# Rise of a Demon Prince: A Savage Tide Tale (Updated May 17)



## stonegod (Mar 19, 2009)

*Rise of a Demon Prince: A Savage Tide Tale*

Last Update: May 17

Being the tale of the how four brave souls and their cohorts manage to end the threat of the Savage Tide and defeat the Prince of Demons. All will be changed, but one will take up the mantle of Demon Prince. Victory, but at what cost?

*The Cast*

*"Mad" Col Tobinson* Human Malcovoker (CN wizard/master conjurer/malconvoker/demonwrecker arcane). Once a respected navigator, something happened on the ill fated journey of the Midnight Fury: All but Col was lost, and Col was forever haunted. Obsessed with the occult and determined to never be weak again, Col delved into heretical arts to trick fiends to serve him. Usually, these arts are used to trick evil into doing good; Col fools them to serving him. Seeks to stop the Savage Tide to save himself and the world, in that order.

*Bin Macabee* Dwarf Scourge of the Seas (LN fighter/kensai). A warrior-merchant, Bin is dedicated to the art of war. Bin has accumulated quite the following and armada after crushing the Crimson Fleet and repurposing them for his own gain. Sworn to stop the Savage Tide, it drives his singular devotion to his axe.

*Lyddie* Human Priestess of Luck (CN [formerly CG] cleric). Formerly an avid devotee of Tymora, goddess of luck, recent events have corrupted her to see luck from another perspective. Now a (not-so) secret adherent of Besheba, goddess of ill-fortune, she seeks to stop the Savage Tide in order to regain faith in herself and redeem herself in the eyes of her true faith.

*Roundabout the Lost* Human Explorer and Chronicler (N cleric/fortunes's friend). Originally just interested in doing one of _Roundabout's Guides_ for the Isle of Dread, Roundabout got caught up in the machinations of demon lords. Seeks to stop the Savage Tide so there will still be places to explore and people to meet.

*Also Starring*

*Churtle* Kobold Girl Friday (expert/warlock/hellfire warlock). Rescued from a thieves' guild by Col, Churtle is Col's cook and apprentice. Founder of Farshore's International House of Gargoyle-Faced Pancakes (so named after the dent in the iron pot she used to fell a gargoyle), she seeks the secret to Infernal Rhubarb Pie. Utterly loyal to Col.

*Toby* Human Unholy Warrior (cleric/blackguard) Hanger-on to Lyddie, and open servant of Besheba. Sent to Lyddie after her conversion to "watch-over" her. Obviously besotted with her.

*Oscar* Human Pick-Master (fighter/kensai). One of Bin's cohorts. Hired for extra muscle.

*With*

*Demogoron* Prince of Demons. For now....
[sblock=OOC]This is the write-up of the final addy in Savage Tide: Prince of Demons. Our group started in Spring 2007 and finished in March 2009. I'll summarize the context of the characters/game first then get into the tale. Should be fun.[/sblock]


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## stonegod (Mar 19, 2009)

*Background*

It all started in the town of Sasserine, on the wild coasts of Tashalar on Toril. Lavinia Vanderboren, a minor noble down on her luck, sought to secure the fortunes of her recently deceased parents. Her vagabond brother, Vanthus, was missing, so she enlisted a group of unknowns to assist her. Mad Col she hired due to his previous reputation, little knowing the madness that had overcame him. Bin she hired due to his valor in the fighting pits. Others would be hired as well, but they would eventually fade from this tale and are thus not important.

After discovering Lavinia's inheritance had been stolen by her brother, and after being left for dead by the self-same rascal, the group tracked him down to a den of thieves—the Lotus Dragons—beneath the city. They killed many, saved one kobold cook (Bin wanted her dead after her impromptu poison stew trap got him, but Col saw something in her), and broke their leadership after driving away the villainous but beautiful Rowyn and giving her guardian drake to elves to be rehabilitated. But Vanthus was nowhere to be found, having fled to do dealings with the Crimson Fleet: A band of notorious corsairs.

The gang traveled after Vanthus. In an abandoned cove, all they found was madness. The betrayer had accidently unleashed a demonic plague ("Col's Maddening Fever", the mage called it in his published occult papers. Others named it the Savage Tide), turning all the pirates against each other. Fighting two-headed mutations, crazed dinosaurs, and other monstrosities, they saved another beautiful pirate, Brissa Santos. Convincing her they had nothing to do with Vanthus—indeed, they wished him dead—she informed them of her misaimed plan to kill Lavinia for Vanthus' meddling. Securing the only working vessel, the Sea Wyvern, the group set out to rescue their employer. It was a race against time, but the managed to save Lavinia from the bullywug thugs.

Lavnia put her brother behind her, focusing more on her future. Finding her parent's investment in a colony on the infamous Isle of Dread, she set about funding an expedition there. The party was hired to accompany her. The voyage was anything but standard: Crimson Fleet attacks, an attempted revenge by the stowaway Rowyn, and romance between Lavina and a swashbuckling member of the party. Even Col found companionship, after the captain of the Sea Wyvern, Amelia, decided she liked the cut of his jib. It was during this time, on a island filled with ruins from a lost Olman civilization, that they found Lyddie. Stranded (her entire previous party having been killed by the evil on the island), she joined the motley crew.

The boats were separated in a freak storm, with the Sea Wyvern being caught in a living sargasso of evil. Even though they freed themselves, they were soon wrecked upon the Isle of Dread, far from the safety of Farshore. After a vicious dinosaur ate their some of their number, they started a trek to safety. Through demon-haunted jungle they travelled. It was here that Churtle slew the gargoyled that dented her iron pot with its face. After dealing with a kidnapping demon acolyte of Demogorgon, the party was finally able to reach Farshore—just in time to see it being attacked!

Fending off the Crimson Fleet party, the group was reunited with a happy (and very pregnant, thanks to one of the party) Lavinia. Knowing it was only a scouting attack, the group scoured the island for allies and resources. They placated an angry god of fire, made deals with a coatl guarding the treasures of ancient warriors (though it took offense at Col's demon-dealing ways), and fought the deadliest thunderous beast on the Isle (again losing a companion to its jaws, the same which was eaten before). Through cunning, foul rites (Col reanimated the felled beast with the possessing spirit of a bound demon), and luck, the group drove off the Crimson Fleet attack, lead by no less than the now half-fiendish Vanthus Vanderboren!

The party was coming into its own now. Bin's martial prowess and growing fleet (having commandeered the Crimson Fleet's attack ships with Col's help) drew him many follower to her mercantile-warrior banner. Col's power of fiends grew; not only was he known for summoning throngs of the evil outsiders in combat, now he was never without one guarding him at all hours. His use of fiends to dispose of the Savage Pearl was drawing ire from other powerful Faerun mages, especially after one of his vrocks caused havok in Waterdeep. In addition, his apprentice Churtle was learning the secrets of hellfire. Lyddie was establishing a thriving Church of Tymora in Farshore, and her influence was growing. With the death of two of their fellows, however (the father of Lavinia's child and the unlucky Tolliver "He-Who-Tyrannosaurauses-Eat"), they were down in strength. That would soon change.

Stirring in the island's depths lead the group to discover the growing threat of the Savage Tide and the Isle's role in it. Seeking to discover the Crimson Fleet's involvement, the group—with a reluctant guidebook writer Roundabout in tow—travelled deep beneath the island. After making deals with aboleths, killing the mother of madness, plumbing the depths of an alien city, and teleporting directly into the creation forge of the savage pearls, the group were able to destroy an ancient artifact and release a great evil to eliminate a greater one. However, they discovered the true source of the pearls was a forbidden temple in the middle of the island. An assault on it soon followed, and after many travails, they slew the aspect of Demogorgon in charge of the the Demon Prince's plans on the island. They had struck a major blow against the Savage Tide, but the Prince of Demon was fully aware of them now.

Things did not remain static. Returning from their victory, they found their employer Lavinia missing, kidnapped by the returned to life Vanthus! Though her recently born child was safe (and under the legal control of Col, after some shady dealings), Lavania was not. Thus, they sailed to the vile pirate town of Scuttlecove in search of the kidnapper. Beset on by traps (Lyddie being surprised kissed by a succubus lead to amusement but almost death), the group made more deals with questionable sorts to the growing discomfort of the luck priestess. An assault on the fortress of the kidnappers on Scuttlecove went very quickly (Col's ice devil quickly closing all routes of escape and driving the afeared masses into Bin's blade) and they discovered the true location of the threat—the Crimson Fleet's base of operations at "The Wreck": A mad conglomeration of boats stacked atop each other in a crazed arrangement for defense.

The assault on the wreck was epic. Col called forth fiendish Tyrannosauruses and an extra-planar kraken, Churtle shot hellfire from hundreds of feet away, Roundabout crossed vast distances to heal and dart out again, and Bin's blades demolished the half-fiend pirates and snake-men. Lyddie fared poorly, being killed by assassin's blades repeatedly before discovering the true reserves of her battle-magic: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned who has _destruction_.

The Crimson Fleet broken, the party discovered the incestuous Vanthus has stolen his sister to the Abyss in hopes of transforming her into a fiend like him. Hot on his tail, the group ventured deep into the mad prison of Divide Ire deep in Demogorgon's domain. Their they found a prison in revolt, with major demons and captured fiends and celestials fighting over control. Using deals and betrayals to weaken those within, the group also found time to rescue those worth saving, including a little boy named Timmy that Lyddie took favor too. After killing a repentant fallen Solar and making deals with a bullywug lich (in an arrangement Col found profitable), they found the betrayer Vanthus. The battle was stuff of legends. Roundabout fell, being drained of life and returned as a foul wraith. Churtle fell to a soul trap. Lyddie and Bin were on the brink of death. Only Col and his summoned minions remained. And when hope seemed lost, Mad Col Tobinson shot a green ray from his hand and turned the murderous and vile Vanderboren brother to dust, leaving nothing of the traitor behind.

Or so Col says. No one saw the event, and all know the very casual relationship the Mad one has with the truth.

Regrouping, the party finally found the marilith prisoner that kept Lavinia hostage after stealing her from Vanthus. The demon was dealt with, though not before several other deaths (Lavinia's included). Powerful magics were used to return them to life, and the group returned triumphant to mortal plane. But the group now knew Demogorgon's plan was afoot, and that the Savage Tide was imminent if they did not do something soon.

Tracking a lead on a former succubus mistress of the Demon Prince, the group found themselves on the plane of prisons in the Abyss. After making a deal with Ahazu, demon jailor, they freed the imprisoned Shami-Amourae, who Demogoron imprisoned because she knew his secrets. But the Demon Prince laid traps to keep this secret safe, including dumping the River Styx on her rescuers. The group successfully found out her secrets—the the Demon Lord's two halves warred with themselves and the savage half Hethradiah was going to use the Savage Tide to absorb his more calculating half Aameul. This would result in the Demon Prince gaining unforeseen power: A true threat to all worlds!

The group new they had to act. When visited by Charon is response to the despoiling of the Styx, some quick diplomacy convinced the Lord of the Dead to help them. He advised to recruit an army to fight Demogorgon, turning his enemies to the party's cause. They turned first to the infamous Iggwilv, the Witch Queen. Far more knowledgable than even Mad Col, they were able to convince her of their purpose. For her own reasons, she enabled them audience with Orcus, the Court of Stars, and the Queen of Succubi, Malcanthet. For Orcus, Bin destroyed one of his powerful minions in single combat to convince the Demon Prince of Undead of their worth. For the Court of Stars, they slew a great evil at the foot of the Yggdrasil to win their support. But, in the flesh orgies of the Queen of Succubi, they paid a high price: Lyddie was tempted by Malcanthet's power and the false hope of turning the the succubi's power to good. With a kiss, a bond was created and the priestess' connection to her good goddess destroyed. Malcanthet laughed at Lyddie's distress, but her help was given in the form of a powerful flask that could be used to bind an aspect of a demon lord.

Lyddie fought with herself for a time, eventually reluctantly accepting the patronage of Tymora's rival, Besheba, goddess of ill fortune. Meanwhile, the group used trickery to infiltrate on of Demogorgon's supply camps where an aspect of Obox-Ob, the original Prince of Demons, was imprisoned. After freeing the aspect to destroy the camp, the party captured the insect lord in Malcanthet's artifact, securing even more power for the coming battle.

In their final task to secure an alliance, they sought Bagromar, one of Demogorgon's aspects and leader of half his forces. Kin to Demogorgon's more savage half, Bagromar  resented Tetradarian, the aspect of Demogorgon's cunning.  The party tried to use this jealousy to turn aspect versus aspect, but it fell apart. Churtle and Bin fell in the waves of demons that followed, but a new callous Lyddie and Col's fiendish legions held them back enough to destroy the aspect. If you did not join the party, you would not work against them.

Allies gathered, the group set up a war council in the magic null Outlands. But Demogorgon would not them off so easily. He sent powerful assassins after them: Hasted, Flying Bodak T-Rex's ridden by giant ju-ju zombies. The battle was dreadful, but Col's acid fog, Bin's flying mounted charges, Lyddie's rampant destruction, and timely healing by Churtle and Roundabout drove off the menace.

So, we open the tale in the dead magic zones of the Outlands, as the War Council begins....


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## renau1g (Mar 20, 2009)

looks good stonegod, I'll be anxiously awaiting this 

edit: I might have asked you, but have you played (or run) Age of Worms?


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## stonegod (Mar 20, 2009)

renau1g said:


> looks good stonegod, I'll be anxiously awaiting this
> 
> edit: I might have asked you, but have you played (or run) Age of Worms?



Ran it. Started 2006ish, finished last year. Was fun, but running it showed me the warts of high level 3.5 play. They can be avoided, but I prefer not having to think about them. So no more running 3.5 for me.


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## stonegod (Mar 20, 2009)

Background was updated above. Its a long read...


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## stonegod (Mar 22, 2009)

*The War Council*

It was a scene that few would believe afterwards: A host of eladrin, a witch queen, two demon lord envoys, and the Lord of Death. All with a singular purpose: Stop Demogoron. But the reasons were vastly different.

Orcus and Gwynharwyf were arguing on how best to assault Demogorgon's fortress city of Lemoriax when the party finally arrived. The first wanted to smash it directly with wave after wave of demons, undead, and eladrin. Gwynharwyf was adamantly against it; her forces were sure to be decimated in such a frontal assault. The smug grin on the goat-lord's face was all that need to answer: The dead fight for me. The more dead, the better. The eladrin queen tightened the grip on her scimitars.

Roundabout and Lyddie cooled tensions, reiterating that infighting would not gain the common objective. Meanwhile, Mad Col surveyed the map. The Gaping Maw was layed out before them: the Screaming Jungle, the Brine Flats, Lemoriax, and their true destination—Wat Dagon, where the Savage Tide would begin or be ended.

The battle is yours, not mine. Iggwilv voice was strong with an undertone of power. But I will provide help thusly. The Prince of Demons wards against invasion by planar means. But even he cannot protect all fronts. I will provide the portals to the plane, enough for all your forces. I need only to know where. Her secret smile at the end showed her joy in seeing the others argue.

Orcus wanted to use his forced to attack Lemoriax directly—after all, Wat Dagon was closed off unless Lemoriax was neutralized he added smugly. Gwynharwyf suggested a more indirect strategy by invading from the beach heads on either side of the city, crushing it in a vice. Charon's envoy indicated his lord's forces would be keeping Demogoron's naval forces at bay, so only the Lord of Undead and Whirling Fury's forces would be on the ground.

As for Malcanthet, she just smiled an listened. I have no forces to spare, sweetmeats. I am here just to watch. Her smile was as smug as the Witch Queen's.

The debate raged for an hour. Mad Col indicated another weak spot away from Lemoriax's main force, but close enough to assist a direct assault via a flank. But none had suggested opening a gate there. This 'ere be th'place t'stab at the 'eart of Demogoron. Why we be no discuss' this?

Arendagrost, the Queen of Succubi mentioned casually.

Lyddie and Roundabout watched as Mad Col blanched. Whatever 'Arendagrost' was, if it put a pallor on the madman that used an obyrith to possess a corpse in a dread ritual for his own defense, it must be fearful indeed.

Aye, the Maw of the Abyss. A beast so foul, even its demonic parents could no look on it. Col shot a sidewise glance at Malcanthet. Three 'eads, able t'breathe doom from each one, an'canna kill ya at a'look. Nasty bit of work, it is.

Guess that's where we come in. Roundabout did not look happy about it.

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

And so it was decided: Orcus would lead his legions against the main Lemoriax forces as a distraction to weaken them. The eladrin force would trek overland as part of a flanking maneuver, while the party and one of Orcus' legions would deal with the beast Arendagrost and close the pincer formation on the other side. With that, all that was left was the preparations.

The group retreated back to their redoubt on the Styx: The Brine Harlot, Bin's flagship (formerly Vanthus' before his first death). Roundabout and Lyddie spent time in divination, seeking what help they could for the battle ahead. As for Col, dark and terrible sounds could be heard from his warded corridors. The sounds went beyond the Mad One's normal bindings, suggesting Col was using every dirty trick he could in preparation. The demonic twin countenance of the wolf-and-snake headed molydeus that followed the malconvoker from thence on and the somewhat unnatural tinge to Col and Churtle's skins bespoke the depths to which the Mad One would go. Few bargains were too steep if it would keep Col Tobinson alive.

As they gathered together to join Iggwilv for the final assault, Roundabout looked at them all with worry.

36 Hours. Less than 36 hours until the Savage Tide.


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## stonegod (Mar 22, 2009)

[sblock=OOC]Just as a note, Bin, who started as a PC, was an NPC as this point—the player running him became DM after our original DM moved away. Thus, even though he has the highest diplomacy, he almost never factors in our discussions. So, Bin is pretty quite except for certain important moments.[/sblock]


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## stonegod (May 18, 2009)

*The Assault*

Intoning arcane words beyond mortal ken, the Witch Queen tore open holes in the multiverse, piercing the boundaries between here and the dread Abysm. Portal upon portal opened, and through marched the unlikeliest army every seen: Mortals, eladrin, demons, and undead, all working towards a common purpose of sorts.

The smallest portal was reserved for the party. It was an ancilliary beachhead deep within the jungle. The group was to weakened up the forces so Orcus' other platoon could come in en mass, flanking Demogorgon's defenses. Through the gateway, the group could see a cleared jungle landscape and stone entrenchments with the massive forms of hezrou, the slinking shadows of babau, and several marilith generals waiting.

Let's do this. Bin said, riding his massive, specially bred war-mount.

The party stepped into battle. Immediately, the demons armed massive arcane defenses that shot forth balls of acid or missles of force. The barrage nearly took down one of the death giants Orcus had lent for the assault. The group scattered to minimize that strategy. Col called forth clouds of thick acidic fog to neutralize the ballista while Bin rushed in. Liddie pinned in some forces with summon barriers of force, but the marilliths returned the favor with similar walls to hedge her in. But Col had prepared the party with flight, so bypassing the blades were childs-play, and none were harmed by the now useless mines in the deadsman zone.

With their major means of damage removed, the battle was over before it began. Bin, Oscar, and some fiends bound to Col's will handled most of the cleanup, though Churtle's blasts of power finished one or two. Toby was particularly useless, a story that would repeat itself over the course of the attack.

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

As they secured the facility, the portal widened and Orcus' forces began to amass for the secondary assault. One of the messengers approach the group. The V Asphyxian has been lost and its the portal blocked there somehow. Our Lord Orcus must have that gate open if the assault is to succeed. The group all looked sour at the suggestion, especially the implication that Orucs lead the battle, but the implication was clear—the Prince of the Undead was not going to commit his forces unless the gate way clear.

And the party had to handle it.

Moving through the jungle as quickly as they could, the group soon came upon another portal clearing. They smelled it long before they saw it however: It was a scene of death. The forces here had not fought a battle, they had been obliterated. Parts of pieces of what may have been limbs could be seen. Of what caused the carnage, there was no sign.

 The only indication of something barring extradimensional passage was an odd totem at the center of the clearing. Col and Roundabout's arcane senses picked up something else wrong soon after—antimagic. It surrounded the totem. Immediately, Col refused to approach; the wily wizard knew his arts, and thus all his defenses, would be moot; the wizard would not place himself in such danger. After a lengthy, circular argument, it was agreed that Bin and Roundabout would fly about the zone and investigate by lowering the latter down.

Soon, the adventuresome explorer was dangling from a rope like bulette bait. The rest of the group approach the dead magic from different sides, waiting. Just as Roudabout entered the dead magic zone, a green blur broke through the soil, and three mighty jaws snapped at the hanging rouge. Through shear luck, all missed, and Bin pulled his flying mount up just in time.

Freed from its earthly coil, Arendagrost the mighty roared at the gathered party. To describe it would be madness itself. Three heads as mighty as dragons but as twisted in appearance as they were strong. And where they met the body could not be seen, for all that remained were tentacles, uncountable tentacles that writhed and seethed like a boiling molasses of dread. Just to look upon the spawn of Demogorgon turned the stomach.

The group was at an impasse. None wanted to venture forth, and the beast Arendagrost was content to wait. It would taunt the party, coming to the edge of the ward and bellowing. Once, Liddie got too close as was caught in its vile breath that ate at her skin. The next time it did this, the group was ready and assaulted it in tandum. But even then, it was barely harmed and quickly began to heal within the confines of its dead-magic protection.

Desperate times called for desperate measures. From his belongings, Col pulled forth a tome bound in the flesh of fiends, written in the blood of mortals, and containing the secrets of the Witch Queen herself. Had she known the Mad One had one of the lost copies of her Tome, Iggwilv would have certainly demanded it back. But Col was sly and knew better than to sacrifice one of his greatest tools in controlling fiends. Chanting dark syllables that would raise the hairs of any that followed good (but none of that type would be found today), Col called forth one of the primordial evils—a titan greater than those that usually bear the name and taller than most of the high buildings in Waterdeep.

With a sweep of its hammer, the mighty titan smashed into the dark spawn's side, wounding it terribly. But it too snapped at the giant foe, wounding him nearly as much. Magic and hammer, jaws and breath, they were near evenly matched it seemed, though Col's dark secrets gave his forced servant the edge. But it would be close, and all the while the rest of the party was taking wounds. More would have to done.

The battle raged around the bounds of the antimagic zone. Col, and the molydeus demon he had bound to be his protector, prepared a trap for the next the Maw of the Abyss would step out. And as it surged forth, Col chanted the words of maze, shunting Arendagrost to a demiplane while his protector demon warded the area from dimensional travel. It was a gamble; even the learned conjuror did not know if the dark spawn would be trapped forever, shunted away, or return in full health.

Ten minutes passed,

Twenty.

Soon it was clear that the trap had worked. Wherever Arendagrost, Maw of the Abyss, was, it was not here.

Soon, smashed under a titan's hammer, the totem was destroyed and Orcus' forces began to return. It was almost time for the final push. Only one thing rememained: Demogorgon's mightest general, a son of his flesh. Tetradarian.

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

Meanwhile...

It was a tranquil day in Shadowdale. Few knew of the battle that raged for the multiverse in the Abyss. Farmers tilled, bakers baked, and life was as it should be.

And then, without warning, without precedent, a _warble_ in the face of reality spewed forth a thing of nightmares, its three heads bellowing in rage and its tentacles destroying ten buildings in one attack.

Arendagrost had come to Shadowdale.


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## stonegod (May 18, 2009)

[sblock=OOC]We spent a lot of time debating what to do with that antimagic zone. All three PCs are casters; only the PC->NPC Bin was not. In the end, all our plans mattered for naught anyway.

Col _gated_ a 52HD Gargantuan Chaotic Evil Titan to fight Arendagrost. We called him Big Guy. Unfortunately, he wasn't used again, though Col had planned on it. 

The trick was to use _maze_ to get rid of Big-A, then _dimension lock_ to prevent extraplanar travel back. It was a risk. Big-A had to go somewhere when the _maze_ ended, but could not return where he was due to the _lock_. The DM ruled that he'd appear on a random plane and randomly rolled the Prime Material. And since he has an evil streak a mile wide, he decided to put in on Elimster's doorstep. 

This isn't the first time Col's gotten in trouble this way (wayward fiend). He once told a vrok to get rid of something dangerous, but didn't say where, so it teleported it into a croweded place in Waterdeep. Col got a visit from the Symbul that time. [/sblock]


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