# Taking a Stand: The Beginning



## Anzila (Apr 24, 2005)

Introduction:

It is with great pleasure that I, Branseio Leric, head scribe of the Planer archive of hero’s, am tasked with once again recording the trials and accomplishments a new band of adventurers who have begun to play an increasing role in the events of the world known as Iodir

Their tale began when a group of seemingly unrelated individuals found themselves imprisoned in the dungeons of the King of Baily. The first was a Nezumi from the far south, who went by the name of Rik’tic”tic’alith (although everyone calls him Ricky). He was a creature of dark purposes, and was no stranger to the underworld of society, a fact that had led him to come to Baily, in order to escape the wrath of a vengeful paladin. Ricky was caught attempting to break into the palace itself in search of anything that could aid him in enlarging his sphere of influence, what he found were the swords of the guards.

The second was a hunter named Zelmar, an elf from the great forests, who had struck off on his own on a personal quest to re-forge the once great Elven kingdoms of the west, and re-unite them with his own powerful homeland. As one of the elite elf rangers, he was both deadly and silent, but knowledge of his quest reached the wrong ears, and he was seized for spreading ideas which undermined the unity of Baily. With the patience honed by years of training he allowed them to take him peacefully, knowing full well that when the time came, he would strike.

The third was a dwarf warrior known as Falco, once a great hero of his people, now a disgraced broken man who only sought to drown his sorrow in whatever drink he could find. It was one night, after successfully descending into oblivion, that he was seized for public drunkenness, and thrown into the prison with the rest.

The fourth was Lergess, an Aasimar and priest of Tempus, god of all aspects of war. With the blood of the divine running through his veins, and raised by a devout cleric in the ways of Tempus, he was both healer and warrior. While on a mission to bring the church to Baily he found himself greeted by soldiers, who claimed that by preaching of Tempus he was only bringing conflict and bloodshed to the peaceful kingdom. Thus he was rapidly subdued and brought to the king’s dungeon.

The final one was a half-elf woman by the name of Solar, of which little need be said. She was a successful pickpocket, whose luck ran out at the wrong time, leading to her sharing a cell with the others previously mentioned. While she was vital to their escape, their paths soon parted, and hers is a story for another time. 

As these five awoke the next morning, their differences were offset by their common problem. All had been stripped of their equipment, and were locked in a common cell awaiting an unknown fate. Ricky and Zelmar quickly established mutual loathing, but fortunately the others were able to work together to coordinate a plan. The guard outside the door kept Ricky and Solar from picking the lock, and Lergess lacked spells related to stealth and deceit. However, when all hope seemed lost, aid came from an unexpected quarter.



Chapter 1: Breakout!

As the guard had devoted all of his attention to the prisoners, he failed to notice the entrance of Gorlag, Solar’s half-orc companion who smashed the guard’s head into the bars, rendering him unconscious. Quickly freeing the adventurers, and returning their gear to them from the next room, Gorlag informed them of how the castle had been invaded by strange monsters, and how people were beginning to panic, saying the King had become a tyrant. Deciding to find out what was going on, the team started by investigating the other cells, Ricky and Solar making short work of the locks. Inside one they found another man who had been wrongfully imprisoned, and Lergess healed his wounds, then promised to return for him when their current mission was over. The man was extremely thankful, and granted Lergess a valuable amulet hidden in the cell by a former occupant. Sadly, another cell held only a corpse, the unfortunate’s only remaining possession being a set of cheap dice, which Ricky subtly lifted when the other’s weren’t looking.

After investigating the cells, the heroes headed for another doorway which led to a chamber of horrors. The room was covered in all kinds of tools of torture, and in the center two foul looking men were administering pain to an unfortunate elf strapped to the table. Zelmar was outraged, and before anyone could respond, the silent elf had put an arrow through one of the men’s head. Falco and Gorlag charged in and quickly made short work of the other man, but it was too late for the elf, who expired after saying one word, “Aseranal.” Realizing there was nothing more that could be done, the heroes took whatever they could use, and set off.

Finding the torture chamber to be a dead end, they next headed up a flight of stairs, quickly dispatching two guards who foolishly tried to stop them. Finding themselves in a long corridor of rooms, the group paired off to investigate them. Zelmar and Lergess inspected one room only to find it inhabited by a pair of nobles. The nobles pleaded for their lives, and claimed that they were trying to hide from the monsters that had infested the castle. Lergess convinced them that they were there to help, and in exchange the nobles gave the pair a jeweled ring, and a magical potion that would heal some of their injuries. 

Falco and Ricky had a rougher time of it, being attacked by a rabid guard dog the second they entered their room. A few swings of Falco’s axe brought down the dog, and Ricky inspected the room, picking a locked chest and finding some gold, along with a beautiful sword and several arrows coated with acid.

Solar and Gorlag’s room was obviously possessed by some sort of spell caster, containing a mystic scroll and an enchanted dagger, which Solar quickly began using.

As the adventurers regrouped, they found themselves under assault by a wave of goblins, which attempted to overwhelm them. Fighting a pitched battle, they managed to hold their own when a group of guards led by the paladin captain of the guard Kelren joined them. Fighting off the goblins, Kelren informed the heroes that the king had not invited these monsters, but rather had been taken prisoner by their leader, a horrible monster. The adventurer’s agreed to help, despite Ricky’s protests, and Kelren escorted them through a series of passages to the throne room, after sending his guards to fight off the other intruders. 

However, just before they got to the secret entrance to the throne room they were ambushed by several Orcs and Goblins. While they managed to dispatch their foes, Kelren was badly wounded, and had to remain behind. Slipping through the secret passage, the heroes saw their foe for the first time, a massive Ogre Mage! He was flanked by two elite Orcs, and at his feet laid the battered king. Realizing a direct assault would endanger the king, the adventurers quickly formulated a cunning plan. Moving through the shadows, Zelmar, Solar, and Ricky managed to get within striking distance of the monsters. Using the acid arrows Ricky had found, they quickly launched a sneak attack, Ricky and Solar striking at the ogre mage’s vital points, their arrows expertly finding their marks, while Zelmar cut down one of the orcs. Before the enemy could respond, Lergess let loose a blast of holy light which badly damaged the two remaining adversaries. Rushing forward, Zelmar engaged the ogre mage in single combat, while Ricky slid his dagger into the second orc’s belly. As her comrades distracted the enemy, Solar grabbed the king, and rushed him to safety. Upon finishing his foe, Ricky also retreated to safety, abandoning Zelmar to face the still mighty ogre mage by himself. While Zelmar was holding his own, he was gradually being worn down, and it seemed as if his end was eminent. It was then that Falco came out of his drunken stupor and selflessly charged into battle slamming into the ogre mage who fell to their combined might. 

In the aftermath of the battle, the heroes found an enchanted axe, two healing potions (one of which was immediately given to the king) as well as an enchanted whip, a wand that could summon monsters at will, and a magic ring that made the bearer far more flexible. They also discovered on the ogre mage a strange symbol of a gauntleted fist crushing to world, which they dismissed as the ogre’s symbol. After claming their prizes and reviving the king, they learned the rest of the story. Several weeks ago the ogre mage had entered the castle as a traveling wizard, and when granted an audience with the monarch had immediately put him under a spell and assumed his place. In the intervening time the ogre had jailed anyone who he saw as a threat, while bringing more of his minions into the castle. He had been just about to execute the king, the signal for his soldiers to spring from the shadows and conquer the city, when the heroes burst in.

To express his eternal gratitude for saving his kingdom, he appointed them as official agents of the crown, and granted them a significant sum of gold and influence. He then told them to go and rest while his guards finished dealing with the now leaderless monsters, but to if they would be willing to return to the castle the next day, as their skills and bravery may be needed again.


----------



## Paxr0mana (Apr 27, 2005)

As a player in this campaign (Falco) I have to say that it only gets better from here. All of this material is from several years ago, and we don't get to the really good bits until later.
Stay tuned, those of you who took a peek, its all uphill from here.


----------

