trees and spies a red-cloaked figure killing a Drow and throwing the body into the river. Sariel and Tamzin sneak ahead of the rest of the group. Seeing only one figure, they attack. However, Tamzin realizes they have been duped, and the figure is an illusion. They are suddenly surrounded by figures.

Lavinia and four other Scarlet Brotherhood cloaked figures emerge. Tamzin and Sariel must fight for their lives while Sariel sends her owl to get the rest of the party. They do quite well, and the rest of the group arrives in time to mop up the remainders. However, Lavinia escapes.

  • Breast plate +1 (Alina)
  • Brooch, platinum
  • Small chest with gold and jewelry (320 GP total value)
  • Gold chain
  • Gold ring
  • Bracer (singular), gem-encrusted
  • Gem-encrusted sword
  • Studded leather +1 (Rah’mon)
  • 2 Potions of Healing (used immediately)
  • 4 vials of poisons
  • Maps/notes concerning why the Scarlet Brotherhood cannot find the villa

The party takes a short rest, uses some magical healing, and catches their collective breaths.

Finding the Villa[edit | edit source]

They continue upriver when they suddenly realize that they are heading downriver. That can’t be right. A few more tries each find them heading in a direction other than where they want to go. Those who understand magic check for its presence and they discover that the mists that course off the river has a confusion spell inherent to it, causing them to turn around when they come in contact with it.

They form a plan involving using their ropes to tie everyone together and then having those at the tail end keep those in the front in line with their intended direction, and then vice versa when the effect stops hindering them and starts hindering those in the middle or end. It takes a few tries, but they soon make it past the effect and to the outskirts of the villa Van Org.

Along the way, Trixie once more hears the voice in her head. It prompts her to take the lead in this endeavor and leads her to the corpse of a dead Night Hag. However, indications are that this is not the Hag that was helping the village.

Ambushes, Traps, and Some Special Weeds[edit | edit source]

The group enters the outer villa wall. Inside are two empty gatehouses. In the courtyard, everything is overgrown. They see a total of five doors. At first, the party starts toward the main double-doors at the far end. However, they hear a screeching and two large creatures, which look like a cross between deer and a bird, fly in and attack the elves in the party… Perytons!

  • 2 perytons

The fight does not go well until Sariel notices a plant near her that, when applied to her arrows, allow her to hit the Perytons with full force. Everyone uses the plant extract on their weapons and soon the creatures lie dead.

Deciding to take things a little slower, the party changes tactics and starts searching each room as they head toward the double-doors at the far end.

The first room contains a clutch of three baby Perytons, which they kill.

  • Potion of Healing
  • 100 GP

In the next room, a typical Drow trap goes off and the room collapses around Balasar.

In the next room, they don’t even open the door—they can smell the rotten and spoiled food enough to know better than open it.

In the last room before the double-doors, Tamzin finds a trap on the door, which she bypasses. Inside they find a storage room, but one of the walls is strangely pristine compared to the others. Rah’mon taps it with his spear, and it attacks! It turns out to be a Stun Jelly in disguise. Although surprised, they quickly overcome it.

Searching the room, they find a potion chest with slots for up to 12 potion vials. Eight are filled:

  • 5 Potions of Healing
  • 1 Potion of Diminution
  • 1 Potion of Vitality
  • 1 Potion of Speed
  • Cash Box containing 800GP


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Campaign

Double, Double Toil and… Evening Wear?[edit | edit source]

October 25, 2015

The party continues searching the villa for signs of The Sentinel.

Statues[edit | edit source]

The party gathers itself and then heads up the stairs toward the main villa entrance. Tamzin attempts to unlock the lock and notices runes around it. Rah’mon reads the runes and discovers they were a fire glyph to help protect the entrance from unwanted visitors.

Inside the large room are a series of six statues with sheets over them, plus two bronze panther statues surrounding a throne-like seat at the far end. It looks like a room built for royalty, and the party assumes someone in power probably met the public in this room.

As they move toward the throne, a sheet drops on Rah’mon and Tezzara and begins to suffocate them. At about the same time, two of the “statues” prove to be animated undead and move to attack.

  • 1 sheet phantom
  • 2 sheet ghouls

There are a few tense moments as the two divine casters struggle underneath the phantom, but the party eliminates the ghouls quickly and helps them get free from the last undead threat. During the combat, Sariel notices a staircase leading away from the room and two doors that no one noticed upon entry.

Library[edit | edit source]

Through one of the doors, the party discovers a ransacked library. It appears that someone has burned a large number of books, but they find a few remaining.

  • 1st Edition of one of the first books published in this land
  • History of the Elder Races (but it strangely uses “age” instead of “kin” in its references)
  • How to Camp
  • How to Fish

Trixie, remembering another wizard’s sanctum the party searched, decides to look behind the bookcases for a secret or concealed door. Rah’mon helps. And they do find a concealed door. Inside is a pristine mage’s study with two lecterns and two books… and a giant mechanical snake guarding the books!

Rah’mon, thinking fast, tells the group he believes the snake is a guardian and will not attack if we say something or do something to turn it “off.” Tezzara says it is strange how the one book makes that one consistently incorrect reference to the Elder Age rather than Elder Kin, and Rah’mon address the snake and speaks that incorrect reference. The snake stops being aggressive and moves off to the wall.

They collect two more books. One is a book of Protection Rituals. The other is a general book of spells. Tezzara and Trixie are both quite interested, and even Rah’mon is intrigued enough to flip through them for a few minutes.

  • Protection Rituals
  • Spellbook

The Surprise Inside[edit | edit source]

They head through the other door and find another room where everything is broken and destroyed and a little scorched. They pick through it for a few minutes, but quickly determine there is nothing of interest or value here. They pick a staircase and head downstairs.

It is very dark downstairs, outside of the light provided by Rah’mon’s various spells. Some of those who can see the best in the dark notice a pulsing green hue coming from one hallway. As the party moves forward to investigate, five Wisps come around the corner and aggressively attack.

  • 5 wisps

Wisps are hard to hit but easy to destroy, so the party makes very quick work of them. Tamzin says to watch out for “the presence,” which is usually found near wisps and is the creator of the wisps.

Sure enough, in the next room, there is a similar, larger ball of “anti” light, which Tamzin confirms is the presence.

  • 1 Presence

As if made for this battle, Rah’mon calls upon his gods of Light and blasts the thing. It creaks and cracks and dissolves, but it takes some a little more pushing from his comrades to kill it. As it dies, Tamzin yells, “The surprise inside!” and leaps after a final fragment of the creature before it can be snuffed out of this plane of existence. She is left holding a dark crystal which she immediately learns has recuperative powers.

  • Dark crystal (regeneration) (Alina)

One passage appears to head toward the river, as it is musty and smells wet, so the party heads into the existing areas.

Mmm… Sulphur[edit | edit source]

They search the remaining areas that seem to have been built at the same time as the house above. They find a teleportation circle that appears to move one from this spot up to the bronze throne directly above. They avoid it and move toward some recently excavated area of the wall.

As they proceed down the newly-crafted tunnel, Sariel notes that they are built in the Drow style or architecture, but there are also sconces on the wall with torches… something the Drow would not need.

Soon they smell wet fur and sulphur, not a pleasant combination. As they are wondering what would cause it, a large hound springs out of its nook. It has two heads, is huge, and Tamzin warns to kill it fast before it can howl, or it will call others to its aid.

  • Hound of the Abyss

The party takes those words to heart and Sariel, Balasar, and Alina all do massive, sudden damage to the creature, killing it quickly.

Sariel and Tamzin then move ahead to scout the area. Tamzin spots and saves Sariel from a trap, but they are noticed by those in the room ahead… a large number of Drow!

Trick or Treat![edit | edit source]

There are approximately thirty Drow in the room. They spy around nine children, and the rest appear to be fit adults and a mix of males and females.

The damned voice in Trixie’s head decides that now is a good time for her to be useful, as the party is close to figuring things out. She skips ahead and introduces herself to the Drow. It takes some negotiating and some fine persuasion, but the party convinces the Drow that they are not here for them. They want a Hag that has made its way into these tunnels gone, and they just want to get back to the Underdark, from where they came.

The group makes a truce with the Drow, and will get rid of the Hag problem for them. They proceed down the remaining hallway, avoiding another Drow trap placed there along the way.

Inside the remaining areas is the Hag. It is insanely scratching at the wall with one hand and wearing a bright white, be-gemmed glove on its other hand.

Some rats attack.

  • 1 were-rat
  • 1 giant rat swarm

The party quickly kills the rats. Trixie moves toward the Hag, removes the glove, and puts it on. The voice in her head is quite happy with this, and tells everyone in the party that it must be used against the evil “gauntlet” – its opposite number – and rid this area of evil.

Alina recalls that the creature that magically pushed her through the portal when she was on her own mission with Gareth wore a really special-looking steel gauntlet. She also points out that her order is called The Order of the Gauntlet.

  • White, gemmed glove

DM Note: Raise characters to level 4.


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Campaign

We’re Off to Ganaway[edit | edit source]

(November 29, 2015)

The party continues its progress toward the city of Ganaway, where they hope to encounter the mutant Shadar-Kai with the red-tipped spear.

Where There’s Smoke…[edit | edit source]

The party rests and recovers after the constant combats. They then tell the Drow that the way is clear for them to continue their excavation to the Underdark. Knowing that they left the boathouse area unexplored, they retrace their steps and head down the ramp toward the smell of water.

Once there, they spot a nice boat. But Tamzin also notes something in the water. As they look, something with two heads and tentacles starts to emerge from the water. While it appears to have a wand attached to its head, the plethora of giant leeches that also begin to emerge from the water determines the party’s actions… they head back to the door to the boathouse, close and lock it, and head back through the house to their horses.

On horseback (and chariot), it does not take the group long to reach the outskirts of Ganaway’s territory. In the sky, they see large plumes of black smoke. Even from a distance, they can hear the occasional sound of battle. They hurry.

Parking their horses in a small clearing off the road and out of sight, Tamzin and Sariel scout ahead and find an opening in the town’s palisade where a contingent of humanoids entered. They wave the rest of the party to join them, and then they march into the town looking for threats and survivors.

… There’s Fire[edit | edit source]

It appears that multiple types of Humanoids are working together, which is odd for this region. They see Ogre, Orc, and Gnoll bodies, as well as too many Humans, Elves, and similar. Far too many of the bodies are unarmed women and small children. Some of the bodies are burned in a way that suggests magic has been used.

As they continue marching through the town toward the sounds of battle, Rah’mon and Tezzara both hear commands being said in the common tongue. The voice is saying that they expected less resistance than they have so-far met. On that note, the party decides to charge forward and engage them.

They see a group of orcs and gnolls and one large ogre, which they engage.

  • 6 orcs
  • 6 gnolls
  • 1 ogre

The party charges in with such surprise and vehemence that the humanoids are overwhelmed fairly quickly. Spells, arrows, and hand weapons find their home in the fleshy underbellies of the rapacious creatures, and the party leaves none of them alive.

  • 150 GP of coins on bodies

Forming up their ranks, the adventurers continue heading toward the sounds of combat. Along the way, they see some survivors gathering together, passing out makeshift and found weapons, and preparing to go in search of more attackers. However, Rah’mon urges them to find someplace they can fortify and defend, instead.

Some of the survivors tell the party that they saw a large humanoid using a red-tipped spear who was taking prisoners and leaving the town. Others say they saw a band of goblins on wargs helping the town fend off the invaders. A few others suggest it appeared that a large, mutated Gnoll was leading the attack on the town and forcing the other races to follow him (and the one with the spear).

Armed with more, but confusing, intelligence, the party continues looking for attackers and survivors.

We Have to Put Ol’ Yeller Down, Son[edit | edit source]

As the party nears what looks like the main concentration of remaining combat, they spy their old friend Blitch and his goblin band helping the townsfolk to fend off the attack. For being small creatures, they are remarkably effective at using their wargs and hit-and-run tactics to kill and confuse the orcs, gnolls, and ogres. However, they do not realize that some of the orcs and gnolls are taking up sniper positions in the nearby building.

The party shouts a warning and a greeting to Blitch and company, and then some take aim at the snipers while the rest help out against the attackers who are on foot. Working in a concerted effort, the adventurers, the remaining townsfolk and guards, and the goblins are able to whittle down and kill the main force here.

Blitch excitedly announces that his goblins have pinned the Gnoll chieftain in a nearby shop, which turns out to be a flower shop. Half the party rushes to the front and the other half to the rear of the shop. Trixie and Rah’mon shout out to the others that they will “burn it down” and “bring the Light of Ra” to the building, and Tezzara, getting their meaning, also prepares to attack the building with fire.

They unleash a torrent of flame, setting much of the building (and the flowers, papers, and fertilizer inside) on fire. The Gnoll chieftain tries to hold out, but the fire is too intense and he gets burned badly. He rushes out the back door and into the waiting arms of Balasar, who whacks him with his sword. The gnoll doesn’t stand a chance against the onslaught from the three in the back of the building, and he goes down quickly. Rah’mon uses his knowledge of medicine to make sure the gnoll doesn’t die, but he also doesn’t do enough to make sure the gnoll will recover fully, either.

Turns Out, Ol’ Yeller Has Good Intel[edit | edit source]

The Gnoll chieftain thanks the party for “freeing” him. He says that the Shadar-kai with the red-tipped spear has a way of controlling others through force of will and magic. Once he commands you, you are helpless to resist. He also has a dark glove on one hand that he appears to talk to. (Everyone looks at Trixie.) The gnoll further says that the Shadar-kai needs hostages or sacrifices to launch a war on this reality, and he wants to take the Keep in the pass in the mountains in order to do it. The keep has some sort of magic hidden inside it that will allow him to become a great war-leader.

Trixie’s glove then speaks and says it just needs to be brought close enough to that creature’s glove, and it can fight the other glove’s powers and help stop all this from happening.

The party lets the gnoll die and then helps sweep the city for any remaining combatants. Once done, they introduce the goblins to the people of the city, help (non-magically in most cases, using magic when needed) the survivors recover, and set a plan in place for the goblins to aid the townsfolk in protecting the city when the party goes after the mysterious Shadar-kai.


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Campaign

Into the Pass[edit | edit source]

(January 10, 2016)

The party follows after the giant Shadar-kai in the hopes of averting an apocalypse. It must be Tuesday.

Thank You and Good Night[edit | edit source]

Standing in the market area of Ganaway, after clearing out the remaining enemies from the town, the party discusses whether they should follow the Shadar-kai leader now or wait, rest, and heal before following.

Before coming to a decision, we hear some shouts of “Make way for the Lord Protector” in the near distance. Soon, a small retinue of troops with the Huntsridge banner and emblem arrive, surrounding a large, older Human male who is wounded.

He immediately asks for those who helped protect the town.

The Lord Protector, Ailric Huntsridge first acknowledges and congratulates the Blitch and the other goblins for their bravery. He pronounces them as Yeoman and Foresters of the land and gives them each a Seal and a thank you. Blitch blinks back tears of joy.

He turns to the adventurers and thanks them. He explains that he attempted to lead the horde away from the town, but they were not successful. During the skirmishes, he was wounded. His men noted that the horde was taking prisoners, which they thought odd. Any of the hardiest, strongest that could be taken were bound and sent somewhere. His son and Gareth were both captured. Working together, Balasar and Rah’mon remove the poison affecting him and heal some of his damage. His pain eased, he suggests they rest and heal themselves before going after the Shadar-kai with the red-tipped spear.

The party are given the best rooms at the Inn for free, and all food and drink is on the house.

Into the Pass[edit | edit source]

The party is up at first light, breaks fast quickly, gears up, and gets on the road north toward Adder Pass. Sariel, using her tracking skills, notes that a group meets up with a larger group and follows this same road toward the pass… so they are on the right track, it seems.

With Sariel out ahead of the main party scouting, she misses an ambush (or did they let her go by so they could attack the larger party?) which Tezzara just notices before they attack by a sudden glint of sunlight on metal.

  • 9 Gnolls, spread our around the battlefield

While the Gnolls have the advantage at first, the party rallies quickly and dispatches them in very short order. On one of the Gnolls, they find orders that tell the dog-men to stay for two days and slow any advancing forces.

The Keep[edit | edit source]

Pressing on, the group soon sees the tower that comprises the main building of Adder Keep. Sariel comments that the tracks of the warrior group they are following seem to be magically enhanced somehow; the strides are too long, too quick for these humanoids. They have gained some time on the party.

The gem on Trixie’s glove lights up and the Sentinel speaks to the party. It knows of a secret way into the Keep that would avoid a direct confrontation with, and sight line of, the tower. Looking up at the formidable tower, the party can see a glow streaming out of the main tower. The gem urges the party to hurry, so he can confront the gauntlet and settle this.

It leads the party to a small ledge that is very hard to see from the main path, but which is quite safe to ride on once you know it is there. This path leads to the foundations of the keep in the mountains. At the paths termination, Rah’mon notes a symbol that includes three light gods, Ra (his own god), Lathander (a symbol from these regions), and Sehanine (the light goddess of the Elfs). He cannot explain or completely understand why Ra would be included, as that god has never been worshipped in this area. The gem does not know why these symbols are here, either. It uses some of its magic and opens the secret door.

Tezzara notes that there are holes that are consistent with giant ants nearby to this entrance.

Them![edit | edit source]

Inside the secret entrance, the adventurers see a large hallway. Stones are painted with bright colors and symbols of light and the sun. The gem doesn’t know of any direct connection between the Keep, its own order, and the sun or light gods. The coat of arms for the Keep is painted on the floor in a giant display.

There are four alcoves in the room. Each alcove has a figure in it on a throne. Two are robed and two are in armor. For each, wherever flesh would be showing through the armor or from the robes, there is nothing. However, using a Detect Magic spell shows that there is magic there. It is like the body under the robe or armor is invisible. It is not moving, so the party continues farther into the room.

Rah’mon feels the strong urge to say a prayer to his god, Ra. As he does, a beam of white light shoots from his holy symbol and illuminates a section of wall opposite the door they entered. They head that direction and find a concealed door in the wall, which they open.

Inside is a room filled with similar giant ant holes. As soon as the doors open, giant fire ants, each one the size of an average human, come streaming up from the holes and move into an aggressive stance. Alina says, “Ants, why did it have to be ants?” Apparently, she feels about ants the way Rah’mon feels about spiders.

  • 12 fire ants

The ants are grouped together in attack formation. Tamzin, Tezzara, and Alina move in and attack the ants at the front. Feeling like he has the advantage in these rooms dedicated to light gods, Rah’mon calls down the power of his gods and is able to burn the rest in one large, fatal attack. His gods are strong, here.

Queen of the Damned Ants[edit | edit source]

The party works on closing some of the ant holes in this room and takes a look around. The frescoes on the walls show various Sentinels and Guardians on the walls, and the acts each was most known for. They hear noise from the previous room and see the four figures have left their thrones and are moving in a herky-jerky fashion around the room. Two of them appear to be fighting each other. They do not appear to be moving toward the party in a threatening manner.

As they continue to move around the room, they come to realize that the far wall is not right… it is an illusion! Behind the wall, the Queen fire ant is resting on a strange gem console. Behind it, it is laying new eggs. Each time it moves, the figures in the previous room move. Somehow the gems on the console must be directing the figures.

Alina, still upset about the previous ants, says, “I hate ants!” She rushes forward and, in one fatal chop, lops off the head of the queen ant.

Treasure![edit | edit source]

The party takes a quick breather, and then gets back into its usual marching order and proceeds farther into the keep. The next room it comes across is octagonal and has a very high ceiling. It actually looks very similar to the outdoor area in the villa. There are frescoes and carving all around, which the party stops to look at.

Tamzin and Tezzara both notice that one pillar is inconsistent with the other pillars in the room. Tezzara changes form into a panther and climbs up the pillar. She scratches and claws at the unusual spot and opens a secret hiding place. She is able to claw out the small chest and drop it to her waiting comrades below, who catch it.

Trixie and Rah’mon attempt to open the magically sealed chest, but are not able to. Rah’mon looks more closely and realizes that only a specific phrase or gesture will open it.


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Campaign

Adder Keep[edit | edit source]

(February 28, 2016)

The party continues its search for the Shadar-Kai with the red-tipped spear.

Black on Black[edit | edit source]

The party searches the fresco room for other egresses, beyond the one they already see. They find a concealed door in the northwest corner.

Saving that newly-discovered room door for later, they move to the opening they already know about. Inside the door is a round room painted black and almost completely smooth. Rah’mon can just make out a black on black spiral pattern on the floor. Trixie and Tezzara help him examine the room and the pattern, but they can’t determine what it is or why it is here.

The party ties a rope around Balasar and send him in the room to the center. Nothing happens. They try a few different combinations, but nothing seems to trigger anything. Finally, Rah’mon enters the room and says a pray to his gods of Light. His holy symbols glow and feel warm. There is some about the room, though, that indicates it needs priests. The room is not related to the Sentinels. The party figures they simply don’t have enough information yet. They move on.

And Up We Go![edit | edit source]

Inside the concealed door they find stairs up. After a bit of travel, it is apparent this is a way to go from the bottom of the tower to the top expeditiously and secretly. The stairs end in a solid-seeming wall with handles on it. Balasar moves the section of wall out of the way. The party sees an empty room at the top of the tower, with a view over the pass outside. They are in the eastern turret of the keep. Sariel sends her owl out the window to do a quick reconnoiter, and it confirms where they are. It also says there is another room above them.

In the center of the room is a locked chest. Some quick work by Tamzin and the chest reveals a bunch of Elven bows and quivers of Elven arrows. Sariel quickly refills her own quiver with arrows. The party heads up to the room above, and it is the same.

They head out the only door left to take. They see a wide gravel roof between this tower and another tower, ahead. As they cross to the door in the next tower, Tezzara suddenly realizes that the party is in sight of the other tower and shouts a warning… right as two Manticores attack!

  • 2 Manticores

The fight is quick and brutal. Alina hits both of the creatures and her blade flashes with each hit—it apparently is enchanted to do harm against these types of creatures! Working together to bring the flying creatures to the ground and kill them, the group takes out the strange, flying creatures. Tamzin and Tezzara head to the top of the tower. In order to do so, they must first go back to the first tower, and then walk across a narrow ledge to the second tower. Inside, they find a nest with some items in it, a room with another locked armoire, and a door with symbols of Light on it.

Nest:

  • Gems (how many, approximate value?)
  • Oath Bow (Sariel); requires attuning
    • Say, “Swift death to you who have wronged me” and gain extra D6 damage and no cover penalties
    • May have additional abilities at higher levels
  • Quiver of magic arrow (20) (Sariel)

Arms and Armor[edit | edit source]

The party joins them in that room. Rah’mon examines the door and discovers that it will open if he casts one of his Light spells. He does, and inside the party finds yet another armoire. Inside are a bunch of religious iconography. Reading the icons and comparing notes, Balasar and Rah’mon figure out they say, “When Evil arises, you must Arm Yourself.” Inside the armoire is a shining suit of plate armor and an odd necklace of prayer beads.

  • Full plate armor +2 (Balasar)
  • Necklace of Prayer Beads (Rah’mon); requires attunement; 6 beads/uses per day
    • Current beads: Branding Smite, Bless x2, Cure Wounds x2, Greater Restoration
    • Any used beads reappear at dawn (roll D20 for random results)

The Monster Mash[edit | edit source]

After dawning armor and attuning to the new magic items, plus taking a short rest to recover and recuperate, the party heads back to the second tower’s door. The door is locked, and Tamzin hears voices from the other side. She is sure there is more than one person in the room, but can’t tell beyond that how many there are. She opens the door, and Balasar and Alina charge through… into a room filled with eight Ogres!

  • Ogres (8)

The Ogres are wearing good armor and wielding a variety of stout weapons. This is a tough battle, and everyone is battered, bloodied, and bruised when the party finally wins out. Balasar is briefly knocked unconscious, before magically healed by his compatriots.

This room has a similar armoire chest, but it is open and the Ogres were apparently using the weapons inside. As they catch their breath, they see a door with a gauntlet on it. The Sentinel on Trixie’s hand becomes excited.


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Campaign

Cleaning House[edit | edit source]

(March 20, 2016)

The party confronts Kelbren, the massive Shadar-kai who wields the red-tipped spear and the Guantlet.

First Confrontation[edit | edit source]

The party kicks in the door with the Gauntlet symbol on it. Inside is Kelbren, the spell=-mutated Shadar-kai who has been wreaking havoc around Battenvale. The room is well-furnished and very nice. Kelbren seems to be having issues of some sort. He’s talking to the Gauntlet on his hand and seems to be engaged in an argument. He wants to grab his spear and attack, but the Gauntlet appears to have other ideas, which may involve fleeing. It wants to grab something in a pouch on his belt instead.

Tamzin flips and rolls into the room and grabs the spear, but immediately shouts in pain… simply touching the spear causes her pain.

The rest of the group follows Tamzin in and prepares to attack him. However, the Gauntlet seems to win out and Kelbren does something magical. He suddenly shrinks and disappears in a crack of dark energy, and a small black stone lands on the ground in his place. The stone looks familiar; it is similar to the one the party received after defeating the Presence below the Villa. However, this one is cracked, cool to the touch, and a vapor or smoke is escaping from the cracks.

A wave of fear explodes outward. The Sentinel protects the party, but the group can hear everything still in the keep howling with fright.

Plans[edit | edit source]

Through the howls and bayings of the creatures within and without the keep, the party takes a breath. Rah’mon examines the spear and discovers it is a much-older relic that has been corrupted and has various magics cast upon it, including protection from Good and some sort of damaging ability toward Elves. In the room, they find a very nice suit of breast plate armor and a very nice scimitar. There is a book on the desk in pristine condition. There is a weapons rack with various weapons on it, but none appear special. There is a chest.

The Sentinel reports that this is the General of the Keep’s room, and these are his things.

  • Breast plate +2 (Alina)
  • Scimitar +2 (Tezzara)
  • 2x Potion of Invulnerability

Rah’mon determines that the red-tipped spear can be salvaged through magic, although he is not powerful enough to cast the rituals needed to do it at this time. He recommends they keep the spear until they can recover it from the desecration that has been done to it.

The party swaps some armor around so that everyone is as well-protected as they can be.

Tezzara and Trixie look over the pristine book. It has symbols of Light on it, similar to other location within the keep. Inside the cover is a compartment that looks like it could hold gems similar to the cracked one they now have, however all of the slots are empty. The book refers to a black room inside a dungeon within the keep where they used the crystals to send away the worst of the worst criminals in the ancient kingdom. This prison is called “Adderant” and, most likely, is where “Adder Keep” gets its name from. Different crystals were used to return those captured in the black room to this dimension. Trixie says a phrase in the back of the book and they discover a hidden compartment starts to glow in the small chest Balasar is carrying. Inside that chest are a number of clear crystals… presumably those that return people.

Unwanted Guests[edit | edit source]

Sariel, meanwhile, has sent Aerus, her owl, outside to do a quick scan for any signs of intruders or Kelbren. He suddenly returns at great speed and tells her that many evils are coming. The tower they are in suddenly shakes as a boulder hits it with some force. Tamzin is knocked into the mannequin in the room, and the back opens up and a bunch of coins fall out. She quickly scoops up as many as she can.

  • 400 platinum

A female voice, which Tamzin assures the group belongs to one of her aunts, yells out, “We know you’re in there!” and “You’ve vexed us long enough!” Looking out the window, Sariel can see that large contingent of Giants, Shadar-kai, and Goblinoids are arrayed around the keep and marching up the main path toward the entrance way.

The party gives some brief thought to attacking them using the many bows and arrows the keep has, but decides instead to head to the other tower and take the secret passage back down to the secret dungeon and leave via the secret exit.

Best Laid Plans[edit | edit source]

Just as the party reaches the secret exit door, Tamzin notices her dagger is glowing red in its sheath. The mages determine it is likely a tracing spell, so she throws it away. However, when they open the door, there is a contingent already waiting for them!

  • 18 total enemies (a few mages, a few bowmen, and mostly foot soldiers)

The fight is quick and fierce. During it, however, Trixie’s Wild nature is unleashed and her flesh is turned a nice shade of blue. It actually is quite fetching with her hair and horns. One Shadar-kai takes a gamble and races toward Balasar, leaps at him, and is able to wrestle away the small chest that contains the clear crystals. He sprints away.

Somehow, the Shadar-kai seems to know where the black room is, as he races straight there and, just as the party arrives after chasing him, he is using a crystal, and shouting “Release Kelbren!” Kelbren returns in whoosh of magic and reaches out and snaps the neck of the Shadar-kai who released him.

The Sound of One Hand Clapping[edit | edit source]

The party rushes in and tries to semi-surround Kelbren. He no longer has his spear, but it turns out his Gauntlet is just as powerful as the Sentinel, but in different ways. His can create weapons, create a beam of force, and radiate fear.

The Sentinel tells the party that all it needs to do is touch the Gauntlet and it will take over. After some feints and reposts between the party and Kelbren, Balasar is able to get in and grapple the large Shadar-kai. This allows Trixie to touch Sentinel to Gauntlet, and the two items immediately fly off their respective owners’ hands and begin battling in their own, unique style. The battle of the gloves culminates in the Gauntlet being destroyed and the Sentinel fading away. A burst of magical energy sweeps outward for miles from the two gloves’ destruction. Due to this wave of energy, Lavinia loses her control over the various Humanoids she used to conscript her army, and she and her fellow Shadar-kai flee while the army is confused. The Humanoids fight amongst themselves a bit, and then wander away too when they see an approaching force.

Kelbren, meanwhile, is able to break free and reaches for the book with the clear crystals in it. He falls on it and says, “Release everyone!” The party stands momentarily still, expecting hordes of foul monsters to erupt inside the room and attack. However, what happens is that a bunch of magical wisps of smoke and light come forth, each in the vague shape of the creature or person it was before being captured. The wisps then speed away in various directions from the room. Only a few creatures remain in solid form, like Kelbren – two of which are Gareth and Galen! The party captures the still-living Kelbren.

When they attempt to leave again, this time they are met by the Huntsridge forces, which were arriving just as the magical wave spread forth from Adder Keep.


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Campaign

Growth and Change[edit | edit source]

(April 17, 2016)

In which the group finds one friend changing roles and finds a new friend or two willing to help out.

New Allies[edit | edit source]

On the bodies of their fallen foes, the party members find some goodies.

  • Short sword +1 (Sariel)
  • Circlet of Blasting: charged at dawn. Casts one Scorching Ray spell at +5 attack bonus. Action. (Trixie)
  • Mace of Disruption (attunement): disrupts any Fiend or Undead (doing an additional 2d6 damage). If the creature hit is also under 25 hit points, they must Save or be destroyed. Creates illumination of bright light in a 20’ radius. (Balasar)
  • Medallion of Thought (attunement): 3 charges, renewed at dawn. Action. Cast Detect Thoughts as the spell. (Sariel)
  • Studded Leather Armor +2 (Tamzin)

After finishing the search and beginning to leave the Keep once more, the party runs into Lord Huntsridge and his men approaching the Keep. He is quite happy to see them, and assumes that the opening of the Keep and the magical fireworks they saw as they approach are all the party’s doing, which they confirm. He is overjoyed to discover his son yet lives. He asks the group to come with him to Ganaway, to meet with the Grand Duke and his son.

The party questions the captive Kelbren. However, he is not overly impressed with them. They do manage to get some answers from him: it seems the Shadar-kai are here fighting the Drow. They know that the lands outside of Battenvale are rumored to be magically scarred, and that many of the races in Battenvale fled there to escape. However, no one has seen a Dwarf in a long time. When it appears that the mutated Shadar-kai will not release any more information, they turn him over to Lord Huntsridge for trial and execution.

As they leave, they hear a knocking at the Keeps gate. They discover that Trixie’s new brooch unlocks it, so they open the gate. Outside are two elves, one cloaked and mysterious, the other tall and handsome, except for a burn scar on his left cheek and neck. The tall one steps forward and, with a flourishing bow, introduces himself as “Feywarden Hadarai Datura.” He introduces his friend as “Merrick.” Both are dressed in light armor. Merrick carries a bow and two swords, but Hadarai appears to have no weapon, even though he carries a sword belt with an empty loop on it. They are here on a mission from the Feywild to find out what happened to Battenvale, as they have had no contact with the region in quite some time. When they arrived, they discovered the mystical barrier and could not find a way around it or through it. Then, they saw the light show and hurried up, meeting with a horde of Orcs, Goblins, and other creatures wandering a way into the mountains. He seems a bit condescending toward the Elves in the party.

Hadarai seems to be interested in Tamzin, as he seems to remember her from a dream or a vision. He talks about fighting Themon and Tamzin having dealings with toads, or heads, or some such. He remembers her liking puppies. His companion kiboshes the entire thing, but Tamzin seems to remember both of them, as well.

Hadarai says his stated mission is to reestablish diplomatic relations with Battenvale. Upon hearing that Lord Huntsridge is a noble, and that the Grand Duke of Battenvale is meeting this group in the city of Ganaway, he accepts an offer to join them. He then spends most of the ride near Lord Huntsridge, asking about the relationships between the nobles, the politics of the region, and trade ideas between Battenvale and the Feywild. Merrick, meanwhile, keeps mostly to himself, although he does ride close to Sariel and asks her some questions about the land.

Houses and Libraries[edit | edit source]

It takes a few hours, but the party reaches Ganaway. The rebuilding process has already begun, as they have temporarily filled the breaches in the wall and are clearing rubble and setting up scaffolds. The Grand Duke and his son have already arrived and are waiting on a raised platform. As the party rides in, the townsfolk raise cheers to the party and Lord Huntsridge’s men. They have a warm greeting with the Grand Duke and his son, and the town is preparing a huge feast for the heroes.

As the feast begins, some scouts return. They have scouted far to the south and west of Ganaway and report that all is clear. They did run into some Drow, but were able to take care of them. They move off to one side to sort through and identify the items they picked up from the dead Drow.

The Grand Duke discusses the Writs he owes the party for all the assistance they have provided. He offers them a choice: he can pay them what he owes them and wish them well, or he can build and set aside a place for them to call home while in his lands. The home he builds will have separate areas for each of them and will include a small staff. If they accept, he will make them Emissaries of Battenvale, and this title will come with access to many of the institutions within Battenvale.

In addition, the lakeside Villa they found is being renovated as a library and retreat. They will have unlimited access to it. It is noted that Galen found yet more books relevant to the Light gods the party have encountered throughout this land, to go with the many books, scrolls, and other information the party has discovered along the way. These will be housed in the new library. The Grand Duke just needs to find someone to be caretaker for the library, catalog everything, and oversee the retreat. At the mention of this, Rah’mon steps and asks the Grand Duke if he may be considered for that role. He is intrigued by the confluence of these gods in this area and wants to study the Keep, the Villa, and the Lighthouse more, as well as all the documents discovered. He would even like to contact his order and bring more of his Order here to help out. The Grand Duke accepts his offer.

Shocking![edit | edit source]

Tezzara, a little bored with the proceedings and just wanting to eat some food, glances around. She spots that the scouts are still going through the bags of loot they took from the dread Drow. As she watches, she spies a Healing Potion. She then sees them take out a vial that has something in it. They rattle it around and don’t seem to know what it is. As she watches, curious, they remove the stopper and the glass vial explodes. A blue glow surrounds the scouts. Suddenly, one of them screams and starts writhing on the ground. Hadarai comments that, whatever it is, it is a magical lightning effect, something low-level, but dangerous.

Balasar moves over to try to heal the guy. He gets shocked, but the guy is okay. Suddenly, another person in the crowd at the feast screams and starts seizing. The scout says there was a small bone fragment in the vial. Tamzin spots something moving in the crowd and chases after it. Hadarai cautions her – it may be a bone or tooth from a Blue Dragon, and dangerous to touch. She catches it in a wooden cup and, together, they get it in a vial that Hadarai had on him. Crisis averted.

After checking that everyone touched by the tooth is okay, the feast continues.

The Grand Duke finishes up by stating that the Order of the Gauntlet is henceforth renamed to the Order of the Tower. He shows them the new tabards the Order will wear as he presents Alina with one. He asks the party if they will consider heading to where the scouts found the Drow and investigating further. Hadarai, not even a member of the party, gets a hard, cold, mean look and answers “Yes” even before the party does.

Drow and Dwarves[edit | edit source]

The next morning, most of the party, now with Hadarai and Merrick following along, head south and west toward the locations the scouts indicated they found the Drow, near the old Dwarven ruins. Rah’mon, however, packs his cart and heads east toward the Villa. He takes the ancient, cursed, red-tipped spear with him for research. He promises to stay in touch with them and offer help as he can.

Sariel moves in front and scouts out a path for the group to follow. It takes half the day, but she is successfully able to lead them to the location the other scouts mentioned. As they are perusing the dead Drow bodies, they become aware of two people nearby with hostile intent. Tamzin sneaks into the forest, Sariel sticks close to a tree, and Hadarai, Trixie, and Balasar all shout a greeting to whoever may be there.

Two Dwarfs, Durlen and his cousin Tordel, step out into the clearing. They say they are encamped nearby and are hunting Drow. The Dwarfs want to be left alone in general, especially after they were the ones that bore the brunt of the Pact the races made and the magic barrier that was erected. Hadarai mentions that he is from outside the barrier and that it is now gone. As the Dwarfs ponder this change in the status quo, the ground erupts around them and undead skeletons come crawling to the surface. The untrusting Dwarfs yell, “Traitors!” and move to attack the party as well. The skeletons really are no match for the party. However, the two Dwarfs hit hard, rocking Balasar and Hadarai with solid hits. The group makes a decision not to attack either of them, and actually protect the Dwarfs from the skeletons. This mollifies them somewhat, and the Dwarfs cease their attacks.

Balasar notes that the ground where the undead came up is blackened, but that the ground is not desanctified in any way. He surmises that it may be an arcanist’s magic that brought them forth. Hadarai notices that the arrows the skeletons were using are coated in a substance that is dangerous to Dwarfs. This trap was purpose-built.

Driders![edit | edit source]

The Dwarfs, now thoroughly convinced that the party’s intentions are good, decide to lead them to their underground encampment. It is actually located beneath the ruins the party visited before, and hidden so outsiders cannot easily find it.

Once inside, the Dwarfs become very interested and a bit excited in Balasar’s new mace. They say it was the mace of their old king, Roghr, which he used in the final battle before the magical barrier was erected. They say that they do not now have a King, choosing instead to eschew a king until such time as they can reclaim their ancient kingdom under the mountains from which they were forced out by the orcs, goblins, and others when the barrier was ensorcelled.

The Dwarfs grow agitated. When asked, they say, “We are not being greeted. We should have met someone by now.” Those words are like prophecy; no sooner does Durlen speak them than the party hears skittering sounds. Ahead, two large spider-like figures skitter forward, with the bodies of giant spiders and the torso and heads of Drow. “Driders!” spits the Feywarden, and instantly he has a scimitar in his hands. The rest of the party grabs their weapons and prepares to fight. During the combat, a third Drider drops onto those in the rear of the party, making for a hectic fight.

  • 3 Driders

After the combat, Durlen and Tordel motion the party to a wall. There, they press a secret release and open a concealed door. Inside is a room large enough for the group, with fresh water and food where they can hide and take a quick breather.


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Campaign

Meeting with Dwarfs[edit | edit source]

(May 1, 2016)

The party finds the main encampment of the Dwarfs.

Constant Vigilance[edit | edit source]

After a long rest in the hidden room the Dwarfs showed them, the party runs through their morning rituals and prepares for the next day. Tamzin, Balasar, and Hadarai all look unwell and unrested. It’s not enough that they cannot focus on spell preparation and similar activities.

Tordel and Durlen take the group deeper into the caverns. As they go deeper into the encampment, some in the party notice damage to the walls of the caves. Balasar and Tezzara note that some of the damage is fairly fresh, while Alina notes that some of the damage goes back years. It appears the Dwarfs have been under near-constant attack for possibly hundreds of years.

When asked about it, Tordel agrees. He says that the Dwarfs have seen an increase in the creatures coming up from the depths. Now, even young Dwarfs have to fight. They only mine enough metals for survival and repairs. The Elders are baffled. About three ten-days ago, the attacks increased. As the party enters the inhabited areas of the encampment, they note that everyone is armed; women, children, the elderly. Everyone has a haunted look about them.

Tordel and Durlen ask Hadarai to take a position up front, as a formal emissary. He is more than happy to help out, but looks to his new companions before stepping forward. They nod their assent, but Tezzara and Sariel share a word and throw a disapproving look in Hadarai’s direction.

Prince Vryn[edit | edit source]

A group of guards approaches. They wear a unique suit of Dwarf armor that Balasar actually comments out loud about. With the guards are two who wear ornate armor and robes.

Durlen steps forward and introduces Hadarai, who bows in a formal Dwarfish bow, and introduces himself and his companions to Prince Vryn and his Chamberlain, Bors. Hadaria then tells them of the group’s mission to investigate the Drow that the Grand Duke’s men came across in this area and the fact the magical barrier is now down around Battenvale.

Vryn, appreciating the formal Dwarfish greeting and the use of Undercommon, responds in Common so the non-Underdwellers can follow along easily. He tell them that the Drow have been on the increase lately. The Dwarfs have also seen Shadar-kai in red robes in the area. Balasar provides a brief overview of the party’s run-ins with the Scarlet Brotherhood. Bors, saying he needs to meditate upon all this new evidence, leaves for a tower in the near distance.

After this formal greeting is complete, Prince Vryn insists the party members are his formal guests to a feast this evening.

Dark Clouds[edit | edit source]

Tezzara notices something, although she cannot put it into words exactly. A darkness within the darkness of the underground. She senses no magic from it. Prince Vryn says it is something that has been around for some time, but doesn’t seem to do anything, so they keep an eye on it but otherwise ignore it. They have enough to worry about. He proceeds to leave about his business, and the party decides to head toward the darkness (which also happens to be near the forges, some shops, and the cemetery).

Trixie’s insights insist the dark cloud is magical, contrary to what Tezzara has so far found out.

As Balasar is talking with the forge master about the massive Dwarf smithy-works, and Sariel, Trixie, and Tamzin are looking around various shops, the mist starts sending tendrils down from the cloud near the ceiling of the cavern. The tendrils seem to move with purpose. Berok, the forgemaster, is shocked; they have never seen this reaction from the strange mist before. The mists head straight for Trixie’s amulet. Hadarai is the first to react, and uses a magical flaming blade to attack the mist before it makes contact with Trixie. The mist-tendril recoils from the attack and shoots away. The party, alerted, follows.

Automatons and Lies[edit | edit source]

The follow the mist behind the forges and find it is entering a locked building. Balasar asks Berok for the key to the building, but it is not needed… the door suddenly explodes in splinters and two squads of armor filled with the mist comes marching out!

  • 10 enemies

The party quickly learns that the armor is immune to lightning damage. The two squads fight smartly, lining up their own lightning attacks and fighting as units would. Tezzara calls a group of Fay spirits into the forms of animals, and sends a pack of panthers to attack one group. They prove quite successful. Meanwhile, the two rangers and the rogue make quick work of the other squad.

During the battle, Trixie notices and alerts Hadarai to the fact that the vial he has with the dragon’s tooth in it is being surreptitiously removed from his backpack. Hadarai stops the action, and Sariel uses her deadly aim to send a strong warning to Bors, the Prince’s Chamberlain. After the battle is over, he claims he was trying to aid the party by removing an artifact that the mist-creatures were attracted to. Hadarai turns to Tezzara and warns, “He’s lying through his teeth. Keep an eye on him. Spread the word.”

Before they can discuss the matter any further, a warning sounds and a shout alerts Bors and the group that the Drow have pierced the gate and are attacking. Everyone is needed at the gate immediately!


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Campaign

Traitors Revealed[edit | edit source]

(June 12, 2016)

The party helps the Dwarfs and reveals a traitor.

The Bells They Are a Ringing[edit | edit source]

Barrock and Bors tell the party that the bells and claxons indicate the Drow are attacking again. They suggest that everyone needs a plan and that they all go to the city square and meet up with others to form one. Everyone agrees and starts a quick job to the square. While jogging, Hadarai and Tezzara tell the remaining party members of their suspicions concerning Bors.

At the square, they find Flint, the Captain of the Guard. He comes across as a gruff Dwarf, and a person who doesn’t need or heed any nonsense. Using a magical map, he shows the party the layout, where the Drow are attacking from, and where a Drow contingent has broken off and are heading toward. He asks the party to take care of them before they cause any mischief. He is able to transfer the magical map to Balasar’s sword, so they can use it to find their way. He warns that the dark mist is moving with that contingent and to be wary of it.

Off to Kill Some Drow[edit | edit source]

The group makes haste toward the expected rendezvous point, using the magical map to guide them. It takes them nearly 30 minutes to reach the location indicated. The value of it is readily noticed; the pathway they are on leads to the Dwarf castle, the camp, the surface, or deeper into the underground system. The Drow can almost literally go anywhere if they take this path.

The party sets in motion a hasty plan to ambush the Drow when they reach a spot along the path. However, as with most of their plans, it immediately goes awry. Two Driders appear first, one on the ceiling and one on the floor. The party changes gears and attacks them.

  • 2 Driders

During the fight, Trixie casts a Fireball spell. Her Wild Magic is triggered, and she suddenly shrinks by 9”.

As they finish up the fight with the Driders, the Drow contingent arrives, and the party continues the fight.

  • 6 Drow foot soldiers
  • 1 captain
  • 1 priestess

During this second wave, Tezzara notices the Dark Mist is moving along the ceiling and continuing down the pathway. She attacks it directly, using a Nature spell to bring Daylight to the caves. Inside the mist is revealed a demonic-looking creature with wings.

Suddenly, Bors attacks the party. The fiendish creature attacks him back, killing the traitor. The party is able to overcome and kill the rest of the Drow. The fiend gives up, and agrees to be questioned. Alina hits the Captain in a way that slices open a pouch he has, and Dwarven gold spills all over the ground. Interesting.

He says that Bors was paid to betray the Dwarfs. The Fiend claims he and the Drow are actually the “good guys” in this situation. He says things are going wrong, and that they need to get into the sealed tomb inside the Dwarf mine (the one the Duke’s youngest son was trying to open) in order to fix that which the Duke’s son and others have tried to undo.


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Campaign

Shadows Reveal the Light[edit | edit source]

(July 23rd, 2016)

The party takes on a mission for the Drow.

Wait, Who are the Good Guys Again?[edit | edit source]

The Shadow Demon, who introduces himself as Volithar, has surrendered to Balasar and explains that he and his contingent of Drow and Driders were on a mission of mercy.

He relates to the party the horrible truth that the Dwarves have been holding an Ancient Blue Dragon, Zorrothel, in a state of near death so that they can strip him of body parts without the dragon fading away at the moment of death. These parts are being used to power the Dwarves' magical defense weapons as well as the great forge.

Balasar presses the Shadow Demon on why he and a band of Drow would take on a benevolent mission to put a wounded Dragon out of his misery. The Shadow Demon replies that the Drow have an aversion to being murdered repeatedly by magical lightning. The Dwarves have encroached on the Drow Underdark Sea and the Drow are defending their territory. Since the Drow are all dead, Volithar offers the party employment to complete the mission and put the Dragon out of his misery. Balasar successfully deduces that Volithar is telling the truth. He would like to take the Shadow Demon to the Prince first, however, Volithar's offer of 1000 GP/person convinces the group to help him and not take him to the Prince.

That's No Tomb, It's a Space Dimension[edit | edit source]

Balasar uses the magical map imbued on his sword to lead the group to the surface. From there they proceed to the tomb where the party encountered and killed Sebastian. Volithar explains Sebastian was a Shadow Initiate in the "Shadow Society". He knew from being at Court that the Dwarves used a key to gain access to the Dragon's Tomb. This key was given to a retired Court Guard, Tam, by a Dwarven friend who was sick of what his people were doing. Trixie realizes the group still has the key. Tam asked Gareth to pay the group extra in order to uncover more about the nature of the key.

As daylight wanes they enter the tomb and the keyhole is revealed at the Tomb door that states "Our Greatest Shame" and the word Zorrothel. Tamzin checks for traps and tries the key but it doesn't fit. Trixie recognizes inscriptions on the key and realizes that this ancient incantation must be spoken backwards. Trixie speaks the incantation perfectly and, with Tamzin's help, opens the tomb to reveal... an entire countryside. The tomb door is hiding a portal to another plane of existence. The group cautiously steps through and instantly feels like they had a long rest. Fully refreshed, they continue to walk through this strange land. They realize after a bit that the sun is not moving. It is always twilight. Tezzara realizes this must be the Crestfallen: a magical land created by ancient druids to give all druidic followers a place to commune with each other. It has been lost for centuries and now she knows why.

Kumquat... Papaya... Dragonfruit!![edit | edit source]

The group comes across a forested area and Tamzin scouts ahead. She finds a clearing but it feels off, shifting. Both she and the Shambling Mound moving in the clearing absolutely fail to perceive each other and literally bump together. Tamzin runs for dear life with the Mound in pursuit. Seeing her comrades, she starts yelling "Kumquat, Papaya, no, Dragonfruit, dammit, MANGO!!!"

Both Trixie and Tezzara realize that fire does not hurt a shambling mound but Trixie has a "shadow fireball" stored in her Ebony Echo's bracelet. She unleashes it and a dark, necrotic explosion falls over the mound and surrounding area. Two will o' wisps show up to help the mound.

  • 1 Shambling Mound
  • 2 will o wisps

It is a tough battle but Sariel and Tamzin both target vital vine systems in the mound with deadly precision. This helps the battle go smoothly. The Wisps are tough enemies but the party destroys one as a team. Realizing that the wisps have no resistance to Force damage, Balazar yells out a mighty roar and decimates the final one with his breath weapon.

Family Reunion[edit | edit source]

Balazar immediately hears a reply to his roar in the language of the Dragonborn. He speaks to them and follows their voices and discovers they are Gem Dragonborn like him. The party is near their village. Their elder introduces himself as Hakann. They have lived in the Crestfallen for centuries. The dwarves magically walled off the portal so that only they could enter and exit the land and reap its treasures. The Gem Dragonborn have been cut off ever since. They used to sneak spies in and out of the tomb when the dwarves opened it. They would bring back news on the races of Battenvale and the status of the magical barrier. Hakann thinks Balazar's parents must have been two of these spies and had him on the other side in Battenvale.

Hakann allows the group to rest with them and gives them directions to Zorrothel's old lair. He warns them Green Dragonborn have taken up the cause to protect the tomb and will offer resistance to their mission.

The group accepts the hospitality. Alina is stared at more than the others during their visit. Hakann finally admits his people do not know what she is. The party explains the young race of humans to them.

The party takes their leave and continues to the dragon's lair.

Note: The party levels up.


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Campaign

We’re Off to See the Druid[edit | edit source]

August 14, 2016

Farther in, further troubles.

Rest and Relaxation?[edit | edit source]

The party rests with the Crystal Dragonborn at their camp. During the “night,” someone spots Rurry, a one-eyed goblin thief, off in the distance and watching the camp. The other Dragonborn know the creature, so they stand down, so the party does as well.

The next day, everyone except the Druid wakes up refreshed and ready to go. Tezzara is irritable and access to her magic seems muted. Hadarai suggests that if she used the purer, Eladrin way of meditating at night, she would find more solace in her rest. Tezzara… disagrees.

The Dragonborn point the direction they must go, and the party sets off. As they travel, the Shadow Demon, Volathar, says that the weird mechanics of this realm is causing him pain; he will not be of much help to them unless they can find a place without the light glaring down on him.

Minion Rurry[edit | edit source]

Around midday, Tamzin spots Rurry following the party. Sariel sneaks out and captures him, and takes the special medallion he is wearing and puts it in her pack. Hadarai charms the goblin, and they question him.

  • Bodachis, the Druid, is his master.
  • Bodachis lives up ahead in a valley with a lake and a waterfall.
  • Bodachis was the head of a Druidic order.
  • Bodachis has creatures he controls, but Rurry has never seen them. Rurry has seen the Will o’ Wisps and knows they are under Bodachis’ control.
  • Bodachis took Rurry’s eye and replaced it with the medallion.
  • There are many threats in the area: dwarves, dragonborn of different types, creatures, the dragon.
  • Rurry knows a “secret” path around the Green Dragonborn that worship the great dragon.
  • Rurry has been working for Bodachis for some 20 years now.
  • Bodachis has no structured dwelling, but the entire fresh-water valley is his home. He does have many books and scrolls and other things that he keeps close by.

The party decides to investigate the medallion and discover it is an Amulet of Scrying. They destroy it, and take the constituent parts with them.

The All-Powerful Bodachis[edit | edit source]

Sariel scouts ahead, while the rest of the party makes a plan to move ahead and entreat with the druid as though they are friends. They do not know the goblin is telling the truth about his master, and want to make up their own minds.

Volathar and Rurry hide in a shadow-pocket that the Demon creates, and then follow after the party from shadow to shadow in the tree line. Tezzara wild-shape’s into a frog and is carried by Trixie.

They soon arrive at the clearing in the small valley with the lake and the small waterfall. Hadarai steps forward and entreats Bodachis to speak with them. The waterfall parts and the Druid walks out… on the water of the lake. Bodachis claims that he created this land and that all they encounter and see belongs to him. He, too, wants the dragon dead, but he refuses to state how he has been kept from accomplishing that task. In order to help us at all, he insists on a boon or a trade. He says that one of his old order, Myata, is a thorn in his side and he wants her dead. If the party kills her, he will help them with the dragon.

The party confers for a moment, and then agrees with his demands. He then insists that they take another medallion and wear it. This change to the agreement after it has been agreed to angers Hadarai, who is prepared to attack the miscreant. But Balasar’s cooler head prevails and the party agrees to this part of the deal, too.

They huddle together after leaving the area and compare notes. Tezzara is pretty sure Bodachis has turned himself into some sort of fiend through magic. Hadarai is pretty sure that the Druid was lying about much that he said. The party examines the medallion and find it is similar to the previous one (scrying capability) but also contains tracking magic. They separate the medallion from the group and make a plan to visit Myata, tell her of the deal, and work out some way to trick Bodachis into thinking they have killed her.

Trees![edit | edit source]

Rurry sets out leading the party to, and then along, the secret path he knows around the Green Dragonborn compound. Along the way, they are attacked by three trees.

• 3 living trees

Unfortunately for the trees, the party has access to Fire magic. They take down two trees very quickly. However, before they can clear the last tree, three trolls covered in rotting vegetation shamble out of the forest and also attack.

• 3 trolls

Also unfortunate for the trolls, who are similarly vulnerable to fire magic, the party continues its fire-based attacks when they appear. A few of the party take some strong hits, but they otherwise make fairly quick work of the entire group of trees and trolls.

Myata[edit | edit source]

They soon reach the back of the Green Dragonborn compound, and carefully sneak around it along the secret path. Soon after, Sariel and her owl range ahead and start looking for the Druid Myata. Sariel quickly spies a very well-hidden cave off to one side of the path and waits for the party to catch up to her.

Again, they make a plan to speak with Myata while Alina wears the amulet outside of the cave with Sariel for support, and Rurry stays with them. The rest of the party (including the Shadow Demon) enters the cave to find and speak with Myata.

Very soon they are met by an Eladrin woman who turns out to be Myata. She is pleasant and kind. She is happy to hear the magical barrier is down. She was once part of Bodachis’ druidic order, but he turned to foul magic and created a coven, which she wanted no part of, so she fled. She claims Bodachis and the others are beyond saving at this point, having turned themselves into monstrosities. She says there are 11 Wisps plus Bodachis. She and the Shadow Demon confer and agree that the Dragon may only be freed by the proper application of multiple magical effects, which is why he has aligned himself with the party.

They hear a cry from outside of the cave and rush to see what is going on.

Traitor![edit | edit source]

Alina and Sariel keep watch and make small talk, or, at least, Alina speaks to Sariel. Suddenly, and without any warning from him, Rurry grabs a dagger and drills it into a soft spot between the areas of Alina’s armor. He lifts his eye patch to reveal a similarly-designed magical device to the medallions… Rurry has been working for Bodachis all along, and the Druid may be aware of all of their plans!

Angry and hurt, Alina has no mercy on the small goblin. She takes her greatsword and cleaves the poor thing in twain and then destroys the eyepiece.

Just as the other party members (and Myata) exit the cave to see what is going on, multiple Will o’ Wisps come floating out of the trees. Two merge together for a moment, separate, and Bodachis is standing in the space between them, looking angry and upset.


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Campaign

The Fight[edit | edit source]

8/27/2016

Bodachis attacks. He has his 10 Wisp minions, and three large Displacer Beasts.

Allies[edit | edit source]

Balasar asks Myata to fight with them, and she is surprised but happy to agree.

  • Bodachis
  • 10 Wisps
  • 3 Displacer Beasts

The fight is long and dangerous. If not for the combined efforts of Myata, Tamzin, and Balasar, the entire team may have fallen to the evil Druid. As it is, Hadarai does fall. However, he is not killed outright, and the power of his companions' healing magics is able to close his wounds, fix his fighting vigor, and get him standing once more.

The team overcomes the three Displacer Beasts first. They are able to overcome a few of the Wisps, but focus their attacks on Bodachis primarily. This proves costly, as it turns out that the Wisps are helping to power the Druid, even as they are also trying to turn Myata to Bodachis' ways.

Information[edit | edit source]

It takes a concerted effort, but the party uses just about every trick in their book to overcome Bodachis and the Wisps, but overcome them they do.

Myata, happy but weary, is pleased we helped her take out such a powerful, evil foe. She says the way is clear to the dragon, as we must have overcome or avoided the green Dragonborn's village. While there are some always in the caves of the dragon, their numbers are few.

She believes the green Dragonborn's chieftan has become corrupted by this land and the Dwarfs' magics. He is now neither fully Dragonborn nor fully dragon, but something twisted and in between. She does not think we need to be overly concerned about Balasar; as long as he is not here too long and he fights it, he should be able to withstand the Taint of this land.

The party raids Bodachis' body and finds:

  • Armor of Displacement: This +1 leather armor is made from Displacer Beast hide. It projects a magical illusion that makes its wearer appear to be standing near its actual location, causing attack rolls against it to have disadvantage. If the wearer is hit by an attack, this trait is disrupted until the end of its next turn. This trait is also disrupted while the wearer is incapacitated or has a speed of 0.
  • Shield of Reaction (requires attunement): This +1 wooden shield shines gold as if it was covered in the brilliant metal and can never get dirty. It grants its wearer advantage on initiative.


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