# Mordallend Story Hour



## Galfridus (Jan 15, 2002)

Welcome to the Mordallend Story Hour. The campaign website can be found here.

Enjoy!

The characters

*Thorald Stone, strange wizard* (Human Psion-Savant6)
*Jonetello, minstrel extraordinaire* (Human Rogue1/Ranger1/Fighter4/Psychic Warrior1)
*Magnimiliar Ivellios, scoundrel and adventurer* (Human Rogue3/Sorceror3)
*Alamar Sunin, priest of Ehlonna* (Cleric6)

Missing, Imprisoned, Deceased

_The following events took place prior to the current beginning of this story hour:_
*Darius Exeter, minstrel* (Bard3) - slain by henchmen of the Order of the Lily in Meohall
*XecZorn, necromancer* (Sorceror4) - slain by the necromancer Malefice's _Glyph of Warding_ at Littlewater Keep
*Coral Four-Finger, troubled wanderer* (Rogue2/Sorceror1) - kidnapped by the half-demon Seriya, whereabouts unknown
*Thorfinn, cynical ranger* (Ranger4) - slain by night goblins in a castle of the necromancer, Malefice
*Grugg, warrior* (Barbarian5) - imprisoned for murder (bar brawl gone bad) in Merelin
*Entia, Druid* (Druid5) - taken by the dragon Sygwerdan, presumed dead
_The following events occur during this story hour:_
*Kalenthas Thistleberry, priest of Pelor* (Halfling Cleric6) - fell fighting a barbazu in the village of Kavael
*Zook Mirnig, knight errant* (Gnome Paladin5) - also killed fighting barbazu
*Mystarion Thyastacia, wizard* (Elf Wizard6) - killed by mysterious shadow energies associated with the _Medallion of Twilight_ (now in the hands of Rasilar, "Lord of the Shadow Realm")

No longer with the party

*Kanavin Loxham, outlawed prince* (Human Fighter1/Ranger1/Rogue2) - hiding in the village of Magehaven
*Leilen, seeker of knowledge* (Elf Bard6) - left the party to pursue an errand for the Council of Magehaven
*Ravenfield, errant armorer* (Human Fighter3/Sorceror3) - left the party to seek his way as a blacksmith
*Elbryn Diasion, wanderer* (Half-Elf Ranger6) - left the party to join the Loxham rebellion


A brief history of the region

The Tataiafar Empire lasted for thousands of years, reaching across a wide continent and two oceans. Near the imperial province of Tataya lay a mountainous strip of land leading to the bulk of the Empire's lands. This region was named *Mordallend*: home of the Knight Order of Ardinor, birthplace of the poet Kastran, bridge between the seas of Mardens and Tallos. Countless caravans and ambassadors traveled its highways on their way to the seat of Imperial power in the city of Fadrah. 

A thousand years ago, the last Empress, Jianna, was murdered by her disinherited brother Kessetarl. Kessetarl, learned in black sorcery, used his power to conduct a series of purges, aided by the monastic Order of the Lotus. These purges resulted in death or imprisonment for all who had been friendly to the cause of the dead Empress. An uprising against his rule, led by the Order of Ardinor, evolved into a decades-long civil war. At its height, priests of the god Latarin restored Empress Jianna to life. With the knights of Ardinor behind her, Jianna defeated and slew Kessetarl, retaking her throne.

The passions stirred up by this conflict did not die out with Jianna's resurrection. Uprisings and revolts continued in every province of the Empire. In Mordallend, in the province of Nardallend, the powerful dragon Sygwerdan laid the countryside waste, sacking cities and slaying thousands. Farther from Fadrah, some provinces were abandoned, as the Empress had no forces to spare. Assassins and followers of Kessetarl exacted their revenge on the priests of Latarin, sacking temple after temple.

After only a few years, Kessetarl returned, brought back as a creature of the undead by his followers. Raising an army in the province of Felkar, he marched through Mordallend and into Tataya, leaving behind a besieging force to seek out and destroy the hidden citadel of the Order of Ardinor. The Empress engaged his army within the Imperial city of Fadrah. Her forces were victorious -- destroying Kessetarl, his army, and the Order of the Lotus -- but the city was destroyed, and the Empress was lost. Its ruling family dead, the Empire disintegrated.

In Mordallend, the few survivors suffered under the rule of brigands and outlaw chieftains who descended from their mountain strongholds to rule the abandoned countryside. It would be many hundreds of years before King Kalden would unify the lands around Lake Drelmist (formerly known as the province of Drahelland) into the kingdom of Rellenor, in the year now known as Year 1 of the Later Era (abbreviated LE 1). A descendent of the last governor of Drahallend, Kalden I recognized the ancient claims of the Empire to the lands of his kingdom, but declared that in the absence of an Emperor or a Senate to elect a new Emperor, he would bring order to his lands. Along with rulers of the elves, gnomes, and dwarves, he formed the League of Sygwerdan, forging a peace with the dragon that has lasted through the centuries. (Chieftains of the nations of Velland and Kinfeld later joined the League.) Under the rules and contracts of the League, Sygwerdan refrained from assaulting the League's lands, so long as his own lands and sovereignty were recognized. Today, in LE 653, the lands of Mordallend are sparsely settled, but largely at peace.


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## Galfridus (Jan 15, 2002)

*Alding village*

The party is currently in Velland, a mountainous land along the south edge of Mordallend, bordering the Sea of Mardens. Having recently rescued the outlaw Prince Kanavin Loxham from the clutches of the Order of the Lily (a monastic order devoted to the preservation of law in the kingdom of Rellenor), they are traversing the mountains in search of Thorald's home village of Magehaven. Thorald knows the village's location, but does not know how to bypass the magical wards that protect the village - or, for that matter, whether the village council will allow his return...

Of late, the party battled a mimic and a group of fire mephitis, and lost several horses to a chimera. They have reached a remote village at the eastern edge of Velland, still a week or more from their destination. 

*Hullashfjord, October 21, LE 653*

Alding Village is a small settlement at the head of a minor offshoot of Hullashfjord, easternmost of the fjords of Velland. The village is not walled, but numerous watchtowers and the readiness of it warriors speak to the need for frequent defensive efforts. Most of the villagers spend their evening in the chieftain's great hall, at the center of the village.

The party enjoys a raucous night in the hall of Karl Alding, chieftain of the Alding clan. Much drink is consumed (and many _Delay Poison_ spells are cast). Leaving the fun early, Leilen casts _Identify_ on the magical treasure from the chimera/mimic's lair, producing the following results:
*Rose Colored, Cloudy potion:* Potion of Endurance
*Emerald, Oily potion:* Potion of Enlarge (5th level)
*Gold ring with wavy design:* Ring of Swimming
*Unmarked wooden wand:* Wand of Detect Magic (12 charges, "Enahl")
*Dark wooden wand:* Wand of Shocking Grasp (Lvl 1, 8 charges, "Cuern" carved on wand)
*Breastplate:* +1 Breastplate. (Command word "Fedar" inscribed on inside was discovered by experimentation to Create Water, at least sometimes…)
*Mysterious box:* Command word "Kawool" produces an unspecified magic mouth effect (which no one attempts).
Meanwhile, Karl Alding asks to speak to "Lord Lowthar" (Magnimiliar's _nom de plume_) in private. He explains that while he has told his warriors that Lowthar and his retinue are off-limits for looting or robbery, some of the younger ones might forget this command. In such an event, Karl would have no complaints if Lowthar were forced to defend himself, although it would be nice if the warriors in question were left alive. Karl also mentions that if Lowthar intends to make his village a base for "chimera hunting', he should be ready to present Karl with a significant share in any riches that might be found. Magnimiliar agrees to these terms, thanking Karl for his hospitality.

Magnimiliar and Jonetello learn from several warriors that a group of raiding hobgoblins ("Maybe 20 to 30 left, though there's more in the high mountains"), with at least one spellcaster, has taken up residence on a ridge near the village. As if on cue, the drumbeats that the group has heard the past few nights start up again, echoing off the high slopes a few miles away. 

The group spends the next day resting and recovering - mostly. Jonetello completes his song about "hunting" the chimera (artfully neglecting the part where they ran until their horses were exhausted, and the part where the chimera ate three of their horses). The song plays well, as long as you were not witness to the real events or can keep a straight face.

Thorald meditates, unlocking from within himself the ability to neutralize magic spells and psionic powers with a thought. There aren't many spells to practice on, so he manifests a few.

Zook receives a vision of a divine warpony awaiting his call, but decides to wait until he is in Garl's better graces before issuing the call. 

Garl:	"What would a paladin do when giving his word to a mimic?" 
Zook:	"Um...keep his word no matter what?"
Garl:	"That's what a _human_ paladin would do. A _gnomish_ paladin would play a good trick! Look into it!"

Magnimiliar purchases a morningstar from the aptly named Gallar Morningstar, an older warrior with a well-known liking for his namesake weapon. 

Mystarion begins scribing a spell (Mage Armor), and is nearly interrupted by Kalenthas, who yells for everyone to come see the new spell he just realized he could cast! A small crowd gathers at the water's edge as Kalenthas gestures, intones, then dashes merrily across the water, out to a fishing boat, and back, grinning widely. "It's a great spell, and it lasts for…" he checks his fingers quickly "…an hour!" 

Thorald, done with meditating, decides to test his battle prowess against the warriors of the village in unarmed combat. Magnimiliar and Leilen decide to test their odds-making prowess, and manage to earn several gold pieces while Thorald bests the village's youngest and brashest warriors. 

As night falls, the villagers gather in Karl's hall to drink and sing (repeating as needed). Jonetello wows the crowd with a rendition of his new chimera-hunting song, then listens politely through a series of Vellandish songs: five battle chants and one song of peace (about sharpening one's weapons the night before battle). He listens closely, committing melody and words to memory.

Before long, hobgoblin drums are heard once more echoing from the hills. Magnimiliar and Leilen decide it's time for a scouting expedition, and slip quietly out the door and along the road leading southwest out of the village. After a couple miles, the road ascends a high ridge, climbing back and forth across the steep terrain. At the top, it passes through a narrow cutting and passes out of sight. The drums have ceased, but the pair agree they must have been coming from atop the ridge. Casting a pair of _Invisibility_ spells, they press on. As they approach the top, they see that an earthen barrier, topped with wooden spikes, runs the length of the cutting. To either side, crude ramparts provide near-complete cover for sentries and defending forces. Indeed, a long silhouette, generally hobgoblin in shape, can be seen in the faint moonlight atop the left rampart. 

Magnimiliar sends his raven, Malagen, to scout. Before he can send back any report, a bowstring is heard, and Malagen is struck. He flees with a loud squawk, swooping back toward the safety of the village. Magnimilar, after assuring himself the bird will survive, instructs him to summon the others. With Leilen, he scales the barrier and moves slowly up the road, avoiding several hobgoblin patrols. Finally, he decides that this is too unsporting - the hobgoblins should have some chance of finding him. He looks around for the most important-looking hobgoblin, then sneaks up and tickles him on the ear. The hobgoblin startles, then shrieks and begins casting a spell. Soon, he is pointing toward Magnimiliar and motioning his comrades forward. "That's enough sport," thinks Magnimilar, retreating swiftly. 

The party and the villagers alike are rather startled by the bloody raven which bursts into the great hall shouting "Hurt! Hurt!", but the party quickly calms the crowd and heals the bird. Malagen delivers his message and then flies from the hall, leading the party toward the ridge. They halt a few hundred yards short of the ridge, seeing nothing but figuring that trouble lies ahead. Jonetello borrows Elbryn's _Cloak of Elvenkind_ and sneaks up the ridge. As he climbs, he hears shouting from above, then sees several hobgoblins behind the ramparts, just above his position. Figuring that Leilen and Magnimiliar might need assistance, he hurls a flask of Alchemist's Fire at the nearest hobgoblin, burning it badly. Unfortunately, the firelight gives his position away, and an arrow strikes him in the leg. He retreats down the hill to a safer position. Two more arrows find their mark as he descends, but do no serious damage. The rest of the party, concerned about the bright flash from the ridge, dispatches Zook to fetch help from the village. From behind their defenses, the hobgoblins hurl insults, which only Kanavin can understand. 

Magnimiliar and Leilen, in the midst of skirting yet another hobgoblin patrol, hear the commotion behind them and decide to return. Bypassing the defensive position by the road, they descend the ridge and come across Jonetello shouting insults in broken Goblin. 

The villagers are enjoying a easy night's carousing when Zook, still mounted on his warpony, bursts into the hall. "Come help us fight the hobgoblins!"

The warriors look at him strangely. "Fight the hobgoblins at night? Only a fool would do such a thing!" They exchange glances. "LET'S GO!!!" About twenty men rush out of the hall behind Zook, grabbing torches and axes. 

Minutes later, the mob meets up with the now-visible scouts and the rest of the party. Calmer heads prevail, and the whole lot returns to the village.

"Next time," says Magnimiliar, "we tell them when we want to go scouting. Sheesh." 

Back at the village, there is a lengthy discussion of strategy and tactics - given that the party has an important mission of their own, should they even attempt an assault on the hobgoblins? Prince Loxham suggests that a raid the next day would seem worth the risk, but remaining in the area for much longer than that seems too long a wait. The party asks Karl to send some of his warriors with them, but Karl reminds them that he has a village to protect. He is willing to ferry the group down the fjord to a small beach on the other side of the ridge, where the approach is less steep, but the party is not interested.

After a time, an unspoken consensus to attack falls into place. The final plan calls for two groups of invisible flankers to scale the sides of the fortified position on the ridge, while the main body climbs the road openly, protected by tower shields. After the flankers take out most of the hobgoblins with spells, the main force will assault the ridgetop with little opposition. 

The discussion continues into the evening, until people begin to notice a strange breeze, slowly gathering in strength, sustaining itself with an unnatural constancy. "They are upon us," someone says, as the wind blows stronger.


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## Galfridus (Jan 15, 2002)

*Hobgoblin assault*

*Hullashfjord, October 22, LE 653*

The strange wind blows steadily for several seconds, as the party looks around nervously, but then fades away. The party is alert for an attack, but nothing comes. They finalize their assault plan and retire for the night. Morning is spent in preparation, until Kalenthas receives his spells at noon. Leilen and Magnimiliar form the first scouting group. Concealed with _Invisibility_ and a _Cloak of Elvenkind_, they scale the steep ridge on opposite sides and take up positions behind the two hobgoblin scouts manning the ramparts. One of the hobgoblins senses something is amiss and tosses two pebbles toward Magnimiliar, but both miss and the hobgoblin seems to lose interest.

As Magnimiliar moves away from the ramparts, he notices a small mound of dirt, covered in ferns and bushes, that seems out of place. He moves closer, and discovers a one-man bunker behind it, and a hobgoblin inside who is watching the other sentries closely. 

After a half hour of waiting, the two scouts spot a patrol of three hobgoblins and a giant rat approaching from the north. The rat pauses, sniffing at Magnimiliar's trail, and then begins tracking, leading the hobgoblins slowly toward Magnimiliar. The lead hobgoblin barks an order, sending one of the others dashing up the road. Magnimilar backs slowly away, easily keeping his distance, and begins leading the patrol in a large circle, hoping to cover his own scent. That trick fails - but the patrol continues to follow him for several minutes, growing visibly frustrated as the trail circles back on itself time after time. During this time, Mystarion and Thorald (both _Invisible_) climb the ridge and take positions closer to the ramparts, undetected. They are just in the nick of time - moments later, twenty or more hobgoblins march down the road. Most are armed with swords and glaives, many carrying shortbows as well. The largest hobgoblin calls the group to a halt, then gives a series of commands, sending several hobgoblins to man each ridge and leaving a reserve of about half his troops standing around him, spread out but ready for trouble. The rat patrol continues to track Magnimiliar; otherwise, everyone waits.

Soon, shouting rises from below (Kanavin teaches everyone the Goblin for "Your mother was a kobold"). The party advances up the road slowly, taking care to remain behind their tower shields. The hobgoblins wait until they are within close range, then the rampart commander shouts, and a volley of arrows flies forth (only Jonetello is hit). No further order to shoot is given - the hobgoblins sneer confidently as the small group approaches their mighty fortifications. Then Jonetello gives the signal, and the attack begins.

From behind the tower shields, Kalenthas casts _Summon Monster_. Four celestial hounds appear on the southern rampart, barking merrily before sinking their teeth into the started hobgoblins. Mystarion, standing nearby, unleases a _Lightning Bolt_ which crosses through the reserve force, catching five hobgoblins including the leader and his priest before stopping just short of the invisible Magnimiliar. Two hobgoblins fall down dead, and the leader is badly wounded. From the other side, Thorald lets loose a _Mind Blast_, stunning the leader and the remainder of the reserve force. Jonetello, Kanavin, Elbryn, and Zook drop their shields and rush the ridge - the archers are too distracted to fire at them as they climb. Magnimiliar hears the sounds of casting from nearby - but there is no hobgoblin there. Loading up his _Crossbow of Ventriloquism_, he shoots a bolt near the source of the sounds. "Invisible hobgoblin spellcaster right here!" Leilen hears this and moves toward the sounds, casting _Detect Magic_ from his wand. Sure enough, there is magic directly ahead.

Finally, the hobgoblins have a chance to respond - their priest dead, their leader stunned, their wizard being hunted down. To the north, Thorald stands along between a half-dozen hobgoblins - and pays for it when he is struck by three arrows. A glaive-armed hobgoblin rushes him, but barely misses. To the south, most of the archers have their hands full fending off the dogs. One, however, tumbles nimbly past the glowing hounds and tosses a Tanglefoot bag at Mystarion. Mystarion tries to duck out of the way, but is rooted in place, unable to move. Unused to this level of distraction when casting, he flubs a spell and decides that using a wand would be a better idea.

Jonetello, Elbryn, and Kanavin climb the rampart and assault the hobgoblins, felling two in their first rush. Kalenthas and Zook, being shorter, are having a much harder time climbing the steep earthen barrier. Across the field, Thorald strikes at one of the hobgoblins surrounding him, but the hobgoblin just grins through the pain and advances. The archers fire a second volley, but only one strikes home - still, at this point Thorald cannot afford any additional wounds.

Then, the invisible wizard's chanting slows for a moment. A giant dire bat appears mid-air above the battle, then swoops to attack Mystarion. Its bite, glowing with fell power, nearly knocks the wizard unconscious. The hobgoblin rogue tumbles to the other side of Mystarion and tries to finish him off, but misses. Things are not looking good for the elf wizard.

Magnimiliar decides that the hobgoblin in the bunker, sniping at Thorald, needs to be dealt with. He fires his crossbow once again and hits the hobgoblin square in the chest. "I am a sucking chest wound!" cries the bolt, and it is not mistaken. The hobgoblin still stands, however, and it draws a sword and charges toward Magnimiliar. 

Leilen continues to focus on the spellcaster's aura, seeking his exact location. 

Thorald finally gets his bearings long enough to manifest _Control Body_, directing one hobgoblin to attack his companion.

Mystarion draws his _Wand of Shocking Grasp_ and stabs at the bat, but misses. Kanavin comes over and begins cutting away the tanglefoot strands. Two of the dogs leap at the bat, eager to engage a fiendish foe, while the other two attack the remaining archers. With their help, Jonetello slays one archer. Elbryn dashed toward the bat and deals it a vicious stroke with his bastard sword. The bat is not slain, however, and bites Mystarion a second time. As unconsciousness looms, Mystarion feels cold power emanating from the _Medallion of Twilight_, and he disappears.

Zook and Kalenthas are still stuck at the base of the rampart.

A second bat appears, this time over Thorald, but it and the archers attacking the psion all miss.

Mystarion finds himself in a strange, shadowed land, devoid of color and silent despite the cold wind that blows across the pale grass. The landscape is similar in appearance to the ridgetop battlefield, but the hobgoblin ramparts are absent -- as are the hobgoblins, and Mystarion's companions. The shadows begin to lengthen as if night is falling, and Mystarion feels a chill closing in around his heart. He invokes the medallion with its command word "Obilon". He reappears, barely conscious, in the battle, free of the tanglefoot strands. He steps back and finishes the nearest hobgoblin with a pair of _Magic Missiles_, then falls unconscious. The medallion does not save him this time.

Leilen continues to concentrate, receiving a definite location where several auras including an Illusion spell are at work. He readies his bow for a surprise attack. 

Thorald shifts his _Control Body_ to the bat, forcing it to slay a hobgoblin. (DM Note: You can't do this, since _Control Body_ only works on humanoids - but we forgot until after the battle was over. Lucky for Thorald...though it all works out in the end.)

Elbryn, Jonetello, and the dogs take all but the rogue and one of the archers down on their side of the battlefield. The rogue manages a telling blow against Kanavin, wounding him badly in the leg. Kalenthas gives up on climbing and starts to assist Zook instead. Zook makes it about halfway up. 

A third bat appears, heading directly toward Thorald. The archers fire another volley at Thorald, but once again they all miss. Jonetello breaks free from the southern skirmish and runs across the battlefield toward Thorald. 

Leilen looses two shots at the heart of the spell auras, but strikes nothing. His curse echoes off the mountains as his form becomes visible. 

A _Summoned_ wolf appears near Magnimiliar and bites him in the leg. He screams in pain, but the wound is quite minor. (That's Magnimiliar for you.)

Thorald continues to control one bat, forcing it to fight the other. The second bat, rather than interfere with the archers' sightlines, defends itself. Batfight! The archers loose another volley, but all the arrows miss.

Zook reaches the top of the rampart and heads toward the nearest hobgoblin. Elbryn and Kanavin finish off the bat and the rogue, as Leilen gives up on the spellcaster and instead fires two arrows into the stunned goblin leader. Thorald, meanwhile, has had enough of summoned monsters. He manifests _Dispel Psionics_ toward the cluster of summoned creatures. The wolf and one bat vanish. Magnimiliar, standing too close, loses his _Shield_. And a hobgoblin, in the midst of casting a spell, becomes visible just behind Magnimiliar. Jonetello seizes the opportunity and charges, giving the wizard a nasty wound but failing to disrupt the spell in progress.

Kalenthas, climbing with only the aid of Pelor, reaches the top of the ridge just in time to see the stunned hobgoblins begin to recover. Close by, Zook lays hands on Mystarion, bringing him back into the fight as well.

Another wolf appears near Jonetello, but missed with its bite. The hobgoblin wizard, now visible, steps away from Jonetello to cast a spell: Thorald feels a pair of invisible hands appear at his neck, choking the life out of him. Thorald retreats and attempts to manifest _Concussion_, but loses his concentration.

Leilen and Elbryn attack the leader, staggering him back before he can act. Jonetello engages one of the leader's escort, as Mystarion sends a _Magic Missile_ against another. Kalenthas runs toward the battle as quickly as his little legs will carry him, not even noticing the brilliant flash of light as Pelor calls his hounds home.

The hobgoblin leader snarls an order, then slashes Elbryn's shoulder with a nasty swing of his long sword. Elbryn falls back in pain, but the stress of the attack was too much for the hobgoblin, who collapses at Elbryn's feet. Seeing this, the other hobgoblins begin to fall back, firing arrows wildly as they move. The spellcaster retreats as well, but Elbryn recovers enough to charge after him.

As Jonetello, Kanavin, Zook, Mystarion and Leilen fell most of the remaining hobgoblins, Thorald is choked unconscious. Elbryn chases down the spellcaster and cuts him down with one stroke. A lone hobgoblin, trapped between Leilen and Kanavin, throws down his weapon and demands quarter. The battle is won.


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## Galfridus (Jan 15, 2002)

*Hobgoblin's Revenge*

*Hullashfjord, October 23, LE 653*

Unfortunately, though the hobgoblin spellcaster has fallen, his spell has not. Elbryn notices that Thorald’s face is turning a deep blue and tries to open his windpipe, but an unseen force keeps pressing down. As Thorald gasps his final breath, his throat reddens with the mark of two spectral hands. Kalenthas tries a healing spell, but to no avail. The group pauses briefly out of respect for the fallen wizard.

Leilen collects a set of items that seem to radiate magic:


*5 unlabelled potions *(4 are identical, brown and thick; 1 is a clear beige)
*1 suit of Studded Leather*
*1 parchment, tied around a rock *(thrown at Jonetello during the fight)
There is some debate over whether to head back to town and rest (which might allow the hobgoblins to retake this position) or to press onward and risk a battle at less than full strength. Magnimiliar scouts ahead and reports (through Leilen, who finds him and returns) that another earthen embankment is about a mile up the road. This one has a series of poles with what looks like strips of cloth tied between them, and a couple unmistakable hobgoblin figures standing guard. There also appears to be a flock of sheep just outside the wall. Kanavin and Mystarion question the captive, who seems unwilling to talk. At last, the group decides to press forward, taking the heads of the hobgoblin leader and spellcaster with them as "negotiation incentives". Elbryn goes to behead the spellcaster – and is startled when he sits up and tries to _Daze_ Elbryn! A brief battle ensues; this time, the hobgoblin wizard is slain for good. (The group makes sure no one else is pretending either.) This incident seems to sway the captive, who reveals that all of the hobgoblin leadership has no been slain, and that only ten or fifteen footsoldiers remain at the camp, but promises that many more are waiting in the mountains. Kanavin promises the hobgoblin his freedom if his facts are true. After mounting the two hobgoblin heads atop polearms, the group advances on the main camp. 

Fortunately for them, the hobgoblin was not lying. As they approach (emerging from behind a blast from the _Horn of Fog_, hobgoblin heads presented prominently), they are greeted by a barrage of arrows from the three hobgoblins brave enough to fight, while nine or so others can be seen trying to sneak through the flock of sheep to safety. Before anyone else can react, Mystarion charges forward and cuts loose with a _Lightning Bolt_, frying three hobgoblins and ensuring an ample supply of cooked mutton for dinner that evening. As the rest of the group advances to give support, the three hobgoblins on the wall decide they have made their point and turn to run as well. All are killed save for one which escapes into the hills, and one which Elbryn grapples and takes captive. 

As the fight winds down, Magnimilar and Leilen climb a wooden barrier blocking the road into the hobgoblin main camp. They see a human-sized hut as well as several low lean-tos erected over trenches dug into the hill. Leilen searches the lean-tos, while Magnimiliar heads for the hut. Inside, he sees a pair of beds, a table, and a small chest, as well as a beautiful, ornate scroll case (emanating magic) lying atop one of the beds. After checking for traps, he opens the chest to find a wealth of treasure:


*1159 gp, 780 sp, 39 pp*
*Several Gems* (a colorless sapphire, a white opal, and five pieces of amber)
*Silver Circlet* (magical, with the phrase "Hennit Ta" inscribed on the inside)
Outside, Kanavin and Elbryn interrogate the new prisoner. He is quite willing to talk, suggesting that the hobgoblins would pay a generous ransom for his return. Kanavin is inclined to doubt this, but believes him when he says that this was the last of the hobgoblins deployed atop the ridge: the sentries to the west and north had been recalled, and everyone else was sent east to fight. Elbryn ties the hobgoblin securely until they are ready to depart. 

As Magnimiliar finishes his search, Mystarion enters the hut. His eye immediately wanders to the pretty scroll case, and he opens it, revealing a single piece of parchment inside. He unrolls the parchment and reads…

Magnimiliar, distracted by the other treasures in the room, is just beginning to form the "N" in "NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" when the _Explosive Runes _detonate. Those outside see gouts of fire burst from the windows and doorway of the hut, followed by a lightly smoking figure (Magnimiliar) who dusts himself off and walks away. Inside, Mystarion lies in charred and deadly silence. Kalenthas rushes in and tries a healing spell, but to no avail. "Well, this sucks!" he announces, and no one seems to disagree.

The group sets the heads of the goblin leader and wizard atop two of the poles, then plasters the camp with threats (in Goblin) should any hobgoblins return to the site. They gather what treasure they can find, release the prisoner, and begin the trek back to town, lugging Mystarion’s body with them. On the way back through the battle site, they pick up Thorald’s corpse, and release the other captured hobgoblin. Shortly after descending the switchbacks into the valley, they become aware of a strange wind blowing down from above them. Unlike before, this wind is rhythmic, coming and going every few seconds or so. "It’s the hobgoblin’s pet chimera," someone quips – and then a old man appears on the path in front of them, dressed in robes of dark purple and carrying an ornate staff with an enormous ruby set in the top. The wind dies down. Kalenthas starts to say something, then furrows his brow, confused.

"Are you companions of Thorald Stone?" the man asks, peering around them at the two corpses they are carrying. "Who wants to know?" a couple people ask. "You may call me Vorn," the man replies, still looking at the bodies. "I have business with Thorald Stone." 

"Are you a friend of _Kelon_", Jonetello asks, infusing his rapier with magical power. Vorn seems to ignore the comment. Magnimiliar, standing toward the back, seems doubtful. "How do we know who you are? You could be a hobgoblin in disguise!" Vorn smiles briefly, and his form begins to shift. "I could indeed," he declares, as his features become one of a tall, snarling hobgoblin. He begins to move toward Magnimiliar, focused if not menacing. Jonetello draws his rapier and advances toward Vorn, who sweeps his staff downward, shattering the rapier. Jonetello draws a short sword and attacks as Vorn moves away. His strike draws blood, but Vorn does not seem to notice. He advances on Magnimiliar, who promptly runs through the group as fast as his feet can carry him. From behind, Jonetello hurls a flask of alchemist’s fire, which sets Vorn aflame; but again, he takes little heed. He frowns a moment as Magnimiliar flees, then begins to shift once more. A faint purple glow surrounds him as he grows…and grows…and grows, into a tremendous dragon of light purple hue (causing everyone but Zook to shake in their boots with fear). With a swift wingbeat, he glides over the group to land next to Magnimiliar. Elbryn _Creates Water_ with his breastplate, putting out the alchemist’s fire and hoping to placate the beast. Magnimiliar turns on his heel and runs the other way – but this time, the dragon is too fast, and pounces on him with both foreclaws. However, Vorn turns his talons away from the helpless rogue, battering him greatly but doing no lasting damage (14 subdual). Zook, seeing a helpless and innocent man trapped, charges the dragon and strikes, but his blow glances off the dragon’s scaly hide. 

Vorn pauses, then in a halo of purple light, returns to human form once more, staff still in hand. "I think that is enough," he says, and none of the group seems to disagree. After a moment of uneasy silence, he continues. "I would…examine Thorald Stone." "Why? "What for?" asks the group. "Because I wish to." "Can you tell use why?" Vorn smiles briefly. "I could tell you, but I will not." He steps forward to Thorald, and no one tries to stop him. He leans down and pulls Thorald’s robe aside at the shoulder, revealing a pale purple tattoo. Leilen recognizes the tattoo as magical, but has never seen anything remotely like it in the past. Vorn turns to his staff. "I cannot bring these two back to life, but _he_ can," he says, turning to Kalenthas. "This is a Staff of…" "--A Staff of Life!" Kalenthas exclaims, foolishly interrupting Vorn. "It’s…it’s a holy staff of Pelor, and it can heal you or bring…bring you back from the dead." He falls into a reverent silence, looking meaningfully at the rest of the group.

Vorn indicates that he will return Thorald and Mystarion from the dead, but requires two volunteers in exchange. Each will receive a tattoo like Thorald’s. In response to repeated inquiries, Vorn will only say that the tattoos allow him to view the bearers from afar. He also says that he may call on each bearer once to perform a favor. Mystarion will be one of the volunteers; after a short discussion, Leilen steps forward as the other.

* * *

Thorald finds himself in a formless grey fog, lit from all directions. He drifts for more time than he can measure, or no time at all – there is little way to tell. Eventually, he recalls his companions, and the choking hands at his throat, and concludes he must be dead. 

After a while longer, he perceives a shadow in the mist, a form that is slowly approaching him. Eventually he can make out the shape of a tree, rooted in a small hillside. Underneath, roots emerge from the dirt and trail off into nothingness. An old man is seated at the base of the tree, watching as Thorald draws closer.

"You are a psion," the man says without preamble. Thorald is caught off-guard. "Yes, I am," he says, surprised. They talk briefly, and the subject quickly becomes the Order of Ardinor. "I have not been able to find Ardinor, though I have been looking for some time," says Thorald. The man chuckles. "I imagine that they would find you." Thorald shakes his head. "In my time, the Tataiafar Empire is no more, and Ardinor is lost," he says. The man seems surprised. "Really? Do you wish to know more about Ardinor?"

Thorald’s eyes bug out, and he gives a civil nod at the prospect of satisfying a quest which he has come to realize represents the purpose for which he was exiled from his village, trained by an amethyst dragon, and transported across the planes. "Yes," he manages to speak aloud.

The man sighs. "The Knight Order of Ardinor," he muses. "The most important thing about the Order of Ardinor is…"

_[…We interrupt this program to bring you an urgent Resurrection…]
_

The man’s words fade into nothingness as Thorald feels a strange tug: at the end of a tunnel of light, he sees Kalenthas Thistleberry, priest of Pelor and follower of the cause of good, calling him to return to life. He hesitates for an agony-filled moment, then accepts the call, feeling the pressures of mortality return as his spirit flees the Astral and floods onto the Prime.

*  *  *

Kalenthas stands over Thorald’s body, listening as Vorn whispers in his ear. He speaks several words of power, and the staff begins to glow. The glow drifts down over Thorald, closing his wounds and restoring color to his flesh. His eyes open and he sits up, absently touching his neck where the mark of two spectral hands endures. His eyes widen. "Alvornux!" Vorn nods. "Greetings, Thorald. It is good that you had the forethought to die so close to my dwelling." Thorald scrambles to his feet, ignoring for the moment the insistent questions from his companions. "Now for the elf," says Vorn, and Kalenthas repeats the words over Mystarion’s body.

*   *   *

Mystarion is floating in a formless mist – doubtless the Astral Plane, judging from the uniform gray and consistent lighting. He is content to drift for a time, but then a tremendous shape looms out of the fog. He watches as a stone fortress approaches, drawbridge up, ramparts empty. It grows closer, and closer – and then from within, a sound of deep thunder issues, and the stone seems to darken. At that moment, he feels the tug of life from Kalenthas. He pauses a moment, drawn to this fortress, but it’s almost sinister appearance makes his decision for him. He returns to life, hearing the strange rushing of his own blood as it begins to flow once more.

*   *   *

Mystarion rises without comment. Vorn declares that the rest of the group should return to the village while he completes his business with the two volunteers. They take his advice and depart. Over the next several hours, Alvornux enacts a magical ceremony over one, then the other. They feel a cool magical power flow into them as he inscribes a mystic tattoo on the backs of their shoulders. When at last he is complete, it is dark outside. "There are two things I would say before I depart," he says. "Firstly, should you travel through the lands of the great dragon Sygwerdan, keep these symbols hidden –- for should he learn that you possess them, he can use them as easily as I can to spy on you." Mystarion and Leilen roll their eyes, but Vorn does not deign to notice. "Secondly: should you actually encounter the dragon, I would suggest that you say nothing of my visit to lands bound by his Treaty. I am certain he would take a dim view of such a breach, and would likely perceive you as my accomplices, given the symbols you now bear." Vorn continues to ignore the expressions of dismay on the pair as he accompanies them back to the village. Mystarion wants to know what plans Vorn has in store for them, and for Thorald in particular. Vorn chuckles. "I am sure he will tell you both, as soon as he figures it out for himself." He will say no more. As they reach the edge of the village, he bids them farewell, and disappears. A swift downdraft of wind blows over them, and Alvornux is gone.

Back in the village, there is a mighty party being held for the victors in the battle against the hobgoblins. Magnimiliar presents the chieftain, Carl Alding, with much silver, some gold, and a few pieces of amber. Many toasts are made, many drinks are downed, and many songs are sung. Zook, sitting at the table, sees a golden gnome seated across from him. "Defending an innocent and attacking a dragon was very brave. Garl likes bravery. You did good." The gnome winks and grows blurry; Zook blinks his eyes, and the hefty human warrior seated across from him grabs him by the shoulders and shakes. "Wake up, little one!" 

As the rest of the group celebrates, Leilen and Mystarion examine the magical items they have found. Mystarion examines the circlet: the phrase is from the Sylvan tongue, and translates: "Trust Me". After enjoying a good laugh, he settles down and allows Leilen to _Identify _the circlet along with the other items:


*5 unlabelled potions: *(4 are identical _Potions of Bull’s Strength_, brown and thick; 1 is a clear beige _Potion of Feign Death_. "So _that’s_ what the wizard did!&quot  
*1 suit of Studded Leather:* _+1_ _Studded Leather of Light Fortification_
*1 parchment, tied around a rock:* Target of an _Explosive Runes_ spell
*Several Gems* (a colorless sapphire worth around 1000gp, a white opal worth around 400, and five pieces of amber worth around 30 each)
*Silver Circlet* (a _Circlet of Persuasion_)
Magnimiliar immediately offers to forgo anything else he would be entitled to from the treasure, in exchange for the circlet. The group agrees. Jonetello takes the Studded Leather, the potions are distributed amongst the melee fighters, and the gold is divided up. Elbryn and Mystarion donate the majority of their shares to Kanavin, to assist him in his struggle to clear his name and regain his title and lands.


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## Galfridus (Jan 15, 2002)

*Journey to Magehaven*

*Hullashfjord, October 23, LE 653*

The celebration continues, but suddenly several people notice a group of warriors leaving the hall. Following toward the edge of the village nearest the hobgoblin camp, they come across a bewildered looking sentry with a shattered greatsword in one hand and a bundle in the other. “Some old fellow…broke my sword with one swing of his staff!” He looks into the crowd. “Lord Lowthar? He left these for you…for you and your group, he said. Said you left them behind.” He hands a small gold figurine (of a vicious looking rat) and a thick book to Lowthar. Several of the group’s spellcasters identify the figurine as the focus for a _Conjure Monster_ spell [a longer-lasting campaign variant on _Summon Monster_], and guess the book to be a spellbook. Leilen opens to a random page, and seeing magical writing, casts _Read Magic_. The book contains a number of cantrips, several first level spells including _Conjure Monster I_, _Mage Armor_, and…more explosive runes! Leilen survives the blast, but the book does not, and he is left with a charred and smoldering binding in his hands. The group settles on a new policy: “Don’t read anything!” and calls it a night.

The next day (the 24th) is spent resting, composing songs, repairing gear, and readying for departure and the trip to Magehaven, concealed in the mountains just a few day’s trip away—shorter if they travel a ways down the fjord. Magnimiliar speaks to Carl Alding about transportation. Carl is happy to offer the “Lord” and his retinue passage along the fjord, though he is not sure why they want to depart at the foot of an uninhabited mountain. Magnimiliar assures him they have heard word there are more chimeras on the slopes, and Carl seems satisfied with that answer. 

The boat trip is uneventful, and the Vellanders wish the group a hearty farewell and much battle before rowing away down the fjord. Following Thorald’s best recollection, they find a steep valley and begin the climb upward. 

That afternoon, their journey is abruptly interrupted by the appearance of a huge spider (easily ten feet across), pale with dark blue markings, that bites Thorald twice and then disappears before more than a couple people can dismount. Before the group can react, it appears again to bite Mystarion, who clutches at his shoulder, collapses – and promptly disappears, as does the spider. Before it vanishes, however, it is struck by several _Magic Missiles_ and a well-aimed arrow. Finally given some time, the group is ready when the spider next appears. A series of charges from Jonetello, Zook, Kanavin, spells from Magnimiliar, and a pair of arrows from Leilen finish the creature. 

Mystarion, drawn by the Medallion of Twilight to the strange shadowed realm he has seen before, walks to the analog of where he recalls Kalenthas standing. Speaking the word “Obilon” before the darkness can deepen, he reappears beside the halfling, who _Cures_ him before he can fall to the ground. 

Kalenthas wants to camp nearby, but several people feel it would be foolish to stay near the fallen monster. Jonetello and Elbryn look for tracks but find none – then decide that it might be foolish to continue. If this creature had a territory, remaining here might be the safest place to spend the night. Magnimiliar congratulates Kalenthas for having a good idea. Sure enough, the night passes without incident.

The group continues the climb the next day, following traces of a road, until they are led to a sheer rock wall with a high mountain above. Thorald thinks this is the way to Magehaven, but does not recognize the peak. They pause for a moment. Leilen casts _Detect Magic_, and is so sure that there is no magic here he ends the spell immediately.

As the group decides what to do next, a man appears, clad in light armor and carrying, though not aiming, a bow. He greets the group, and Thorald recognizes him as Alden Massen, chief Hunter of Magehaven. Alden welcomes the group and leads them to the wall. He speaks a word, and the wall grinds open, revealing a tunnel. After a few dozen feet, the tunnel opens onto a cavern occupied by another dozen or so lightly-armed warriors, many of whom Thorald recognizes. The group is escorted to a side chamber, where Alden takes their names and bids them wait. 

After a few minutes, a beautiful young woman with raven black hair enters. She is clad in robes of deep blue. She introduces herself as Maia Azure, Diviner of Magehaven, and smiles to Thorald. She casts a spell (identified by Mystarion as _Detect Thoughts_) and concentrates as Alden begins asking the group about their purposes and backgrounds. Most members choose to fail their saving throw in order to prove themselves to the diviner, who focuses on them one at a time as Alden asks about their purpose in coming. Magnimiliar has trouble keeping his thoughts straight: “Think good thoughts…think good thoughts…wow, she has a nice pair of…” Maia sighs and rolls her eyes, then moves on to the next person. Jonetello requests that Prince Loxham be allowed to remain in safety in the village, but Alden insists that only the Council of Magehaven can grant such a request. “For now, he says, you are welcome to remain in the village, as long as you abide by our rules. Firstly, you may not leave the village without leave; we are a hidden place, and we must remain so. Secondly, don’t touch anything!” He rises and, with Maia, leads them through another tunnel and into the village of Magehaven.

Magehaven sits on a plateau just above the cliff that halted the party; apparently, the mountain peak above is but an illusion. The group follows a narrow path past newly-harvested fields, until they come to a large swamp, dark and overgrown with moss and ancient trees. The path winds through the swamp, and Maia and Alden encourage the group to proceed. They do, slowly, until they spot a large crocodile resting in the middle of the path. “An illusion,” says Mystarion, and attempts to see through it. He manages to perceive the dweomer sustaining the swamp itself, but the crocodile remains solid. Then Thorald remembers himself. “Hi, Smiley,” he says. “Hey there, Thorald,” says the crocodile, flashing a toothy grin. “Good to see you again!” He introduces himself to Thorald’s friends, offering a paw to each of them. “See you around,” he declares, then crawls off into the swamp. The group continues; after a few minutes, the path emerges in the village of Magehaven itself. Maia and Alden lead the group to a large hall, bid them wait, and then depart.

During the walk, Magnimiliar was doing his best to make light conversation with Maia. Maia, however, seemed interested only in discussing the astrological implications of various divinatory wards and auguries that had been shifting in recent months toward a configuration similar to that mentioned in Master Simon Overe’s journal of 513…Magnimiliar’s eyes began to glaze over, but he managed to understand that there was some sort of meeting taking place that evening.

The group waits in the hall for a short while before Leilen, standing at the door, spots a stunningly beautiful half-elven girl running toward the hall. Thinking quickly, he immediately casts _Hold Person_ to restrain Magnimiliar, but he makes his save and is able to drop his jaw as the girl bounds inside, cries “Thorald!!!!” and gives the psion a tremendous hug. Thorald seems a bit abashed, but introduces his friend Selphyra to the group. “Hi everyone!” exclaims Selphyra. “It’s so great to meet you all…and to see you again Thorald! I didn’t think you’d ever come back! Your parents are just sooo happy you are there – they’ll be by soon. Anyway, I have to go, I’m in the middle of a lesson with Master Enam, and you know how he can get. Bye!” She flits out the door to a chorus of sighs. No one seems to object to staying in Magehaven for a while. 

Shortly thereafter, the group is visited by the Council of Magehaven. Thorald sees his mother, Elaina Skye, in the group. The head of the council, Carl Whitebeard, says that the group’s request is impossible to grant. Magehaven is a place for study, not politics, and if the prince were allowed to stay, the village would inevitably be dragged into his affairs. On the other hand, the group is welcome to stay for at least a few days while they determine their future path. Carl was expecting to deny Thorald even this boon, but the head Diviner, Reddick the Seer, insisted there was no danger from the Calkyrix, so he will be allowed to stay. Carl declares the meeting over; as he does so, someone mutters in his ear. Jonetello and Leilen catch a few words: “conjured…out of the village…”, but choose to say nothing. As the council departs, Magnimiliar spots Maia and asks if he could attend the, uh, divination thing that evening. Maia smiles. “That would be up to Reddick, of course.” Magnimiliar puts the question to The Seer, who replies in a deep voice, “Of course you may attend,” before turning away. Magnimiliar is busy congratulating himself when an addendum rises from Reddick’s lips: “…at your peril.” This warning does not seem to faze Magnimiliar. Meanwhile, an apprentice left behind announces that he is to give the group a tour of the village.

Magehaven is a walled village divided into quarters, once for each school of magic (as well as one for generalist, or hedge, wizards). The apprentice glumly heads them past the Tower of Divination, the Hall of the Dead, the Three Towers of Defense, the Hall of Change, the twin Halls of Evocation, the ruined Tower of Enchantment, the Dome of Conjuration, and the Artificer’s Laboratory. Several sets of ears perk up at this last one (“Magic items?!?” ), and the group requests a tour of the lab. 

The apprentice leads them to a thirty foot wall in the middle of a wide courtyard. On one side of the wall is a thick oak door. The apprentice knocks on the door, and a mouth appears: “Come in!” He opens the door, revealing a vast room filled with tables, shelves, books, engines of alchemy, and at least a dozen scurrying wizards. The Chief Artificer, Quewellen, hurries up to meet them. “Oh, the outsiders! So glad to meet you all. We were just about to—say, could one of you volunteer?” 

Zook volunteers instantly, and is soon holding a gold flute while Quewellen casts a spell on him. “Alright, now just play this simple tune…” and he whistles. Zook tries, but his knowledge of the flute is limited. “That’s alright, try again—oh, and perhaps you should move away from your friends there.” After a couple attempts, Zook gets the tune right, and is instantly engulfed in a huge gout of fire that erupts from the flute. When the smoke clears, he is standing bewildered – but apparently unharmed. “Oh, blast,” says Quewellen, “still coming out the wrong end. Ah well!” 

He hurries over to a table with a crystal ball and a small ring. Leilen steps forward, anticipating the need for a volunteer. He dons the ring and speaks a word at Quewellen’s request. The top of the ring cracks open, revealing a small eye. At the same time, vague shapes and colors appear in the crystal ball, moving as Leilen moves his hand, but failing to come into focus. “Wonderful – a near-sighted _Ring of Clairvoyance_” groans Jonetello, earning him a pleased smile from Quewellen. “Just so – very perceptive of you!” 

Quewellen strides to another table and picks up a brown potion. “Now then, just one more volunteer…hm, no, not the gnome, yes, you will do, a half-elf should be just fine.” He places the potion in Elbryn’s outstretched hand. Elbryn uncorks the flask and takes a small sip. “No, no – drink it all down!” urges Quewellen, and Elbryn slowly complies. At first, nothing happens – and then the group has to restrain themselves as Elbryn slowly transmorphs into a six foot tall brown rabbit. “Now, as you may know, magic of this order cannot normally be encapsulated in potion form, but we have made some progress at doing so. Of course, there are still a few problems…” Elbryn looks bewildered, then jumps in alarm as he discovers his changed state. “Oh, don’t worry,” says Quewellen, “it wears off in a few hours. Oh, but don’t eat any carrots or lettuce before then! Anyway, so nice to meet you, but I’m afraid you’ll have to go now. Important experiment coming up!” Before leaving, several group members ask about the possibility of Quewellen’s people forging a magic item or two. Quewellen seems to think this is a grand idea.

Most of the group returns to the hall. Elbryn seeks his quarters to meditate for a bit. Jonetello plays several songs for a rapidly increasing audience, who seem eager to hear anything new regardless of subject matter. Zook, Mystarion, and Thorald pay a brief visit to Azimuth, master of the school of Illusion, in the swamp. (An unseen door in one of the large trees opens onto a stone staircase leading up to an arched chamber invisible from the path below.) Azimuth asks how they enjoy the swamp, and wonders if they have any requests for the future. After taking a couple suggestions (crystal city, Pelor’s palace) he says he will have something new before they can depart. Zook asks if he can learn illusion spells from the school. “Of course!” says Azimuth. “It would be a pleasure to have a gnome’s perspective…if you are here long enough, come back!”

Meanwhile, Magnimiliar sits high in the Tower of Divniation, doing his best to look like he understands the conversation whirling between four diviners. As best he can tell, they are concerned about a shift in the stars that began a few years back. Reddick seems to think it portends woe for the village and the lands around it, while two of the others are far less concerned. Maia says little – giving Magnimiliar exasperated glances instead. Finally, she declares that to her, the matter bears watching, but without a more clear understanding there is little they can do. Shortly thereafter, with no preamble, the meeting ends abruptly. Magnimiliar scrambles to his feet and follows Maia as she crosses one of the crystal bridges leading out of the tower and descends to the ground below. “Hey, Maia…would you like to come have a drink with me?” he asks? Maia thinks a moment, then smiles. “It sounds like a pleasant offer…but I don’t think so.” She turns and walks away. 

Thorald and Mystarion spend a pleasant hour with Thorald’s parents, Donovan Stone and Elaina Skye. Elaina had foreseen Thorald’s recent death, and was overjoyed that it did not take. “That’s the only reason you’re allowed back in here,” she says, “they think your death threw off that thing, the Calkyrix.” She shakes a finger at him. “Don’t you go dying on me again, young man!” They share a few stories before Thorald and Mystarion return to the rest of the group.

Magnimiliar, upon meeting up with Thorald again, has a question for him. “So, what is this Calkyrix thing all about?” Thorald explains as best he can: tentacles of starry darkness, reaching hundreds of feet into the sky. Jonetello confirms this, recalling that they could see it from at least a quarter mile off when it appeared in the city of Merelin.

Mags, a shade paler than a few minutes before, looks around nervously. “And how did you stop this thing?” “I didn’t,” says Thorald. The first time, he explains, it was driven off by the combined force of Magehaven. The second time, he doesn’t really know what happened; when he came to, he had been transported to another plane of existence. “Something must have driven it off, I guess.”

“Well that’s great!” proclaims Magnimiliar. “Does anyone else have any deep, big secrets to reveal! Anything else hunting anyone?” Kalenthas looks a little sheepish. “Well, once when I was an acolyte I stole food from the kitchen…” Magnimiliar does not seem as concerned about this incident.

Some of the group turns in at this point. Magnimiliar, Jonetello, and a couple others return to the Artificer’s Lab. A bright light can be seen glowing behind the door, and muffled thumps or explosions sound from within. Someone knocks on the door, and the mouth appears.

“Welcome to the Artificer’s Lab! I am sorry to say that the lab is cl-- … --or rep--… --ood day!” A loud bang shakes the door, and a cloud of smoke puffs out beneath the door. “Perhaps we should come back later.” “Yeah, good idea.” They decide to call it a night.

[ November 05, 2001: Message edited by: Galfridus ]


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## Galfridus (Jan 15, 2002)

*Mordunfelsendum*

Earlier, in Magehaven...

*Magehaven, October 23, LE 653*

With a rapid incantation, Loren Fireshower completes his binding spell. Standing in the middle of the arcane circle is a man-like figure with a long, spiky beard, clutching a glaive inscribed with dark runes. It raises a hand, halting at the edge of the circle.

"Ah, Mordunfelsendum," proclaims Loren, "I know your name. That should stop you from breaking my circle, don't you think? Now then, I wish to know some details about the flames you produce…"

Loren pauses as someone knocks on the door. "A moment," he says, drawing a curtain over the alcove. "Enter." An apprentice enters. "Ah, Eric, what is it?"

Eric bows nervously. "Sir…I wanted to know if I might visit Kavael next week, when I have finished my scribing. I know you're busy and all with Master Garret away, but it's been a long time and I'd really like to go. Plus," he adds, "I can make that drawing of the Felldenstone you were asking about. It's right there in the fields beyond the village - we used to play around it, before Master Lars told me what it was."

Loren listens politely, then shakes his head. "I'm afraid not, Eric-I need everyone here to keep things in order. I have some very important business to attend to!"

The conversation proceeds for several more minutes, but Eric cannot make any headway. At last Loren dismisses him, then turns to his writing desk. "Reports, reports…always so much to do! I wish Garret would come back." Behind him, beyond the curtain, Mordunfelsendum waits with infinite patience.

The next morning, Loren draws back the curtain. "Now then-"

Mordunfelsendum interrupts. "May I travel to the village of Kavael, home of the Felldenstone, and slay its inhabitants?"

Loren laughs. "I'm afraid not! I have questions for you to answer…then you can go."

"I will return and answer your questions after I slay the villagers. You have my word."

"No. Answer my questions and you can return -- to your home in the outer planes, mind you." Loren smiles. "Almost caught me, didn't you?" he mutters to himself. "You want to kill someone, why don't you just get out of that circle yourself and go do it? Then maybe you'll be in a mood to answer some questions."

"I might be some time."

Loren waves a hand absently. "Take all the time you need! If you can get out of that circle, go to the village and kill them all for all I care - just come back when you're done and answer my questions."

"Agreed." 

With a puff of smoke, the devil vanishes from the circle. Coughing, Loren bats at the smoke, then stares worriedly into the circle. "Oh my."

*Magehaven, October 26, LE 653*

"Merp!"

Mystarion opens his eyes to find a huge draconic face staring at him-then awakens and realizes it's merely a tiny draconic head at extreme close range. The pseudo-dragon chirps once more and leaves a tiny scroll case before flitting out the window. Despite the early hour, Mystarion studies the case carefully before opening and reading it. Nothing explodes; inside is a message from Loren Fireshower, inviting them to meet him, discreetly, at one of the Halls of Evocation. 

The group proceeds quietly to the hall, where they find Loren waiting in a shadowed corner. He says that the Council might change its mind concerning Prince Loxham; if the group undertakes a quest for him, he would do his utmost to see that they do. The mission? "Oh, just slaying a devil." 

After some discussion, the group decides to accept. Loren emphasizes that they must keep this mission secret: "The Council doesn't need to know. Oh, don't worry-they know about the devil. Can't do that in secret."

The group spends the day preparing. Loren gives Mystarion access to his Evocation spellbook (every evocation spell of 4th level of below), and offers some advice on fighting the devil, known as a Barbazu: "They don't like acid; but then, they are resistant to most every spell, so you need to be careful. Non-magical weapons don't really hurt them, either." 

That evening, Mystarion visits the Tower of High Divination, to cast his Clairvoyance spell. "Start at the peak of the mountain…eastward lies a pass. When it divides, take the northern valley. Within the valley is a hill. Upon that hill is a cottage. Within the cottage is a table. Upon that table is a slate, and on that slate is the message I seek…" The Order of the Iris has two messages for him:

·	Emil (Daragon, of the Order of the Lily) seeks you in Kinfeld.

·	Kanavin Loxham has passed beyond our sight. If he is beyond your protection, send word.

Magnimiliar spends most of the day preparing a message for his new love, Maia. He turns to Marian Mistletoe, druid of Magehaven, for a bouquet of flowers. After a mere several hours of agonized contemplation, he composes a poem to include. That night, Jonetello performs the poem, making major on-the-fly revisions to produce a work of true and lasting beauty. An owl finds its way to Magnimiliar with a short message, written in a light, flowing script: "Persistence deserves reward. Send word when you return." It is signed by Maia. Magnimiliar can barely restrain himself.

That evening, the group is approached by the Council. Carl Whitebeard asks the group if they have anything to tell him. Wisely, the group does not seek to lie or evade the Council, and relates their conversation with Loren and the mission they have agreed to. "It is good that you tell me this," responds Carl. "The Council has agreed that this mission is a worthy one, and should you succeed, the Loxham prince will remain here under our protection until spring, at the least. One more thing: beware the words of this creature, as they have great power."

Heartened, the group decides to spend another day in preparation, permitting Mystarion to finish scribing _Lesser Acid Orb_. Kalenthas prepares a handful of _Magic Weapons_ and _Magic Circles against Evil_. The next morning, they are escorted to a cave at the edge of town. Despite being high in the mountains and far from the fjord, the cave leads in a matter of minutes to the water's edge. There, they are joined by Quewellen, who produces a small box. "Now, this is a magical vessel which will take you where you need to go." He rapidly explains the commands for unfolding, commanding, and refolding the boat. "Ah, one more thing. While only the designated captain can command the rowers, it is important that no one say the word, 'Sink', while the boat is in the water. Well, I must go, good luck!" With that, Quewellen hurries off, oblivious to the questions hurled at him by the suddenly anxious adventurers.

With a little trepidation, they unfold the boat and get inside. A troop of illusory rowers appears on either side, rowing in time to the boat's motion. Magnimiliar looks around desperately, a certain dangerous work scratching and clawing at the tip of his mouth. Finally, Leilen takes pity on him: a _Hold Person_ followed by rope and gag serve to protect Magnimiliar from his own impulses. 

Late that night, the group arrives at the village of Lorskun, just south of their destination. They spend the night by the docks, then enter the village and start asking questions about any strange happenings. They discover two things: just a few days ago, a villager from Kavael bought up all the greataxes that could be found; and the day after, a boy arrived from Kavael with wild stories of fire and doom. "Of course," says a villager, "that boy Arn is always making up stories. Ghosts, raiders, wolves - it's always something. Where is he? He's at the healer's - came down with something just after he got here." They hurry to the healer's cottage, but they are too late: the boy passed away the night before. The healer is bewildered; the boy had chills, but like nothing she had ever seen before. "I hope it's not catching," she warns, "'cause no one in these parts has a remedy for it." 

The adventurers hasten north out of the village along the path to Kavael, which perches on a plateau a half-days journey away. The journey is quiet; even the wildlife seems subdued. As they reach the plateau, a feeling of darkness and dread falls over them. They find the village apparently abandoned and silent. The exteriors of many buildings are spattered with blood; inside, all furnishings and belongings have been smashed and burned. After searching several buildings, the group decides to make its way toward the great hall, suspecting the Barbazu has taken up residence there.

As they approach, several spells are cast in preparation: _Magic Weapon, Magic Circle Against Evil, Mage Armor, Shield_. They open the door and ready themselves for the worst...

Inside, bright torches shine from both side walls, illuminating a pair of long tables crowded with half-eaten food. At the far end, an old, fat man leans over a bulky wooden desk, busily writing onto a large scroll. Behind him a woman stands perfectly still and silent. The man looks up as Zook enters. "Are you of this village?" he asks in a nasal, sinister voice. 

"No," answers Zook. 

"Then you may go," replies the man. Zook pauses a moment, shaking his head as he feels an enchantment alight on him for a moment, then shake free. The desk squeaks slightly as he writes a note. He turns to Jonetello, who has entered behind Zook. "Are _you_ of this village?" he asks, and when Jonetello indicates in the negative, delivers the same response: "Then you may go." As with Zook, Jonetello feels a spell at work, but resists its lure. The man returns to his writing until Magnimiliar enters. "I am of this village!" he says when asked. "Your name?" asks the man. Magnimiliar exercises his skill at making up names. The old man carefully writes this down, evoking another creak from the desk. "You, then, shall not leave this village." He stands up; as he does so, the torches and food fade, leaving behind a dark, dusty, abandoned room. The desk shimmers...and becomes an old man, naked, with tiny blood-red letters covering his entire body. The man himself changes shape, becoming taller, with a long, spiky beard. He reaches for a glaive concealed on the table...and all hell breaks loose.

From outside the hall, Mystarion sends a lightning bolt arcing down the center of the hall. It bounces harmlessly off the now-revealed barbazu. Zook and Jonetello attack, and several others rush into the hall. The barbazu steps back, sounds a horn hung around his neck - and vanishes. Beside the long table, the old man falls to the ground, slain by Mystarion's lightning bolt. 

Outside, Thorald, Mystarion, and Leilen hear a commotion from downhill toward the village. They turn to look, as wave after wave of skeletons emerge from a barn not 100 yards distant. The group takes up battle positions as the first wave approaches. Each of the skeletons - all one hundred of them -- wields a greataxe, and they are closing fast. Morale is not high. Mystarion attempts to entrap them in a _Web_, but they mostly move around it. Inside the hall, the woman remains motionless, unresponsive to questions beyond a shrug or a shake of her head. 

As the first wave closes, the barbazu reappears - and is promptly charged by Elbryn. Kalenthas calls on the power of Pelor and completely disintegrates the first wave, easily overcoming the negative aura that permeates the village. The barbazu speaks to him: "The power of Pelor will no longer avail you here. Do not call upon it again!" 

"We're in trouble guys!" says Kalenthas. "The power of Pelor will no longer avail us here!" Uh-oh.

Jonetello and Mystarion assure Kalenthas that Pelor is doing just fine. "Who are you going to believe-us or a devil?" Meanwhile, the barbazu _Teleports_ to a rooftop where Leilen has taken up position. Leilen screams and flees (via wings, thanks to _Alter Self_), and the barbazu casually tosses a flame down onto the _Web_, clearing the line of assault for the next waves.

Kalenthas is exasperated. "I know this won't work, but fine." He holds forth his medallion and calls on Pelor, and is astonished as the next wave vanishes in holy light. "Wow! Must have been a coincidence or something. After all, the power of Pelor will no longer-"

"Don't listen to it!"

The group manages to convince Kalenthas to try one more time. Zook comes to his side, and the two of them are able to turn and destroy the entire skeletal army. As they do so, the barbazu vanishes, then reappears to fight with Elbryn, Jonetello, and Magnimiliar. It makes a vicious attack with its glaive, then its claws, grabbing Elbryn and raking him with its long, spiky beard. But before it can finish the job, it is run through, and vanishes in a flash of bright light. Its glaive falls to the ground.

The group is unprepared for the silence that falls over the hillside. Apart from weaponry, no sign remains of the battle that was just fought. Elbryn cries aloud as his wound continues to bleed, but Kalenthas quickly stops the flow of blood and heals him. The group heads inside to discuss their options, while Elbryn keeps watch outside. Jonetello heads south to fetch the horses, left on the outskirts of the village. Returning through the main square, he fails to see the shadowy figure lurking nearby...

"Flee this village now!"

The other adventurers hear Jonetello all the way from the great hall, and watch in bewilderment as he gallops toward the edge of the plateau. Jonetello rides to the edge of town - then reins in his horse, stops, and rides back. "I fled the village - now I'm coming back!" Meanwhile, others fetch the remaining horses, placing them in a paddock near the great hall.

Elbryn, keeping watch, is confronted by the barbazu: "I cannot be defeated; flee me!" He runs, scared, calling out "It's here!!!" Mystarion runs down the hill to investigate, and is told: "Kill the one with you who is from this village. If he dies, the rest of you shall go free." Mystarion comes back up the hill and nearly puts an arrow in Magnimiliar before shaking off the spell. 

Mystarion tries several times to speak to the woman, but she remains silent, only shaking her head or shrugging in response to questions. As best they can gather, she has been commanded to remain silent. She resists when they try to take her from the hall. At last, they decide to leave her where she is for the moment. 

Leilen and Elbryn decide to seek out the village priest's cottage (having already observe the charred foundation that was the church). On their way there, they are confronted by the barbazu, who speaks to Leilen: "Give me your bow." Leilen resists the spells, but does decide to gift the creature with a couple of arrows. Once again, the creature vanishes. Unfortunately, they find nothing of interest in the priest's cottage and swiftly return to the great hall. Night is falling.

Elbryn decides to check on the horses, and receives a pair of fiery blasts as he does so. A figure appears nearby; but as Elbryn slices through it, it is proven to be an illusion. Soon after, evil laughter echoes across the village, coming from near the horses. Mystarion and several others identify it as illusory, but it is disquieting nevertheless. Night is falling...


----------



## Galfridus (Jan 15, 2002)

*The Devil is in the Details*

*Hullashfjord, October 29, LE 653*

As the laughter fades, Magnimiliar discovers a large chest underneath the table, near where the barbazu had been sitting. Inside is a wealth of treasure: mixed coin totaling at least 12,000 gp; numerous potions; a suit of full plate; and a dozen or more gems, some looking quite valuable. Magnimiliar drops it all into his _Bag of Holding_; a proper inventory can wait until later.

The group (with horses) waits nervously for night to pass. Jonetello, Zook, and Elbryn are standing guard; the others are resting as best they can, Magnimiliar curls up in a corner, then decides he needs more protection. He borrows Kalenthas' shield to use as an extra blanket.

Unfortunately, the barbazu has other ideas. A slow, deliberate scraping begins, as if someone were dragging something against the back wall of the great hall. A couple sleepers wake up, alarmed, but when nothing further happens they go back to sleep. A few minutes later, the scraping resumes - this time along the north wall. Worried that the spellcasters won't get enough sleep, most of them put wax in their ears to (hopefully) ensure that they won't wake up. The scraping is heard against the south wall - and then, for a while, there is silence. Elbryn thinks to look outside, but the door has been barred and no one really wants to unbar it quite yet. As all of the windows had been firmly boarded up prior to their arrival, the group can do little but wait, and hope. There comes a sound as if someone were on the roof, walking slowly to and fro. This, too, subsides after a minute or two. 

After a couple peaceful hours, there is a sudden gasp from the back of the hall. The young woman sags to the floor. The group rushes to her side. She says her name is Kira Merafar. She tells, briefly, how the devil appeared and slew the entire village, sparing no one but herself. Why was she spared? She does not know, save that she was forced to act as the devil's servant. After a few minutes, she stands, walks to one of the horses, and begins rummaging through a saddlebag. Ignoring the party's questions, she finds a blanket and covers the charred body of the old man, her former chieftain. She turns to the party and asks to be given a weapon so that she might help defend her village. Elbryn hands her a silver dagger, but then Jontello gives her a long sword. She is clearly not trained in its use, but just as clearly has every intention of trying her best. The group returns to their watch.

At midnight, or thereabouts, there comes a deep tolling, as of a giant bell, from above the great hall. The group recalls no bell tower, and Kira assures them that no such bell exists within the village. The bell tolls thirteen times and then stops. A horrendous screaming commences, a woman's voice, coming from just outside the doors. Kira listens, shuddering, then offers that although at least one woman did escape, that does not sound like her voice. The screaming builds and then fades off into a pitiful moan, and then silence. It begins once more, the same voice, then dies off for good. Several people want to see what is outside, but they are talked out of it.

A half-hour, maybe more, passes. Suddenly, several people notice that the air is growing warm. On the north wall, wisps of smoke are rising, quickly spreading to the other walls and roof. The great hall is on fire! Quickly, as smoke begins to collect under the high roof, those on watch awaken the sleepers, then unbar the doors and look outside.

"If you drop your weapons and surrender to me, you may go free," speaks a sinister voice out of the darkness. Elbryn considers this an excellent _Suggestion_, lets go of his sword, and vanishes into the darkness. A humanoid figure can be seen by the light of the fire, a glaive clutched in its hands. The group attacks: as Jonetello runs forward, a few spells from the party strike the barbazu - but none penetrate its innate resistance to magic. Jonetello courageously takes the creature on single-handed, receiving several wounds which bleed freely. His fighting quickly turns defensive, and the barbazu has a difficult time penetrating his nimble swordplay.

Then a second barbazu appears at the entrance to the hall, next to Mystarion, Zook, Thorald, and Leilen. "Remember me?" it asks in a mocking tone, as it strikes at Zook. With two front-line fighters otherwise occupied, the remainder of the party has a hard time keeping this devil at bay. It lands a pair of deadly wounds on Zook, who is too busy fighting to attempt to heal them. It then turns on Thorald; but is Leilen whose skill turns the tide, placing arrow after arrow into the flank of the beast with magically-enhanced quickness. At last, the barbazu has had enough, and it charges Leilen, dealing him a serious wound and forcing him to retreat (along with Mystarion, who with few spells and no magic weapon, has little chance of affecting the creature). Kira retreats as well, sword ready in case the devil should decide it is her turn to perish.

Outside, Elbryn stops running. He has surrendered to the barbazu, he has gone free - can he now not return? After considering the matter for a moment, he decides his surrender has lasted long enough - and rushes back toward the fight.

"Kalenthas! I need help!" Jonetello cries, as the devil's glaive scores another hit, and the blood flows freely down Jonetello's side. Kalenthas rushes outside, moving as fast as he can toward the combat. "What happened to my shield?" he mutters as he closes on Jonetello. The devil, seeing the priest who decimated his undead army, snarls and seems to grow stronger in his fury. He strikes at Kalenthas, ignoring Jonetello, and lands two solid hits on the already weakened halfling. Blood flowing from the wounds, Kalenthas collapses even as Elbryn returns, rushing up to the devil opposite Jonetello and providing a greatly-needed flanking opportunity. 

Inside, Magnimiliar loads his crossbow, knowing that its magic will not help against the enchantments that protect the barbazu's fiendish hide. He fires, and lands a telling blow straight into the devil's black heart. The barbazu falters for a moment, then retaliates, bringing his glaive down and all but killing Magnimiliar with one furious blow. Beside him, Zook falls to the ground, overcome by his wounds. Thorald's next strike opens a wound of black fire on the barbazu, and it vanishes in a cloud of smoke, leaving only its glaive behind. Mystarion is able to stabilize Magnimiliar, but finds that Zook has already died: seemingly, the headband he wore allowed him to fight even while at death's door. After making sure Magnimiliar is alive, Leilen runs for the door to assist with the battle outside. 

"You have fought well," the barbazu intones, sneering at Jonetello. "I thank you for the 389 souls you have given me. Perhaps one or two more shall join them before long." Soon after he speaks those words, a pair of arrows from Leilen finish him off. He slumps to the ground, lifeless, his body left behind along with his weapon. The battle is over; but still the vicious wounds of the barbazu are taking their toll. Leilen runs to Kalenthas' side, but even as he binds one wound, Kalenthas issues a final sigh, and passes on. Elbryn acts swiftly to ensure that Jonetello does not suffer the same fate. That done, the group quickly moves their horses and belongings out of the burning building, then destroys the glaive that remains outside. By the time they remember the second glaive within, the fire has grown too intense to retrieve it. Thorald attempts to enter, but the smoke and flames are too much. The group decides to depart the village, and return later if need be to destroy the glaive and re-consecrate the village. 

As the group descends from the plateau, Kira demands that they halt and return to her the spoils of the village. "I am chieftain now, and the treasure of the village belongs to me." The party is angered by this attitude: they save her life, two of their companions are dead, and all she cares about is money? They insist on receiving part of the spoils as reward for their deeds, but Kira is insistent.

"You are not from Velland," she states. "This is how such things are done in Velland." Finally, the group assents, and sullenly counts out her money, gems, and whatnot, placing it all in sacks. There is some sentiment to let her carry it all, but in the end they place it on their own steeds and continue south. 

*Hullashfjord, October 30, LE 653*

The group reaches the village of Rocsun, just south of Kavael. Kira leads them to the great hall, where she demands entry to speak with the lord within. The guards laugh, until she tells the tale of Kavael, and the fate of its people. "Only by the might of these people was the devil slain, and they will tell the truth of what I say," she finishes. The party nods, and the guards decide to admit her. The party starts to leave, but Kira requests their presence inside.

Kira speaks boldly to the Harulf Hulash, the chieftain of the village, telling her story in greater detail, then naming herself chieftain of the Merefar clan. Before Harulf can argue, she continues: "And as chieftain, I would reward those who fought, and died, to slay the devil." She counts out 6,000 gold pieces and presents them to the party, along with the full plate (which is magical, she says), three gems, and the potions. She then produces a treasure which she had concealed from the barbazu, the village's greatest possession: a _Headband of Intellect_, and gives it to the party as well. "As for the rest of my clan's treasure: I have no more clan, so I must find a new one. This gold and these gems will be my dowry, for the man worthy of my hand." Harulf laughs, and promises her a brave and worthy husband. The party warns the lord of the glaive left in the burning great hall and takes their leave. They return to Magehaven as swiftly as the magic boat will carry them. Once there, after exchanging swift greetings with the guard, they ask for divination to discern if Zook and Kalenthas wish to return to the living. They are taken to the Tower of High Divination, where Maia Azure awaits. Magnimiliar, reunited with his new love, smiles and sighs as he takes his seat in the divining chamber, trying his best to think pure thoughts.

Maia casts _Contact Other Plane_, seeking the mind of Garl Glittergold. Her question is simple: Does Zook Mirnig desire to return to life?

* * *

Zook, meanwhile, is in Garl's prankster school, serving as volunteer/victim for lesson after lesson. A shining, golden gnome approaches, and everyone falls silent. \

"Saywhatifyouwanttostayhere," the figure mutters.

"What?"

"Saywhatifyouwanttostayhere."

"What?"

Garl sighs. "You are almost hopeless! If the choice were yours: to stay here, or to return to the living, which would you choose?"

Zook needs little time to decide. "I would wish to stay here, lord."

Garl nods. "Very well." He smiles. "But first, you must take this pebble from my hand..."

* * *

Maia sighs, and ends the spell. "Your friend Zook would not choose to return," she says. 

After a moment of respectful silence, she begins casting again. This time, she seeks the Wisdom of Pelor. Thorald, the only party member who knows Celestial, hears her questions...

"Is Magnimiliar Ivellios a good man?" She pauses a moment, then nods before asking her next question.

"Does Kalenthas Thistleberry wish to return to life?"

A minute passes, then another. Maia's brow furrows, and she thinks a moment before asking her next question. "If a spell to return him from the dead were cast, would he refuse it?" After a moment, she speaks again: "Is he still unsure what he would do?" She sighs and ends the spell. "Your friend Kalenthas is torn, it would seem," she says. 

"Sounds like Kalenthas," says Jonetello, and several of the party nod in agreement.

The group turns in for the night. Magnimiliar offers to escort Maia to her house, and is astonished when she says yes. With a dumbfounded look on his face, he heads off with her.

*Magehaven, October 31, LE 653*

The party spends a day resting, cleaning up, and restocking. Leilen Identifies the magic items found in Kavael:

·	*+1 Full Plate*
·	*Potions of Speak with Animals, Detect Undead, and Spider Climb*
·	*Headband of Intellect +2*

Mystarion pounces on the _Headband_. Elbryn tries on the plate, but is not trained in the proper wearing of such heavy armor. The potions are distributed, as is the gold (including proceeds from the sale of the three gems, together worth around 3,000 gp). 

Several people speak with Quewellen about producing new magic items, and many orders are placed. Leilen, Magnimiliar, Elbryn, and Jonetello all decide to take advantage of the "research discount": in exchange for a decrease in item cost, Quewellen will produce items using newer, experimental methods of magic item creation. Such items usually possess special qualities above and beyond those of most magic items. Items requested are:

·	*Slippers of Spider Climb* (Leilen, paid for)
·	*Boots of Silence* (Magnimiliar; +5 to Move Silently)
·	*Ring of Sustenance* (Jonetello, part of trade)
·	*+1 Leather* (Leilen, part of trade)
·	*Potions of Bull's Strength* (Elbryn, paid for)
·	*+1 Rapier* (Jonetello, part of trade)

Items traded to Quewellen include the _+1 Plate_ and Jonetello's _Horseshoes of Disguise_. In addition, Thorald spends some time gathering materials to construct a psionic _Amulet of Health_ - finding just the right crystal takes some time. Jonetello begins composing a dirge for Zook, and plays some gnomish songs in the evening to an enthusiastic audience. Mystarion hits the books again, copying more spells from Magehaven's stock.

That evening, a tired, battered young man approaches Magehaven. Stymied by its defenses, he makes camp nearby, and is quickly captured by the Hunters. When questioned (and his _Thoughts Detected_), he claims to be Ravenfield, apprentice to a powerful sorcerer by the name of Baronton Mginoff. The two of them had been ambushed by a black elf and his wolf companions; Ravenfield survived, finding his master gone but a book left behind. The book contains directions to Magehaven and a message written in a language unknown to him. He agrees to give up the book to the village, and to remain within the village until this matter can be explored more fully. He is led to an empty cottage where he plummets into sleep, safe at last after weeks of flight.

*Magehaven, November 1, LE 653*

Early that morning, Thorald is awakened by insistent knocking on his door. Selphyra is there, with exciting news: another stranger has come to the village? Would he like to see? What about his friends? Thorald awakens the others, and together they make their way to Ravenfield's cottage, and hear his story. As they listen, a messenger arrives from the council: they would like to speak with Ravenfield, and the party is invited as well to observe. 

The council tells the party about Ravenfield's book. They do not know the name Baronton Mginoff, and do not know how he, or anyone, came into possession of such detailed directions to their village. The rest of the book is written in Sylvan, and contains a detailed description of a high mountain peak where a valuable book is hidden. The description is so detailed, says Carl Whitebeard, head of the council, that teleportation should be possible. He turns to a middle-aged woman dressed in the robes of a master. "Laura of the Mist has volunteered to retrieve the book, this afternoon," he says. 

"Would you be willing to take anyone with you?" asks Leilen. Laura starts to shake her head, but Carl prods her gently. "Yes, yes, of course - but only five hundred and twenty-five pounds worth," she says reluctantly. "Ravenfield can go, of course - the rest of you decide and meet me here at noon. Don't be late!" She departs, clearly a little miffed.

The party informs the council that they might wish to stay a few weeks, but were not sure if Thorald would be permitted to stay. "The council has decided that Thorald may remain so long as the omens do not change their course," Carl says. "If they remain clear, he may stay the winter, if need be. We will provide you with transport to one of the towns of Velland, when the time comes to leave."

The group spends some time deciding who should go, and finally settles on Thorald and Leilen. At noon, they meet in the central square, where Laura is waiting with several apprentices. Everyone receives an _Endure Elements_ for each element, as well as _Mage Armor_, before Laura announces she is ready to begin. "Stay close to me - if there is trouble and I have to _Teleport_ away, I won't wait for you to come back!" She raises her hands, incants: and in a flash, the foursome appear atop a snow-covered, windswept peak.

Several boulders lay strewn about them. As the group looks around, one of the boulders sprouts eyes, and then lifts a head. A draconic form shakes free of the snow and regards the humans. Its scales are a deep grey, its eyes black. It speaks in a deep voice that carries easily over the wind:

"What has leaves which turn but do not fall?"
"What has a spine but no bones?"
"What ends but can always begin again?"

"I can probably blast it if need be," mutters Laura, "but I am no good at riddles." She readies a spell, but Thorald raises a hand.

"I think I know this one," he whispers, "...a book!" The group agrees and pronounces the answer. Meanwhile, Leilen is recalling an ancient tale, about a grey dragon and a seer named Albreth the Prophet, who is said to have predicted (among other things) the fall of the Tataiafar Empire, the founding of Rellenor, and the rise of Sygwerdan...

"Very good," the dragon says, and then speaks another riddle:

 "White headed yet bald am I.
I wear a white wreath made with neither leaf nor branch.
I have roots but no leaves, sides but no bottom.
My tears run freely through spring, but dry by autumn."

This one causes a little more thought, but before long Ravenfield speaks the answer: "A mountain." 

"You have spoken well," says the dragon, and a book emerges from the snow and drifts toward them. "Now you may go," it declares, setting its head down and turning away from the group. Laura takes the book and casts...and the group is back in Magehaven, not five minutes after they left.

Laura sets the book down, then along with her assistants cast a series of divination spells. "No magic or evil," she declares, and leafs open the book. "It's all Abyssal to me," she says. Leilen takes a quick look, and manages to decipher some of the text; apparently, the language is similar to the ancient Elvish tongue used in the time of the Empire. From what he can see, the book contains a series of cryptic quatrains, speaking of fire, towers falling, and great battles and diseases. The meaning is clearly subtle enough to escape the use of a simple _Comprehend Languages_ spell; the material must be translated by hand. Leilen goes with Laura to the "Hedge Wizard's" quarter, where a group of learned wizards begin the translation. Before long, it is clear to Leilen that these are the Prophecies of Albreth, a work quoted in countless tales and accounts of ancient times, but thought lost since the fall of the Tataiafar Empire. Soon afterward, one of the wizards gasps, making some conclusion...and asks Leilen to leave. "We wish to keep this within Magehaven for the moment," he says, "but we will let you know if we need you." 

That evening, the funeral for Zook Mirnig is held. Zook's body, dressed simply with the medallion of Garl Glittergold on his breast, lies on a simple bier surrounded by logs and kindling. An area in front of the bier is lit by poles glowing with magical light. Azimuth, Master of the illusionist's school, stands ready to conduct the service. The group gathers, along with others from the village. "As Zook sought instruction in the mastery of illusion - a very gnomish undertaking - it seems fit that I complete the rites of his passage from this world." He speaks for a few moments concerning the bravery and courage of the gnomish paladin, then asks that his companions come forward and speak of him. Jonetello stands, and begins the dirge which he has composed telling of the bravery, courage, and trickiness of his companion. A moment of silence follows his lament. 

"Now, would three of Zook's closest companions please stand," Azimuth requests. Thorald, Jonetello, and Elbryn stand. "In keeping with gnomish tradition, Zook's companions will perform an interpretive dance expressing their respect for their friend, and their grief at his passing." The three exchange glances for a moment, then manage a fitting, if somewhat awkward, performance. Jonetello plays up Zook's trickster side, tripping the others as they dance. When they are done, Azimuth gestures, dimming the light, as two torchbearers approach the bier. They set the logs alight, and watch in silence as Zook's mortal shell begins to burn.

Then the entire bier erupts in a cacophony of light and noise, shooting fireworks high into the sky with a whistle and a series of BANGs! The funeral party is stunned for a moment, and just as they are gathering their wits, Zook sits up on the bier. "Fooled you!" he cried, and laughs for a few final moments - before Azimuth dismisses the illusion with a gesture and a smile. "So let it end, how Zook wished it to be," he says, and the group disperses, as the flames complete their job.

The next morning, the council summons Ravenfield and the party, to inform them that the book has been mostly translated. It is, or claims to be, the prophecies of Albreth, thought lost. The council is not ready to release the translation until more work can be done, but within the book itself, the author commanded that one passage be made available to all within the "haven of mages". Carl provides two written copies of that passage:

_*Prophecy of Midnight

At midnight many things move
Leaves on high branches fall
The moon falls from the tower 
Whispered words across ghostly worlds

The darkness fell long ago
On knights of greatness and power
Shall they rise again?
Shall midnight be the next or final hour?

The barge drifts on the lake
Carries the symbol and tool
Damned by many, read by few
Its evil soon begins anew

In Dhrahellend the dead walk at midnight
Westward on waters edge
Death and decay are their companions
Yet the living walk there as well

In Mordallend the moon fell long ago
Creatures of green crawl from its light
Countless footsteps echo in the hills
Dragons have many colors

The stars give signs, even at midnight
Pages turn as souls are lost
In dark waters coral dies
Is it death or a third life?

In Nardhellend midnight comes
Methods of darkness too many to count
Laughter and tears, laughter once more
Dragons shall fall, armies shall pause

Shadows fall longest at midnight
In the starlight their darkness is seen
Who stands master over them?
In Nardhellend he shall seek.

In Tataya the rocks mourn
Greatness past and long forgotten
Stones await a dream
Stones shall answer them

In Tataya midnight passes
Countless graves give lament
Who shall hear them?
The mourning begins anew

Dhrahellend's harbors glisten
In midnight's glow, harbor still
Evil, injustice, deceit, torment
Stones did not craft it all
Who shall return and shall fall?

At midnight many things move
Flowers freeze atop the high mountain
Weeks, years, centuries, fortnights
Do not these have midnights as well?

*- Albreth the Prophet_

Several of the party identify place names from the stanzas: 

*Mordallend*: A province of the fallen Tataiafar Empire, spanning all the human and demi-human kingdoms: Rellenor, Kinfeld, Velland, Thelden, Madrazzar, and much wild land around them. (See  http://home.earthlink.net/~speares/mordallend )
*Drahellend*: A sub-region of Mordallend, covering the area around Lake Drelmist.
*Nardhellend*: A sub-regio of Mordallend, covering the mountains and fjords in and around Velland.
*Tataya*: The province of the fallen Tataiafar Empire which contained the Imperial capital. Adjacent to Mordallend, to the northeast, through several rings of high mountains.

The group spends much of the day discussing the passage and what it might mean. 

Jonetello grows restless. Walking the village, he decides to inquire about the possibility of sparring with some of the Hunters who protect the village, and is quickly directed to Sara Greenbriar. Sara eagerly accepts the invitation. In fact, she says, the village often has such tournaments, where the participants are protected by a special spell so that they will not suffer permanent harm. The spell also allows spells to be cast, so wizards can participate. She offers to gather a team of seven or eight, and agrees with Jonetello that the match will be held in five days time.


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## Galfridus (Jan 15, 2002)

*A Tourney!*

*Magehaven, November 1, LE 653*

Several days of study and preparation pass. Leilen continues research into the nature of the prophecies. Although the wizards of Magehaven decline his offers to assist with the rest of the text that he helped return, he nevertheless makes some headway with the Prophecy of Midnight. Mystarion continues his scribing, copying spell after spell into his book. Ravenfield spends most of his time in the armory, creating a glaive for use in the tournament. Magnimiliar spends most of his time with Maia; while romance is not exactly in the air, something akin to friendship does seem to be blooming. The others enjoy the quiet and peace, while preparing for the tournament in a few days time. 

The tourney is to take place within the Enchanter's Quarter. A spell unique to the village, Aura of Harmlessness, is used to protect the participants and the village itself. The villagers are the defending team: they have a shield which must remain on the tournament field for the duration for them to win. The party is attacking: they must enter the quarter and retrieve the shield. The tournament rules are as follows:

*Magehaven tournament rules*


Obey the judges and master judges at all times.
All persons and creatures must retain the _Aura of Harmlessness_ at all times. If the aura drops, that person must exit immediately.
Cancelling the aura on another person is grounds for disqualification.
Intentionally bypassing the protection of the aura (including causing the destruction of equipment) is grounds for disqualification.
Leaving the tournament area is not allowed, save for ethereal, shadow, or astral journeys not more than three seconds in individual duration. (This permits the _Blink_ and _Dimension Door_ spells, but not _Ethereal Jaunt_.) Forcing another person to leave the tournament area is not allowed. Unless otherwise specified, the interior of buildings, towers, etc. within the tournament area are not considered part of the tournament area.
a. "Closed" extra-dimensional regions (such as _Bags of Holding_, _Magnificent Mansions_, etc.) may be created and/or entered.
Familiars, companions, and other allies are permitted so long as they are brought to service via a long-term spell. (_Charm_, _Dominate_, etc., do not apply.)
a. Restrictions on the number of recipients may constrain the number of permitted non-familiar allies per team. The master judges will rule on any such arrangements prior to the tournament.
Equipment from defeated and/or unconscious opponents may not be taken or used.
Spells of less than 25 hours duration may not be in effect prior to the start of the tournament.
Potions, wands, scrolls, alchemists' fire, and other non-reusable items may not be used. Spells with expensive material components are allowed at the discretion of the master judges.
Impersonating a judge or master judge, falsifying decrees or statements so as to make them seem official where they are not (for example, a _Ventriloquism_ of a master judge declaring the tournament ended), or unofficial where they are official, are grounds for disqualification.
Spells, effects, or stratagems which promote an extended stalemate may be altered, dispelled, or cancelled at the discretion of the master judges.
Prohibited spells/effects:

Spells which violate any of the rules of the tournament or decrees of the judges or master judges.
Spells which cause extended continuing damage: _Evard's Black Tentacles_, etc. (Short-term damage spells such as _Melf's Acid Arrow_ are allowed.)
Spells which cause Constitution damage: _Poison_, etc.
Spells which cause immunity to damage dealt under the _Aura of Harmlessness_, or which summon creatures immune to such damage.
Spells which cause significant damage that is not protected by the Aura: _Levitating_ an unwilling recipient high in the air and then canceling the spell, etc. (Persons who _Levitate_ themselves are presumed to accept the risks involved.) This includes damage to equipment and the tournament field.

The party has ample time to speak to Thorald about the village team (as best he can remember them; it's been several years since he was here). They are:

*Sara Greenbriar.* A outgoing young human who is second in command of the village's Hunters (non-spellcasters who protect the village). A ranger, Sara fights with two short swords, and is reputed to be an accomplished tactician and leader.

*Maximilian D'Aury.* An outcast of Rellenor, Maximilian is notorious for his skill with the longbow, and at firing from concealed positions. He is in his mid thirties and tends to spend his time with other Hunters.

*Algar Link.* A young human, boisterous and friendly. Thorald doesn't recall much about him, but had heard that he uses a spiked chain when fighting.

*Pearl.* A short, plain woman in her mid forties, Pearl is an accomplished illusionist. She is very quiet except when someone gets her talking about illusions; then, she is hard to shut up. She is known for a near-obsessive dedication to creating illusions that cannot be pierced, and tends to become upset when fooled by illusions cast by others. 

*Barantikelldessen.* A strange creature of unknown origin, Baran is half-human and half-ram; similar to a centaur in appearance, but much smaller. Baran is a generalist wizard. He rarely, if ever, speaks of his family or past, but is happy to discuss matters of the village with others.

*Marie Mistletoe.* The village's only druid, Marie is a human from Kinfeld who spends most of her time in the nearby fields and valleys. Marie is a skilled herbalist and brewer of potions, and is held in high esteem by the villagers. Her age is not known for certain, but she looks to be in her fifties.

*Frederick Ulfen.* Another young human about whom Thorald knows little. Frederick wears heavy armor (a rarity in Magehaven) and has apparently learned the craft of soldiery quickly.

*Selphyra Caldyrin.* A half-elf sorcerer of the Abjuration school, Selphyra is Thorald's closest friend in the village. She is bubbly and friendly, but probably not the best tactician in the world.

The head of the Hunters, Alden Massen, and the acting head of the Evoker school, Loren Fireshower, will serve as master judges. 

*Magehaven, November 7, LE 653*

By the day of the tournament, all of the items that were being crafted for the party are ready. Magnimiliar receives a pair of _Boots of Active Silence_, which make the wearer harder to hear by creating "negating sounds" which counter the sounds made while moving. Leilen gets _Leather Armor of Holes_: the armor appears soft, with many folds and creases, and no more protective than unenhanced leather. However, weapon blows have a way of "disappearing" into the creases, protecting the user somewhat from their damage. In addition, the wearer can place a single small item into the armor with a command word ("Leomund"); saying the command word again will cause the item to pop out. Elbryn gets two potions of _Rabbit Strength_, with no further explanation. Jonetello receives his _Ring of Sustenance_. Quewellen explains that this ring uses mental as well as physical means to prevent the user from craving food or drink, but claims that no side effects have been discovered, as yet. Jonetello's _Ring of Sweet Protection_ is returned unchanged; Quewellen explains he has not had time to give it a proper examination. He did, however, have a chance to _Analyze_ the box they had taken from the mimic's lair. The box, when commanded, grows into a small wooden cottage similar to _Leomund's Secure Shelter_, with slight changes (doors and windows not _Arcane Locked_, for example). The cottage lasts 12 hours and is usable once per day.

The tournament begins with the party outside the tournament field, and the defenders inside, gathered near the shield that they must defend. The battlefield is mostly open, but at the far end the Hall of Enchantment blocks of most of its width, leaving only two narrow entrances to the yard where the shield is placed. The defenders are not allowed to move the shield at any point, so the party knows that is where they must head. They divide into three strike teams: Alpha, composed of Elbryn, Thorald, and Kanavin; Beta, with Jonetello, Mystarion, and Ravenfield; and Zeta, with Magnimiliar and Leilen as reserve. The master judges verify that everyone is familiar with the rules, and demonstrate the three horn blasts everyone should be listening for: victory for attackers, victory for defenders, and "all halt", sounded only in case of emergency or a serious rules violation. Azimuth raises an illusionary wall across the entrance to the Enchanter's Quarter: when the horn sounds, the attackers have only seconds to cross it and enter the tournament. Most of Magehaven watches from atop the village walls, outside the quarter, and (for a brave few) from within houses in the quarter itself. Maia waves to Magnimiliar from the wall, wishing him luck. And then, with a high, clear note, the contest begins.

The attackers move quickly. Alpha group moves left, taking cover behind a cottage. Beta group moves right, likewise taking cover. Zeta group moves forward to a series of pillars, casting defensive spells as they advance. 

The defenders are soon spotted. From the right, Baran gallops forward, moving fast even for a four-hoofed creature. He scans the field, and smiles as an arrow from Elbryn glances off his magical protections. From the left, Marie advances, a large brown bear at her side. She waits as Beta group advances, obviously looking for the right time to cast a certain spell. Unfortunately for her, Thorald beats her to the punch, emerging from behind the cottage to manifest _Control Body_. The crowd _oohs_ as mystic lines of force attach themselves to Marie's limbs, impelling her to run toward Thorald and his two backup fighters. The bear follows, remaining close at Marie's side. 

Seeing this, Baran runs across the field, heading toward Marie's position. Mystarion has been busy casting, and finally _Summons_ a celestial hawk which he sends after Baran. It, too, has trouble with Baran's defenses, and fails to score a hit. As he advances, Elbryn and Kanavin take swings at Marie. Jonetello crosses the field to take shots as well. However, it is Baran who finally takes care of the situation: with a shouted apology to Marie, he drops a _Fireball_ in the midst of the crowd. Marie falls, but several of the attackers are damaged as well. The bear hesitates a moment, but the command to protect his mistress remains, even after she has fallen. With a snarl, the bear mauls Elbryn with both claws and a bite, dealing wounds that, but for the protective spell, would have taken large chunks out of Elbyrn. Acting together, the attackers manage to drop the bear before it can do any more damage.

Leilen has been completing Zeta group's preparations: a pair of _Invisibility_ spells. The two split up, Magnimiliar advancing up the road on the right, Leilen using his new _Slippers of Spider Climb_ to run along the wall on the left. Magnimiliar moves swiftly to the corner of the large hall, but Sara Greenbriar is nearby, and hears his footfalls. "Invisible target, front corner!" she calls. Magnimiliar moves away quickly, fearful of an area spell. He remains safe, for the moment, as Sara decides to retreat around the corner into the back yard.

Mystarion spots this retreat, and spots a second figure, heavily armored, at that same corner. He shoots a _Fireball_ the length of the field; its impact catches Sara and the other person, and maybe some more around the corner. He steps out from behind the corner to advance, and is nearly pegged by a shot from Maximilian, who becomes visible behind the cottage up the road. Mystarion heads for cover, after tossing a _Lightning Bolt_ across the field into Baran. Maximilian falls back as well, retreating to the back yard a few moments behind Sara.

Suddenly, the battle takes a serious turn. Pearl appears unexpectedly in the middle of the battlefield, and begins casting a lengthy spell. In short order, she is charged by Jonetello, Ravenfield, Jonetello, and Kanavin, who all begin hacking away at the diminutive spellcaster. She winces several times, but manages to cast her spell, summoning a celestial ape. "Attack the elf," she commands in Celestial; unfortunately, Mystarion is hidden from the beast's sight. It stands still, scanning the battlefield. Pearl begins casting again, but this time the assault from Jonetello, Ravenfield, and Kanavin is too much, and she loses the spell. The attackers are starting to get concerned, however - they have done over 50 points of damage and she is still standing! Next round, she casts defensively, then turns _Invisible_. The attackers strike at her, but only Kanavin manages to land a blow. Still, she remains standing.

Magnimiliar is close by Pearl, but decides to focus forward rather than back. He uses his _Crossbow of Ventriloquism_ to send a muffled "Oof!" sound into a corner across the road. Sure enough, he soon hears Sara: "Attacker, south yard!" and a large wolf bounds across the road, sniffing and searching the area. 

On the left side, Thorald, Elbryn and his wolf are advancing. Thorald moves slowly, waiting for Pearl to cast a spell he can attempt to _Negate_. After missing her Summon spell, he advances up the center, running Up the Wall and onto the roof of the main hall. Baran decides now is as good a time as any to fall back. He disappears around the corner, the hawk close on his heels (hooves, that is). A loud squawk and a few loose feathers drift back from the yard, and the hawk is no more. After a few moments, Baran rounds the corner again, only to cast _Obscuring Mist_. Elbryn and Leilen (still moving along the wall) slow, but continue their advance.

Suddenly, the invisible Pearl grows silent. A visible, _Flying Pearl_ appears above the main hall, casting a spell. Jonetello sees Count Blaumere, the nobleman who caused the execution of his lord, charge from around the corner. As Jonetello gapes in (not quite enough) disbelief, the Count runs Jonetello through with a jagged greatsword. Jonetello falls to the ground, unconscious. The others see nothing but Jonetello's collapse. Ravenfield screams as Pearl casts again; and Kanavin collapses in similar manner. Pearl then flies behind the great hall, leaving a stunned and decimated attacking team. 

But the battle is not yet over. After sending another distracting arrow, Magnimilar makes his away around the corner and toward the back yard where their target is waiting. Sara, Frederick, Algar, and Selphyra are all waiting in the yard - but no one appears to see him. Pearl is drifting overhead, but seems not to notice him either. He dashes forward to the shield, and startles as he hears a pair of invisible footsteps approaching from the other side: Leilen, advancing in tandem. Leilen slowly lifts the shield up: and the defending team takes their cue.

Pearl begins, targeting the shield as the center of a _Glitterdust_. Both scouts are made visible, and Leilen is blinded as well. Pearl continues with a volley of four _Magic Missiles_, but these dissipate against Magnimiliar's Shield. Algar, Frederick and Sara charge back and deal telling blows against the pair. Selphyra sends two of her own Magic Missiles into Magnimiliar, from behind. Both are still standing; but then from above, an arrow appears out of nowhere and strikes Leilen in the neck, knocking him out. He falls to the ground, dropping the shield. Magnimiliar swiftly gathers the shield into his _Bag of Holding_, as Elbryn rounds the corner. From the rooftop above, Thorald pummels the melee with a _Mind Blast_, catching several attackers as well as defenders, but his mind and spirit are not one, and the blast affects no one. Mystarion moves forward quickly, hearing the cacophony and sensing the battle is at its peak. 

A second series of attacks from the defenders, including another invisible arrow from above, manage to take care of Magnimiliar and Elbryn. Baran appears, and shoots a crossbow bolt at Mystarion, but misses. Only Ravenfield (still advancing), Thorald, and Mystarion still stand for the defenders. Mystarion reaches the edge of the yard, and sends a _Fireball_ into the melee, hoping to take care of Baran at least, but no one falls. Thorald, however, is more successful with a second _Mind Blast_: Sara, Frederick, and Maximilian are all stunned into inaction. Pearl is not affected, and responds with a _Choke_ for Thorald. Thorald shudders as invisible, spectral hands begin to choke the life out of him: too vividly he recalls the last, fatal, time he was the target of this spell.  Selphyra apologizes sincerely as she _Magic Missiles_ Thorald. Baran, also low on spells, tries to _Daze_ Mystarion, to no avail. 

The defenders are distracted. Thorald sees his chance. He dashes down the wall and picks up the _Bag of Holding_, shield still inside. He takes a shot from the invisible archer, but is still standing - barely. He runs back up the wall, victory literally in his grasp. Before anyone can follow, Mystarion uses his last big spell: _Web_. Soon, Pearl and Selphyra are helpless. The invisible archer drops the rope out of his _Rope Trick_ hiding place, but cannot step out without becoming entangled. By the time he can light a torch and clear the webbing away, Thorald has crossed the line. The horn sounds victory for the attackers; and Thorald collapses, the _Choke_ spell succeeding moments too late. The party has won.

[ December 09, 2001: Message edited by: Galfridus ]


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## Galfridus (Jan 21, 2002)

*Exeunt Magehaven*

*Magehaven, November 7, LE 653*

Congratulations and celebrations abound after the tourney, but Thorald notices many wary glances. For the remainder of his time there, the strength of his ability - and it's clear uniqueness from any kind of magic practiced in the village -- stands between him and the villagers - save for Selphyra, who is sad that he must depart. Even his parents seem relieved that he will be leaving. 

That departure is delayed for nearly two months, as Mystarion learns spell after spell, carefully scribing each into his tomes. The wizards of Magehaven seem happy to provide the elf with whatever spells he seeks - _Fireball, Fly_ - so long as they are "common" spells. They do insist on taking payment for the scribing supplies he uses, but their prices are quite fair, even generous. Needless to say, Mystarion is rather pleased.

Jonetello gives numerous well-attended performances, finishing each song to deafening applause. Several weeks into his stay, the grateful villagers present the minstrel with a gift: the _Lute of Whispers_, an instrument which plays magically sweet and beautiful notes, and allows the performer to murmur messages which will be unheard by all save the intended recipient. 

In between performances, however, Jonetello begins to be disturbed by a series of strange dreams and waking visions. Many of these share common elements: stars moving against darkness; flickers of silent lightning against the crumbling walls of an impossibly tall, forboding castle; a gray, serene fog that settles over the world, dulling all sound; a field of dead grass crumbling in a hot wind. None of the wizards will discuss his condition. At last, Thorald recognizes what is happening: Jonetello is manifesting powers of the mind, of the same kind as Thorald's. Hypothesizing that Thorald's powers might have brought Jonetello's to the surface, they begin to experiment. Before long, Jonetello has learned to accelerate his movement, to create an invisible armor around himself, and to see in the dark.

Leilen continues his attempts to study the book of Albreth, but is turned down time and again. Eventually, one of the wizards informs him that all research has ceased. The village council fears that delving too deep into the prophecies could involve Magehaven, or could bring more visitors from the outside. Until they can divine the reason for the book's discovery (for clearly there is a purpose at work), the book will be safeguarded but kept from all eyes. 

Eventually, the group begins to plan their departure. After several discussions, the consensus is to travel to the county of Loxham in Rellenor, in order to fight the necromancer as well as continue research into the Order of Ardinor. The village council offers to _Teleport_ the party (and horses) to a remote location in Loxham. Kanavin, who will be remaining in Magehaven, thanks the party for their help in finding him sanctuary. He gives Jonetello several thousand gold pieces, to be delivered to those fighting to restore the Loxhams to power. "I will not remain in hiding forever," he says. "If you find evidence of my father's innocence, or anything else of note, send word and I will come." 

*Loxham, January 5, LE 654*

The party arrives via _Teleport_ in southwest Loxham, in foot-deep snow on the slopes of the Green Hills. After bidding farewell to the wizards who brought them, they spend several days slogging through the snow to reach the county capital of Leston. The guards at the town gate seem more concerned with staying out of the bitter wind than with getting names or destinations, and the party quickly seeks out the warmth and comfort of a tavern. 

Jonetello quickly discovers that much has happened since he was last in Loxham - in fact, he learns that Loxham no longer exists. At midwinter court just a few weeks ago, King Camonix renamed the county Wassan, formally removing the Loxham title and heritage. Alexander Stonecroft, minstrel and former companion of the Count, has been named Archbaron of Wassan, lower in rank than (and answering to) Count Blaumere, but high enough to be considered a ruling noble. However, military matters concerning the necromancer Malefice and Loxham insurgents are under the jurisdiction of a Knight Commander of Wassan, answering directly to Count Blaumere. Pierre de Blaumere, the Count's cousin, was sworn into this position a few short weeks ago, and already there is grumbling about the dictates of Blaumere being enforced on the people of Wassan. Unsurprisingly, the Archbaron's best efforts to ease life for the people of Wassan have been foiled by the Blaumeres, who insist on increased taxation to pay for "protection" against Malefice and the Loxham rebels. People are happy that Alexander is in charge, but unhappy that he still answers to a Blaumere. 

The party also hears of a strange merchant who has taken up residence in Leston; a man with a strange color-name, "Pink" or something similar. According to tales told by many taverngoers, this man appeared suddenly in early winter, claiming to be a trader from eastern Rellenor. However, his manner, clothing, and speech were not at all Rellenorian, and he seemed to know little of Rellenor (though he claimed to know quite a bit). He has been actively pursuing trade arrangements for the spring; everyone's best guess is that he is a merchant from some distant land. 

Jonetello visits a tavern and plays his masterpiece song using his new lute: a subtle parody of the oppression in Loxham, telling of a Count "Bloodmoor" who abandons his people out of sheer cowardice. The song is well received, although Jonetello is not sure if his intended message was conveyed. He leaves hastily, hoping that he will not be remembered (forgetting, apparently, the rarity of magical instruments). He seeks out members of the Loxham resistance, but no one at any of the meeting places responds to his signals. He hears that the resistance raided a Blaumere supply camp recently, and reasons that everyone has gone to ground.

There are also plenty of stories to hear about Malefice. After the keep at Littlewater was cleansed (by Kalenthas and his companions), a small garrison of Blaumeres occupied the keep, but were driven out several days later by the ghost of Terdessen Loxham. A few weeks after that, southern Moonvale was plagued by a new type of undead creature: tall, robed figures bearing scythes who assaulted village after village, harvesting the souls of innocent villagers before vanishing into the night. They defeated a force of Blaumere soldiers sent after them and continued to ravage the countryside for another two months, when suddenly they disappeared. This only encouraged the Knight Commander, Pierre de Blaumere, to keep his forces south of the river, although the Archbaron has been tireless in his efforts to move northward and free northern Wassan.

The party decides to continue their research of Malefice and the Order of Ardinor. The best place for this, they decide, is the Order of the Iris in eastern Rellenor. They pay a hefty toll to a Blaumere vessel and take an icy passage across Drelmist Lake to the city of Merelin, arriving three days later. From there, a snowy path winds past Mount Etienne to the Fortress of the Iris, where the group is welcomed and congratulated for their efforts in saving Kanavin Loxham.

*Fortress of the Iris - January 12, LE 654*

Thorald spends several days researching Ardinor, finding nothing; until one day, a scrap of paper falls from the pages of a tome. On it, Thorald reads the account of a traveler who journeyed to the fortress of the Order of Ardinor, keeping detailed notes on his route. Some of the landmarks are ancient, but the route clearly began on the ancient East-West road that runs through Sygwerdan's lands today. The traveler spent many days moving eastward, toward the capital of the fallen Tataiafar Empire, before turning north into high mountains and the Valley of the Crescent. The journey is clearly a lengthy one, and the lands it leads to are today wild and perilous. Even Sygwerdan, it is said, does not venture there.

Thorald also spends some time looking into the history of Malefice. According to accounts scribed by the Order of Iris, undead creatures acting with organization and planning began to trouble northern Loxham in the year 647; however, these attacks did not grow significant until 648, when a far northern patrol was slain by zombies. In May of 649, less than a year after Count Loxham's execution, whole villages were slain and/or captured by undead and Nashar (night goblins) in the name of the necromancer Malefice; this is the first known mention of this necromancer's name. From this time onward, the forces of Malefice conducted a persistent campaign clearly designed to capture territory from Loxham, a strategy which has for the most part succeeded. Malefice occupied several castles, including the keep at Littlewater formerly occupied by Terdessen Loxham (who was slain along with his wife Anne by Malefice), using these as staging points for his assaults. The troops of Count Blaumere made several attacks, but have been unable to sustain any victories.

*Merelin, January 15 LE 654*

Meanwhile, Jonetello and Leilen travel back to Merelin. Jonetello, in disguise, performs his song _a cappela_ in several different locations, drawing a large audience each time. He even overhears several groups of people discussing the song's meaning and implications. He also hears stories about a familiar-looking bard in Leston with a magic lute who played a similar song a few days ago... He also hears more tales about the strange merchant in Leston. This "Pink" is the cause for some concern; the locals are worried that he might be buying out some valuable contracts in the months before the first spring caravans begin to roll. 

Leilen takes the Prophecies of Midnight to the church of Pelor, hoping to receive some further insight into their meaning. The high priest is rather doubtful at first...

"New prophecies from Albreth? Of course they are, lad. Let's see...well, you wrote them well, I must say. Ink's dry, too." 

Leilen persists, however, and a few truth spells later, the priest is convinced. He delivers the following divination:

_"Soul, Spirit, Mind, Power: these prophecies speak of many things."_

Clearly troubled by Pelor's seeming acceptance of these prophecies as the real thing, the priest asks for and receives permission to copy the verses for further contemplation.

The party decides they have learned all they can, and return via another icy journey to Leston. 

*Leston, January 20 LE 254*

Jonetello meets with Ben, a member of the River (a network of farmers and craftsmen supporting the Loxham resistance). Jonetello gives him the gold sent by Kanavin and, more importantly, word that Kanavin is safe and planning his return. The man is overjoyed, and thankful for the funds. With Alexander Stonecroft now in charge, many people have been quitting the fight, feeling that the new Archbaron will do a better job battling the Blaumeres than they ever could. 

The party decides to assault the necromancer, or at least to see what he is up to. A few days later, they leave for Littlewater, hoping to see what has become of the keep there. The journey takes several days.

*Littlewater, February 3, LE 654*

After spending the night in the abandoned village of Littlewater, the party travels along the snow-covered road leading to Littlewater keep. They see no signs of passage since the last snowstorm, either on the road or in the fields that line the road to either side. After a couple hours of travel, they top the ridge that stands between village and keep, giving them their first view of the fortress of Littlewater. The drawbridge is up and there are no immediate signs of activity. As they approach, a narrow column of smoke can be seen rising from the northwest tower (behind and to the left of the main gatehouse, which faces south); otherwise, the keep lies silent, shrouded in snow. The party sends Elbyn, _Invisible_, to scout. He circles the keep slowly, hearing a sound of metal against stone from the northwest tower, and some strange growling noises from the courtyard. The moat is dry, but thick brambles make direct approach difficult without being seen. Nevertheless, he considers approaching the postern door set into the northwest tower, but decides against it. As he passes the southeast tower, an alarm bell rings out - Elbryn looks back at the footprints he is leaving in the snow and decides it is time to return to the party. After a few minutes of discussion, they decide on a rapid assault. 

Thorald, also _Invisible_, approaches and pushes through the brambly moat. Swiftly, he climbs the wall near the gatehouse to lower the drawbridge and let the party enter. Before he can gain entry, however, the nearby tower door slams open and a troll rushes onto the wall, sniffing its way steadily toward him. Thorald climbs the gatehouse and descends the outer wall, abandoning any hope of opening the drawbridge. From outside, the others launch a barrage of spells and missile attacks against the troll, but merely seem to annoy it (although Ravenfield's _Wand of Tasha's Hideous Laughter_ keeps it occupied for a while - you haven't seen hideous laughter until you've seen an amused troll). Elbryn climbs the wall, but is surprised by a second troll which climbs the ladder inside the tower and approaches, trapping him on the wall between the tower and gatehouse, one troll on each side. He jumps, and is clawed as he leaps, to avoid being trapped, landing in a heap at the base of the outer wall.


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## Galfridus (Jan 21, 2002)

*A Big Fight*

*Littlewater, February 3, LE 654*

After Elbryn's rapid withdrawal, the party spends a little time firing missiles and taunting the trolls, but neither seem to have much effect. "Come fight in troll towers!" is the most common response, and suggestions that the trolls are "chicken" for not coming out to fight merely confuses the trolls. "Bring chickens, taste good with human flesh!" Rather than press the attack, the party rides back to Littlewater village to regroup, setting up camp inside the old inn (of all the buildings of the abandoned village, the one most easily fortified). Much planning ensues.

That evening, Leilen and Jonetello are rather surprised to notice that the fire is starting to grow. As they watch, the flames climb higher and higher, rising into the chimney - then suddenly, they diminish to normal. Leilen knows of flame control spells which cause such an effect, but they require line of sight, and all the windows are closed. Thorald runs to the roof and peers down into the chimney, but sees nothing other than a faceful of smoke. The group remains on alert for an hour or so, but the night remains silent. 

*Littlewater, February 4, LE 654*

The party returns to Littlewater keep the next day. They approach without stealth, although they keep close together and keep Magnimiliar and Leilen near the back, hiding their presence from any observers in the castle. They can see that the drawbridge is down, but decide not to accept the invitation and to proceed with their original plan. When they get to within a few hundred yards, Magnimiliar and Leilen go _Invisible_ and approach. Leilen uses his _Slippers of Spider Climb_ to scale the southwest tower wall. Magnimiliar pulls out his _Scroll of Spider Climb_ to do the same, but as he can't read it (it's invisible), he drinks a potion instead and follows. Atop the tower, they see a figure or two standing atop the central tower of the keep - but no other sign of action. Each affixes a grappling hook to the wall and lowers a rope. They then split up, climbing along the outer wall toward the northeast tower. 

At the same time, the rest of the party approaches the ropes hanging from the southwest tower and begin climbing. Elbryn and Jonetello are the first to make it to the top, followed shortly thereafter by Ravenfield and Thorald. Alarm bells begin to ring, and a _Slow_ spell wafts down from one of the two figures on the central tower. Everyone saves except for Thorald. Across the keep, Magnimiliar and Leilen begin yelling for reinforcements and creating a general ruckus. Each then heads toward a separate tower to cause further distractions. 

Then the second figure steps forward, and things get serious. A thin man dressed in dark robes, he gestures menacingly toward the party. "Who invades my tower? I am Malefice! Flee or I shall slay you and bind your souls to my service!" Thorald attempts to manifest _Control Body_, but the necromancer will have none of it. He replies with a _Blindness_ spell, but Thorald makes his save as well. In the courtyard below, two trolls can be seen, one heading for the southwest tower, the other toward the northeast tower. Moments later, claws rend apart the trap door, and scaly green hands reach upward. Elbryn, Jonetello, and Ravenfield are ready, however, and begin hacking away. Mystarion reaches the tower top and tries a _Magic Missile_ against the spellcaster in the center tower, but the missiles bounce off harmlessly. "_Shield_," curses Mystarion.

Elbryn lands several telling blows against the troll. Jonetello makes several attacks as well, but the troll's position on the ladder (between him and Elbryn, but below them as well) prevents him from striking the troll's weakest spots. The troll claws Elbryn time and again, nearly rending him in two. Ravenfield joins in, slowly, fighting as best he can. Mystarion lets loose a _Fireball_, exploding it just behind Malefice and his wizard (neatly bypassing the wizard's _Shield_). The wizard is badly burned and falls to the ground. Malefice stands motionless as the fire bursts around him...and emerges unscathed. He steps back out of sight. Soon thereafter, the troll succumbs to the many blades, falling to the tower floor three stories below. Jonetello nimbly slides down the ladder after it, intending to finish it off. Above, Thorald stands ready, waiting to _Control Body_ the first spellcaster to show himself. He does not have long to wait.

 "Let them have it," snarls Malefice. The wizard steps forward, a _Fireball_ on his fingertips...but then Thorald hits him with _Control Body_. Jerkily, the wizard climbs onto the parapet and hurls himself to the ground, where he lies motionless. The party cheers, until Malefice steps forward and gestures. Huge swirls of black, unholy flames gather above the party...


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## Galfridus (Jan 21, 2002)

*Run away!*

*Littlewater, February 4, LE 654*

The _Flame Strike_ descends upon the party. Although most make their save, everyone is badly burned. Mystarion, caught by the brunt of the flames, vanishes completely. There is a pause, which Elbryn fills first. "Retreat!" he cries, and descends via the nearest rope. The others begin to follow. Jonetello, about to finish off the writhing mess of troll-flesh at his feet hears the yelling above and realizes he is about to be abandoned. Sighing, he climbs the ladder until he finds a lantern, then dumps the contents on the troll below, hoping for the best.

Atop the central tower, Malefice steps back and disappears. The tower door opens, and three ghouls followed by a horde of skeletons emerges, heading for the southwest tower. Leilen, seeing this mess, heads toward the southwest tower to assist. Magnimiliar sees his chance, and sprints down the wall and toward the central tower. Through his familiar, Malagen, he can see that the top of the tower is empty: Malefice, the wizard, and a mysterious third figure that had been there are all gone.

Mystarion feels the cold power of the _Medallion of Twilight_ drawing him into the shadow realm. His wounds seem abated as he stands atop an empty tower. Shadows begin to fall around him, and he quickly speaks the medallion's command word, "Obilon". He reappears and immediately lapses into unconsciousness. Leilen heals him enough for Thorald to carry him away from the tower.

Inside the southwest tower, Jonetello hears snarling below him and looks down to see the ghouls entering the tower. He looks back up...and sees a ghostly image of Terdessen Loxham in front of him. "We want to help you!" Jonetello says, before he climbs the ladder and prepares to descend. The ghost follows him. "FLEE!" it wails, and Jonetello is overcome with fear. Along with the others, he descends the rope and flees. Terdessen's image remains atop the tower, quickly joined by three ghouls who snarl and lap at the blood left behind. 

Magnimiliar begins to climb the wall of the central tower. He sees the wizard stir, then vanish. Cursing, he climbs to the top of the tower - to find it empty, and the door locked. He considers his options, then follows the others back to the rallying point, several hundred yards from the castle. 

The group is still strung out, each retreating at their own speed, when the wizard appears again, in flight, to cast _Fireball_ on Thorald and beat a hasty retreat toward the castle. Mystarion responds with a _Fireball_ of his own, but the flames are weak and the wizard is only somewhat singed. He flies rapidly back to the keep. The party gathers themselves, then moves rapidly to the south, the mocking cries of troll and ghoul fading into the distance. They reach the abandoned village with a few hours of sunlight left, and decide to keep moving. A few hours after sunset, they reach the first inhabited village - but the place is small, with no tavern. They decide to continue in hopes of reaching a more substantial settlement - which they do, shortly before midnight. After banging on the tavern door, for a while, they finally get a response.

The innkeeper, named Corwin, reluctantly lets them in, then heats up some stew and some mulled cider. "Don't see many travelers this far into winter...and none at night," he says somewhat doubtfully. He complains for a while about the lack of support from the Blaumeres. "We're but a few hours from lakeside, but no, the Count sends everyone the long way around, by the road. Afraid of bringing the necromancer down on his precious islands, I say." He wishes the group luck, and asks for only a few silver in reimbursement. He is pleasantly surprised when the group tips him several gold pieces.

*Greenridge, February 5, LE 654*

The party discusses their next move, and decides to depart the necromancer's domain. As Magnimiliar says, "We've run this far already!" They spend several days traveling back along the road to Leston. 

*Wassanthid Ford, February 7, LE 654*

The party is fording the Wassanthid river, the border between northern and southern Wassan, when they see a troop of Blaumere soldiers on the far bank, waving and gesturing wildly. The party looks upstream and sees a huge bulge in the river moving directly toward them. There is no time to reach either bank, so they wait as the water rises around them, engulfing their horses and coming to neck level before slowly subsiding. Oddly, they are no wetter than when they began, and the horses seem no worse for having been underwater. Mystarion and Leilen ponder the matter, and while the behavior seems in line with that of elemental creatures of water, they cannot think of a specific creature that would act in that manner.

The soldiers on the south bank are quite curious, and ask the party if they had any idea what happens. They are a garrison under the command of the Knight Commander, Pierre de Blaumere, charged with watching the river crossing, although there's not much traffic mid-winter. They ask for the names of the party members and their business, and seem impressed to hear that they were at the keep. "At least you didn't leave anyone behind," one offers. "I was up there this fall, back when that other group cleared the place out. Let me tell you, it was darned spooky when that ghost came back. Ran all the way back here, we did!"

*Leston, February 11, LE 654*

The party arrives in Leston, giving their names to a bored soldier at the gate. They rent several rooms at the Mailed Fist Tavern, a locale known to Jonetello as a favorite hangout for Loxham soldiers in times past, but which seems to have fallen on harder times. 

Ravenfield goes into the city in search of an armorer to do some work for him, or perhaps to lend his tools so Ravenfield can do a little work. Off a back alley near the harbor, he finds Big John, a smith who seems to fit the bill. His fees for letting Ravenfield use his shop are a bit high ("Hey, I'd be missing out on my jobs, I have to make a living."), he agrees to commission a pair of bladed gauntlets which will be ready "in a couple weeks". He needs to obtain the money first, so he promises to come back tomorrow. The rest of the party spends the day bathing, tending wounds, and replacing charred clothing.

The next day, Ravenfield returns to Big John's. As he turns into the alley, a large, unpleasant-looking character raises an arm, barring his way. Past him, Ravenfield sees another large man at the far end of the alley. He hears voices from the smith's, and then a small figure emerges, and with a wave the two thugs fall in behind him. They exit the alley via the far end. Ravenfield shrugs and goes into the smith's. Big John does not seem upset or nervous (or injured), and happily takes Ravenfield's gold, even accepting an additional hundred to have the work done as quickly as possible.

Jonetello heads over to the Icicle, an inn known since Count Loxham's days as the place to go to hear the best singers and performers in Loxham. The innkeeper gives Jonetello a brief audition. After flubbing several of his own songs, Jonetello manages a decent rendition of two Loxham favorites. The innkeepers gives him a chance to prove himself in front of the crowd that evening. "Just stick to the old stuff, son," he suggests.

Mystarion visits the Mage's guild, but receives a very cold and snooty welcome from the apprentice on duty. He decides his magical research can wait.

Thorald, having learned that the only two libraries of mention are those of the Mage's Guild (which he has already seen) and that of the Archbaron, travels to Leston Keep to seek an audience with Alexander Stonecroft. He is told to return the following day.

That evening, Jonetello and several others in the party return to the Icicle. They quickly notice a very haughty man seated at a table with a halfling: this, they are told, is Rose, the strange trader they have been hearing about. His companion is Nip, a halfling newly arrived in town who, despite his rich clothing, seems a little more streetwise than is usual for this establishment. Jonetello and Thorald sit down at one table; Ravenfield and Elbryn take their own table. They all spend some time studying Rose and Nip, but observe little. 

Jonetello's turn to perform comes around, and he takes the stage. He opens with an older Loxham tune, well received by the crowd. He moves onto another old tune, and plays it more truly than any in the audience have heard for a long, long time. Emboldened by his success, he tries one of his own tunes, a dirge for Kalenthas...which falls flat. He recovers with his final song, however, and finishes to considerable applause.

Meanwhile, Nip approaches Ravenfield and Elbryn. He introduces himself, buys drinks for the two, and inquires politely about their business in town. Ravenfield and Elbryn reply that they are new in town and just traveling through. Nip smiles, wishes them luck, and returns to his table, where he converses quietly with Rose.

Thorald, suspicious of this trader, decides to attempt a _Detect Psionics_ on him. He waits for a moment in the performance when everyone is distracted, then manifests the power. He is able to determine that there are several strong auras coming from Rose, but he cannot determine their nature. He cancels the power swiftly, looking around - but no one seems to have noticed.

The innkeeper congratulates Jonetello and offers him a weekly spot, starting two nights hence. "You can even sing a couple of your new things...if you dare." Jonetello gladly accepts.


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## Galfridus (Jan 25, 2002)

*Episode 11: Songs and...more songs*

*Leston, February 13, LE 654*

The next morning, Thorald makes his way to Leston Keep, ascending the narrow path that climbs beneath the keep's ancient stone towers to the Main Gate. One of the guards escorts him across the yard and through another gatehouse into the Inner Ward, and into the great hall. 

A large crowd is present: guardsmen, soldiers, and noblemen, along with a scattering of merchants and commoners. The Archbaron's court is open to all, though it seems that the wealthy and gently born are best represented. A narrow aisle leads to a dias at the back of the hall, where a throne of dark wood stands empty. In front of it is a well-crafted but simpler chair of oak; in that chair sits Alexander Stonecroft, Archbaron of Wassan. A scribe, two squires, and an older man dressed in Blaumere colors stand near him. Looking up, Thorald notices guards posted on the balcony above, in addition to those stationed around the hall. 

Thorald's name is announced, and he steps forward to request access to the Archbaron's library. While the crowd seems uninterested (many continuing whispered conversations of their own), Alexander listens intently and thinks for but a moment before assenting. He declares a fee of a hundred gold pieces to be paid per day, to be paid to the exchequer each morning starting two days hence. Thorald bows, thanks the Archbaron, and exits. 

That evening, the group returns to the Icicle, drawn by the enigma of Rose. A woman bard, Sara Heatherly, is performing. She begins with a haunting rendition of an old Loxham ballad, recounting the Count's earliest days, then moves into a less convincing performance of a traditional Blaumere number. Although the crowd seems more bothered by the sub-par performance than the political implications, Sara grimaces before launching into a trio of simple country tunes. 

While the rest of the party enjoys the performance, Magnimiliar decides to see what he can find out about Nip and Rose. Departing the Icicle, he hastens to his room in the Mailed Fist to disguise himself. He borrows some of Jonetello's spare clothes to aid in the deception, making himself up as a rough-and-tumble, small yet dangerous looking rogue - in short, as himself with different hair and clothes. Returning to the Icicle, he takes a seat at the bar and does his best to look out of place. A few minutes later, as Sara finishes her song and asks for requests, Nip strolls up and orders two glasses of wine. "On me," he says with a smile, climbing onto the seat next to Magnimiliar. "Haven't seen you here before," Nip adds, as the glasses are placed before him. 

"Haven't been here before," says Magnimiliar. "I'm looking for someone who knows people in this town." 

"I might fit that bill, if we're talking about the same kind of people - and I don't mean the kind who hang out in this place," retorts Nip. Magnimiliar nods, and an understanding passes between them. On stage, Sara shakes her head at a request from Jonetello, then begins another Blaumere song, her voice a little shaky. "Alright then," says Nip, "come on upstairs and I'll see what I can do for you." He hops down from his chair and heads casually for the stairway, nodding briefly at Rose.

Magnimiliar follows a few moments later. Nip's room is on the second floor in the back. It is large but simply furnished. A small leather bag in the corner is the only personal item in evidence. Nip motions for Magnimiliar to sit and takes a chair near the door, his hands near the knives at his belt. "Go on," he says, and listens.

Magnimiliar presents himself as Darius, a man from out of town who is looking to set up a protection racket in town. Nip, he says, seems like the kind of person who would know the right people in Leston to help him get started. Nip nods and smiles. "You came to the right man, Darius. I know the people - not that I would get involved in something like that - but I think I can help you out." He leans forward. "And, you know, I think my employer would like to meet you as well. Not that he is involved in that sort of thing - but he likes to, shall we say, hedge his bets." Magnimiliar is less enthusiastic about meeting Rose, but is quite willing to meet with Nip's other contacts. The two head downstairs (separately, of course). 

Meanwhile, Mystarion summons the innkeeper and inquires about available rooms. A servant shows him the few that are open, and Mystarion settles on the White Room, a spacious chamber near the front of the inn, over the common room but mostly insulated from the noise below. He pays for several days in advance, then returns to the common room. Sara is singing "Sygwerdan's Glory," a deviously written piece comprised of verses that praise the dragon's achievements while implying through complex symbolism that the dragon himself will someday fall prey to the warriors of Rellenor. The crowd cheers at each verse, relishing the intricate lyrics as well as Sara's musical talent. He waits, listening to the somewhat-amusing human music, until Nip and Magnimiliar return. He then heads back upstairs to cast _Clairaudience_ targeted at Rose's table...

"...some guy, Darius, says he's new. Wants to set an operation - standard protection racket, sounds like."

Rose speaks, his voice cultured and calm. "Will he succeed?"

"Beats me! Prolly not, but you never can tell. I told him you wanted to meet with him-that OK?"

"Perfectly. Continue-wait. What is that? Do you see that...no, right there?"

Mystarion quickly dismisses the spell, then _Arcane Locks_ his door and window, but no one comes knocking. He retires for the evening.

When the performance ends, Jonetello spends some time chatting with Sara, who is can't wait for Jonetello's turn tomorrow night. A small group of bards cluster around them, and conversation soon turns to Rose. No one knows who he really is, but nobody with any brains believes his story about being from eastern Rellenor. The best guess is that he's some sort of foreign merchant - there's a pool for whoever gets it right. One bard tells Jonetello about the time some local thugs decided to jump Rose - either Rose or Nip know what they are doing, because three were found dead the next day and one vanished completely. Since then, nobody bothers Rose.

*Leston, February 14, LE 654*

The next day passes quietly as most of the party rests or does some light shopping. Thorald shuts himself in his room and begins work on a pair of _Boots of Thought's Speed_ commissioned by Jonetello. Magnimiliar spends the afternoon carefully preparing his disguise, aided by Jonetello. Mystarion remains in his room for most of the day.

As evening approaches, the party returns to the Icicle. Jonetello begins with a series of old Loxham favorites, awing the crowd with his skill and talent. Mystarion comes down from his room and finds a quiet corner, waiting for an opportune moment to sneak in a divination spell or two on Rose. His moment comes when Jonetello begins a song with a well-known chorus. As the crowd joins in, Mystarion casts _Arcane Sight_, and studies Rose intently. He can see several aura: one, a divination aura, emanates from a charm around Rose's neck; another divination aura lingers around Rose himself, as from a spell cast several days ago. Lastly, Mystarion perceives an aura of moderate strength active around Rose - at first it seems like a Transmutation spell, but as Mystarion studies it, he can see the dark pulsings of necromancy beneath the surface. It appears that someone has attempted to disguise the spell's aura, something Mystarion did not know was even possible to do. After observing a lack of auras around Nip, Mystarion lets the spell drop and heads upstairs to ponder what he has seen. Something about the aura is familiar, but he cannot recall what...

Jonetello's song brings the house to its feet. Emboldened, Jonetello decides to sing one of his own songs, something new. As he begins, a string on his lute snaps. He plays on, chording around the missing string, finishing the song but losing the audience. At the back of the room, the innkeeper sighs. "Stick to the old stuff, son." As Jontello finishes, Nip approaches Magnimiliar and suggests that now would be a good time to meet with Rose. Magnimiliar hesitates, then agrees. Nip escorts him upstairs to Rose's room, where the merchant is waiting, seated behind a large table covered with an intricately embroidered tablecloth. Rose begins the conversation by asking about Magnimiliar's plans and goals. When Magnimiliar proves reluctant to provide details, Rose begins to talk about his plans. He has been arranging several trade contracts and agreements over the winter, but is concerned that as spring nears, the other, more established merchants in the area will try to put him out of business. To avoid this, Rose is seeking forces to protect his caravans...as well, perhaps, as a group to "proactively" disable the caravans of his competitors. If Magnimiliar can provide such a group, Rose says, he is sure a profitable arrangement could be reached. When Magnimiliar expresses interest, Rose suggests a meeting with Magnimiliar's partners to plan further. Magnimiliar tells Rose that his partners are out of town and currently unavailable. "Perhaps at a later date, then," declares Rose, rising and motioning that the meeting is at an end. As Magnimiliar leaves, he realizes that something about Rose's demeanor is familiar -- perhaps his speech, or the way he held his glass - but he can't place it for sure...

Downstairs, Jonetello switches back to old favorites, ending the night with a respectable rendition of "The Ballad of Greenhills". Sara is waiting for him at the edge of the stage, eyes wide with admiration. "You really know how to play!" she says with a smile. Jonetello agrees, then invites her for a drink. She agrees happily, and the two depart hand in hand.

*Leston, February 15, LE 654*

After an...enjoyable night at Sara's place, the couple are awakened by a banging on the door. Dressing quickly, Sara opens the door and a thin, pale man in a faded minstrel's outfit pushes inside.

"Sara, have you heard? The Knight-hello, who are you?" A neutral expression appears on the minstrel's face as he eyes Jonetello. Sara quickly intervenes.

"Louis, this is Jonetello, the new act at the Icicle last night, remember? Jonetello, this is my friend Louis." The two men exchange curt nods before Louis continues.

"Anyway, Pierre de Blaumere is dead-killed somehow! Messenger came in this morning and went straight to the palace. I thought you might get the story through one of your friends up there."

Sara nods, looking concerned and excited at the same time. "Pierre de Blaumere is-was, now - the Knight Commander," she explains to Jonetello, who knows darned well who the old tyrant was but nods anyway. He and Sara head toward Leston Keep, where Sara passes the guards with a smile and heads toward the kitchen, where a stocky woman with a flour-stained apron approaches her. The woman, who Sara introduces as Anna, says that from what she heard, the Knight Commander and his wife were found dead in their cottage, smack in the middle of the garrison camp by the river crossing. Both had been torn apart by some creature, but none of the guards heard a thing all night. Moreover, they found a note on the bodies from the necromancer Malefice. The note warned the Blaumeres not to attack the necromancer any more. "You can imagine how worked up they are in the castle," finishes Sara, nodding her head seriously before returning to her baking. Jonetello bids Sara farewell and returns to tell the group this news. 

"Is this good or bad?" asks Magnimiliar. "Who was this guy?"

"Well, you can see I'm shedding tears over the Knight Commander, leader of the Blaumeres against the Loxham rebels," says Jonetello, his face sarcastically dry. He pauses. "But I'm sure his wife was quite innocent in the matter." The party spends some time pondering the apparent consequences of their actions.


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## Galfridus (Jan 27, 2002)

*Thorald's Adventure, Part 1*

Before the next update, there are a couple events which took place prior to the start of this story hour which are soon to become relevant.

The "Calkyrix" is the current name for a creature which has plagued Thorald’s home village of Magehaven for centuries. The last time the Calkyrix appeared, Thorald was forced to flee Magehaven and has not returned since then, although he hears from his friend Selphyra from time to time. 

What follows is the accounting provided to Thorald’s player of what took place while he was absent from the game.

-------------------------------------------------

The group decided to reach Merelin by the land route, south to the ancient East-West Road, east along that road, and then north into Merelin. The fact that this road lay within Sygwerdan's land did not seem to deter anyone.

After meeting the hill giant, the group rested and slept while Entia carved the giant's club. During the night, a group of 20 ogres passed by. They were going to bash the group, but Jonetello woke the giant, who said they couldn't because you guys were in the process of paying a toll.

The next day, the group rode eastward, encountering a number of unpleasant creatures: gnolls, more ogres, krenshar, and a ghoul which led Jonetello into an assassin vine. They stopped to rest -- and were attacked by a mummy. The next day, they rode into a field occupied by three giant wasps. Entia summoned an eagle to distract the wasps, but two chased the party for a while, stinging Jonetello several times. That night, an angry brown bear approached the party. Entia used Speak With Animals, then Animal Friendship to gain a powerful but hungry ally. Jonetello had to lift the food up into a tree to save it.

The next night, a heavy mist accompanied by rain settled in just after sunset. Out of the mist came three strange figures -- two boars and a raven. The raven looked at you and asked if you were Thorald Stone. You declined to answer, as did the rest of the group. The raven whispered to a boar, then declared that you must be Thorald Stone. The boars then turned into ravens, and the trio flew off into the woods. They returned after a while, and suggested that the group wrap their weapons against the rain. Grugg and Entia noticed that this was a spell, but Jonetello thought it was a great idea and proceeded to wrap his bow and crossbow. Then, three imps appeared and attacked. They declared that they were there to fight Thorald's friends, but not Thorald, so Thorald was unable to attack them (Concussion would have done wonders!). 

Two days later, the group finally rejoined the well-traveled section of the road, after meeting a strange old man who seemed mildly interested in Entia for her beauty. The group traveled to Merelin without any further encounters, arriving at sunset and taking up residence in a local inn. The next morning, Thorald departed for the mage's guild to continue his research. In the meantime, Kalenthas had gained the power to cure Jonetello of the disease that the mummy had given him. At that point, two new characters arrived: a half-elf ranger and an elf wizard. The wizard arrived seeking Jonetello and Kalenthas, with a message from the Order of the Iris that they had a mission for the group involving Kanavin Loxham, who is apparently staying with the elves. According to the wizard, he cannot stay there any longer. The group made preparations to leave the next day. Jonetello also traveled to the mage's guild to sell some magic items and get a couple identified. Later that evening, it was discovered that Grugg had been arrested for breaking up a tavern, and was accused of murder. [Grugg's player has not shown up in a long time; Grugg is departing the group.]

However, you had a much more interesting time. The mage's guild was reluctant to let you research, and informed you outright that many of their tomes would be off limits to you. Apparently, a wizard had stolen a powerful tome or spell earlier this year, and as a result the guild is being very careful about who they let into their libraries. They did, however, have a letter for you:

_To Thorald Stone, traveller

Greetings from your homeland! Master Ian McEwen arrived from Merelin just last week, to deliver a Tataiafar scroll to Master Kelefar the Diviner. I hope you receive this note -- Master McEwen promised he would see it delivered to you should you come to Merelin. I asked if you might study there, but the Master said that someone had stolen a powerful spell just this year and the Archmage had ordered the libraries closed. What a terrible thing to do!

I’m almost able to cast the locking spell of the 2nd circle -- Enam says I need to focus more on my ward-gesturing. I suppose he’s right, since the spell keeps sticking the doorknob and not the door! I want to learn to enchant objects to speak -- then I could send you spoken messages -- but Enam says "Abjure first, my dear." Typical! 

Your parents miss you -- your mom most of all. I think your dad talked to Kelefar or one of our diviners, because he seems more confident. Most people just act like you were never here, except when the Calkyrix comes up. Oh -- Calkyrix is Master Trophtin’s name for the creature. He has some theory about it, and why it came back so soon, but it never makes sense to me, and since he can’t predict when it will return I don’t see how it makes much difference anyway. 

It’s warm here as I write this, but it’s getting cold at night, and I can see the snows are farther down the mountain peaks than before. There’ll be frost on the windows here by the time you read this -- which means the passes will soon be closed, and I will have to miss you until spring. 

Signed,

Selphyra Caldyrin
_
Reading the letter makes you think of home, but you have studies to attend to. Master McEwen is not present -- the apprentices of the guild tell you no more, only that he is not available for audiences at this time. You return to your studies of Ardinor, but the books they allow you to see don’t seem to hold much. Toward the end of the day, you find an ancient tome counting various minutae of the Empire (taxes, population, etc.). In that tome is a reference to separate atlas volume containing a map of the Empire. You ask the apprentice if the atlas is available; he says that they certainly have it, but that he will have to check with a Master before you can see it.

Happy with that success, you leave the guild house and start walking back to the inn. The night is cool and clear, the stars shining brightly. Then, you realize that they are shining a little too brightly...you turn, and see a large tentacle of darkness groping toward you from the sky. The Calkyrix--here?!? You run down the street as fast as you can, calling on all your powers, followed by screams from those you pass by. You feel a cool prickling at your back, but see nothing when you dare to look over your shoulder.

At last, you come to an open square, about half the distance to the inn. You dash across, but suddenly you catch sight of something in the corner of your eye. Above you, to the left and the right, the sky ripples into two globes of inky darkness, which distort as they ooze down toward you. You can see stars shining through the blackness, but the constellations are not ones that you know. Run as you might, the creature envelopes you once again in its grasp. The screams of the townspeople fade away as a sound of rushing wind (or perhaps water) overtakes you, and an icy coldness sweeps through your body. You steel mind and body against it, to no avail. The stars whirl and spin, until at last the noise stops. 

You lie on a bed of soft grass, looking up at stars that seem closer and somehow sharper, as if the air between you and them was more pure than that of Rellenor. You try to stand -- but the cold has weakened you. You manage, with some effort, to raise your head and look around. Blue moonlight illuminates a mountainside meadow, wildflowers and close clipped grass rolling down the slope and out of sight. Vague shadows of mountain peaks surround you. You lie back, exhausted, not knowing what you will do: once again stranded without water or food. 

Suddenly, there are shapes standing around you -- human, but dressed strangely, like acrobats or performers in a play. 

"What is it," one asks softly. The response comes in a language you do not understand, the words seeming to blend with the cold mountain breeze. They converse briefly in that language, then return to the common tongue. "He is of the earth," one said, and they lean toward you. "I am of Stone" is your last thought before consciousness flees.

***

"One appears in the Plaza of Harmony. The tall, eternal flame burns in the center of the square, warming the pure mountain breeze that blows down from the heights. Deep, dark pools of water glisten in the starlight, sparkling as fountains send their droplets leaping into the sky and cascading downward. And beneath your feet lies stone, pure stone from the deeps of the hills, stone laid down in the time before time began."

"Leaving the Plaza, one enters the Avenue of Legacy. Statues, masterful statues, depict men long dead, their memories captured only in solemn stone gazes that watch over the marble-paved avenue. Marble pillars line the way toward the Arch of Great Victory. Larger than life, the figures on the arch fight their triumphant battle in silence as the avenue passes beneath. On the underside, vibrant painted hues preserve the moment of history as one general surrenders to another."

"Past the Arch lies the Great Square, thousands upon thousands of colored flagstones laid out in beautiful patterns of blue, gold, and silver. Ancient villas and castles surround the square, their walls echoing the cheers of the gathered crowd. A wide open path crosses the square, corner to corner, marking the lane toward the Emperor’s Palace…"

You open your eyes. A ceiling of worked stone is above you, carved in abstract designs of wind and wave. Turning your head, you see a pale-skinned young woman with light blond hair tied back, pale blue eyes, and a vibrantly green shirt, made of a thin fabric you do not recognize. Her voice, high and pure, falters as you look at her. She blinks once and smiles, then claps her hands. "You are awake! I will fetch the others!" She rises and moves away. Her trousers are of a similar fabric, seeming far too light for the cold air of the chamber you are in. As she speeds away, almost seeming to float out of the room, a bitter wind blows across you. You shiver, lifting the thick quilt over your shoulders and sinking back onto the soft bed. A fluttering curtain catches your eye; suddenly, you notice that the room is encircled by wide stone windows, covered only by light curtains that twist and blow in the cold wind. Beyond, you catch sight of emerald fields and high slopes…and then weariness returns, and you sleep.

***

When again you awaken, an old man is seated beside the bed. Light from a fire flickers across the ceiling, turning his white-peppered-with-blond hair a deep reddish shade. He is dressed similarly to the woman, though the color of his garments is hard to discern. His face is more wrinkled and weathered than the woman’s, but is similar – not like a father to his daughter, but rather like one Vellander to another. 

The man speaks, his voice deep and rich, like an oboe. "My name is Kradiat, and I welcome you into our village. You may enjoy our hospitality until you have recovered."

"Where am I?" you ask, still feeling a little dizzy. The fire crackles, and a slight wind disturbs the curtains around the room. 

Kradiat spreads his hands. "You are in our village. It has no name, though you may call it Gienmordal if it pleases you. I am the leader of our people, and here you may rest until the time has come to resume your travels."

"My travels?"

Kradiat nods, a extra wrinkle creasing his forehead. "Yes, your travels. You arrived rather—ah, I see. Your arrival was not your own doing." A shudder grabs you briefly, and you shake your head as it passes. "Well, then." He ponders a moment. "Are there others who would pursue you here? Are you an outlaw?" You shake your head again, and Kradiat remains silent.

"It seems I must inquire perhaps further than custom would allow into your doings and your goings," Kradiat says at last. "Tell me of yourself and your past, and then we will talk of your present." He gestures for you to begin, and leans back in his chair.

"My name is Thorald, Thorald Stone. I came from the kingdom of Rellenor…" A brief frown crosses Kradiat’s face; the name does not seem familiar to him. "That is not where I come from originally, but it is where I was when I was taken away…"

Gradually, in bits and pieces, you tell Kradiat of your adventures in Rellenor: your arrival in Loxham; your brief battle against the forces of the necromancer Malefice, where the ranger Thorfinn met his death and a troll nearly caused the end of you all; the strange visions that appeared on the hill the night after the battle; your return to Leston and brief pursuit of the demon Seriya; your journey to Merelin, capital of Rellenor, through the lands of Sygwerdan; and the sudden appearance of the creature of darkness. The telling takes some time, and you are weary before it is done.

Kradiat has many questions, and often prompts you into discussing details of Rellenor that you consider minor, or beneath notice. "This Rellenor, how far is it from Tataiafar?" he asks, referring the ancient empire which you had been studying in your last days in Leston. 

"It…is within the bounds of the Tataiafar Empire," you say, your voice weak. "In what was the province of Mordallend," you add.

"Mordahllend," Kradiat corrects you absently. "So…well, that is no matter. And the kingdom allies itself with dragons?" You spend some time explaining the League of Sygwerdan, as best you understand it. "Interesting…and unfortunate," Kradiat concludes. "It is, however, no matter of mine." He looks at you more closely. "Ah – I have been a poor host and allowed you to tire without refreshment. He stands and claps his hands." At once, the smells of a rich meal waft through the room. Kradiat steps away from the bed, toward a stone table. He picks up a few small vials, sprinkling a little something from each over a series of bowls and plates. "Here, eat this," he says, presenting a tray with several unfamiliar dishes and a cup of cool water. He watches for a while as you eat, then moves to one of the windows, looking out into the moonlight. The food is strange to you, and very spicy – but good nevertheless. You eat eagerly. When you are done, Kradiat takes your tray, then adds several logs to the fire.

"I think there are two more items we need discuss this evening before our business is done," he says, settling down in his chair once more. "The first is Ardinor. You say you were seeking Ardinor, and I presume this means you have the power…" He trails off, and you realize that you have sat up in your surprise and amazement. 

"You know of Ardinor?" you ask, unable to conceal your shock at this news.

"You do not?" Kradiat regards you. "Of course…I did not realize how far your kingdom had fallen." He considers. "Yes, I know of Ardinor, but I do not think it wise to tell you any more." He raises a hand. "No, I will not budge, though in time who knows what may come." His eyes grow distant for a moment. "I will wish to hear of your powers, should you have any, but that can wait. For now, let us move back in time to your origins…before you came to Rellenor. From what land do you hail?"

You hesitate a moment, but realize that you probably owe your life to this man, and that you have no real reason to mistrust him. "I come from a village, a village of wizards well to the south of Rellenor. The village is called Magehaven." You spend some time describing the village, naming several of the chief wizards at Kradiat’s insistence. 

"In the south of Mordahllend…that would be Nardhellend, most likely, do you know that name?" You nod, having seen it in your research as a sub-province of the ancient Empire. Kradiat nods in response. "It may be that I have heard of this village of yours, from what you say of it. It does not seem likely that two such places exist in what has become the wastelands of Mordahllend." 

Kradiat smiles and shakes his head. "Well, you have lived an interesting life, Thorald Stone, and you seem an honest tale-teller to me." He rises from his chair. "Rest now, and I shall consider what I have learned from you. When you have rested, you may depart, if that is your wish." He bows briefly and exits, parting the curtains and leaping nimbly through one of the large windows, which you now see extends almost to the ground. The thought comes to you—even if you wished to depart, how would you find your way home?

***

(Continued...)


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## Galfridus (Jan 27, 2002)

*Thorald's Adventure, Part 2*

Tiesa returns the next day, bringing you water and more of the village’s strange food, which you consume eagerly. In response to your questions, she only smiles and shakes her head. "You will learn more when the time comes." She leaves through one of the windows (a different one than Kradiat used), and you perceive that the room is on a steep hill; from the view afforded you, you can see no ground directly outside any of the windows. You spend the day resting, stronger than the day before but still weak.

The day after you are awakened by Kradiat. Several others stand in the chamber, dressed in blues, reds, and greens: an elderly man, a red-haired woman, and a young man with the glint of chain armor beneath his shirt. All seem unbothered by the cold, wet breeze blowing through the room. "Thorald Stone," Kradiat declares, "you are welcome in this village until you have rested and recovered, as I have previously said. However, it occurred to me that perhaps you wished to remain longer, as your future travels seem uncertain at best. In that light, the village will have you for a season, as long as you agree to perform three tasks that we shall name." He pauses. "You may consider this, if you like, but the name and nature of the tasks will not be revealed." 

You think for a few moments, under the gazes of the four villagers. "I do not need more time – I have no way to get where I need to go, and no way to know how to get there. I accept your offer."

Kradiat nods, and the four bow. "Then it is agreed." The other three turn and depart through separate windows. Beyond, the dawn light glows on a steep mountain slope. Kradiat sits beside your bed once again. "Your tale, of Rellenor, and Magehaven – the Head of Artisans agreed to accept that as your first task." He smiles briefly. "And now I have a promise to keep. Today I shall tell you what I can of our village. Tomorrow, I think, you should be well enough to see it for yourself."

"We dwell high in the mountains, alone. There are no others nearby, just wilderness and the terrors that wilderness conceals. You did well to stay here; I do not think you have the power to survive alone, even if were able to determine the direction you might take."

"We were established here, and in many other places, as sites of meeting, of negotiation, and of peaceful retreat. In the days of your empire, we were numerous and our places plentiful. But those times passed, and in the region you know, we are the only remnant." He eyes you closely. "We are not human, as you may have guessed, but I think that matters little for your purposes, or ours." He shrugs. "We are human enough in most things. But more than that, the details of our purposes, of the history that we know, I cannot tell you. Some may be made clear, by those beyond myself in authority. We are not evil, by any measure that I am aware of, although you may find us strange or foreign." You begin with a question, but he raises his hand. "Enough for now – I have another matter to attend to." He rises and strides toward a window. "Tomorrow, you shall see for yourself."

***

A strange creaking sound awakens you the following day. Something seems to be scratching at the floor. Then, suddenly, a metal hinge squeaks open, and a large wooden object crashes to the floor just beyond your bed. You sit up in surprise, as Tiesa rises into view. 

"Good morning!" she calls, then puts a hand to her mouth. "Oops, forgot something!" She ducks down, and you hear a clattering from what be a room beneath yours. "Just a moment!" her voice calls from below, echoing off stone walls. Then there is a series of creakings, and she appears again, climbing up from below. "Now, do you think you can stand today?" 

You nod, and slowly rise from the bed. Your feet feel a little shaky, but soon you feel confident that you are recovered from your ordeal. You make your way toward the nearest window, but Tiesa stops you. "Oh no—let’s go down first, and get a view from the outside, shall we?" She leads you to the foot of the bed, where an old-looking ladder peaks up from a wide trap door. "I’ll go down first, and you can follow," she calls, dropping through the trap door, her hands skimming the edges of the ladder. You hear her feet strike ground below, then she calls out, "Alright, come down!"

You descend slowly, into a dim and dusty room. Light streams through a small doorway, revealing stone walls and a packed earth floor. Supplies are stacked in the room: cloth, wood, chests, strange curved swords, chain armor, etc. Tiesa stands by the door, gesturing. "Come on, outside!" You walk as quickly as you are able to the doorway and pass through, staring at what lies beyond.

The village lies on a high meadow, nestled between several stern mountain peaks. Long fields of grass slope gently away from a series of ancient, graceful stone towers. Several people are visible, all dressed in the same light, brightly colored fabric: a smith at work in an open air forge; a gardener tending to her herbs; a pair of men engaged in swordplay, clearly at practice. The sky is a pure blue; beneath it, lines of mountaintops stacked one behind another recede into the distance. The sight reminds you of Velland, while at the same time seeming unlikely anything you have ever heard tell of or seen before. 

"Like it?" asks Tiesa, then dashes away. You follow for a few steps, then turn back to look at the tower from which you came. The ground floor is featureless, ancient blocks of stone carved smooth and laid in an even circle. Above, however, the windows you had seen from the inside appear in the round wall, their sills carved in elegant and subtle designs too detailed to make out from the ground. The tower rises for another three floors, and is topped with battlements of a strange curved design unlike the primitive towers of Velland or even the more refined castles of Rellenor. As you watch, a man parts the curtains of one window, and steps outside – then drifts gracefully to the ground beside you.

"Ah, I had brought you breakfast, but perhaps you will have it later." The man nods toward the tray in his hands, then rises back toward the window, a gentle breeze following behind. "I shall leave your meal within," he calls from above, and disappears once more behind the curtain.

You turn to Tiesa, who by now is halfway to another tower. "Can you do that?" you call. 

Tiesa laughs. "Of course I can, silly!" She rises into the air and glides toward you until she is directly over you. "Kradiat didn’t tell you much, did he?" You shake your head and follow her into the village.

You spend the day exploring and discover several things of interest. The village has no farmland, cattle, crops, beyond several spice gardens and a few fruit trees. The villagers seem to be able to summon food by magic, although Tiesa insists that some spices are needed to improve the taste somewhat. In contrast to the lack of farmers, however, the number of artisans and tradesmen seems incredible. Nearly everyone one seems to have a trade: carving, carpentry, weaving, smithing (steel, silver, gold), jewelry and several you do not even recognize. You can see no roads leading from the village, and no sign of civilization in the lands beyond; the entire day, no one is seen to arrive or depart. You wonder how such a small village can find or afford the materials required for so many crafts: perhaps they are summoned by magic as well. Tiesa smiles, but declines to answer. "I can’t tell you anything – _they_ won’t let me," she repeats more than once, nodding toward a nearby elder figure or tower.

Tiesa does, however, tell you a little about herself. Her people must be extremely long-lived; she is the youngest, she tells you, and that by no short measure. In fact, you see no children at all, and beyond Tiesa only one or two who might be younger than twenty (in human terms, anyway). She enjoys flight, and the mountain breezes, "which makes me of air, of course," but hasn’t yet settled on a craft. "I like clothes, but weaving is so dull; and I tried carving, but cut my hand and that was no good." She seems happy in the village, but also glad to have someone new to talk to. "You will stay a while, won’t you?" You are not sure what to say, since you do not know yourself what the future holds.

The next day, a bit of the future is revealed. Kradiat enters your chamber, soon after you have finished breakfast. "Your second task is upon you," he declared, then leads you down the ladder and outside, to the edge of the village. "I believe this task to be within your merits. It is not something that we could not do ourselves, but rather something which the Head of Soldiery considers an adequate measure of your mettle. You may decline, if you wish, but it will not look well in the eyes of the village." 

"I will try," you say.

Kradiat nods. "Good. Down this slope lies a narrow valley – you will find a stream in your path which will lead the way. Follow this valley to a tower of dark stone – you will know the one, though there may be others." He pauses, and looks at you. "Inside the tower, a creature has taken up residence, a creature that will in time threaten our village. Deal with this creature, and your second task will be complete." He gestures toward the valley. "Go now, and you may return before night has fallen."

You journey down the slope and into the valley, the slopes of two mountains coming together to form a narrow shaded gap leading gradually down. You find the stream bubbling in its gravel path, and follow it almost until noon, when you spot the narrow peak of a stone tower poking above the lip of the slope ahead of you. You move forward slowly, watch the rest of the tower reveal itself. The tower is square, unlike those of the village, and decorated with strange carvings and figures from top to bottom. It appears ancient, and long abandoned, though still whole. You ponder the challenge that awaits you as you approach. Perhaps the creature can be reasoned with – and perhaps not. You decide that a rapid entrance would be most wise. Taking a deep breath, you run the final furlong to the tower. Summoning the strange powers within you, you strengthen your skin, providing a measure of armor, and dash up the wall and onto the parapet that lies halfway up the side.

You look around, seeing a dark doorway to either side, when a shadow falls on you from above. You have time to turn before a winged creature descends, landing on the battlement beside you. Its gray complexion matches that of the tower’s stone. A claw rakes across your shoulder, drawing blood. The touch is cool to your skin, and rough like rock. You step back toward a doorway, summoning bolts of force that strike the creature, knocking it off balance. It steps forward, swiping with its claws, biting, and goring with the large stone horns that protrude from its head. You are bloodied in several places, but none of the wounds is critical. Again you step back toward the doorway, hoping that other forces do not lie in wait beyond, and send your energies against the creature, which seems to withstand them somewhat better. You duck into the doorway as the creature strike again; its wings keep it from coming as close as it would like, and its claws sweep past you. From the protection of the door, you summon force bolts once again, feeling the power drain from you and strike the creature full on. Small bits of stone crumble from its brow and horns, and it shrieks at you before taking to the air. You spend a moment resting, as the creature rounds the tower and vanishes from sight. The doorway behind you is dark, so you summon light and peer within. A bare room greets your glance – then suddenly, a figure appears on the parapet outside. You whirl to see a villager, the man in chain mail who had stood behind Kradiat when he welcomed you into the village. 

"Well fought," the man says, his voice deep and gravelly. He extends a hand. "Come, I will return you to the village. Your task is complete: the gargoyle has fled." He takes hold of you, then lifts into the air, flying slowly back toward the village. That night, as a elderly woman tends to your wounds, you reflect on the power that you have harnessed in the short time you have been away from Magehaven and your draconic mentor. 

You rest over the next few days, healing your wounds – not confined to bed, but making sure you do not tax yourself unduly. The village seems to have a consistent routine: meals are eaten, the same groups congregating at the same times each day; the smith hammers, the gardener weeds, the weaver emerges to show his latest creation to the sun and clouds. Tiesa speaks with you daily, but only for a brief time. "They don’t want me spending all my time with you," she pouts, before rising to the top of the main tower. You cannot blame them; someday you will be leaving, and clearly they see that she might be tempted to leave with you.

Over a week later, you are sitting on the grass, watching the smith produce another of the strange, curved swords used by the villagers, when a sudden silence falls over the village. The smith looks up, toward a tower, then down the hillside. At the same time, the gardener stands and stares in the same direction. The swordsmen halt their practice, one taking a step toward the slope before halting. Then, at the same time, all of them simply disappear, swirling away into a sudden breeze.

"Tiesa? Kradiat?" you call, but no one responds. You hear a howling noise coming from the hillside, and move in that direction to investigate. What you see chills your soul.

A large force of humanoids – ogres, by the look of them – are marching up the hill, clubs in hand. Before them run wolves – no, worgs – howling as they approach. The closest ogre spots you and bellows. The wolves begin to close in. You prepare yourself, wondering where the villagers have gone. There will be little you can do by yourself, but you are ready to try.

Suddenly, Tiesa is at your side. "I _knew_ they would forget!" she sighed, exasperated. "Here, take my hands," she adds, turning you away from the oncoming horde. "They won’t want you in the fire, so here we go!" She closes her eyes, and a bitterly cold wind envelops you in a whirling embrace. The sky seems to descend, enveloping stone, grass and water in a haze of clear blue. You close your eyes, as the growling of ogres fades and is lost in the wail of the endless breeze. Suddenly you are falling; Tiesa’s grasp grows firmer, and she catches you. "Hey, you can open your eyes!"

You open them, looking up to see Tiesa smiling down at you. Then you look down. There is nothing below you – nothing but sky, endless sky punctuated by clouds and tiny specks, like birds over the sea. You look all around, and see nothing but hazy blue. The wind is bitterly cold, and swift as a winter storm. Tiesa’s hands jerk, as if she is pulling you away. "It’s alright, Thorald," she says with a smile. "Never been here before, have you?" Suddenly, you see a large piece of stone, floating in mid air over your shoulder. Pillars and stone carvings decorate one side, but as quickly as you look, the stone turns in place, presenting a bleak, rough face. "Don’t worry, you’ll be fine," Tiesa assures you, lowering you to a small ledge. She produces a small stick of spice from her pocket. "Here, break this, then eat it." You follow her instruction, and a warmth gradually fills your body, countering the bitter cold of the wind. "They’ll give it to me for that, but what else could I do?" she mutters.

You remain on the rock, drifting in emptiness, for more time than you can count. Tiesa seems distracted, perhaps even scared, and says nothing. Finally, she sighs and stands, taking your hands once more. "Ready? Alright, here we go!" The wind rises once again, and then you fall into darkness. The wind subsides. You are standing on grass once more, grass slick with something. Pulling away from Tiesa’s grasp, you summon light and look down to see the slashed corpse of an ogre, its blood seeping onto the mountain grass. Others lie nearby, scatter all about the village. Tiesa takes your hand again, and leads you silently into your chamber. "Ssssh," she insists, as she prepares to take her leave. "I couldn’t tell you anyway, so don’t ask." She drifts through a window and into the night.

You arise the next day and look out the window. The bodies of the attackers have been gathered into a large pile and set alight. The smoke from the burning rises high into the sky, and the flames flicker with vicious intensity. You descend and approach the fire, hoping that no villagers fell during what must have been a difficult combat.

Suddenly, the flames bow and hiss, humbled by a tremendous wind which blows through the village from behind you. You turn, and are awed by the appearance of a giant man, easily ten feet tall, his legs and feet fading into the air, drifting above the ground. His dress reminds you of the villagers, but the delicate embroidery, glistening gems, and sheer grace of design surpass the villager’s clothing utterly. The man seems akin to them, but at the same time beyond them. The man regards you.

"Human, why have you come to this place," he speaks, his voice deep but resonant, like a woodwind instrument. You start to speak, but the man turns away from you. Kradiat has emerged from his tower, and floats mid-air, in a kneeling position. Around the village, the other villagers approach and do likewise. There is a long silence, during which the man turns to and fro, looking at different villagers, never at you.

At long last his gaze returns to you. "It seems you have profited from the hospitality of my subjects, whom I cannot fault in propriety or generosity." He raises a hand to forestall anything you might say. "You will speak when you are directed to – and I will only so direct you once, when I am ready. Your time in this place is at an end, though I hold you or they in no fault for what was done. In time, you may return here, though to do so in ignorance would be an unwise course to follow." He approaches you, descending toward the ground, his muscular figure towering over you. Moved by an unknown impulse, you kneel, mimicking the villagers around you. "Prepare to depart from this place, Thorald Stone of Magehaven." You glance up to see Tiesa waving at you, a regretful smile on her face.

"But…what of the third task…" you begin, before recalling the restriction against speech. 

The man smiles, his eyes glinting in the sunlight. "I had freed you from it – but as you have broken your silence and spoken, it shall be reinstated…at a later time. Do not concern yourself about when that time will come. Now!" He claps his hands, and a whirlwind takes you in its grasp. In the blink of an eye, you are deposited on a windy mountaintop, the great figure of the man beside you. 

"I know more than you may guess of whence you came, and shall respect the hospitality you were offered by returning you not to the place, but to the people with whom you last associated." He pauses. "In addition, I grant you my hospitality as well. If there is anything I could grant to assist you, speak now and name it, before we return to the lands which you know." The man pauses, awaiting your answer.

------------------------------------------

(Thorald was returned to the group at this point, in the midst of their fight to protect Kanavin Loxham from the elvish League of Green and the Rellenorian Order of the Lily. He was given a strange box which, he was told, would answer three questions about Ardinor. To this day has not opened the box, waiting until he knows better questions to ask.)

Whew, I forgot how long that was! There's one more "history" post coming before the next real update...


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## Galfridus (Jan 27, 2002)

*A Strange Encounter*

While Thorald was absent, the group accepted a mission to travel to the elvish kingdom of Thelden, where prince Kanavin Loxham had been granted a temporary sanctuary which was about to expire. The group was camped in southern Thelden, still some distance from the prince.

*Southern Thelden, October 11 LE 653*

Jonetello and Magnimiliar, on watch, hear movement in the woods nearby. They awaken the others and move cautiously closer. Magnimiliar sneaks around in a wide circle to flank whoever (or whatever) might be making so much noise. 

Soon a voice calls out: "Hello there!" A slender elf, dressed in strange garments of black and grey, steps out of the woods. Despite being in the middle of a forest, his clothing looks new and unstained. His face is somewhat pale, and he carries a bow and long sword, though neither is at the ready. He introduces himself as "White", an elf from the south who is travelling toward the capital of Thelden. 

"Theldentarn?" Mystarion asks, and White looks at him for a moment before nodding. 

"Yes, I am meeting…friends there. Are you heading in that direction?" The party is reluctant to discuss their business, but they agree that for the time being they are headed in that direction. They are more free about their past, however, and let it be known that they are coming from the lands of Sygwerdan.

"Ah, Sygwerdan," says White. "He is a powerful ruler, I hear." Several of the party nod: a elder dragon is quite powerful indeed! "I have not been to the court of Sygwerdan myself," White continues, "but perhaps someday I shall. I must admit to not being very well traveled. Is there anything you can tell me of the lands nearby?"

The conversation continues for several minutes, with White presenting an odd combination of knowledge and ignorance. He is well dressed and obviously unacquainted with the forest, but apparently unfamiliar with any of the large elvish settlements. Several people, especially Mystarion and Leilen, notice that White's speech has a strange lilt to it unlike any elvish dialect they are familiar with.

After a while, Leilen grows suspicious, and decides to sneak in a _Detect Magic_. Quickly, he perceives a couple of Divination auras, a moderate strength Transmutation aura that is fading, and a moderate strength Necromancy spell still active. Dropping concentration, Leilen follows up with _Hold Person_. He explains himself to his astonished companions; in moments, White is stripped of his weapons and securely bound.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asks in clipped tones, clearly containing his fury. When Leilen tells him of the aura, his reply is quick: "Yes, I am aware of that. Of course." He sighs. "It is a spell, cast on me by a powerful necromancer some time ago."

"By Malefice?" several in the group want to know. 

"No…another, who I will not name," replies White. "The spell is dangerous - but only when triggered, and only to me. No, I do not know the trigger." Leilen offers to dispel the spell, but White interrupts his offer. "Would you be sure that your attempt would not trigger the spell? Would _you_ wish to take such a risk?" Silence follows. "I would appreciate being freed now," White continues, his voice bitter. "If you think me guilty, send me to the court of Sygwerdan - surely his men will take proper care of me."

Abashedly, the party unties him. He speaks curtly. "I shall be on my way now. Farewell." White picks up his weapons and heads north up the road toward Theldentarn, not even bothering to look back. The party discusses the encounter for a while, but can make no sense of it.


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## Galfridus (Jan 27, 2002)

*Episode 12: Numerous Discoveries*

*Leston, February 15, LE 654*

Several days pass as the party members pursue their own interests. Ravenfield purchases a set of woodcarver’s tools and begins making small carvings, selling one or two for a minor profit. He also picks up his spiked gauntlets from Big John, and eagerly shows them off to anyone who will listen (or, failing that, anyone nearby). Leilen and Magnimiliar are off on some scheme of their own, although Malagen remains near Mystarion to serve as a messenger. 

Mystarion spends the days wandering the town, looking for interesting items to buy and listening for rumors of interest. In a bar near the southern wall, he finds a pair of elvish travelers playing chess. They have heard of the death of Pierre de Blaumere, but know none of the details. Mystarion hints at a few details, then asks where one might find interesting wares in the town. The elves seem less than impressed by the town’s offerings, but suggest three locales: the Dwarf Quarter, for gems; Weaver’s Street, for "passable" tapestries; and the Halfling Quarter, for a variety of knick-knacks, "although the selection grows poor this far into winter". 

Mystarion visits all of these places, eventually making his way to the Halfling’s Quarter. His passage down the narrow streets is noticed by more than one shifty-looking character, and Mystarion’s hand moves quickly to cover the pouch containing all his money. Concerned for his gold, he removes the pouch from his belt and ties it around his neck before entering the nearest shop.

"You’ve got your purse around your neck!" cries the halfling proprietor from the back of the store. Mystarion nods. "Well, I’m not selling to the likes of you. You don’t trust us, how can we trust you!" Mystarion protests, but the halfling is persistent. Finally, Mystarion sighs, then reties the pouch at his belt…with a triple knot. He steps into the store to browse, looking down constantly. After several minutes, he notices that while the knots are still in place, the pouch is gone – cut free. 

Mystarion curses loudly in Elvish. "Did you see anything?" he demands of the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper raises his hands, a paragon of innocence. "Hey, I didn’t see a thing. Those thieves are terrible!" He pauses. "You know, I know a friend who might be able to get your money back." 

Mystarion, wise in the ways of magic, is far less experienced in this sort of transaction. "Indeed?"

"Oh yeah…but it’ll take some money to get hold of him. You know how it is."

Mystarion nods doubtfully. "But I have no gold." He thinks. "Perhaps I can get some."

"Sure, sure! Tell you what – you tell me where you are staying, I’ll send word when I find my friend."

"I’m at the Icicle." 

The halfling is clearly impressed. "The Icicle, huh? Well, ah, alright, you’ll hear from me." Oddly enough, Mystarion never does.

Mystarion departs and returns to the inn to continue his other pasttime: scrying on Rose. Each evening, he watches from his room for Nip to enter the common room, then uses _Clairvoyance_ and _Clairaudience_ to listen in on a bit of his conversation with Rose. The first night, he hears Rose and Nip discussing the vague rumors about the Knight Commander’s death that are beginning to spread through town. Rose suggests that Nip look into the matter further, adding: "And keep an eye on that elf, the one down the hall. I don’t trust elves." The two fall silent as the evening’s performance begins.

Over the next few days, Mystarion overhears several interesting items:

-- Rose clearly dislikes elves, and orders Nip several times to keep a close watch on "that elf". It becomes clear that Nip, or associates of his, have been following Mystarion through town.
-- As the fate of the Knight Commander becomes more widely known, Rose ponders aloud what effect this will have on his trade caravans come spring. 
-- Rose is also interested in Magnimiliar’s budding protection racket; while "Darius" seems to be laying low, Rose wants to be ready should Magnimiliar begin to gain power in the town. 

Jonetello spends his time composing. His _Ring of Sustenance_ gives him plenty of late night hours with little to do, so he begins to compose a simple, mostly instrumental song for his upcoming performance. After a few false starts, he finds the right melody and begins building upon it. 

Thorald spends several days in the Archbaron’s library, paying a hundred gold each day for the privilege. He first looks for volumes or passages concerning psionics or those with psionic powers: after several hours of fruitless research, he discovers no index or catalog listing them. Rather than peruse each volume, he moves on.

Albreth the prophet, he discovers, made numerous prophecies concerning the Tataiafar Empire, starting in the Tallos Era and extending into the middle years of the Twlight Era. Those who believe that he foretold the future place his birth in the latter years of the Senatorial Era, a century or two before the events he foretold began to come to pass. Those who consider him a fraud, or a poet writing after the fact, assume him to be an elf or immortal who began writing several decades into the Tallos area. Thorald finds references to the same passages he has seen quoted before, each offering a tantalizing fragmentary view into the whole of his works. After several days, Thorald finds an account he has not seen before. It tells of a tower in the far western reaches of the Empire that was rumored to be the home and writing place of Albreth. Soon after it was discovered, however, it was destroyed by a grey dragon of unknown origin that vanished over the waves of the Sea of Tallos. No sign of Albreth’s writings could be found in the ruins.

Thorald also continues his research into the mysterious Knight Order of Ardinor. He finds several new stories about the Order (clearly the Archbaron has a liking for obscure tales and legends), but few contain any significant information. They follow the two usual patterns: a Knight appears to warn of a threat to the Empire (dragons, evil wizards, demons, etc.), is ignored, then vanquishes the threat himself; or a variation of the Epic of Ardinor, wherein the Knights themselves are assaulted and nearly defeated, achieving victory upon the threshold of the innermost defenses of their fortress. One of the tales does possess a passage of interest: a reference to a "scouting patrol" of Knights seeking candidates for their order in nearby villages. Thorald spends some time looking for further references to this kind of patrol, but finds none.

On the evening of the 19th, Mystarion overhears an interesting tidbit from Nip: "The Archbaron’s men are looking for someone – _someones_, actually. Nobody’s telling, but seems like it’s connected to the Knight Commander guy being offed. Yeah, I’ll keep looking into it."

That morning, the party (at their various inns) is awakened by loud pounding at their respective doors. A herald and escort of soldiers awaits outside, with an announcement from the Archbaron. "Jonetello, Ravenfield, Leilen, Magnimiliar Ivellios, Mystarion Thyastacia, Elbryn, and Thorald Stone" are summoned before the Archbaron that evening. After receiving (and scribing) confirmation from each person, the heralds depart. 

That evening, Mystarion waits for Nip to return to the Icicle so he can scry once more, but Nip doesn’t show. With minutes to spare before the audience with the Archbaron, Mystarion departs for Leston Keep. As he arrives, the rest of the party, slightly behind him, observes a halfling-sized figure melt into the shadows of a nearby alley. Jonetello ventures into the alley, but sees nothing. He rejoins the party at the foot of the Keep, and together they present themselves to the guard. After removing all their weapons, they are escorted into the Keep and then to the Archbaron’s private audience chamber.

The audience chamber is small, perhaps thirty feet to a side, with a simple oak chair at the far end. Archbaron Alexander Stonecroft sits in the chair, flanked by several guards and an older man dressed in Blaumere colors who scowls at the party as they approach and give their names.

Alexander questions them about their recent activities in northern Wassan. Jonetello, speaking for the group, gives a terse but accurate account of their encounter with Malefice – "that is, someone who we took to be Malefice" – explaining that after the first fight, they suspected mere bandits, and were surprised to find the necromancer the second time around.

"So it is them," exclaims the older man. "They caused the death of my cousin, and shall be taken to Reln for punish—" 

Alexander quiets him with a raised hand. "A moment, Etienne." He turns to the party. "Did you have any reason to believe that your actions would result in the death of our former Knight Commander?" Several heads shake in unison. "And you crossed into northern Wassan via Greenwood Ford, the ford under the control of the late Pierre de Blaumere?" The party nods. "In that case, I see no reason for punishment." Etienne sputters, but falls silent at a glance from Alexander. The look in his eyes suggests that the party avoid Blaumere lands for the foreseeable future.

"That brings us to the next matter. As of tomorrow morning, I will be proclaiming that no passage into northern Wassan for the purpose of combating Malefice or his forces will be permitted, without the express permission of myself or of the new Knight Commander – whoever he may turn out to be. I do not wish to hear of further such incidents, and I’m sure that the Knight Commander’s successor feels the same way. Am I clear? Then you are dismissed." The party departs, retrieves their weapons, and returns to their inns.

When Mystarion enters the Icicle, he notices that Rose is present but that Nip is not. He ascends to his room and waits until the evening’s entertainment is over. As usual, he hears Rose’s footsteps on the stairs, and waits until the merchant has entered his room – then casts _Clairaudience_ inside. He hears several sentences spoken in a strange language, something he is certain he has never heard before. It seems to have elements of Common and Elvish, but is at best a distant relative of those tongues. Lacking the proper spells to decipher the language, Mystarion cancels the spell. Again, Rose is reminding him of someone, but does not know what.

The next evening, Jonetello performs at the Icicle once more, and the entire party attends. Sara Heatherly is there as well, seated next to the stage. Rose and Nip are at their usual table. His performance is truly legendary, evoking respectful silence, then tremendous applause from the audience throughout the first few songs. Once again, Jonetello decides to play something new. The innkeeper shakes his head as the first few chords echo across the room. Sure enough, Jonetello performs adequately, but completely lacking the enthusiasm or empathy of his previous songs. The crowd applauds politely, but their disappointment is apparent. As the applause dies, Jonetello announces he is going to play a new song, something he has just finished writing. The innkeeper hides his face in his hands and heads toward the kitchen. "I call it ‘Sara’s Song’", Jonetello declares, then begins. 

Few in the audience will ever recall a prettier song, or a more masterful performance, than the premiere of what thereafter becomes one of the best known songs of Rellenor. Even Nip seems transported by the music – and Sara, needless to say, is ecstatic. The song ends, and there is a period of respectful silence before the audience rises as one and files out of the tavern. "Applause or an encore would be disrespectful," whispers Sara, awe in her eyes. The usual group of bards departs as well, leaving only one well-wisher: Rose.

"A masterful performance, sir," Rose says. "If you don’t mind, I would like to discuss it, and perhaps other matters, in private." Sara looks outraged – how dare someone, after a performance like that! – but Jonetello agrees. Rose, Nip, and the party gather in a small private dining room at the rear of the inn. 

"I’m afraid your secret is out," Rose begins. "It is clear to me, through various methods of my own, that you are the companion of the man known as Darius." He gives Mystarion a dirty look. "I should have known that an elf would be involved in such a venture." He expresses an interest in the party’s plans and strategies for gaining power in Leston, but the party isn’t interested in talking. "It would be a little premature," ventures Jonetello.

"To act would be, but to plan? Certainly we could talk of what might come to pass when the snow melts and the caravans begin to roll. I intend to get an early start, running a caravan south into the gnome kingdoms. I would like to be the first – but to ensure that, I suspect I will need assistance from the likes of you. I would be very curious to hear what kind of assistance you might be able to offer." The party declines again. "Very well, but be aware that I can likely be of assistance to you as well. I have traveled to many places, and know many things. Is there anything you might wish to know from me: stories, old tales, legends?"

Thorald thinks a moment, then speaks up. "Do you know anything of the Knight Order of Ardinor?"

Rose’s reaction is startling. He stares at Thorald for a moment, then falls into a paroxysm of coughing, clearly disturbed. Even Nip stares at him in obvious confusion. 

"The Knight Order of—" Rose composes himself. "No, I have never heard of that name, I’m sorry to say." He looks about nervously. "I’m afraid I must call this meeting to an end. Good night." He and Nip rise and depart. Mystarion sees a look of anger on Rose’s face as he heads directly to his room.

*Leston, February 22 LE 654
*
The party spends the morning discussing the strange meeting with Rose, the meeting with the Archbaron, and their future. After an hour or so, Mystarion suddenly makes the connection he has been seeking for days: Rose and White. The necromancy spell on each had a similar aura, and their accents bear a definite resemblance. No one can see any reason behind this, and the party decides to do nothing for the time being.

Mystarion, however, disagrees. He returns to the Icicle and seeks out Rose. "Would you mind having a talk – in private?" Rose nods, a look of distaste on his face, and suggests his quarters. "No," says Mystarion, "_really_ private." He casts _Rope Trick_. Rose studies him intently for several moments, then climbs into the extradimensional space.

Mystarion tells Rose about White: the circumstances under which the party met him, the conversation they had, and the similiarities between the necromantic spells. Rose remains silent through this exposition, until Mystarion is done.

"I thank you for this information," he says, an unreadable expression on his face. "I—well, I don’t know what to say. Please be assured that I will be looking into this matter further, although I am not sure that the talent exists in this town to explore it fully. Perhaps in Merelin there are those who could be of help." Mystarion shrugs. "Well, then, I think I should start right away. Again, thank you, and good day." He climbs from the _Rope Trick_ and returns to his room. Mystarion does likewise.

That evening, Jonetello is spending time with Sara in a nearby tavern. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees the door open of its own accord, then close. A cold breeze blows over and around him, ruffling Sara’s hair. "What was that?" she mutters. Jonetello stands and attempts to follow the breeze, but then the door opens and closes again, and the air seems to return to normal – although the smoke from pipe and lantern eddies, as if disturbed by something passing by.

Across town, Ravenfield is in different tavern, drinking and playing the flute as best he can. He, too, sees the door blow open and then closed, and feels a cold wind blow across him. In the smoke from a nearby lantern, he sees a ghostly arm outlined for a moment – and then the door opens and closes once more, and the wind passes.

Thorald is awake in his room, meditating, when he hears a banging at the shutters. He rises to investigate, just as the shutters blow open and a cold wind fills the room. He feels, rather than sees, a presence joining him. "Tiesa?" he calls quietly, looking about him.

The only response is a sound of ragged breathing, followed by a blast of cold air which nearly knocks him off his feet. Thorald looks around, desperately seeking his attacker, but another blast comes before he can react. The strength of the air brings bruises to his skin; he will be dead if this continues much longer. Jumping to the open window, he runs down the side of the tavern and toward Leston Keep, looking for safety. Behind him, a cold wind follows...


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## Galfridus (Feb 1, 2002)

*Episode 15: "Did you ever get the feeling you were being...watched?"*

*Leston, February 22, LE 654*

"Stalked" by an "invisible" attacker (get it?), Thorald considers his options: none of his companions are at the Mailed Fist (that he knows of); Mystarion's inn, the Icicle, is halfway across town; the Archbaron's keep is even farther. Then, he recalls hearing a tale of the dwarven priests of Moradin, where they overcame an aerial creature in much the same way that human clerics banish the undead. There is a small dwarven community in Leston, tucked against the north wall of the city near Greenhill Gate. He runs desperately in that direction. Each time he comes to a large square or major road, the creature charges him, until he is at the brink of unconsciousness. The invisible stalker cannot match Thorald's speed on the ground; but by taking to the air it can dash ahead of him and lie in wait. Thorald does not recognize this strategy; fortunately, he reaches the Temple of Moradin alive anyway. Unfortunately, the doors are closed. He pounds on them desperately.

"Whaddaya want?" calls a surly voice from inside.

"Help...an air elemental is attacking me!" cries Thorald.

"So? Go find a human priest to help you."

"I have gold!"

The door opens swiftly. "Why didn't you say so?" In short order a pair of warriors and a priest emerge, just as a cold gust of wind gathers in the street outside. The warriors take up a defensive position in the doorway, but the stalker flies neatly over them to attack Thorald. He falls to the stone floor, dwarvish chanting ringing in his ears. 

The pulsating warmth of a _Cure Moderate Wounds_ awakens him. "That was some creature," growls the priest. "But it won't be back tonight." He regards Thorald more closely. "How much gold do you have?"

"Five hundred," answers Thorald, mentally setting some of his cash aside.

"Eight hundred and we'll call it even."

Thorald sighs and pays up. 

Mystarion is studying in his room when he notices a flicker of movement in a dark corner. He raises his head and sees the vague outline of a hound crouched in the shadows. A pinpoint of absolute darkness marks the spot where an eye might normally be found. Mystarion stands and casts _Mirror Image_. The hound stares at the shifting images for a moment, then leaps across the room into another shadowy corner - and vanishes. Mystarion quickly casts _Arcane Sight_: in both corners, strong illusion magic is fading, as if powerful spells had recently been used. Filled with concern for his comrades, Mystarion rushes out the door, ignoring the commotion he causes in the common room, and runs full tilt for the Mailed Fist. His glowing blue eyes sweep the streets for any sign of similar auras, but he finds none. However, the _Medallion of Twilight_ grows cold against his chest, something that has previously happened only when its powers were activated. His entrance into the Mailed Fist attracts the attention of two off-duty soldiers, but his explanation seems to satisfy them. None of his companions are in, so Mystarion returns to his room, letting both spells expire along the way. 

Before long, there is a knock on the door. It's Thorald. "I heard a story about seven identical elves with glowing eyes running through the streets and thought you might be in trouble!" Mystarion shakes his head and begins to tell his tale, but is interrupted by a knock on the door. It's Jonetello. "I was with Sara, and overheard some guard talking about a crazy elf wizard with glowing eyes running amok through the inns of Leston..." "I heard that too!" says Magnimiliar from the hallway. Mystarion rolls his eyes, shuts the door, and starts his story again - to be interrupted by yet another knock. It's Ravenfield. "I suppose you heard the story too?" sneers Mystarion. "What story?" replies Ravenfield. "These dwarves didn't like my song and came after me - I ran as fast as I could. What's going on?"

This time, Mystarion manages to complete his story. Then Thorald tells his tale. The party is concerned: who is hunting them, and why? Is it the Blaumeres, Malefice, Rose, or someone else? No one is surprised when a strong knock sounds at the door.

A tall, exotic-looknig woman stands in the hallway, dressed rather scantily in top and pants of thin, green material that looks altogether unsuited to a Rellenor winter. While her hair is blond and her skin pale, her features seem somehow..._different_ from the people of Mordallend. She looks around until she spots Thorald, then smiles. "Ah, at last!" Thorald, still a bit dazed, does not recognize her. "Seriya?" She sighs, exasperated. "Good to know you remember me. It's Tiesa!" 

After some hurried introductions, Tiesa explains that she has been sent from the village of Gienmordal [where Thorald journeyed recently - see the recent "backstory" post]. She's been looking for Thorald for a while: a beast of the air had located him in Velland, but then he seemed to vanish. Recently he was spotted by elements of water, fire, and earth - but only tonight when she spoke with a _rassa ten_ was she able to track him down at last. "And then there were all these strange little men with beards, and none of them would tell me where you were." 

"Dwarves?" ventures Thorald. 

"Dwarves-must have been!" agrees Tiesa excitedly. "Anyway, remember the three tasks you agreed to complete in my village? Remember that you still owe them one? Well, this is it: take me into your service." Thorald, still looking somewhat dazed, agrees. 

The party returns to discussing the events of the evening. No one has any idea who might be behind these creatures, or what they might do to discover their identity. Instead, most people are ready to leave Leston and head south, either into Kinfeld or to the elvish lands. Jonetello prepares a note for the Archbaron, declaring their departure and giving assurances that they will not head north without permission. 

The following day passes uneventfully for most; however, Leilen receives a message from the council of Magehaven. It seems that one reference to the original works of Albreth was found: a catalog of writings possessed by Malcin the Sage, who dwelt in the county of Valmont some hundred and fifty years ago. The council requests that Leilen investigate this reference. If Albreth's original prophecies could be found complete, they would shed valuable light on the Prophecies of Midnight. However, they require that Leilen make the journey alone, for reasons undivulged. Leilen jumps at the chance; after saying a quick goodbye to Magnimiliar, he heads toward the harbor and passage across the lake to Valmont.

That evening, most of the group decides to stay at the Icicle. Mystarion rents another room for Magnimiliar and Ravenfield, placing an _Alarm_ spell inside to warn of any intruders. Several hours later, a loud banging shakes the shutters of Mystarion's room, where the elf along with Tiesa and Thorald are staying. Mystarion, the only one awake, has time merely to glance up before the shutters are sundered and a cold wind sweeps into the room. Mystarion is pummeled by sharp winds and knocked to the edge of death: but once again, the cold power of the _Medallion of Twilight_ transports him to the realm of shadow. Thorald and Tiesa drop away, and he is in a black and white version of his tavern room. This time, however, a large hound waits in the middle of the room. As the shadows begin to lengthen, it growls and approaches. Mystarion leaps away from its snapping jaws and casts _Mirror Image_ followed by _Mage Armor_. The hound howls into the shadows. From somewhere outside the room, another hound wails in answer. Mystarion realizes his time is short. Barely avoiding the beast, he summons a celestial bear, then utters the command word of the medallion: "Obilon". He reappears in his room and collapses.

Thorald and Tiesa have been doing their best to battle the invisible stalker. Thorald has it stunned with a _Mind Blast_ and is trying to wrap it in a sheet, but it is too large and strong. Ravenfield and Magnimiliar arrive at the door outside, but Mystarion's _Arcane Lock_ keeps them from entering. Eventually, Ravenfield bashes in the door and the pair rush in to help. Between the four of them, they manage to slay the stalker, which departs this plane in a burst of icy wind. They look at each other, then at Mystarion, realizing slowly that all their healers are gone. 

Meanwhile, Jonetello enjoys a pleasant evening at Sara's house. If the wind blows a little sharply against the shutters, he takes no notice.


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## Galfridus (Feb 6, 2002)

New update coming soon, In Which:

Someone decides they must die to save Mystarion -- does seppuku work with a scimitar?

The Blaumeres bring their can of whoop-ass to Leston, and;

It is discovered Who Let the Dogs Out.


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## Galfridus (Feb 8, 2002)

*Episode 16: "Me and My Shadow"*

*Leston, February 23, LE 654*

The cold wind that filled the room dissipates quickly. The invisible stalker is slain; it's apparent target, Mystarion, lies unconscious. The _Medallion of Twilight_ has stabilized his wounds, but no one in the party is able to heal him further. Elbryn makes sure he is truly stable, and bandages his wounds just in case.

"What's going on up there?" calls the innkeeper from the bottom of the stairs. Magnimiliar descends and gives him an abridged version: something invisible attacked the party, it's dead, no danger now. The innkeeper does not seem reassured, and hurries into the street where he rings an alarm bell. Footsteps can be heard approaching. "Of course, we will take care of the damaged door and shutter and any other repairs that need to be made. Three platinum should cover that, don't you think," Magnimiliar asks, dropping the coins into the man's hand.

The innkeeper looks back at Magnimiliar blankly.

"Four, then."

Another blank stare.

"Five - and another for a new room."

A trio of city guards rounds the corner and approaches swiftly. "What's the problem?" their leader asks, giving Magnimiliar a stern look.

"Ah...nothing the matter any longer, it would seem." He recaps the tale, then summons an underling to show Magnimiliar to the party's new room. (They decide to abandon the second room they had rented, just in case.) As quickly as possible, everyone moves all their stuff into the new room. 

Across town, Jonetello and Sara are startled when someone begins knocking urgently on Sara's door. It's her friend Louis.

"Sara, I was down by the Icicle and I just heard-oh, you again." Louis' verbal avalanche ceases as he catches sight of Jonetello, and a small sneer crosses his face before he continues almost as breathlessly as before. "I heard the alarm bell and walked over to the Icicle. Some sort of creature attacked a room there-by the time the guards came it was all over, but I saw where one of the shutters was bashed in. As a matter of fact," he adds, staring at Jonetello, "I think it was your friend's room..."

Jonetello bids Sara a hasty farewell and dashes to the Icicle. As he gets there, Elbryn and Ravenfield are checking their previous rooms for any signs of shadow creatures. Sure enough, as Elbryn holds up a lantern, a dog's head turns away, the shadow actually pulling away from the wall before slinking into a dark corner and disappearing. It soon becomes clear that both rooms, and perhaps their new room, are being watched - but the creatures flee when faced with bright light. 

The party decides to seek out a priest who might be able to heal Mystarion. They travel to the temple of St. Cuthbert, where the night sentry greets them and quickly agrees to return and help. He applies two curing spells, but while Mystarion's wounds close more fully, he does not awaken. "If that doesn't wake him, none of my spells will," he concludes. "I can wake my superior - he might have more luck." His voice is doubtful, however, and the party does not seem eager to follow this suggestion. "I'll just be downstairs then if you need me." The priest goes down the stairs to the common room, casting a worried look at the blood-stained room where the battle took place.

Mystarion's condition does not seem to be changing. The _Medallion of Twilight_, resting on his chest, is cold to the touch; in fact, Mystarion himself seems a bit cool. Thorald's _Detect Magic_ reveals an aura of illusion, in particular shadow magic, over Mystarion. _Dispel Magic_ has no effect. Jonetello removes Mystarion's belongings from him, including the medallion, but there is no apparent effect.

The party talks at length about what may have happened and what they can do. The consensus is that Mystarion is somehow trapped in the shadow realm, but there aren't many ideas on how he might be rescued. One obvious possibility presents itself: someone else can use the _Medallion_ to enter the shadow realm and investigate. The item must be worn by an arcane spellcaster to function, but as both Ravenfield and Magnimiliar possess sorcerous abilities, that is not a problem. What _is_ a problem is activating the medallion; as far as anyone knows, being close to death is the only way to make it work. The command word, "Obilon", only serves to return the wearer from the shadow realm. 

Finally, Ravenfield takes the medallion and declares he is ready to try it out. Returning to Mystarion's old room (where there's already blood on the floor), he draws his scimitar and begins cutting himself to the point of death. No one tries to stop him, although there are several suggestions that this is not the wisest course of action. Eventually, Ravenfield recants and removes the medallion.

_(Out of character, this was a very amusing scene. We had Ravenfield's player yelling "Attack me! Attack me!" while everyone else was asking him what the heck he thought he was doing. "It's OK - if you kill me, you can divide up my stuff," Ravenfield finally said. All the other players stopped what they were doing, looked at each other in silence, then all pantomimed beating the crap out of Ravenfield. Ah, nothing like good old party unity ) _

The party decides to call it a night. Jonetello leaves his rapier unsheathed, so that its light will keep the room relatively shadow-free. A watch is posted to make sure no more shadows or wind creatures sneak up on them (no problem!).

*Leston, February 24, LE 654*

Shortly after dawn, a messenger arrives with a sack for Magnimiliar: inside are two notes (one for Magnimiliar, one for Mystarion) and a pouch of gold with Mystarion's name on it. Mystarion opens the note addressed to him. "It's for all of us," he says, and proceeds to read it aloud:

_Gentlemen,

It is with a heavy heart that I must make this hasty departure. I have received an opportunity that I cannot refuse. I am not at liberty at this point to discuss it. I could not leave without saying goodbye. First, to my Closest Friend, Mags. We have traveled far together, my friend. Your humor and your wit have gotten us into and through many situations. You are all that I have known as family and you know if you need me I will always be there. 

Jonatello, the mad minstrel, your honor and commitment, and musical ability have been an inspiration. 

Mysterion, master of the mystical, your talents surely will carry you far. I just hope your wisdom lets them. HAHA! Patience and caution are 2 traits I value highly and I hope you learn to value them as dearly as I do. Even though we both practice the art, never trust it. It serves its own purpose. Boccob sees to that. Stick close to Mags. You both will need each other, I foresee. 

Elbryn, your sword and bow are extensions of your soul, and what a strong soul that is. Your valor in combat is an example for us all. May you always follow the right path. 

Thorald, I regret us not being able to discuss more about the order of Ardinor. From what you have told me it is an amazing legend. I would have liked to help you research it more. Your particular talents are like none that I have seen before. I would have liked to find out more about them but time was not kind enough for that. If there is anything I come across in my own research that can assist you I will be in touch. 

Ravenfield, I have not known you long, but I wish you well in whatever it is you seek. I hope you find the path that you are looking for and may this group be of as great a service to you as they have been to me. 

A couple of things before I go. Mystarion, the pouch is for you. Hopefully you will learn a little more about how the world works. This, of course, you can learn from Magnimiliar. 

Two other things. First I believe that White and Rose are somehow connected. I am not sure of the nature of the connection. Rose hates elves, White was an elf, and both have the same auras on them. Coincidence? Who knows.... Second, my gut tells me that Rose had something to do with Thorald's visitor the other night. I believe he is aware of the Order of Ardinor and was not being forthcoming with information pertaining to them. He was SCARED when Thorald mentioned it, then suddenly Thorald gets a visitor. I would press Rose about this. I mean PRESS HIM! I don't like him, and would not feel comfortable just leaving him here with all these kind people. They have enough to worry about with Malefice; they don't need this guy around. 

Keep a watchful eye, gentlemen, these are troubling times we are in. I will be keeping a watchful eye on you. 

                         Leilen_

As Magnimiliar nears the end of the letter, Jonetello silences him rather forcefully. "There's no need to say this stuff out loud, in case-you know," he whispers, gesturing toward a shadowy corner.

As Mystarion is still unconscious, Thorald opens the pouch, which contains fifty gold pieces, and then the note. He reads quickly, chuckles, and shows it to the rest of the group:

_BOOM!

You're dead. Did you check for traps? 

Lesson number one: TRUST NOTHING! 

Your friend, Leilen_

Jonetello announces loudly that he is going to fetch a priest of St. Cuthbert, and asks Magnimiliar and Thorald to come along. The trio head out into the town - but instead of heading toward Temple Square, they have a quiet conversation. They have plans for where they would like to go (_which were not shared with the DM!_), but will only say aloud that they are "heading to southern Rellenor". They return to the inn and make a point of saying this in their room.

In order to bring Mystarion along, however, some arrangements need to be made. Jonetello makes a quick trip to the market to purchase a wagon and other supplies. Magnimiliar goes shopping for healing potions, and along the way listens for whatever gossip is on the wind. He overhears a very interesting bit of news: early this morning, Rose left town, after hiring a squad of men to act as escorts. Apparently, he is making a tour of Wassan, looking for more trade agreements with local craftsmen. Nip did not go with him; from what Magnimiliar hears, Nip left the Icicle and hasn't been seen since. When Magnimiliar conveys this information to the party, they decide that pursuing Rose might be the best course of action.

Wagon in tow, the party leaves Leston by the southern Market Gate, giving their names to the bored soldiers on duty. As soon as they have traversed the causeway over Leston Bog, however, they turn west, taking an old trail that Jonetello knows will take them around to the north, along the route that Rose must be taking. They travel this path for a hour or so while they discuss their options. Rose has several hours lead on them and is mounted with no wagon to slow him down. He is likely to halt at the village of Seldon - which the party would not reach until midnight after a lengthy forced march. Gradually, the party begins to think that their original plan of returning Mystarion to Thelden makes more sense. As the winter sun reaches its zenith, they turn the wagon around and backtrack, traveling south toward Sygwerdan's land and the long road to Thelden. By sunset, they have reached the main road leading south from Leston. They pass by several villages, but decide to spend the night in the wild in case they are being watched. Jonetello and Elbryn take first watch.

"Dara?" Without warning, a strange figure emerges from the shadows, walking slowly toward Mystarion's unconscious figure. He is wearing a black cloak which seems to blend into the darkness around him. As he comes more fully into the firelight, Jonetello and Elbryn see that his face is blurred and indistinct, as if the light had been formed into a white shadow. They scramble to their feet and awaken the others. Jonetello interposes himself between the man and Mystarion. Several of the others attempt spells, but they all seem to fail, and the man takes no notice; however, several shadowy beasts can be heard growling from the darkness around the campfire. Thorald attempts _Control Shadow_ and receives a mental impression of whirling darkness that leaves him stunned for several minutes. 

The man introduces himself as Rasilar, and claims to be a lord of the shadow realm. "I am looking for someone, a woman named Dara, who often crosses into my domain. My agents had been seeking her. Instead, it seems they found your friend here." He peers more closely at Mystarion. "Ah, it must be the amulet." He reaches for it, but Jonetello stands in the way. "May I see it?" the man requests. 

Jonetello takes the medallion from Mystarion and holds it up. Rasilar reaches for it, but Jonetello tosses a flask of alchemist's fire at his feet. "See...not touch." The man seems to smile (despite the "white shadow" which obscures his face, his amusement is evident), and a tendril of shadow reaches toward the medallion. After a brief struggle, it overpowers Jonetello, and delivers the medallion to Rasilar's outstretched hand. He considers it briefly.

"I think we have started poorly," he says, slowly. He reaches inside his cloak and produces a large sack, which jingles as he tosses it at Jonetello's feet. "Perhaps this will correct things. This woman, Dara, she is somewhere in your lands. I would be very appreciative if you could find her."

"What about our friend?" asks most of the group. 

"The elf? There is a gate opened into the shadow realm, and his soul is trapped there."

"Where is this gate? Can we travel it to rescue him?"

"The gate is inside him; place yourselves there and perhaps you can follow him."

The party seems a bit confused. "Will he be back to normal when the gate closes?"

Rasilar considers. "He will - his corpse will be just like any other. His soul will be trapped in the shadow realm, unless someone of great power can retrieve it."

"Someone like you?"

"Indeed. In fact, if you locate Dara for me, I will promise to investigate the matter further." He raises a hand. Across the fire, a column of shadows rises, spinning round and round like a tiny whirlwind. They part to reveal a tall woman, black-haired, dressed in armor of dark metal and holding a glaive with a black blade. She is regal, stern, and beautiful. Then the shadows close in again and the image dissolves. "That is Dara." He gives the party a brooch: a black metal disk, engraved with a tower, inset silver wire outlining the profile of a face. "Use that should you wish to contact me. Best of luck." He steps back and the shadows rise; when they subside, he is gone.

Thorald looks inside the bag and finds two thousand pieces of gold, all engraved with inscrutable writing on one side, and an unfamiliar face on the other.

As dawn approaches, Mystarion's breathing becomes irregular and he begins to stir. The party gathers around him, but he remains unaware of his surroundings. Suddenly, his eyes fly open and he sits up and breathes a single world: "Obilon."

Then, he lies back down, and dies.

*Leston, February 25, LE 654*

Their mission to Thelden now pointless, the party reverses direction yet again and heads to Leston. They arrive mid-afternoon, giving their names to the soldiers at the gate, and head directly for the temple of Pelor.

"Slain by shadow creatures?" says the priest there with a frown. "That won't do at all! What can the Light of Pelor do to help you?" 

The party makes advance payments to keep Mystarion's body hale for four weeks, in the hope that Dara can be found in that time. Magnimiliar heads into the town to pawn the wagon and pick up rumors - and almost immediately hears that a group of heavily armed Blaumeres arrived yesterday, looking for them. "Yikes!" Acting as one, the party heads for the north gate as quickly as they can. They give fake names at the gate and take the northern road toward Carinth, where they believe Rose was last headed.


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## Galfridus (Feb 15, 2002)

*Episode 17A: Don't Just Stand There, Get Me a Cleric!*

With the death of Mystarion, a new character was to join the group. Mystarion's player introduced Alamar Sunin, a human priest of Ehlonna from western Rellenor. This is the backstory which I gave to him before he joined the group:

*List of places*
Moonglow Temple: A small temple to Ehlonna, located in Moonvale lands, Loxham County (now Wassan County) in the far western reaches of Rellenor. Destroyed October 31, 653.
Grewell: Closest village to Moonglow Temple, ancestral home (until LE 567) of the Greweled family (former rulers of Moonvale).
Merad: Village west of Grewell at the edge of the wild; last civilized stop on "Wassan Way", the perilous road to the dwarven kingdom of Madrazzar.
Carinth: Trading village on the road to Leston, many days distant.
Canras: Fishing village in eastern Wassan, on Lake Drelmist.

*List of people*
Faralin: Head priest of Moonglow Temple. Slain October 31, 653.
Erephin: Druid associated with Moonglow Temple. Whereabouts unknown.
Laura of the Oak: Wandering druid who paid occasional visits to Moonglow Temple. Whereabouts unknown.

Edward Deppes: Mysterious blind wanderer; presumed safe in Madrazzar.
Jocasta: Edward's wife, burned for necromancy.
Antigone: Edward's daughter, banished from Carinth for suspicion of necromancy. Whereabouts unknown.
Jord: Childhood friend of Antigone.
Coral: Childhood friend of Antigone.

_(Those names above which seem "familiar" came from a long-departed player who created an Oedipus-like history for his character, names and all. Because the player was young and I wanted to encourage him, I kept most of the names unaltered.)_

A few winters ago, Faralin brought a blind man to the temple. His eyes had been gouged out very recently, but the man would say nothing of what had happened. Criminals were not punished in such a manner in Rellenor, so there was no option but to lend what help the temple could offer. The man, who gave his name as Edward, insisted he had to leave Rellenor; if that resulted in his death, it would only be just. Moved by pity, Faralin had you tend to his wounds. The next day, Faralin gave the man supplies and a simple item that would help lead him along the Wassan Way to the dwarven realm of Madrazzar. After he departed, Faralin confided to you that he had also asked Erephin, a powerful druid, to accompany Edward in animal form so that he might reach his destination safely and none the wiser for the protection he had received. (Two summers later, Erephin returned to the temple and reported that Edward had been taken in by the Strakeln clan in Gessenheim. Erephin did not have a high opinion of the man: "He rejected nature time and again, saying that the ways of the world had already led him too far astray. At least one Way led him to salvation.") You were glad for his safety, but otherwise thought little of the matter.

October 31, 653 began like any other day. Of course, this was a day on which spirits held great power, but the proper rituals had been performed. You spent the night in Grewell, seeing to the worries of the villagers (who, it must be said, had much to fear from the necromancer Malefice).

The next morning, several villagers told you of bright lights flashing to the south, near the temple. Concerned, you hurried back home - only to find the temple in ruins, burned and shattered by powerful strokes of lightning and fire. All of the priests were dead…or so it seemed. As you moved closer, one figure stirred: Faralin. "The blind man…" he gasped, and expired. You looked around the temple for any signs of what had happened. A recent snow made the tracking easy, but there was little to tell: apart from a few bootprints you did not recognize, there was no sign of any attackers. And, no trail beside your own led into or away from the temple. After burying the dead and gathering what remained of the temple's supplies, you departed, seeking revenge for your slain friends.

At first, you were sure that Malefice, necromancer of the north, was responsible for this deed. You ventured into northern lands known to be under his sway, and battled some of his undead, but discovered nothing. Following stories of a castle hidden in the northern hills, you came to the village of Merad, on the very western border of Rellenor. There, you heard an interesting tale: last spring, a woman seeking a blind man had grown angry and destroyed the old tavern with lightning before disappearing. Six people were killed. You abandoned your war against Malefice in favor of finding this strange and powerful woman. 

Traveling east, you found few people who recalled the blind man, but many who recalled an incident in the far eastern village of Canras. There, the strange woman had appeared later that same spring, seeking a girl named Antigone who had been banished from a nearby village. One man claimed to know the girl, but his answers proved unsatisfactory: the woman grew angry and once again summoned forth lightning, killing many before vanishing. One of the survivors overheard her muttering something about a "book of the damned". 

These stories led you to the trading village of Carinth, on the road to Leston, from which Antigone had come. The villagers there were very reluctant to discuss any aspect of the terrible story, but in time the truth was revealed:

Edward Deppes was mayor of Carinth. For reasons unknown to anyone willing to talk to you, he blinded and exiled himself several years ago, and was last seen wandering north toward the Wassan Way. Later that year, his wife Jocasta was discovered digging up graves; while some suspected she was merely out of her mind with grief, the fear of Malefice was too close. She was burned for necromancy, and her daughter Antigone was placed on a horse and banished, sent into the eastern hills. Despite these punishments, malevolent forces were not done with the village. Later that summer, one of Antigone's friends, Jord, was found dead near the village, his mouth and lungs filled with frogs. (Laura of the Oak, a druid known to the temple, investigated and later told you there was a strong aura of evil: a force from the netherworld was involved. The site was purified so that Ehlonna would not be offended by such a use of her creatures.) This was the second of Antigone's friends to die; another, Coral, was killed far from the village earlier that spring. Coral, however, re-appeared at the harvest-time meeting. A man bearing some similiarity to Coral, claiming to be Coral, burst into the meeting and tried to warn the people of imminent danger. Some of the villagers say that they recognized him/her - but before they could be sure, a bolt of lightning ripped through the gathering. The same strange woman had appeared outside the hall, and began to slay the assembled villagers. This time, she was not alone: several demon creatures were there to assist, as was Antigone, clad in a sable dress and wielding deadly magics of her own. Together, they killed several dozen villagers before vanishing, taking "Coral" with them.

A few days later, a group of adventurers known to be Coral's companions arrived in Carinth and aided with the cleanup. They were: Kalenthas, halfling priest of Pelor; Thorfinn, ranger; Entia, druid; Grugg, half-orc. They met two others: Jonetello, minstrel; and Thorald Stone, wizard. The strange woman appeared and spoke to them briefly, taunting them concerning the fate of their friend before disappearing. Several villagers overheard the conversation, hearing for the first time the name of the demon who had brought such destruction upon them.

_Seriya._

The villagers have taken down the remains of their hall, and now use a nearby barn for their meetings. The dead from that day lie in a special field near the center of the village; nearby, a small shrine stands. Inside, a white candle is always aflame. On the plaster walls, a simple family stands before a lone candle, peering upward into the darkness where a lone woman stands beside an empty road. There are no words and no holy symbols to be found. To you, it seems as if the villagers are seeking a protection, or a salvation, beyond that which the gods of Rellenor have been able to offer them.

You have spent several weeks in Carinth gathering this information. A day or two ago, a strange-looking merchant named Rose arrived from Leston. He held several quick conversations with local farmers and craftsmen, making appointments for several days hence, before taking the road north toward Flanesville and the Wassan Way.


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## Galfridus (Feb 15, 2002)

*Episode 17: "Let's Split Up!"*

*Carinth, February 27, LE 654*

Two days out of Leston, the party reaches Carinth, a small trading village on the main road between Leston and northern Wassan. Thorald and Jonetello were last here six months ago, when they arrived shortly after the village was attacked by Seriya, a perky and attractive half-demoness who killed several dozen villagers and kidnapped a party member (Coral) before vanishing. The village is not fortified, but as the party approaches they see a new cottage beside the road. Light from a lantern hung by the door spills onto the road. The porter doesn't ask for names, but he seems a bit suspicious to see so many people arriving at dusk.

There's only one inn in the village. The party goes through an elaborate routine of splitting into several groups: Jonetello as "Timone" the wandering minstrel; Magnimiliar as a dangerous man of mystery; Thorald and Tiesa as a newly married couple, with Ravenfield and Elbryn their bodyguards. They arrive at the inn separately, using fake names, but soon find out that Rose left that same morning after spending a day or so speaking to local merchants and making appointments for several days hence. 

Despite Rose's absence, the party decides that given the number of enemies they have gained, excess caution is no sin. They stagger their departures the following morning, arranging to meet a half-hour or so north of the village.

Jonetello and Thorald/Tiesa's party reach the rendezvous point without incident, but then discover a priest of Ehlonna is following them. Jonetello and Thorald recall seeing him in the inn speaking to several locals - but after the past few days they cannot help but be suspicious. After some cautious negotiations, the priest (named Alamar Sunin) admits that he is seeking the party; in particular, Thorald and Jonetello. It seems that his temple was destroyed several weeks ago by the half-demon Seriya, and he is seeking revenge. From what has been able to discover, Jonetello and Thorald are among the few who have spoken to Seriya and survived. 

The conversation broadens to include the party's current mission (finding Rose and getting some answers), but eventually boils down to the simple fact that no one likes being without a cleric. Alamar seems happy to help the party out. Once Magnimiliar catches up and is filled in, the party continues along the road toward Flanesville, Rose's next destination.

*Flanesville, March 1, LE 654*

Flanesville is a larger settlement along the Wassan Way, the east-west road leading out of Rellenor and through miles of wilderness to the dwarven kingdom of Madrazzar. It (Flanesville, that is) boasts an earthern wall that runs in a half-circle out from the northern bank of the Wassanthid, surrounding the town. Once again the party splits into groups (the previous three, plus Alamar) and attempts to quietly enter town. There are only a few inns, and it doesn't take long to find Rose (at the White Oak) and his bodyguards (at the Clearwater Tavern). Alamar takes a room at the White Oak, while most everyone else ends up at the Wonderful Dwarf, a less expensive establishment on the other side of town. 

That afternoon, everyone gathers to discuss strategy. The basic idea is to put Rose in a position where they can get some answers. Ambushing when he leaves town seems like the best plan, but they don't know how long he'll be in town. Rather than wait indefinitely and risk being discovered, they decide to strike at him in his room that evening.

It is at this point that Ravenfield announces his departure from the group. He has found a job as an armorer, he says, and has decided that a life of wandering is not for him. The group wishes him the best of luck.

An hour or so after dusk, the party (except for Alamar, who is waiting in his room) establishes a rally point two blocks east of the White Oak. From there, Magnimiliar and Thorald turn _Invisible_ and sneak into the inn. Sneaking through the common room (where Rose sits with three bodyguards and a merchant) undetected, they proceed up the stairs to Alamar's room. The priest casts _Silence_, allowing them to pick the lock on Rose's door and slip inside the empty room without making a sound. Tiesa waits on the street outside, also invisible. They have an hour before their spells wear off: with luck, Rose will return within that time. Thorald readies _Mind Blast_; Magnimiliar readies his _Bag of Holding_. The two sit and wait...


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## Galfridus (Feb 22, 2002)

*Episode 18: "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"*

*Flanesville, March 1, LE 654*

After twenty or so minutes, a key turns in the lock, and Rose enters the room. He crosses to the desk, sits, and begins writing in a small book. Thorald, hidden under the bed, sees little; Magnimiliar, in the corner, can see what looks like a journal entry but cannot make out the words. Time passes, and Rose continues to write. The _Invisibility_ spells have almost worn out when Magnimiliar decides to act.

Incanting as quietly as possible, he casts _Charm Person_, becoming visible - and wincing as he senses Rose resisting the spell. Rose stands, drawing a long sword almost casually. Thorald hears this, but his poor vantage point delays his response. "What are you casting on me?" he asks politely but with coldness in his tone. Magnimiliar's only reply is another casting of the spell; but Rose resists once more. Finally, however, Thorald lets loose a _Mind Blast_ which leaves Rose stunned and reeling. Magnimiliar holds him still while Thorald ties and gags him. Then, Thorald manifests _Control Body_ so Magnimiliar can check and tighten the knots. They drop him in the _Bag of Holding_ and exit via the window, running across to Alamar's shutter. Magnimiliar grabs the book and a couple of scrolls which Rose had placed on the desk. 

"Did you get him?" Tiesa's voice whispers from empty air nearby. They nod, then knock at Alamar's shutter while Tiesa goes to inform Jonetello and Elbryn. Everyone departs to rendezvous back at the other inn - except for Thorald, who has an idea. Sneaking back into Rose's room, he writes a message in large letters on the wall:

"DO NOT DEFY MALEFICE." 

"If only I had some blood to write with," he mutters, then sneaks out. Meanwhile, Magnimiliar feels the bag begin to stir; Rose must be awake. He looks up and sees a guard, not thirty feet distant, staring at the jostling sack. "It's a pig?" suggests Magnimiliar.

"Pretty quiet for a pig," replies the guard, and starts walking closer. Magnimiliar squeals in fear and bolts for a nearby alley. The guard is no match for Magnimiliar's sneakiness, and less than minute later Magnimiliar is back on his way. 

Back at their room at the other inn, the party opens the bag briefly to give Rose some air and make sure he is still tied up (he is). They split into three groups, in case Rose's bodyguards come looking for them later. Each group leaves town by a different gate, then heads for last night's campsite on the eastern road. From there, Jonetello leads them into the woods, toward a small remote hollow he knows from his childhood. As they walk, Magnimiliar opens the bag again to let some air in - Rose's hand reaches out, clutching at his wrist. Shrieking in surprise, he slips free and closes the bag, tying it shut this time. 

Once at the hollow, the party prepares to release Rose. They stand in a circle around the bag, ready for anything. Jonetello unties the knots and steps back. Before anyone can react, Rose climbs out of the bag and draws a sword. Jonetello sends the sword flying to the ground with a flick of his rapier, then trips Rose as he tries to retrieve it. Magnimiliar, Thorald, and Alamar try various spells, but Rose resists them all. He reaches into a pouch and produces what looks like a small black pearl. Turning to Thorald, he draws his arm back to throw; but Jonetello is too quick. He impales the small black bead with his rapier.

The _Bead of Force_ shatters in Rose's hand, battering both Rose and Jonetello with a rapidly expanding wave of magical power which threatens to engulf them both.

_To be continued..._


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## Galfridus (Feb 26, 2002)

Jonetello leaps nimbly out of the way of the _Bead of Force_. Rose doesn't move a muscle; in fact, he seems pleased to be surrounded by an impenetrable magical wall. As the party watches, he drinks a potion, readies a second, then stands and waits, a slight smirk on his face. Thirteen tension-filled minutes follow. 

Without warning, the force bubble vanishes. Before anyone can react, Rose gulps down his second potion and vanishes. Thorald spots a set of footprints appearing in the fresh snow, moving quickly away from the campsite. "He's running!" he yells, pointing. 

Unfortunately for Rose, Alamar is one step ahead, mentally. He runs after the invisible merchant and casts _Invisibility Purge_. The rest of the party runs up and surrounds him. Rose shakes off a _Charm Person_ and a _Mind Blast_, but his sword hand is not so quick, and Jonetello easily disarms him. He reaches for his sword, taking a shoulder wound from Jonetello, then looks around at the group. "Very well...I surrender," he declares, dropping the sword to the snow once again. He casually reaches up to a charm hung around his neck, speaks a strange word, then begins concentrating. Jonetello immediately strikes him again, but Rose continues to concentrate a moment longer before his eyes refocus. "I am done now," he says, and does not resist as the group ties him securely. They remove his leather armor, charm, sword, and pouch (containing a thousand gold pieces) and place them all in the bag of holding - just in case. 

The party prepares for a round of questioning. Alamar casts _Zone of Truth_, and senses that Rose has succumbed to the spell. They have only a few minutes to ask questions.

"What are you doing here?" is the first question, which Rose declines to answer. Magnimiliar attempts to intimidate him into answering, but Rose seems completely unfazed by any threats. He denies sending the invisible stalkers, but falls silent when asked if he knows who did. He admits that he intends harm for the party, but will not give any specifics. He flatly refuses to answer any questions regarding the Order of Ardinor. He states that he is not a spellcaster and does not have the power to summon an invisible stalker. "You have no idea of the juggernaut that is approaching," he says with a grim smile. "Your actions are really quite irrelevant." When asked what he was doing, he says that he was merely traveling about Wassan making trade agreements; in a week's time, he was to send work to Nip in Leston, who would begin readying a caravan to head south. The party threatens Rose with death, or with turning him over to the authorities, but he is not concerned. "Kill me if you must," he taunts. "Or perhaps the elves would give you justice, as you seem to have killed Mystarion," suggests Jonetello. At this, Rose sneers. "The elves? The humans here would do a better job of dealing out justice, I think." About this time, the spell expires, and the party gags Rose while they discuss his fate.

There is some talk of killing him, but no one seems willing to do the deed. In the end, the party decides once again that traveling to the elvish kingdom of Thelden is the best option: there, Mystarion's family can probably help interrogate Rose. They set a watch and retire for the night.

The next morning, Magnimiliar decides to try _Charm Person_ one last time. To his surprise, the spell succeeds. Rose looks at him with a new sense of "friendship." 

"Tell me what's going on," urges Magnimiliar.

Rose looks up at him. "Leave the elf and the wizard," he says, glancing at Thorald. "Get as far away from them as you can. That is the only way you might survive what is to come."

"What is coming? What do you mean?" demands Magnimiliar.

"I am going to do you a favor," replies Rose. He speaks two mystic words, and then begins to choke. His eyes roll back in his head, and as Magnimiliar watches in amazement, he dies.

As one, the rest of the party looks at Rose's corpse, then at Magnimiliar. "I didn't do it!" he insists.

To be continued...


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## Galfridus (Mar 1, 2002)

Thorald and Alamar cast _Detect Magic_ over the corpse, and immediately notice that the necromantic aura that had surrounded Rose is fading, as if the spell it was holding had been discharged. "A suicide spell?" wonders Thorald. They also discover that of Rose's possessions, his sword, leather armor, and charm radiate magic.

Magnimiliar takes a little time to read through Rose's papers. He finds several contracts with local merchants for goods to be delivered in the following weeks, as well as an accounting of all the goods Rose seemed to be organizing for his caravan. Journal entries indicate that he was making a final trip through Wassan to make a few final deals and to ensure his goods would be delivered on time. In a week or so, he was planning to send word to Nip in Leston, who would take care of preparing the caravan, hiring guards, etc. Rose planned on a mid-March departure (weather permitting), heading south across Sygwerdan's lands into the gnomish kingdoms. There seem to be no references to his destination within the gnome realms, or to any contacts in that part of the world. Magnimiliar also notices that Rose's system for tracking expenditures seems different from the standard method - a little more complicated, but very organized and easy to track. One other missing item is funds: based on what's in the book, Rose had upcoming debts far in excess of the cash he was carrying. "He must have more hidden in his room," surmises Magnimiliar.

The next day, Magnimiliar and Alamar travel separately into town. Alamar returns to his room at the White Oak; Magnimiliar, under the assumed name Mystarion, hands the innkeeper a platinum piece and receives the nicest room in the house. (Unfortunately, it's at the opposite end of the building from Alamar and Rose's old room, but Magnimiliar feels the bearskin rug and hot bath are worth it.) The innkeeper also seems a bit nervous about something, but Magnimiliar does not press him. 

After a couple hours, a bath, and an extravagant meal, Magnimiliar decides it's time to investigate Rose's room. He sneaks down the hallway until he reaches the stairs. Rose's room is down the hall, but crossing in front of the stairs might result in his being spotted by someone in the common room below. Magnimiliar asks his raven familiar, Malagen, to peek around the corner and let him know when the coast is clear. He then tiptoes to Rose's door and begins picking the lock.

Before he can finish, Malagen warns him of someone coming up the stairs. "Fly down at them and distract them," orders Magnimiliar. As he turns back to the door, he hears squawking and wings flapping, followed by a terrified scream from the innkeeper.

"Run! It's Malefice!!!" 

There is a sudden commotion downstairs; in seconds, the common room is empty. Alamar, hearing the disturbance, descends the stairs himself. Magnimiliar comes down afterward. A small crowd of patrons and staff cluster across the street.

"What is going on?" demands Magnimiliar.

"I should have told you, sir!" grovels the innkeeper. "Malefice is here!"

Magnimiliar does his best to hide a grin. "The necromancer?"

"Oh, yes, sir! He kidnapped a merchant from my inn just last night! They didn't find a body, just a warning. Now there's a raven inside threatening people." He looks up the street, where a group of soldiers can be seen rapidly approaching. "First the Knight Commander and now this! This is terrible!"

Magnimiliar holds up a hand. "I must apologize - I think you have mistaken my bird for...something else."

"Your bird?" asks one of the soldiers. "What's going on here?"

After a brief explanation, Magnimiliar and the soldiers enter the inn. The soldiers peek in cautiously, then rush inside, crossbows and swords ready. Magnimiliar raises an arm, and Malagen swoops down. "Just my bird," Magnimiliar says. "Sorry!"

The soldiers insist on searching the common room, then depart. The rest of the inn's patrons file in slowly, some casting suspicious looks at the raven. "I'm very sorry about the confusion, sir," says the innkeeper. "With what happened last night I'm afraid something worse is yet to come." He realizes what is he saying and rushes on. "But don't you worry - there's a squad of men coming this evening to stand guard, to make sure all of my guests are safe. I'll post two outside your door!"

"Wonderful," replies Magnimiliar. He thanks the innkeeper and returns to his room briefly before sneaking down the hall once more. This time, he is able to pick the lock before anyone comes up the stairs. He slips inside and begins searching.

Several hours later, he has discovered only two items: a sack of gold (five hundred pieces in all) and a small hiding place between the desk and the wall, empty. Five hundred is still not enough to cover what Rose would be paying; but wherever his stash might be, it's not in this room. Magnimiliar exits, relocks the door, and collects his belongings before heading downstairs. 

"I've decided I'd be safer sleeping in the open tonight," he tells the innkeeper. The innkeeper nods glumly, then looks at his money pouch. "You may keep the money," Magnimiliar adds.

"Then good luck to you sir, and please come back in happier times!"

Magnimiliar departs, then sends Malagen to inform Alamar. The two meet up outside of town and return to camp. Alamar reports a rumor overheard from an inn patron: Rose's bodyguard set off at dawn, heading north from Flanesville in hopes of finding their employer.

The party decides to search Rose's belongings more extensively. Magnimiliar dons his _Mask of Minute Seeing_ and carefully examines Rose's armor, sword, and charm for any sort of hidden compartment or other irregularity. He finds nothing. He also inspects the gold, but it seems to be normal Rellenor-minted coin. At a loss, they decide to cross the river and head south toward Leston. In order to avoid the Blaumere garrison at the ford, Alamar suggests using _Water Walk_. The party makes plans to depart the following morning, once Alamar has prepared the spell.


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## Galfridus (Mar 8, 2002)

*Episode 19: "'Of course you can sleep in our barn.'"*

Several months back, the party spent a harrowing night encamped on a haunted hill. Many spirits appeared, but by far the most sinister was that of a short, stocky man dressed in black robes. His eyes glow a deep red, the same color as the ruby set into the silver scythe pendant hung around his neck. He said many things, but one passage caught the party's interest:

"Your land would have known peace, north and south, but for one of your own. Loxham, Blaumere, Darkridge alike, all betrayed. In victory you sow the seeds of a greater defeat. Your bright songs of triumph mean nothing when a larger evil lurks among you."

*Flanesville, March 3, LE 654*

With the help of a _Wind Walk_, the party crosses the river. Their horses are more than a little dubious about walking on top of moving liquid, but with some deft handling from Elbryn and Jonetello, they manage. 

South of the river lies a rough, hilly section of Wassan, dotted with tiny villages and trails. Jonetello knows the area and cannot recall any paths nearby, so the party takes a southeasterly course, climbing a low hill and hoping to reach the Leston Road within a couple days. As they near the top of the hill, Magnimiliar notices a small hole carved into a nearby snowbank. "Somebody's watching us," he whispers to the party. Everyone readies their weapons.

Moments later, a dozen armed men burst into sight, rising out of the snow or from behind cleverly crafted blinds. "Freeze, Rebel!" commands one of them...but there's a smile on his face as he regards Jonetello. "Raph-ah, perhaps I didn't catch your name," he amends hastily. 

Jonetello returns the grin. "It's Jonetello," he says, then turns to his comrades. "This is Kel Greenleaf," he says, then introduces Kel to the members of the party. Once that is done, he addresses Alamar. "You are the only one who doesn't know - my real name is Raphael Greweled, Defender of Loxham." (The Defenders were a small group devoted to the protection of the Loxham family; while officially disbanded, they form the core of the Rebellion against the Blaumeres.) 

Kel addresses Jonetello. "If your friends are...of like mind, then you are welcome to come with me. If not, then I must suggest that you find a different route." 

Jonetello laughs. "They are not all with us, but they are no friends of the Blaumeres."

"Fair enough," replies Kel. He leads the party over the hill and into a thick forest. Several hours later, they arrive at a main camp of the Rebellion. At least two hundred people dwell here, training and preparing for the next move against those who executed their lawful leader. "We haven't done much lately," comments Kel. "With Malefice acting up, everyone's worried that any move against the Blaumeres would just play into his hands. Not that I mind staying out of harm's way, but some of the brave lads are getting a bit impatient. But...first the Knight Commander, and then this fellow Rose. I don't know what he's up to-"

"...actually, we were responsible for Rose," interjects Jonetello. "He had nothing to do with Malefice - in fact, he seems to represent a new faction, one that is apparently planning something big." 

"You wrote the note?" asks Kel. Jonetello nods. Kel chuckles. "Clever. Well - even if it's just the Knight Commander, nobody knows who is going to replace him. Some say the Count will name one of his kin to make sure the job's done right, some think he'll put in someone as useless and unrelated as possible, since he'll probably get his guts torn out as well. He'll have to name someone soon, so they have time to take stock of the situation before spring."

Magnimiliar chimes in. "Say, do you have a wizard here who could identify a couple items for us?"

"Sure thing," says Kel, "though you'll have to pay standard rates. Rebellions don't come cheap." Magnimiliar nods his agreement. Kel turns toward a largish tent. "Hey Frank! Come over here!" A tall man in dark blue robes strides from the tent and toward the party. "This is Frank the Diviner. Frank, these guys need some stuff identified...you know, magically." Kel wiggles his fingers dramatically.

Frank gives Kel a bored look. "It's Farankin," he says to the party in a tired voice. "How many items?" 

"Three," says Magnimiliar. "A sword, a suit of leather armor, and a charm." 

"That's one casting of the spell, a hundred and fifty gold. I'll start casting tomorrow, have the results mid-afternoon." 

The party spend the next day and a half resting. Jonetello performs "Bloodmoor's Folly" and "Bloodmoor Besieged" - everyone in the camp save the sentries (hopefully) listens and cheers wildly as Count "Bloodmoor" gets what's coming to him. 

Farankin identifies the items turned over by the group: a +1 Long sword, +2 Leather armor, and a rather complex charm. "It produces an effect similar to the divine Sending spell," explains Frank, "but the destination seems to be pre-determined, and I can't tell what the destination is. The spell does not feel like anything I've examined before; it's probably a personally-researched spell. The effect works once a day; just say the command word and think your message. No more than twenty five words. If it's like Sending, the recipient can respond."

The party confers about this item for a while: whether they should use it, destroy it, or just hold onto it. In the end, Thorald decides to give it a shot. He dons the charm, speaks the command word, and thinks:

"Rose is dead; we are coming for you next." 

After a delay of several minutes, a reply echoes in Thorald's mind:

"_Zis ket. Kath Sissex Da?_"

The words and accent are strange to Thorald, so strange he is unable to repeat them accurately afterward. 

During this down-time, Kel comes to the party with a problem. It concerns Lewis Longbons, a Defender who has spent the years since the Count's execution trying to discover the truth of what happened. "He came here last fall with a theory - and you know how he is about his ideas. The way he tells it, it wasn't the real Count that was executed, just an impostor!" Kel continues as Jonetello looks unconvinced. "Yeah, I know, but he was all sure of himself. As far as I could tell, the only real evidence he had is that when they put him on trial, they asked his name before casting the truth spells. Lewis said the adjudicators didn't ask some standard questions, stuff you always ask when magic is involved." Kel pauses for breath. "Anyway, to the real problem. After telling me all this, he says that he was looking into the people who were killed, the ones that the Count was supposed to have sacrificed. Some were prisoners in Leston Keep, and the others came from Leston Road, right? Well, seems one fellow, Jim Trellens, was actually on the Bog Road out of Leston, way the other side of town. Lewis started poking around, and found out the guy was looking for a farm owned by a couple named Lonnenham. Figures it's worth a look, so being Lewis, he does the legwork to find it. Turns out it's maybe a day's walk from Leston. Lewis takes off to go see the place and never comes back - and it's been months now. After a month or so, I send a couple of the boys down there to check it out...they don't come back neither! I can't waste any more guys. Do you think you could check it out?"

The party doesn't need long to decide. They want to head to Merelin by way of Sygwerdan's lands, and this isn't too far out of the way. "Sure, we'll take a look," says Jonetello. The next day, they depart the Rebellion camp and make for the Leston Road and the Lonnenham farm.


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## Galfridus (Mar 11, 2002)

*Lonnenham farm, March 7, LE 654*

The Lonnenham farm is a couple hours off the main road to Leston, in an area of low hills and light forest. The path all buts fades into nothingness as the party follows it into a thick wood. The snow is light under the trees, and most of the ground is bare. After a time, the party can spot a clearing up ahead that looks to be the farm. Magnimiliar sends Malagen to fly over the farm.

At the same time, Alamar invokes his _Figurine of Wondrous Power_. The small tree spirit comes to life. "Ask, and the trees shall answer," it says in a tiny but deep voice.

"Has anything evil happened at this farm?" asks Alamar.

"There has been much evil here."

"Is there any evil there now?" he asks.

"The leaves sense no evil; only the roots."

Alamar thinks for a few seconds before asking his third question. "Is anyone dwelling there?"

"Humans live in the farm." As Alamar considers this answer, the tree-spirit stiffens and returns to figurine form. Alamar puts it away in his pouch and makes sure the others heard his questions and its answers.

From the air, Malagen spots three buildings: a long, low farmhouse with smoke rising from the primitive chimney, a second squarish building, and a circular stone tower which is in ruins. Other than some hens in the yard, he can see no sign of activity. 

Magnimilar waits for Malagen to return, then casts _Invisibility_ and moves ahead to scout himself. He leaves Malagen behind to communicate what he is finding to the others. 

At first, he sees nothing beyond what Malagen described: three buildings, one with smoke rising. The stone tower appears to have one story left intact. The snow around the farm has been walked on and trampled, so Magnimiliar's footsteps will not be noticed as he sneaks around. 

He starts with the main building. All of the windows are shuttered, and the door seems to be barred from the inside. Around back, he finds a second door, also barred. The second building looks to be stables. Between it and the tower is a small yard, where several chickens roam. He puts his ear to the door and can make out two voices: a man and a woman. Thorald (through Malagen) suggests trying to make out what they are saying, but Magnimiliar decides to investigate the tower first.

The large double door to the tower is unlocked. Magnimiliar opens it a crack and peeks in. The entire floor is one large room, with a wooden floor. Other than a few stacks of hay, the room is empty; but he cannot help but notice a strange spicy odor that he cannot place. He steps back and casts _Detect Magic_ to make sure nothing is amiss, but gets no readings from any of the buildings. He opens the tower door a little wider, slips inside, and begins searching. As he moves toward the back wall, he hears a small "snick"; before he can react, the floor collapses!

Magnimiliar falls a good thirty feet onto a solid stone floor bristling with metal spikes. His tumbling reflexes take the worst out of the fall, but several spikes dig into him, and he feels a wave of nausea as something enters his blood. The smell of spice has given way to the reek of death...and he realizes he is not alone. Eight rotting figures lurch toward him, groaning with the pain of unlife. Though Magnimiliar is invisible, the blood he has spilled is not. He stands and quickly moves against a wall, but he brushes against two of the zombies, who turn to follow his retreat. In his mind, he can hear Malagen screaming at the others for help...but they are hundreds of yards away. He readies himself for death.

"Fall! Fall! Help! Come now!" screeches Malagen. The others need no other prompting; leaping onto horseback they begin galloping desperately toward the farm. Jonetello and Alamar take the lead, with Thorald and Tiesa some distance behind. 

In the pit, Magnimiliar manages to cast Shield, granting him almost complete protection from the zombies. He is planning his next move when he spots a figure standing in the doorway, thirty feet overhead. The figure tosses a torch into the pit, then begins casting a spell. To his horror, Magnimiliar sees himself becoming visible! He spends a few desperate seconds fending off zombies before remembering: he has a scroll of _Invisibility to Undead_! He produces and reads it...but nothing happens. At that moment, the poison from the spikes catches up to him, and he sags to the ground. As he lapses into unconsciousness, he hears a low thundering sound: hoofbeats?

Malagen flies beside Jonetello, warning him of the man standing at the tower's entrance. Jonetello sees a man dressed in farmer's garb, and charges. The man winces as Jonetello's rapier pierces his side. Alamar dismounts and casts _Hold Person_; the man freezes in place. But before anyone can capitalize on this, the rustle of paper followed by strange chanting sounds from the trees, and the man moves again. He runs away, heedless of the parting blow Jonetello lands, then casts _Invisibility_. As he retreats, Magnimiliar vanishes from sight. 

Alamar runs to the edge of the pit and summons forth the power of Ehlonna. In a twinkling, the zombies collapse, decaying rapidly into dust. Jonetello descends into pit to help Magnimiliar. He also spots several bodies, including one skeleton still wearing leather armor and buckler, and carrying a book and a blade. He draws the blade forth, and recognizes it as the Frost Blade, carried by Lewis Longbons. He lowers his head for a moment in silent memorial.

Alamar immobilizes the figure in the forest with an _Entangle_ spell, but before a long a young woman dressed in peasant's attire thrusts her way free of the clutching branches. Thorald, just arriving on the scene, manifests _Control Body_, and holds her still long enough to tie and gag her. About then, Tiesa arrives, panting. "Did I miss it?" she gasps.

Jonetello goes to the back door of the farmhouse, and finds it open. He spends a few minutes searching and finds a trap door in the middle of one of the two rooms. He opens it briefly: a brick-walled passage leads down about twenty feet, a wooden ladder affixed to one wall. He closes the door and puts a heavy wooden table on top of it.

Alamar casts a Cure spell on Magnimiliar, but when he does not awaken, takes a closer look and recognizes the bluish tinge to his skin as a symptom of blue whinnis extract. After a few minutes, he concocts a brew that awakens the rogue. Magnimiliar screams in terror before realizing that he is now safe. 

The group ungags the woman and demands some answers. She refuses to give her name, or that of her companion, but freely admits they are followers of Nerull. "The master of death will claim you all, in time," she says. 

"Then you will not mind meeting him now," says Magnimiliar, raising his weapon. The woman flinches and looks desperately at the group.

"If you promise to free me, I have information for you," she pleads. "Sure, I promise," says Jonetello glibly, but it is good enough for their prisoner. "Malefice is not the only priest of power," she begins. "It was Kutumno, the master, who plotted the downfall of your Count. Had he not been betrayed, all would be at peace now. Malefice usurped his position. I follow Selve, apprentice to Kutumno, who will soon rise over Malefice and bring the gifts of Nerull to all your lands!" 

"Sounds great," says Magnimiliar, "but not worth letting you go for." The party debates what to do, but in the end, no one feels the least bit sorry about killing an admitted worshipper of a death god. Alamar raises his crossbow to her temple and looses one fatal bolt.


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## Galfridus (Apr 1, 2002)

*Episode 20: "Don't Fear the Reaper"*

The entire session (3 hours or so) was taken up with a 20+ round combat, so this story entry may be a little short. Apologies to the two or three people who seem to be reading this, and feel free to post comments if there's something you'd like to see changed, or if you have questions about the campaign.

*Lonnenham farm, March 7, LE 654*

As the woman's blood spills onto the ground, the party quickly prepares to enter the tunnel beneath the trap door. Tiesa, invisible, flits down the shaft and back up again. She reports a silent, brick-lined passage leading ten or so paces north to a sturdy wooden door.

The party climbs down the ladder: Jonetello, Magnimiliar, Alamar, Thorald, and lastly Tiesa (still invisible, drifting down the shaft). The rungs are well crafted, making nary a sound even as four people place their weight upon them. Jonetello's rapier casts a blue glow over the flagstones and brickwork of the low-ceilinged passageway. He approaches with caution and tries the door, which is locked. He and Magnimiliar listen, but can hear nothing from beyond the door. They pick the lock together, then slide a pair of narrow metal strips around the door, one to each side, to lift and disengage the bar holding the door closed. It clatters to the ground on the other side, drawing a few winces from those assembled in the hallway. Everyone readies themselves for battle; Jonetello gives a curt nod, then kicks the door open.

Beyond the doorway is a room, thirty feet by twenty, with a low brick ceiling that arches very slightly toward the center. Two other doors lead from the room: one on the west wall, barred from the inside; and a second on the north wall, unbarred. Jonetello observes this in passing, but his attention is drawn rather quickly to the five figures who are advancing on him. They appear humanoid, but their dark gray cloaks and shadowed hoods make further identification difficult. Pale hands, the only skin visible, clutch gnarled staves that they brandish as they rush to the attack. Jonetello has time to adopt a defensive stance, using his skill and expertise to fend them off from the doorway. 

His choice of tactics is fortunate. As they close to combat range, the staves begin to writhe, dissolving into grey smoke that maintains a staff-like shape. At one end of each staff, a dull scythe-like blade forms, more solid than the rest of the staff, but still insubstantial. The creatures attack in tandem, two feinting so that the third, directly in front of Jonetello, can strike with more accuracy. Jonetello nearly loses his composure as the scythe sweeps right through his rapier - but his reflexes hold true, and he dodges away from the attack. He ripostes, and breathes a sigh of relief as his rapier seems to wound the creature.

From the back ranks, Alamar calls upon the power of Ehlonna. For a moment, the cold dank air of the room grows warm and fresh, as with the promise of the coming spring. Two of the reapers shudder and turn away, retreating to a corner of the room. Magnimiliar follows with a volley of _Magic Missiles_; the reaper attacking Jonetello hisses as the bolts strike it. Thorald strikes with _Concussion_, causing the creature to stagger back; but still it does not fall. Behind him, Tiesa waits, casting nervous glances upward.

Jonetello is kept busy fending off the spectral blades. "Some help would be nice!" he calls, as he manages a feeble thrust that the reaper, even in its weakened state, easily dodges. They attack in tandem again, and again his defense holds. Alamar channels more energy from Ehlonna, but this time it fails to pierce the sorceries that bind the creatures to this world. Magnimiliar and Thorald repeat their magical attacks, and are relieved when the already wounded creature collapses into a pile of smoking robes. The blade of its scythe melts away, leaving an old, gnarled stick that clatters to the ground. 

Through the cold smoke and the whirl of blades, Jonetello sees the door opposite him open. The two reapers in the corner swiftly flee through the doorway; after they have gone, a human-looking figure pokes its head into the room, looks swiftly around, then ducks back. The two remaining reapers attack Jonetello, but again they cannot penetrate his agile defense. His strike misses as well. "Help, please!" he calls.

Suddenly, Magnimiliar slaps a hand against his forehead. "I have it!" Ignoring the curious glances from his comrades, he produces a scroll and reads it: but nothing seems to happen. "Invisibility to Undead," he proclaims, and tumbles forward into the room. 

Unfortunately, this was Mags' first acquaintance with the spell. One of the reapers pierces the veil of the spell and swings at Magnimiliar. As the scythe passes through his chest, Magnimiliar feels a strange coldness tugging at his spirit; as if his soul was being severed from his body. He screams, but there is little he can do. The others press the attack, doing some damage to the remaining reapers; but seconds later, the two which Alamar had turned come rushing through the doorway. They attack Magnimiliar, and one blade strikes home. This time, the cut into his soul goes much deeper; Magnimiliar can feel the link to his spellcasting abilities being stripped away. 

The rest of the party rushes into the room to help Magnimiliar. Jonetello lowers his defenses and lands several telling blows; however, the reaper blades strike him twice, and the same coldness slices at his soul. Jonetello's psionic abilities are unaffected, but for the first time in his life his natural confidence abandons him. He fights on, fearing that the next strike would sever his soul entirely. Fortunately, he does not have to find out: the reapers fall to the party's weapons moments later.

As the robes of the last reaper slide to the ground, Alamar hears faint chanting from the open door, down another narrow passage leading away from the room. A cloud of black, cloying gas fills the room. Though it vanishes in an instant, its foulness burns at the lungs and throat. Magnimiliar in particular is left with a lingering nausea. Alamar dashes to the doorway and sees a closed door at the other end, about twenty-five feet distant. Light shines through a small peephole in the center of the door. Alamar advances about ten feet down the hall and casts Silence, targeting a point about fifteen feet beyond the doorway. "Cast through that," he mutters in satisfaction, then turns around, ready to start healing the wounded.

Magnimiliar wants a go at the people behind that door. Able to cast only the simplest spells, he decides to advance down the passage. As he takes a step past Alamar, he hears a "click" - and the floor opens up beneath him. He nimbly backsteps just in time to avoid falling into a twenty-foot deep pit. "That was close!"

As the words leave his lips, a crossbow looses from behind the peephole. A tiny bolt strikes Magnimiliar - who cannot dodge as the shaft strikes him in the gut. He struggles to stay on his feet, near death from the well-aimed strike. Alamar considers a moment, then begins _Conjuring_ a celestial bear to assist. Magnimiliar retreats into the room, ducking away from the peephole. Jonetello steps into the corridor, preparing to advance on the doorway. 

In a rainbow of light, Alamar's celestial bear appears at his side. Alamar speaks the final word of the spell, sending the creature a mental command to bash down the door and attack those who lie beyond. The bear crouches at the lip of the pit, easily leaps the five-foot gap - and promptly falls into a second pit, placed just beyond the first one. Alamar curses, then retreats into the room to heal the wounded. Moments later, the sticky strands of a Web appear in the corridor, trapping the bear and Jonetello. Thorald and Tiesa step forward and begin burning through the web to reach Jonetello. The bear has no trouble breaking free and climbing up pit to the doorway; but as it approaches, a voice from beyond the door speaks fell words of power, and a hand dripping with dark energy reaches through and touches the bear. With a roar of pain, it perishes, returning to the outer planes. Thorald decides to simply _Dispel_ the web, freeing Jonetello. 

Just as he does, the smell of death and decay wafts into the room, followed by a range of guttural snarls and howls. Before anyone can react, a horde of ghouls and ghasts rushes into the room, bursting through the one unopened door and the passage that the party had come from. Already wounded, the party is cast into another deadly fight. Tiesa and Thorald are swiftly paralyzed. Alamar calls on Ehlonna, turning several of the ghasts, but several remain. Then, a field of magical _Silence_ covers the room. Alamar is unable to use his healing spells within the field, and he falls back to a narrow strip next to the pit where he can speak and cast spells. He debates leaping over the pit, but before he can decide, Magnimiliar rushes past him, seeking the safest place he can find: at the base of the door, out of sight of the peephole. There, he readies his _Horn of Fog_. With a quick movement, he  places it against the peephole and blows, filling the room and a bit of the passageway with thick fog. Alamar makes the dangerous jump over to assist, but the job is done; the people beyond the door can no longer interfere with the combat.

With that done, Alamar turns most of the remaining ghouls, feeling drained as the last of Ehlonna's power issues forth from him. Jonetello finishes off one remaining ghast that had begun a feast of Thorald's living entrails. He tosses a tanglefoot bag to Magnimiliar, who hurls it through the fog against the peephole. "That should hold them," he mutters, as the trio gather up the rigid bodies of Thorald and Tiesa and make for the exit. 

"Where do we stop?" gasps Alamar as they reach the top of the shaft.

"Miles away!" yells Jonetello, looking around for his horse.


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## Piratecat (Apr 3, 2002)

Everyone loves ghouls!  

I just had to say - the idea of the tournament was freakin' brilliant. Nice DMing!


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## Galfridus (Apr 4, 2002)

Glad you liked what you read, Piratecat!

A non-lethal tournament is a great tool for encouraging strategy and teamwork; the players planned more for that episode than for any "real" fight they've had thus far!


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## Galfridus (Apr 7, 2002)

*Episode 21: "Dead Men Tell No…doh!"*

*Lonnenham farm, still March 7, LE 654...*

Somehow, the momentum of the party falters as they sight the corpse of the cultist they recently slew. Instead of fleeing, they begin searching the house, barn, and tower for more clues. 

Jonetello doesn't find anything new in the main house: to his expert eyes, the entire building was set up perfectly as a front, with no incriminating evidence (besides the trap door). He finds a supply of lantern oil and begins dousing the walls and roof. 

Searching the tower, Magnimiliar and Alamar almost miss the edge of a secret door running about ten feet off the ground along the north wall. Rather than the top of an entrance, it's the bottom - the door opens ten feet off the ground, operating by a concealed latch to one side of the door. They fetch a ladder, climb up, and turn the latch. The stone door slides inward, and a puff of putrid, foul air blows out from a narrow stone passage. They shine a light inside and see a closed door about thirty feet in. 

Jonetello walks outside and casually tosses a torch onto the farmhouse, which promptly goes up in flames. He strolls over to the barn and quickly finds a trap door in the corner by the door. With Tiesa's help, he piles bales of hay over the door, then sets them (and the barn) alight. To complete the job, they take logs and brush down to the trap door, stuff them inside, and light that as well. "That should get plenty of smoke down there," chortles Jonetello. Everyone moves back a ways from the conflagration and waits.

"Wait-I hear coughing," says Tiesa. "Over there!" She points beyond the burning barn, to a section of light woods nearby. Cautiously, the party approaches. They spot a few footprints in a patch of snow, and follow them back to a trap door, well concealed but for the wisps of smoke rising from its edges. Before they can open the door, however, a cloud of fetid gas appears around them, as a priest clad in dark plate mail emblazoned with the scythe and skill emblem of Nerull appears several dozen paces away. "The Master of Death claims you all!" he shouts, as the sickening cloud engulfs them…


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## Galfridus (Apr 8, 2002)

While everyone is weakened by the gas, it passes quickly, and the party springs into action. Jonetello, Tiesa, and Alamar rush the priest, landing blows that seem to affect only slightly. Thorald attempts _Control Body_, but the priest easily resists the spell. Magnimiliar turns _Invisible_ and readies his crossbow, waiting for a clear shot.

A few moments later, he has plenty of targets to choose from. A slim figure dressed in black robes appears about twenty feet away, his arm outstretched as if he had just threw something. A tiny metal globe gleams as it flies through the air…then impacts and blossoms into a _Fireball_. Most of the party is singed, though the damage is not as bad as they were expecting. A third figure appears: a woman in a chain shirt of black metal, wielding a scythe glowing faintly with magical powers. She wounds Alamar with her first strike, sweeping the long dark blade in a circle above her head as she awaits his response. 

Jonetello rushes toward the mage, and is struck in the neck by a crossbow bolt. Blood spurts from the wound as he turns to spot the sniper…but he remains unseen. Meanwhile, the priest steps back from the fight, produces a wand, and points it at Tiesa, who suddenly stands motionless and helpless, _Held_. Alamar and Thorald turn to the woman warrior, with Magnimiliar lending a hand with _Magic Missiles_ and his crossbow. The priest moves away, casting a series of _Blindness_ and _Hold Person_ spells which, luckily, are all resisted. The wizard manages only one more spell, _Magic Missile_, before Jonetello delivers a flashing series of strikes. The wizard is about to collapse, when the invisible sniper shoots again, connecting to Jonetello's temple. The world flashes red before him, and he falls to the ground, near death. Alamar and Magnimiliar see him fall and take swift action. While Alamar dashes to heal Jonetello, Magnimiliar ends the wizard's life with a quick crossbow bolt. Jonetello awakens to see the wizard dead before him. "Got him," he mutters.

Thorald has nearly defeated the fighter when Tiesa is released from the _Hold_ spell. She rushes to Thorald's side; together, they finish the job. Only the priest and the sniper are left standing. Working together, the party surrounds the priest and in moments deals him a fatal blow. "You will all fall…before the Master of Lies…" he gasps, before collapsing in a pool of his own blood. The sniper takes one last wild shot before retreating, his footsteps fading quickly into the forest.

After looting the bodies, the party opens the trap door and heads cautiously down. Alamar maintains a _Detect Undead_ in case any more surprises wait below. They find a series of small, smoke-filled rooms, obviously living quarters, with symbols of Nerull on each wall. There is a larger altar to Nerull in one room, which Alamar destroys with _Stone Shape_. They find some gold and several scrolls and books, all in a foul-looking tongue which no one can comprehend. They soon discover the now-infamous door-with-peephole which figured so centrally in the ghast/reaper fight. Beyond it lie a few trapped ghouls, which are quickly dispatched. Another passage, protected by a holy-water spraying trap, leads to a larger room which clearly served as the ghast's lair. That room connects to the secret door in the tower pit. Magnimiliar shudders to think what would have happened had there been ghasts, not zombies, at the bottom of the pit when he fell in. The party collects everything that looks valuable and heads back to the surface.

A _Detect Magic_ reveals several items of interest: the scythe, a suit of studded leather, and several potions. Alamar wants to cast _Speak with Dead_ on the priest, but does not have the spell prepared, so they bundle up the body and take it with them. They travel for several hours to the nearest village, arriving at the outskirts well after dark. Jonetello conceals the corpse just outside the village to avoid inconvenient questions, then the party finds the inn and gets some much needed rest.

The next day, they collect the body and Alamar casts his spell. The dead priest stirs, his mouth gurgling and hissing as lifeless breath passes its lips. "Three questions," it mumbles. Alamar prepares to ask...


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## Galfridus (Apr 10, 2002)

"Were Nerull worshippers involved in Count Loxham's death?" Alamar asks.

"The traitor opened the way; the followers of the Master of Lies provided the means."

"Where are other outposts of Nerull's worshippers?"

There is a pause, as if the dead body were capable of resisting the power of Ehlonna. "Bluemount. Darkridge. Doom, Despair, Dusk, Deathwater, Darkness."

Alamar ponders, then speaks his final question: "What part did you play in the death of the Count?"

"I merely followed; Kutumno led."

The party has more questions but no more spells: so again they gather up the body and take it with them, this time to the Rebellion camp. Kel is glad to see them, although the news they bring is somewhat sobering. "Too bad about Lewis," he repeats, shaking his head. "Too bad." He seems somewhat taken aback by the dead priest, even after they explain their plan. "But he'll stink!" he protests, until Alamar explains _Gentle Repose_. 

While they wait out the five days before Alamar can re-cast the spell, Alamar takes a quick trip to Leston to purchase components for a few magical items. He also tries to procure some scrolls for Magnimiliar, but they would take too long to scribe. He returns just in time to rest and re-cast _Speak with Dead_. Jonetello asks Kel if there's anything he would like to know.

"Sure…what is Malefice planning this spring?"

Jonetello shakes his head. "This priest didn't follow Malefice; he belonged to a faction led by someone named Selve." He continues, but Kel cuts him off. "Never mind - you know a lot more about this stuff than I do. Ask what you were going to ask." The party debates for over an hour before coming up with a set of questions. Alamar casts the spell… "Three questions."

"What is the true name of the traitor, who betrayed Count Loxham?"

The corpse answers quickly. "Kutumno knows his name."

Alamar asks his second question immediately. "Is the Count alive?"

"His soul writhes in torment, in the halls of the Master of Lies."

Alamar thinks for a long while, until the spell is about to dissipate, before asking his final question. "Where is Kutumno?"

Kutumno sits at the right hand of Nerull, Master of Lies."

With those words, a final sigh of air escapes the pale body, and it grows still once more. Alamar curses softly.


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## Galfridus (Apr 12, 2002)

*Episode 22: "B.A.D.D. to the Bone"*

*Rebellion camp, March 15, LE 654*

The party decides to take some "down time". Alamar, as the only man among them who is not wanted by the authorities for something, is elected to travel to Leston for magical components and supplies. While he is gone, Thorald meditates upon a new power: the ability to see people faraway, merely by thinking about them. The power takes a long time to manifest, and he has little experience with this kind of remote viewing. When Alamar returns he crafts a mask which amplifies the image in his mind. For his part, Alamar crafts a figurine of a creature of elemental air known as an arrowhawk: with this token, he hopes to be able to summon such a creature for an extended period of time. 

Jonetello takes the opportunity to read Lewis' journal, which spans the five years from the Count's execution to Lewis' death. Soon after the Count's arrest, Lewis snuck into the cave where he was found, searching for evidence of the Count's innocence. "But there was nothing," he wrote, "no scrap of paper, no footprint or sign of blood. Then I realized: if by all signs the Count is guilty, this must not have been the real Count!" He left Loxham for Greymount Isle, seat of the Blaumeres. He spent a year seeking evidence of Blaumere involvement. "The Blaumeres are devious and uncouth schemers," he concluded, "but if they masterminded this assassination, they concealed their plans exceedingly well." In particular, he noted the absence of any sign of the enchantment and illusion magic that he is sure would have been needed for such a deception. He did discover several oddities about the Count's trial, chief among them the fact that the court asked him his name before truth magic was cast. "They knew it was an impostor," he wrote, but that along was not proof.

Frustrated, he returned to Leston and was nearly captured sneaking into Leston Keep to search for clues. He fled Loxham to the distant county of Highvale. He lingered there through the winter, until he heard the tale that would lead him to his death. One of the victims sacrificed in the cave, a farmer named Jack Frellens, had come from Highvale seeking a farm that belonged to his late uncle, Joseph Lonnenham. He was seeking this farm when he was killed; however, he was travelling on the Bog Road, south of Leston and several days from the cave where the sacrifices were made. It was this discrepancy which brought him back to Leston, to investigate the Lonnenham farm. "I find it strange should it come to pass that the farm lies so close to the cave yet have nothing to do with the affair. It is involved, somehow - I am sure of it." After exploring the farm, Lewis planned to travel south to Alban Keep, where legal records for the area are kept, and where Jack Frellens had been heading when he was abducted. 

Lewis' last entry was dated September 67, 653. "A narrow road leads north to the Lonnenham farm. I cannot be more than a hour or two's walk from the cave where the impostor Count was captured. I pray I will discover more now than was revealed to me in the cave, or indeed through long, dark hours on Greymount. Without proof of the Count's innocence, all the efforts of our rebellion will be meaningless." 

Jonetello relates this account to the party, as they debate their next destination. They are in agreement that they are not yet ready to face the forces of the necromancer, Malefice. Despite Lewis' journal, they do not feel they have enough information to take them in any particular direction. Their plans to travel to Thelden are meaningless, now that Mystarion is dead. The Shadow Lord Rasilar had tasked them to find the woman Dara, but they have no inkling as to where she might be. In the end, two goals present themselves: further research into Ardinor, and gathering of materials to construct magical items. Both goals would be well served in Merelin, the capital of Rellenor, so the party decides to head there. The usual route is by water, over Lake Drelmist; but that is Blaumere territory, and the party fears capture. This leaves a long, overland route, through the land of Sygwerdan.

Sygwerdan is a green dragon of great age who rules the lands south of Rellenor, along the great river that bears his name. Many centuries ago, the rulers of surrounding realms made a treaty with the dragon to bring peace to their lands. The treaty was long and complex, negotiated between the dragon and elvish, human, gnome, and dwarvish ambassadors for nearly a decade before it was signed, creating the League of Sygwerdan. All subjects of nations under the League are required to acknowledge the dragon's sovereignty over his lands, and to act in a peaceful and respectful manner while within his lands. Attacking the dragon, or even conspiring to do so, is a capital offense: the treaty gives the dragon right of retribution for all treaty violations. 

(An example from earlier in the campaign: while the party was traveling this same road, they encountered a black bear. Entia, the party's druid, cast _Animal Friendship_ and took the bear as her companion. No one thought anything of it at the time, but as Sygwerdan himself later informed them, removing the bear from his lands was a treaty violation. He took Entia in retribution, and she hasn't been heard from since...)


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## Galfridus (Apr 15, 2002)

*County Wassan, March 20, LE 654*

The party says their goodbyes to Kel and departs the Rebellion camp, travelling the snow-covered hills of western Wassan toward Sygwerdan's land. The air holds a hint of spring, and bare patchs, some blooming with early green, are visible as they ride along. After two uneventful days, they sight the banners of the Road Warden of the Dragon, marking the Rellenor boundary. A wooden barrier is set across the road, and a patrol of soldiers in the Warden's colors is waiting. 

"Heading south?" the commander asks, looking a bit puzzled. He tosses a pouch to one of his men, who hands a small greenish token to each person in the party. The tokens are copper cast in the shape of dragon, tinged green by some corrosive process, and with a tiny emerald in one eye. The commander produces a battered scroll and reads. "These tokens guarantee your safety in Sygwerdan's land until you have answered the puzzle posed by his sentinels." He looks each person in the eye. "You can turn back if you want; just make sure you return the tokens here. If you don't return the tokens, you'll be in violation of the treaty." He nods his head toward a small stone tower beside the road. "And don't lose your token, or you'll end up like the poor merchant in there." 

"What's the puzzle?" asks Magnimiliar.

"No one who's come back wants to talk about it, not that I blame them," says the commander. "Most people have come back - the smarter ones." He hands a quill and second scroll to the party. "Sign this to affirm that you have received the token and understand the conditions. You all know the terms of the treaty? Don't attack anything unless it attacks you first. Don't take anything other than food, water, fuel. You travel as a group, you answer for the actions of your fellows. When you cross the river, declare aloud Sygwerdan's lordship over his lands. Got it?" Everyone nods. "Best of luck to you."

"And see you in a day or two," he adds under his breath, as the party rides around the barrier and toward Sygwerdan's land.

As they crest the hill that marks the boundary between the two realms, the air grows sharply colder. Ahead, the gentle rolling plains that lead down to the Great River are blanketed in several inches of snow. "This is not natural," mutters Alamar, looking at the grey sky above them. They ride on.

Several hours later, they top a shallow hill and see what must be Sygwerdan's sentinels: ten or so ogres loitering alongside the road. Two huts stand nearby, and a long oak table has been set across the road. Behind the table stand two barrels: one painted red, the other blue. Similarly painted canvas covers the top of each. The party approaches cautiously.

One of the ogres starts shouting commands to the others. By the time the party arrives, he and one other are seated at the table. The others form a loose semi-circle around the party. "Can we bash 'em now?" one asks. "Shut up!" says the leader, who produces a scroll and performs a minor miracle: he reads from it.

"One of these barrels holds yer doom. The other holds a pass that will see you safely through the lands of the High and Mighty Sygwerdan. One of your group must choose for all of you. Before you choose, you may ask myself or my partner Kralks one question. (But we'll only answer Yes or No.) But beware: one of us will always lie, and the other will always tell the truth." 

"Before you choose, you must tether your horses over there, are everyone has to stand before the table while the choice is made." He puts down the scroll and glares at the party. "So choose!"

The party immediately begins a fierce conference. Magnimiliar and Thorald recognize the puzzle as one they have heard before and begin reasoning it out. Alamar thinks for a moment, then casts _Augury_: "What will happen if we pick the blue barrel?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Ehlonna's response rings in his mind: "_Woe_." "Pick the red one," he insists. Minutes later, Thorald smiles and looks at the others. "I have it!" he proclaims, and shares his findings in a whisper. 

One of the ogres chuckles. "We'll be eating good tonight!"

Jonetello steps forward. "I have our question," he says. "Well, ask it!" yells the ogre…


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## Galfridus (Apr 15, 2002)

Move along, just a hedge...


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## Galfridus (Apr 18, 2002)

Jonetello addresses the ogre who read the scroll. "If I were to ask the other ogre which barrel was the safe one, which one would he say?"

The ogre's brow furrows, and his finger instinctively seeks his left nostril. "Um," he proclaims, and proceeds to think for a long several minutes. His eyes move back and forth several times as he ponders. "The blue one!" he says at last, with a tooth-baring smile. All around, the ogres ready their clubs.

Jonetello strolls casually to the barrels, examining each one. Other than the color, no differences can be seen. He walks behind the blue barrel, then the red - and in a swift motion, kicks the red barrel over, toward the seated ogres. The canvas flies off, and a charred human skull rolls out, coming to rest at the ogre's feet. "Wrong choice!" he yells. "Eatin' time!" yells another, and they all leap to the attack. 

Before the ogres can strike, the party draws together, gathering around the wooden table. Unfortunately, this only makes it easier for the ogres to surround them. Huge clubs begin swinging down, smashing into Thorald, Jonetello, and Tiesa. The leader takes a step back, pauses, then casts a spell with no visible effect. Jonetello steps over to the blue barrel and kicks it over - another charred skull falls out, identical to the first. "Some puzzle," he mutters, before engaging one of the ogres. Just then, Thorald gets into position to loose a _Mind Blast_ that leaves half the ogres reeling and off balance, and lets the party lay into the other half with at least a fighting chance. Alamar does his best to cast a spell, but avoiding the massive clubs takes a higher priority, and time after time his concentration is disrupted. Tiesa speaks the command word for Lewis' _Frost Blade_, and the long sword glistens with ice as magical power flows through it. She lands a series of strikes to devastating effect. 

Jonetello attempts to attack the ogre leader as he casts another spell, but an invisible force prevents his rapier from landing. Now, the ogre steps forward, raising his club with a huge backswing and sweeping down in a mighty strike whose power is only matched by its lack of finesse. Jonetello steps back, easily dodging the blow - except that somehow, the ogre has anticipated this evasion. The club slams into Jonetello's head, nearly knocking him unconscious. "That's it," he mutters, and steps forward to engage the grinning ogre. 

The party manages to slay several ogres, until the only ones left standing are the leader and those stunned by Thorald's mental attack. Swords, _Magic Missiles_, beams of force from an arrowhawk _Conjured_ by Alamar, and even Magnimiliar's morning star strike the leader, but appropriately, it's Jonetello's rapier that brings him down. The ogre staggers as the narrow blade pierces his chest. "You got it wrong," he burbles, blood streaming from his grinning mouth. "I was the one who always lied!" He collapses to the ground. The remaining ogres, stunned, are quickly dispatched. Much healing magic follows.

The party makes a quick search of the ogre encampment, finding some gold, a lot of filth, and some human-looking bones. Although winded and low on magical power, they decide to move on rather than spend a night here. By sunset, they have found a small grove of trees which looks like a good, defensive campsite. 

The air grows even colder as the night deepens. A bitter wind from the east blows wisps of snow over the campsite. Only Tiesa is oblivious, pacing in bare feet as she keeps watch through the midnight hour with Magnimiliar. 

"What's that?" Tiesa pauses at the south end of the grove, looking out into the darkness. Magnimiliar comes forward, carrying his lantern (still hooded). "I can't see anything," he says, his human eyes all but worthless. He smiles at Tiesa. "Don't worry, I'll check it out." He ventures slowly out into the darkness, looking intently for any signs of movement. "There's nothing out here!" he calls…just as a long, black tentacle reaches out and slams into his chest. "Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!" he screeches in a high pitched voice, dropping his lantern and fleeing back toward camp. The hood swings open, casting a beam of light off to one side. In the shadows, a large, feline creature can barely be seen. 

Inside his tent, Jonetello awakens at the shout. "Tiesa's in trouble," he realizes, and leaps out of the tent just as Magnimiliar, still screaming, runs past. The rest of the party wakes up and readies weapons as best they can. Tiesa draws the Frost Blade and flies up and toward the creature, waiting for the others before attacking. Alamar dons his shield and ponders the few spells he has remaining. "Thorald, use a Mind Blast!" calls Jonetello. "With what?" Thorald replies, all but drained of psionic power from the battle with the ogres. 

Magnimiliar continues running to the far side of camp, gasping for breath. As he turns back to observe the fight, another tentacle snakes out of the darkness and strikes him across the temple. "Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!" he cries again, and flees once more. 

Alamar calls upon the power of Ehlonna, pointing past the shadowy outline of the first beast. From beneath the snow emerge thorny vines and weeds which grasp at the beast; from above, the branches of the trees grow thorns and reach down, engulfing a wide area in a web of brambles which completely blocks the beast from sight. "Ow!" cries Tiesa, caught at the very edge of the spell. "Sorry!" yells Alamar. "Try turning invisible!" Tiesa tries to concentrate, but the thorns tear at her, ruining her focus and drawing blood along her arms and legs. "Phena tass!" swears Tiesa, making a rude gesture in Alamar's direction. Alamar glances at Thorald. "What does _phena tass_ mean?" Thorald shrugs.

The rest of the party turns to face the other beast. The light from Jonetello's rapier reveals a nine-foot long cat-like creature, with two tentacles growing from its shoulders. He strikes at it, but although his blade appears to strike true, it merely passes through empty air. The beast's eyes shine with greater than animal intelligence, and as the others advance, it backs away into the darkness, its black fur blending in quickly with the night. 

With one of the beasts gone and the other trapped in brambles, the party can do little but wait. They arrange themselves in a circle around the trapped beast and prepare for action. Above, Tiesa holds off the writhing branches, casting several dire looks in Alamar's direction. As the minutes pass, Magnimiliar thinks he sees the second creature, lurking at the edge of their light sources, waiting. Then Alamar's spell ends, and the tree branches return to normal. In an instant, Jonetello charges in and strikes with short sword and rapier, wounding it badly. With a roar, the other creature charges in, striking at Magnimiliar. Thorald rushes in to help, and between them they slay the beast before it can do more damage. Freed from the tree at last, Tiesa swoops down to help Jonetello - and nearly has her skull cracked open by a vicious blow from the beast. As Jonetello finishes the beast, she sinks to the ground.

"Are you alright?" asks Jonetello.

Tiesa smiles sweetly. "Get that priest over here to heal me...so I can kill him."


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## Galfridus (Apr 29, 2002)

*Episode 23: "All Signs Point to Yes"*

Tiesa smiles sweetly. "Get that priest over here to heal me…so I can kill him." 

Alamar hurries over and casts a series of _Cure_ spells on Tiesa. She leans forward and kisses him once on the cheek. "Thank you!" she cries, and bounds off. Alamar looks puzzled, but shakes it off and heals the rest of the wounded.

The rest of the night passes without incident. Travel the next day is made difficult by the unseasonable snow drifts which block the roads, but by noontime the party has reached the crossroads, where the Leston trade road crosses the ancient East-West road, built by the long-dead Tataiafar Empire and now all but abandoned. Jonetello and Thorald have traveled this road before, and shudder as they recall the menagerie of creatures which they encountered along it. 

But this time, the first thing they encounter is a sign, attached to a post pounded into the ground by the side of the road. The wind has kept the snow off the sign, but the language is not known by anyone in the party. "Looks Gnomish," declares Jonetello, thinking he recognizes some of the letters. After a long debate, the party decides to stop for the day, until Alamar can prepare a spell that will reveal the sign's meaning. It may be nothing, but in Sygwerdan's land, one does best not to take any chances.

The countryside is open here: rolling hills slope gently down toward the Great River, out of sight to the south. Just east of the sign, a light copse of brush and small trees shield the rest of the road from view; but the creatures who approach some hours later are large enough to loom over the growth. "Ogres?" wonders Thorald. Then the trees part, revealing a dozen figures easily ten feet tall. "Giants," mutters Jonetello. 

"Oy! What've we got here?" rumbles one of the giants as he spots the party. A dozen tree-sized clubs come to the ready, but then the leader squints. "Aww…got the tokens, they do. How'd you lot get past the ogres?" Everyone shrugs. "Guess we better get up there and see what they're up to," the leader concludes. "Come on!"

But one giant remains, scowling down at the party. "Let's eat'em!" he suggests. "They look tasty, especially that one," pointing at Tiesa. The leader is not pleased. "They've got tokens, idiot?" he retorts, pointing a large finger in the party's direction. "Get in trouble with You-Know-Who if we mess with 'em. Got it?"

Apparently he does not. "I'm hungry…bollocks walking all the way out to see them ogres. Ogres don't taste good anyway." He readies his club, but the leader speaks first. "You want 'em, you got 'em - but not as part of my gang. You're out!" With an oath in Giantish, he turns and gestures to the others, who quickly follow him along the road and out of sight. The party watches them go, then, as one, turn back to the remaining giant, who snarls and readies his club. "Right!" he declares, and charges the party.

Unfortunately for the giant, this is no pansy band of traveling merchant. Despite several vicious blows landed on Jonetello and Thorald, the party makes quick work of their ten-foot tall foe. They wait out the rest of the day with some anxiety, but no one (or nothing) else comes into sight.


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## Galfridus (May 1, 2002)

The following morning, Alamar casts _Comprehend Languages_ on the sign, and reads:

"Beware of sharks!"

While only Magnimiliar has ever seen a shark, the party is nevertheless certain that sharks are not often found in riverside meadows, and move on. After an hour or so, they come across a second sign. Fortunately, Alamar's spell has not yet expired, so he reads:

"I mean it!"

"Gnomes," mutters Thorald. The party travels onward, until they see a two-foot long "fin" churning up the snow ahead of them. They stand, puzzled, for a quarter hour, watching the fin circle back and forth within an oval-shaped territory directly astride the road. After some consultation, they decide to leave the road and circle around the fin, which seems to take no notice of them. A little while later the party is back on the road, confused but safe. 

Later in the day, the party comes across a group of pale-skinned, hairless humanoid creatures hunched over something in the middle of the road. They flee into nearby woods, leaving behind a half-eaten deer carcass. Alamar recalls hearing a tale of such creatures before. "Demons," he says darkly. The party shudders, and decides not to pursue. 

Two days later, the party reaches the Merelin Road, running north from Kinfeld toward the capital of Rellenor. They turn north and travel for a couple hours, climbing the low hillsides that lead away from the Great River. Cresting one, they see below them a familiar scene: two long huts, with a wooden table and two barrels (one red and one blue) nearby. A score of ogres are lounging about. As the party approaches, they ready themselves for battle, two sitting down behind the table. One pulls out a crumpled scroll.

"One of these barrels holds yer doom…" one of the ogres begins, but the party barely listens. As soon as he is finished, they walk past the tables and up the road. 

"Er…can we bash 'em now?" one confused ogre asks. 

Another answers. "Hey…they figured it out!" A series of unpleasant Giantish words follows as the party hastens toward the Rellenor border. Soon, they see the banners of the Marquis of the Dragon before them, and a patrol of soldiers welcomes them.

The watch commander is not sure what to do. "Er…you're the first to come across this winter." He looks nervously at their tokens, then pulls out a scroll and writes on it hastily. "Sign here, and hand over your tokens." He passes the scroll around: it's similar to the one they signed back in Leston, but with "These people have returned tokens" scrawled at the bottom. The party complies, then rides on.

As soon as they cross the border, the air warmed, and the snow that had plagued them through Sygwerdan's land is nowhere to be seen. The day and a half ride to Merelin is a pleasant promise of the spring that is soon to come.


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## Galfridus (May 3, 2002)

Before entering the city, the party takes time to disguise themselves. They approach the main gate in three separate groups, giving fake names and reasons for entry to the guards, who dutifully record the information (and tax those pretending to be merchants) before allowing entry. The party regroups at the Black Oak, a small inn catering to mercenaries and less than well-to-do merchants. They decide to split up for the next couple days, so everyone can accomplish their own goals: Alamar wants to fashion a few magical items, Thorald is keen to do some research, and Magnimiliar and Jonetello want to check the grapevine for interesting tales, and Tiesa is just excited to be in a real city. "So many people…and buildings…and everything!" she breathes.

Over the next day or two, Jonetello and Magnimiliar hear several interesting rumors:

-- A plague of tavern brawls has prompted the Dukes to post acolytes from the Order of the Lily in the city's seedier taverns (including the Black Oak). While the monks have done a good job of watching for trouble, their overzealous enforcement of kingdom law has caused at least as many fights as they have prevented.

-- A group of adventurers in Highvale, northeast of here, found some sort of ancient temple or cavern containing a flock (gaggle?) of gargoyles, which were released. Peasants and travelers around the town of Orden have been attacked by packs of gargoyles, and the Count of Highvale has placed a high bounty on each gargoyle corpse brought to his castle.

-- In Leston, Count Blaumere has just appointed a new Knight Commander to take charge of the wars against Malefice and the Loxham insurgents. The new commander, Gerald Detuenne, is an aging knight who has served the Blaumere family faithfully for many long years. He is an accomplished knight, but is known for being overly cautious on the battlefield. This appointment seems to put to rest the hope that Count Blaumere would start using his own forces more actively against Malefice.

Jonetello and Magnimiliar also set out to sell some of the extra magical gear the party has acquired. Looking for adventurers eager to fight the gargoyle infestation, they find a "Lord John" who is about to journey to Highvale. Despite the warnings of his men-at-arms, John pays a dear price for a magical weapon and armor.

Thorald spends some time researching, but finds little new information. Tiesa and Alamar spend a pleasant couple of days strolling the city, purchasing magical components and enjoying the sights of Merelin. Alamar notices that Tiesa seems to be watching him a lot, as if waiting for something. He is about to begin a ten-day long ceremony to construct a Luckstone, but thinks that perhaps he should spend some time with Tiesa first…


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## Galfridus (May 3, 2002)

Hm, the previous post didn't bump the thread. I hate it when that happens!


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## Galfridus (Aug 31, 2002)

*There's more...*

*Episode 24: "All Cute Titles Shall Pass"*

Tiesa and Alamar are out walking and enjoying the sights of the city of Merelin, capital of Rellenor. As they look out over the harbor, Alamar leans in toward Tiesa, looking deep into her eyes.

"Um, why are you so close to me?" asks Tiesa. There is a long, awkward pause. Tiesa blushes. "Oh." She takes a step back, as Alamar does the same, looking away.

"I-I mean, you're a great guy and all, but...not like that," she says hurriedly. "Besides, you're..._human_."

"But you kept spending all this time with me, looking at me like you were waiting for something..." ventures Alamar.

"I was!" she cries, stamping her foot. "I was waiting for you to summon that arrowhawk again so I could use it to get back at you for trapping me in that bramble tree!" 

Alamar is taken back. "You..." His eyes narrow. "What exactly were you going to do with the arrowhawk?"

Despite herself, Tiesa smiles. "Well...don't you worry about it. I'll let it drop-for now."

"Very well," replies Alamar.

"Is...is this how it works with humans? I never-well, it works differently where I come from, but...oh, never mind. Let's just get past this, alright?"

Alamar nods, looking relieved. "Can we keep this between the two of us?"

"Absolutely!" Together, they return to the tavern, each deep in their own maelstrom of thoughts.

Meanwhile, Magnimiliar, always the long-term thinker, starts looking for a moderately wealthy establishment to further educate him in the fine art of second-story work. After a few days of earnest research, he locates, scouts, and burgles a respectable merchant's home. The take is small-time, but it's the experience Mags was after.

The evening of April 8th, as Alamar is completing his fifth day of work, a light knock comes on Jonetello's door. He opens it to see Nip, Rose's henchman. Resisting the urge to run him through, Jonetello invites Nip in and listens to his story. Nip, it seems, is out of work, and has burned most of his bridges in Rellenor. His new dream is to open a tavern, but he needs starting capital. If Jonetello were to provide some, Nip would be happy to give some information regarding his former (now "vanished mysteriously") employer. When he sees Rose's journal, his smile grows a bit wider. Jonetello promises he will consider the deal. "Unless I just turn you in for your activities in Leston."

"No need to get nasty," Nip counters. "After all, I'd hate for those Blaumeres to find out where you are. Wouldn't you?"

Touché.

When Nip returns the following night, the group agrees to his deal -- but they only want to pay him half until he provides the information. "No problem," he says, pocketing the loot and slitting open the cover of Rose's journal in one smooth motion. Out falls a map, a very curious map depicting Rellenor, but drawn with an accuracy far beyond the grasp of any cartographer in Mordallend. A red rectangle encompasses most of the kingdom, while circles in southwest Loxham seem to have no explanation. Moreover, many of the place names are misspelled, with the proper spellings added in a precise hand afterward. The city names of Merelin and Leston are drawn in, with an arrow pointing to the location of each. The group puzzles over the map until Nip reminds them of the second half of his payment. "Stop by any time!" he promises on his way out.

Thorald decides to scry on their old foe Emil, who seems to be busily recruiting a new wave of thugs to take on the group. Emil does not notice the psionic sensor hovering nearby, but his angry tirades against those who support Prince Loxham get old pretty fast, so he cancels the spell before it expires. As it fades, he hears Emil swearing to come north soon, "demons or no demons." Hm.

The next night, the group is visited by Terithiel, a sinister man escorted by a full troop of soldiers in service to the Marquis of the Dragon. Terithiel introduces himself as a representative of the dragon Sygwerdan (a fact which, by the looks from the soldiers, is the only thing keeping him alive). Before the group can flee, Terithiel assures them they have not transgressed against the treaty between the dragon and the human lands. In fact, they are victims. Sygwerdan is concerned (claims Terithiel) that the group might decide to make a legal issue out of the fact that a hill giant formally in Sygwerdan's service attacked them without provocation. Instead, he would prefer to reach an informal arrangement that will preserve everyone's dignity. Terithiel promises to return the next night to hear any proposals. 

The group argues into the night over what they should ask for. Treasure is voted down pretty fast. In the end, the debate comes down to information: how many questions should they demand? When Terithiel returns, they settle for three questions; two to be answered now, the other later. These questions are of such importance that they cannot be recorded here (unless one of my players wrote them down ).

The group departs Merelin, wisely giving different names at the gate, and heads south into Kinfeld, seeking adventure. They encounter some more of the pale, hairless humanoids in the hills east of Feldenburg, but think nothing of it... for now.


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## Palocles (Aug 16, 2014)

Oh my google, noooo!!!  Where is the rest of it?  What happens next?

This is such a good story, I wish my campaign had so much detail and depth. 

I suppose after 12 years there is little hope of finding out how things finished.


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