# Jeremy's Illustrated Dalelands Story Hour [TRIPLE Update +Mephit Illo, 12/27]



## Jeremy (Feb 15, 2004)

*Ashabenford, Mistledale*
*13th of Deepwinter in the Year of Wild Magic*

The snow had let up again though Winter's chill had no such plans. An especially odd group of four were braving the Moonsea Ride today, headed up to the village of Glen in Mistledale. Titus had the lead, Blackhands they called him, his hands looking almost as if frostbite had claimed them but still agile enough to wield the almost six foot length of blackwood he carried. It was going to be a long hike today with the pace they had to maintain due to Galdur's short stature.

"We shoulda bought ya a pony Stumpy," Titus joked. True to form Galdur obliged the human by swinging his shield into Titus's unarmored hip. In the cold it smarted a little more than normal, but Titus never got tired of goading the dwarf.

"Don' call m' Stumpy!" Galdur obliged the human, in truth he was getting kind of numb to the nickname. The human looked like he was in his mid-thirties, fought like he was in his mid-twenties, but sometimes he acted like he was some punk teenager. But the dwarf breathed lived and breathed patience and it was just Titus's way.

He wrapped his thin cloak around himself tighter and wondered if he would ever be warm again. Not for the first time he cursed the damn Zhentarim woman who had stolen every last coin of his in her 'tax'. The gold dwarf hadn't had long to hate the Zhentarim, but he was learning fast. The thought of their orcs and ogres stuffing their tusked faces in the halls of Tethyamar rankled.

But he wasn't about to complain out loud, especially not with the elf there. The elf walked along softly, occassionally eyeing the treeline back past the farmsteads that dotted the country side along the Moonsea Ride. He didn't talk much, which was just as good because no one particularly understood or appreciated his dark humor anyways. Every so often he would be taken in another coughing fit, the wet deep coughs of the very sick. Elves don't often take sick, at least not for long, but this moon elf apparently had been stricken with the consumption at a very young age and it had never let go. Even now, his lips were flecked with crimson.

Elayne looked at him with concern but the elf would hear nothing of it. He had been dealing with it for near a century now, he was still here because he refused to let it beat him. Not that her time crossing the Black Road hadn't been about the worst time of her life, but she couldn't help but think he would be more comfortable some place with warmer, drier air.

Her thoughts were interuppted by the sound a horse churning up the road at full gallop. The group each stepped out of the road as the rider thundered past showering them in bits of mud and snow, slowing not in the slightest at Galdur's hail. A purple cloak streamed out behind the human but Elayne was watching the horse. Homesickness would strike her at the strangest times, and the powerful stallion reminded her of some of the horse shows her Aunt used to take her to in the Trades Ward. But this horse would likely be dead today. It's flanks were lathered, its nostrils were flared out and unless the rider had critical business in Glen, it was still two days ride to Hillsfar.

"What's his hurry?" the dwarf grumbled.

***

Sometime later, the elf stopped, looking away to the north. The sounds of battle carried across the dale valley. All of them heard it. There was a war on, chances are, if they got involved, they might save a life, they might turn the tide. But they also might end up dead to a man.

Titus looked, and looked again. Then he shook his head and kept on down the road. A cry called out, and Galdur set his jaw. Setting his shield before him he plowed into the snow beside the road, clambering over some farmer's fence post and cutting across the snowfield towards the treeline. Elayne was right behind him.

Titus stopped, the elf was looking at him, but there was no question. He waved the elf off towards the dwarf. "Well, what are you waiting for? Time to roll the dice," the human said as he began to cut across the snow as well towards the treeline.

The elf's bow was already in his hand. He pulled his hood back and gazed into Cormanthor. _And so it begins._


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## Jeremy (Feb 15, 2004)

*Dramatis Personae*

_Titus Blackhands, Human Ftr2_
Titus is from Essembra of late in Battledale.  Though past a point, he has no memory of where he came from.  He avoids the subject assiduously changing the subject repeatedly or simply walking away.  He carries with him a blackwood (zalantar) staff that is slightly taller than he is and wields it in an unusual style.  Titus doesn't need much convincing to take a risk, he's not reckless, he just loves the thrill of taking a chance on something.  While his humor is a little base sometimes, and he never tires of some jokes, he is a stalwart companion.

_Revan el Alosir, Moon Elf Rgr2_
Out of Bristar in the Dale of Trees, Revan began his training to join the Rangers at a young age.  But the Rangers of Cormanthor range from Highdale to Harrowdale and there came a time when he simply could not keep up.  In his home of Deepingdale, humans and elves live together in harmony.  Only Silverymoon is more integrated than Highmoon, but such is not true of all the elves of the Dalelands and many a whisper has been made just loud enough for Revan to hear.  Some question if his sickness is a sign of some human blood in his line.  When the Drow broke loose from the Abbey of the Sword in Battledale Revan was there to help throw them back and likely would have died fighting if Titus had not saved him.  Revan is a talented tracker and has a supernatural calm about him when using his bow, regardless of the situation.

_Galdur Ironaxe, Gold Dwarf Clr1 of Dugmaren Brightmantle/Ftr1_
Galdur has spent his entire life in Eartheart in the Great Rift.  When Moradin gifted all of dwarvenkind with the Thunder Blessing the Rift for the first time looked like it might become too small for the stout dwarves that manned it.  One of the settlements of old that the Gold Dwarves of the Rift used to trade with was the ancient kingdom of Tethyamar.  Several hundred years ago when communication with the north ceased, the mining kingdom was written off as a loss, but now it was seen as a possible useful ally once more or perhaps a colony that could be expanded to once it's halls were safe again.  Using an old portal that linked the two kingdoms, a dwarven squadron of twenty strong was dispatched to ascertain the condition of Tethyamar.  Galdur was one of the six dwarves that escaped the demon infested halls with his life only to fall into Zhentarim 'care' and be escorted to the ancient town of Dagger Falls.  Galdur has since travelled extensively between Dagger Falls and Shadowdale with a human lass he met at the Old Skull Inn.  Of late he has been in and around Ashabenford aiding much needed grain wagons from the Abbey of the Golden Sheath to farmers and villages who's men were too busy defending the Dales from drow raids to bring in the harvest this year.  Galdur has a truly good heart and his gruff nature belies the compassion he has for so many.

_Elayne Tremaine, Human Sor2_
Elayne was born in North Ward of the City of Splendors.  Her mother died in childbirth despite magical aid, and her father was a somewhat cold man who's business as a trader of rare histories and scripts had little interest for her.  Elayne was largely raised by the servants and her Aunt Selspa.  Selspa had with her sister's death taken her only niece into her heart.  She did her best to treat her as her own daughter but Selspa was a bard and a traveller who often had responsibilities in many lands.  Worse, she lived in far off Shadowdale in the Heartlands far from the Sword Coast North.  But Elayne lived for her Aunt's visits and after her flowering they came more often.  Her Aunt noted some strange occurences around her niece and became concerned, though she would never let on to Elayne.  One night while at one of the wondrous garden balls meeting one of her contacts, Selspa caught Elayne spying on her.  Chiding her for her behavior with only half a heart the two spent a magical evening together that ended in heartbreak.  A man brought an urgent message to Elayne's Aunt and immediately the two left the ball.  Upon arriving home they found Elayne's father's estate and her home still burning down.  Either information regarding what happened was hard to come by or Elayne just wasn't told, but within the tenday she was packed into a carriage with her Aunt in the middle of the night for a wild race through the streets of Waterdeep followed by an endless journey passed the High Forest, across the Great Anauroch, and along the Black Road to finally arrive in Shadowdale.  Shadowdale felt like the back end of the world to Elayne and adjusting was difficult.  She spent a lot of her time in the Old Skull Inn against her Aunt's wishes who seemed continually worried about one thing or another that she would never speak of.  Troubles have been heavy in the Dales of late and even though only sixteen years old this past Summertide, Elayne has done what she could to help out travelling of late with an odd company of four that she is largely responsible for assembling.


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## haiiro (Feb 15, 2004)

Nifty. I like it. 

This was just enough to whet my appetite -- do you already have more up your sleeve? Out of curiosity, are you running the game or telling the story from a PC's perspective?

In any case, keep it up.


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## Jeremy (Feb 16, 2004)

First game was yesterday. That was about the first 30 minutes after they got underway.  Much more to come.  I'm proud of my PC's, they all survived to first level and are going back for more.  More later.


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## Jeremy (Feb 16, 2004)

*Ashabenford, Mistledale
13th of Deepwinter in the Year of Wild Magic*

Despite the dwarf's head start, his short legs and wading through the snow allowed Titus to arrive first.  As he crunched his way through the snow, high stepping all the way, the sounds of battle became more distant then ceased.  With the only sound that of him and his companion rushing through the snow covered field Titus stopped dead and listened.  Crouching low he peered a little ways into the treeline but could not tell if anyone could see him exposed and in the open.  He hissed and everyone but Revan stopped.

Revan calling upon his training stepped silently atop the snow barely even leaving a mark of his passing.  He slowly approached Titus and the two shared a look.  Pulling his hood back up the moon elf continued on and disappeared into the treeline.

In the stillness the forest whispered to him and he quickly found the site of the battle.  From the tracks and the orientation short drow hand-crossbow bolts, it was an ambush.  Those that survived left little trace of their trail, but this was Revan's home and though he did not wear the patch, he was still a Ranger at heart and in training.  Little holes in the snow bore the red stains of hot blood leading away to the northeast after a moment he pieced together the place the first volley hit.  The tree above it had noticeably less snow in it's lower branches than it's fellows though there was nothing of interest underneath it.  Brushing aside the snow around the base he found the corpses of two elves taken by a pair of bolts each.  But the odd thing was, they were drow as well.

Out in the farmer's field Revan's whistle reached the others and they headed into the trees as well.  They found the elf pulling a pair of black hand crossbow bolts out of a dead drow.  Titus headed over to the other uncovered body and after checking it for valuables found it hastily looted already, though it still wore the studded leather armor that had failed to protect him.  In a bizarre act Titus began unbuckling his belt.  Elayne turned away, her cheeks burning as Titus expressed his feelings for the dark elves.

Revan straightened, storing the pair of bolts and noting the black clothes and silvery spider web pattern that adorned the drow.  He turned to explain what he had found but the words were lost in a fit of coughing.  Just then a wren called out twice and Revan stood bolt upright.  "We leave," a hacking cough shook his upper body,  "Now."

When the call came again, Revan had already burst from the trees back into the field and did not slow.  Titus and Elayne were not far behind and a confused Galdur struggled to keep up as the company hurried back to the Moonsea Ride.

***

"Oi.  Elf.  What's wit the takin' off like that?" Galdur demanded once they had begun walking along the road again.

"That kind of bird is in Tethyr at this time of year,"  Revan answered.

"Bird?  What's a bird hafta do wit anything?"

"Aw, c'mon Stumpy!  Even you can figure tha-*KLANG* Ow!"

"Don' call m' Stumpy."

Titus was grinning as Elayne explained, "In the stories people use bird calls as signals, the bird calls might have been about us.  Or maybe another battle was about to start.  But we have to get going, Galath's Roost is still a long way away."

For some time Mistledale's outlying farms had been fending off midnight raids by the drow.  Small bands emerged from the woods from any which-way and killed or fired the livestock and foodstuffs of outlying farms only to disappear into thin air.  Chasing marauding drow over the fields and hedgerows of Mistledale had proved futile so far.  But of late something had changed, the drow normally raided on moonless or at least cloudy nights and always changed which direction they came from.  Of late the attacks came more and more from the east, and usually on clear, moonlit nights.  Even more strangely, at least some of the raiders appear to have been mounted lately.

The rumor is that these raiders come from Galath's Roost which has long been whispered to be haunted by the ghost of the famed bandit leader.  Some folk even say it might be the ghosts of Galath and his band set to pillaging the countryside again.  But whatever the case, something was going on, and Elayne and the others were going to find out what.

***

Later that night the company finally walked into the dwarven village of Glen.  At Elayne's urging for haste the party made it's way through town and stayed the night in the home of a nice family of farmers.  Titus payed handsomely for the quarter and Galdur even lended his aid birthing a calf.  In the morning, one of the farmhands saw them to the group to the fence and told them about an old trail that he and his brothers used to take when they played at being adventurers.  As far as he knew, it headed off to the Roost.

Galdur scolded the large young man for his recklessness but as a whole the group thanked him for his help before heading into the woods on the last leg of their journey to Galath's Roost.


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## Jeremy (Feb 17, 2004)

*Cormanthor near Glen, Mistledale
14th of Deepwinter in the Year of Wild Magic*


The day passed relatively uneventfully.  Hiking along the trail was much slower than along the sloped road of the Moonsea Ride.  Despite the time of year, Revan managed to take down a pair of snow hare for the cook pot to supplement the company's rations.

That night after Titus had gone to sleep and Revan took over the night watch a pair of Rangers emerged from the darkness.  Revan looked to them, somewhat distastefully, his shame at failing to become one of the order having turned to anger at them.  After a moment warming themselves at the fire the two nodded their thanks to Revan and continued on into the night.

Revan neglected to tell the others of the visitors upon their waking though his hand oft went to his shoulder where the patch of a Ranger might have been.

*Cormanthor near Galan's Roost, Mistledale
15th of Deepwinter in the Year of Wild Magic*

The company broke camp early in the morning in preparation for another long day's hike.  While walking the trail Revan kept a keen eye out and spotted some kobold tracks as well as the tracks of a mounted party, perhaps the raiders they had come here to investigate.

"So much fer this trail bein' unknown," Galdur grumbled.

"Don' worry, Stu--Galdur.  It will be again soon."  Titus had either caught himself and wanted to avoid another bruise, or was deliberately prodding the gold dwarf to see how far he could push him.  Regardless he had a raffish grin plastered on his face.

***

Later that day the trail split off to the south into a large clearing and the beheld the wreckage of what used to be Galath's Roost.  The former fort lacked a roof and had several oak trees growing out of it's insides, it's moat was dry and filled with underbrush, debris, and snow.  The causeway that headed up to where it presumably used to have doors was still sound enough, but there were several holes in the walls that anyone could have walked through just as easily.

After some debate as to whether to enter the Roost fresh the next morning, Titus finally managed to convice the group to at least take a peak while the light was still good.

Galdur clanked up the trail towards the causeway behind the rest of the group when he noticed something odd.  There was a low thicket just off the trail some thirty or so feet away and he could sware something was watching him from it.  He called out to the rest of the group and all except Elayne crept closer to investigate.  Though the thicket was leafless the creatures hiding within were well camouflaged and growled warning to the approaching two-legs.

In a flash two ugly creatures a cross between some kind of giant bobcat and hyena burst forth at the group.  They pulled up short and their faces peeled back in horrific fashion as their throats scratched out an unearthly moan.  Playing upon something deep in their psyche's the sound combined with the hideous sight sent all but Elayne fleeing in terror.  Elayne nervously watched the pair as she stepped away carefully and warded herself.  Translucent orange plates locked into place around her before fading away to an invisible force barrier around her.

Growling, the beasts backed into their home eyeing her carefully.

Elayne let out the breath she was holding, both creatures looked like they could have reached her and she didn't know how she was going to fend off their joint attack without her fellows.  Turning and looking around she saw Titus running through the snow, kicking his knees up high to get his feet clear with every step.  He splashed through the snow like a child through the incoming tide of the Sea of Swords on the beach.  It was kinda cute.

Titus finally paused, his lungs burning in the cold air, he was certain the beast was right on his heels but he couldn't run anymore.  Turning to face the monster he found himself alone and on the other side of the clearing from his friends.  He swore loudly and tried to jog back towards the others, winded.

Galdur, not being the most agile of dwarves, in fact, about as agile as Revan was healthly, didn't make it very far running through the snow before a buried root tripped him and he disappeared into a freezing white heap.  When he levered himself up, his beard was white with snow and his cheeks were hot with anger.  Taking up his shield and his axe he stormed back to Elayne where Revan and Titus had just arrived.

"I'll no let some abomination mongrel git the best o' me."

Revan, Titus, and Elayne took up positions, Titus unshouldering a huge Daleland's crossbow that cracked loudly in the cold air as he drew it tight.  As the creatures burst forth, Revan and Titus both let loose, Revan's imbedding into one's flank while Titus skipped off the top of the other, knicking it and darkening it's fur.  Elayne gestured and called out in a strange language as a searing bolt flew from her impacted the second beast, punching into it's chest.

The second krenshar retreated to its thicket to lick its wounds, while the first charged Galdur.  The dwarf swung his axe at the creature but at the last second it jumped aside.  As the dwarf's axe bit into the snow where the krenshar just stood it jumped up and sank it's teeth deep into the exposed joint where his shoulder met his neck.  Blood sprayed across the white snow.

Elayne hurriedly pulled up her crossbow and loaded a bolt into it as Titus and Revan both burried arrows in krenshar.  It yelped and released the dwarf who shouldered it away with his shield before narrowly missing with his axe.

The wounded animal bounded away into the thicket, it's breathing wet with blood as Revan and Titus pursued.  Galdur stumbled back and said a prayer to Dugmaren Brightmantle as his wounds began to knit back together.

As they got closer, the less wounded of the pair managed to frighten the pair away again with it's supernatural powers.  Somewhat chagrinned, they returned, with Revan staying back to cover Titus as he approached with his blackwood staff held ready.  Closer and closer he crept but this time the krenshar did not burst forth.  Titus heard a weak whine followed by a soft thud from within the thicket.

Carefully levering his way into the clawing brush, Titus saw that one of the animals had collapsed from its wounds, the arrows still protruding from it's corpse.  The other couldn't get to its feet and growled weakly at the human.  It was defending it's brood of three pups.  Titus thought about it for a moment, then raised his staff high as the krenshar snapped at him weakly.  The end of the staff came down with a sickening crunch.  _One less beast with a taste for man-flesh, _he rationalized.

***

While Galdur rested with Elayne, Titus and Revan set out to investigate the area south of Galath's Roost where a pair of vultures had been circling.  Skirting the western edge of the keep, they saw that the vultures appeared to be circling a small hillock to the south side of the keep.  On the way towards it, Revan noticed a strange circular depression in the ground a ways off to the east.  Something about it caught his interest and he diverted just to have a look at it.  That's when a giant bee bigger than he was worked it's way out of the center of the depression where there must have been some kind of hole and took off to the northeast.

Having had enough of the strange and unusual fauna of the area, he headed back to Titus deciding to leave well enough alone.  The two continued towards the hill and as they climbed it's northern slope, Titus tripped over a smooth shaped stone.  Immediately behind it was a snow covered stone pedestal of about waist height that blended in against the background of snow.  Not paying it much mind he climbed atop the taller of the two stones and peered up atop the hill, his eyes widening at what he saw.

"Whoah..."


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## Jeremy (Feb 18, 2004)

*Hillock near Galan's Roost, Mistledale*
*15th of Deepwinter in the Year of Wild Magic*

Titus hopped down off his perch and crept up to the top of the hill with Revan. Parially sheltered by a pair of old, bare elms was a ruined campsite. The slashed and punctured tents were spattered with blood, various stands were knocked over or splintered, and the camp was generally in great disarray. Revan pieced together that the horsemen had butchered whatever had been resting here, apparently taking them by surprise as at least one of them had been speared where he lay through the tent.

Titus continued searching the area while Revan followed a set of heavy tracks down the north slope. Titus found a well hidden set of holes dug with circles of turf cut to cover them that refuse and the campsite could be broken down and stored in. Revan followed a set of tracks down to a group of poorly hidden shallow graves. Two of them had been dug up by local animals and were mostly destroyed, but the third was still covered. Digging it up himself he was able to confirm that all three were drow, though these ones lacked the pattern of the last he had found. These ones were clothed largely in blacks and whites that looked like they would blend into the winter landscape except for a small red mask insignia on a patch that each had. Cutting one of the patches free Revan headed back up to tell Titus what he had found.

***

"...and that's what we found. So we've got drow hitting homesteads, drow hitting drow, horse raiders hitting homesteads, and horse raiders hitting drow. And we've got at least two sects of drow who may be the ones filling each other full o' holes." Titus finished explaining to Galdur and Elayne once they had all met up.

Galdur stroked his beard, "And it be the ridin' ones we here to find out about, right?"

Elayne nodded, "Yes. The Riders of Mistledale have been up and down the borders of Cormanthor doing everything they can to hold back the drow. But we need to find out if there's something else going on."

"We know the raiders came here, and unless it was the Riders of Mistledale who took the drow on the hill, we know they've been around the area. But I have not found any tracks that suggest they left." Revan had more to add, but a fit of coughing overtook him. Elayne moved to check on him, but he waved her off before she stood.

"Well I say we at least take a look around," Titus said. "With those guard dogs dead I want to have a look inside at least."

Galdur protested, "I keep tellin' ya. We can only channel so much magic inna day."

After considerable discussion it was decided that since they could see through the broken down structure well enough to tell that most of it was empty, a quick peek wouldn't be a bad idea.

***

The company made their way up the old causeway and stepped into the broken wreck of a fort. The broken stone jutted up at odd angles where cold and time had cracked stone and various undergrowth had tried to push free. The blockhouse that once guarded the causeway was lacking a roof that had apparently caved in, destroying the west wall of the structure. The north wall still was mostly intact with a pair of niches where archers could cover the approach to the Roost.

The wooden walls that had separated the fort into different rooms had all apparently rotted away or collapsed into various debris leaving only the stone walls of some kind of stair case and a hall with an attached kitchen of some sort towards the south end of the fort. Also, behind the southern wall of the blockhouse there appeared to be some kind of hole in the floor that descended into darkness.

The group split up to check for any signs of the riders when Galdur thought he heard something in the blockhouse. He motioned Revan over and while he readied his shield and axe, the elf crept in. Apparently asleep in one of the defensive niches was a hideous four-winged bat/mosquito. A stirge. First giant bees, now giant mosquitos. Revan carefully nocked and stepped right up on the creature and fired point-blank into where he figured it's heart to be; the arrow sank in and stirge sputtered and died.

Awoken by the noise a pair of stirge from the next two nooks flew out and sighting the warm meal flew at him. Revan ducked under the first, but the second clamped down on his back and sunk its dagger-like nose into his back. Galdur called out swung his axe at the monster while Elayne summoned up another magic bolt that punched a hole in the second stirge's carapace. Titus ran over holding only the end of his long staff used his forward momentum to jump forward while turning in mid air and swinging in a wide arc. Still blinded by Elayne's bolt, the stirge didn't see the attack coming and with a loud crack was batted out of the air where it slammed into the rubble and slumped the ground twitching. Titus landed right where it had been.

Revan slammed back on a stone wall, smashing the stirge and dazing it, but driving its nose deeper producing a pained grunt. Stumbling over to a bit of wall sticking out at an odd angle he spun into it hard. The wall crashed into the stirge from the side and it was ripped off of the elf's back as he fell to his knees. The stirge tried to gain its senses only to Galdur's axe shatter its carapace and sink into to its vulnerable innards. Titus moved over to the downed stirge twitching amidst the rubble and drove the end of his staff down through its head.

***

Galdur supported Revan's steps as they sought out a place to camp. Dugmaren's power had sealed Revan's wound but the draining effect of the experience left the Ranger weakened. Earlier while tracking down something to eat for the group the elf had noted a relatively screened area that would make a decent campsite. It was to there that he led the group.

The group held up as Revan was stopped by a series of wracking coughs but after a moment he nodded and they pressed on. Pushing through some bare bushes they discovered too late that their prospective campsite was already occupied.


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## Jeremy (Feb 18, 2004)

*Cormanthor, North of Galath's Roost
15th of Deepwinter in the Year of Wild Magic*

Crouched down around a small campfire were the two moon elven Rangers Revan had seen the previous night. Each looked up and regarded the group before they shared a look and a nod and began making room. They introduced themselves as brothers, Simimar and Lathai Evioro. Apparently they were originally from Bristar, though most recently from Tangletrees as part of a unit dispatched to combat the increasing drow raids in Mistledale. They had been in this area since the militia disappeared while spying on the Roost.

"Something dangerous is lurking around the keep. One of our friends, Nylian Moonglade, was killed north of here. We found his body. Looked like he was cut down by an axe. We have no idea though what happened to his companion, Inialos Oakwood. Of him there has been no trace," the younger brother, Lathai, explained. "We were hoping you might have had some sign of him?"

"Nope," Titus replied, "You're the first living folk we've seen around here so far. But we'll keep an eye out for your friend."

The two Rangers looked at each other again, then at Revan. But Revan had situated himself at the far side of the camp and was leaning up against a tree looking the other way, his left hand on his opposite shoulder.

***

Sometime later after having shared a small meal the two groups exchanged information. The Rangers asked about the drow camp and corpses South of the Roost and they compared findings. Titus inquired about anything further that the elves might know about the history of the place.

Lathai answered, "Many centuries ago, this area was the site of an elven watchtower, but it was abandoned long before humans came to this area."

"So whut's wit th' giant insects?" Galdur broke in.

The Ranger shrugged, "Perhaps there was something here the watchtower guarded against. I think there was a burial crypt under the tower. If it survived all this time, the magicks warding it might be damaged. But there are more dangerous things in Cormanthor than large insects."

"I heard that Galath's Roost was haunted," Elayne said quietly as visions of headless ghostly riders thundering through the Dale played in Titus's imagination.

"It is true that there have been many reports of a ghost in this area. Maybe Galath and his men do want a piece of the raiding going on. Or maybe it is an older spirit from the watchtower, angered by the Ssri-Tel'Quessir that pollute Cormanthor. In any event, I doubt it would have anything to do with the most recent raiding you said you were here checking on. These reports have come in since long before now."

The two groups continued talking for some time before, weary from the long day, they bedded down.

***

Cautiously making their way back up the causeway the company kept their eyes and ears open for any sign of danger. As they stepped back into the ruined fort, everything seemed quiet. Patches of snow held together in shadows provided by piles of rubble or uneven flagstones broken and pushed up at odd angles persisted by hiding from the sun. The pair of oak trees that stood in the midst of the Roost leaned and swayed a little in the wind.

After a moment the group split up to investigate the keep. Revan headed over to the large hole near the blockhouse. He was attempting to peer over its edge when it started to collapse, but the nimble elf stepped easily on each falling stone back to safety. After it had settled down he was able to see some kind of underground grotto with a stream, vines, undergrowth, and various limestone formations. The others looked up at the commotion but Revan simply shook his head before heading over towards Titus coughing.

Titus was examining the broken down set of stairs descending into the bowels of the fort. The left retaining wall had caved outwards and the roof of the stairs had consequently fallen covering the stairs in debris. Down below the stairs appeared to open into some kind of natural cave.

Elayne was examining the remains of what used to be a great hall. It had two great fire pits at the fare end with barely standing chimneys in each corner. Unlike most of the interior walls of Galath's Roost, the hall's walls had been made of stone and thus were still standing, though there was another oak tree growing out of the floor in the room.

Galdur was standing beneath the sleeping oak in the middle of the fort figuring he was about equal distance from everyone else should anyone need aid. He was looking from group to the next when suddenly he came under attack. Something small and hard struck his left armored shoulder with a light clank. "Whut th' blazes?" The dwarf spun around, axe in hand, searching for his assailant. *Clank* Another object skipped off his armor, his eyes followed the motion and saw where it hit the ground. He had been struck by... an acorn?

Above him in the tangle of bare branches of the tree came a series of short hissing sounds. The dwarf could swear something was laughing at him. "Hey!" The others returned to the middle of the keep to find him staring up into the branches overhead. After a few moments of looking in vain, Titus shrugged and started climbing up the tree. An excited chirp was heard just prior to a veritable flood of acorns pouring down the trunk and over the branches which provided very slippery grips but failed to dislodge the persistent human.

As Titus gained purchase in the lower branches a small reddish-brown object shot out of the upper branches towards the great hall at incredible speed. Elayne tried to follow it on foot but it zipped up and into the top of one of the chimneys and disappeared. Approaching carefully she could hear it skittering around in the chimney, it sounded like it might be getting ready to fly out the bottom, crouching down she tried to get a look up th--*WHUFF*--e chimney. Only to get a face full of soot. She backed away from the fire pit coughing and sputtering as the hissing laughter broke out louder from the chimney. The little imp had used a down sweep of its wings to do that on purpose. Standing straight Elayne did not play into its game and instead merely calmly motioned with her hands and stated firmly, "Clean." Soot and dirt lifted itself away from her until she was her normal pristine self.

Titus meanwhile had found a large sack still filled with hundreds of acorns and began climbing down the tree with it. When he reached the bottom he saw Elayne still staring at the fire pit and grinned. He held a finger up to his lips and quietly crept to the side of the chimney. Bracing himself against the chimney and the wall he began climbing it. A few old stones cracked and groaned causing him to stop and redistribute his weight, but he kept going. With every grumble there was a nervous chirp from within the chimney.

About halfway to the top there was a loud crack as the chimney would take no more. A terrified squeak was heard as the little creature shot out the bottom of the chimney covered in soot just before it buried him. Titus however was in a more difficult position. He rode the chimney down as it fell over sideways and at the last second managed to hurl himself clear of the raining debris taking only a few bumps, scrapes, and bruises where there could have been much worse. The creature had flew out the bottom and bump somewhat dazedly right into Elayne who managed to grab him.

It was a dragon! The creature seemed to read her thoughts and still for a second. A moment later she heard in her mind, _Yes! I am a DRAGON! And you have entered my home. You must pay a tax!_ While she tried to comprehend what was going on the little bugger wiggled it's way free, flitting down to the ground and landing to stand up on its hindquarters, it crossed it's arms and puffed out it's chest while spreading its wings wide.

Titus grinned at the little soot-covered thing and grabbed up the sack of acorns he had found earlier while Elayne formed her first thought on the matter. "He's so cute!!"

This apparently wasn't the effect the dragon was going for and it deflated somewhat dropping down on all fours. Into Titus's mind he said, _Hey you. Those are mine. Give them here._

Kind of shocked but then kind of not, Titus played right back. "You want them? Tell us what you know about this place."

_Nooooo, _he drawled mentally._ My home! You invaded it. You will give me those back right away.. And she will clean me! Or I will be very angry!_

Titus laughed and again the dragon bristled. Titus looked at Elayne and she nodded, extending her cantrip to the little guy and cleaning him off. He was a little russet horned dragon with a long barbed tail. Titus smiled and said, "There, you're all clean, we helped you now tell us a little about this place."

_Nuh uh! Gimme! I am a MIGHTY dragon and you'll be sorry if you don't!
_
"That's not how it works, we did something for you, now you do something for us." Titus was having fun with this.

_I'm warning you, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry..._ But the playful tone and child-like mental voice of the dragon failed to have it's desired effect on Titus and he just laughed and held the bag up, waving it back and forth.

"Talk."

Quick as a flash the little dragon shot towards Titus and whipped out with its tail, stinging his leg. "Hey!" Whatever Titus was about to say though was lost in a huge yawn as he fell over and went to sleep. The dragon nodded its head sharply with a little snort and snatched up its sack. Then, inexplicably it curled up on the sleeping man for all the world like a little cat and laid its head down with a big grin stretched all the way across his face.

Elayne half giggled at the sight and asked, "What's your name little fella?"

The dragon preened and settled in before replying happily, _Rossal._


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## Jeremy (Feb 23, 2004)

*Cormanthor, Galath's Roost
15th of Deepwinter in the Year of Wild Magic*

Galdur however was not pleased by this turn of events and headed over to Titus. He yanked the human straight out from under the little dragon and promptly slapped him awake. Maybe a bit harder than he needed to. Just a bit.

Rossal chirped his disapproval and plinked an acorn off the armored dwarf for good measure, but he was having fun. His main source of amusement used to be chasing the stirges around or pestering the beetles from above—the beetles! Rossal broke off from giving the group the lay of the land downstairs to ask, _Have you guys met the beetles?_

“Beetles? What Beetles?” Elayne said with a concerned tone, but it was too late. Rossal whipped around the corner from the former hall to the adjoining former kitchen where all of sudden started a great ruckus.

Chirping and hooting Rossal shot back out of the ruined kitchen with a huge grin on his face and flew right past the startled group up into his tree. Unfortunately this led the gigantic beetles that were chasing him straight into the lot of them.

Galdur briefly wondered if there was enough of the little runt dragon to make a decent buckler.

The worst of it came first. The beetles turned and sprayed the group with a horrendous stench that burned in their lungs like acid. Revan worked fluidly despite the strain on him and fired arrow after arrow with uncanny aim and calm. Galdur left deep rents in the creatures until the could stand no more against him while his dwarven forged armor shrugged off all but their strongest assaults. Titus batted the insects around and opened up with a flurry of blows that cracked and caved in the hard carapace of the one he faced and Elayne finished it off with a bolt of energy that blasted through it.

Rossal chirped happily at the show and grinned, _That was great!_

Leaning on his tall fighting staff Titus caught his breath and found he was laughing. “Yeah, it kinda was.”







***

Later, having heard as many details of what lay ahead of them as Rossal could remember, including that of his dislike of the ‘stinky’ faerie he called unseelie, the group concluded that the raiders were not based out of Galath’s Roost. However, one interesting piece of information was that the kobolds Revan had tracked earlier were. More importantly, they had one of the horseman raiders captive.

Apparently Rossal had taken a mind to toying with the raiders one night and they had spotted him and opened fire with bows and crossbows. Taking affront to this the clever dragon had later stung the rear guard of the group who fell asleep and off of his horse. Either the rest of the raiders didn’t notice or didn’t care, but later that night the little lizardmen had discovered him and dragged him back to their lair under the Roost.

Titus was sure that he would prove a valuable source of information though Galdur thought it might be best just to go to the source. In the end it was opted to question the one who had already been taken captive. And so the group fired up one of Titus’s torches and carefully made their way over the rubble down into the cavern under Galath’s Roost.

Light reflected off the somewhat damp and surprisingly warmer cave (at least by comparison to the winter above) as there was an underground stream that had carved it’s way into the cavern and begun pooling up in a few lower lying areas. Stalactites and stalagmites made for somewhat precarious footing in places, but nothing the group could not handle.

An echoing and somewhat strangely warbling voice boomed out using the strong acoustics, “WHO GOES THERE?” It stretched out the words in the way a ghostly villain in play or a children’s story might.

“Uh, we do?” Titus jested. Elayne smacked him in the ribs, but being that his ribs were armored didn’t produce so much as a grunt.

“*WHO GOES THERE?*” again the voice boomed, louder this time.

Galdur addressed the voice, while Revan’s sharp eyes scoured the cave. “We ‘r jus’ passin’ through. Who ‘r you?”

In a steadily louder voice it continued, echoing about the cave almost melodramatically, “I AM THE GHOST OF *GALATH!*”


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## Jeremy (Feb 24, 2004)

Thanks to my wonderful, beautiful, talented, and loving wife Leslie, I have to rename my story hour. Hence forth, it shall be Jeremy's Illustrated Dalelands Story Hour.

She has volunteered to do a few pencil sketches as we go along at whatever takes her fancy as well as paint the minis of a few of the characters in the game. More as it develops. For her first trick...

Edit: Lightning strikes twice! Bit by the bug, excuse the pun, Leslie drew up the aftermath of the most recent battle described above.


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## Broccli_Head (Feb 24, 2004)

Love the pictures! Enjoy seeing "Galath's Roost" again. Hope to read more!

man I'm such an FR junky!


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## Jeremy (Feb 26, 2004)

Thanks! Leslie is having fun doing the sketches and says she's happy you like them. Got the next game coming up this Saturday so hopefully I get caught up before game day. Look for more updates this week.  I had a lot of fun doing 'Galath's' voice way over the top cupping my hand and using it to break up my voice like the old cowbows and indians hoots. It sounded appropriate for what the voice was up to. Though what happened next was rather deadly. 

***

*Cormanthor, Galath's Roost*
*15th of Deepwinter in the Year of Wild Magic*

Even Elayne was snickering at this point. But the ghost was fully into its rant at this point. His voice echoed and warbled in faux lamentation, everyone once and again stopping to address the group once more. “WHAT DO TH ELIVING SEEK IN THE SEPULCHER OF GALATH THE BETRAYED? … BETRAYED BY SMALL-MINDED MEN, GLORY SEEKERS AND SNIVELERS!” 

“Not you,” Titus cracked as Elayne threatened him with another elbow.

Revan answered more evenly, “We came to find a man taken prisoner.” But it didn’t seem that the ghost was even listening. It ranted on for a moment before an idea seemed to strike the disembodied voice and it paused to offer a task.

“—THE TREASURE OF GALATH IS FOR GALATH ALONE… BUT KNOW THIS! THERE IS A WINGED CREATURE WHO LAIRS ABOVE, AND IT MOCKS ME, DAY AND NIGHT. BRING ME THE HEAD OF THIS BEAST, AND A ONE-TENTH SHARE OF THE TREASURE SHALL BE YOURS!”

Elayne whispered quietly, “I don’t believe we ended up in the middle of a feud between an unseelie faerie and a tiny dragon.”

But the echoes of the cavern caught her words and the ghost sputtered, “UNSEELIE!? I AM THE GHOST OF *GALATH*! YOU SEE HOW THE FOUL BEAST MOCKS ME! WILL NO ONE RID ME OF THIS PLAGUE?” the ghostly voice gave off piteous moans but the company was not fooled.

Titus couldn’t help but provoke the voice, “Ghost? I don’t see any ghost. Rossal said the only thing down here were some big bugs and a pair of stinky faeries!”

A high-pitched voice started, outraged, “Stinky!?! Er, *ahem*,” the voice deepened again, resuming it’s warbling and echoing, “I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU SPEAK OF, I AM THE GHOST OF *GALATH*!”

Titus grinned and kept egging him on, sniffing at the sulfur in the air, “Well ‘Galath’, someone should have buried you deeper cause it’s a little ripe down here. Even for an unseelie faerie.”

“AAG! I’LL SHOW YOU—,” suddenly the voice resumed its high-pitched imp-like quality as a little blue, horned mephit burst from the pond and squeezed it’s knees up to it’s little elbows in midair, “—stinky!” Suddenly a roiling cloud of yellow fumes poured out of him filling the area with the most noxious smell imaginable. Revan and Elayne were overcome by the stench and staggered, retching, from the horrid vapors. Titus, not exactly known for his hygiene, was unimpressed. Galdur, even more stout, jerked a thick thumb towards Titus a couple times, “That it? I’m wi’h ‘im.”

And just like that, it was on. Titus quickly unshouldered his Dalelands longbow and snapped off an arrow that passed directly through the mephit’s watery form causing no apparent harm. Apparently the impish creature was more of a threat then he appeared.






Galdur called down Dugmaren Brightmantle’s blessing on the group and edged forward, gauging the depth of the pond to be well over his, and probably even Titus’s head. With no way to reach the mephit he moved around the pond to get a better angle.

Revan and Elayne meanwhile were still reeling from the effects of the creature’s spell. Each had found their way out of the cloud, but neither was coherent yet, which suited the little beast just fine. Reaching out to his home he tried to call upon his brother whom he often fought Rossal off with, but some gesture or word must have been incorrect because no one answered his call.

Titus managed a particularly good shot that hit something solid in the mephit and caused it to wince, but the creature was still about half submerged in the pond and before his very eyes the water around him coursed up and filled his wound from the inside out, popping the arrow free and leaving not a scratch. The mephit put his thumbs in his ears, fingers spread wide, and trilled an annoying sound at the man.

“@#$%.” Titus swore.

Galdur made his way around as close as he could get to the mephit in the pond but still couldn’t reach the little bugger without going into the water, and his armored form didn’t stand a very good chance in there. He spat at the coward who promptly spat back a glob of green acid that through some providence managed to miss the dwarf. Unfortunately Galdur’s luck was about to run out.

Titus snapped off another arrow but any blow that managed to harm the creature seemed to quickly heal. _We need to get it out of the water somehow…_

The mephit, feeling sort of invincible taunted the group continuously, belittling them, but all the while tried to get them to bring him Rossal’s head. Maybe he didn’t want the dragon necessarily dead, but certainly a good scare for the varmint was in order. But for now, it was having fun. Zipping up to Galdur and avoiding the dwarf’s wide swing easily, the mephit slashed his claw across the gold dwarf’s exposed arm and moved as if to plant a kiss on him.

Galdur fought back, landing what should have been a crushing blow but was largely absorbed by the mephit’s watery body, worse, its wounds kept mending themselves. It hadn’t managed to heal up Titus’s last arrow, and the bite of Galdur’s war axe had left a vicious gash, but the water of the pond continued to flow into the injuries.

Titus dropped his bow and took up his long staff to try and land a blow and it looked like the team was getting close to driving the mephit off, with Revan and Elayne almost recovered. But the mephit was fast and had the wounded Galdur was slowing. With a whip of its tail is splashed water up into Galdur’s eyes, in the blink of an eye the horrible creature slashed one set of claws across the dwarf’s hands and face, and with the other laid his throat open.

Stumbling back, the dwarf tried to staunch the flow of his life’s blood and collapsed to the ground, his skin growing pale.


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## Broccli_Head (Feb 26, 2004)

I remember this whole exchange...when I ran it, the PCs met the mephit first, and then went to confront Rossal, who pretended to be the spirit of the tree in which he laired. One PC bowed to the tree which sent Rossal tumbling from his perch he was laughing so hard. Against the mephit, one PC dove into the water and slew the beastie (he's a trog cleric of Grumbar!), though it did do much harm....the whole trek beneath the ruined keep was a comedy of errors


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## Jeremy (Feb 26, 2004)

Very much that way with us too.  While it was tense at points there was much laughing.  One of the best parts was some out of game humor regarding the activation of a certain important item later that was hysterical.  It lightened the mood of the grim world of having only 6 hit points.  

***

*Cormanthor, Galath's Roost
15th of Deepwinter in the Year of Wild Magic*



Elayne hurried to Galdur’s downed form and tore strips from her dress to try to bind the wound, though she had never done anything like it before, she had seen Galdur do it and was desperate for it to work.  Galdur’s breath was slow and he barely had the energy to cough his throat clear of blood, but he was stable.

Revan fired a shot straight through the mephit’s heart, but it passed through it harmlessly without so much as a scratch.  With three of his playthings arrayed right in front of him the mephit giggled and blew out a cone of caustic liquid that bubbled and boiled away the group’s skin where it landed.  Then laughing the little monster retreated over the pond where he couldn’t be reached.

Titus roared and dropped his staff running and leaping across the pond, tackling the little mephit in midair, barely managing to make the other side of the pond.  He tried to hold the wiry thing down and wring its neck, but it was so slippery that it managed to get free and launch itself back into the water where again it trilled its tongue at the human.

Revan fired again and his arrow struck true, but even so, without the dwarf’s axe and Titus’s strikes as well, the mephit healed the single wound quickly.  It did not however enjoy the magical burst that blasted a hole in its stomach courtesy of Elayne.

Titus hurried around the pond and took up his bow again, but it was not his sharp arrows that pierced the water mephit, but rather his sharp tongue.  Playing off of everything he had found so far that aggravated the little imp he enraged it to the point it charged at him, claws swinging.  Titus took a nasty gash from the blighter but sprung his trap well.  His bow dropped to the ground unused as he again wrapped the mephit up in his arms then called to Revan to help him hold it down.

Surprised, the creature did not manage to get free in time before Revan was there holding him down as well.  “Elayne!  Go get Rossal, quick!”  Titus shouted.

Elayne looked down at the wounded Galdur, but looked back and nodded once before scrambling up the broken stairs back to the courtyard.

Meanwhile Titus and Revan managed to pin the slippery mephit to the ground and Titus clamped his mouth shut.  It wrestled fiercely but could not escape the two of them combined.  Pulling in a deep breath through it’s nose it almost managed to get its mouth free in time to spray out another cone of acid, but Titus bore down hard, stifling it like a painfully stopped sneeze.  The mephit’s eyes bulged as its acid leaked out his nose, ears, and eyes.

Elayne pleaded with Rossal to come down and help, coaxing and cajoling him as best she knew how.

_Alright, I’ll help. But I want something.  If I do this, you must bring me…_ The dragon paused to consider, _Cake.  Cake and…  Tobacco.  Yes.  I want cake and tobacco.  You bring?_

Elayne nodded, confused but Rossal apparently wasn’t convinced.  _You promise Rossal?  Rossal not help if you not promise…_  The little dragon grinned, wrapped around its tree branch.

“I promise!  We’ll get you cake and tobacco.  Now quickly, help them!”  Elayne pleaded.

Rossal nodded with a wink and took off like a shot with a loud long chirp that sounded a lot like, ‘Wheeeeeee!’  He flitted down the broken stair well and landed next to the pinned mephit with a grin, crossing his arms.  _Hello Stinky!_

Muffled high-pitched shouts were cut off through Titus’s tight grip of the mephit as it raged at the pseudodragon.  Rossal just waved and lashed out with his tail pricking the mephit.  You could see the greenish poison spreading through the mephit’s watery skin and after a moment it went to sleep.  Quickly, Titus leapt up and over to Galdur, taking up his war axe.  With one big swing he severed the head from the mephit, sparking off the stone beneath it.

*** 

“It wants what?” Titus and Galdur echoed each other later around the campfire Revan had set up for them.  They were once again in the woods around Galath’s clearing in a well-screened campsite with Revan meditating somewhat peacefully nearby.

“Tobacco and cake,” Elayne repeated.  “I believe the Halfling Fair in Ashabenford is going to stop off in Glen sometime before Midwinter.  We can probably catch it either in Ashabenford or Glen to pick up the tobacco.”

Passing it off as yet another inexplicable oddity, the group settled in for the night.  But it wasn’t long before the thunder of horses woke them from their rest.


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## Jeremy (Feb 27, 2004)

Leslie cooked up another sketch last night, I'll try to get it scanned in and added when I get home today.  Meanwhile, here's today's update.  

***

*Cormanthor, West of Galath's Roost
15th of Deepwinter in the Year of Wild Magic*

Titus hadn’t even truly begun his watch he first heard them coming, he hurried over to Revan, breaking his trance the quietly awoke each of the others as fast as he could while Revan slipped into the brush to have a look.

Eight riders shot by, six in light or no armor and two in heavy metal armor.  Most bore greataxes but the one in the middle rode with a long quarterstaff.  By the poor light that was about all Revan could make out and he slipped back into camp to relay his findings to the others.

“How long do you give them until they come back?”

“Rossal said they set out once per tenday, so maybe 3 days at most I’d guess.”

“We should go an’ take ‘em from be’ind.”

“We’d never catch ‘em Stumpy.  Ow!  Hey!”

“Shhh!”

“He started it!”

“Hmph.”

“No he didn’t, you say that name on purpose.”

“C’mon.  It slipped my mind?  Would I do something like that on purpose?”

“Aye.”

“Yes.”

“Yup.”

“Sheez…”

*** 

*Cormanthor, South of Galath's Roost*
*16th of Deepwinter in the Year of Wild Magic*

The group had opted for more rest to recover their strength and in the morning Revan followed the tracks of the mounted raiders back to their source.  Strangely enough they went straight up the south hill he and Titus had investigated earlier and simply stopped at an unmarked line perpendicular to the higher of the two stones Titus had stood on two days ago.

Revan stood studying the place while the others tried to puzzle out what happened.  While Titus and Galdur discussed different possibilities Elayne traced an arcane mark in the air said, “Detect.”  Her eyes took on a more greenish tint as faint wispy blue traces of the Weave became clear to her around the area.  “Wow.”

“Whut is it?” the gold dwarf inquired as he came closer and tried to look at whatever she was seeing.

Elayne pointed at the edges of something only she could see, “It’s some kind of magic disk.  Um, conjuration.  It’s asleep.”

“Dormant,” Galdur corrected.  “Mus’ be a Portal.  Me an’ me brethren came through one in th’ Great Rift.  They usually only work ev’ry so of’en for only so many.”

“So how do ya turn it on?” Titus asked.

Elayne studied the threads of the Weave and pointed to the taller of the two smooth stones.  Titus headed over to the stone and brushed it off, there was an engraving in the top of a stylized eye symbol.  Looking at for a moment Titus pressed it, put his hand on it, pulled on the stone, tried to push it forward, tried to slide it to either side, tried to shove it down, tried to pull it up, and every other thing he could think of.

Everyone just stopped and stared at the flurry of activity.

He paused and looked back, “What?”  Grinning he asked, “You think I should try jumping up and down on it?”

“Aye.”  Galdur said as he rolled his eyes, “I ken jus’ see some Cult of the Dragon loony with bony ankles climbin’ up o’ top o’ that and jumpin’ up and down.”  Elayne giggled and Galdur continued, “In a robe no doubt.  Wit’ ‘is arms crossed and a ticked off look at the indignity.”  Titus laughed at the thought and even Revan was smiling.  Galdur guffawed at the mental image and shook his head, “Nay, I don’ think jumpin’ up an’ down on it is gonna help.”

Revan started to say something but was taken by a coughing fit.  After a moment he managed, “So how do we activate it?  And are we sure we want to?”

Titus shrugged, “I dunno.  But I’ll betcha the raider those kobolds captured would.”


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## Jeremy (Feb 27, 2004)

*Cormanthor, Galath's Roost
16th of Deepwinter in the Year of Wild Magic*

The company spread out, searching for signs of their quarry or danger in the cavern beneath Galath’s Roost.  Making their way around stalagmites and over the stream that flowed through most of the cavern they made their way collectively around to the east side, where Revan thought the short alcove into the wall was a little suspicious.  Sure enough, it was a clumsily hidden door, little more than just a boulder pushed up against the wall from the outside to conceal it.  He moved to investigate it when with a groan a metal grate, spiked on the forward side swung down sideways out of the ceiling slamming shut and pinning him, spiked to the wall, through his shoulder.  The gate made an effective barrier, shutting off all access to the secret door, though Revan had prevented it from locking into place.

“Well that’s one way to keep a door open.  Hang on, have you out in a jiff.”  Titus said, not really bothered by the look of the wound, but not dwelling on it either.  He took a firm handle the bars of the gate and tried to lift it and rotate it back up into the roof.  The sucking and popping sound of the spike being withdrawn from Revan was enough to make Elayne turn away and head a little deeper into the cave away from the others.

Revan slumped down against the wall as Titus pulled the gate clear and held it up for Galdur to check on Revan.  “Good work that,” he muttered of the stonework as he ducked underneath the trap.  “Try an’ hold still.  This gonna hurt.”  Galdur channeled some of the spell energy Dugmaren had granted him this morning, changing it into positive energy as he was taught and mending most of the wound.  He looked disappointed at how much of the wound remained, but Revan placed a hand on his shoulder before making his way to his feet.

The elf and the dwarf quickly ascertained that the secret door was in fact a secondary entrance from outside hidden in an overgrown thicket and headed back to Titus who was still holding up the grate.  After everyone was back inside the cave and clear of whatever triggered the trap, they pushed the gate back up until it was felt to lock into place, cleverly disguised among the stalactites.

“Well that was,” Revan was interrupted by Elayne’s scream from the south.

“Whose turn was it to watch the princess?”  Titus complained as they rushed around the corner.

“Figures.  First giant insects,” Galdur said as they all pulled up short staring at the writhing plants among the stalagmites in the shaft of sunlight pouring down from the sinkhole in the courtyard above, “Why not giant killer vines too?”  Galdur hadn’t been in the North for long, but he was learning fast how to sound like a fatalistic shield dwarf.

His words didn’t stop his actions though, taking up his axe he started cutting a swath through the animated vines trying to get to Elayne who was wrapped up in a thick knot of vines that seemed to have hand-like leaves that were tightly holding her.  Her scream was cut short as the vines began choking off her air.  Galdur didn’t get very far though before he too was wrapped up and he was forced to spend most of his time cutting himself free, and even then was only able to make precious little progress.

Titus also ran into the area, planting his long staff at the base of a stalagmite and pole-vaulting into the chaos, leaping left and right trying to avoid being ensnared.  Arrows shot by him as Revan, perceiving some distinct form to the vines holding Elayne began making pinpoint strikes against it while staying clear of Elayne.  Titus managed to get a hand around Elayne’s ankle before the vines could pull her out of his reach up towards the ceiling they were also wrapped around.  He tried to pull her free but the vines would grip was too tight.  Elayne’s struggling suddenly stopped and after a moment she went limp.

The vines deposited her with a thump near their collective base and suddenly lurched out several tentacle-like lengths at Titus.  Revan managed to shoot two of them out of the air but another managed to wrap around Titus’s ankles and upended him.  Galdur continued hacking his way through the vines that continued to thrash about but he could do little to move towards his endangered friends.

Revan meanwhile, continued, utterly focused, snapping off arrow after arrow with deadly aim striking the vine in multiple locations and never once harming its prey.  After one last shaft slammed into place on the vine it’s strength gave out and it fell, sagging and inanimate to the ground around Titus.  He gasped for air as the now free Galdur hurried to Elayne.  She was unconscious but still alive.

Galdur and Titus looked at the sickly elf in wordless thanks, both impressed by his incredible feat.


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## Jeremy (Feb 27, 2004)

*Cormanthor, Galath's Roost
16th of Deepwinter in the Year of Wild Magic*

Unsure of what vines would animate again or not, or how to tell if it was truly dead, Titus took up his torch again and eventually got some of the vines to take. They gave off a greasy black smoke that drafted poorly out the sinkhole in the roof Revan had widened earlier.

The party retreated until the fire burned itself out, or to possibly find another way around. As they left, Revan made out forms moving to investigate on the other side of the flames and informed the company of such. Galdur brought Elayne back around with one of his remaining spells.

"Thanks Galdur, I don't know what we'd do without you."

"Or me." Titus chimed in.

"Or you Titus," she smiled at him and then made to continue on.

"Hang on a sec, you forgot something."  When Elayne turned around Titus was grinning, tapping a finger to his cheek as he turned his head.

Elayne blushed and began to turn but Titus was not having that, he grinned and continued, "Aw c'mon princess...  You know I deserve it.  Just one, right here."

Elayne persisted, turning away, "So we were going to try down the west side right?"

Titus laughed and the company pressed on.

*** 

Galdur found another way through the back of the cavern and into an area of roughly hewn stone walls, further back, there were bits of old shelving still clinging to the stone walls, but from the cave was curving back around towards the fire and through the smoke came a pair of ants that were almost four feet long and another ant near six! The group stopped dead in their tracks at the site, not ready for another battle so soon, and the ants paused. The two smaller ants scurried away back towards the south east while another large ant, a soldier, moved just into the torch light, watching the biped’s cautiously. After a moment the large ants simply settled in to watch.

Skirting along the wall, avoiding the ants and the passage towards their apparent nest did not seem to draw the ire of the creatures so the party slowly left them behind and entered another area with broken shelving, this one with old bits of broken colored glass lying scattered around and a low lying section that had filled with water from the passing stream before it turned off to the east. The group cautiously looked over the area and found some stone steps leading up out of the area to a solid looking door. As they made their way around the pool, something flickered in the torchlight that caught Galdur’s eye.

“Eh? Titus, brin’ that torch ova ‘ere.”

Titus swung the torch out over the water a few times near were Galdur was peering down and he too caught a couple of glimmers. It looked like there might be a number of coins under the water and maybe even a gem or two, or at least more of the broken colored glass. Checking the door to make sure no one would be coming through anytime soon, Titus began stripping off his armor to have a look.

Revan got out a length of fine rope, which he offered to tie around Titus. “Never can be too careful, Titus.”

“Sure ya can,” he grinned, “What’s life without a little risk?”

Galdur inspected the rope, and finding it suitable enough, called upon Dugmaren’s ingenuity to manipulate the rope. The far end of the rope slithered up and twined itself about a pair of stalagmites and back to Galdur and Revan who each took a hold of it.

“Well that’s handy,” Elayne whispered.

Titus shrieked and jumped out of the water almost as soon as he got in it to worried exclamations of the rest of the group. “What is it? Giant fish?” suggested Elayne.

“Eel?” Galdur guessed.

“No. It’s just cold!” Titus grinned.

“Bloody…” Galdur started as he shoved Titus into the water with a splash.

Titus clamped his chattering teeth shut and put his face under the water, apparently the water had eroded away the top of a cache of treasure, perhaps some of Galath’s hidden loot. For a moment he thought he saw the mound move, but he dismissed it as a trick of the light and moving water. Coming back up he told of the countless coins tucked away under the water and had Elayne toss him a couple tough sacks over with the rest of his gear.

Titus took a deep breath and went back under and was reaching for the pile of coins when he noticed two gem-like orbs—set in a big snakes head… And they blinked. Titus yanked hard on the rope and kicked off the bottom, pulling himself back up the rope. Feeling the yanks on the rope Revan and Galdur tugged hard on it pulled Titus bodily from the water with a huge striking snake leaping out right behind him. Titus hit the ground and rolled away towards his gear even as Revan and Galdur were taking up their weapons.

Elayne sent a magical bolt sizzling into the side of the enormous snake that made it pause and reconsider its snack. When Revan punched an arrow into it and Titus came charging back with his great long staff the snake fled quickly back into the water and into the stream. Revan lowered his aim while Galdur continued muttering about giant this and giant that, it was uncomfortable being in a place where even the bugs were bigger than he was.

*** 

Securing the last bit of treasure to Galdur’s pack, the company finished distributing over one hundred pounds of coins and gems they had dug out of Galath’s cache. It was more money than most people see in a lifetime and was a fitting reward for the risk to life and limb they had endured already on Mistledale’s behalf. Titus and Galdur were almost giddy.

Heading up the stone steps to the door that they hoped lead to the kobolds and the captured raider they hoped was still alive to question they were in a downright festive mood.

The door however did not share the mood, nor did it budge so much as an inch when Titus tried it; not even when Titus and Galdur tried it; nor even when Titus and Galdur AND Revan tried it. Galdur placed an ear up to the door and was able to make out a low droning hum from the other side that caused Revan and Titus to share a look.

The dwarf looked back at them and prompted, “Well? Whut?”

“There _is_ another way in…”


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## Jeremy (Feb 27, 2004)

And _that_ posting spree gets us up to date! Woo hoo! Just in time for tomorrow's game. *happy dance* I hope you guys are enjoying this. I'll try to scan in Leslie's latest picture tonight. She drew up the water mephit, as she imagined it anyways, last night unbeknownst to me. It looks great! The detail on the cave around it for a sketch is fantastic. I'll be back later. 

Edit: Whoops!  Missed a bit as pointed out by Velenne to me.  Fixed now.


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## Calim (Feb 28, 2004)

WOW


All I can say is Jer is always making us look better then we are  

Currently playing Revan and having a great time of it.


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## doghead (Mar 6, 2004)

Well, the washings not done, and all I've had is coffee and cigarettes since I woke up, and my eyes have gone squinty. Good read though. Sounds like a good game all round.


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