# The Seventeen Branded



## arwink (Jul 22, 2002)

This is my first real attempt at keeping a story-style campaign log - usually I'm one of those people who tends to work from a whole heap of random notes.  I'm mainly starting this because it's been a year since we started this campaign, and it forces both me and the players to remember what came before and what's going to come.  

Anyway...

Background:  The campaign takes place in Eaglspire, a city on the southern border of the Tyria, the empire of dragons.  The world is predominantly water, with the largest landmass being islands roughly the size of England or New Zealand, and the majority of settlements taking place in a number of archiplego clusters.  Access to the outer planes is limited, in some cases impossible.  No-one has been able to summon a demon or angel from the heavens or the hells since the cataclysm that flooded the world.  The few that remain on the mortal plane were trapped there during the cataclysm, left inside conjuring pentagrams or guarding ancient crypts.  

South of the Tyrian border are the Blood-Spires, mountanous island chains that are home to barbarians, pirates and monstrous races of all kinds.  Initially, Eaglespire was built as a military city, the first line of defence between the Dragon-empire and the collective dangers of the Blood-spires.  Roughly fifty years ago, things changed.  An ancient monument in the town marketplace, carved to resemble a demons head, suddenly opened its eyes and mouth and revealed a set of stairs leading down into a dungeon of unparelleled size and danger.  Quickly named the Demon-Depths, plundering the dungeon became something of an industry.  Adventurers from the far reaches of Tyrial, the blood-spires and beyond came to try their luck against the ancient dangers.  Some succeeded, some failed, and the city slowly developed a market in magic, danger and adventure.

Players Intro:  Your mysterious birthmark was always there.  A strange symbol that almost seemed to be burned into your skin, something dangerous and magical and alive.  Your parents consulted wizards and priests from th day you were born, trying to find some meaning behind the strange mark.  They found nothing - it was always a mystery, or a curse, or the sign of greatness to come.  For you it was always trouble - something that made you different.  The other children teased you, and strangers would often stare in confusion.  You never found out what the mark meant, but you learned to keep it hidden.  You ignored the taunts and the stares, and you learned the crafts that would carry you through the world.  Maybe, one day, you'd find an answer...


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## arwink (Jul 22, 2002)

*The Party*

Khynal Yarrow (Male Human Psi-Warrior 1/Psion (Savant) 1):  Khynal is a native of Charos, an island of psionically empowered humans that have built a vast crystalline city in the Spires of Blood.  He was born on the first day of the twisting, a small catastrophe that caused untold damage to the Charosian people and started a ten-year war between the natives is the city and a race of intelligent beings that manifested themselves as astral constructs.  The time of his birth caused Khynal untold dangers, and as a child he was attacked by a psi-blade that permanently damaged his nervous system, leaving him unable to control his muscle mass and leaving him with a Str score of 6.  Just barely sixteen at the start of the campaign, he spent his youth training to be a member of Charos’ elite guards, specializing in firearms and telekinetic ability.  While trying to stop a psionic blast of mass destruction at a concert performance, he was thrown forward in time and space alongside the dissident controlling the device.  He survived because of the unexpected intervention of Kharon Shikar Kestra, one of the men responsible for the Twisting. Kharon arranged for Khynal to be healed, pointed him in the direction of the nearby city of Eaglespire and set him loose.

_Notes – Khynal is, to be blunt, not a nice person.  His upbringing has been fractured, and his emotions manifest themselves as a pair of voices that tell him what he should do.  He believes that these voices belong to Tiamat and Bahamut, the dragon gods, but the truth of this is unknown.  Technically Neutral, it’s recently been decided that Khynal has a somewhat sociopathic streak to him._ 

Sven /Bjorn Abbadon (Wild-Elf Druid 1):  While most Wild-elves hail from the sunless lands to the far north, only coming into the known kingdoms to raid and wreak havoc, Sven and Bjorn originate from a number of small clans that have fled their violent heritage and settled in the Blood Spires several hundred years ago.  Sven was the more militant of the pair, learning to fish and fight with the spear.  Bjorn spent several years in the wilderness after the two quarreled over a girl, becoming a druid after a visitation by the nature-goddess Vevina and befriending a grey wolf of unusual intellect.  They left their home isles after it was betrayed by their villages Chieftain, invaded by a force of allied Sahuagin and undead.  There were some other problems just prior to the invasion mind, such as spearing the chieftain’s son, Sorren Aquastrom, but the invasion is what capped it off.  They both separated, seeking to gather support from the smaller kingdoms surrounding their homeland, planning to eventually meet in Eaglespire and petition the Duke to gather aid from the empire.  

_Notes - Essentially, this is the same character, one of the flaws that occurred because the campaign started a month early and completely unprepared.  In truth, Sven wouldn’t have been a druid.  From the background handed in by Bjorn’s player, and the events that occurred later, it was discovered that Sven was trained as a fighter.  Bjorn’s player had only ever played a barbarian before this, so the character is on a bit of a learning curve.  As will be seen later, his focus on learning to use the spells tends to be hampered by his wenching and drinking.  In game terms, wild elves are also the equivalent of drow, although they don’t have spell resistance spell resistance and they tend to favor sorcery over wizardry._

Voolfy (Wolf):  Bjorn’s animal companion.  Originally accompanied Sven to the city as Bjorn was to visit the more outlying and less wolf-friendly countries on the route to Eaglespire.  Voolfy is known to be somewhat smarter than a normal wolf, and exhibits a strange amusement with humans.  She is fiercely protective of Bjorn, and has been known to do some rather unpleasant things to the throats and nether regions of those who get on her bad side.  

_Notes – It’s rare that people in my games go for familiars, and Bjorn was the first druid I’d seen played in nearly two decades of gaming, so there have never been animal companions.  It was interesting to watch how Voolfy developed over time. She came with enough personality that she deserved an intro unto herself, and has at times proven to be the most alert, intelligent and combat capable member of the party.  She may also be the only party member that everyone completely trusts._

Henk (Half-Orc Barbarian 2):  Henk is another Blood-Spires native, coming from the orcish city-states that harbor various pirates and other forces of darkness.  Large and brutish, he doesn’t display the greatest sense of humor, good hygiene or intellect.  He is, in short, a very typical half-orc barbarian.  He also gets called Hank a lot, which is a source of contention for him.

_Notes – Henk wasn’t destined to last long, largely making his appearance in the first adventure as a player character before moving on to become an NPC.  Henk’s player moved on to create Meryn, who lasted a great deal longer._

Solomon Ishtok (Human Rogue 1/Cleric 1 of Olidammara):  Solomon is one of the few Tyrian natives in the party.  He had some training as a cleric as well as his skills in the roguish arts, but for the most part his existence is driven by gambling and drinking.  Solomon doesn’t really talk much about his background, but he does have a number of contacts in the Brotherhood of Shadow, Eaglespire’s Thieves Guild, and knows several of the scattered Olidammaran priests in the city.

_Notes – Solomon’s not that bright, and officially not all that likeable.  He looses money a lot, makes money occasionally, and sometimes doesn’t seem to grasp that there might be more to worshiping his god beyond rolling dice and cheating at cards.  He also has the most contacts in the city, and is blessed by Olidammara’s own luck. Otherwise he’d likely be dead many times over.   _

Madeline Brandybuck (Gnome Sor 2):  Madeline is a gnome for the township of miner’s bluff.  She comes from a long line of sorcerers, including the famed Adelle Brandybuck who gathered a great deal of power and learned the arts of the eldritch master from a earth genie of great power.  Apprenticed as an alchemist and gem cutter before her powers awakened, Madeline’s new goal in life was to develop her sorcerer’s powers and find a patron that would train her in the secrets of eldritch might.  She left her home town and traveled to Eaglespire, where she soon fell in with Solomon.  The cleric quickly lost a sizable amount of money, and agreed to work as her bodyguard and guide for a time until the debt was repaid.

_Notes – Madeline’s player was learning to play for the first time, and had the challenge of being the groups only female to boot.  She’s known for being quite willing to mix it up in hand to hand with opponents, fighting with spells and a morning star should the situation require it.  She’s proud of her gnomish heritage, and uses her size to her advantage in a battle._

Meryn Stormblade (Female Aasimar Monk 1):  Meryn was raised as the daughter of a wealthy blacksmith, residing in a small city-state in the Blood-spires that was a haven for pirates, refugees and treasure seekers.  She spent a good deal of her childhood being sheltered from the world, reading widely but rarely venturing beyond the walls of her home.  It was only when her father was visited by the Pirate-lord Reldoff and his son, Alexander, that she finally saw something in life outside her home.  She fell for Alexander, and carried on secretive liaisons with him for two years without either of their parents becoming aware.  When Alexander was forced to flee the island to escape serving in his father’s navy, Meryn fled with him.  When their ship was wrecked by a storm, Meryn was marooned on an island on the edge of the blood-spires.  There she found the Order of Protectors, a group of aasimar monks devoted to removing evil magic from the world, and learned the importance of her own angelic heritage.   After years of training, she was sent to Eaglespire to find out more about the recently opened Depth’s beneath the demon mouth.  Unfortunately, this mission was rapidly left behind after numerous distractions.  

_Notes – Meryn was a great character, but didn’t mesh terribly well with the predominantly Neutral and chaotic group.  She had a lot of points put into Sense motive to avoid having the rest of the party bluff her when they were up to no good, and she developed a somewhat warped relationship with the others as a result. Although she lasted a good year of gameplay, she was recently swapped out for another character.  _


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## arwink (Jul 22, 2002)

The campaign has a rather fractured beginning.  Three of the players were in an already established campaign, while the other two were newcommers that were preparing to join in.  

Given that Madeline's player had never played before, and that Solmon's player was moving from 2e to 3e with a three year gap between games, the ongoing game was meant to be concluded before this one started.  For some reason, I wasn't comfortable teaching new players the game when they started at 15th level.

The first session in the campaign actually took place about four weeks before it was schedualed to start.  WE'd got together to bring together all the plot threads from the old campaign, but I'd forgotten to bring both the character sheets and the adventure.  Rather than not game, it was decided that we'd start a early and I'd run some seperate games for Solomon and Madeline to catch them up in XP, and to let them get a feel for the game before throwing them in with the regular players.  I wasn't really prepared to start, having just finished the background and concepts the night before, but we went ahead anyway.   Given the unprepared nature of the adventure, I wasn't sure whether to post it.  Then the players reminded me that the unprepared adventure set up on of the primary plot-hooks for the next few months of gaming.


The Guantlet
(This log took place in the adventure Gorgolgand's Gauntlet which appeared in Dragon Annual #5.  It probably contains Spoilers)

Khynal and Sven Abbadon meet not long after they arrive in the City of Eaglespire, but the simple expedient of being chased through the large adventurer’s marketplace by a clockwork golem.  Although the golem sprouts a multitude of weapons and other mechanical widgets throughout the fight, it is eventually brought down due to the efforts of the city guard and a few stray adventurers with civic spirit.  (Note: the Golem quickly became refered to as the Gnomish Army Knife Golem, occasionally reverting to swiss when people forget what they're doing).

Although their meeting was entirely coincidental, they find themselves in much the same situation in the city.  Both are unsure of their way around, neither has a great deal of money, and Sven has found getting in to see the Duke and plead his case more difficult than he originally imagined.  Still, Eaglespire is the city of adventure – dozens of hopefuls find wealth in the labyrinthine depths beneath the famed demons-mouth statue.  With little other option available to them, they decide to team up and raid the depths.

When they meet the next morning to plan their attack, they find themselves joining a half-orc warrior over breakfast.  Realizing the brawny barbarian is probably going to be useful in a fight, they quickly convince Henk to join them and start planning their assault on the infamous depths.  

While they’re planning, the trio is approached by a scabby goblin that introduces himself as Junge T’Chur.  Junge tells the group he’s an information broker, specializing in rumors on the depths and news interest to adventurers.  He points out that gaining access to the depths legally requires membership in the Dungeoneers guild, something none of the group can afford.  Taking stock of their poverty, the goblin offers to sell them directions to a dungeon called the gauntlet – a testing ground set up by Tyria’s former leader, the dragon-king Salisperrin.  The group quickly discusses it, eventually agreeing to Junge’s price of 5sp.  Their one requirement is that the goblin leads them there, threatening to let Henk twist the broker’s head from his body if he’s lying.  

The Gauntlet is about an hours walk beyond the town walls, located halfway down one of the sea-cliffs.  The party tie their ropes to an aging iron rope-hook and gradually lower themselves down, Henk helping Khynal down before making the dangerous climb to the Gauntlet’s entry way with Voolfy under arm.  

The initial rooms of the gauntlet go well.  Henk leads the way, triggering a trap that causes a great glass spider to fall from above.  Reacting on instinct, the half-orc swings his axe and shatters the spider, filling the chamber with some kind of magical dust.  Whatever effect the dust is thought to have, it doesn’t effect any of the party and they move on.  After bypassing a somewhat clumsy pit trap with little effort, they find their way into a small cavern, their path blocked by a chasm full of water.  

The attempt to get across the cavern seems easy. Henk leaps most of the distance, splashing into the water and needing swimming only a few feet to reach the far side.  Khynal immediately follows him in, panicking his fellows who expect him to sink like a stone with his weakness and armor, but utilizing a minor psionic power to keep himself afloat.  It is when Sven dives in to swim across that tragedy strikes.  From the depths of the water a humanoid creature, the size of an ogre by with fishlike features, rises to attack the swimming warrior.  Combat is quickly joined, Henk diving back into the water to flail at the creature with his axe, Sven stabbing at it with his spear and Khynal manifesting another power to keep it afloat, trying to clutch the side of the cavern and take careful shots with his pistol as the melee rages.  The fight is fast and furious, and when the water eventually stops churning both the creature and Sven are dead.  The creature’s corpse floats, but Sven slowly sinks below the waves in his armor.  Despite a quick underwater search by Henk, they don’t manage to recover the body.


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## arwink (Jul 22, 2002)

Although this all took place in the same session, the posts got really long really fast.  We play eight or nine hour sessions, so a lot tends to happen...

The Gauntlet - Part Two

Khynal and Henk take stock of the situation, eventually deciding to press further into the gauntlet.  They bypass some more traps and a few puzzles, defeating a pair of rust monsters with minimal effort, Sven’s long spear and concentrated pistol fire from Khynal.  

As they reach a staircase bearing a mysterious riddle, Voolfy (who has followed along after Sven’s death), starts barking excitedly and they hear a boisterous call echo through the length of the Gauntlet.  “Hello?  My name is Bjorn?  I have come looking for my brother Sven.”

After retrieving the druid from the gauntlets entrance and guiding him through the traps and trials they’ve uncovered thus far, the party ask Bjorn a few quick questions while he greets his pet wolf, Voolfy.  He explains his mission to find help for his homeland, his devotion to his deity Vevina and how a small goblin in a tavern had told him Sven had come here with some companions.  With a cheerful smile and a scratch behind Voolfy’s ear, he looks at the other two and asks “So, is Sven here?”

There’s a short moment of silence.  Henk grunts, starts trying to figure out a way up the stairs.  Khynal says “no, not anymore,” and leaves it at that.  Bjorn doesn’t get the message, figures his brother has left for the city once more.  He thinks about going looking for him, but figures that he has no money, its likely that Sven doesn’t either, and these two people seem to look like they know how to go about getting some…

They decipher the trick of the stairs by chance, randomly leaping over the carefully placed teleport traps.  At the top is a locked, iron door and a riddle.  After determining that brute force wont open the door, they set down to puzzle out the password.  Eventually, it is Bjorn to comes to the correct solution and gains the party entry into what seems to be the final chamber chamber.    

The chamber is fairly sizable and the far wall contains a mirror, flanked by a pair of skeleton statues, with a strange and nonsensical word carved above it.  AS they enter the room, a portcullis falls behind the party.  The two statues start moving, bearing their swords and advancing on the party, about the same time that they realize the reflection of the room contains a great deal of treasure, while the one they’re standing in contains none.

Khynal, Voolfy and Henk engage with the skeleton statues, taking some damage while dealing few points in return.  Bjorn takes on a supporting role, healing his comrades and occasionally stabbing with his long spear.  After only a few seconds of fighting, he realizes that the writing above the mirror is some kind of command word.  Yelling it out, he freezes the skeletons in place and transports the party into another room – the room that was being shown in the reflection.

The three of them stare at the treasure for a few moments, not moving, just bathing in the glory of their find.  Voolfy slowly starts to sniff around the room, somewhat disoriented by the transportation magic.  As the heroes get truly excited about their haul, it starts to move, pulling coins from across the room as it slowly starts to take another shape.  In the space of a few seconds, they find themselves facing a dragon composed entirely of treasure, it’s body a mass of gold and silver coins, its eyes made from precious gems.  The coin dragon goes down quickly, despite wounding many of the party members with its breath weapon of gold coins.  After stabbing the coins a few times more to ensure it doesn’t reanimate, the party gathers together its haul – a small pile of coins, some gems, some masterwork weapons and a longsword that’s obviously magical.  They device the coins as evenly as possible, giving Khynal the sword because Bjorn’s never trained with one and Henk has no interest with such a “sissy weapon.”  Tired and wounded, they make their way towards the opening of the cave and prepare to climb back to the cliff top.

As they climb over the lip of the cliff, they notice a small group of people several feet away, waiting for them.  A quick count reveals five – a pair of humans, a dwarf, a half-orc and a small being that wore a heavy cloak, but showed a definite draconic snout and blue scaled, clawed hands.  The draconic being stands forward and demands they hand over the sword.  Khynal bluffs, claiming they hadn’t discovered a sword.  Despite the gold-plated pommel at his belt, he rolls some phenomenal score on his bluff check and convinces the dragon-creature that it’s not the sword he’s looking for.  The dragon scowls, order his minions to kill them and bring the sword to him later.  Then, turning on his heel, he head back towards the city.

The remaining four people attack, but find themselves easily outclassed.  One of the human’s, a monk, is quickly tossed over the side of the cliff by an enraged barbarian.  The dwarf and his crossbow are quickly out-matched by Khynal and his pistols, and the charging human rogue has a mishap with Bjorn’s long spear after fumbling a tumble check.  Only the half-orc provides the party any trouble, raging and flailing at their own barbarian with a greatsword.  Eventually, they prevail and go searching for their attackers leader.  Despite a concentrated search of the area, and setting Voolfy on the beings tracks, his trail goes cold after a few hundred feet.

They return to Eaglespire, somewhat richer, more experienced and feeling more confident in their abilities.  Bjorn and Khynal take quarters at the Gilded Gargoyle Inn, a dwelling that was quite at home with Bjorn’s wolf in the taproom, while Henk pronounces himself rich, sick of the humans that never pronounce his name right, and storms off in a huff.  Although Bjorn and Khynal wait for him to return, after a few hours it’s obvious that their half-orc ally has no intention of returning or adventuring with them again..


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## arwink (Jul 23, 2002)

*Meanwhile...*

This was the second introductory game, run a few weeks later for Madeline and Solomon...

When the priest of Olidammara lost near on five thousand gold to her in a dice game, Madeline thought she was rich.  When she found out he couldn't pay, but offered his services as a guide and bodyguard, she was leery but figured it couldn't hurt to have a local guide to help her earn money.  When the next three days were spent sleeping on the floor of a thieves flophouse in the undercity, whiling the day in gambling dens that merged her protector further in debt, she realized they were going no-where fast.
_(Campaign note - The Brotherhood of the Shadow, the destitute and a host of the cities citizens who abhor daylight have created a second city around the sewer-system, various underground chambers and other tunnels that exist beneath Eaglespire.  The undercity is slightly smaller and more lawless than the over-city, and many areas of the sewers are considered wild and dangerous.)_

After a quick explanation that such behavior was unlikely to repay the coins owed to her, Madeline forced Solomon to think of some other form of work.  Racking his brain, Solomon suggested they try their luck with an old friend of his - Romesh of the Sharn Gladiator Stable.  While neither was particularly skilled in the arts of combat, Solomon figured they might be able to make some gold fighting in the smaller, open bouts that pitted down-on-their-luck adventurers against one another.  All they needed was the right backing to get the easiest and most profitable matches.

With few other options, Madeline agreed.  Romesh turned out to be a somewhat personable man; a swarthy Spiran (blood-spires native) pirate who'd made a small fortune as a gladiator himself before retiring to run his stable.  He put up the coin to back the pair in three matches over three days, officially signing them on as a part of his gladiator stable and threatening grave legal consequences should they fight for any of his competitors.

Their first bout was easy, the two of them taking down a group of kobold warriors from the fledgling Ahtor stable.  Their second match was slightly more difficult, facing off against the skeleton of a former ogre champion, which had been bought and reanimated by the stable of Atrius the Damned.  The fight against the skeleton was short, the pair of them falling back on healing magic and harm undead cantrips after an initial foray with mace and morning star proved slightly too dangerous.

It was their final bout that drew the most attention.  They arrived at the arena to find that for the first time in nearly sixty years, the Temple of Tiamat had entered a champion in the bout.  As the pair walked into the small arena that had become their testing ground, they noticed a priest wearing the five-colored robes of Tiamat, covering them with the snowy tabard of the white dragon order.  The priest glared at them, watching them intently as the Temple's champion was lead into the arena.  Although somewhat disturbed by the unknown priests attention, neither human nor gnome had time to dwell on it for long.  The Temple's champion was a small creature, perhaps some four feet in height, with a winged body that burned with an amber flame.  Small talons smoldered as it flexed its hands in readiness, and Solomon's remembered enough of his training as a neophyte priest to identify the beast as a creature from the elemental planes.

It was Solomon who reacted first, casting a hasty spell to protect his charge from fire.  HE finished the spell with bare fractions of a second to spare, as the creature immediately breathed a gout of flame at the pair.  Thanks to the magical protection of Solomon's spell, Madeline was barely wounded, but the lithe priest wasn't quite fast enough to escape the worst of the creature’s blast.  Confident in her protection, Madeline started hammering the fire-creature with magic missiles, while her companion spent a few seconds more protecting himself before engaging the creature in hand to hand.  It took nearly a minute to wear the creature down, both adventurers taking wounds from the beast’s claws and suffering minor burns despite Solomon's magic.  Finally, they stood victorious.  The crowd cheered, and the Robed priest sneered at them as he walked away.  Unable to let the moment slip past, Solomon let out a quick taunt over his victory.  The Dragon-priest whirled, his anger restrained but barely.  Madeline sighed at her companion’s impetuousness, but figuring that being in for a copper is as good as being in for a gold, offered a few more choice barbs of her own.  As the priest left the arena, it was to the sound of the crowd roars of amusement and encouragement.  

When talking with Romesh after the fight, the pair discovered they'd made a good haul for three days work.  They'd need some time to rest and heal, but they'd made more than enough gold to pay their membership to the dungeoneers guild, and discovered that Tiamat's temple had even fronted a few choice magic items to ensure their champion drew the match against Solomon and Madeline.  Splitting the gold, two scrolls and healing potions that made up their half of the winnings, it was decided that the arena would take second place to real adventuring.  Even as they made plans to find a real place to rest before heading to the Guild's headquarters in the morning, a lingering thought hung in both their heads: Why were Tiamat's priests so determined that their champion should fight the pair?  Madeline had a bad feeling that insulting the temple's representative after their victory was only going to make matters worse...


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## Haakon (Jul 23, 2002)

I am the one who is playing Solomon. I did indeed insult the Priest. I suggested that is his priestly robes where not that great and quite unfashionable.


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## arwink (Jul 23, 2002)

After realizing that Henk wasn’t going to rejoin them, Khynal and Bjorn retire for the evening.  Bjorn is heavily drunk, talking to Voolfy with some very slurred speech as he makes his way up the stairs.  Voolfy follows along, scaring a few random patrons who come across the tall druid and his companion as they lurch through the Gilded Gargoyle’s halls.  Khynal is still sober, adopting his people’s customary position that those below the age of twenty-one aren’t permitted alcohol, despite Tyria’s more lenient stance on the matter.  As he follows the drunken Bjorn up the stairs, he catches site of something on the back of the druids left shoulder.  At first Khynal’s inclined to dismiss it as nothing, but he catches site of it once more as Bjorn falls against the doorway of his room.  It’s a small birthmark, perhaps shaped like nothing but perhaps the shape of a dragon, that appears to have been burned into the wild-elf’s flesh.  Even as he realizes what he’s seen, Khynal feels a strange tingling from his neck.  He raises a hand to rub at the tingle, and then realizes it comes from his own dragon-like birthmark surrounded by burnt flesh.

By the next morning, Bjorn is well in the grip of a shocking hangover.  He spends a few minutes dunking his head in a bucket of cold water, moaning outrageously to a very amused wolf that’s curled up on the foot of his bed.  In the next room, Khynal is slowly going through his morning ritual – meditating, then slowly polishing his two pistols.  The tingling in his birthmark has stopped, and there appears to be no reaction when he meets with Bjorn over breakfast.  Breathing a sign of relief, the young Psion eats a small breakfast and makes plans with his temporary companion.  

Bjorn takes little initiative in his planning, other than pointing out that he’d like to spend some time asking around the city after his brother.  Khynal nodded briefly, saying nothing.  He considered for a moment telling Bjorn his brother's fate, but remembered the strange birthmark, the tingling and the Wild-elves mission.  The voice of Bahamut, the Dragon-king, echoed through his head, pointing out that informing Bjorn of his loss was the right thing to do.  At the same time Tiamat, the dragon queen, whispered, “If you tell him, he’ll leave.  You’ll never find out what secret those markings hold.  You’ll never know what it means.”  Khynal held his tongue.  

_(Note:  It was about this point that Bjorn’s player looked up from his character sheet and asked ‘Did anyone tell Bjorn Sven was dead?’  Henk had blatantly lied about it before he left, and Khynal rolled a die to decide which aspect of his personality he’d listen to on the matter.  Tiamat won, and the only two people who knew anything about Sven’s death weren’t saying a word.)_

A plan for the day was quickly established.  They would head to the Dungeoneers guild to pay their membership, gaining access to the depths and the untold riches that awaited them.  Then they’d wander through a few of the taverns in the district, asking about Bjorn’s lost brother.  Finally, they needed to find someone they could sell the gemstones they recovered from the gauntlet too, as well as someone who could decipher the magic that was wrapped around the enchanted sword Khynal carried.  

They set out across the city, searching for the Guildhouse.  It took them mere moments to get lost, confused by the winding streets and throngs of people that neither were used too.  Refusing to ask for directions, the kept moving, taking twists and turns that led them deeper and deeper into the demon-mouth district.

After about an hour of wandering the streets, Khynal felt the faint tingling in his birthmark once more.  Knowing that all wild-elves had some natural talent with minor magic, Khynal jerked his head around to see if Bjorn was doing anything that caused the effect.  The Wild-elf looked back, his head confused and an arm snaking over his shoulder to scratch at something.  Khynal shook his head, turned and looked about the street.  It took him a few moments, but he eventually saw a young woman walking down the alley, her head held high and gleaming with a slight luminescence.  As attention grabbing as the slight glow was, Khynal’s eyes focused on the woman’s forehead, where a birthmark in the shape of a rising sun was clearly visible despite the headband the woman wore.

Khynal nudged Bjorn and pointed.  Bjorn looked, his eyes going suddenly wide as he spotted the woman.  He lurched forward, readying his long spear as he did so and whistling for Voolfy to follow him.  Khynal drew a gun, wondering what danger the Druid had seen in the young woman, when he spotted the group of men that were tailing behind her.  There were five of them, each carrying a flail and wearing dirty brown robes the color of mud.  Their eyes were focused on the oblivious woman, and one of them was obviously preparing to attack.  Khynal shouted a warning even as the spear wielding Bjorn bore down on the lady.  In a smooth motion she turned, dropping into a combat stance with a kama in her hand.  The brown-robed assailants paused, taken aback by the sudden appearance of three prepared combatants and a wolf.  As four of the brown-robes moved in to attack, the last one threw a small stone into the mud of the city street, screaming “Arise, and bring us the branded one…” Even as the first blows of combat were traded, a mudlike elemental grew from the cast stone and lurched towards the party.  

The fight was short.  Three of the attackers were slain in the space of a few seconds, and of those who fled one was brought down by Voolfy.  The elemental provided the greatest challenge, shrugging off most of the damage caused by Sven’s spear, the woman’s blade and Khynal’s telekinetic blasts.  They eventually fought the creature to a standstill, taking some damage but holding it off until the magic that bound it in the world wore off and it melted into a pile of mud once more.  

A quick search of the bodies told them little.  Their attackers wore no armor, carried no arms beyond their flails, and showed little skill in the arts of combat.  The only clue the bodies held were the pendants they wore, a clay-like circle that surrounded a black triangle, and the likeness of a blue-marble pillar splitting the triangle in two. 

Fleeing the scene before the guard arrived, Khynal and Bjorn introduced themselves to the woman they aided.  She explained that her name was Meryn, and that she was on a mission to explore the depths for her order.  She had no idea about the mysterious pendants, why the brown-robes had attacked her, or what they had meant when the screamed of the branded one.  Still feeling the mysterious itch when he looked at the woman’s rising sun birthmark, Khynal explained where they were heading and invited Meryn to come along.

After taking a few more wrong turns, the trio agreed they needed someone with better local knowledge.  Calling for a tout, they were approached by a weasel-thin boy of thirteen, dressed in dirty rags and carrying a short-knife at his waist.  He introduces himself as pippin, his accent a thick Tyrian cockney drawl.  He keeps up a stream of comments as he leads them to the guild, telling them that he dreams of becoming a warrior and plundering the depths himself one day.  When they reach the mammoth Dungeoneers guild – a four-story, keep like structure on the sea-cliffs that held Eaglespires skydocks, they spent a few moments staring at the great structure in awe.  Meryn paid their tout with a gold coin; easily ten times what the job had been worth.  Pippin’s eyes gleamed as he looked at the coin, and he promised he’d wait outside and guide them for the rest of the day.  

The trio walks into the clean, bright entry-hall of the Guild.  They’re greeted by a tall, well-dressed bald man who introduces himself as Rory Brand – Major domo of the Guild.  He explains a little of the Guilds history and its role in the city, pointing out the benefits of joining, as well as the cost.  Although only Meryn has the fees for membership, given to her by her order before she set out, Bjorn and Khynal both have gemstones they believe to be worth a few gold.  Rory recommends a dwarven jeweler who maintains a small just beyond the demon-mouth square.  They meet with the dwarf, a jovial stone dwarf from the Sabbin Empire named Ufrud Mulhari, and sell their accumulated loot.  Although they get the feeling the dwarf is ripping them off, the gold they gather is enough to pay for their membership, a few potions of healing, and to requisition an information search in the Guild’s expansive library.

After paying for a search on the symbol carried by the men who attacked Meryn, the party asks some quick questions about other places in the city they could go for information.  Rory recommends they try Eran Wordwander, a sage and hedge-wizard who sells potions and identifies items for adventurers.  Eran turns out to be a doddering half-orc bard, skilled in magic and lore but requiring constant reminding about the task at hand.  He recognizes Khynal’s sword immediately – the Hordemaster.  He explains that the weapon was created by the Gold Dragon-emperor, Salisperrin, and was once wielded by the Dragonknight Argos.  Beyond its enhancements in combat, it will create a guardian construct in the shape of a dragon if placed within a pile of treasure, and can detect large quantities of precious metal within sixty feet. Although the command word for the Guardian was well known, Eran can’t recall if the command word for detecting gold was ever recorded.

When shown the symbol worn by the brown-robed attackers, Eran becomes serious.  He explains that it belongs to an extinct cult, one that worshipped a dark elemental power, and he seemed surprised that they were active again.  Although he didn’t know much about the cult, he recommends two people within the city who would know more.  The first is a cleric of Bahamut, Thenden, who serves at the cities Dragonknight charterhouse, and the other was  a sage at the city university named Thenden who specialized in ancient religion.   

The party heads back into the city, taking Pippin with them as a guide.  They try to find Thenden first, stopping in at the charterhouse.  The two knights on guard duty go grim when they mention Thenden’s name, pointing out that he went into the depths to rescue a trapped novitiate of the order and has been missing for a week.  While the elders of the church are concerned, they cannot spare the manpower to go searching for him.

The party debates trying to mount a rescue, eventually deciding that they’ll explore other avenues of information before heading below.  As they head towards the university, they realize they’re being tailed once again.

This time their follower is an ogre, about seven feet tall and wearing a heavy gauntlet with a row of spikes along the knuckles.  His attempts to shadow the party are clumsy, and when they eventually turn to confront the ogre, he seems almost pleased.  

The ogre doesn’t attack immediately, instead demanding Khynal hand over the sword or be beaten into a pulp.  The ogre and the party trade insults for a few moments, but it become apparent that Tork is unwilling to start a fight in the gentile and well guarded University district.  The three companions shrug, head towards Logda’s campus with the ogre falling back to a clumsy shadowing distance.

When they arrive at the university, the guards at the campus gates refuse them entry.  Khynal asks for a reason, explaining that they need to talk to the professor.  The guards refuse once again, nervously eyeing the ogre that lurks menacingly in the background.  Khynal glares at the ogre, who grins and waves with his spiked glove.  After some quick negotiating with the guards, it’s finally agreed that Meryn will head in to talk to Logda and will then meet her companions back at the Gilded Gargoyle.  Meryn heads into the campus, while Bjorn and Khynal head towards their favored inn.

Meryn’s visit to the professor is short; the middle-aged man is rushing to get to a class, although she manages to pique his interest with the symbol and secures a meeting with him the following day.  Frustrated, she heads back to the campus gates to find Pippin and get directions to her companions favored watering hole.

It is as Bjorn and Khynal head back into the seedier, less patrolled Demon-mouth district that Tork finds the nerve to attack.  HE makes another threat about the sword, one which both companions ignore, and then lunges forward with a scream.  The fight is protracted and bloody, with Tork’s spiked gauntlet dropping both characters and Voolfy into low HP, taking several spear-thrusts, pistol shots and concussive blasts in return.  The fight ends with all combatants on 5 hp or less, Tork falling back and complimenting the little-un’s for being tougher than they look.

Bjorn, Khynal and Meryn meet up again in the tap-room of the Gargoyle, tired and worn out from the days events.  Meryn tells the others of the meeting with Logda, and all three are strangely quite as they eat a light supper, lost in thoughts of unknown attackers and the light tingle on each of their birthmarks.


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## Horacio (Jul 23, 2002)

New Story Hour, cool!

So you are using a homemade world, aren't you?
Could you please post any world map, or more info about the setting?

Thanks!


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## arwink (Jul 24, 2002)

Yeah, it's a home-brew, but it has had some pretty strong influences in its make-up, particularly given the reliance on published adventures for the first few sessions.  It's not really my prefered way of doing things, but at the time I was trying to clean up the old campaign and do a lot of stuff for work.  Things got more involved and hands on after everyone got together as one party.  

I'm also a borrower, liberating cool ideas that I really want to use in my campaign and altering slightly.  Both the Heldann Freeholds and Thengian Archipelago are concepts taken from an old Mystara campaign, altered by my own notes from a campaign I ran in the setting a good decade ago.  The Aventine Aliance is also loosely based on that settings Galantri.

The maps aren't really in a publishable format, being either very roughly drawn, non-existent or borrowed and edited from other settings and aventures, depending on what you're after.  They're really not all that useful anyway.  It's been a little over a year, and the party still hasn't gone any further from the city than the nearby town of Ambertyn, a little over a days journey from the city.  Hell, they've managed to get this far without ever heading into the demon-mouth and the depths below.  They're having to much fun making trouble in the city.  

Still, I've included the basic outline of the various Old-Kingdom nations below.  The country details were left intentionally vague from the beginning, as I wanted the campaign to have as much player influenced drive as possible.  In a couple of cases, this has worked unbelievably well.

Essentially, the game takes place in the old kingdoms.  Despite the brevity of the descriptions, most of them are quite large.  Tyria and Sabbinn control a region roughly half the size of Europe, and most of the other regions are only slightly smaller.  

The Old Kingdoms

A brief background of the various old kingdoms.  The layout of these kingdoms has no real bearing on the game at start, except for the fact that Tyria is at the centre of all of these.  The closes kingdoms to Eaglespire are, in order, The Spires of Blood, The Sabinn Empire and The Tangled Forest.  Most of the long-term PC's chose to create their own city-states of minor kingdoms in the Bloodspires, and the others came from the local campaign area.

Tyria
(The Dragon Realm)

The campaign begins in Eaglespire, a stronghold that lies on the fringes of the Empire of Tyria.  

Tyria is a feudal magocracy, ruled by a family of half-dragon sorcerer nobles who trace their ancestry to the great gold dragon Selisperrin, who founded the realm.  One of the most important places in the realm is the city of Tyria itself. The city covers and connects seven  rocky spires that jut up through the ocean, and remains an impressive feat of engineering with its many rope bridges, stone walkways and ariel docks for skyships as well as the dwarf-designed building, Wyrmkin palace and the more mundane sea ports built into the edges of the seven spires below the city, with the dwarf-carved tunnels leading up to the city streets.

The Spires of Blood
The Spires of blood are not so much a kingdom as a collection of wild, anarchistic settlements amongst monster infested spires and islands.  Long the haven for pirate clans, the Spires of Blood are dangerous and uncivilised.  The best known locations within the Spires are the Pirate-Isle of Drakkar, ruled by the Half Orc Pirate King of the same name, and the Necromancers Tower.  

The Heldannic Freeholds
A confederation of independent settlements, united by an extensive worship of the war-goddess Vanya.  The tall, blond people of the Heldannic territories are only barely civilised, and the people of Tyria are only familiar with the southern edge of the vast territories.  

The Thengian Archipelago
A tropical line of islands full of thick jungles and swamps.  The Thengian Archipelago has only been discovered in the past hundred years, and is the home of the wild dwarves and several savage human and humanoid tribes.  The Aventine Alliance has sent numerous expeditions to chart and settle the islands, but thus far the only settlement to survive the dangers has been Fort Hope, run by a small group of monks.  

The Aventine Alliance
A collection of Principalities who have formed an alliance under the guidance of the wizard-god Baccob.  There are numerous colleges of magic through-out the Alliance, and there is an edict outlawing clerics of any god except Baccob through-out the region.  

The Beyjarn Skykingdoms
A small collection of lightly inhabited spires.  The largest settlement is the roving sky-city of Beyjarn, ruled by the Cloud Giant Lord Bey.  Most of the nobles in this area are Giants as well, and floating cloud-castles are common.  A number of gnome clans are native to this region, and it is home to most of the technological advances that have swept through the old kingdoms in recent years, including the development of crude firearms.  

The Sabinn Empire
A large monarchy that controls the most land-mass of all the old kingdoms.  Easily the regions super-power, Sabinn is ruled by Emperor Theold and his Aventine-born wife Telail, a powerful psion.  All Sabinn nobles are magically and psionically altered, making them almost superhumanly strong and intelligent.  

The Tangled Forest
A forest of giant, misshaped vines and mangrove trees grown by ancient elven magic.  The xenophobic grey elves allow few visitors into their land, but all grey-elf adolescents are required to spend five years surviving in the world beyond the forests borders.  Most of the information known about this region is hear-say from these elven youths.  

I'll post some more information on the City and its various districts once I get it together.


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## arwink (Jul 24, 2002)

What follows is a rough Guide to EAglespire, the city where the bulk of the campaign has taken place thus far.  

Eaglespire (Large city); Conventional; AL LN; 40 000gp Limit; 40 000 000gp assets; Population 20 000; Integrated (37% Human, 20% Dwarf, 18% Gnome, 10% Elf and Half-Elf, 7% Half-Orc, 5% Halfling, 3% Other).

Authority Figures:  Lord Rhodry Polidora, Male Human Ari 12.

Important Characters:  
Captain Prathi, Male Hobgoblin War16 (Captain of the Guard) 
Eran Wordwander, Male Half-orc Brd5/Adp3 (Information and Magic Broker) 
Khuron Dragonknight, Male Human Ftr4/Dra1 (Guardian of the Demon-Mouth)	


Some Selected Power Groups

The Dungeoneers Guild

The Dungeoneers guild is an organisation constantly growing in power.  It facilitates the exploration of the depths below the city, and its guild hall in the undercity hold a great deal of information about the dungeon.  The Dungeoneers Guild has several established waystations in the undercity available for the use of its members.

The Brotherhood of Shadows

Eaglespires thieves guild and assassins guild, and the undisputed masters of the undercity.  Very few thieves in Eaglespire escape this Brotherhoods eyes, and membership is mandatory for any theif seeking to use the undercity as a hideout or highway.  The only thieves to have escaped the Brotherhoods attention are the agents of the Gold Elf House Adremoth.

The Eaglespire Academy

Considering the Academy includes a school of magic, a warrior and monk academy and a bardic college, the school holds a great deal of sway amongst many power groups in the city.  Many highly placed people in the city council, the clergy, the nobility and even the delvers guild owe their training to this school, and the governing council of elders makes sure they keep track of any noteworthy alumni.

The Dragonknights

The warriors of Bahamut.  The Dragonknights never forget that the true purpose of Eaglespire was to be the city of guardians, and they take their duty very seriously.  Many members of the Knights supplement the town watch and Lord Polidora’s Galleys, and at least three Dragonknights share the duty of keeping watch over the Demon-Mouth.

The Gold Elf Trade Clans

Gold elves are a sub-race in the elven family tree, as fascinated by magic as their brotheren, but sharing a lot for trade and gold that rivals that of the dwarves.  Given their long life-times and virtual monopoly on Grey-elven goods in the outside world, they are among the riches mortal beings in existence, their compounds containing wealth that rivals a dragons horde.There are fifteen major elven trading clans who operate in the old kingdoms, and two of these maintain permanent enclaves within the city.  Elven trade clans are given rights equal to that of nations, despite the lack of any permanent homeland.


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## arwink (Jul 24, 2002)

Districts in Eaglespire

The Gold District
This district is home to the noble houses and the houses of the wealthy.  
_Some locations of note are:
City Centre Square - the location of many upscale shops
Temple Street - the location of many small temples, mainly of gods that exist outside the Tyrian pantheon
The Gold Quarter  - The wealthiest area in the city, with only the richest merchants and noble families homes located here._

The Soldiers District
Home to the largest barracks in the city, as well as a number of down to earth drinking and dining establishments, this is a middle-class area of the city, largely inhabited by various city guards or marines and their families.  
_Some Locations of note are:
Rankinfords Aerie  - The cities best known stable for riding drakes, war drakes and other ariel mounts
Eaglespire Prison 
Soldiers Square - The location of many shops and taverns frequented by the city guard.  
The House of the sun - The local temple to Pelor
The Whispering Vale - A local park._

The Warehouse District
This area is largely dominated by warehouses and low-quality housing.  Very few people tend to spend much time in the warehouse district after dark.  
_Some locations of note include:
Skoll’s Academy - The weapons academy run by warmaster Skoll, a tall, imposing northerner from the Heldannic Freeholds.  This academy trains its students in the art of the battle axe and the harpoon, and its teachings include many dirty tactics.  Students of Skoll’s academy are not particularly well respected.
The House of Ruby - The local Temple to Wee Jas.  This is merely a minor temple, there is a larger fortress devoted to Wee Jas near the city necropolis._

The Fisherman’s District
This district is home to many of the local fisherman and the businesses that serve them.   
_Locations of note:
Szedar’s Tower - Szedar is Eaglespires highest level wizard.  This location marks both his tower and the small school he runs for selected apprentices.
The Ladies Guide - The local Temple of Selune, incorporating a lighthouse to guide ships into Sandman’s Bay.  _

Dockside
Dockside is a fairly rough section of town, full of warehouses, shipyards, hostels and taverns, all catering to sailors and merchants who use the docks extensively.  
_Locations of note:
Dockside Lane - Dockside lane is a short street that faces the water. Nine taverns line the avenue: The Frowning Halfling, The Queens Crown, Randall’s Hole in the Wall, The Blue Water Tavern, Spearman’s Hollow, The Moxy Maiden, Mirabelle’s, Taerken’s Delight, and Banaby’s Whirlpool.
Blackhawk Academy - The highest status independent academy in Eaglespire.  Blackhawk academy teaches its students the use of the Bastard Sword, and encourages a highly mobile and spiritual approach to combat._

Old Town
Oldtown is the oldest region of Eaglespire, now the home to many of the cities civic offices.  
_Important locations include:
Civic Offices (27) - Formerly Polidora Manor, this building has long since been converted to the dukes offices in the city.  If the Duke must deal with anyone in Eaglespire City, it happens here.  It is rare that any city dweller receives a summons to Eaglespire Keep.  This is the oldest building in Eaglespire.
Government Centre - This collection of buildings includes the Office of Laws, The Ducal Registry (where firearm permits are obtained), Parliament Chamber, and the Ministry for Public Affairs._

The Academy District
The academy district is a middle class district that has grown up around Eaglespire academy and the students who attend.  
_Locations of Note include:
College Town - This is the site of the various schools that make up Eaglespire Academy, Including the Eaglespire School of Wizardry, the College of Loremasters, and the Eaglespire Academy of Martial Discipline.  Other schools of note include The college of Astronomy, the College of Music and the College of Navigation.
Student’s District - The location of most student housing.  as well as a host of booksellers, scribes and researchers.
Beggars Square - This small square is the site of many beggars who find the students a soft touch.  It is also the location of one of the best-known entrances to the Undercity.
The Wanderer’s Rest - The local temple of Fnarlanghn._

The Demon-Mouth District
In terms of commerce, this section of the city has almost totally given itself over to catering for the Dungeoneers who delve in the Depths.  
_Locations of note include:
Adventurer’s Pillar - This large pillar is constantly posted with notices by people requiring adventurers.  It was originally erected a few years ago by the Dungeoneers guild, and serves as the main point of contact for adventurers throughout Eaglespire.  At any time, 1-8 adventurers will be hanging around the Pillar.
The Demon-Mouth - This large statue with an open mouth is the only known entrance into the depths.  It is usually guarded by a Dragonknight, and entry to depths requires a 1gp toll each way.
Adremoth House - The trade House of the Adremoth Gold Elf clan, noted for their relatively low standing amongst the Gold Elves, this house is none the less one of only two houses to establish a foothold in Eaglespire.  Adremoth deal mostly with artefacts that Dungeoneers bring up from the depths, but rumour says the house runs its own thieves guild right under the noses of the Brotherhood of Shadow.
Dragonknight Chapterhouse - This large fortress is the local chapterhouse for the Dragonknight, and also serves as the local temple to Bahamut.  
The Dungeoneers Guild - The local guild for adventurers, this guild is devoted to making exploration of the depths easier and to gather new information about the depths.  The building itself is a three story affair of relatively large size, and the guild maintains its own skydock for particularly important patrons._

The Blood District
This notorious section of the city has an extremely bad reputation.  Home to many of the cities most dangerous warriors and gladiators, it is as though aggression hangs in the air.  This is the only section of the city above-ground that isn’t under the control of the city Guard, but is instead maintained by the House of Blades, the local Temple of Tiamat and only location of importance in the district.

The Guildsman District
This district is where one is most likely to find large industrial and storage centres, as well as a number of the local guildhouses and residential areas.  The local guilds include the Bakers Guild, the Cobblers Guild, the Drapers Guild, The Goldsmiths Guild, The Herbalists and Alchemists Alliance, The Ironworkers Guild, The Mason’s Guild, The Merchants Guild, The Silversmiths Guild, The Tanners Guild, The Textile Dyers Guild, the Sages Guild and the Weaponsmith’s and Mercenary Union.  
_Important locations include:
Sages Way - This street contains a number of sages.  Local lore states if your question can’t be answered in Sages Way, then the answer isn’t know.
War Tower - This is the cities military Aerie, home to a number of drake-riders and griffon-riders in the town guard.  This tower also serves as the commercial dock for many of the larger skyships that come to the city._

South Market
South Market is the local merchants district.  It boasts a number of artisans and industries, as well as a number of up-market entertainment venues.  
_Locations of interest include:
Kelamorn House - The local dwelling of the most important Gold Elf Traders in Eaglespire.  A rich and powerful house, Kelamorn deals in nearly everything.  It has been said that not a copper passes through Eaglespire without touching Kelamorn hands at least once.
Dragonborn Manor - The local manor that houses the members of the Tyrian Royal Family.  AT present, Prince Ulther is in residence, taking an extensive rest from the Kingdom’s Capital.
The House of Blood - The local temple to Hextor.
The City Arena - This is a large gladiators arena, and easily one of the more popular forms of entertainment through-out the city.  Fights are staged every fourth day, and several independent gladiators and Dungeoneers down on their luck sign up to be involved.
The House Beneath the Waves - This is the local temple to Istishia, and home to a number of powerful druids.  Easily the most powerful temple in Eaglespire, the druids go out of the way to maintain a low visibility in local politics._

The Undercity is located beneath the city streets.  An offshoot of the sewer system, the undercity was originally created as a thieves den a century ago.  Over the last fifty years, it has slowly grown until it has become a city district unto itself.  The occasional patrol of guards will make its way into the undercity as a token gesture of control, but the tunnels still belong to the Brotherhood of Shadow.  

The Necropolis is located a mile and a half north of the city.  It’s a large city of the dead, teaming with undead beings that have become more and more of a problem of late.  The Temple of Wee Jas is located inside the necropolis walls, the priests and warriors of the temple do their best to ensure the dead remain within the boundaries of the Necropolis.


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## Di'Tario (Jul 24, 2002)

Just when we thought we had caused trouble in every part of town along comes some new area's we haven't even been too!!


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## Horacio (Jul 24, 2002)

Wow!

When I asked for some details, I didn't think you would post such a detailed city description  

Thanks a lot! I've really liked it. Now I can imagine better the story.
Now you've obtained a faithful reader...


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## Di'Tario (Jul 24, 2002)

*Meryns Retirement*

Thought I would post some notes on Meryn.

Meryn Stormblade Aasimar 7th Lvl Monk

I found Meryn quite fun to play especially when it came to the others trying to get up to something dastardly!!

Being lawful good and very naive she would always be making sure that nothing bad was going on behind her back which the other characters were always doing.  She got very good at working out when they were lying (hence a pretty good sense motive score).  Actually managed to save a few lives when the other party members decided to DEAL with uncooperative fellows.

The other good thing about playing her was being so nice and cheerful to people.  It really annoyed the others!!

Although she was fun to play she didn't really fit into the party and never really trusted anyone.

She ended up having a romp with the parties druid Bjorn and falling pregnant.  As you will find out in some of the later stories.

Favourite Character Memory:  When Bjorn decided to hand Meryn a bead from a necklace of Fireballs to throw at several vampires huddled at the back of an unearthed tomb.  With a blackened face and several laughing vampires it made the whole situation a real blast!!

My new character is Di'Tario.  I will post some more notes on him when he enters the storyline.


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## Di'Tario (Jul 24, 2002)

*Di'Tario*

I have posted stats on Di'Tario at my homesite.

http://www.users.bigpond.com/mikevs/ditario.htm

I will endeavour to update as he progresses in levels.


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## arwink (Jul 25, 2002)

Di'Tario said:
			
		

> *Just when we thought we had caused trouble in every part of town along comes some new area's we haven't even been too!! *




Nope, you've covered most of those areas.  I believe you were trying to keep things from blowing up most of the time, so you weren't paying that much attention.  Admittedly, you spend most of your time in the Demon-mouth district, the Blood district and the undercity, so the rest does seem a little, well, tame


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## arwink (Jul 25, 2002)

*Re: Meryns Retirement*



			
				Di'Tario said:
			
		

> *My new character is Di'Tario.  I will post some more notes on him when he enters the storyline. *




Or immediately, despite the fact that his presence doesn't really come into the story or make sense for another twelve sessions or so.

We kept being warned that you were very attached to this character...


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## Di'Tario (Jul 25, 2002)

Not so much attached but more excited.  I see him more as an excellent opportunity to get a better roleplaying experience from him as opposed to Merryn.  Sure he may get in heaps of trouble and really annoy ppl (and DM's) but thats all part of the fun. Probaby the first character I have got feats and skills right for as well and have actually had a goal.


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## arwink (Jul 25, 2002)

*Session 4: Another Meanwhile...*

_The focus swings back to Madeline and Solomon, and the first real adventure they went through after they got the hang of the new rules.  This is based on the Dungeon adventure "Thirds of Purloined Vellum," and all the typical notes about spoilers apply._

After the rigours of the arena, Madeline suggested they spend a day relaxing and organising their membership with the Dungeoneers Guild.  Solomon immediately gets an eager look in his eye, absuntly flipping a coin back and forth along his fingers.  When his continuing debt to the gnomish sorceress is pointed out, and further reminded that loosing their arena winnings in a game of dice wasn't her idea of relaxation, he calms slightly and suggests a quick lunch at Windglamor Parade in the Trades district.  Windglamor is the home to many of eaglespires spice merchnats, perfumers, bakers and small resteraunts of quality, a feast of tastes and smells for pedestrians who wander its length.  With no pack animals or riding beasts of any time permitted along its length, it is a calm and peaceful street that is popular as a meeting place with visitors and locals alike.

Their lunch is particularly good, with heavily spiced fish served ona bed of rice and green vegetables, and after sating their hunger the pair start north along the parade, heading for the Guild's headquarters to purchase their membership.  They get but half the streets length before trouble finds them - a fight breaking out in the crowd ahead.  As they push forward through the throng of onlookers, things turn nasty.  Steel is drawn as a trio of dagger weilding thugs squares off against a portly Sabbinite merchant and his red-tuniced guard.  Although outnumbered, the bodyguard and his scimitar look more than a match for his attackers, even without the aid of his obviously untrained charge.  As many of the onlookers scatter, freightened by the bared weapons, Solomon spots something that tips the odds in the ruffians favor - three more of the thugs fellows sneaking up on the merchant from the shadows of the alley-way, daggers drawn and unnoticed by the merchant or his bodyguard.

Solomon's reaction is instant, part decency and part instinct.  He calls a warning to the outnumbered bodyguard and looses a crossbow bold at one of the approaching ruffians.  Combat errupts in a furious assult, the bodyguard slaying one of his attackers and MAdeline disabling several of the dagger-weilding thugs with magic.  Although those who resist Madeline's magic wound the guard, slashing him twice in the chest, they are quickly cut down by the guards scimitar and Solomon's second bolt.

After members of the city watch question the PC's, the merchant and the few attackers who were rendered unconscious, they take the ruffians into custody.  The merchant, Kathkallan, introduces himself and his guard Bezzem to the PC's.  When asked why he might be the victim of such an unprovoked attack, he tells them his tale of woe.  HE was in town to sell some rare Royal Jelly, a type of honey stolen from the hives of giant bees.  He'd signed two trade contracts before he brought the stock to the city - one to sell the Jelly for a sizable sum, and another to buy a profitable cargo of vanilla beans when he makes the retun journey home.    His problems truly began after he arrived at the docks.  While Kathkallan stayed behind to supervise the unloading of his vessel, he sent his apprentice Galliad to finalise the deals, gving him a third task of organising protection for his trip back to Sabbin.  This was three days ago, and still the boy hasn't returned.  Worse, he was carrying both the contracts to prove his identity and his master, and they've dissappeared with him.  Without the contracts, Kathkallan can no longer go through with his deals at the agreed prices.  While this would ordinarily be resolved by renegotiating, recent events in both Tyria and Sabbin have transpired to make the honey less profitable, and the vanilla beans worth more than their weight in gold.  With the contracts, Kathkallan stands to become a very rich man.  Without them, he'll struggle to break even on the deals.

He offers both Solomon and Madeline 200 gp a night to help guard his cargo, and a further 1000gp if they spend their days tracking down Galliad and finding some way of returning the valuable cargo.  THere is an instant agreement, Solomon slowly calculating how much of a dent this reward would make on his debt to his companion, and Madeline eager to get the funds that would enable her to purchase a small supply of alchemical equipment.  They take the address of Kathkallan's warehouse, where his goods are being stored, and tell him they'll be there at Sunset.  While the merchant gives them a worried smile, obviously pleased that two such competent individuals are willing to lower themselves to guarding merchant stock, Solomon notices that Bezzem is scowling at them, obviously displeased his master feels the need to hire further help.

Madeline and Solomon shrug off the guards displeasure, spending the rest of the day completing their errands.  MEmbership in the Dungeoneers guild is quickly established, and they buy a few potions of healing from the guilds stores.  As they pick their way back through the streets, heading for the warehouse, they're attacked by a sudden ambush.  A small flurry of javlins is launched at them from the balcony of the buildings on either side of the street _ (Due to the scarcity of space, most buildings in Eaglespire tend to be apartment blocks two to three stories high)_  Five black-robed figures leap at them, rushing in to engage them in hand to hand after the initial surprise of their assult wears off.  Solomon recognises their black robed and mutli-colored belt-sashes instantly - Monks of the Five Hands, a militant order in the service of Tiamat.  The fight is quick, Madeline blasting at her attackers with magic missiles while Solomon bares a shortsword and meets their assult with steel.  Both are wounded, but eventually manage to slay or drive off their attackers.  Solomon offers some healing, but not nearly enough to cure the worst of their wounds.  By the time they reach Kathkallan's warehouse, he's no longer sure he's got quite the bargain-price of his guards that he once thought.
------

There's more from this session, but the notes are still slightly scattered.  I'll get them together tonight and post the rest tomorrow.


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## Di'Tario (Jul 25, 2002)

Excellent!!  [Mr Burns]... no wait... TIS I DI'TARIO!!


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## arwink (Jul 26, 2002)

_You do realise, of course, that the real challenge is seeing how long you can play Di'Tario before Khynal gets completely fed up and shoots him, don't you?_

Back to the Story -

After spending a long an uneventful night guarding Kathkallan's goods, Madeline and Solomon head off the next morning in search of the merchants missing apprentice and lost contracts.  Their first step is a return to Windglamor Parade to question the two merchants Galliad was supposed to have met with.  

Although they can't get in to see Arrasti, the merchant purchasing the royal jelly, they do get a chance to question his scribe.  The scribe, Omanner, tells them that Galliad had stopped in to schedual an appointment a few days ago, but can remember little else about their meeting.  HE does recall the young man talking to someone outside the building though, out of site but just in earshot.  Omannar says the young apprentice mentioned something about finding a security broker, and a rather feminine voice recommended "the platinum something or other."  He figures it was most likely a porter, who serve as useful business contacts and guides in addition to their more traditional duties in the city.

THeir meeting with Mossan Zahad, the merchant selling Kathkallan his cargo of Vanilla beans, is less productive.  Zahad refuses to help, and seems secretly delighted that both apprentice and contract have gone missing.  He dismisses both the companions quickly, claiming he has a great deal of work to be done.  

Following their only clue, the pair head to the financial district in search of a security broker with the word platinum in the title.  They find the Platinum Quill and figure it must be the place.  Inside, they question Catellian, the Quill's owner, who doesn't seem to remember seeing the young apprentice, explaining that the previous week has been a bit slow.  Not entire sure that the broker is being entirely honest, the pair press him for more information.  Eventually, Catellian becomes aggitated.  He calls out for somone in the second room, a young woman, and asks her if she remembers anything.  She put on a display of trying to rememeber for a few moments, then both she and Catellian sprint for the door.

Caught off-guard, Solomon and Madeline take a few seconds to realise what's happened befor they follow.  It's obvious from the beginning they have no chance of catching the fleeing pair.  Solomon is hampered by his armor (scale) and Madeline's legs are simply too short to keep pace with a sprinting human.  Worse, a pair of black-tuniced thugs emerge from an alleyway, swords bared and threatening the PC's to back off and leave their boss alone.  Mightily sick of people emerging to threaten or attack them from alleyways, the PC's decide that backing off isn't an option.  Weapons are drawn, magic missiles are fired and two thugs are quickly left on the ground, their armor scorched and shredded.

Their last clue having fled, the PC's decide they may as well start questioning others in the financial district.  After some fruitless questioning, they suddenly hit pay-dirt.  A merchant named Gheldig tells them he remembers a man matching Galliads description meeting with Catellion, and that the did indeed do a great deal of business and fill out a great deal of paperwork.  At the end of their dealing, the apprentice asked Catellion a question Gheldig couldn't hear, but was pointed toward the northern exit of the financial district.  Galliad headed in that direction, stopping in at a tavern called the silent siren along the way.  He also lets the PC's know that Catellion lives with a female porter named Anteashara.

By now, it's close to midday, and the adventurers are hungry.  They head towards a coffee house and order two mugs of the strange, dark brew with a small selection of iced honey-cakes as a meal.  As they dine, they strike up a conversation with three people at the next table.  After a few moments they realise that the three men, Keryn, Ayllin and Tak, are all porters who are waiting for business.  Praises Olidammara's luck, they waste no time asking them a few questions about recent events.  They learn that Anteashara lives in the platinum quill with Catellion, but that she has a secretive client that lives in the path of silk flowers near the north wall in the Guildsman district.  Tak is also a relatively continious frequenter of the Silent Siren, and remembers someone matching Galliads description leaveing the tavern with a balck-haired woman wearing an orchid brooch.  Although this makes little sense to Madline, Solomon later points out that the Path of Silk Flowers is where the cities higher-class cortesans usually reside, and that the orchid broosh is usually worn by somone of that profession.  Goin on intuition and suspicion, they figure that whatever has happened to Galliad is going to involve Anteashara's mysterious patron, and their next port of call is the Path of Silk Flowers.  They hurridly finish their meal,thank the porters for their time and offer them a few gold peices to go watch the Siren for any further visitations by Galliad, Catellion, Anteashara or the cortesan.  Tak readily agrees, heading towards the tavern with a skip in his step.
------

I'll take yet another break here.  This was played in a few short sessions rather than one long one, and it was a few weeks previus to me moving, so the notes aren't as together as I originally thought.  More later.


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## arwink (Jul 27, 2002)

_I'm really not entirely sure about this bit - the notes from the end of this sessions are somewhat vague about what happened, and at least half a missing.  Perhaps either Solomon or Madeline can point out if I get something wrong._

Solomon and Madeline head accross town, following the few scant clues they have to find Galliad and the missing contracts.  While they're picking their way through Eaglespire's crowded streets, they hear a sudden call.  An elderly woman, sitting along the road in sages way, gets their attention.  She offers to read their palms, offering a glimps into their future.  Both PC's are hesitant, but she offers a few clues to suggest that she knows what they're both up too, so they agree.  She examines their palms carefully, eventually telling them that "the one they seek is a minor wizard who lives in the shadows of another wizard.  The spirit of a man recently slain says you will find the wizard where sight meets sound and smell."

What little doubt they have about the villains lurking on the Path of Silk Flowers is dispelled by the womans vision.  They hurry along, eventually finding the long path and its houses of corteasans without incident.  They walk along, Solomon admiring the ladies who wander back and forth along the path, Madeline admiring the flowers made of silk they plant in their window-boxes to signify their trade.  A few questions are asked, but lead to nothing substantial.  With nothing else suggesting itself, Madeline suggests that they walk the Path's length with their eyes and ears open.

Halfway along the path's length, they come accross another Eaglespire landmark - the Avenue of Chimes.  The legacy of an deceased wizard, anyone who walks the Avenue is followed by a loud tingling.  Originally designed as a warning system for people who approached the wizards home, these chimes have become a pleasant diversion for those finding their way too or from the Path of Silk Flowers.

Figuring that this is the place where sight and sound meet in the path, the PC's take the time to examine the dweelings on either side of the intersection.  One is an apartment building, several stories high, with silk-filled flowerboxes hanging from many of the windows.  On the other side is a two-story manor house, a residence of some value that supposedly once belonged to the wizard who created the Avenue of Chimes.  A quick examination of the premises ensues, peering in through the darkened glass of the front windows, and circumnavigating the walls that surround the manors gardene.  It is when they pass the garden wall that all three of the fortune-tellers clues come together - they smell the musty scent of exotic flowers.

Plans for breaking into the manor house are quickly formed.  Attempts at the front door are futile, as guards quickly arrive and snipe on the pair from the upstairs windows.  After retreating, a second attempt is made by the garden gate.  Unfortunately, the lock on the gate is beyond Solomon's ability.  An attempt is made to clear the high garden walls with a potion of jump, but this results in Solomon winding himself as only half his body clears the walls hight, then falling back to the street below as his armor weighs him down.  

Evening is fast approaching by now, so they return to Kathkallan's warehouse to think of a new plan.  THis nights guard duty isn't as quiet as the one previous.  A group of four armed men attempts to break in, and all but three of them escape after the PC's foil their attempt.  The forth is brought down by magic missile and crossbow bolt, and a search of his body reveals the silken mask of a Nerindi Guildsman, a theif's guild in the spires of blood that seeks to branch out into other cities, and a holy symbol of Sucat, a Sabinnite God of Vice and Greed whose worship has spread through the Blood-spires pirate cities.  Sucat and Olidammara are also known as former partners in the universal pantheon, although Sucat betrayed his partner and created hatred between the two gods followers ever since.

Figuring that those behind the attempted break-in are likley those in the manor house, the PC's decide that tomorrow gaining access to the manor is imperative.  The attempts to steal their employers cargo are becoming more overt, and the hatred between Solomon's faith and the burglars further spurs their need to resolve the mystery.  At daybreak, they set off for the Demon-mouth district for the biggest, strongest, densest barbarian they can find, ready to offer him a twenty gold to brave a few crossbow bolts and smash in a door.  After asking around, they're directed to Tork, the former ogre gladiator and now thug for hire.  The ogre readily agree's to the deal, follows them to the Path of Silk Flowers.  Coming up with a quick plan, it's decided that Tork should pretend to be drunk, break down the door and wander off.  Hopefully this will prevent the manor-houses occupants from realising he's part of an organised assult, instead framing him as just another of the cities few ogre citizens who'se known for random acts of violence and destruction after a few drinks.  Tork shrugs.  He doesn't much care, as long as he get paid.  He wanders down the street, doing a bad impression of drunkenness, and charges the houses door twice before it shatters.  A pair of nervous guards emerge, making a not terribly confident attempt to the ogre off.  They're both surprised and pleased when it appears to work and Tork wanders away.

Madeline and Solomon wait a block up the street for Tork to return.  They happily pay him and ask how much his help would cost when assulting the Manor Houses occupents.  Tork declines, telling them he's already got a job for the afternoon and he needs to go see some scrawny little-'un about a sword.

The assult on the manor house happens quickly, with MAdeline and Solomon making good use of stealth and surprise.  The two door guards are taken down fast, and their room by room search of the manor house reveals only three more occupents - Catellion, Anteashara and a semi-famous blood-spires pirate sword-mage named nicknamed Bruiser.  The fight never gets to melee, with both sides taking cover at the end of a hallway and fighting it out with crossbow bolts and magic.  Solomon is forced to do some haty healing to bring both himself and Madeline through, diving across the doorway they're using as cover at one point to ensure his companions survival.  After bring down both Catellion and Anteashara, Madeline's sleep spell forces Bruiser into slumber and capture.  A search of the manor house finds the missing contracts hidden among the pirate's collection of trophies.  By the time the city watch arrives to investigate Tork's assult on the door, they've discovered enough evidence (stolen contracts, a few scattered stolen goods, Gilliad's shallow grave in the garden and an alter to Sucat among them) to excuse them of any wrongdoing and ensure Bruiser is incarcerated for some time to come.  They collect a small reward that was posted on Bruisers head, return the contracts and collect their payment from Kathkallen before delivering the news of his apprentice's death and head to an inn for the evening, Madeline revelling in her first chance to sleep above ground since arriving in the city.
-------

The next session is when everyone finally gets together as the one party.  The group discovers some interesting bits and peices about the brands they all bear, tangle with the servents of Tiamat once again, and then go out searching for trouble with the servants of Hextor, Tiamat's son and god of destruction and warfare.


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## Haakon (Jul 27, 2002)

Well that pretty well covered what happend. Tork is also known by the other members of the soon to be formed party. In fact the appointment Tork had for later that day is with Kyhnall


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## arwink (Jul 27, 2002)

_  In my head, this was when the campaign and the story truly started.  It's kind of weird to have started writing this, and realise exactly how much was begun before this session even started.  The timing on the two parties is a bit hazy, and Madeline and Solomon may have been a day ahead or behind when they reach the party.  No-one really paid attention or noticed at the time _

No-one felt much like doing anything.  Bjorn sat and ate quietly in the corner of the Gargoyle's tap-room, his eyes bloodshot and Voolfy sitting with her head on his knee in a gesture of comfort.  It'd been a long night, despite his wounds.  He'd taken the young monk, Meryn, on an extended tour of the Demon-mouth districts finer drinking establishments, sampling a wide range of their best and worst brews.  The ostensible reason had been to check for signs that his brother was around, although it soon fell by the wayside.  Too many people where confused by his close resemblence to his twin, the two were like statues carved by the same hand except for the length of their hair, and the heavy fog of ale quickly dulled the urgency of the questioning and the need to move from bar to bar.  Meryn sat opposite him now, seemingly fine despite her consumption of a variety of spirits, and her slight glow hurt Bjorn's eyes.  Khynal sat at the far end of the table, a few slices of breed and cheese at his side.  He was going through his morning ritual, meticulously cleaning and polishing the two pistols.

On the other side of the city, in an inn with a better reputation and cleaner clientelle than the Gargoyle, Madeline and Solomon finished a fine breakfast.  Their plans for the day were hazy, at best.  Perhaps a trip into the demon-mouth?  An investigation of the University Archives for news regarding Medline's Grandmother and how she learned the arts of the Eldritch Master?  Neither felt particularly movitated to do anything.  Their purses were full with Kathkallan's payment, their stomachs were full and the future seemed brighter than it had several days ago.  Perhaps they should go shopping, head into the adventurers market in Demonmouth Square and pick up a few supplies for a descent into the depths tomorrow.  After a side-trip to the Windglamor Parade, another morning tea of coffee and cake. at the Zedelar Coffee house.

And the day passes, slowly.  Three adventurers sobering up and biding time.  At three they meet with Logda, Teacher and Sage with an interest in ancient religion, in the hopes he can explain some of the reason for their mysterious assult.  The other two dallying, idly moving through the city on an uncertain path.  

As the appointed our approaches, Khynal nudges his companions into movement.  They walk through the city streets, eyes searching out every nook and shadow, hands moving to weapons every time they pass an alleyway.  There's no assult, no sudden appearance by mysterious cultists to waylay them. Even the tall guardsmen who stand by the Universities gates let them through, albeit with the understanding that Voolfy must be leashed at all times.  

Solomon has lived most of his life in Eaglespire, and he knows segments of the undercity like the back of his hand.  Above ground, he's less sure of his way.  Certain districts he knows, but in places such as the Academy district he finds himself taking unfamiliar turns, walking into dead ends.  A life on the streets with pickpockets and gamblers did little to aquaint him with the intricacies of the winding streets so well known by Eaglespire aspiring scholars and knights.  Although he knows the Demon-mouth district is on the far side, he quickly gets lost.  A soft rain starts to fall on the city, the kind of light drizzle the TYrian's call Istishia's blessing.  

Madeline is ready to start berating her comrade, disgusted that he would seek to repay his debt as a guide when he doesn't truly know his way.  Solomon shrugs - at times like these even a local doesn't feel shame in calling on a tout to guide him.  He raises his hands and prepares to call when he sees it out of the corner of his eye.  A small plume of steam rising from the lip of a building.  Madeline notices his sudden distraction, follows his gaze just in time to see a pair of fire mephits leaping over the lip of the building.  Their stubby, flamming wings flutter as they leap, carrying them to the next rooftop.  Although the dissapear from few, the trail of steam rising as the rain hits the mephits flaming bodies is enough to chart their movement.  They run from rooftop to rooftop, heading for the walls of the academy in the distance.  Solomon and Madeline look at one another, evaluating the two choices presented here.  With a silent nod, the decision is reached.  They sprint for the Academy's walls, following the train of steam to their intended victims.

Inside Lochfinch tower, the home of the Academy's schools in theology and history, Khynal, Bjorn and Meryn meet with their sage.  Logda is a middle-aged man, dressed in scholars robes and partially balding.  He is more than willing to help, although he asks that each of the PC's sit with him for an interview at a later date.  He is intrigued by each of their religions, and eager to question each of them about their beliefs.  Bjorn is, after all, a wild elf wearing the holy symbol of a grey elven god, almost unheard of among the wild-elves of the north.  Khynal is of a race of people without a god, but there is a small cult who believe that by the combination of enough mental energy, they can force one into existence.  Meryn, as an aasimar, has an obviously divine heritage that is virtually unknown in Tyria.  Logda's curiosity is suitably arroused, and all three are willing to pay his price.  

Logda recognises the symbol immediately, telling the trio that he interviewed a man who had escaped from the temples compound.  They were relatively recent in the history of Eaglespires temple, and notoriously shy and difficult to track down.  Logda calls it luck that he even caught the attention of this one worshipper, and he's never seen the physical sumbold, only had it descrived to him.  Finally being able to see the symbol of the cult jobs his memory.  He gets very agitated, jumping and bustling back and forth along the full bookshelves that line his office. 

When he sits again, book in his lap, the sudden rush having put two peices of information together are palpable in his features.  He explains to them what he knows of the symbol, that it belongs to an earth cult that worships a fell earth-elemental of great power.  There were other cults, each worshipping a being made of the other elements, air, water and fire, and the powers of these four beings was granted by a god known only as the elemental eye.  For centuries before the cataclysm that broke the world, these four cults were responsible for acts of great evil and violence.  

Outside Logda's office, two flaming mephits land on the ledge of his window-sill.  Intent on the information in the sage's book, none notice the tendrils of steam or the shallow hiss that fills the air.  At the base of the tower, Solomon and MAdline quickly calculate the position of the window and hurry through the door.  The beasts look like they are trying to hide, but who knows what they seek to ambush on the far side of the window.  

Logda hurridly reads through the book, paraphrasing as he goes.  For nearly a thousand years after, their worship was forbidden on pain of death.  Occasionally, small cults would spring up, but in recent years there has been evidence in Eaglespire that all four cults have created a small temple, and he fears that they may yet combine to work towards their religions original goal - freeing the elemental eye and his followers and allowing them to walk the earth once more.  

As he goes to read more, a gout of flame flies through air.  The book bears the brunt of the blast, its ancient paper pages going up in seconds.  Logda's robes are scorched and burning, and he panicks as he tries to put them out.  Meryn, Bjorn and Khynal draw steel, preparing for attack as the second mephit breaths a cone of fire at them.  Meryn nimbly dodges, but Bjorn and Khynal barely manage to avoid the flames path.  Both are singed, and Bjorn looses half an eyebrow to the assult.  Khynal opens fire at the windows, catches one of the mephits with a pistol shot.  The bullet passes through the creature, although he thinks he catches a wince of pain cross its face.  He growls in frustraction, reloading his gun, as Meryn and Bjorn charge the window with Kama and longspear at the ready.  It takes but a few seconds of combat, with all three adventurers wounded and a very panicked Logda ttrying to beat out the fires that have started along his bookcase, before Madeline and Solomon burst through the door.  They join the assult, aiming at mephits with spells and crossbow while Solomon yells out "Water or cold, hit them with water or cold."  Khynal shrugs, he has neither but he can pummel both creatures with a chain of bioelectric energy.  Meryn swings with her kama again, wounding one of the creatures as it climbs through the window to better assult the companions within, and Bjorn attempts to create a small pool of water above the creatures head, only to be dissapointed when the water evaporates into a thick steam on contact.  Realising that his water spells lack the power to harm the creatures, Bjorn instead enchants the teeth of his wolf companion before setting about the heal the worst of the companions wounds as they fight.  The dancing flames of both mephits have done yet more damage to Logda's office and various party members before the party brings them down, hitting them with psionic power, magic missile, the magically enhanced teeth of a quite aggitated Voolfy and a flurry of Kama attacks.  Solomon quickly joins Bjorn in healing the combatents, occasionally pausint to stamp out a fire in the carpet should it get out of hand.

There is a moment of silence in the aftermath of the fight, the adventurer's catching their breath and Logda slowly calming down from his vantage point behind a thick, stuffed couch.  Bjorn eventually turns to the bookcases, putting the last of the fires out with a cloak soaked by his create water spell, as the rest of the adventurers look at one another.  Meryn and Khynal experience a familiar tingling sensation, and they can see the familiar lines of a black birthmark rising out of the glove on Solomon's right hand, and the tips of another above the tunic line on the back of Madeline's left shoulder.  After the first are done, Bjorn turns back to his companions, noticing the tingle on his own brand at the same time.  "Vell," he says, "I think we should all get a drink, yes?"

There's a general nod of consensus among all involved.  As they thank the quivering Logda for his time and file out of the room, Bjorn follows along after his two new companions, ready to chat the entire way back to the Gilded Gargoyle.  "I am Bjorn from Sveedom," he starts.  "Say, have you seen my twin Brother Sven?  I'm trying to track him down."

--------

More later.  Some drinking, some searching for clues, and the trouble with some Hextoran Priests.


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## Khynal (Jul 27, 2002)

The members of our party who revere gods give me strange looks when I say that I don't worship a god and neither do any Charosians. And then we have days like this.


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## Di'Tario (Jul 28, 2002)

Link to Meryn's character sheet.

http://www.users.bigpond.com/mikevs/merynstormblade.htm


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## arwink (Jul 29, 2002)

Around a table at the Gargoyle, introductions are made and brith-marks compared.  There is a certain affinity between all present, not trust or friendship but a recognition that they were meant to find each other.  With the mystery of the elemental cults attacks, and the antithapy developing between the Temple of Tiamat and Solomon and Madeline, a general consensus is reached.  They will band together to find out what secrets there are behind their marks, defend each other from assults by the various organisations that search for them, and if time presents itself help Bjorn in his quest to find his brother and save Sveedom from the invading horde.

It's agreed that their best method of defence against the cults is offence - they need information on where the lairs are and fast.  With the background information they've got, they figure they should be able to get some news on the streets.  Then Khynal remembers the information broker, Junge, and figures there's probably a faster way of getting what they need.

A quick search of the district quickly reveals something is up.  Junge's normal hangouts are empty, and those they talk too suggest that he's in some kind of trouble.  Khynal hands a few gold coins into waiting hands and finds out the goblin went into hiding early in the morning, hiring a room in a run-down inn near Demon-mouth square.  Thanking the seedy gentleman providing the information for their time, Khynal leads the party to the inn.  They crowd in the hallway before the rotting door to Junge's room.  

"Junge," Khynal yells, "We need to talk.  We've got gold."
"Who is it?" A voice calls out in an obvious falsetto, "No Junge here.  Go away."
"It's Khynal Yarrow, You've worked with us before.  Sold us the location of the Gauntlet, then sold us out to a few stray attackers after, remember?"

There's a flurry of movement and the sound of breaking glass.  Khynal gestures at Meryn, who aims a few well placed blows and the door.  It snaps in half, revealing a small, groundfloor room with a broken window. Outside, a scabby goblin is sprinting down the alleyway as fast as he can.

Bjorn gives Voolfy a curt command, "Fetch" and the wolf is instantly through the window and chasing down her prey.  When Junge turns to see if he's being persued, the great grey wolf is virtually on top of him.  He screams again as Voolfy lunges, her teeth closing around his leg and bringing him to the ground.  By the time the party catches up, Voolfy is calmly sitting on the goblins chest with a particularly pleased smile on her face.  Khnyal kneels by the goblins head, a gun in hand, but can't get a word out before the information broker starts screaming.

"RAck off, rack off RACK OFF!  I didn't see you, didn't hear you, never knew you existed.  Get this wolf off me and let me go.  I gots enough problems without a bunch of walking dead men like you chasing after me.  The fists are out for me, you get me?  The Fists!  I don't need anymore trouble.:

Khynal points the pistol at the goblins head, and quietly points out that he's in trouble enough without the fists.  Junge goes cross-eyed trying to stare at the barrel of the gun, but it calms him down slightly.  Realising that things could get messy, and well beneath the Aasimar's standard, Madeline quickly suggests to Meryn that they should go stand guard at the alley's entrance.  If Junge is being hunted, it's probably best not to be taken unawares.  Meryn looks at the gnome, then glances back at the gun-weilding psion and his prisoner.  She isn't sure how much she trusts him, and she's certain he's not above hurting or killing the goblin to get what he wants.  Torn between the logic of Madeline's suggestion and the fear for the goblins life, it is logic that eventually wins out.  Madeline coaxes her back along the alleyway, pointing out that they'll hear any gunshots from that distance anyway.

Junge isn't forthcoming with information, despite the presence of the gun in his face.  Figuring he's dead anyway, he tries to make the best of the situation.  He knows a few bits and pieces about the cults, could probably find out more, but points out he's got other problems.  A few days back, his brother broke into the temple of HExtor to steal something.  He failed, badly, but managed to escape.  Yesterday, a bunch of fists tracked him down and caught him, but they're still hunting for the rest of the family with the intent of making an example of them.  Junge's fairly sure he can keep clear of the Fists, he's knows a few boltholes and Brotherhood contacts in the undercity, but he's hesitant to make his way south until he's sure he's brothers dead.  An agreement is quickly reached - the party will rescue Junge's brother from the temporary headquarters the fists have set up in the Blood district, in return for the goblin spilling everything he knows about the cult temples in the city.  

Khynal gives the word, and Bjorn gets Voolfy off the goblins chest.  Handing over a few gold coins, the Solomon tells Junge to find somewhere safer.  Junge quickly calculates the coins value, then tells them to meet him at Tork's shack after they rescue his brother.  He'll hire the mercenary as protection until he can head to the undercity.

As the goblin scampers away, something else he screamed out in his panic occurs to Khynal.
"Junge, one more thing," he calls.  The goblin stops, turns reluctantly.
"What?"
"Why are we walking dead men?"
Junge lets out a gruff giggle.
"Bounties, right?  Between you five, you're worth somethin' like ten thousand gold coins.  Any down on his luck merc or Depth-diver in the city'll be more than willing to take your heads in for that.  Good luck with the fists.  I don't expect you'll succeed, but given your dead anyway..."

------


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## Di'Tario (Jul 29, 2002)

heh.. that was before Merryn pumped skill points into sense motive.  Does this thing go to a page 2??? Its getting awfully long.


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## arwink (Jul 30, 2002)

*a Quick Update.*

The blood district is squallar incarnate, the residing place of the poorest and lowest of the cities inhabitents.  It is the refuge of those that can't afford to live elsewhere, but cannot stomach the less reputable areas of the undercity.  The buildings are run down, in many cases little more than ruined, and the people that walk the streets are constantly frightened and bent with exhaustion.  Looming above the rubble and decay is the temple of Tiamat, an enourmous construction shaped like Tiamat herself, with five heads pointing in all directions so the council of five priests can look out over the city from their chambers.  The temple is all anyone in the district can think about, the temple and the priests who regularly patrol the district looking for slaves and sacrafices.  

The companions stand on the edge of the Demon-mouth district, look accross the street that seperates the two disctricts.  It seems like an invisible borber, a marker that no blood resident can cross.  After much uming and ahing, the companions discover they suffer from no such affliction.

The journey through the Blood's streets was nervous for everyone, but seemed to carry a special dread for Madeline and Solomon.  Their fears were well founded, as the companions were assulted by a large squad of monks in the service of Tiamat.  The fight didn't last long.  Bjorn cast entangle on the vines that lined the walls of the blood's buildings, capturing a number of the attackers before they even sprun at their prey.  Meryn was easily more skilled in the arts of hand to hand combat than Tiamat's followers, and Solomon and Madeline had both grown in magic and skill at arms since last they tangled.  Within moments, the majority of the attackers were dead.  In an astonishing display of foresite, Khynal even arranges for one to be left allive, choosing to leave his victim uncoscious after pummeling him with telekinetic force.  

When the monk awoke, he found himself in a position remarkable similar to the one Junge had been in a few hours earlier.  Except this time the wolf laying on his chest was growling and baring teeth in his face, and Meryn showed no objection to Khynal's pistol being used to extract information from their prisoner.  The monk says little of use, his fanatical faith protecting him from the chill of fear.  All the company learns is the Fifth Jaw, one of the five high priests of Tiamat in the city, wanted all the party captured alive for his own purposes.

The monk is stripped and bound, but left alive in the centre of the blood district street.  Khynal packs away the black robes and colored belt the monk wore in his bag of holding, thinking that sooner or later it may come in useful.  After some minor healing, they press on to find the Fists hideout.


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## arwink (Jul 31, 2002)

Finding the lair of the Fists is easy in the blood district. The two men standing guard out the front are bulky, doing a bad job of hiding their heavy armor beneath their cloaks. They also look healthy and well fed, traits missing from nearly every inhabitant of the blood.

Solomon and Meryn are sent forward to scouting, creeping around the corner of the building and peering through a window. The fists have taken over a small warehouse of some kind, and through the grubby glass, the two scouts can make out several bulky men dressed in dark-plate armor. Solomon can make out their symbols on shields and cloaks, and realizes that they aren't true fists. While the true Fists of Hextor are a swift, efficient force of brutal destruction, these men are simply initiates in the order. They may be training to become part of the Legion of Hextor's Fist, perhaps even led by one that has served in the legion, but they simply aren't yet skilled enough to be part of the elite legion. Solomon breathes a sigh of relief. Even as initiates, the men are likely to be dangerous, but he and his companions were outnumbered even by those in the first room of the warehouse, and had their opponents been members of the legion Solomon and his companions wouldn't have stood a chance.

He gestures to Meryn, and they skulk back down the street to their fellows. Solomon explains their opposition, and its decided that the assault will take place tomorrow, when everyone is well rested and prepared. The five companions head back to the Gilded Gargoyle.

When they return the next day, things look grim. The guard on the door has doubled, and they are no longer as careful about hiding their arms and armor. There are signs that one of the guards has been in a fight, the fleshy pink of freshly healed wounds obvious on his face. The companions ask around, trying to find out what happened. In an open room, part of an abandoned shop, around the corner from the warehouse they find a number of down on their luck dwarves that fill them in on the story - the Hextorites got into some kind of tangle with a few guards from the Dragon-ladies temple. Despite the alliance between the two churches, it's obvious that all isn't right with the two temples in the city. 

After asking the dwarves a few more questions, the companions learn that three of the dwarves are thieves, members of the brotherhood who were trying to break into the Hextorites temporary stronghold. Although they'd built a secret passageway from their temporary stating into the hallway connected to the warehouse, they couldn't use it because a guard was stationed but three feet from where the entrance emerged. All in all, their way in was too dangerous and they were ready to write it off as a loss. When Khynal offered a few gold coins for the entrances location, the three thieves were more than happy to hand it over and head off into the shadows.

Casting spells or drinking potions of invisibility and Silence to mask their presence, Meryn and Solomon snuck through the narrow passageway the dwarves had constructed. It was a tight squeeze, barely wide enough to fit Solomon if he sucked in his stomach, and they had to crawl forward on their hands and knees. On the far end, they found themselves staring through a small grate build into a hallway, an armored hextorite standing guard a few feet down the hall. He doesn't seem to have noticed the sudden presence of a silence field around him, something that causes a quick sigh of relief from Solomon. The edged forward his crossbow, trying to bring the guard down silently with an unexpected attack. The luck of Olidammera is with him; the shot ricochets of the guard’s helm and caches him just above the eye, bringing him to the ground. Solomon breathes a sigh of relief and pushes out the grate. 

There are more guards at the far end of the hall, but they don't seem to have noticed their companion fall. Solomon squeezes into the murky shadows of the hallway, his invisibility dispelled by his sudden attack. Meryn is quickly out of the passage and creeping up the hall towards the guard. Solomon tosses a few coins down the passage to alert the rest of the group the original guard is taken out. The rest of the companions start crawling through in as Meryn launches a surprise assault on the guard.


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## GTWhorse (Jul 31, 2002)

I can't see anything that has been missed.  Lookin' good.
(I also wanted to see if I got this comment thing right)


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## Di'Tario (Aug 1, 2002)

ah the horse!!!  Welcome!!


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## arwink (Aug 1, 2002)

As the rest of the party squeezes through the narrow passageway, emerging one by one into the dim hallway of the warehouse, the hear the sounds of Meryn and Solomon locked in combat with a trio of guards - the two that Meryn surprised and a third that emerged from around the corner of the hall. Solomon has dispelled his silence, hoping to use his spells to keep himself and Meryn arrive until the rest of their companions arrive.

The fight is ugly. Solomon's warning that the Fist initiates wouldn't go down easy rings in everyone's ears as they shrug of Meryn's flying fist, Solomon's swords and an initial assault by Voolfy's bared teeth and Bjorn's flaming sphere. Eventually they put down two of the combatants, despite taking some heavy wounds. Their two main magic-users, Khynal and Madeline, struggle into the hallway even as three more guards reinforce the last fist initiated. Khynal lets loose a blast of telekinetic energy, pummeling one of the newly arrive guards mercilessly. Madeline takes down a second with her magic missiles, barraging her foes again and again. The remaining guards are wounded in moments, fighting unsteadily. Bjorn keeps them off guard with his longspear, while Meryn and Solomon keep tumbling into flanking positions and striking for some very telling wounds. 

After a poor beginning, the initial outpouring of power and tactics leaves everyone feeling confident. Then they push open one of the doors in the hallway, revealing the grim-visage of an armored man, the heavy spikes of his shoulder-plates framing his head and the prominent symbol of Hextor's fists emblazoned across his shield. There is a collective moment of silence as he lurches forward, his magically enhanced strength driving his mace through Meryn's defenses and smashes the bones in her shoulder.

Meryn ducks back hurriedly, searching for a healer. Khynal and Madeline, having burned their powers and spells on the guards they'd been fighting previously, draw weapons. As the slow process of falling back from the armored fist begins down the hallway, Khynal looks at the pistols in his hand. He's a fair shot, better than most, but the prospect of hitting a trained and armored warrior fighting his friends is a million to one. Without powers and his weakened muscles unsuited to hand to hand combat, he comes to a simple decision - flee. He dives for the passageway, scrambling through as fast as he can.

After seeing Khynal flee, the rest begin the process of a semi-controlled rout. Madeline quickly follows, scrambling through the passage faster than the others by virtue of her small size. Bjorn and Voolfy follow, leaving Solomon and Meryn to keep the Fist busy. Figuring they have a better than average chance of beating the Fist in a footrace down the hallway, Meryn gives Solomon the sign to tumble out of combat and flee. Solomon notices, nods, and they both attempt to dive out of the Fist's arm-reach. Meryn sprints, her lithe form moving with a swiftness borne of training and fear. She reaches the passageway, pulls a dagger from her belt and turns, preparing to launch the weapon the perusing Fist and to cover her companions scrabble through the secret passage. 

She instantly cries in fright. Solomon hasn't tumbled free, instead dangling a foot off the ground, the Fist holding him in the air with a gauntleted chokehold. Meryn throws the dagger, a move she knows is a gesture of desperation. Solomon, gasping for air and bleeding from the spike on the Fists armor, makes another game stab with his sword to buy Meryn time. It's the last thing he does before the Fist raises his mace and shatters the cleric's skull.

Meryn screams, dives for the passageway. Everyone buy Bjorn and Voolfy is running before she emerges from the other end. Bjorn raises an eyebrow, and then goes pale when Meryn shakes her head. They ready weapons and run into the alleyway. As the follow Khynal and Madeline down the street, they hear the sounds of more Fist initiates rounding the corner and perusing them. 
--------

Next - Some unexpected aid, and some payback for a lost comrade.


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## Haakon (Aug 3, 2002)

Well things were looking pretty poor for Solomon at this point in time. But well you will see what happens


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## GTWhorse (Aug 5, 2002)

A mace to the head.  That's gotta hurt.  Though it's nothing a bit of Savlon and a bandaid won't fix.

I see Di' Tario is getting around a bit.  Botswana eh.  "The grass is always greener"... says the horse.


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## Di'Tario (Aug 5, 2002)

Thats right my friend!! I am learning how to disguise myself as a Zebra!!  Then no one is going to be able to recognise me!!


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## arwink (Aug 5, 2002)

Apart from the idiotic smirk, the bad accent, the silly hat and the fatal susceptability to charm spells.  Those become something of a giveaway.

Besides, do you really want to be appearing as an animal any earlier than you have too?  With Bjorn's magic Chryssalis, it's only a matter of time...


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## Di'Tario (Aug 6, 2002)

But the mindflayer really is my friend!!


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## GTWhorse (Aug 8, 2002)

Neigh (sorry bad pun)

The mind flayer was just desperate.  It was hungry.  Didn't you notice the way it got two tentacles onto your head, then sensed there was nought inside but Groink the Elf and some R rated thought about freed prisoners from the temple of Tiamat.

Then, realising that it was not going to get a feed from you, but still too feeble from hunger to attack anyone else, it gave up!  

Sure, it put on a pitiful show of making it SOUND like it could have taken us all out, but just didn't feel like it, but we all know that Bjorn could have taken it down (Could have passed it that 4d6 fireball).

(Why did I just get a vision of the DM smiling and there being a Mindflayer popping up unexpectedly behind Bjorn sometime soon)

BTB, Coco the monkey is watching you.  Be nice to him, for changes are comin'

"Want a banana little fella?"


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## GTWhorse (Aug 19, 2002)

*Doh..*

Hmm, mindflayers... I hate it when I am right.


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